The Mountain's best kept Secret

18. Doomed love

(Isabella’s POV)

He adjusted her stance, pulled the bowstring tighter and without hesitation, let go of it. The arrow whirled through the air and with a thud; the doe dropped to the ground. “Well done, princess, you did it!” Galli cheered. Dazed, she couldn’t move — “Did I just… I think I’m going to be sick!” The bow slipped from her hand as she turned away from them, gagging. The two laughed, “You can’t get sick already, we have to still skin and dismember it!”

“No! No, I can’t! You do it! I did the toughest part!” She frantically protested and went to sit under a nearby tree. “O, that poor thing. Could she have been a mother? And who would look after her baby now that she’s gone?” She panicked out loud. Her head dropped in her hands as guilt replaced the earlier excitement, as truthfully, she didn’t believe she’ll pull it off.

The ground crushed beneath Leo’s feet as he walked over. “You did good, princess. You wanted to show us you can, and you did.” At first, his kind words sounded alien to her ears, but his warm eyes strengthened his genuine delight. “Thank u.” Her broken voice betrayed the guilt she felt, so he bent down to wipe the tear from her eye, “This was a young doe without a fawn.” Then he turned to Galli, “Go do some fishing with Isabella. I’ll finish up here.”

Back at camp, Galli gathered a spear and handmade looking net before he took two gulps of water and offered her some. “No, thanks.” She politely refused and took some items from him. “Come, this way—the best spot to catch fish is over there.” Galli walked in the direction of the rushing waters. Not long after they reached the riverbank, he dropped what was in his hands, then stretched before making himself comfortable. “So how are you planning on catching anything with only those?” She pointed at the items at his feet. “Have you never fished before?” His one eyebrow shot up. “Of course, I have, but where I come from, we use far more advanced techniques. This is what we would call—‘primitive’.” She crossed her arms in doubt, still staring at the spear tip reflecting the bright sunlight.

“Do you doubt my skills, princess? I’ve been catching this way since I could walk, and never went home empty-handed. Have some faith.” Galli laughed. “Mm, we’ll see. Sooner than later.” Her eyes still suspicious. While he got busy in the water, she found a spot and sat down, but soon after her eyes wandered all over the dark-tanned man, swaying his arms around in the water, carefully studying him. Why is it that all men from this world are so incredibly handsome? She wondered, lost in thought. “How can it be that not you or the price has a romantic interest?” She suddenly blurted out, but to her surprise Galli answered her calmly, not getting distracted from the task at hand, “Who said our lives are loveless?”

The sunlight danced from the moving waters and, starring at it, carried her deeper into thought. ‘Prince’ and to be second in line to the throne of the Stone Arrow Tribe is such a desired title, so why hasn’t he taken a bride? According to her fairy-tale books from when she was little, members of the royal family got married off young. I guess he’s in his late twenties? She had noticed the young girls giggling and whispering as he passed through the village, even some shot her unfriendly glares for being at his side. Only if they knew how mean he could be… Temperamental.

“You spend all your time with me or guarding me, so even if you had a love interest, she would be long gone by now. If I had a boyfriend that spends so much time with another woman, I would have packed my bags.” She uttered under her breath before stretching out her arms. “Come now, princess. It’s not as if I have a choice… You’re an assessment to me, nothing more.” He chuckled at her disgusted face. “Fine, but you, not answering my question proves me right.” Her last insult went unnoticed, because suddenly, Galli stabbed at the water before glancing at her with a ‘I told you so,’ grin. Proudly, he lifted the spear from the water, revealing an impaled modest size silver fish.

“You did it! Aww! You caught a fish!” Isabella jumped up, cheering as if she was the one that caught the fish. After Galli came from the river, he removed the fish and threw it into a clay container he brought with. “One down, at least 6 more to go.” He wound his muscular shoulders as if going to battle and jumped back in. After a while, Isabella got tired and asked, “What about Leo?” Galli targeted a fish swimming close by, therefore he remained silent until the second impaled fish came from the water on the spear tip. After adding it to the container, he asked: “What about Leo?”

“Well, um, does he not have an arranged marriage with some goddess-princess from a distant tribe? Why is he still single?” Her manner of asking shrouded the truth with mere casual conversation to keep herself entertained. “Because Leo’s parents died while he was still young, they couldn’t get around to it. And the king has no intention of marring him off into a wealthy and powerful family that could, one day, challenge his position. But, honestly, his entire life, he had no time for love as the second in command and having to look out for Sesa.”

Footsteps coming from behind, distracted her and instantly, she turned around only to find his majestic figure appearing from the trees with blood-stained hands. But even the sight of this; she welcomed and although she promised herself to not get caught up in this game of cat-and-mouse, his godlike image got her all hot and bothered. Isabella, control yourself! Did I just lick my lips?! Realising she stared at him as he approached, she swung back around, mortified and red-cheeked! I’m sure he saw me gawking. O, this is embarrassing! Tightly, she pinched her eyes as if to wish a bad dream away.

To her surprise, Leo walked right pass her without as much as a second thought. A groan escaped him when bending down on the riverbank to wash the blood from his hands. Such a brute! She silently scolded at his ignorance, because yet again, he made her heart flutter to just enjoy crushing it later. Leo then continued to take off the piece of leather covering the top-half of his body, now also stained with blood. Isabella’s stomach suddenly twisted, noticing the scars on his back from when he saved her from the whip. Remembering that stubborn, yet kind man that took her place beneath the whip filled her with sadness and guilt, since she was the one Rogan intended to kill.

“Let me.” Isabella walked over. He stared at her, surprised, because a couple of hours ago, she cried at the sight of blood. Without thanking her, he just nodded and handed it over. She took the piece of clothing with a sad smile, then tried to wash the bloodstains away. Away—like all the poor memories from this place. “I see you lost your touch; only two?” He teased after inspecting the clay pot. “It’s all this one’s fault; her small faith cursed me. Or the fish has gotten used to me by now.” Galli spoke just before they struck the spear into the water and showed off his third catch.

“Have you heard what I just said?” Galli stood over her, dripping wet, proudly showing off his biggest catch yet. “Nooooo, Galli! Go away because you stink of fish!” She squealed, jumped up and stumbled back, right into Leo. Unexpectedly, he gently caught her by the elbows, preventing her fall. “O, um, sorry…” She stuttered while pushing herself from him. “Are you always this clumsy?” She wanted to punch him right in the gut for his disapproving stare, but the nasty comment caught her off guard. Before she could answer, he turned around and walked away. Aw! That man!

The rest of the afternoon uneventfully ticked by while the men fished, and she descaled their catch like Galli showed her earlier. Afterwards, she placed it back in the container, one by one with layers of coarse salt in between, and carried it back to camp. Eventually, before the sun faded behind the mountains, the men caught enough fish for Sesa’s pantry. Once the stars became visible in the dark night sky, all three of them sat tired around the fire. Leo placed large skewers with meat over the flames. “I think today was most successful and calls for a celebration!” Galli exclaimed into the quiet night.

He jumped up and disappeared for a few minutes, leaving the other two with curious faces. “Don’t ask me what he’s up to.” Leo shrugged without her even asking. The meat sizzling away over the fire, however, looked so appetising, as they have had nothing to eat and started drooling a bit. “A few more minutes, then it will be ready.” He again answered the question in her head, and this infuriated her more. Hot, cold, hot, cold? Choose one and stick with it!

Before long, Galli returned with a curious-looking bottle and sat down next to her, mischief written all over her face. But before getting comfortable, Leo’s icy glare quickly made him move up, further away from her. “What is that?” She couldn’t hide the curiosity in her voice as all attention fell on the amber glass bottle in his hands. “This, my friends, are the tears of happiness itself!” He mysteriously announced. “Stop talking nonsense! Even if happiness were a person, why would she cry?” Isabella laughed, but Leo instantly stood up as he had no time for such a foolish conversation. “Do not entertain his delusions.” Leo scoffed before stepping away.

Both ignored him, so Galli explained, “Rumour has it that if someone cries tears of joy, collect it. This is because tears of happiness can mend even the most broken of hearts.” With a grin, Galli put the bottle in front of them. Then, without hesitation, she grabbed it and gulped down three large mouthfuls. “No! This stuff is potent and not only that, it’s scarce too.” Galli snatched the bottle back, much annoyed. “I think it’s safe to say my heart desperately needs mending.” She wiped the liquid dripping from her lips with the back of her hand and pulled her knees against her chest. The stinging, sour taste still lingered in her mouth and reminded her of a friend’s attempt at home-brewed vodka. Disgusting.

“How so?” Leo unexpectedly asked from the shadows. Galli’s eyes suddenly enlarged as if to ask, ‘did he hear that?’, but Isabella just gave a frustrated sigh, “Well, I’m trapped in a world I don’t understand, lost all my friends and loved-ones, have no purpose here, and every day I’m reminded of what a burden I am. Just to name a few…” she trailed off while blankly gazing into the flames. His silence confirmed her suspicion; he’s not actually this cold-hearted, yet only pretends not to care, but why? Why does he choose to wear this mask, although my words clearly stabbed his heart? A heart made of ice should be impenetrable...

“My heart is also in need of mending…” Galli interrupted her thoughts before taking a sip. “Why?” She chuckled at his gloomy face, because she’s never seen him this miserable. “Because earlier today you reminded me of how sad my love-less life is… At present, the only two women in my life are Sesa and you; utterly distressing!” Both looked at one another and burst out in laughter at the sad realisation they all found themselves in. “What about you?” Isabella brazenly asked over her shoulder, coaxing Leo from the shadows. Galli was right; this stuff is potent. She thought, because with every sip, her bravery grew. “What about me?” He stepped into the light with what looked like root vegetables and poked them into the coals with a stick.

“How’s your love-life doing?” She asked, straight-faced, although her head felt dizzy. Whatever was in that amber bottle took effect and tore down all her insecurities. “Never mind, don’t answer that. We all know who’s not the lucky one.” She again pulled her legs against her chest and stared at the flames dancing from the fire. For a minute, she got lost in the image of a man and a woman elegantly dancing in the flames; at first twirling thought the red and orange, then the man ultimately pulled her in for a deep kiss.

“What’s with the depressing face? Lighten up! This liquor is supposed to make you smile, so don’t sulk as if you’re in despair.” Galli quickly spoke to lighten the mood. Isabella looked up, only to find Leo sitting opposite the fire, staring back, but deep in thought. The rest of the night went by as the two of them, and occasionally Leo, talked about their past and what they wish for the future. Isabella told stories of all the technological advances in her world and how it was a double-edged sword. “It’s like Sesa said about using the forest’s magic—give and take. In my world, there are minor accomplishments that don’t demand their pound of flesh - one way or another.”

Everyone except Leo continued to take sips of the sour liquor, sending them deeper down the rabbit hole. “Someone has to be the responsible one.” Leo mocked after they teased him, not wanting to join in on the fun. As the early hours approached, Galli and Isabella plunged into a laughing fit, rolling around and tears streaming down their cheeks. But this didn’t last long before they quieted down, exhausted and drunk. “I don’t think these tears will mend our broken hearts, princess—it’s nothing more than some temporary relief…” Galli stuttered while starring down the bottle’s neck.

“Probably… But do you know what will?” Isabella’s head suddenly shot up and stared at the top of the mountain and pointed, “There!” Even Leo followed her gaze. “Before we came to your world, I imagined living in a cabin on top of the mountain, waking up every day to the beautiful view. Can you imagine how peaceful that would be?” No one answered. Only Galli’s drunken snore sounded loudly next to her.

The strong liquor took over, sending                 the

                     world                  into a spin   .             She

tried to                                                           focus on                   Leo stepping

  closer,             but he moved from left,                                        to       right,

again              to the                                    left then                                     right again. 

“O my head! Everything is spinning.” She exclaimed.

“Brother, this is all you're doing.” Leo shook his head, standing over the passed-out Galli, snoring away into the night. He then took a piece of meat from the fire, handed it to her before grabbing the vegetable from under the coals. “Ouch!” He complained after lightly burning his fingers. Around her, everything happened in slow motion. Even the flames seem frozen mid-air. With every blink, it became more difficult to open her eyes again. “N o,  n o,  y o u  h a v e  t o o o o o   e a        t   s o m e t    h    i n g”.

Why don’t Leo’s words make sense? Why is he talking so funny? Is he mocking me?

“You’re drunk. Come, eat this before I help you to your tent. Tomorrow’s going to be an endless day.” Filled with pity, he sat down and leaned her head on his broad shoulder. “Why are you being so nice? I thought we forever lost the kind man from the waterfall… I miss him so much.” She mumbled and took the bite he offered, “Mm, it smells so nice.” After letting her eat for a while, he then spoke, “I’m telling you this, because tomorrow it will be as if we never shared this moment. You’re too drunk to remember most of the night.” He sighed.

“Ever since I pulled you from the thorn bush, you became my greatest desire. This has not changed, but after learning that I’m the true heir to the throne, I can’t escape my destiny any longer. With it, comes the stone curse forever keeping us apart.” He fell silent while stroking her hair while she ate. “No matter how much we come to love each other, we can never be.”

Although she heard every word, her groggy mind refused to understand it. “Doomed love…” she softly uttered against his chest while slowly drifting off to sleep. “Shh.” He placed a kiss on her forehead before his powerful arms encircled her tiny waist and picked her up. Carefully, he carried her to the small tent and laid her down. “Goodnight, princess.” He whispered before covering her with the blanket and left.

Early the next morning, the two men and all the creatures of the forest woke up and started their day, make noise as they went, but her pained body refused to follow. She laid still, listing to the birds chirping away while the light breeze tugged at the tent. Slowly, she opened her eyes, but to her dismay; the world around her spun and head throbbed from the liquor last night. “Aww!” She grabbed her head in agony. What happened last night? Galli… O, that man cannot be trusted!

Also sounding under the weather, Galli called from outside the tent, “Isabella? Is that you, I hear moaning like a wounded animal?” She covered her eyes from the blinding morning sun. “Ah, what did you give me last night? My head hurts… So bad!” She grumbled and pulled the blanket over her face, but her foul-smelling breath had her gasping of air. “O no! I’m sure I died, and this is hell…” Her eyelids felt heavy, and before she slumbered back in, someone flung open the tent. Suddenly, she cowered from the bright light intensifying her headache. “No! What are you doing? I’m already half-dead and you just pushed me into my grave!” She yelled at whomever disturbed her, curling into a ball.

“That’s what you get when trusting Galli and his magical way to happiness.” Leo resounded her earlier thoughts and extended his hand to help her sit up. “Do I look like I’m in the mood for your mockery?” She glared at him, still squinting against the bright light. Now was not the time for ‘I told you so’, and he quickly realized as much and changed the subject, “We still have lots to do before we leave today, so get up and start packing.”

Galli jumped up as Leo walked over, but lost his balance, and quickly attempted a sluggish solute to not expose the awful state he was in. “We’ll talk later.” Leo hissed, turned around, and walked to his horse. As soon as Leo was out of sight, he let out a painful moan. “Ah!” He grabbed his head and sat back down. “I’m glad to see I’m not the only one suffering the consequences. Thanks a lot, by the way.” She uttered under her breath, handing him the water satchel. “If I recall correctly, you’re the one who grabbed the bottle from me, and drank most of it to mend your broken heart.” He answered.

With little enthusiasm, the two gathered the items around camp, both wailing from now and again. About to finish, Leo returned with some juicy-looking berries. “Here, eat this. Sesa always recommends it for a bad hang-over.” He passed some to Galli. “Thank u, brother. And I apologize for whatever we said or did last night. But, if only I knew what a lightweight this one was, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand.” Galli dropped his head and nudged her to do the same. “What? Me!” She gaped at the man throwing her into the lion’s den. Amused by the two’s silent quarrel, he placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “It’s fine, and by the looks of it, I think you learnt your lesson.” His eyes moved from the bags under his eyes to sweat droplets on his forehead.

Leo’s smirk made them feel more at ease, and after Galli nodded in thanks, Leo handed her some berries too. Reluctantly, she took one between her index finger and thumb, taking her time to investigate it from all angles. “What are you doing?” Leo impatiently asked, shifting, and crossing his arms. After looking at it for another moment, she answered without looking up, “The last time I trusted a one of you, I ended up with this excruciating headache.” She squinted her nose.

“Fine, don’t, but no one else is to blame. Poor decision-making lead you here.” His unmerciful comment caught her off guard. I hate you so much right now. It’s all because of moments like this that I wanted to escape my sad life, even if it was at the bottom of a bottle! Her face turned scarlet red, but before she could reply, he stunned her yet again by sending Galli away. “Go gather the herbs Sesa needs. Isabella and I will collect more berries and nuts.” Galli nodded, turned around, and hurried to the river. “Can’t I just go with Galli?” Still red in the face, she hissed without thinking, but he ignored her. “Fine, torture me as you please. It’s not like I’m not used to it by now.” She mumbled.

She silently followed Leo through the forest, moving from one tree to the next in search of berries, nuts, fruits, or any other gifts it offered. As time went by, she cooled down and felt a lot better after eating a handful of the dark-coloured berries. Like so many times before, she disappeared into her own world while stumbling about. He faded from her imagination and she stood alone amongst the high trees while the wind rustled through the leaves. Just for a minute, she felt so light, as if she could get swept away by the wind and float on top of the forest’s canopy. Carefully, she listened for the whisper in the wind, but none came.

Then, without warning, Leo abruptly stopped ahead, and still being absent minded - she bumped right into him. “Hey, what are you do…” She trailed off after following his gaze. There, a few meters in front of them, she noticed a familiar-looking thorn bush. “Why does this place look so familiar?” She asked, looking around to place her surroundings. “Here, not so long ago was where I first found you.” His face showed no emotion, but his eyes revealed a deep hurt. And before she could reply, he turned around and walked back in the direction they came. A warm sensation filled her as she recalled the day her world got ripped apart and the dark stranger coaxed her to trust him. If only back then, I recognised who you’ll become… Would I have given you my hand?