All Things Wild and Beautiful

3. A Brief History

    Vaughan just shrugged and walked away. Fenrys watched his receding figure, aware of Aelin approaching from behind. "What did he say?" She asked.

    "He's worried something is wrong because Lorcan is married before me and I haven't slept with anyone since Maeve died."

    "Was that his way of offering himself?" Aelin laughed.

    Fenrys began to reply, then hesitated. "I honestly don't know."

    "Well, close quarters will give you a chance to find out, I suppose. The others are ready. You should go. Good luck, and try to bring Nascha back in one piece."

    "That depends on her, just as much as it does me."

    Aelin inclined her head, then hugged him briefly. Fenrys started towards the boat as soon as she released him. The Human crewmen lowered their eyes as he passed by. Their scents reached him, carrying the tang of fear and nervousness.

    "Haven't seen many Fae in our lifetime," an elderly man said in a thick accent, stroking his white beard. He followed Fenrys to the prow of the ship while the crew prepared to set sail. "Don't mind the Boys. They'll get used to ye before this trip is over."

    "It's all right if they don't," Fenrys answered. "Who can blame them when Lorcan is on board?"

    "Aye, a broody bastard I've heard Lord Lorcan Lochan is," the man chuckled. "Not at all the sort of person you'd associate his name with."

    "Don't let him hear you say that," Fenrys laughed. "Lorcan is very proud of his name."

    "I suppose I should be proud of mine then. Captain Silva, at your service, Ambassador."

    "Silva?" Fenrys arched a brow. "That means..."

    "Forest, trees, wood, whatever ye want to define it as," the Captain laughed. "It's still a strange name for an old sailor like me."

    "Not so strange," Fenrys replied. "Your eye color is peculiar. Is it common in your family?"

    "Aye, but what do you mean by peculiar? They're just green."

    "Light green around the outer part of your iris," Fenrys agreed, "but it fades to darker green, and almost reaches brown around your pupil. They resemble a forest."

    "I've never noticed that. I suppose your Fae vision lets ye see those finer details."

    "I suppose so."

    "Fascinating." Captain Silva straightened. "We'd best be shoving off."

    He left without another word. Fenrys braced his hand on the railing of the bow, drinking in the salty sea air. It wasn't long before they were drifting away from the dock and on their way to Wendlyn.

◦ ~ ❘ ☼ ❘ ~ ◦

    The days at sea were uneventful, leaving Fenrys bored and agitated. He spent hours just pacing the length of the deck. Occasionally, he shifted into his wolf form, but the crewmen seemed uneasy enough as it was, and the sight of a wolf larger than a small horse had already made two of them threaten to jump overboard. Fenrys remained in his Fae form for the most part.

    Currently, he was sitting on the railing of the bow, relishing the soft mist that sprayed his face. The sun was sweltering overhead. He'd already tied his hair back in a bun and removed his shirt. As had most of the crew. Fenrys laughed to himself when several of the younger sailors attempted to show off to Lysandra and were violently warned away by Aedion.

    "If you fall off, someone had better make sure Aelin knows I didn't push you," Lorcan hollered.

    Fenrys glanced over his golden brown shoulder, catching sight of the male. He lounged at the helm, with Vaughan, Aedion, and Lysandra beside him. Captain Silva was wisely staring at the horizon and not at Lysandra. Fenrys twisted and hopped off the railing, crossing the deck to join them. He sat beside Lysandra and stretched his long legs out in front of him.

    "What is your history with Nascha Makatza?" Lysandra asked presently. "The Cadre's, I mean. Why did Maeve send you after her and her brother? How long ago did this happen?"

    "Nine years," Lorcan replied. "Nascha was sixteen and her brother was..." He trailed off, glancing at Vaughan.

    "Thirty-six," Vaughan answered.

    Lorcan nodded. "Maeve told us they were from a very powerful family with a pure bloodline. As soon as she found out they were in Wendlyn, she wasted no time sending us after them, under the order to bring them back alive. If we'd caught them, I'm sure she would've forced them to swear the blood oath. We tracked them to Aklease..."

    "Isn't that where she is now?" Aedion interrupted. Vaughan nodded and Lorcan glared at the male. Aedion gestured for Lorcan to continue.

    "They already knew we were coming and were making their way to a dock, hoping to escape. We caught up to them and Zeno used himself as a distraction, giving Nascha time to run. Zeno attacked us and put up a good fight. He would have made a good addition to the Cadre. One of his hits came a little too close to Gavriel's heart and Connall reacted on instinct. He ripped Zeno's throat out before we had a chance to stop him." Lorcan's gaze fixed on Fenrys.

    "I was hunting Nascha while they dealt with Zeno," Fenrys explained. "I managed to catch her in my wolf form and grabbed her by the leg. I underestimated how powerful she was. She fought me off using her magic, then shifted into an owl and stowed away on a ship already sailing for the Southern Continent. She was injured badly enough that most of us thought she would die, even with her accelerated healing."

"After we returned, Maeve called off the search. I imagine she didn't want us so far from her reach, where we could more easily resist the command of the blood oath," Lorcan finished.

    "What is her magic?" Lysandra asked. "That's something we should know before facing her."

    "Darkness," Vaughan answered vaguely.

    "And starlight," Fenrys added. "I don't know how else to describe it." Vaughan and Lorcan nodded their agreement.

    "What happened after she escaped?" Aedion asked. "I imagine Maeve wasn't pleased."

    "She wasn't." Fenrys' hand fell to his scarred stomach. Vaughan and Lorcan lowered their eyes. Lysandra's gaze fixed on Fenrys' hand. "Connall and I were punished, because Connall killed Zeno and I failed to capture Nascha, possibly killing her in the process."

    "Punished how?" Captain Silva asked, obviously listening in on their conversation. Fenrys didn't answer. Finally, Lorcan spoke.

    "She made them flay each other's stomachs open with a whip." Fenrys closed his eyes, sighing as the memory resurfaced. "Fenrys was punished first. Maeve made Connall whip him until the lashes started to reach his guts. Then, she made Fenrys whip Connall, while trying to hold his own guts in. She summoned a healer for Fenrys, but Connall was left to heal over time."

    "Why?" Captain Silva narrowed his eyes. "Why heal one and not the other?"

    "It was part of my punishment," Fenrys murmured. "Watching my brother suffer, while I was as good as new, minus a few scars. Besides, it would be a little hard for me to serve Maeve in bed if my guts were falling out on her."

    "What a bitch," Lysandra huffed, leaning onto Fenrys' shoulder. He gave her a small smile. "Let's hope we have better luck this time."

    "We only risk war if we don't," Aedion muttered.