Weekend Writing Warriors: 1/16

This 8-10 sentence blog hop is hosted by The Weekend Writing Warriors. (Click the link for the list of participants, or rules if you want to join!)

This is a WIP, NaNoWriMo 2015, Forest Wed. A small town in the rain forest is protected by two gods, represented by married avatars, each chosen by their god. When one of the pair dies, the gods choose a new couple from the unmarried young people–a choosing which took place with Addan, but the very last of the men, Kaie, has taken the totem.

But almost in reassurance, as soon as the dark knot of wood touched his skin, green tendrils sprouted from it, binding the totem against his skin. He stared down at his arm, stunned, and finally, three small yellow flowers opened among the dense ropes of green.

In the crowd, Orla, his intended, who he had planned to marry in a few handfuls of days, burst into tears. She wailed, and though her mother tried to shush her, she wouldn’t be silenced. In the end, she was led away, still weeping.

The other men retreated into the gathering, but Kaie remained transfixed by the totem on his wrist, until one of the elders stepped forward, and nudged him into motion. Kaie and Adann reached out for each other, Kaie’s face averted, and their hands touched, a brief, promissory swipe more than a clasp, but enough for the ritual.

They stepped away from each other, and the crowd began to break up. In three days, there would be a wedding, though not the one Kaie and Orla’s family had been planning.

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(Though I’m still bogged down in the slightly past middle, I’m writing. Thanks for the encouragement!)

****~~~~~***And WordPress just reminded me that yesterday was my four year blogiversary! :D***~~~~~****

Beikife is a small town in something like the Amazon rain forest, protected by a pair of married gods. The gods are represented by human avatars, two young people chosen and married by divine power. The strength of the marriage represents the bond between the gods’ blessing, so the new forest wed must find a way to connect to each other, or the crops will fail, the rivers will flood, and the cursed monsters that live in the forest will claim many lives.