Awakening the Lion

by Crymsyn Hart

  Hearing that, her heart hitched and she fought the void in her soul. “He was our companion and someone I cared for very much. He had to stay behind.”

  Marta dug into her bag and pulled out the doll that she had been playing with. Illiana watched the doll. What would I have done if I had grown up in Marta’s shoes, knowing my mother was going to kill me and then my sister gave me away to strangers? Marta seems to be taking it pretty well. Illiana shook her head and realized the two cultures were completely different. At least she was safe. That was the most important thing.

  “I miss Christopher, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I try to push him out of my mind, but he pops up now and again.”

  Belik brushed the feather still woven into her hair. The soft caress made her shiver with anticipation and need: the need to be with Belik—in his arms completely—and to have him drive Christopher from her mind altogether. “I don’t blame you for thinking about him. I know how much you miss your home, because I miss the forest, too. I’m not used to all this traveling and not trusting people. It was so much easier with people that we knew. All I can say is, that I can’t wait to get you alone.” He leaned in closer and captured her mouth.

  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss, savoring the sweetness of his lips and how good he tasted. She had all but forgotten what it was like to be in his arms. With Marta around they had not had any alone time because she did not feel comfortable leaving the child by herself while they went into the tent and made love. He brushed the tip of his tongue across her bottom lip. Illiana opened her mouth wider, accepting the invitation, and slipped her tongue into his until she had wrapped her tongue around his. She wrapped her arm around his neck and brought him closer until her chest was pressed against her mate’s. She had forgotten how good this felt. And then she heard giggling. The soft sound made her break her kiss and glance over to see Marta staring at them. Illiana felt her cheeks sear and laughed along with the little girl.

  “Mommy always told me to leave when she started doing that.”

  “Well, I’m not going to ask you to leave, and we’re not going to do anything. Instead, I suggest that we get comfortable and we wait and see what tomorrow brings.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  Belik groaned and then rolled his eyes. “It can wait. I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer. Besides, I’m not sure the others would enjoy the noises. I don’t want to get too carried away.” He flexed his fingers and ran his arm over the birch-bark cast.

  “How is it?” Illiana inquired.

  “Better. I can move my fingers more. I’m itching to take it off and stretch, but I don’t think I’ll do that until we get over to the other side of the lake.”

  “I think that’s a good idea, too. So now I guess we wait until tomorrow.”

  Illiana slid into his arms and listened to the comfort of his heartbeat. It helped ease her mind from the journey they had come from and from the one they had to endure in the coming days.

  * * * *

  Ohanzee stared at the lake from his perch, and Ranolo’s words picked at his mind. He had been avoiding them for four days, but each day they were nagging at him more and more. Eventually, he was not going to be able to avoid them. He had taken the time to listen to the air and be the hawk. It was so much better to be a bird than to be a human, but his sister would worry and eventually come looking for him. The one thing holding him to the tribe was his sister and her family because he did not know what he would do without them. He could not abandon them, but Asha would not give up hope, and eventually he would go back because that is what he always did. Sometimes he would go out for a couple weeks at a time. When he was a teenager, he had lived as a hawk for three months. Asha had scolded him for a week, telling him he was grounded and to never do it again, but he understood that she was just worried about him.

  The wind came up stronger than it had been in the past few days, pushing him off his branch. He was not about to be tumbled down the mountain. Ohanzee hopped off the bough and snatched the bundle of clothes that he had and found the best draft to help him soar over the mountains so he did not have to expend so much energy. The updrafts were few and far between. The thermals were forcing him down instead of up. The weather was changing, and a chill lingered in the air that even his feathers could not shut out. Soon it would snow.

  For now, he concentrated on getting to the edge of the lake and avoiding the villagers there. They were known to be shifter-haters, and he did not need to have a run-in with them. There had been animosity with the normal humans in several of the fishing villages for centuries, but they did not know that some of the other villages they traded with contained shifters.

  He kept the sun at his back to warm his feathers until he perched in a high, dead tree where he hung his clothing from so that he could get to it easily. Ohanzee stared out over the lake and saw several boats upon the water, all heading toward his side of the lake. One ship was closer to shore than the others. It piqued his curiosity such that he caught a draft and drifted over the water.

  Thankfully, the boat moved fast and was coming toward shore because he did not like flying so far over the water. He might have some affinity with the element, but with something so big and powerful, he was not able to communicate with it. Ohanzee had to make sure that he behaved like a hawk and did not appear suspicious. The ship was in full sail, but once he got to the boat, the stronger the wind became and it was harder for him to navigate. The wind was pretty much a constant force over the water except around this one vessel. This one appeared to be in a bubble where the wind surrounded it and pushed it onward, but he could not get inside of the bubble. Ohanzee circled a few times, trying to get a look at the people in the boat. He saw two men, one woman, and a young girl, but no details of their faces. Then the wind forced him away.

  Ohanzee flew back to the shore and perched on a tree, pretending to preen his feathers, and all the while Ranolo’s words went through his head. Did the old mystic know that something was going to happen? Was that the reason he had sent him to the lake? Or was it sheer coincidence? Knowing Ranolo the way he did, Ohanzee doubted it was fate that brought him to the lake. He could have ignored the old shaman’s words, but something about them had nagged at his brain. Now that he was here, the idea of the wind being stronger around the one boat had piqued his curiosity. It was not a natural occurrence. The sun sank lower, and the boat finally docked and all the passengers disembarked.

  After a few words with the navigator, the woman, the man with the cast, and the child walked off the wharf and went in their own directions. The sailor went farther down the shore, and the other three started toward the mountains. He slipped from the limb and followed them lower through the swampland that would soon give way to a forest. They were out in the open so he flew closer to get a better look at them.

  It was clear the male had hurt his arm, but he still seemed strong. He was pale with long, dark hair. The way the woman stayed close to the man, it appeared they were mated to one another. A pang of sadness and fury went through him because he yearned to be with a woman. To be able to have a relationship where he could open up and not share a night with someone because they got too drunk or forgot that he was an outcast.

  He tried to fly ahead and get a good angle to view her features, but every time he did the wind blew her hair into her face, obscuring his vision. No matter how hard he tried, he could not see her. That only confirmed his suspicion about the wind. Someone was controlling it and keeping him from her. But why? And who among their party was it? The air did not seem to care about the man, and the little girl was not old enough to have a good grasp on it. It had to be the woman. The frustration and the curiosity were hard to separate, but he was determined to see her face.

  He flew with them until they came to a stop for the night. They had worked through the swamp and ended up in the foothills. They were two, or maybe three, days from the mountains. They set up camp, and the little girl could barely kee
p her eyes open. Ohanzee settled on a branch so that he could watch them. The man gathered some wood for a fire. She struck the flint, and with one spark the brush smoldered. Then the fire flared to life as though it had been burning for a long time. She did not even breathe on it. Did she have a touch of the elements about her? Is that how the wind whispered and the fire blazed? He hopped lower. Ohanzee yearned to see her with human eyes, but this would have to do.

  Once the fire blazed, the embers threw shadows across her face. In the firelight, her copper skin glowed. Her long, black hair concealed most of her features, but still he wished to glimpse her eyes. She was tall, he had seen that from her walking, but she had curves—and that appealed to him. What am I thinking? She’s mated, and I shouldn’t be staring at them. I shouldn’t even be following them. I should head back to the tribe and check in with Asha.

  The woman laughed and wrapped her arms around the male’s neck. She whispered something in his ear, and he kissed her back. A spear of jealousy pierced his heart. I can’t do this. I shouldn’t be spying on this woman and her man. But what is it about them or just her that keeps me here? He squawked in frustration, jumped off the branch, and flapped over the clearing. The woman gasped as he went before them, lower until he almost touched the flames, before winging off to the tree where he had stashed his clothing. He needed to be in human form to flush the animal instincts from his system and think as a man.

  Chapter Seven

  Belik woke and glanced over to see Illiana sleeping peacefully with her arms around Marta. He smiled, and his desire to hold her and have her all to himself stirred. Now was not the right time. He got up and slid from the tent to tend to his morning routine.

  When he was done, he glanced at the cast on his arm. It was itching. It was time for it to come off, even if it was not the exact time. He undid the bindings and peeled back the birch bark. Belik noticed his arm was a little thinner than the other one, but when he flexed his fingers there was no pain, just stiffness. All he had to do now was to take to the skies and feel the wind beneath his wings. Illiana was still sleeping, so he had time. The raven in him rejoiced to escape its fleshy bindings. He stripped his clothes, folded them, and laid them near the tent.

  Feathers itched underneath his skin as the human fell away and he was able to hop into the air and let his wings carry him, higher and higher, until he broke through the canopy of trees. His left wing was weaker than his right, but he could easily regain the strength from flying.

  Belik whirled around the updrafts. From above, he could see how vast the lake was that they had crossed. It had taken them three days on the open water, and that was with Illiana asking the wind to push them across as fast as it could without them toppling over. While they had crossed, he had felt uncomfortable. It was not natural for him to be on the water.

  He flew along the shoreline and over a fishing village.

  It was time for him to circle back, but when he swung around he took in the view of the mountains. He hoped they were closer to finding her father’s people. He had tired of walking and traveling, but that did not mean he would stop following Illiana. He would go with her to the ends of the Earth. She was all his heart beat for, and seeing her so torn-up from missing Christopher hurt his soul. He could see she was holding on to the hope of finding her father’s people, if not for her, for Marta, because she believed that the little girl deserved a life. It still bothered him that her clan would kill her because she was two-natured. It was one of Illiana’s aspects he revered. In a way, he wished he could share that characteristic with her. Belik prayed she would never want to give him up because he did not share her attributes.

  When he turned around to his campsite, he noticed a hawk soaring over the water. It resembled the same one that had flown into the clearing the night before. Was it following him? Was it a regular raptor? Maybe it wasn’t. He would mention it to Illiana when he returned to camp. But just to be sure, he swooped lower into the trees, settled on a branch, and watched for the hawk.

  The branches rattled above him. Belik glanced up and saw the hawk with a squirrel in its claws. He observed it for a few moments, and it tore into the dead animal, but between the bites it glanced at him. He could have stayed, watching, but he had to get back to camp. Belik jumped from the limb and headed to the campsite. Illiana was awake and working with Marta on something. She looked up and smiled at him. As he flew down, he willed himself to human form and grabbed his clothes quickly so that he would not disturb Marta. But she witnessed his transformation and stared at him. He dressed and heard the branches clattering together. When he glanced up, the hawk sat in the branches, peering down at him.

  He took Illiana in his arms and brushed his lips against her cheek. “I think we’re being watched.”

  She pulled away from him with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean?”

  Belik drew his finger down her arm and felt the muscles quiver. Desire sparked in her eyes. A hint of silver came into her dark gaze. “The hawk that burst into the glade yesterday is sitting in the tree there.”

  “So? It might want to be there.”

  He shook his head. “No. It followed me while I was flying. It’s trying to keep its distance, but I don’t think it’s a hawk. I think it’s another shifter.”

  “You think so?” Illiana asked.

  “I do. Although I’m not sure you want to call him out. Being this close to the fishing village, there might be nonshifters around. How about we travel some and then see?”

  “Okay. Wait! You were flying. You took your cast off. And you were flying. You should have followed your own advice and waited.” She jumped into his arms and hugged him harder than she had ever hugged him before. It hurt, but it didn’t matter because she was in his arms. Illiana pulled away and kissed him until it seemed she would steal his breath. Belik broke the embrace; if he hadn’t, he would’ve made love to her right there. He would not appreciate the hawk observing them.

  “I did. And I know I should’ve waited, but I had to get out of that thing.” He flexed his fingers before her. “See. All better.”

  “Everything works? I mean, you could fly and had no trouble shifting?”

  “None at all. We should go. We’re not that far from the mountains. Do you know where to go from here? What does the map say?”

  Illiana dug into her bag and pulled out the map. She unfolded it, and he could see the wear in the leather. He wasn’t sure if the lines were smudged, but there was nothing more than the mountains and after that was the desert. She traced her finger over the lines of the mountain and shook her head. “I’m not sure. Let me go up and get a better look.”

  The air moved around Illiana, and before he could stop her, she lifted off the ground and floated in the air. He marveled at the spectacle of her flying without shifting. It was one of the wonders he loved about her, and he could not figure out how it worked with being able to control the air element.

  “She’s flying,” Marta stated.

  Belik knelt down and hugged her closer. “Yes, she is.”

  “How can she do that?”

  The sound of rushing wings made him glance up, and he saw the hawk chase after her. The urge to protect Illiana surged through him, but she could take care of herself. He focused back on Marta and saw the wonder in her eyes that everyone had when she flew that way. Those in the flock who were scared of her were also in awe of her.

  Illiana came back down in a few minutes and walked back over to him.

  “Anything?”

  She traced her finger over a gap between the mountains. “We’re close to this pass from what I can see. From there,” she shrugged, “I don’t know where we’re going to. We could fly and scout ahead, but even if we saw a village, we wouldn’t know if they’re shifters.”

  The desperation in her voice made him pull her into his arms. He sensed she was getting to the end of her journey, and she had to keep up hope. If they stopped now, then they might never find the people they were searching for—and
they would be lost in the wilderness. If they turned around now and returned to the forest, what would that say? He was sure they would be shunned, and Illiana was not up to facing Christopher with her heart hurting from the separation.

  “We’ll find them. Don’t worry about it. Come on, let’s gather our things and start toward that pass.” A chill of the wind passed over him, and he shivered. The weather was changing. They were at a higher altitude, so winter was coming and they were not prepared for traveling while the temperature was dropping. They had neither the clothes nor the supplies. Soon they would have to stop, turn back, or find a village to winter with.

  Illiana started to pack, and Belik helped her, all the while scanning the trees for the hawk. When they were about ready to go, he spotted it staring at them. He wondered if it truly was a shifter. If so, maybe he was from the people they were looking for.

  * * * *

  The others left their campsite and journeyed closer to the mountains. He still could not believe what he had seen. The woman had flown without being able to shift. Ohanzee had watched her float up like some kind of spirit and sit on top of a branch to look out over the landscape. The air wrapped around her, and it had touched him, too. He had not been sure about the man, but when he saw him turn into a raven and follow him, Ohanzee was sure the woman had to be a shifter, too.

  He had to know more about them, which was why he had stayed over the campsite and listened to them. He had heard them talk about finding other shifters and saw the map she had pulled out. With his sharper eyes, he had seen the markings that it extended over the Great Lake and the plains beyond that. All of it intrigued him. He needed to know more.

  They were both different than any shifters he had met. No one in his tribe could shift into a raven. It all brought back what Ranolo had said. The older shifter had to know something was going on, but that was the way with mystics and shamans. They tended to have an inside knowledge of what was going on before anyone else. How much did he know? That was the question that flapped through his mind.