Chicha always woke up unreasonably early. It was one of her mother's habits, tending to the house, fields, and animals with undisrupted silence while Chicha and her father slept. When she passed away, it was almost as if Chicha's body rewired overnight to do the same, and she began her days at dawn, listening to the echoes of her mother's spirit in the lonesome household.

This morning, waking up in Sumac's house, proved to be no different. When she opened her swollen eyes, she noted the barely emerging sun peeking from her window, and rose from her bed.

As she walked around the house, it became evident to her that the rest of its inhabitants were still asleep. She wandered into the kitchen and noted the loaf of bread still rising, not quite ready to be put in the oven. Chicha thought about cleaning the dining table (or anything, for that matter), but feared that would insult Sumac's mother if she saw her in action.

Fidgety and restless, Chicha walked outside and breathed in the dewy morning air. This calmed her tremendously.

She surveyed the plants that bordered their property and noted their flourishing features. Chickens were spread out sporadically around the fields, aimlessly picking at the earth. She walked closer to one of them and knelt down to stroke its neck.

After several minutes, Chicha realized that she wasn't the only person enjoying the early morning dawn.

Pacha slowly emerged from the llama stable and waved at her. Chicha tried to ignore the bubbling sensation of sheer joy she felt as she watched him approach.

She opted not to stand up and greet him properly, instead continuing to feel the soft feathers between her fingers. Chicha marveled at how swiftly Pacha was able to stoop his bulky frame into a crouching stance opposite of her. Rather than being intimidated by him, many of the chickens hopped to his direction, begging to be pet. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"It seems like they trust you," she noted, and smiled at him.

"I trust them," Pacha corrected, and returned her smile.

She let his comment soak in the air, and nodded. "It's hard to have faith in people sometimes."

"That's not what I meant. Watch," he lowered his already deep voice and made a poking motion in the dirt, "if you pretend you're scavenging for something then they'll flock to you."

She observed his tactic and copied his movements. Immediately, three more chickens meandered to her darting fingers, erratically tilting their heads to catch more seed.

"Animals, you see, sense a good heart. Once they know that it is there, and that you are willing to devote yourself to a sacrificial love, then they do not hesitate to do the same," Pacha continued.

"Are you implying that humans do not sense when someone has a good heart?" Chicha implored.

"It just takes them longer," Pacha corrected, then looked at her and grinned.

"Not you," she said quickly. She moved her darting fingers closer and gently interlocked them with his, as a slender vine travels along a sturdy, aged tree trunk. This caused Pacha to avert his eyes and stare at the ground, but he didn't move his hand. If Chicha wasn't mistaken, she saw hints of red under his worn, sundried cheeks.

"As you can tell accepting compliments is a skill I have yet to acquire," Pacha said abashedly. "You truly are an outstanding woman, Chicha. My brother is quite fortunate to have you as his wife."

"Well I wish—" Chicha began, but Pacha interrupted her by firmly grasping her shoulder.

His heavy-lidded eyes narrowed as he looked past her and onto a scattering of bushes by the llamas' grazing area. Chicha followed his trance and noticed something bustling in the shrub. The llamas, only yards away, were too busy picking at the grass to notice.

In a flash, a large and stealthy creature the color of midnight barreled out of the bushes and encroached the group of llamas.

"No!" bellowed Pacha, and hurled his body to the animal, but it dashed into the shrubs. In those brief moments, Chicha saw that this living specimen was a male black panther. She caught herself paralyzed in amazement by watching the animal's muscles ripple like fine cloth blowing in the breeze.

Her eyes found Pacha, who hurriedly shepherded the llamas in the stable and was sealing the door. The precision and sureness in his movements amid the chaos impressed Chicha.

"What happened?" she yelled, completely unsure of what to do.

"That panther has been lurking on our land for weeks," Pacha replied, tugging on the door in a harsh manner to ensure its security before turning to her. He had a spear in his hands. "Get inside now."

Chicha's signature stubbornness and occasional hot-headed temperament flared inside of her. She crossed her arms and kept her feet firmly planted to the ground.

"I'm not leaving you. I want to help."

Pacha tightened his mouth. "Chicha, I swear on every single god known to man that if you don't—"

An ear-splitting roar from the dense forest cut him off. The following series of events unfolded so quickly that Chicha was barely able to comprehend the grave danger she was in.

The panther lunged from the trees. A scream escaped her lips as she tried to think of a plan with the milliseconds she had before the beast ravaged her body and attempted to harm Pacha.

From the corner of her eye she saw him charge at the animal. She was only a few yards away from it, close enough to absorb the savage beauty of his emerald eyes and measure the unbounded strength of his forelegs. Just as the panther leaped up to sink its claws into Chicha, Pacha thrust the spear into the air and threw his body over hers.

The fall should have hurt Chicha, damaged her in some way, but it didn't.

Chicha kept her eyes closed, still fearful of the situation at hand. But she felt Pacha's thick hand cradle her waist, his heavy frame pressed against hers, his labored breathing brushing against her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, and they were looking directly into Pacha's deep, dark irises. His eyebrows were knit in a concerned expression as he studied her, mere centimeters from her face. The grass beneath them felt crisp and cool, but the heat between their bodies easily counteracted that.

He held her in that protective embrace for quite sometime, wordlessly, gazing at her. Chicha wasn't sure what became of the panther but just feeling his hand curve around her body instantly made her feel warm, and safe.

Something had changed between them.

"You protected me," Chicha murmured, and immediately Pacha brought his lips to hers.

They were so soft, so unlike the rest of his rugged and sturdy exterior that Chicha found herself more surprised by the texture of his lips than the actual kiss itself. Chicha breathed into the kiss and tasted the spiciness in his mouth. She wrapped her slender arms around his burly biceps and tugged at them to bring him closer to her. She found so many answers in that kiss.

"Why do I feel so strongly about you?" Pacha whispered.

Chicha was about to respond but Raymi, Micos, and Sumac rushed to the clearing. Pacha immediately stood up and hoisted her onto her feet in one swift motion. She, still wrapped up in what happened, could barely stand on her own and leaned into his frame for support.

"What happened here? A loud noise awoke us. Oh, my!" Raymi gasped as he observed the carnage. The panther's body was sprawled a few yards from where Pacha and she were laying down, lifeless. The long spear that Pacha was holding earlier clearly found its target.

"Chicha and I were tending to the llamas when the panther attacked us," Pacha stated bluntly.

"And Pacha miraculously saved the llamas and me," Chicha boasted, and turned her body so that it was only facing him. She hoped that it would force Pacha to look at her in the eye, but instead made him stare at the ground, eyebrows furrowed. "I owe my life to him."

"Ah, let us all gawk at the magnificent and daunting job of serving as our family's handyman and llama caretaker," Sumac replied, his voice full of sarcasm. "Thank you, brother, for returning my wife without ruining her most valuable asset: her beauty."

Chicha took one look at Sumac, so pristinely dressed and clean, and felt sick to her stomach. If Pacha was irritated by his brother's comment, he clearly didn't show it since he simply exhaled and neared the dead panther.

The vivacious energy that radiated from its emerald eyes had vanished and instead were dull and glazed over. Pacha kneeled keenly over the animal, removed the spear from its underbelly, and smoothed over its glossy coat. He closed his eyes and began to move his lips.

"What a wretched animal," Sumac scoffed and forcefully nudged a chicken that was approaching his feet.

"It was a beautiful thing," she said softly, and took a place next to Pacha.

Despite the near-death experience she just experienced, Chicha couldn't help but feel melancholy to see such a miraculous animal slain right in front of her. She leaned closer to Pacha to try and hear what he was saying. He was asking Urcuchillay, the god that watched over animals, for forgiveness. The action alone brought tears to her eyes.

"I am sorry my senselessness forced you to kill this creature," she whispered to him.

He sighed, a sorrowful sigh, and replied, "I am sorry for transgressing on your upcoming union with my brother. What I did was completely uncalled for, and I can assure you that I will no longer make foolish decisions."

"Pacha."

He scooped up the limp animal and looked at her once more.

"The last thing I would ever want is for you to become injured. You have a strong, beautiful heart and will be an excellent wife to Sumac."

"You and I both know that is not what I want," Chicha pleaded, still whispering.

"You do not know what you want," Pacha shot back, angered by her resilience. "You said this to me in the stable last night. I have nothing to offer, are you too blind to see that? Please, be the daughter your father expects of you and make both our families happy."

Chicha, seared by his hurtful words, tried to fight back tears. She retreated to her future husband and feigned an expression of graciousness, hopefully masking the utter devastation she felt inside.