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2

This tiny little room at the back of the chapel had a massive full-length mirror running up the wall, and it was in front of this mirror that Kiana now stood, just as countless blushing brides before her had done, turning this way and that, scrutinizing herself from every angle she could manage, feeling... well...

"Oh my gods I am such a fat ugly sow..." she whispered, utterly dismayed.

The dress was gorgeous, no problems there. White silk with silver trim and delicate lace, long flowing fabric paired with open shoulders that gave it the perfect balance between refinement and sexiness. It used to be Mother's, and the day she presented it to her eldest daughter was the day they had both broken down and cried like a pair of children.

Too bad Sarah had to make a few... 'slight' alterations...

It was just as Mellah had predicted. Barely a week had passed since the tragedy at the Cora's pass and she suddenly swelled up like a waterskin in a furnace. In the grand span of two days, she had gone from: "Oh, no, I just need to cut back on the pastries," to: "Oh, this? Why, yes, I am well and truly knocked up, thank you very much."

Just like everything else about Ander, his 'little bastard' (as Michael was fond of calling his future grandchild - or was that step-grandchild?), was damn well enormous, and got bigger and bigger by the day, until she could barely get out of bed or even walk down the road without a helping hand. Heads didn't so much turn as they spun around like weathervanes in a gale.

"Maybe... maybe it's not that noticeable?" she said to the empty room and turned sideways, giving herself a better view of the afflicted areas.

Save for the faint scars still running down her cheeks, her face was mostly unchanged, although her eyes were a bit weary and tired-looking from all the midnight sprints to the chamber pot. A bit lower down her breasts pushed against the fabric in a not unpleasant kind of way. Nice and full, but not overflowing. Layla insisted they were getting bigger, but Kiana wasn't so sure about that. She thought it much more likely that Mother had been quite the petite little vixen in her youth, as hard as that was to believe. A bit further down, though, and that was where things began to go a bit pear-shaped. Or maybe even watermelon-shaped.

Her belly stood out as an almost perfect sphere. If someone were to trace her outline, she would probably look like a weirdly distorted letter 'b' with legs. She tried to suck it in, but it was like trying to suck a boulder uphill, so she stopped trying.

Someone knocked on the door and Kiana nearly jumped right out of her dress. She clutched her chest and took deep, 'calming' breaths that didn't do squat. She's been a big jumpy ball of nerves all day. A big, round jumpy ball. "Who is it?"

The door opened just a tiny crack and Layla's face peeked through, smiling from ear to ear. "Are you decent?"

"As decent as I can be, I guess."

"Eeee!" Layla slipped inside and shut the door behind her, bouncing up and down like she was about to explode. "Oh my gods, Kiana! You look... You look..."

"Like a cow?"

"Beautiful!" She rushed over and gave her sister a great big hug, which was no easy task with the little passenger between them. "Oh my word, oh my word, oh my wooooord!!"

Kiana hugged her back, feeling some of her nerves settle down a bit. "You seem awfully happy about all this."

"And why shouldn't I? By the gods, Kiana, you're getting married! My big sis! And not only that, I'm gonna be an aunty soon! Oh, you better watch out when this little tyke gets born, because I am just going to drown them in hugs and kisses! Yes I will! Yes I will!" She bent down and began to wiggle her fingers like spider legs at Kiana's belly, and Kiana had to give her a playful slap on the wrist to keep it from escalating into a full-blown tickle fight.

"Stop that, you little bint!" Kiana said, trying to sound all proper and indignant, but failing miserably because she couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice. "We're in a place of worship, for crying out loud."

"You're one to talk, slut."

Kiana let out a huge, overly dramatic gasp. "How dare you besmirch my honour, you ragamuffin!? I demand satisfaction!"

"Oh, looks to me like you got plenty of satisfaction already. Isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place?"

"Wow... and the victory goes to Layla of the Forked Tongue, Destroyer of Dignity."

"The one and only." Layla pinched her dress between her fingers and dropped a courteous little half-curtsy.

"You may think this is a joke, but there are a lot of Foxes out there who really do think I'm a slut. It's all 'scandal' this, and 'scandal' that."

"Pffffft, whaaat? You mean those old fogies who are so ancient they couldn't even find their own tails with a map in one hand and a lantern in the other? Those fuddy-duddies that tut-tut at everything and pull their faces like this?" She squinted her eyes down to slits and pulled the corners of her mouth down in a startlingly accurate facsimile of the type of Fox she was talking about. "Damn kids and their moonlight orgies! Gettin' knocked up like a bunch of harlots! Back in my day, we didn't stand for no hanky-panky! We went down to the river and pulled our babies up from the bulrushes!"

Kiana burst out laughing. It was so wrong but it felt so good. She laughed until tears streamed down her face.

Layla produced a handkerchief and began to dab at her moistened cheeks. "And if any of those toothless curmudgeons give you trouble, if they look at you funny or shake their heads or give you even a single tut, you know what you do? You toss 'em out the chapel! Better yet, you bounce 'em right out the door with your big, pregnant belly!"

Layla grabbed Kiana's stomach and she squeaked like a mouse. "Eeek! Stop that! Or do you want me to pop the kid out right here, in this dress!?"

"Oh my gods, that would be so funny!"

"No it wouldn't! You shut your fat whore mouth!"

Layla stuck out her tongue, and that was all it took to get the both of them going again, roaring laughter in this spot that was supposed to be so quiet and contemplative.

"Oh gods, Layla, if I tear this dress because of you..." Kiana gasped, holding her stomach with both hands to keep it from bouncing too much.

*

The chapel was resplendent. The grey stone walls were festooned with hundreds and hundreds of wildflowers, woven together in long chains of white, yellow and orange. One brave soul even went so far as to wrap some around the thick wooden beams in the ceiling. Sunlight streamed in from the massive eastern windows, illuminating all the faces lined up along the wooden benches, whispering excitedly to each other, creating a pleasant drone of echoing voices. The whole place was packed, front to back, with just about every Fox in the valley. So packed, in fact, that there wasn't enough seating for everyone, and a small group of Foxes had to resort to standing in the back. They didn't seem to mind, though, especially the twins, who were happily taking advantage of their position by sneaking a suspicious-looking flask back and forth and shuddering after every nip. And along the side of the building, James had built an extra big bench for the Wolves. Hezzi and Renna were sitting together (as they always did these days) bordered on the sides by Mellah and Nilia. Danado was a bit further down, looking rather restless without Layla by his side. They had grown so close over the last few months that it was actually a bit odd seeing one without the other. He kept fidgeting with his shoes, tugging on them and then tapping them on the floor. He was the very first Wolf to ever use footwear of any kind, a custom job made especially just for him by the village cobbler, and although he says they still feel a bit weird, the padding on the inside did wonders for his toes, and he would much rather have the strange feeling of leather around his feet than the needling pain that used to stab his toes with every step. He still went to see Bethany once a week, and she was very pleased with his recovery. All the wounds he suffered at the battle of the pass had scarred over nicely, and although his fingers and toes still looked a bit frightful, she was positive he'd be able to walk, and one day even run, without any pain whatsoever.

Ander took a deep breath, feeling surprisingly self-conscious, standing here, next to the dais at the front of the chapel, facing such a large crowd, basically all by himself except for Sorrin and Amos, who flanked him like a pair of guards. In some ways this was even more nerve-racking than the crowds back home. At least with them he never had to wait this long.

For the thousandth time, his eye was drawn to the dais they had carved just for this occasion. It was like a small pillar of stone, about hip height. There were three white circles painted on top, and two of them had a small pile of dry kindling inside, carefully arranged like miniature campfires. This setup was much fancier than the standard Wolven binding ceremony, in which the tribal elder would just draw three circles in the dirt with a stick, but he supposed that was impossible indoors. Also, it was important to remember that this wasn't just a Wolven binding ceremony. It was a Fox wedding, as well.

"How are you holding up, pup?" Sorrin asked and gave him a hearty punch on the shoulder, flashing a toothy grin.

"Reasonably well, I think," Ander said, rubbing his shoulder (with Sorrin, there was no such thing as a 'light' punch). "It's just that, when I look at those circles it feels so... I don't know. Unreal? I've seen them before, of course, but I never thought I'd actually light one myself."

"Ha, I know the feeling. When the time came for Mellah and I to light our circles, I was so nervous I couldn't even strike the flint. I just kept dropping the damn thing. Still, I had it easy compared to the double ceremony you went and dug for yourself. Good luck with that, pup."

An outburst of laughter suddenly came from the little room at the back, temporarily breaking through the muffled whispers of the crowd before fading back to giggles.

"Are they... all right back there?" Ander whispered.

Amos chuckled and flicked his ears. "Trust me, boy. For a wedding, laughter is always good."

"Wish they'd hurry up, though" Sorrin said, eyeing the ceiling with wary suspicion. "I don't like standing under all these stones. If a tent comes crashing down on your head, you look a fool, but if this thing comes down..."

"It's not gonna come down."

"I'm just letting you know, if that thing so much as cracks I'm jumping out the window, whether my part is over or not."

Ander smiled and shook his head, feeling the butterflies steadily multiplying inside his stomach. He looked over the crowd and his eye happened upon Bethany, Sarah, and Michael sitting in the front row. Sarah waved, looking so happy she was about to burst, and Ander waved back. Michael gave him a double thumbs up and a wink, and Bethany folded her arms across her chest and gave him a sober nod, as if to say: You'd better make my daughter happy, otherwise there'll be hell to pay.

Ander returned her nod, clasped his hands together and resumed the most strenuous waiting session of his life. The Wolf half of the ceremony he wasn't that worried about. It was the Fox half that scared him.

*

"Do I look okay?" Kiana asked, turning her head this way and that.

Layla rolled her eyes. "For the millionth time, yes!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, you look gorgeous! Now get a move on before - Wait a minute..." She reached over and brushed an errant lock of hair from Kiana's forehead. "Okay, now you look gorgeous."

Someone knocked at the door. "Hello? Can I come in?"

"Yes, Father."

He cracked the door open one inch at a time, as if whatever lay beyond was bright enough to blind him. He peeked his head inside and his jaw dropped open as if on a hinge, dropping his pipe to the floor with a clatter. "Oh my gods..." he whispered. "Kiana, you look like an angel!"

"I know, right?" Layla said and elbowed her sister in the ribs. "Good luck trying to convince her, though."

"Father, please," Kiana waved it off, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. "And I hope you aren't planning on actually smoking that thing."

"I'd never dream of it!" He picked it up, brushed it off, and stuffed it into his breast pocket, where it left a considerable bulge, but she'd take that over a billowing plume of smoke any day. "Are you ready to go? I think Ander's about to shake himself apart."

"I think..." Kiana waited a moment and listened to the beating of her heart. It was fast, very fast, but it also felt strangely good. "I think I'm ready."

"Okay." Father nodded in Layla's direction. "Go on, git. There's an open seat next to your mother."

"Eeeee! It's happening!" Layla gave Kiana one last hug and hurried outside. A few moments later, she actually heard hundreds of Foxes twisting around in their seats and then turning back with a disappointed grumble.

Father held out his elbow. "Mi'lady."

Kiana took it, barely able to contain herself. It felt like she would just float away without something to anchor her to the ground.

"I am so proud of you, Kiana. It may have been a bumpy ride at times, but you saw it through every step of the way."

"I love you, Fa. Thank you so much."

"Now come on. Hopefully we can get this wrapped up before you pop the baby out at the altar."

"FA: "

*

Ander's stomach flipped upside down when that door at the back of the chapel opened, but it was only Layla. She hurried down the aisle amidst impatient grumbles and sat down next to Bethany, who immediately leaned over and whispered something. Ander could make out the words 'Girl', 'forever' and 'done yet?'

He expected Layla to shake her head, or maybe whisper something along the lines of 'Ten more minutes', but that's not what happened. She nodded vigorously and made little clapping motions with her hands, practically bouncing up and down in her seat. She caught Ander's eye and gave him a huge smile and a wave, mouthing: Andeeeer!!

Ander smiled and waved back, which was no easy task, considering his stomach now felt like it was doing a handstand inside his body.

Amos nudged him in the ribs. "Last chance to back out, boy," he said jokingly.

Ander shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sai. I've gone through too much to be scared of something like this. And... well... I've come to realise something."

"Yes?"

"Despite everything..."

The song of a dozen pan flutes rose into the air, growing, swelling, filling the chapel with a slow, soothing melody, and when Ander looked to the end of the aisle, Rufio was standing there with Kiana on his elbow. The sun shone on her dress in almost blinding arcs of white, making her face stand out all the more, like a single gazania in a field of daisies. She looked around with her head bowed ever so slightly, wearing a bashful smile he had never seen on her before, but he loved her all the more for it. Their eyes met, and Ander smiled back, feeling the tears starting to well up. He felt surprisingly calm now, like he could do anything, be anything, as long as it was for her and her little passenger.

"Despite everything... I think I can finally allow myself to be happy."

They slowly made their way down the aisle, following the music one step at a time while hundreds of curious Foxes turned in their seats to watch their progress, swivelling around as they walked by. There was a sour face in the crowd here and there, but overwhelmingly everyone was happy and cheerful, whispering encouragement and compliments. Off in the corner, Othello was already dabbing at his eyes with a spotted handkerchief.

Every step she took Ander felt his heart getting lighter. For every inch she came closer he felt more and more complete, like the empty half of his life was finally filling up with everything that had been missing for so long.

The time it took for Kiana to reach him was both a blissful eternity and but a fleeting moment, each one perfect in their own way.

The music faded for the final few steps, and she was there, standing before him. His bride. His mate. Just the thought alone was enough to make him feel giddy, the impossibleness of it.

Amos cleared his throat and in a loud, thundering voice unbefitting of such a frail-looking Fox he said: "Who gives this vixen?"

Rufio gave a little bow. "I do." Next, he turned to his eldest daughter and took her hand. "I love you so much, Kiana. You can be a right pain in the neck sometimes, but that only makes me love you even more. And no matter how grown up you get, you will always be my little girl, and I will always be your Fa."

Kiana's lip was trembling so badly she could barely get the words out. "I love you, too, Fa."

They hugged, and when it was over Rufio sat down next to Bethany, who already had a handkerchief ready and waiting for him. He took it with gratitude and blew his nose. Bethany sighed and rolled her eyes, but she had barely finished the manoeuvre when she, too, came in dire need of a handkerchief and had to borrow one from Sarah.

"Dearly beloved," Amos said in his 'I will be heard all the way at the back of the chapel' voice, "we are gathered here today to bear witness to something truly unprecedented. The first ever union between Wolf and Fox. As such, things are going to be a bit... different than usual. The other elders and I have spoken at great lengths with the Wolves now living among us, and we have decided that a joint ceremony, a 'fusion' if you will, between our two sets of customs and traditions, will be the best course of action. A way for us to celebrate our differences and learn from each other, a way to grow and enrich each other's lives. But, before we begin..." Amos scanned the crowd from beneath his bushy eyebrows. "If there is anyone here who believes that these two should not be wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."

As one, every set of eyes fixed squarely on Mateo. He turned around in his seat, the most indignant look of incredulity on his face. "What's everyone looking at me for!?" he asked to boisterous laughter and even a little bit of applause.

"Moving right along," Amos said, pushing his spectacles up on his muzzle. "The first half of this ceremony will follow the Fox tradition, in which the bride and groom pledge their undying love, faithfulness and devotion to each other. Ander, it has long been tradition among us Foxes for the groom to go first, so take your bride's hands in yours and tell her whatever lies in your heart. Take your time."

Ander took a deep breath. This was the part that had him feeling more nervous than he had ever been in his entire life. A Wolven binding ceremony was more symbolic and didn't require any talking at all. Foxes, on the other hand, were more upfront with their rituals. Less symbols, more talk. It was something he wasn't all that used to, but somehow he just knew he could get through this. All he really had to do was tell the truth, right? Everything else would fall into place once he got going, he was sure of it.

He took Kiana's hands, surprised, as always, by how dainty and frail they were in comparison to his own. How small. She made a little noise at his touch, something between a giggle and sniffle, and he realised she was laughing and crying at the same time. She looked up at him, and for a moment he was lost in those eyes. He remembered the first time he looked into those eyes, how pained they had been... how lonely and afraid. It had been like seeing a part of himself in a different person without even realising it at the time.

"Kiana," he said, struggling to keep his voice even. "The night I first met you was the night my life changed forever. Changed_drastically_. Of course, it was also the night my life nearly ended, but..."

She giggled. It was such a beautiful sound, like tiny silver bells, and it amazed him that they were now able to laugh about such a dark time in their pasts. But was that time truly dark? Every path has difficult turns, places where the straight way is lost and covered in shadow. But you need to go through those dark places to get where you want to be.

It was because they had gone through those difficult times together that they had ended up where they were now. It was because they had fought and bled together that they were now able to be together, to live together, to love together.

"That night was the night I started to become the Wolf I would eventually turn into, the Wolf you helped me become, and for that, Kiana, I thank you. You gave me the power to do the things I never could have done alone. When I was hurt, you were there to heal me. When I was on the verge of giving up, you were there to help me stand. When I was at my weakest, you were there to give me your strength. When I doubted myself at every turn, you were there to give me your faith. And when I hated myself, you were there to give me your love. That is why I will devote the remainder of my life to you, so that I may spend it repaying my debts. I vow to be faithful to you and only you. I vow to protect you with all my strength, and I vow to love you with all my heart."

Her lip trembled and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't let go of his hands to wipe it away. She only held on tighter.

"That was beautiful, Ander," Amos said, nodding his approval. "And now, Kiana, it is -

*

• your turn."

That sense of 'floatiness' wouldn't go away. Kiana felt like the faintest breeze would just carry her into the sky. She held on to Ander's hands for dear life, partly to still her nervous shaking and partly because she wanted to touch him just for the sake of touching him, to feel his love flowing through her fingers. That might be a silly way to think of it, something a little girl would write in a dairy she'd hidden beneath her bed, but that really was the way she felt, that just by touching each other they were exchanging something beyond all understanding, like two rivers flowing into each other, finally coming together after having spent their entire lives winding through hills and valleys and mountains, seeking each other out. It was more than just a touch. It was his warmth. It was his soft, caring nature. It was his strength and devotion. All of that, she could feel and understand just by the way he was holding her hands.

Was that silly of her? Perhaps. But she liked it. She liked feeling like a giggly fool around him, she liked feeling a bit tipsy when he held her, she liked the feeling of a smile spreading across her face all on its own, without any help from her, she liked going to bed with butterflies in her stomach, she liked looking at him and feeling so content, like everything had finally worked out, she liked it when he looked at her with that goofy grin and she felt that delicious warmth spreading through her face, she liked it when they kissed and it felt like everything else was just melting away, she liked it when they came together with their families to eat and drink and talk and have fun, and she liked it when it was just the two of them, sitting by the fire or outside by the lake, looking at the stars reflecting off the still waters, she liked it when he crouched down and touched her pregnant belly, lightly rubbing his hand back and forth with a look of such childlike wonder on his face. She liked him. She liked everything about him. She loved him.

Now... how to put all of that into words?

"Ander..." Her voice cracked a little and she had to take a moment to collect herself. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face in two burning hot lines, not that she really felt any need to. These were the happiest tears of her life, and she was grateful for every one. "I've lost count of all the times you've saved me, and I mean that in more ways than just preventing me from dying. I was locked in a cage long before I met you, a cage I had built up inside my own head. But then you came along and... and you didn't fiddle around with keys, you just ripped the door off and yanked me out."

Ander smiled, and now there was a tear rolling down his cheek, too. He squeezed her hands a little bit tighter, and she squeezed back.

"You didn't stop at me. You saved my family. You saved the entire valley. You even saved those who only wished to hurt you. You have the biggest, kindest heart of anyone I have ever known, and that is why I love you more than I ever knew it was even possible to love someone. I love you so much it feels like I can hardly keep it inside. That is why I vow to dedicate my life to you, so I can spend the remainder of my days giving you all the love I feel for you, all the love I can't keep inside, all the love you deserve. And even if we both live to be a hundred years old, I know the love in my heart will still be overflowing for you, because no matter how much I give to you, you always return it a thousandfold. I love you, Ander, and I vow to love you forever."

A moment of silence followed, during which Amos pretended to readjust his spectacles while actually wiping away an errant tear. He needn't have bothered to stay so stuffy and formal, though. The entire chapel was filled with the sound of handkerchiefs dabbing at eyes and rubbing across noses. "That was beautiful, Kiana," he said and cleared his throat. "Now I will hand the reins over to Sorrin, who will oversee the Wolven half of this ceremony." Amos stepped back and Sorrin stepped forward, looking strangely nervous.

"Wolves, Foxes," he said, nodding stiffly to each faction. "Um... back home - well, back in the old home, I mean - it is tradition for the oldest Wolf of the tribe to be in charge of the binding ceremonies." He looked around, his eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Well, damn, guess that's me now."

A polite ripple of laughter travelled through the audience.

Sorrin cleared his throat and produced a piece of flint and a metal striker from one of his pockets and placed them in the centre of the dais, between the two piles of kindling. "The sparks represent birth, and the flames represent life," he said.

Ander picked them up and expertly lit his pile of kindling in only two strikes, then handed the tools over to Kiana.

She stood holding them in her hands for a while, liking the rough, raw feeling of the flint against her palms. She placed the striker against the stone and held it up to her own little pile of kindling, angled downwards. She had practiced this very thing a hundred times the week before, but she still felt a bit nervous. What if she couldn't light the damn thing? Would they just stand around and wait for her until she finally succeeded, or would Ander have to step in and do it for her? That would be so embarrassing!

She took a quick breath to calm her nerves and swiped the striker across the flint in a shower of sparks. They landed upon the kindling, scorching the edges but producing no actual flames. She tried again, holding the flint a bit closer. This time a small tendril of smoke rose up from the dry bits of grass stuck between the twigs, but that was all.

Just calm down, Kiana. This is still perfectly fine. There's already some flint powder sprinkled around in there, all you need to do is get one good shower of sparks and nature will take care of the rest. Keep your hand steady and...

She scraped the striker across the flint and a shower of yellow sparks landed upon the kindling, eating tiny red holes in the grass and sending fragrant plumes of smoke into the air.

Come on, come on...

A single flame rose up from the centre, curling the grass and making the twigs crackle and glow. It found the powdered flint scattered along the bottom and a tiny fire suddenly sprang up with a hiss, shooting embers up into the dusty air of the chapel in a cloud of smoke.

Oh thank the gods, Kiana thought with a sigh of relief.

Sorrin nodded and gestured towards the flames. "These two fires represent your lives as they are now. Burning separately. Slowly dying. You know what to do."

Kiana placed the heel of her hand on the dais, right on the border of where she could feel the heat blazing across the stone, and so did Ander. Their eyes met for a moment, and in that moment they communicated everything they had been unable to put into words, everything that could not fit into any speech, no matter how eloquent. It was a feeling of pure bliss, an ecstasy that knew no ceiling, no limits, no restrictions. In that moment, Kiana saw her entire future stretch before her, and it made her the happiest vixen to ever live.

"I love you, Kiana."

"I love you, too, Ander."

They pushed their respective fires together, into the circle in the centre of the dais, where they flared up into the air, higher and stronger than before, tongues of yellow flame shining brightly for all to see.

"As the fires become one, so too do your lives become one," Sorrin concluded the ceremony. "Congratulations, Ander and Kiana. You are now mates."

"You may now kiss your bride!" Amos added to rapturous applause from the crowd.

Those were the words Kiana had been waiting all day to hear. Perhaps it wasn't very lady-like, but she simply didn't give a damn. She launched herself into Ander's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her up higher and their lips met for their first kiss as husband and wife. Two fires, two lives, fusing together, becoming one.

Cheers and whoops of joy from the crowd. Clapping and shouting and feet stomping on the floor. Hats flying through the air.

"Way to go, Ander!"

"Yeeeeeeess!"

"Congratulations, Andrew and Kiana!"

"Bloody beautiful!"

Kiana began to slip. Under normal circumstances she would have been able to hang on forever, but with an extra ten pounds pulling her down, that wasn't the easiest thing in the world anymore.

"Oh cr-" she stammered, scrabbling for purchase, but she needn't have worried. Ander caught her and swept her up like a hero out of a children's fairy-tale. Layla was particularly impressed with this feat and cheered twice as loud as anyone else.

"Wooooo! That's my sister up there!"

"Good gods, Layla, show some class!" Mother admonished. Maybe her scolding would have had more effect if she wasn't clapping and cheering along with everyone else.

Kiana felt a bit self-conscious up here, so far off the ground with her pregnant belly pointing straight up, but she wouldn't have traded this moment, or any of the moments preceding it, for the world.

Ander bent down and kissed her again, melting away every last speck of worry and doubt with his warmth. "Are you ready to begin our new life?"

"I've never been more ready for anything!"

"I was hoping you'd say that. Hold on tight."

Kiana didn't fully understand what he meant by that, but she wrapped her arms around his neck regardless, and a good thing she did, too, because he suddenly began to sprint down the aisle. Well, maybe it was more of a jog to him, but to her it certainly felt like a sprint.

"Oh, gods! Ander!" she yelled, laughing and screaming and gasping for air all at the same time. "Slow down! Slow -

*

• down, you maniac!"

Ander ran down the centre aisle, liking the weight of her in his arms, her grasping hands, and the way her dress billowed against his legs. His prosthetic foot didn't slow him down in the least. They sped through bands of golden sunshine streaming in through the windows, filled with ripples of shadow that snaked their way across the floor in waving lines. Faces streaked by on both sides, laughing and cheering and punching the air with their fists.

The small crowd that had been forced to stand in the back parted to make way for them, but not before the twins opened the big double doors and threw them wide.

Ander and Kiana burst out into a world of dazzling beauty, of chaotic contrasts existing together in perfect harmony.

Ander raised his face to the sky, an infinite expanse of clearest blue and darkened clouds, rimmed with gold, and allowed the sun to bathe him in its delicate warmth, while at the same time shockingly cool drops of rain landed upon his cheeks and brow. They raced through the air, catching the sunlight and transforming into beads of purest, sparkling silver.

"It's a sunshower!" Kiana said, laughing as the raindrops pelted her dress with little tapping sounds, turning the fabric a light shade of cream, one spot at a time. "Rain on a wedding day is supposed to be good luck, you know."

"Is that so?" Ander hugged her tight and looked out over the valley, at the way the rain made the sunbeams visible to the naked eye, streaming in through the gaps in the clouds and slowly sliding across the fields, the mountains, the rivers, and the houses, connecting earth to heaven and heaven to earth. A breathtaking miracle of water, light, and sky.

---

The wolven half of Ander and Kiana's wedding is very, very loosely based on a traditional Native American wedding ceremony. There are actually quite a few Native American cultural influences in my story, from their attire to their tents. Even the idea behind the Cora statue started out as an 'evil' totem pole.

Besides Native American, there are also many African influences on the wolven side, the strongest probably being Shekka, who more closely resembles a South African witchdoctor than a Native American shaman, and the 'Old Wolven' language, as I've stated before, is just butchered Afrikaans with the syllables jumbled up and misspelled.

In the end, I tried to put my own personal spin on things, using all these different cultures and customs as a base of inspiration to flesh out my story and make it feel a bit more authentic.

And now for something I've wanted to talk about for a while now: the sunshower.

I thought it would make for a lovely little scene, and there are in fact many different cultures from around the world who believe that rain on a wedding day is a blessing from the gods, but there is another reason I wanted to include a sunshower for Ander and Kiana's wedding.

Down here in South Africa, we have an idiom that goes: "Jakkals trou met Wolf se vrou." Loosely translated it means, "Jackal is marrying Wolf's wife". This originated from an old fable, and we say it whenever the rain falls and the sun shines at the same time.

But wait, there's more.

In Japan, a sunshower is often referred to as a Fox Wedding, or "Kitsune no Yomeiri". It is said that Foxes marry in this type of weather, complete with grand wedding parades.

But wait, there's even more!

In Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco they call it "??? ????? - ??? ????? - Ar's A'Dib," which means "The wolf's wedding."

In Bangladesh: "Shial mamar bia hoce." Uncle Fox is getting married.

In Basque: "Azeri ezteia." Fox's wedding.

In Brazil: "Casamento da raposa." Vixen's Wedding.

In France: "Le mariage du loup." Wolf's wedding.

In Korea they say that a vixen is marrying a tiger.

In Nepal it's called "The fox's wedding" or "Gham-paani, gham-paani shyal ko bihe" which literally translates to "Sunshine-rain, sunshine-rain, the fox is getting married."

They call it a "Fox's wedding" in Sri Lanka, too. (?????? ???????, ?????? ??????).

There are a whole bunch in India alone, including: "The fox's wedding," "The bob-tailed fox's wedding," "The blind fox's wedding," "Dogs and Foxes are getting married," and many more.

I find it fascinating that so many different people with wildly varying languages and cultures from so many different countries from all around the world can have the exact same saying involving the exact same animals to describe the exact same semi-rare weather phenomenon. It seems way too specific to be a coincidence, but no matter how hard I researched, I simply could not find a common connection between all these different sayings.

The world really is a mysterious place, isn't it?