Clan War

Wonders of the Šumians

~Everest~

"Why did you chase us?" Monaley asked the Šumians.

"Ciaran here saw you guys come into our territory. We thought you were someone else." The one named Andy said sheepishly. Intrigue rushed through me.

"Who?" Monaley asked with similar intrigue.

"Just some nasty people who came through before." Andy replied.

"And you thought that it was the two prettiest girls you have ever seen?" Monaley joked.

"Well if I had seen you without your hood, I would have chased you for a totally different reason." Andy joked back. A smile rose on Monaley's face and on Ciaran's face.

"Would it have anything to do with the smoke I smelled?" I said quietly to him.

"What? How do you know about the fire? Were you the ones who started it!?" His voice rose and the group stopped. Monaley came up to my side as I stared calmly at Ciaran.

"What's going on?" She whispered with concern.

"What's going on is Everest just asked me about smoke. We never mentioned any fire. So how could you have known about it" Ciaran's eyes blazed with anger and suspicion. For some reason, my chest aches in pain at his anger.

"Do you remember when we smelled the smoke?"

"Yea. You looked lost then."

"That is because I felt like the smoke was all around me. It didn't just come from us it came from the other clans as well." I whispered low enough so only she could hear.

"So, when we came here~"

"It's the first stop. And Ciaran here just told me they went through a similar situation as us." I said speaking to the two men.

"Similar Situation?" Andy asked before Ciaran.

"Did... did you guys have a big fire? Or did something burn down?" Monaley asked.

Andy cast a look at Ciaran and I already knew the answer.

"I thought so. We had a similar situation. One of our outposts got burned to the ground. I knew about your's because I smelled the smoke." I spoke, breaking the silence.

"How?" Andy asked.

Ciaran looked like his anger had died down a bit but his eyes still looked at us with scorn. But he had a calculating look along with Andy. I shrugged at Andy's question, pulling my hood tighter as I squirmed under their gaze.

"It's just something the R... just something Eve has always had. Her senses have always been heightened to extraordinary lengths."

"You make it sound like I am an experiment Mona."

I laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. It seemed to fall on deaf ears. Not knowing what else to do, I started walking away from the group. Someone's hand gripped my arm and turned me towards them. I found eyes filled with hatred. I held my breath and waited for Ciaran to say something.

"Who are you?" He hissed through closed teeth.

"Someone who is trying to figure out what is going on."

"That's not what it seemed like at the cliff."

"What happened at the cliff?" I questioned.

"Something strange. And I get the feeling that you are the cause."

"I am not the enemy but I will give you a fight to remember should you make me one."

Easing my arm out of his grasp, I took a step back. I glanced at Monaley and found that her and Andy huddled together seemingly enjoying the show. I give her a questioning smile which she returns with a shrug and smile of her own. Taking a breath, I look back to Ciaran. His face is a mask devoid of emotion.