The Blood Of The Wolf

Chapter Twenty Nine

The atmosphere had calmed considerably in the following moments. Vilkas watched as Alaris spoke to the dragon. The men where all lent against things and taking a breather, as where Farkas and Aela. Maris was off to one side, between the neck hold and the wing of the dragon, clearly not at all fazed by what had just transpired.
"Maris..." Vilkas muttered as he walked towards her. She raised her head and looked in his direction.
"Vilkas?" She said.
"I don't understand any of this and I probably don't even want too..." He murmured.  "But please, please just promise me that you won't do anything irrational or dangerous!"
"We've gone far past that point now." Maris sighed. Vilkas looked at her for a moment. She was serious. This was real. She was going to leave. She was probably going to die. Vilkas wrapped her arms tightly around her and buried her head into her shoulder.
"Please don't go!" He pleaded. "I need you! I can't live without you Maris. Please don't leave me. Don't go."
Maris pulled away and placed her hands on his cheeks.
"I have to... I wouldn't care about any of this if it was just me at risk. The world could end if it was just me but this world contains the thing I care about the most. So I at least have to try." She smiled weekly.
"I just don't understand. " Vilkas muttered, putting his hands over hers.
"Honestly, neither do I... its just something I have to do." She muttered.
"Maris I... I..." Vilkas spluttered but the words caught in his throat.
"Maris, we have to leave." Alaris called, climbing up onto the Dragons neck. Maris glanced up at her then back to Vilkas.
" I have to go." She said bluntly, turning to leave. Suddenly Vilkas grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She spun back round. As soon as she had done so she felt Vilkas' lips against hers. She was shocked at first but let herself melt into the embrace. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. She felt as if her breath was being taken away from her. Her heart pounded against her chest and Vilkas' skin burnt against hers. Her mind went numb. He tightened his hold around her waist as if he was afraid to let go. She was kissing him back... she was actually kissing him back... her lips were cold and death like but sweet and soft.

Maris pulled away and looked up at Vilkas, her eyes soft and meaningful.
"Maris... I... I love you..." He whimpered. "I always have. I loved you when we were children but then you came back as a new person and i fell in love with this Maris as well... when i told Alaris i loved her i was complaining about how i couldn't just come out and say it to you. And when i kissed her, it's because she made herself look like you Maris and i couldn't just say that because I was so scared of telling you I love you..."
Maris traced her fingertips down his cheek bone and Villas closed his wolfish grey eyes tightly.
"For the first time in my life I don't actually know what to say..." she muttered.
"I'm really sorry for interrupting such a tender moment but we we really do have to go!" Alaris exclaimed.
"I will try my hardest to come back to you" Maris whispered.  She planted a final chased kiss on his lips before climbing onto the dragon. 
"I love you." She smiled.
Her eyes stayed on him as the neck hold was lifted and dragon lurched forwards. With that, she was gone...
Vilkas stood there dumbfounded for a moment. Had that really just happened, or was this a dream? It certainly felt like one. She loved him... but now she was gone to god knows where. He felt his heart reach in his chest. The though if her being away made him sick to his stomach, it did before but now he knew she felt the same, the pain amplified.  The happiness in having his love returned couldn't overthrow that emptiness.

"So, Harbinger,  should we be getting back?" Farkas said, putting his hand on Vilkas' shoulder.
"You were listening in?" Vilkas growled.
"Of course we were. " Aela said.
Vilkas sighed and shook his head. He had no privacy at all with those two around.
"You know that Maris is going to be okay," Aela smiled weekly. "She always comes back eventually."
"I know... but sometimes that takes twenty two years..." Vilkas mumbled under his breath. If it took that long, he would wait.

There was no drinking or celebrating in the mead hall that night. Maris was always disappearing but this time then knew that it was something dangerous. Dangerous enough to appoint a new Harbinger. Vilkas stood at the door to Maris' study. Barbas was pouting beneath the desk and jorvaskr was ominously silent.
Vilkas went over and stroked the dog.
"Yea, i miss her too." He cooed.
"I hope she knows that." He growled. Vilkas stumbled back and looked wide eyed at the dog.
"You... just... you talked..." He spluttered.
"Yea, i did. You sound surprised." Barbas yapped.
"Well... yes... I'm my experiences dogs don't usually talk!" Vilkas exclaimed. "Though you belonging to Maris makes me it seen a little more normal."
"I'll have you know that I don't belong to Maris! I'm the companion to a Daedric Lord... i just happen to like Maris quite a bit."  He grumbled.
"Ah... okay... but how... your still a dog... dogs don't..." Vilkas muttered.
"You used to be a werewolf, you've fought giants and mammoths. Your vampire girlfriend just rode off on a giant lizards with a girl with a magic voice and the blood of a dragon!... and your surprised at me?" Barbas stated.
"Point taken." Vilkas muttered.
"I just hope for her sake that you told her how you feel before she went." Barbas growled.
"I did." Vilkas said. "She... said she loved me too."
"Of course she did! Wasn't it obvious from the start? You made your feelings quite clear, though Maris still couldn't see it." Barbas sighed.
"I don't really want to talk about this... especially with a dog..." Vilkas mumbled. 
"Well you gladly talk to that fur ball bear that sleeps in your room!" Barbas snapped. " At least I can talk back."
" I think i would rather talk to Broul." Vilkas said turning away.
"I know allot about Maris..." Barbas said in an enticingly sweet voice.
Vilkas turned and raised an eyebrow towards the beast.
"Like what?" He asked.
"Ah, that got your attention didn't it! Not enough that I'm a talking dog..." He grumbled.
Vilkas sat and listened to what the dog had to say. He often did after that. Just hearing about Maris made it a little easier to deal with but it would definitely be a long time before Maris would return...