Fan Fiction ❯ The Lycanthrope and the Assassin ❯ Welcomed by Wolves ( Chapter 3 )

 

The sweet release from pain that Kamiara had found in being unconscious was slowly dragged away from her as she awoke to find herself lying on her back next to a blazing campfire, her wounds bandaged, and her horse loosely tethered to a nearby tree. She vaguely acknowledged the low hoot of an owl, lonesome in the still night air. She pushed herself up with her good arm, and took a look around It seemed to be an ordinary camp, but who had set it up? Who had bandaged her wounds? After a few moments her ears caught the sounds of ripping, and a low growling noise, coming from the far side of the clearing. She struggled to push herself to her feet, wobbling unsteadily.

 

She took a few steps past the campfire, then fell to her knees, jarring her injured thigh enough that she did not try to move again. Her fall however had attracted some unwanted attention. The ripping and growling noises had stopped, but now six pairs of golden eyes stared at her, unblinking.

 

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what…or more appropriately; whom the wolves had been feeding upon. She held herself absolutely still, hoping they would resume ignoring her in favor of their meal. A trickle of sweat rolled down the side of her face, but she dared not flutter an eyelash. Tense moments passed as she was scrutinized by what seemed to be a pack of man-eating wolves. The fire crackled dimly in the background, making the shadows of the forest around her writhe like angry spirits.

 

After what seemed like ages, the largest wolf gave a derisive snort, and turned back to his meal, the rest following suit seconds later. Kamiara exhaled in relief, finally realizing that she had been holding her breath the entire time. She did not mind that she had been dismissed by a pack of wolves as unworthy of their attention; in fact she was quite sure she would be dead if they hadn't made that decision.

 

After a few moments, Kamiara became aware of the fact that she was being watched. Slowly she turned to look behind her; her hand automatically reaching for the tanto she kept at her belt, only to encounter thin air. Repressing a surge of panic, she forced herself to look up at her unknown watcher…

 

And found herself staring into the most captivating copper eyes. Wolfs' eyes, set in the face of a man. A man with silvery hair that glinted in the moonlight.

 

He stared at her dispassionately, his arms crossed across his chest, in a posture of arrogant relaxation. Upon closer examination, she discovered that he was not as heavily muscled as most woodsmen were, nor was he soft and fleshy like those of the priesthood. He was quite literally muscle and sinew over bones.

 

What she could see of his hands proved to be the same for his whole body type: long and slender. A very small, hidden away corner of her mind trailed after that thought, and made some lewd suggestions; he was after all wearing very tight black leather breeches. Kamiara was both embarrassed and irritated with herself for allowing that tightly guarded corner of her mind to get out of control in such a situation.

 

He must have noticed her flush, because right at that moment he raised one eloquent silver eyebrow in query, which only served to heighten her blushes. “You move too quickly”. He said, startling her into confusion. His voice was a light tenor, with a slight burr to it that ran its way up her spine. Finally her brain started working properly and she realized that he'd meant her trying to walk.

 

“I'm sorry if I cause you any more trouble than I already have, but you've wasted your time.” She took a shaky breath “There'll only be more soldiers come to take me once they realize this squad failed.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I keep running…and they keep catching up. Anyone who helps me is liable to get themselves killed…” she gave him a sharp glance “be he wolf or man.”

 

Had she not been carefully watching his face for an expression, she would have missed the slightest of smiles touch the corners of his mouth. “Then it is good for both of us that I am neither.” He said wryly “If you so choose, you may run with my pack when we leave. If not, you are free to leave whenever you feel healed enough to be on your way.”

 

Kamiara narrowed her eyes in suspicion, memorizing his face in case she would ever need to kill him. “Why are you helping me? For all you know, I could be a runaway slave, or a thief. Why involve yourself in a fight you know nothing about?”

 

The man sank down onto his haunches and stared intently into her eyes. It was a most disconcerting sensation, like he was staring straight into her soul. “You are no slave, for I saw you fight, and you fight very well indeed. Nor are you a thief…only a foolish thief would ride a horse such as that hulking brute who refused to leave you.” He jerked his head towards the direction of Neko who was browsing among the tall grass, completely ignoring the wolves.

 

“No, you are something else entirely…. something the priests wish to have under their control. And for that, I would keep you from them.” She understood now. Apparently she was not the only one who had decided that the priesthood was getting too corrupt for it's own good.

 

Suddenly a wave of nausea swept over her, and she reeled. Just before she toppled over, the man was at her side, gently lowering her to the ground. “You are still wound-sick. Sleep now to regain lost blood.” She stared hazily up into his copper eyes as he bent over her, pulling a blanket up over her. “Call me when you wake. I am called Kiba” he said softly, his voice fading out as she was dragged down into the darkness of sleep.

 

 

Kiba tucked the edges of the blanket around the girl as she passed out again, taking care not to jar her injuries. A medium-sized dark gray wolf detached itself from the rest of the pack, and strolled towards him. With a white muzzle and graying extremities, Sahn was the eldest female of the pack, and thus most likely to tease him for acquiring a female.

 

::Well done young pup. She is fascinated by you.:: Kiba reached over and scratched Sahn behind her white tipped ears. “I did not save her that she would merely be fascinated by me. I truly do not want the priests to have one such as her; she is a deadly hunter. Even you must be able to see that.

 

Sahn snorted and buried her nose in the girls' bloodstained clothes. ::I smell much more than I can see. Old anger mixed with regret: that might be from these priests you spoke of. Fear and despair: that's from being chased I'd wager. Lots of pain, but given her injuries what would you expect? An overtone of arrogance…left from the days when she didn't have any worries I'd suspect. This one knew what she was doing, no doubt. Ah! What's this?::

 

Sahn looked at Kiba out of the corner of her eye, a sly tone coming into her mind-voice. ::Just a tiny hint of lust….and I do believe she was thinking about you at the time.:: Kiba glared at the old wolf, wishing he dared swat her emotion-sensitive nose. “That's enough. We don't need to know her innermost thoughts, just whether or not she'll betray us.” Sahn tilted her head, staring intently at the girl's face.

 

::No treachery in this one. It's probably her morals that got her into this mess in the first place.:: Kiba nodded “Well we'll see what we can do for her before we move on. By then she'll have made a decision whether or not to run with us…” He trailed off, lost in thought while Sahn decided to finish his sentence for him.

 

::And if she does, you can begin your own pack right?:: Kiba glared at the old wolf, and dropped to all fours, arching his back as he willed the change to come upon him. The first few times he had changed, it had been excruciatingly painful, and he'd had no control over when it happened. Now he could control when he changed, and, to a certain extent; how long he could stay in wolf-shape.

 

Sahn waited till he had completely changed before continuing the jibe. ::That is, if she doesn't mind a mate with a tail. Some humans can be so close-minded.:: Wolf-Kiba stretched, reveling in the comfortable difference between wolf and man bodies, his silver fur glinting a deep orange in the firelight.

 

::I see no reason to speculate on such a ridiculous subject. What sensible wolf would mate with a human?:: He said scornfully as he trotted off into the underbrush in search of a meal. Sahn however got the final word in ::You cant always be a wolf, Kiba. You need her, if only to remind yourself that you're still partly human.::

 

Kiba snorted to himself as he wound his way through the underbrush, keeping his nose to the wind. “Foolish old bitch. I'd much rather be a wolf the rest of my life than go back to being human. And I don't need a human girl to try and teach me otherwise.” He thought darkly to himself. Catching the scent of rabbit on the wind, he coursed through the forest, a flowing shadow that moved like quicksilver.

 

Catching sight of his prey, he crouched to down and immersed himself in the hunt. The rabbit twitched its nose as a whisper of wind rustled through the trees. Kiba waited till his prey had turned it's back on him, then dashed forward from his hiding place, leaping upon the unsuspecting rabbit, and breaking its neck with a crunch from his powerful jaws.

 

Kiba was about to devour his meal on the spot when a flash of memory broke through his bloodlust. The woman's face as she sliced off that guards' fingers, then whipped back to slit his throat. She had been furious, desperate, deadly. A tight smile had been on that face when she cut his throat. Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. Now he realized why that look was so familiar. It was a look he would have worn when he killed the rabbit if his wolfs' face had been given the range of human emotions. It was the face of a successful kill made by a skilled hunter. Now he realized why the priests had wanted her back so badly.

 

She was an assassin.

 

During his musings a second rabbit had wandered into view, mistaking his stillness for harmlessness. Crouching quickly, he leapt towards it, and snapped at it, his jaws just barely closing on a clump of fur. The rabbit screamed as it tried to run from it's attacker, when a large paw came down on it's body, and the jaws got a second snap, this time crushing it's head.

 

Kiba licked the blood off his muzzle, then arched his back, changing into his human form. He gutted both rabbits, and slung them over his shoulder and headed back towards camp.

 

Kamiara woke a short while later to the sound of something being dropped by her head. Opening her eyes proved it to be a dark gray wolf with a white muzzle looking significantly at her. Levering herself up she noticed the wineskin next to her head, and looked at the wolf questioningly. With what seemed to be a long-suffering sigh, the wolf nudged the skin with her nose and then gave her another one of those looks. Kamiara picked it up and opened it. A judicious sip proved it to be filled with water, and she gratefully took a longer drink, relieving her parched throat.

 

When she had put the skin down the gray wolf had already left her to join the pack, which to all appearances was sharing the campfire with her, staying on the opposite side. “Well I guess I've not been having fever dreams after all” she said in an undertone to herself. A slightly amused voice startled her out of her reverie “Not where we are concerned” Kamiara turned and saw that Kiba had returned, and judging from the blood smeared all over his face, and the rabbits slung over his shoulder, he had been out hunting.

 

“Good hunting” She remarked casually, trying to appear comfortable with her surroundings. However, being temporarily incapacitated, surrounded by a pack of man-eating wolves, and a man who was distinctly wolf-like, was not the most relaxing of situations.

 

Kiba shrugged non-committally and tossed one at her. Kamiara plucked it out of the air, poked it onto a nearby stick and stuck it in the fire. Kiba contemplated eating his rabbit raw, but decided that politeness must be preserved, and did the same with his, sticking it into the fire next to hers. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he pretended not to notice.

 

Sahn snorted to herself, highly amused. Her gravelly mind-voice insinuated itself into Kibas' thoughts. ::Showing off for a potential mate? You know when Maru was courting me, he would bring me rabbits too.:: Kiba growled deep in his throat and bared his teeth at the old bitch.

 

Sahn chuckled in his mind again. ::I'll be sure to tell you when the bitch is in heat. That way you won't pass up a golden opportunity.:: Kiba snarled at her, and grabbed his rabbit out of the fire, tearing great chunks out of it savagely.

 

Kamiara watched her savior rather warily. He seemed to be thinking rather intently, and whatever he was thinking about was making him very angry. Sitting very still, she did a mental inventory of all her weapons at hand, in case she need defend herself from this wild creature. First the stiletto lying along the back of her neck, and the two that held her hair up off her face, the short tanto was belted in its place along her left hip, five-no four shiruken clipped to the inside of her vest, two small knives in sheaths, strapped to the sides of each boot, and finally the katana lying atop her packs. She decided the boot-knives would be closest to hand since she was sitting cross-legged.

 

Kibas' silver hair trembled and fell into his eyes as he devoured his rabbit. Noticing that he was more intent on eating than being angry, she took a moment to relax and appreciate the view.

 

Sahn gently nudged at the corners of Kibas' mind, a tone of apology in her voice. ::Forgive me, I tease you too much.:: Kiba acknowledged her apology, and channeled his anger away. ::In all seriousness, you might be interested to hear what I have picked up from the girl.:: Kiba nodded shortly, allowing her to continue.

 

::She is like lightning in her moods. When she saw that you were angry, she prepared herself to kill. And believe me pup, she has many weapons on her.:: Kiba was not surprised, but could not help but ask ::How many?:: Sahn snorted and he could feel the waves of amusement rolling off her. ::Eleven. And those are just the ones within her immediate reach.:: Kiba raised an eyebrow, moderately impressed. Sahn continued ::Then, when she decided that you were only going to eat, and not kill, she decided that she would admire your handsome profile.:: Kibas' head jerked up and he looked intently at Sahn. ::You jest:: Unintentionally, his gaze slid to the girl, and he watched her eat her rabbit with dainty efficiency.

 

::I do not jest. And one other thing….She thinks that you are akin to wolves, but does not realize that you can change into one. This could either be a weapon in your hands, or the hobbles you put on your ability to protect her from the priests you so despise. That choice I leave to you.::

 

A large black wolf separated itself from the pack and padded over to sit next to Kiba. Impatiently he nudged Kibas' hand until it began to scratch behind his ears. They shared a moment of silence while the black wolf gathered his thoughts.

 

::Sahn tells me this female is a deadly hunter.:: Kiba nodded. The black wolf continued ::How long do you plan to run with my pack?:: Kiba grimaced. ::You think I ought to start my own pack with her as well elder brother?:: The black wolf snorted in amusement. ::I do, younger brother. While you are a valuable hunter in my pack, you are too strong. Were you a pure wolf, I would expect you to challenge me for Nyu, and position as alpha male.::

 

Kiba grinned. ::As much as I admire the lovely Nyu, I would never challenge your bond with her. You are pack leader. That is all there is to it.:: The black wolf licked Kibas' face in gratitude of his loyalty. Kiba laughed aloud, ruffling the black wolfs' fur.

 

Kamiara watched the strange interaction of Kiba and the large black wolf. He seemed so deadly, yet Kiba seemed to treat him as if he were a pet dog. Finally her curiosity overwhelmed her and she dared to speak to her strange savior.

 

“You….these wolves seem to obey you…how do you do that?” Kiba glanced over at her, his golden eyes staring intently into her own dark brown eyes. “Would you obey or offer subservience to a friend?” Kamiara stared at him blankly, not quite sure what he meant. Kiba lowered his head, thinking, then looked back up at her. “These wolves are my friends. They are a part of my pack. My family. They no more obey me than they would the wind” A small smile quirked at the corner of his mouth “Have you no siblings that are the same to you?”

 

Kamiaras' eyes darkened as she looked away from that disconcerting gaze. “I…have no family”. The smile left Kibas' face. “I see” He said shortly, staring down at the black wolf. Finally he looked back up at her brooding frame. “Would you like to meet my family?” Kamiara glanced up at him, startled. Kiba glanced over at the pack of wolves and she understood, and nodded warily.

 

He nodded at the black wolf, who stood up and strode over to Kamiara. “This is Oni. He is alpha male of the NorthWind pack.” Kamiara bowed her head to the great black wolf, and offered her hand for him to sniff. He gave it a cursory sniff and a brief lick, and returned to Kibas' side.

 

A sinewy, tawny gold female separated herself from the pack and sat directly in front of Kamiara, staring intently into her eyes. Kamiara recognized the challenge and stared back until the female bared a fang briefly. Kamiara glanced down at her clasped hands, then back up at the female who held her gaze a moment longer, then returned to her place in the pack. Kiba grinned at the woman's audacity. “That was alpha female Nyu. Oni's mate.” Kamiara nodded, not at all surprised.

 

Kiba pointed to two identical female wolves of a black and gray mottled fur. “They are Miko and Mariko, hunters for this pack.” Kamiara smiled, how appropriate that the designated hunters were both female.

 

Finally a dark gray wolf with age-whitened extremities padded her way over to Kamiara. She sniffed Kamiara all over, then began licking her face like a puppy. Kiba laughed. “And that is Sahn, eldest female of NorthWind pack, storyteller, and grandmother to all the pups.” Kamiara looked up at Kiba, her fingers buried behind Sahn's ears. “Pups?”

 

Kiba nodded. “There are two more adult members of the pack. Brothers in fact as well as name. “Kaoru and Ginta. They are looking after Nyu's pups in our cave further North.” Kamiara nodded.

 

Kiba started intently into Kamiara's eyes. “You must understand that these are their own chosen names, and nothing of my part.” Kamiara furrowed her brow, not quite understanding where he was going with this. Kiba sighed. “They speak to me. In words.” Kamiara raised an eyebrow.

 

Before she could say anything, Kiba interrupted her barely formed thoughts. “Now that you know of us, I believe we ought to know of you.” Kamiara hesitated, and Kiba gave her a sidelong glance. “We already know that you are an assassin. I doubt there is anything other than that you would hesitate to tell us…” Kamiara blinked, astounded that he already knew of her profession.

 

“I…how you already knew that much I will not inquire, but I have little memory of my past. And what I do remember is not to be shared lightly.” Kiba grinned wolfishly-as if he could do anything but be wolfish- and said slyly “Indeed. Nor will I tell you all of my secrets, and my life. I merely wish to know whom I have rescued from certain capture or death. Even a name would be helpful.”

 

Kamiara flushed. She had been incredibly rude on that count, but politeness sometimes gave way to the instinct to survive, and a good assassin survived by making sure no one knew of their profession. “I…apologize. I am not often in the habit of giving out my name. I was called…Kamiara.” She choked down the surge of emotion that had risen the moment she spoke that name. She had not been called Kamiara for more than ten years….