"But those are great news..!" Kai was unable to hide her excitement when Reiko told her about the conversation with chief Kemu. She had tried to find Reika after the council meeting, to give her a heads up about the unexpected suitor of hers, but Kemu had interrupted them just before she could spill the beans. "Samickle is one of the greatest warriors of the land of Kamui and to-be chief of the tribe!"
"Yeah, I know, but that's not the point!" Reiko whimpered and swept her mask up so she could rub her temples as she restlessly paced back and forth in Kai's house. "I owe him a great debt— Hell, even my life..! But is that enough of a reason for me to marry him?"
Reiko was grateful that Samickle had saved her from the brink of death three years ago, but that didn't mean she wanted to be with him. After all, their first meeting was not exactly romantic, and since then, their interactions had been mostly limited to business. She wasn't even sure if he was interested in her romantically.
"You turned down the proposal?" Her friend gasped in surprise, unable to make up her mind on what to think of this. "I mean… it's your choice, of course, but it's an honour to-"
"I didn't turn it down." She glared at her. "I said I'll think about it. I just wished he would've come straight to me about it— The tribe elder acting as a middleman is kind of old fashioned, if you ask me…"
"Samickle respects the traditions." Kai gave her a meaningful look from under her mask.
"Pfft, respects the traditions…" Reiko rolled her eyes. "But not enough to marry an actual Oina? Has he lost his mind..?"
"...You do realise what he had to go through at the council meeting, right?" Kai asked, her tone cautious.
"What?" Reiko's brow furrowed, but soon her eyes widened upon the realization. "Don't tell me-"
"He had to announce the proposal in front of the council." Kai explained, looking down. "Some of them opposed it, saying that Samickle's marriage with an outsider would create an unnecessary conflict within the tribe... and, well, the meeting became heated."
Reiko's stomach twisted at the thought, and a feeling of guilt washed over her. She had been so wrapped up in her own problems that she failed to see the bigger picture. "Oh gods..." Reiko whispered, suddenly feeling absolutely terrible. The fight earlier wasn't because of some petty argument, but because of her. Kohu's behaviour suddenly made sense— The idea of Samickle marrying an outsider probably rubbed him the wrong way, angering him enough to challenge the future leader of the tribe.
Being one of the strongest warriors of the tribe and Kemu's expected successor, Samickle was definitely popular among the ladyfolk. But, despite his many wooers, he had shown very little to none interest in choosing a companion. That didn't change even during the mating season; While in heat, the males of the tribe were known to be easily agitated and restless, and Samickle's prolonged abstinence made him more volatile for any unnecessary vexation— His popularity mixed with his disinterest towards his female admirers annoyed the other males greatly, but thanks to his temper they had learned not to mess with him during that time of the year.
And yet, despite his reputation, Samickle never took a mate. Reiko had witnessed it herself a few times; She saw the looks of the unmated females around him, their flirty, coy glances. Their intentions were obvious, but he always ignored them. And now, out of the blue, he chose her. Why her, of all people? Reiko sighed. She wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. The fact that his interest towards her had caused some of the villagers to question his position as a future chief made her feel awful. He had worked so hard to get to where he was, and now his reputation was in danger, all because of her.
"I just wish he would've asked me himself." Reiko sighed, and slumped on the couch, rubbing her face with her hands. "I talked with him right after the meeting, but he didn't say a thing..!" When treating his wounds, Reiko had been unaware of the fact that Samickle had a moment earlier declared his intent of marrying her to his fellow tribesmen... and him not saying anything about it to her when he had the perfect chance was bothering her a lot. More than anything, it made her feel embarrassed.
"Well... he probably has his reasons." Kai shrugged. "Maybe he got shy? He's... not exactly good at expressing his feelings."
Reiko's lips curved in a faint smile. "Shy..? That's not the Samickle I know." She shook her head. The stoic, proud, and often intimidating wolf-shifter did not strike her as the type to be shy.
"It's true!" Kai protested, and crossed her arms. "I've known him since childhood, and believe me, he's a real softie underneath all that muscle."
Reiko raised her eyebrow. "Really..?"
"Mhm! I used to get in trouble all the time when we were younger, and Samickle would always bail me out." Kai grinned. "He'd tell me off for being reckless, and then he'd patch me up and give me some of his sweets. It was always like that."
"Wow, really..?" Reiko had never heard that story before.
"Yeah, but don't tell him I told you. He's kind of sensitive about his sweet tooth." Kai laughed.
Reiko couldn't help but to smile at her words; Truth to be told, she had always been fond of Samickle. He was the kind of person that could lead an entire village, but he was not conceited. He was strong, both physically and mentally, but he was humble. And while his stern, somewhat strict nature was not always exactly pleasant, it was admirable. He had always been patient and respectful towards her, and that alone made her respect him.
Reiko let out a small sigh. The thought of spending the rest of her life with Samickle did not sound that bad, if she was being honest. After all, he was a handsome, strong and intelligent man, and she had no doubt that he would make a good mate. But, she wasn't going to marry someone only because they looked good on the paper. As an outsider, she hadn't even considered marrying into the tribe, so only the thought made her head spin.
"Kai, why did Samickle choose me..?" She finally voiced the question that had been bothering her the most. "Why did he ask me to marry him? There are plenty of other women in the village who would gladly jump at the chance."
"Oh, don't give me that look." Kai snickered at her words. "I think it's just romantic."
"Romantic? Tch, first word that comes to my mind when describing an arranged marriage is maybe practical, not necessarily 'romantic'."
"Not that, you dummy..! Hehe, it's kind of obvious now when I think about it~!" Her friend giggled under her mask. "The secret love Samickle has felt for you all these years, that is."
Kai's words made Reiko's cheeks flush red— She quickly tried to hide it by pulling the mask back onto her face, avoiding her gaze in embarrassment.
When Reiko didn't say anything, Kai finally continued. "Come on, think about it; From the very first day when he brought you to the village, you two have shared this special connection. Samickle isn't exactly a people person and can be a bit… well… blunt, but he's like a whole new person when you're around! And I've caught him patrolling the outskirts of Kamui when you're away on your travels, especially closer to the day of your return."
"Wh-what?!" Reiko gasped, her blush deepening. "Th-that's ridiculous! W-we barely even talk!"
"Exactly." Kai's tone was matter-of-factly. "You spend time with each other, and yet you don't say much, but oh the way he looks at you! He can keep up his stoic act in his human form, but as a wolf, his ears and tail get all droopy when he sees you... it's so cute!"
"Stop! This is embarrassing..!" Reiko hid her face in her hands, but Kai's giggles told her she wasn't finished.
"I bet he's thinking of you as his mate already."
"That's not funny!" Reiko huffed, glaring at her. "You're just making things up!"
"Oh, am I? Then why are you blushing?"
Reiko cleared her throat, trying her best to appear nonchalant about the matter. "Actually, when you mentioned my travels..." Ever since Kai started speculating, Reiko had just secretly prayed for an opportunity to change the topic— Talking about the proposal was fine, but Samickle's hidden fuzzy feelings towards her was a topic that made Reiko feel rather embarrassed. "Spring is soon upon us— As soon as the snow melts off from the mountain paths, I'll head out again. For a couple of months as usual." Oina tribe members rarely wandered outside the land of Kamui, but Reiko was an exception; She was from the outside world, afterall. Longing for adventures, she spent the short summers of Kamui travelling all over the land of Nippon.
"W-what..?" Kai stuttered, surprised by her announcement to set off again. "But… I just thought that… um…"
"That I'll just go and marry Samickle, spending the next summer making a litter of Oina puppies?" Reiko gave her friend a stoic look. "If I actually some day end up taking up on his offer, don't you think I should savour this little time I still have being free?"
"No, not just that..!" She muttered, shooting a miffed look at her from under her mask as she continued. "Have you listened at all to what Tuskle and Kemu have been trying to warn you about? The outside world is a dangerous place, but the dark powers lurking out there have regained their strength a great amount lately— It's not safe to wander out there all alone!"
"I know, I know..! But it's not like it's the first time I'm heading out there!" Reiko groaned in annoyance. "Besides, Tuskle soon needs more herbs from the southern lands— I'm the only one doing trading with the outlanders, so…"
Kai was about to protest when the front door opened, and a gust of cold air blew in. A few moments later, a snow-covered figure appeared in the doorway, shaking the snow off from her. From underneath the icy coat was revealed a sparrow mask, symbol of Hekla, the herbalist of the village.
"Ugh, it's really coming down out there." Hekla said, stomping her feet to remove the ice from her boots. "You should go home soon, Reiko. The storm is getting worse."
"Yeah, you're right..." Reiko grumbled, finishing her tea and setting the cup down. Then, she stood up, and put on her coat and boots.
"You're going back to your hut?" Kai asked, standing up as well.
"Yeah. I'll be fine."
Kai frowned. "Are you sure? You can stay here if you want. There's plenty of room."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine." Reiko insisted. "I've lived here for a couple of years now. I think I know how to navigate the snow." Honestly, spending the night at Kai's and Hekla's place was a tempting idea... but after such a crazy day, she needed some time alone.
"Okay, well, just be careful." Kai said, walking her to the door.
"I will. Good night."
"Good night."
Reiko closed the door behind her, and was immediately engulfed by a wall of white. The wind had picked up considerably, and the snow was falling in big, fluffy flakes. She sighed, and pulled the hood of her coat up, then began trudging through the snow.
Warm glow of the lantern in the midst of the storm caught her eye— It was Kohu, patrolling the village with a few other guards. Much like Samickle, he was a tough nut as well, on his feet already after such a beating. For a short moment, the two of them just stared at each other. Him attacking Samickle was still a sore topic, and Reiko wasn't exactly on friendly terms with him after the incident.
"Don't get lost in the snow, little fox." Kohu said, his voice dripping with venom.
Reiko huffed. "Thanks, but I'll be just fine."
She tucked her hand into her robes, pulling out a prayer slip and a silver chime. She swung the chime in a wide arc, and the prayer slip began to glow with a pale, blue light. As the wind caught the prayer slip, the light seemed to spread outwards, creating a path through the thick curtain of snow. Reiko couldn't help but to steal a side-eyed glance at the wolf-shifter; She wasn't the type to show off, but she wanted to let Kohu know that she could fend for herself.
"Hmph. Whatever." The man in a bear mask grumbled, then turned and walked away.
Reiko watched him leave, and then turned towards the direction of her home, following the path that was created by the glowing paper. It led her towards the forest, and through the snowy trees to her hut.
The small wooden cabin was located near the edge of the village, far away from the noisy bustle of daily life. The area was surrounded by a thick forest, which provided her with an abundance of natural resources. The windchimes hanging on the ridge of her hut's roof swung wildly in the strong wind, their bright sound echoing in the darkness. Reiko stepped inside, and immediately felt the warmth from the fireplace. She took off her boots, coat and mask, and hung them on the hook. Then, she walked over to the fireplace, and sat down in front of it.
She stared at the flames, her mind replaying the events of the day. Samickle's proposal, the fight between him and Kohu, the conversation with Kemu… All of it was swirling around in her head, and she couldn't seem to stop thinking about it. Why did Samickle choose her? Was it really love, like Kai had suggested? No, it couldn't be... If he really did have feelings for her, why hadn't he tried to get closer to her? They had been living in the same village for a long time now, and the few times she had interacted with him, it was only on a friendly level. Reiko shook her head. No, Kai was wrong. Samickle didn't have any feelings for her. He must've had his own reasons for even suggesting such a crazy arrangement, to marry her…
She sighed, and ran her hand through her hair. This was all too much.