Field of Death: Dearly Beloved

The sky was bright and open as they walked together down the aisle between the lines of benches that had been brought out just for the occasion of their wedding. He felt her hand tremble within his and from somewhere flower petals floated down around them. He squinted upward to see his young cousins, donning bright smiles, who had climbed the trees above to toss handfuls of the fragrant petals down around the couple.

Tyler was happy. Happier than he'd ever been. He'd found Marianne and now they were to be married before their family and friends. This is how it should be. Both sets of parents approved and his older brother was standing for him. As they approached the front of those gathered, Tyler smiled at his brother, Luke, who returns the smile with a pat on the back.

"Dearly beloved..."

~~~~

This was the day they'd waited for! The day she had waited for and Marianne was so excited that she could barely keep herself from running through the fields. Tonight, she would be a part of a new family. With a new name.

What of tonight? Had Tyler any expectations of their impending night together? She had always blushed at thought of what was to come, but his eyes and his touch made her know it would be perfection.

As they walked the aisle together, his hand was trembling and this only made Marianne love him more. The air was scented with the flowers that she had told the cousins to sprinkle through the air. All was in order, as she knew it would be.

It was to be a short ceremony, as she requested. No need to put them all through some long-winded sermon about marriage, when they had all heard it a thousand times. Tyler was happy with that, as he wanted to get to the celebration afterwards.

As they reached the front, she turned a smile at Tyler then moved into her place. Luke, Tyler's brother and best friend, gave her a smile and nod to let her know his approval. She turned her eyes to the front as the words began.

"Dearly beloved..."

~~~~

The ceremony went on for just a little while. They had opted for it to be quick, so that they could get on with the impending celebration.

Tyler was happy that they had chosen a nearby hall for the party. When they got there, he was amazed at the transformation that had taken place with it. It had been a large stonewalled room and now was decorated with candles of all shapes, sizes and colors. Streamers hung from the ceiling to soften the entire atmosphere and minstrels played in the corner.

Through it all, Marianne was so lovely and so strong as to make his heart skip a beat. Their eyes met and he wondered just what she was thinking. Was it about that night, their first night together? Did she have expectations of him? Surely she knew this would be his first. His heart fell as these thoughts lingered a moment before he heard a voice behind them.

"Tyler! My boy!"

~~~~

They traveled together in the carriage, saying very little to one another as they made their way to the celebration site. They had considered a few spots and Marianne had chosen this hall for its size and location. Tyler had suggested the large building behind his parent's home and she had tried not to show and expression as she explained to him that the building was a barn. She would not be celebrating her wedding in a barn.

This hall, though, had been nearly perfect. At first glance, it was dark and a bit overbearing, but Marianne had seen some spark of good in it. With the tall ceilings and wide-open floor, she could picture exactly what decorations were needed to bring it alive.

She, her sisters and friends had spent most of the night before and again this morning hanging the streamers. They had enlisted the help of a sturdy male cousin to help with the really high spots. The candles were all her idea, though. What better way to spend an evening than by the romantic light of a candle?

As they stood in the receiving together, Marianne glanced at Tyler and smiled then lifted herself on her toes and kissed his cheek. Just then, she heard a family voice ring out.

"Marianne, as I live and breath. You look beautiful!"

~~~~

It was his Aunt Gloria coming to pay a call. Almost immediately, though, Marianne turned to speak with someone else. Tyler watched her a moment then turned a smile to Aunt Gloria as she went on about the ceremony and the decorations. Soon, he was being dragged away to be reacquainted with a cousin he'd not seen for years. It was the duty of a married man, he guessed, to meet other married men.

As he walked away from his wife, he looked back at her and she turned a look his way. A smile past between them again and a silent message was sent that he missed her already.

"This is your cousin Justin. Justin, do you remember Tyler? He's my nephew. Now, what are you doing now, Tyler?"

Tyler blinked in confusion, his mind having been a few feet away and with Marianne when the question came. He smiled and replied, telling about his work and how his father came to own the land he did and whether the crops would field this long winter. Before he knew it, he had been past along to yet another Aunt and was speaking to some Uncle he didn't know about the state of the realm's defenses and whether he thought the latest troops could handle the onslaught of mercenaries.

~~~~

Marianne giggled at her grandmother's exclamation. She always said Marianne was beautiful and Marianne always giggled in reply. It was what they did. After that initial moment, Marianne glanced over her shoulder at Tyler as he was escorted away. The hall was filling with people; all who wanted to speak with both of them.

She watched him walk away and then turn to look back at her as if he knew she'd been watching him. She smiled then nodded a greeting to him, his eyes telling her he wanted to be with her and not walking away.

Her grandmother clears her throat and speaks, "Now I want to speak with you about tonight, Child." She held her arm out to her grand daughter and grinned.

Marianne blinked and took her arm, turning to stroll with the old woman as they spoke - their direction away from Tyler.

"Now if I know that boy, he is inexperienced. And if I read his family correctly, that father of his has not taught him what needs to be done."

Marianne giggled and sent a hand to her lips to hide a blush on her cheeks.

"Now now, Child. No need to blush about such subjects. Soon enough, you'll realize the need for discussions such as this between women. It may not be proper, but they're necessary."

"Grandma, I just don't know what to say. I've never talked about..."

"Then let me do the talking..."

~~~~

Tyler looked past the hefty man with the bad breath who was droning on about the virtues of marriage to see Marianne in the corner talking to her grandmother. Her fingertips were pressed to her lips as she listened on with wide eyes to her grandmother.

He nodded to some comment then smiled, "Would you excuse me?" and set out to try and catch up to his bride. Not a moment past before Luke called him, "Brother! Time for the ceremonial ale. It's a family tradition!"

"Uh..." he looked over at Marianne who raised her eyes at him to stare then narrowed her eyes a moment before moving them back at her grandmother's face. "I guess so," he said.

Luke lifted his arms and smiled with a cheer, "Yeah! An ale for my brother and one for me as well!" he shouted to a passing friend who quickly delivered the order with a laugh.

As they were served the glasses, Tyler smiled and relaxed a bit. All was well with Luke around. He was a happy soul, his older brother, and things just seemed to come to him for it. Tyler drank down his ale and handed the glass off to a friend, who filled his hand again with another.

"Music!" Luke shouted and the minstrels began playing a light and happy jig, a familiar tune from Tyler's childhood.

Tyler laughed as Luke began to dance before him, his feet keeping time with the tune to the loss of the ale in his hand. He smiled as he watched then laughed and stepped in, trying his best to keep time with the ever-quickening pace of the song. He emptied another glass and a third was put in its place.

~~~~

Marianne looked back at her grandmother who merely nodded at her expression.

"And no matter what he says, Child, it doesn't happen to all men." She winks and turns to look then laughs, "Well, he can dance at least."

But Marianne was stunned by what her grandmother had just described to her to react. She smiled, of course, but...who knew?

Soon, she was being pulled to this side of the room or that side of the room. She spoke to the mother of a friend from the market about the fabric of her dress and the sister of another friend about the decorations and a cousin about the food.

When the music, she hardly noticed until one of her sisters whispered to her about Tyler's dancing. Had they ever danced together? Who was he dancing WITH? A quick look dispelled any doubt, as she found him dancing a jog with his brothers and friends. The minstrels were quickening the pace of the song, so they should tire soon enough.

~~~~

Tyler fell into a chair and laughed. Had someone said something funny or had the fall itself been the funny part? He didn't care now. The ale had done its work on him.

Luke came and slipped into a chair beside him, slapping him on the back, "Ty, you make a find groom. I will soon be there as well, I think." He winked and gestured to the other side of the room where Kate stood staring.

Tyler straightened in his chair, his loose hair clinging to the sweat on his forehead, "Oh, Luke. Do not stay with me, if there's a lady to be with."

His older brother waved a hand, "She'll be about tomorrow. There will be only one wedding for you, Brother."

Tyler leaned forward and smiled, "Go. Go be with her. She her your soul and make her dream of her wedding with you." A silent moment past between them and he continued, "Besides, I find the need to excuse myself for a moment. These ales are quite...filling."

Luke winked and eased onto his feet, straightening his hair and clothes as he spoke, "All right, then. I shall go stand with the fair Kate and you, my brother, should return to his bride as soon as he can. There's no telling what those other women are telling her."

Tyler laughed as he stood then nodded and watched Luke walk away to meet his lady friend. With that done, he quickly found the nearest exit and moved out past it to find a tree.

~~~~

Marianne smiled and nodded enthusiastically to a friend of her mother's. She didn't recall the question, but the appropriate thing to do is smile and nod. Someone handed her a plate of food and she nibbled on something for a while as they crowded around her to chatter on about this and that.

Her eyes went past the crowd of women now and then, searching the room for Tyler. She saw him once with Luke, talking with laughs at a table near a corner of the room. Now, though, he was nowhere to be found. She rose to her feet and smiled at the ladies, excusing herself from their company.

She had hoped to spend a bit more time with her new husband and, perhaps, enjoy this celebration. She walked past her grandmother and smiled away an offer of food, not pausing long enough to become entangled in another conversation.

Slowly, she made her way through the people there and politely nodded greetings to each. She kept a watch, though. Where would he have gone? When last she saw him, he was with Luke.

Moving past the minstrels, she approached Luke with a smile, "Luke?"

"Ah, Sister!" Luke said with a grand smile, "Allow me to introduce you to my fair lady friend, Kate."

Marianne smiled and curtsied, "Tis a pleasure to meet you. I'm so glad you could come tonight to help celebrate."

Kate smiled and returned the curtsey, "The pleasure is mine, miss. It is a beautiful party."

Marianne smiled then turned to Luke, "Pardon the interruption, but do you know where Tyler is?"

"Why, he's right over there." He turned to gesture toward a table then turns back, "I was wrong. I thought he was there. That's where I left him. No wait, he mentioned needing to take a walk. The ale, you know."

Marianne grinned at her brother-in-law, not sure what to do now.

Luke leaned toward her and spoke quietly, "I'm sure he's far done with whatever business needed his attentions and is likely waiting for his lovely wife to come searching for him."

Marianne nodded with a smile and strolled toward the door. With that done, Luke turned toward Kate, "May I have this dance?"

~~~~

Carefully, the Hunter places the one hand over the other and props his prey up on a stump near the clearing. He looked down and noticed movement in one of the fingers, his hand moving to touch it lightly. Was this one still alive? Not for long and he wasn't going to ruin another glove. His left glove was already soaked in blood now. No matter. He would burn them as he done with all the others.

He removed the bloodied glove and allowed it to drop to the ground as he worked. Digging through the small satchel at his waist, he retrieved the block carved with the letter 'T' then slipped it into the pocket of his prey. This one had been well dressed for his wedding day. It was almost a crime to stain such fineries like he had. Just then, the sound of footsteps crunching on leaves made him stop and take notice.

"Tyler!" a whispered voice called out, "Tyler, is that you?"

The Hunter stared at the young girl coming and wondered about her. What was her name? Had she any family? Was she the heiress to some fortune?

"Tyler!" The voice came closer now and he shook away the thoughts just in time. The young woman peered into a large tree and stopped, backing away a step. She hadn't seen him, if this he was certain. Without pause, he pulled his cloak over his head and rushed into the wooded thick.

"Tyler? Where are you going? Tyl..." It was then that the screams came. Piercing the dark and silencing all other sounds in its wake.

Another day was done. And so much to do still.