It felt so natural so easy to move around in, the armour was light weight, and sat like regular armour. It was tainted a light red colour and was very fitting to me. In short I loved it. Kebber stepped back and admired his work with a self conceded smirk. I would let him have it seeing as how this meant I could hunt. A door opened behind me and I turned looking across the court yard at Raven who was freshly dressed and seemed a little more at ease.
“Look at this!” I squealed jumping around excitedly.
He watched with stunned violet eyes as I leapt around jumping up and down around the courtyard. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at me.
“Never thought I’d see the day you actually smiled at me” He murmured.
I landed sliding across the stone, my foot caught and I tipped forward. Arms wrapped around my stomach jerking me back making me cough and sputter as the breath was pressed from my body. His scent rolled down around me and I glanced back at him feeling my ears redden with embarrassment.
“Don’t kill me, I’m just helping” he whispered against the side of my face.
He slowly stood me up and moved back away crossing his arms over his chest, slowly he examined the armour as I stood petrified. He traced his finger down my shoulder tapping it with his nail.
“It seems alright” he sighed.
My forehead creased in a frown, “Seems alright? This is awesome. I’ve never worn armour on a hunt before!” I growled at him.
He moved around me and I turned following him, “Why did you never wear armour before?” Kebber asked sauntering forward to examine his work along side Raven.
“Well, Because we never needed it I guess. I mean, If I got hurt it wouldn’t be a big deal, so I never wore anything to protect myself” I watched Ravens jaw tighten and Kebber raised an eyebrow.
“I remember you were out in the forest in shorts and a flouncy shirt. It was ridiculous, how they expected you to face armed men like that” Raven grumbled.
“It was my job, That’s what I did dumb-ass. And I was doing fine until you showed up and screwed everything up” I spat.
He rolled his eyes at me, “Right like I ruined your perfect hunt. They would have gotten you without my interference” He sighed turning away from me.
“You bastard!” I screeched but I couldn’t move, I was frozen in place. My heart stuttered in my chest, “I would have been fine, my life would have been so much better if you never showed up! Jocey would be fine, my pack would be together! I would have a home” The last word seethed from between my teeth.
“Mila, Its time to go” I broke myself away from Ravens shocked face and moved over to the group of men. One of which was Nejri and Jhebret.
I walked over to Nejri and stood closer to him than I knew I should have, If Raven locked me away for kissing him then Raven would be dropping me into the cellar for running to Nejri. Luckily Jhebret came up onto my other side smiling down at me.
“You really want to piss Raven off don’t you?” He growled leading me away with the rest of the group.
“He started it, I don’t need a mate” I growled turning my back to Jhebret and grabbing Nejri’s arm.
I stopped myself in my tracks and stared at Nejri who stared at me with a very calm face.
“Why am I clinging to you” I hissed.
He gave a warm knowing smile, “Because I’m a cat, and you’ve been without another animal of any kind for almost a month now.” I scowled at him.
“Has it really almost been a month?” I asked walking forward slowly, I had to have slept through most of it. It couldn’t have been that long already… I didn’t know how long I had been here before I woke up.
Jhebret glanced down at me and smiled warmly nodding his head, “Yes it has, A very busy month. One that will hopefully lead to many more” He said leading me forward after the group.
“I’m going to leave at the Ball, you understand that don’t you?” I asked jogging after him, Nejri close by my side.
We slowed down as we reached the tail of the group, we had just begun to trudge through the underbrush heading deeper into the forest. The darkness seemed to hang in the air like fog, a creeking sound drifted on the stale breeze towards us, almost like a cricket yet it sounded strange and echoed longer. Birds fluttered off in a frenzy into the tall branches of the bright green canopy. It was as if the dark smog didn’t rise past a certain point. The sun was beginning to set in the background casting long warm rays that sliced through the dark mist that grew thicker with each passing moment.
“I know your intentions Mila, I understand them fully” Jhebret stepped to my side as we moved, “But Things are always changing.”
“People for the most don’t change, Raven doesn’t want me here anymore than I want to be here. I’m just a pawn for him” I said shrugging my shoulders, “When I leave it will be for the best”
Nejri grabbed my arm tightly his fingers digging into my upper arm, “How can you say that?” He hissed stepping in front of me bending a swinging branch out of the way so I could step forward, his grip did not lessen nor did he let me go.
“Easy he hates me, Nothing much more to it than that” I murmured.
Nejri glanced to Jhebret and both of them dropped their heads forward, “He’s your Soul-mate Mila, He doesn’t hate you.”
“Alright he resents that fact that I’m his soul mate” I growled pulling my arm from his grip.
The group had stopped in a small opening in front of us, I walked over and joined them. The leader was dressed in a dark metallic blue armour suit much like my own. Except he had a very large sword hanging from his hip. I hoped that I would be let loose soon so I could sink my claws into something. I stiffened as Jhebret leaned down next to my ear his breath was hot, “Raven said no shifting. You do and we drag you back and you never get out here again” He sighed standing back up.
My jaw clenched and so did my fist in response to the ridiculousness of that, I needed to shift anyways! Why were they being so… Racist? Could I even say that? I was a different race than them, hell I was a completely different species. I didn’t know what word to use, the simple point was that I was being discriminated against because of what I was.
“Listen up, from here we split up into groups. The point here is to clean the area of Shebragh,” He glanced at me and nodded his head, “They look pale and shiny to the touch, they appear fae-elve from behind. Their eyesight is limited and they depend on hearing. Their eyes are located on the palms of their hands.” He finished the brief description and then allowed his eyes to scan the group searching for somebody, “Mila you’ll be with Kadev on this” He said pointing over to a willowy looking man with two bows and a two Quivers full of arrows. I nodded my head and swallowed the nervousness, I had never used a bow before.
“You two will head north more and hunt near the caves, Be careful” I nodded and headed off north not waiting for a weapon or for Kadev to follow.
I marched to the edge of the clearing feeling their eyes on my back, I smiled and jumped up at the tree swinging up into the branches. I crouched among the leaves taking in a deep breath before standing up and moving down the branch and leaping to the next tree. Up among the branches the thick fog that lingered below didn’t reach, the air was light and had a sweet sting to it as I took in lungful.
The forest was beautiful and free, I felt more at home, more calm than I had for what had been nearly a month. My panther felt happy and my sleeping wolf was content. I stretched my arms above my head as I stared up through the leaves up at the sky and the warming rays of light that filtered down and through to meet me. I was happy out here, I don’t know what Tinkerbell had been going on about this wasn’t that bad.
I didn’t see or feel any danger out here, nothing seemed out of the ordinary from a regular forest. Well except the fog, but then again this wasn’t a ordinary forest.
“Hey wait up!” I paused on what had to be the twentieth tree I had jumped to and turned around watching the man jump after me.
“You can move through the trees?” I murmured more to myself.
“Oh yeah, well I’m a marksmen so we need to be able to move swiftly. Its just I’ve never had to keep up with somebody before. Your pretty amazing” He said sounding a little out of breath.
“Yeah well I used to be sort of the entire guard squad for my Pack before. I had to adapt really quickly” I said rubbing the side of my neck.
He smiled and nodded his head wobbling a little, he was only a tree away now. He paused for a break before he prepared himself to launch at the tree. He jumped to the branch I was on and I watched in almost slow motion as he missed by only a few inches and slipped. I crouched as fast as I could grabbing his arm, his weight was to much for me and we both ended up toppling over the branch. I was falling again… My eyes saw the hard stone below us, and Nejri falling below me. Panic flooded my system and I didn’t even register the scream.
We hit the forest floor with a heavy thud the ground shook absently and I laid there staring across the forest floor feeling blank again as I stared at the now unconscious man. My hands tightened on the grass as I slowly pushed to my hands and knee’s, I had screamed… I shut my eyes tightly, why had I seen Nejri falling… A twig snapped behind me and I pushed to my feet spinning around to see the flash of pasty pink white skin flash by behind the now shaking brush.
My heart stuttered again and I cursed under my breath, right. That scream had alerted the Shebragh, naturally. The sun dipped down below the horizon and the forest was plunged into total darkness, I gasped at the sudden and utter lack of light.
“Kadev?” I hissed dropping back down and patting the ground for him.
He gave a soft moan as my hand brushed his, “Ugh, Mila are you alright?” he grumbled.
“There are Shebragh all around us and I cant see anything. Kadev what the hell do we do?” I hissed grabbing his wrist.
“Oh shit, The sun.” I felt him sit up quickly, he grabbed my arm as well and we moved closer to each other.
“Here’s my idea, don’t let go of each others arm. And we work our way back as quietly as possible” I hissed leaning in towards him.
“No, Mila when your eyes adjust I want you to head back without me and I’ll get rid of the Shebragh.” He said standing up and pulling me with him.
“Explain to me why exactly there is no light in the forest?”
He chuckled, “This is why Raven didn’t want you out here, The forest is meant to be disorienting. Its canopy is so thick that the moonlight doesn’t get through until moon-high” He said in a carefree tone.
I caught a white blur in my peripherals, they were getting more and more frequent now that I really noticed. I tried to follow them but the darkness seemed to pulsate and I knew I was stressing my eyes as was trying to pick out the feint change in colour.
“I don’t run from an enemy” I growled focusing in on a blur as it broke through the brush and charged at us. I released Kadevs arm jumping up underneath it, as I collided with its slimy body we flipped. It landed hard on its back letting out a high pitched screech. I pressed my knee against its throat and twisted my body feeling its spin separate from itself. Something slapped off my back and I was sent rolling from the fallen Shebragh. I landed in a crouched and opened my mouth scenting for Kadev or an scent of blood. He wasn’t hurt yet so I wasn’t as worried.
“Mila!”
“I’m still alive” I called back to him.
“Good, Raven would skin me alive if you got hurt” He growled.
I smirked and shut my eyes not needing to strain them anymore than they already were, I opened my mouth just enough to scent the stagnant air. When they moved I could feel it shift, the smog that clouded the forest, I could track them by that.
The air moved on my right and I spun diving towards the air, I hit something solid and tackled it to the ground. My hands sliding across the soft yet slimy skin, I gagged as I struggled to grip the creature. It thrashed around underneath me, I opened my eyes and was able to see it against the dark grass. I wrapped my hands around its neck and twisted feeling its body jerk then go limp.
“Damnit” I hissed.
I felt a chill run down my spine and cried out as something collided with the back of my head sending me forward. I rolled along the ground coming to a limp halt, What the hell was that. I gave a soft moan propping myself up on my hands and knees.
I took in a deep breath and felt my spin tighten, I pushed to my feet spinning around and catching the bow in my hand. I glared into his narrowed eyes, a smile lit his face and his knee came up hitting me in the side. I cursed curling over to the side gripping at the throbbing pain.
“Kadev what the hell?” I growled stumbling away from him.
He stayed eerily silent, he wasn’t dead I would smell blood or scent the rotting flesh. But I could faintly hear his beating heart and knew the bastard was still alive. Sadly. I stood up slowly stumbling briefly, a low growl rumbled from inside my chest.
“You bastard, What the hell do you think your doing?” I hissed.
For a moment there was the quiet shuffling of leaves on a bush, “My luck today is just getting better and better. First I hear the mate of Raven would be joining our group, then that Raven’s father would be taking the evening in solitude.” the sound of his voice had changed, he had lost the carefree tone, the lightness was gone from his voice.
I spun around snarling at nothingness, He was ranting. There was anger in his voice making it waver, something about Raven pissed Kadev off. The list was long as the day, but this sounded darker than my nearly petty anger and hatred towards Raven.
“You going to spill your entire plan to me?” I laughed bitterly.
“No, You wont be around much longer anyways” I cried out as I felt his elbow it the back of my neck sending bright flashing lights through my vision. I dropped to my knees sliding to the forest floor, it rippled down my back paralyzing me at best.
“Think how heart broken he’ll be when he loses not only his father but his mate in the same day.” Kadev gave a dark bitter laugh before a new sharp prickling pain burned through my right side making me scream.
I felt the arrow head twist inside of the muscle tearing it, then the ripping sensation as he jerked it out leaving me curled on the forest floor bleeding. My scream echoed off into the forest, Twice I had screamed twice. The Shebragh would be on me in seconds of Kadev leaving, I could scent them closing in.
I opened my eyes focusing long enough to glare at the wavering shadow moving off into the dark forest. Kadev was the assassin, Raven was going to get his father killed. This is what the cards had predicted.