by Cloe Cullen
A rumble rolled through the crowd as groups began to form and disperse into the trees. The clearing finally began to open up enough for Nyssa and Lowell to squeeze through. But as she walked forward, so did her brother, and they met somewhere in the middle.
“I don’t remember saying I wanted you to volunteer,” Remus’ scalding voice said as they embraced in greeting, his thick arms making her feel safe and cozy.
Releasing each other, she glared at him. “I’m a grown woman, Remus. I do what I please now.”
Remus clicked his tongue, a smile growing on his face. “It’s incredible how much bolder you’ve become. It’s almost like you’re an entirely different person. Not that I mind either way; you’re still my kid sister.”
“Is this where you lecture me on coming here?”
“No... not this time. I’m getting tired of trying to pretend to be father.” He nodded at them both, gesturing to follow. “Come on, if you want to help so badly, then let’s go already.”
Remus led them both back the way he came, gesturing for Bronwen to follow as well. Bronwen waved gently at Nyssa as they approached, and Nyssa returned the gesture. Lowell kept his head low, the hairs on his body prickling as Bronwen joined their tiny group.
“My, my,” Bronwen said. “Did you miscount, Remus? We only have four for our lonely group. If I’m not mistaken, you said we should be hunting in groups of five or more.”
Remus shrugged. “Oops.”
“It’s good to see you, Bronwen,” Nyssa interjected.
“Likewise, child,” Bronwen said. “How have you fared since I’ve been away? Is this Lowell fellow still giving you trouble? I could scare him off if necessary.”
Nervously chuckling, Nyssa pointed behind her at her friend. “Well, actually, this is the guy I mentioned...this is Lowell.”
Bronwen raised her eyebrows at him, causing Lowell to break out in sweat. She laughed at his reaction, clearly enjoying the sight of another scared wolf. “Aw, what’s the matter, you big bad wolf? You’re not frightened that a woman is taller than you, are you?”
Lowell tried to speak, but his voice faltered.
“Enough of the teasing,” Remus said from the front. “Come on, let’s just focus for now. Go comb through the woods, and then maybe rest and take a break.”
“Sure thing!” Bronwen said immediately, humming a tune as they walked.
“We found a Changeling earlier, but it slipped from our grasp,” Nyssa found herself saying. Remus eyed her. “I know what you’re thinking. We didn’t fight it, but instead it ran away and dove into this hole. The Changeling was small, too, and probably still out there. Somewhere to the west.” Nyssa pointed with one of her slender fingers, a breeze chilling the bones in her hand.
Her brother nodded. “Alright, then we go west.”
Everyone nodded, ready to focus on their new task. Nyssa was certainly thankful for the change of pace, forcing her mind to settle on something other than the past or the future. But as they ran into the vast wild of the Oldwood, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Lowell just before they arrived at the clearing.
The Bear Clan...she wondered if they really were still alive, wandering the world in secret. For a moment she wanted to believe the rumors were true, that bear shifters roamed the world.
But then, where were they?
Chapter Five: Jorah
“ You want to go back down the mountain, again?” Nyx asked quizzically. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”
Jorah nodded. It was definitely what he wanted, and pretty much the best and only way to remove any excess stress that hounded him. While he was fine right now, he was sure to feel so much more alive further away from the peaks. “Of course, it is. All I do is travel down the mountain. I’m an explorer, through and through, and nothing else will satisfy the urge I have.”
Clenching her fists, Nyx eyed Jorah. He stared back, unable to rip his gaze away from the dark pits of her eyes. “That urge is what keeps getting you in trouble with the Seers, Jorah. It’s only because Dallan raised you that the Seers let you off the hook all the time, but that won’t last forever. The farther you go from the mountains-”
“The more likely I’ll be thrown to the wolves, right?” He knew Nyx well enough to finish her thoughts, even now.
“I, for one, think it is a fantastic idea!” Finn said gleefully, a wide smile adorning his slender expression once again. He bounced up from his seat and started to run in place. “Come on, let’s go already!”
A sly smile crossed Jorah’s lips. “Two to one.”
Frowning, she leveled a pleading look at Keanu across the fire. “And you? Please tell me all the men in this little outfit aren’t idiots.”
Slouching in his seat and dropping his metal pot in the fresh snow, Keanu yawned loudly, his heavy breath clouding the air in front of him. He glanced at Nyx and gave his classic shrug then placing his hands on his knees he rose to his lumbering feet, his shadow stretching as far back as the cave mouth. Sighing, Nyx rose as well, prompting Jorah to laugh and follow suit. Nyx may have been increasingly averse to defying the laws of the Seers over the years, but for Jorah the desire only grew and widened, like a fissure in the earth.
“Alright then, it appears everyone is in agreement,” Jorah commented as he kicked snow over the fire, putting out the flames that threatened to lick him. Turning from the now covered charred sticks of wood, Jorah took off into the trees without looking back. The others would follow whether or not he waited.
“I’m certainly not in agreement,” Nyx shouted as she raced to match Jorah’s gait, ending up marching by his side. “I have concerns...the Seers have grown more restless recently. Something has spooked them, Jorah. If they somehow catch any of us even so much as simply gazing down at the Oldwood forest, there could be hell to pay.”
“You worry too much,” Finn said, arms behind his head as he followed. After catching Nyx’s narrowed eyes, he quickly changed his wording. “I mean, it’s a very attractive trait...worrying. It’s what I like about you.”
Keanu emerged beside Nyx, clasping her shoulder with his huge hand and smiling. “It’ll be fine.” With a voice as thick and impressive as his, anyone would give up debating right then and there. But no one stopped Nyx.
Throwing off Keanu’s hand, Nyx fixed her gaze on Jorah once again, leaning forward to make sure he didn’t look away despite his efforts to avoid that pressuring look. “If this goes wrong, I’m blaming you one hundred percent.”
“Then blame me,” Jorah said, trying not to show her the fear getting to him. As much as Nyx worried, she had the right idea; Jorah and the others would be screwed if it was found that they disobeyed clan law. He wasn’t sure what would happen first, be thrown off the mountain for good or be tried before the Seers and then thrown into a prison cave. Either way, it wouldn’t be ideal. As much as Jorah wanted to explore, he couldn’t be sure being thrown off the Northern Mountains was the best choice, being abandoned for the second time. And yet he still couldn’t help himself. “It’s my choice, so let me make it, okay?”
Nyx pressed her lips together in response, causing Jorah to think she’d be quiet for good, but then she spoke once more. “We’ll only stay a short while. There’s no point in staying halfway down the mountain longer than we need to.”
“Works for me,” Jorah replied happily, glad to have Nyx off his back.
***
The trail Jorah followed was one he used hundreds, if not thousands of times. One that launched him on a long and narrow zigzag path that was only wide enough for the group to walk in single file.
At the foot of the path were large pointed stones that pointed directly at the sky, as if stretching to tear the heavens in half. They marked the edge of their clan’s territory atop the Northern Mountains, a clear indication to anyone that dared cross in either direction they were being watched...usually, if there were guards roaming the grounds. Typically, because they were so isolated, nothing ever came up the p
ath, and except for Jorah and his friends, no one ever ventured past the line formed by the stones; whether in fear of wandering Vampires or the fear of the Seers’ punishment, either way there wasn’t much reason to venture onward.
But Jorah did, and as the four slipped between the stones, jumping and landing at a slide on the path below, he realized he would probably never stop defying the Seers’ laws. Even from the top of the path, the view was marvelous. Stretching to the horizon, the great pines and fir trees of the Oldwood littered the land, concealing whatever may been going on beneath. Leaves and a myriad of smells drifted from the land below, mixing to create scents Jorah was lucky enough to catch on windy days. The land dipped and rose, and various clearings dotted the forest, with strange tiny shapes flitting through; Jorah wondered what kind of activities the shifters of the forest were doing.
Strong winds threatened to send them tumbling down the mountain, so for the first few miles they crouched and slid down, making sure to keep their balance, blanketing their backs in snow. When they finally were able to soften the raging gales with tall bushes that reduced the noise to whistling, they rose and marched on their feet, one by one, wiping the cold off of each’s shivering back. Nyx’s gentle open palms slapped the matted snow off of his back, for which he was grateful; the cold was beginning to soak into his bones. Thankfully, the lower they descended the warmer the world became, easing the travel.
More than once they spotted goats scaling the tall cliffs up above, nimbly rocketing from minuscule footholds to even thinner ridges.
Finn whistled, his voice nearly mimicking the gales swirling around them. “Damn, goats. How do they climb like that? Do you know how useful that would be if we could just fly up steep cliff faces?”
“Why don't you try living with them, learn their secrets?” Jorah jested. “I’m sure you’d fit right in, though you don’t have the horns.”
“Or the hooves,” Nyx added.
“Or the grace,” Keanu grunted. “Goats are beautiful creatures.”
The rest of the party burst into laughter at their huge friend’s comment. Elbowing him in the ribs, Finn grinned like a fool. “If they’re so beautiful, why don’t you take one as your mate, huh? I’m sure a big guy like you has a few secret fetishes you haven’t told the rest of us, right…”
In one swift motion, Keanu locked Finn’s head with a single arm, causing Finn to flail and shout and pound Keanu’s massive biceps with his fists. “Let me go, you big hairy bear! Come on, let go! Jorah, Nyx! Help me!” Laughing, Jorah and Nyx kept on walking, ignoring the plight of their slender friend. Eventually, Keanu let Finn go, Finn’s screeching voice morphing to an angry mumbling. “Seriously, though, you’re so much older than the rest of us. How do you not have a mate yet, Keanu?”
Keanu shoved his hands inside his fur coat, glancing away into the open air. “I just haven’t found one yet.”
“It’s not like there’s a whole lot of us in the clan, Finn,” Nyx said. “So, there’s bound to be many of us who end up alone...not to say you’re lonely, Keanu.” Keanu simply gave Nyx a small smile. “Besides, none of us have mates yet. So, you shouldn’t be complaining about someone else if you haven’t found one already.”
“But I have,” Finn replied, cracking his fingers and neck. “She’s quite beautiful, and just hasn’t noticed me yet.” Nyx threw him a curious eyebrow, but left it at that. “What about you, Nyx? You have got to have someone in mind. Wait...it’s one of us, right? What other males do you hang around?”
She glanced quickly back at Jorah, who met her gaze, but then she looked away, staying quiet. If he wasn’t mistaken, he knew exactly what that look meant, and who she had feelings for. He glanced back at both Keanu and Finn, and found them both staring at him, frowns deepening on their faces. Sighing, he glared them both down. “What?”
“And you?” Finn asked. “Come on, you’ve got to have someone you’re interested in?”
Dipping her head so as not to appear suspicious to the other men, Nyx rested her gaze on Jorah, brushing a few strands of her ashen brown hair behind her ear, awaiting his response. Jorah winced, not wanting to let her down again, but if he stayed quiet Finn would hound him for the answer until he caved. “No, there isn’t anyone at the moment.”
It felt strange to say that, like a rippling wave of guilt and unease washing through his body. Now that he thought about it, other than these three and Dallan, Jorah was really alone. Mateless and the adopted son of a Seer...it’s not like many female shifters, if there were many that were still without a mate, would even look his way besides Nyx. His heart trembled at the thought of living his whole life without a mate. Jorah was in the prime of his life right now, and that wouldn’t last forever. Maybe now really was the time to start looking for someone.
“Really?” Finn asked, a skeptical edge to his voice.
“Really, Finn, now lay off,” Jorah said, a sudden surge of impatience flooding his systems.
From then on, the group trudged and zigzagged in quiet, leaving their mouths zipped shut. Another couple miles of silence and they reached the halfway point down the mountain. A ledge jutted out just over the trees of the Oldwood forest, a myriad of scents overwhelming his nostrils as Jorah jogged up to the edge, looking out over the forest. The sun was beginning to make its descent in the distance, and so to watch it, Jorah plopped down, letting his legs hang over the world beneath him.
Nyx dropped down beside him. “I’d say to be careful, but I know you probably won’t listen to me.”
“I listen to you,” Jorah said. “I just know I’m more careful than you think I am.”
Rolling her eyes, Nyx brought her knees to her chest and wrapped them in her arms, staring ahead. Finn and Keanu sat on the other side of Jorah, the former peering straight down while the latter looked off to the side.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jorah asked. “I never tire of this view.”
“It is pretty, I’ll give you that,” Nyx said. “It’s nothing short of wonderful.” Her hand drifted from her knees to the grassy ledge, sliding over until it touched Jorah’s. He tried not to act surprised and jerk his hand back, so he slowly slid his away, causing Nyx to slump slightly. “Sorry,” she whispered.
“So am I,” Jorah said back.
No matter how beautiful Nyx was, or how much she might still feel for him, Jorah simply couldn’t feel the same about her. She was more a sister to him now than a lover. Nyx needed to understand that...but he just couldn’t bring himself to outright say it to her anymore. With his own two eyes he saw how much it hurt her, and he didn’t want to make things more difficult. Jorah had his own love life to go after now.
But as he looked out over the horizon, he wondered about that. Would he ever meet the woman meant to be his?
Chapter Six: Nyssa
A n hour had passed since Nyssa and the rest had left the clearing, Remus leading their voyage into the Oldwood. They walked in silence, their gazes scanning the surrounding areas and their noses constantly awaiting strange, dark scents that had no place in the purity of the Oldwood.
For some reason Nyssa felt strangely calm. Her nerves behaved themselves, and while a butterfly or two fluttered in the pit of her stomach, her body and mind compelled her to move forward unconditionally. The stress of the past day was finally, truly easing itself away, allowing Nyssa to relax and hunt with a new balanced sense. Even Lowell, who stalked beside her, appeared wholly intent on the hunt.
None of them had shifted forms just yet, opting to remain in their human skins until the moment they spotted a Changeling.
“You sure you spotted the Changeling to the west?” Remus called over his shoulder, his head on a constant swivel.
“We’re sure,” Nyssa replied. Hearing her brother’s voice for the first time in days was nice. It calmed her, let her soul know she was in the midst of someone willing to put his life on the line to protect her. She got the same sensation from Lowell, who matched her every step, slowing if she slowed, pickin
g up the pace if she began to jog. Lucky didn’t even begin to describe how she felt at the moment. Even Bronwen, who still smiled and marched forward alongside Remus radiated a protective aura, as if she were ready to brawl at any second, despite how fragile she appeared to a stranger’s eye.
“Are we close to where you two were earlier?” Remus asked.
“We’re getting there,” Nyssa said, looking around to get her bearings straight. The farther west one went from Gray Creek, the thicker the vegetation and woods became, making it harder to discern one’s exact location. Even after spending all nineteen years of her life wandering the Oldwood, it still took her a minute or two to confidently announce their orientation. “It should be just up ahead, to the right.”
The Oldwood didn’t just get denser, but also more varied the closer to the western sea they became, with the land rolling into hills and elongated crevices, holes and underground caverns dotting the land. Vines, bending trees and small ponds filled out the rest, as far as Nyssa knew. The Oldwood was so vast that nobody in Gray Creek could exactly say they’ve seen every part of the forest. Nyssa remembered how her father would tell her and Remus tales of bold shifters venturing into the dark thickets in the remote corners of the woodland, only to get lost and never be heard from again. Remus always remained calm and curious during the stories, but Nyssa would shake in fear; she knew he told them the stories to keep them from wandering too far.
As the group approached the where Nyssa and Lowell had seen the Changeling, Remus stopped them with an arm blocking their path forward. Wrinkling his nose, his expression scrunched up, his body tensing. Bronwen glanced curiously at him. “Something the matter?” She asked nonchalantly.
“I smell one…” Remus growled, his voice low. “It’s close by.”
The dark, disgusting scent crossed the noses of the other two quickly after Remus spoke, the hair on Nyssa’s body standing up straight. “It’s the same one,” Lowell said. “It’s small and quick, so if we spot it, we need to be fast about cornering it.”