Chapter 4: ETONI!

Bica kept still, trying to listen carefully to the sound, she could have left it alone thinking it was some animal but it had been following her for a while. After a long silence, she resumed walking, keeping her senses on high alert. Was there perhaps somebody following her or was it just her imagination? Why would anyone follow her deep into the forest in the first place? Reaching the clear flowing stream, she dipped her hand in the cool water and washed it. She also picked up one of the plashi and washed it. She raised it up to her inspection. Such a pretty fruit, she thought to herself. It had a strange shape and and an even stranger look. It was slick to touch but it was a glittery torquoise color with dark blue dots on it and the inside was a milky white color. No wonder these were used in ceremonies. Biting into it, she came to realize that the creature she felt was following her was gone. Must have been her imagination, she thought. Finally deciding it was time to leave, she picked up the two baskets and headed out of the forest. The creep never came back so she walked with ease out of the forest.

After she had left the forest, she decided to talk a walk on the streets since the weather was lovely that day. She smiled at the people she was familiar with as she walked, whistling that same folklore that was stuck in her head. Her mood was perfect until she heard an annoyingly familiar voice behind her. "Well if it isn't my pretty little fiancee".

Bica halted in her tracks immediately she heard that statement. Why did he have to come? She was having such a lovely mood so why did he have to show up? She chose to ignore him and walk on, hoping that he would take the hint that she wasn't in the mood to talk to him, but then she was never in the mood for him in the first place. He quickly caught up to her either not getting the hint or simply shrugging it off. "What's wrong Bickyboo?".

Bica turned to look look at the pest before her. " How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?", she asked, she felt her impatience with this guy being stretched to a thin line.

"What's wrong with calling my lady-", he started to only be interrupted.

" Etoni!", she snapped. "I am not your lady. I not getting married to you. And I will never be your Bickyboo. I don't even know where you got that foolish idea from. How many times have I told you that I have no interest to court you! ".

" Would you rather have old men court you? You know your father is planning on getting you married to one. Last time it was Suberou the hunter. Won't you rather have someone young and handsome like me? ". Bica took a good look at him, in truth, Etoni was handsome and rich. He had his honey blond hair packed to the side, icy blue eyes with a matching kimoyo bead on his wrist. His tail was long and well groomed. Bica couldn't lie that he looked attractive but unfortunately his brain was quite the opposite, being rich, he always thought he could get everything he wanted which included her. Even though he had so many girls falling for her he had always been obsessed with her.

"Who told you that?", she narrowed her eyes at him.

"News spreads fast dearie", he smirked. She turned around and walked away from him. Ignoring his shouts on how she would eventually be his. Her day had been ruined to the point that she headed straight home. Opening her door and closing it with a slam, alarming both Nana and Jera inside the house.

"Is something wrong, dear?", asked Jera in worry. She had been fine before she left the house. Did something happen?

"No, mama Jera. I'm just tired", lied Bica.

" Tired? It's only been a few hours since you left. It's unlike you", said Nana, using her fangs to create holes on the tatan leaf for another to pass through.

"I'm alright", she replied, throwing a plashi to Nana who caught it with her tail.

"Thanks".

"Sure". Bica took the fruits to the kitchen, washed them and kept them in another basket before leaving for her room. In her room, she took a bath and lay on her bed reminding herself what Etoni said. What annoyed her was the fact that he was right. She knew it was the fate of the girls in her society to get married earlier or at the age of sixteen or seventeen but she didn't like it. She was a nineteen year old hupard who enjoyed her freedom of choice but her father had been pestering her to get married to people he wanted. Twisting herself in bed, she finally drifted off into sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already night and she realized her family would already be asleep by then. Getting off the bed, she put on her furry coat and left her room looking for something to eat.

After eating a snappy dry bread, she left the house due to the fact that the sleep had completely disappeared from her eyes and she liked walking in the forest during the night. It was a dangerous odd old habit she had acquired from an unknown source. Holding a lantern in her hand, she walked through the quiet forest when she picked up that same sound she had picked up earlier that day and she froze. "Whose there?", she asked but no reply came. The shadow moved again but instead of stilling, she picked up a sharp stick and threw it accurately. The person shrieked and fell down. Bica didn't waste anymore time and immediately ran over to where she heard the person fall. She could make out a male figure even though his back was faced against her. She pushed his face to her sight and her face froze, "What are you?"