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Forbidden Love

Chapter Six

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

6thMay 2023

All Rights Reserved.

This Week's Writing Challenge: The hills held a deep, dark secret.

At least 1000 words, don't worry if you go over.

Tag all prompts with: WritingGroupChallenge.

Add all prompts to a separate folder.

Put the prompt description at the beginning of your story.

Eilidh was escorted out and back to her Matriarch's home range, where a large clearing stood. Ethan was unceremoniously dumped on the ground, whimpering softly then silencing himself as the lead Guard of the Matriarch's herd held a sword to his throat menacingly.

"Not a sound - " Growled the Doe, glaring at him. "I should kill you here and now, for what your foolishness has brought down upon us - our herd! I can not - your fate is in the hands of whoever wins the comhrag marbhdhach!"

Ethan swallowed, feeling the doe's sword prick his flesh beneath his fur, its sharp, narrow point almost drawing blood as he trembled helplessly. He looked over at Eilidh, who ignored his impassioned gaze, her own locked on her Matriarch. Both of them were in their feral forms, Eilidh's head pounding in her furred chest, yet she never took her gaze off her Matriarch.

"Ritual of comhrag marbhdhach has been declared and accepted!" Snapped the lead Guard. "Commence! There shall be no yielding, no quarter or mercy granted - only death - is the result!"

"You've made a terrible, stupid mistake, daughter..." Snarled the Matriarch.

Eilidh knew what was at stake. If she lost this fight - she'd witness her mate's death at the teeth and hooves of her Matriarch - if she won - her mother would be dead at her cloven hooves...and she would become the new Matriarch, inwardly, Eilidh promised to rule benevolently and kindly - unlike her cold, cruel mothers callousness and viciousness.

Without warning, the Matriarch lunged, her cloven hooves tearing apart the loamy soil with thunderous crashes. Eilidh quickly spun away, her fangs bared in a predatory snarl as she prepared to retaliate.

Each of them circled the other warily, gauging each other's strength and physical fitness. Eilidh knew she was outclassed - half the weight and size of her massive, well-muscled Matriarch. This actually gave her hope, as she was faster and more agile than her mother. She just hoped that this would be sufficient to let her win...

Again, her Matriarch charged, her fangs tearing through Eilidh shoulder. Blood sprayed and Eilidh screamed - she couldn't help it, her right front leg almost crippled in that one, savage bite. Eilidh twisted away, favoring her leg.

Ethan wanted to cry out, to beg, to do something, but the sword was pressed even closer and he sniffled, knowing what would happen if he dared try to interfere.

Again, with speed and ferocity, the Matriarch darted in, but Eilidh was awake now, truly awake, and she dropped to her knees and her own powerful teeth grasped the Matriarch's right hind leg, just above the ankle. As the matriarch screamed, Eilidh twisted - feeling the snap of the Achilles tendon as her teeth sheared through fur and flesh, the hot, iron-loaded blood nearly choking her as she rolled away from the slashing cloven hooves that sought to crush her skull.

"Fuck you - " Snarled the Matriarch.

"Thank you, Mother," Eilidh growled and spat, clearing her throat. "You're not my preferred mate..."

Hobbled, yet still ferocious, intelligent, and with years of battle behind her, the Matriarch circled again - staying wary of her daughter, getting her measure as she grinned and shook her head; as if the crippling wound was less than a mosquito bite to her.

Eilidh struggled, her shoulder burning, her precious life blood oozing down her foreleg, but she knew her mother would show no mercy, no remorse - even for her own daughter.

As the Matriarch lunged towards her - her eyes inky black and filled with blood lust - Eilidh spun about and with a devastating kick from her powerful hind cloven hooves - slammed them with enough force to crush bone - straight into the Matriarch's chest. With a choking gurgle, the Matriarch stumbled and then fell, quickly dragging herself back up and coughing up blood.

"Let's... see you try that - " Wheezed the Matriarch, her ears slicking back. "Again..."

For a brief moment, Eilidh panted heavily, her heart racing as she watched her Matriarch closely. There was nothing left of her mother - nothing Eilidh wanted anymore - she had been consumed by the darkness - heart, body, and soul - forever lost...

"I smell the fear in you, doe - " Come the Matriarch's voice - but it was no longer her own. "You'll watch as I do to that - "

Her eyes swept over the trembling stag, who whimpered and shivered helplessly.

"Pathetic...excuse for a stag - what you should have done..."

As she charged again, Eilidh was prepared - physically and mentally, as her mad Matriarch lunged - intending to grip Eilidh by the throat - Eilidh dropped to her knees under the snapping, slavering jaws - her own twisting sideways as she tilted her vulnerable ears away and clamped her own jaws into her mother's throat.

Biting down with everything she had, drowning in the hot, intense blood that gushed down her throat and spurted from her muzzle, Eilidh bit harder. Strangling, the Matriarch thrashed and struggled but Eilidh hung on for all she was worth, feeling her teeth severing her mothers jugular, her windpipe, and eventually - the carotid artery.

Weaker and weaker, the Matriarch's struggles eased, her eyes wide and disbelieving - and at the last, swirling back to her normal brown - as Eilidh gently followed her mother down to the ground, the matriarch's front knees bending, then her hind ones - before she collapsed - the torrential blood flow easing to a dribble - then nothing, as her heart gave out at last.

"It is done, hail Eilidh, hail, matriarch!" Shouted the lead Guard, dropping to her knees and bowing her head in submission.

Around the clearing, the entire herd dropped in similar ways, their heads bowed in fealty to the new Matriarch of their herd. Eilidh disengaged from her mother, feeling sick to her stomach - yet joyous as well, before she turned her eyes to that of her mate...

He stared at her, having been forced at sword point to watch the entire fight. As she hobbled over to him; and reached out to nuzzle him, Ethan turned his head away in sickened horror.

"Deer..." Eilidh gasped.

He flinched and pulled away, struggling to his hooves which had been unbound, as he turned himself, his rump to her. "Get away from me!"

"Deer...Ethan..." She whimpered, gently touching his rump with her nose.

"Get away!" Ethan shrieked, leaping out of her range as he shuddered and hung his head.

Eilidh recoiled as if he'd slapped her, the pain of her mate's rejection of her - of what she had done for him, cutting worse than any fang or blade. Eilidh looked at him with hurt and confusion, not understanding why he was rejecting her so forcefully. She had fought for him! Bled- for him... Wasn't that what he wanted? So they could truly be mated, stand as her equal amongst her herd?

"I did this..."_Eilidh whispered. _"for us..."

Ethan only ran further away, his body language conveying his disgust and fear.

"You're not the Eilidh I knew!" Ethan squealed. "You're a monster - a cold-hearted murderer!"

Eilidh's heart sank as she realized what he meant. She had killed her own mother, the leader of her herd. She had shed blood in the ritual fight, it was expected and celebrated by her kind, yet her mate was not of her kind - he saw her as a murderer. A cold, hard reality settled over Eilidh as she realized this was the price she'd have to pay for her victory - to become the new matriarch - and lead and protect her herd from now - until her last days.

"I did what I had to do," Eilidh begged. "I did it - for us to have a future together - dee - Ethan! I did it for us!"

Ethan was already walking away, his head bowed, his wracking sobs tearing at her heart. Eilidh wanted to run after him, to nuzzle him, to soothe and protect him...

She had won the ritual battle - but at what cost to herself? She had lost the love of her mate, the one thing she had fought and bled to protect...

As she stood there, the others of her herd bowed their heads and walked away, reality settling on Eilidh's shoulders like the first snow of winter. She had killed her own mother, the one who had birthed her, raised her, taught her - and in her own way - loved her. For what? Power? Glory? Eilidh realized then that the comhrag marbhdhach was a cruel and senseless tradition - one that she swore, she would put an end to, once and for all.

Now, she had to face the consequences of her victory. As the new matriarch, the leader of her herd. She would have to be strong, firm, and decisive. Her own doubts and self-loathing would be squashed and swept away, nothing but an iron will and affirmation would hold her respect amongst her herd. She had to become that which she did not want - the leader of her herd, they needed her to be.

With a shudder; and one last look down at the cloven prints of the Whitetail who had left her - Eilidh straightened her spine, her head upraised as she scanned the clearing for any signs of dissent amongst her herd. To her surprise, she found it empty - all of them have left in ones and twos, silent and fearful of their new matriarch. They had witnessed her victory, yet they feared for their future...

Eilidh felt the tears trying to come - but she shook her head and adopted the proud, regal pose of her kind. She would rule, as the new Matriarch, and her word would be their law - but she swore she would learn from her own mother's mistakes. Eilidh promised herself, she would rule with fairness and compassion. They were her herd now - she would lead them, protect them, celebrate with them, and grieve with them - as was tradition. She had lost the love of her life, her mate, but she had gained so much more instead - for inside her, new life was but a mote - but life nonetheless...

Eilidh's head threw back, and she bleated loud and long - her ears catching the echoing cries of her herd, them answering her in turn. A new era had begun, and Eilidh was determined to make it a good one. The comhrag marbhdhach was ended - a new age of peace and prosperity would begin. She was Eilidh, the new Matriarch, and she was willing and ready to lead her herd into the new future...

END