As Roshani ran through the forest towards the Wenja village he glanced down at Valery finding her unresponsive. His heart sinking he hugged her tightly until she groaned, her head shifting to one side and he let out a shaky sigh.
Moving quicker Roshani soon saw the stream that led into the village and he gave it a weak smile, running through the water before he slowed. Taking a few gasping breaths he quickly scanned the nearby area until he saw Sayla, walking out of her hut.
"Roshani, why are you running around like that?" She asked, frowning the moment she saw Valery lying limp in his arms. She hurried over looking her over to find her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Taker her to Tensay and I will follow." She told Roshani who quickly nodded, following her advice as he raced towards Tensay's hut. They arrived less than a minute later and as they pushed open the hut Tensay raised his head, fiddling with a stone bowl.
"What do you want, Roshani?" He growled at the Izila, rising when Roshani moved closer. He only stopped glaring when he saw the limp form of Valery resting in Roshani's arms and he frowned, motioning for Roshani to lay her beside the fire. As gently as he could Roshani set her down and she groaned feeling the dirt beneath her though after than shifting her head to the right she barely moved, her forehead and cheeks covered in a thin layer of sweat. Moving around her Tensay knelt once he saw the pinpricks the snake had left.
"What do I do, Tensay?" Roshani asked as the shaman scratched at his chin thinking before he rose with a slight smile on his face. "She's sick so why are you smiling?" He growled only to hear Tensay chuckling before a bowl was thrust into his hands.
"You need to get some herbs and plants from outside the village." Tensay explained, giving Roshani a brief description of each. With a nod and a tiny smile Roshani started for the entrance though just as he reached it he turned back to see Valery with her eyes scrunched shut and he waved. "Go now if you want to cure her." Tensay snapped at him and he quickly nodded hurrying outside much to Tensay's amusement as he knelt beside Valery in time to see her eyes open, her face screwing up when she saw the shaman.
"Where's...Roshani?" I whispered, trying to sit up until Tensay pushed me back and I groaned my head and leg throbbing.
"He is looking for your cure. Rest now until he comes back." Tensay explained, moving to a stone bowl before he brought it close to my face. Seeing me staring at him my eyes unfocused he sighed, bringing a piece of animal skin near my face. Dipping it into the bowl he wiped it across my face cleaning the sweat from it and I sighed, closing my eyes as another wave of pain made me clench and unclench my fists.
Soon after Roshani returned with his arms full of plants and herbs. Seeing him Tensay chuckled before he grabbed some of the ingredients and kneeling started to grind them into the bowl filled with water, making a paste. "Here, you need to rub this paste into her wound. She may wake up so be warned." Tensay told him and Roshani nodded, taking the bowl before he moved to where her snakebite was.
Kneeling he dipped his fingers into the paste though just as he brushed it against her wound he saw my eyes open, my face cotorting in pain as he rubbed some of the paste into the painful wound. "Roshani, stop it! It hurts!" I gasped but he steeled himself, applying more of the paste despite my cries.
"Shhh it will not heal if you keep fighting me." Roshani hissed, unable to look away when he saw tears welling in my eyes. "Please I have to do this." He added and I whimpered, nodding briefly as I lay my head back. I whimpered and whined as he applied the paste though once he did the wound felt cooler. Even then I struggled not to cry out as Roshani wrapped a leaf around the bite hiding it before he searched my face, my eyes on him the whole time.
"Thirsty." I coughed and he nodded, looking up when Tensay handed him a bowl with water filling it. Gently, Roshani lifted it towards my lips and I gratefully took a few sips pushing it away once I was done. Roshani had barely set it down and turned back to see my eyes close and he swallowed, leaning over until I sighed.
"She will recover but she needs rest. Take her back to her hut." Tensay suggested and Roshani nodded, silently grateful to the shaman as he carefully lifted the barely conscious Valery into his arms. She didn't stir as he left the hut though when he pushed aside the animal skins to allow them entrance to his hut she whimpered, resting her head against his chest and that brought a faint smile to his face.
Once inside his hut Roshani crossed to the animal skin rug and once he set her down he lay her arms over her stomach, his eyes travelling her face. Even after being attacked she had a faint smile on her face and after he knelt, resting his palm on her forehead she sighed.
"You are not as hot as before. I hope you will feel better soon." He whispered to her and he thought he heard her mumble something that he didn't understand. "I will let you sleep while I find you something to make you feel better." He added, leaning over to give her forehead a light brush with his lips. Valery didn't even stir once and he smiled leaving the hut to search for herbs to make her heal faster.
He returned a short time later to find me hunched over on the rug, gasping and he rushed over. Nearly dropping the herbs he watched as I coughed my cheeks red before I looked up to find him looking down at me his lips pursed into a frown. "I feel...dizzy." I muttered and he nodded, sitting beside me. Without hesitating I lay back with my head resting on his lap and he gave me a smile stroking my forehead with the tips of his fingers.
"You should sleep. The pain will go but you need to rest." Roshani told me and I snorted though I could feel my eyes closing. Even with my eyes closed I found myself unable to fall asleep and Roshani just cracked a tiny smile as he stroked my forehead, humming as he did.
Somehow it worked and Roshani's smile grew once he found that Valery had fallen asleep, her chest rising and falling. While Roshani waited for his mate to recover he busied himself by showing some of the Wenja how to plant crops around the village though he did find his mind wandering to Valery. Between helping the other villagers plant crops to taking care of Valery, Roshani returned to his hut exhausted each night though seeing Valery always let the Izilla with a smile on his face as he curled up beside her.
Even when Takkar returned to the village several days later with two young children and the knowledge that Ull was dead didn't stop him from glancing at his hut. Seeing his expression Takkar had a quiet word with Sayla, the gatherer in a much better state of mind since Ull's death.
"He's worried about Valery. He should spend sometime with her now." Sayla told him and Takkar nodded walking over to the former commander whose attention was focused on the hut in the distance.
"You should check on her." Takkar suggested and Roshani nodded, heading back to his hut so fast Takkar chuckled. Roshani reached the hut pulling the animal skins back to see me sitting with my knees under my chin, my mouth creased into a grimace.
Once I saw Roshani my grimace became a weak smile though he must have seen me looking pained because he moved to my side, kneeling before he rested his hand on my forehead.
"Roshani, I'm not ill anymore just a little sore." I protested and he fixed me with a stare until my stomach growled and he chuckled. "So I'm hungry." I sighed and my stomach protested a little louder this time.
"Very hungry though you have been sleeping for a few suns. I will bring you something to eat." Roshani assured me, toustling my hair before he straightened. He didn't take long to return with two bowls, one filled with clear water and the other with pleasant smelling meat that made my stomach growl. The moment he set it beside me I dug straight in alternating between the meat and the water until both were gone. Content I settled back on the rug and Roshani smiled to himself, setting the empty bowls aside and I blinked as he sat beside me on the rug.
"I've been sleeping that long?" I asked and he chuckled, stroking my face when my cheeks turned red. "No wonder I was so hungry." I commented as I leant back until my head rested on his lap.
"You were very sick but you are much better now. I was very worried about you, Valery." Roshani told me and I glanced up to see him grimace. "When that snake attacked you and you passed out I thought I had lost you. If it wasn't for Tensay I don't know if I could have saved you."
"Roshani, you asked Tensay for help? That was very brave of you. I mean I know you two don't get along so for you to seek his help..." I trailed off when he grinned at me giving the top of my head a brush with his lips. "Besides I'm supposed to be marrying you soon."
"Yes then you will truly be mine." Roshani agreed and I giggled when he lifted me up so my head was resting against his chest now. "Though you were always mine." He added as an afterthought and I sighed as he nuzzled my neck.
"I am aren't I?" I whispered and he nodded, enjoying being alone with him. "So when is the ceremony?"
"Tomorrow." Roshani answered and I coughed, looking up at him with wide-eyes as he broke into a laugh. "You will be fine. You do not have to say or do much except accept me as your mate."
"Okay that I can do. As I've done several times in fact." I joked even with red cheeks and he laughed, cuddling me.
The very next day I sat beside Sayla and a few other Wenja women who were threading flowers into my hair, braiding it as they did. Knowing I was actually getting married made my shoulders quiver which just made Sayla laugh as she painted my face exactly how Roshani had told her to.
"You are nervous?" Sayla asked and I tried to nod until I remembered the paint so I coughed instead. "You will be alright. If you can survive a snakebite getting married will not hurt you."
"I know, Sayla. I've been through so much that getting married is easy. I think so anyway." I responded and the women helping me giggled amongst themselves.
"He loves you doesn't he?" One asked as Sayla finished painting my face. Getting a brief nod she smiled at me. "Then you do not need to look so worried."
"I'm really looking forward to spending my life with him." I finally agreed and they all smiled at me. "Now where did Roshani go?"
Standing, Sayla led me towards the very edge of the village and I felt my nerves disappear as soon as I laid eyes on Roshani who looked a little nervous himself. Now sporting the same headdress he had worn when Takkar had brought him back to the village he gave me a tiny smile that grew the closer I stepped, blue paint carefully covering his face in a similar pattern to mine.
"You look..." Roshani paused unsure until I grinned at him, feeling myself blushing when he handed me a necklace covered in shells and flowers. "Beautiful." He finished as he drapped the necklace around my thin shoulders.
"You're very handsome...even more so." I stammered and he gave me a grin, standing beside me before he gently took my hand in his. To my amusement Tensay spoke and after a pause I realized he would be the one to commence the wedding ceremony.
Even with a slight frown in Roshani's direction and a brief smile in mine he started to speak though I was so nervous I barely remembered any of the words until his gaze focused on us and I quivered.
Roshani gave my hand a squeeze and I turned to see him nodding at me, mouthing the words I couldn't remember. Silently grateful I took a deep breath before I spoke.
"In the presence of Suxli I choose Roshani to be my mate now and for the rest of my days." I spoke aloud and he nodded, turning his attention to Tensay who fixed him with a smirk.
"In the presence of Suxli I choose Valery to be my mate now and for the rest of my days. I choose no one else but her." Roshani said and I blinked at the last part of speech, confused until he gave me a slight smile.
"Then I bless you both as mates for this day and many more to come." Tensay announced and I laughed as Roshani wrapped his arm around me, dipping me before his lips crushed mine.
We spent the rest of the day with the rest of the Wenja tribe, laughing and joking until the night fell. Between drinking one of Tensay's concoctions and endless dancing I was nearly asleep on my feet and Roshani gently took me by the hand, guiding me towards the closest hut. Which was mine and I giggled when he lifted me into his arms a little drunk himself from only a sip of the drink so he stumbled more than once before he made it to my hut.
Once he pushed his way inside the hut Roshani stumbled over to the rug nearly dropping me on the rug. Which caused me to burst out laughing and he stared at me once he righted himself, a faint smile on his face after he sat beside me.
"Okay that was an amazing wedding." I laughed and he nodded at me, his mouth opening until I leant over leaving him speechless with the kiss that followed. "Heh your face's red." I giggled, noting that I'd smeared the blue paint on his cheeks.
"Blue and red now, Valery." He finally agreed and we both laughed. Yawning a little I lay on one side of the rug and Roshani grinned at me, lying at my back. Once I noticed one of his arms drapped over my side I smiled to myself as he pulled me close. Feeling him nuzzling my neck I sighed turning my head slightly in his direction.
"I know what you're thinking but I'm not sure if we should." I whispered and Roshani just chuckled at the slight frown on my face. "I don't know about you but I'm tired."
"When someone gets married do they usually sleep afterwards, Valery?" Roshani asked, now running the fingers of his other hand up and down my leg. I could feel myself blushing and he grinned his hand sliding up my skirt and I shuddered, the feeling of his hand on me sending a tingle down my spine.
"No...not really. The wedding couple usually...um..." I muttered before I whispered something to Roshani who paused with his hand brushing between my legs to blink. Then I felt his tongue dart into my ear and I groaned his name, arching my back when he palms me. With a brief smirk Roshani thrusts his tongue in and out of my ear his hand rubbing and stroking until I whimper then he gently lifts up my shirt and without taking his tongue away he tugs his own pants down.
Even feeling the effects of the drink Tensay gave us I still feel Roshani pushing me stomach first onto the rug before he laid over me and I groaned when he does, his body covering mine. After a pause so we both can calm our breathing Roshani starts to thrust, his hips moving up and down and I shudder, gripping the fur beneath me as he makes love to me.
After a few more thrusts Roshani climbs off me, turning me around so he can lift me onto his lap. Then he thrusts even deeper and I cry out, his eyes searching my face he stared until I let out a shaky breath then I leant in and it's his turn to groan as my tongue darts into his right ear. "Valery, I love you." He groaned, thrusting into me and I shudder my tongue mimicking his movements when he leant forward, his hands moving to my shirt.
Sliding his hands up my shirt he fondles my breast cupping them at first and then using his fingers he strokes the nipples until they harden, his hands briefly moving to the hem of the shirt before he yanks it from my chest. Giving my bare chest a good stare he grinned and I groaned even louder when he moved close enough to cup one breast, fondling it as his tongue brushes the other. As his tongue curled around the nipple I whine deep in my throat his thrusts faster and slightly rougher until I shudder, the sounds of his mouth licking and sucking at my bare skin sending a shiver up my spine.
Despite the light-headedness of the drink we make love until we can't even move, lying tangled up and sweating on the rug. I feel Roshani summon enough strength to snuggle against me and with a gentle sigh we fall into a deep and exhausted sleep.