Union of the Bounty Hunter: Part 2

• Posted by Ben W January 24, 2016 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,226 views

  Aela stared hard at Xian for a few seconds before she blurted out a much simpler question.

  “You’re not going to tell us are you?”

  Xian gave her the slightest nod as he smirked at her.

  “No.”

  Aela’s eyes closed and her head wobbled side to side while she balanced things up in her mind. The two she-wolf eyes flicked open as she drew her bow. Within a second an arrow was being pulled back to fire.

  “Naa… stuff it!!”

  Sotek who was waiting for her typical response jumped up to his feet despite the pain in his shoulder. He stepped in front of Xian, blocking Aela’s line of sight. He could only twitch his leg to the side before Sotek hissed a warning at him.

  “Don’t matter how good you think you are, you’re not. Sshut up! Aela put the bow down!!”

  Aela pulled the draw string right back and aimed straight for Sotek’s chest. Her features hardened and she showed no signs of backing down.

  “Piss off. Get out the way!”

  Sotek slowly walked towards her while he held his hands up. All the while he tried to reason with her but the devil inside didn’t want to know. Throughout the intervention, Xian’s tail flicked about.

  Sotek’s tail was trying to slide between his feet but as he was moving forwards, it decided to coil up behind him.

  “This is murder. We don’t murder people, do we?”

  Aela growled like a wolf scrapping the other pack members over the kill. She was no omega, she wanted her share of the kill. In this case, it was Xian and Sotek too if he wasn’t careful.

  “Self preservation, he knows our secret!”

  Sotek finally stopped when the arrow was slightly digging in his chest. Even then she held it steadily in her hands. Sotek slowly lent forwards and kissed the arrow head and gently pointed the bow to the ground. Aela’s eyes were just mere slits now but Sotek could feel the rage in her burn like a fire. He lightly pulled the bow away from her and like a thunderstorm she turned around and headed back in the direction they came from.

  “He says one bloody word and I’ll kill him. And Sotek, I’ll shoot through your thick stupid heart if I have to. Stand in front of me again, I dare you!!!” Her fiery gaze at Xian didn’t fizzle out even as she disappeared from view. 

  Xian took a step forwards almost like he wanted to follow Aela out of a sense of curiosity to see whether she would follow up on her threat or at least try to.

  Sotek, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes trying to figure his egg-brother out.

  “Don’t go following her. Let that one be”

  Xian chuckled with a response of his own.

  “You think I am afraid of her? She is a gifted archer of that there is no doubt but I too am not without skills of my own”.

  Sotek sighed as he gazed along the passageway.

  “It’s not a question of skill but fact. Two of you go down there… Only one will come out. Does it matter which one? Let her be. Now, we have important matters to discus do we not? Hahaha.. Harbinger says that a lot. Do we not… Now, the Companions”.

  Xian sat down opposite Sotek and tapped himself in the chest. His whole composure was one of determination and righteousness like he was innocent and everyone knew it.

  “This situation isn’t my fault. You’re the ones who brazenly transformed into your lupine selves. It was a simple thought that occurred to this one.” He continued to stare at Sotek while he went on with his explanation. “Since you two are werewolves, it’d be a closely guarded secret to the both of you only. However, because you are a part of a well-known group of honor-seeking warriors, keeping a secret such as that would be very difficult.”

  Sotek looked on and grimaced at Xian’s words. Inwardly he chuckled and went on speaking. “The only way you two could be safe from a secret from getting out in a group like the Companions would mean that they are werewolves as well.”

  Silence.

  “This one is right, is he not?”

  “…No.” Sotek spoke up, gazing back to his egg-brother. “Not all of them are. I myself have two solutions to you being aware of our existence. The first is we kill you!! ”

  Xian huffed almost jestingly. He quickly gazed across the cavern towards Aela who had now reappeared and just stood there watching Sotek and Xian ‘dance’.

  “You could certainly try to…”

  Sotek nodded slowly in return.

  “Indeed we could try. However the fact that you are prepared to sit down and listen gives me the thought that perhaps there is a second option, one that benefits us all”.

  A sly look spread across Xian’s face which Aela took for a snarl. She drew her dagger but a swift raise of Sotek’s hand bought her to heel. While all this was going on Xian sat there quietly and unfazed although his own hand had already tightened around his own dagger but for some reason he found Sotek’s control over Aela compelling and his own hand slipped away from his weapons.

  Once Sotek regained control of the situation he stood up and slowly drew his axe. He held it in his hand and examined the bindings on the handle while he spoke.

  “There are more dangerous and far worse things than a few honorable werewolves. You know of the Companions and what they do for Skyrim. What we do for Skyrim and its people. We may be beasts but we are no way monsters. The monsters are out there… Then again there is one in here too”.

  Xian paused as he listened to Sotek before he burst out laughing. He nodded profusely as he understood exactly what Sotek was saying.

  “The Vampire. Yess!! You are here for the vampire, correct?”

  “Yes,” Sotek and Aela said together, their voice interlocking.

  “As am I. This is why I propose a proposition. We three kill the vampire.”

  “How can we trust you?” Aela’s question was just. They had all just met.

  “You don’t, but the enemy of my enemy and all that.”

  Sotek walked over to Aela and gently pulled her head into his chest. As he held her he hissed in her ear.

  “Sshut up. Any ideas on figuring out where this creature is hiding?”

  Xian’s silver eyes look from one Companion to the other, searching for something.

  “More than likely, it is down in the bowels of this place.”

  “Then what are we waiting for,” Aela said. “Let’s get on with it.”

  “Follow,” Xian stated as he began to lead them back along the route the two Companions had previously cleared.

  “Hell no! How do we know you know where you’d be leading us?” Her face contorted into mild anger and irritation.

  “There is nothing further down the way I came. And the more probable solution would be there’s a way down from the way you two came from.”

  “We cleared all the rooms we saw. There wasn’t another path that leads downward” Sotek commented.

  “Maybe you missed a pathway.”

  “The same can be said for you, lizard,” Aela quipped.

  “I made sure of my findings, red-wolf,” Xian quickly bit back.

  “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t have over-looked something,” Sotek intervened.

  The bounty hunter quickly rolled his eyes before responding, “If that is how you wish to play, then follow.” And with that, he returned through the doorway from which he entered before their scuffle.

  Begrudgingly, Aela followed, with Sotek in close behind her.

  The trio traveled from room to room looking for something, anything, that could lead them further downward into Brittleshin. On their little journey, Sotek could not help but see that Aela was growing more and more irritated. His concerned glance to her drew her attention which helped alleviate some of the growing irk.

  He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You ok?”

  “I’m fine!” She said not looking him in the eyes.

  “It’ll be alright, I know it will.”

  And she believed him, but Aela could not shake her uneasiness. As the three were looking over the next room, it came to a head inside her.

  “I don’t want you to lead.”

  Xian turned and looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me, lizard,” she retorted, “I don’t want you leading us.”

  “Why?” Xian’s voice took another authoritative tone.

  “Because I do not trust you. At all. Blame it on Red if it makes it easier to understand”. She snapped back.

  It was Xian’s turn to growl.

  “Now is not the time with your god’s damned lupine ways!”

  “Who said anything about that?!”

  “You just did!”

  With a roll of his eyes, Sotek wandered further into the room they were in.

  “Enough already”

  Both of them looked to the green Argonian before Xian groaned in his throat before complying.

  “Fine. Then lead, Sotek.”

  “So fast to change leadership roles?” Aela was poking at a bear and she didn’t know it.

  “Do not mistake my complacency for weakness, girl,” he growled before following his egg-brother.

  A fist formed by Aela’s side but knowing how she would react to being called a ‘girl’, Sotek acted quickly to nip her retort in the bud. He pointed straight at her face and growled out his warning.

  “Leave it!!”

  As the trio looked over the room, Aela stopped in her tracks and sniffed around like a hound searching for a bone. She side stepped and walked towards a seemingly innocent pile of destroyed furniture and stone.

  “Here… The airs different. I can smell it!!”

   They removed the rubble and found a trapdoor which was buried beneath the discarded furniture and rooting timbers. As Sotek opened the hatch Xian silently cursed himself for having missed it.

  Sotek led the way and climbed further down into the depths of Brittleshin. Despite the fact that his injured shoulder left his left arm dangling by his side, he still managed to descend the ladder at a decent pace. By the time he reached the bottom though, his brow was dripping in sweat. He lent his back against the wall and grimaced while he tried to fight off the pain

  Upon seeing the state he was in, Aela approached him but he shook his head at her and pulled himself upright. An awkward silence filled the passageway that twisted around large rocky boulders then it straightened out to bring them further underground.

  Xian could sense something approaching from the far end of the passageway. As he peered along the corridor, a humanoid figure shuffled towards him. He flinched to his left as an arrow whooshed past his face. The missile shot along the corridor and slammed into the head of the dragur, sending it toppling backwards. Before it even hit the floor a second arrow flew past it and struck a second undead in the throat, finishing the job that death had started years before.

  Aela laughed at Xian as he composed himself.

  "If you wish to hunt with me, your feet need to be quick and your eyes quicker." She couldn’t help but smirk even when Sotek shook his head at her.

  Xian huffed to himself but wisely kept quiet. At least he did until a pair of flaming blue eyes came into view. Xian drew his bow and fired while he kept walking forwards. Every other step, an arrow was released against the foe who hollered out in rage at being disturbed.  Aela had an arrow loaded but she was unable to fire due to Xian almost deliberately blocking her line of sight.

  By now five arrows had plunged into the Deathlord’s chest but he showed no signs of slowing down. An ebony axe came down at speed towards Xian’s shoulder but he easily blocked the strike with his bow. The Deathlord wasn’t so easily dissuaded and tried to lash out again. His rotten, dried face smiled evilly as the bow fell to the wayside.

  Xian snatched the two daggers from his boots and spun around as he dropped down below the waist of his enemy. The axe passed overhead, just ruffling his white plumage. The two daggers slashed outwards as he quickly turned around and around, the tips of the blades slicing into the dragur’s legs flaying chunks of armor and undead flesh with ease.

  The Deathlord fell down into a crouched position in an attempt to steady himself. The axe was still held tightly in his hand as if his very being was dependant on it.

  Xian sprung upwards shoving a dagger up into the neck of the Deathlord, wrenching his head towards the roof of the cavern. As his unearthly cries echoed along the passageway, even from where she stood, Aela could see the blade disappear through the Deathlord’s open maw into the roof of its mouth.

  Xian used every ounce of strength to shove the second dagger into the side of the Deathlord’s head while the undead eyes burned with fury. The strike was such that a gut turning ‘snap’ signaled to everyone that the fight was over. Xian turned fully around to face Aela while the two daggers still held the head of the Deathlord in their grip after tearing it from the body. The Deathlord’s torso fell to the ground as Xian offered its head to Aela.

  “If you wish to hunt with me then you better learn respect, girl!!”

  Ignoring the hostility and contempt both Aela and Xian seemingly had for each other; Sotek picked up the axe and secured it in his pack. He glanced back at them but chose to leave the situation and proceeded along the tunnel instead.

  Eventually, he stopped in front of a large archway that lead into a tunnel-like structure that ended on the other side. Bits and pieces of stone and wood laid here and there scattered to the four winds. At the far end of the cavern, a single outline could be seen thanks to the three torches that were set in the walls. Various candles, all of which were at different lengths, burned and flickered due to the light breeze which Sotek could easily feel on his scales.

  “Aela, have you and venison left? Raw venison?”

  Aela’s face turned blank as she gawped straight at him. Her mind raced in a million directions but she just couldn’t understand what he was doing.

  “What the hell do you want that for?”

  “Just give it to me…” Sotek took the piece of bloodied venison and proceeded to rub it all over his face and neck like it was a cloth, leaving both Aela and Xian in a perplexed state, struggling to comprehend what they had just seen.

  Blood dripped off him as he passed the now useless piece of meat back to Aela. He glanced back over his shoulder at the others and told them to wait where they were while he walked quietly forwards with his axe in his hand.

  Xian forgot himself for a moment and leaned across to Aela so he could whisper to her.

  “What the hell is he doing? He can’t be intending to kill that thing by himself. This is foolish”.

  Aela’s eyes met Xian’s for a fraction of a second as she gave her reply. The hostility between them was quickly forgotten as they both watched Sotek wander off towards the vampire.

  Sotek looked back at them and despairingly shook his head at the pair of them.

  “Bows?”

  Aela rolled her eyes at him then proceeded to draw her bow, indicating to Xian that he was to do the same.

  Sotek started staggering as he left stealth behind by crying out in pain and desperation.

  “Karlin? Is that you Karlin? Velon’s dead… I … I couldn’t save her… She’s… Who… Who are you?”

  The vampire quickly turned around and their hand exploded in a red ball of fiery mist but when he saw the Argonian before him fall to the ground and start to crawl, the vampire lowered his hand and walked towards him.

  “Who am I? Who am I? I am a lion who walks amongst men. I am a vampire and I was not expecting visitors. You had a girl with you hmm? I’ll have fun with her… even if she is dead. Fear not you will be joining her soon enough”.

  Sotek fell backwards on his backside and crawled away from the vampire while he dragged his axe in his hand.

  “Get… get away from me. I’ll kill you. I swear... get away from me…” his axe slipped from his fingers and now he was pressed against the wall of the cavern.

  The vampire kicked the axe away from Sotek’s hand and leaned over him menacingly.

  “I think not… hmmm?” As he drew a black short sword, two arrows swooshed out from nowhere and struck him in the chest. His face changed from smugness and arrogance to confusion. A feint smile crept across Sotek’s face as the vampire toppled towards him.

  Sotek lifted his foot up and pressed it against the vampire’s chest, holding him in place. He could feel the weight bearing down at him but all the vampire could do was stare at him.

  “I told you I would kill you” Bright blue light and mist gushed out of Sotek’s right hand as a blue ethereal sword materialized. The vampire’s last act was to watch the blade disappear in his stomach as Sotek shoved the conjured sword up to the hilt through the vampire.

  He pushed the body away from him and smiled with satisfaction as it collapsed on the ground.

  Once he pulled himself up off the floor he cast his telekinesis spell on his axe. It lifted up and gently floated towards him so he could effortlessly snatch it from the very air. He gave both Aela and Xian a cold hard stare while he ended the quarrel there and then.

  “Xian, you are privileged. I only teach one thing and one thing only. Aela learned it at a cost. It nearly cost her: her own life. I don’t say that lightly. It was only the fact that Danica, the priestess from Whiterun, was on hand that saved her. I shattered every bloody bone in her chest. This pathetic vampire lost his life over my lesson. You, you learn it for nothing so pay heed. You hunt me… you learn caution. You both shut the hell up. Aela! Loot the body, the pair of you have a scout around and see what you can find”.

  Aela knelt down at the body of the vampire but she was quickly joined by Xian.

  “I need the vampire dust as proof of this creature’s demise. That’s not a request!”

  Aela glanced up at Sotek who nodded at her so she backed away.

  “Fine. Take it but that’s coming out of your share!!”

  Xian scoffed at the comment as he secured the dust in a small empty pouch.

  “I’m a bounty hunter, not a looter of the dead.”

  Sotek groaned and walked towards the tunnel which they had come through.

  “Just hurry up…” he unstrapped his shoulder and slowly rolled the joint while he fought off the pain that threatened to overwhelm him.

  Using the one hand, Sotek slowly made his way up the ladder while Aela watched on nervously. By the time Xian had ascended to the upper level, Sotek was laying on his back. Sweat coated his taught face as he rested on Aela’s lap.

  With a worried face, Aela glanced up at Xian while she stroked Sotek’s cheek.

  “Xian, can you lead? Please?”

  Xian looked down at Sotek’s weakened state and nodded his reply. Once Aela helped Sotek back to his feet, Xian took point, leading them through the various passages.

  The long walk and climb took its toll on Sotek; his shoulder was ablaze with even more pain. Even the slightest touch to the scarred limb felt hot to the touch. His hand never left the shoulder as they treaded on, trying to stop the pain from reaching his nerves. It did not help, only succeeding in gritting his teeth to not cry aloud. At long last the trio could all smell the same thing, the sweet, fresh, cold night’s air which beckoned them towards it like a temptress.

  Upon exiting North Brittleshin Pass, Sotek gazed upwards at the twin moons, Masser and Secunda. They had started their descent in the sky, sending white and red light to the plains before them.

  “It seems more time has passed than this one anticipated,” Xian said, breaking the silence.

  Sotek never answered, he just sank to the ground. His left arm was trembling in its leather cast.

  Aela was instantly kneeling beside him, an arm around his neck and the other rubbing his forehead.

  “Steady… We’ll rest up soon. We’ll make camp in the trees. Get up!! Move!!” She pulled his good arm, forcing him back on his feet.

  The group entered the tree line and headed to a small clearing to make the camp. Sotek slumped against a tree and cried out in pain as he landed heavily on his haunches.

  “Damn it, hsss”. He began to shake his bag free from his shoulders. But the pain became too great and he toppled to his side. A weathered pair of hands held him and eased him upright. Aela pulled the pack off him to make things easier but when she went to move it away, Sotek held her arm and gave it a tug, to get her attention. “The pestle and mortar are in it. Please. Please will you get it?”

  The Nord couldn’t not help even if she wanted to. When his voice became almost begging-like, Aela reached inside the pack and rummaged through it. She quickly found the pestle and mortar and handed it to him.

  Setting it down Sotek began to fish in one of his side pouches. His clawed fingers wrapped around the ingredient he was looking for: a Rock Warbler egg.

  “Ok… here’s half of what I need,” he said mainly to himself.

  “And the other half?” Xian spoke, setting his own gear down.

  Sotek groaned as his head rolled back. He knew he had none yet he craved it like a Khajiit would crave moonsugar.

   “Blisterwort.”

  Sifting in one of his bandoliers along his waist, Xian brought out three heads and stems of the mushroom.

  “Well it is your lucky night, egg brother. Why though you would want to mix them together though…” The bounty hunter dropped them into the pestle before stepping back and looking towards the plains again.

  “What is that guy’s problem?” Aela whispered to her mate, taking extra care so Xian couldn’t hear.

  “He’s right. Alchemists don’t mix them together. They have an adverse effect. One I need”. Cracking the egg into the bowl was difficult so he asked Aela to do it. Although she had the touch at making poisons, these ingredients she wasn’t sure about. As she dug out a few pieces of shell from the mortar, Sotek’s face began to twitch as the pain began to race across the entirety of his body.

  Mixing the potion was very difficult and very painful. The she-wolf was trying to help but she had very little experience in this type of alchemy. The more he tried to mix the yolk and Blisterwort, the more enflamed his shoulder became until he was practically panting in pain.

  The silver eyes of Xian peered at Sotek, seeing the poor lizard struggle immensely.

  “Do you want me to finish what you have in mind?” A hand was placed outward waiting to take the pestle and mortar. Aela only watched with curious eyes as the scene between the two Argonians remained silent.

  Sotek was getting more and more agitated as time went on, visibly tightening his grip on the bowl. Even his eyes were fixed on one place, frowning with a tense frustration. Minutes go by before he finally thrusts the alchemical supplies into Xian’s chest.

  “Get on with it then!!”

  The outburst surprised Aela and left Xian narrow eyed. Xian, however, sternly retorted right back. “What’s wrong? Pride as a Werewolf hurt? Get over it.”

  “What…ever,” Sotek panted.

  Aela rubbed her eyes in exasperation. “Oh hell, Sotek…”

  As Xian continued to mix the ingredients together he took notice that Sotek was merely in pain. His temperament was clearly off due to the stress and torment from the old wound.

  With a sigh, Xian finished mixing the potion, added a little water from his water-skin and poured it into a spare vial of his. Walking towards his egg brother the bounty hunter held out the potion.

  “Alright, alright… the potion. You know what it does; it’ll help.”

  Sotek grasped the bottle, allowing the hunter to walk away. He saw that Xian was gathering several good sized stones and make a circle out of them. He inwardly chuckled, realizing he was setting up a site for a fire.

  “Can we trust him?” Aela motioned to the bottle with a cock of her head.

  Without a second though, Sotek uncorked the thing and downed its contents.

  “I’ll let you know later”. He quietly laughed before the potion took effect. His eyes closed and the empty vial rolled out of his hand to rest by Aela’s knee.

  Seeing this kind of effect happen before, Aela gave him a quick kiss before she unstrapped his shoulder. Xian watched her with a mild curiosity until he saw the wound for what it was.

  “I see, something got his shoulder and tore it apart. It’s a miracle that the cast even allows him to move it”.

  Aela’s voice lost all its hostility towards Xian. She took the woodcutting axe which Sotek always carried and set off towards a fallen tree.

  “It wasn’t a something… it was Red. It was me!”

  As Xian finished placing the stones together, Aela returned with an armful of firewood. Giving each other a nod, she put the wood in the circle and he took out some flint from a bandolier on his side. With several flicks of his dagger, sparks flew and caught the dry wood, sinking deep into the bark and making fire.

  As the warmth grew and the hour passed, Aela finally spoke.

  “You and I need to talk.”

  “Oh do we now?”

  “Yes. We do,” she replied with a frown. “About you knowing about the Companions.”

  Xian rolled his eyes. “This shit again…”

  “What is it going to take to get your silence? Money? Some other form of reward?” Her hand went for her dagger, taking hold of the hilt. “Death?”

  He chuckled at her attempted threat. “Nice try. It takes a lot more to scare this one than idle threats.”

  “Don’t tempt me, now.”

  “Let me put it plainly for you Aela. There is nothing to be gained or lost if I say anything. I simply do not care that you guys are.”

  “Wait, what?” Her eyes widened with surprise.

  “You heard me.”

  “Is that what we are? A kind of sick business deal?”

  “I never said that, now did I?” Xian asked looking at her. “The Companions will be fine. Your lover seems to trust me already.”

  “Lover? He isn’t my lover. He’s my mate. Best you remember that. Anyway, just ‘cause he trusts you don’t mean I do,” she said with a stern look.

  “Doesn’t. And I don’t care. There’s nothing to gain or lose for me if I speak. You and the Companions will be fine.”

  She gave a sigh. “That’s the best I’m going to get isn’t it?”

  “Mhm.”

  Aela fell silent. Her thoughts turned to Jorrvaskr and the Harbinger as a sense of dread filled her stomach. Xian watched her and guessed she was still troubled with the situation. He chuckled to himself then whispered to her.

  “Just try to relax alright?” Looking over his shoulder, Xian could see a fidgeting Sotek. “And if I were you, I’d go keep Sotek company. Make sure he’s alright.”

  Aela followed his gaze and, giving him a brief nod, went to Sotek’s side, leaving Xian alone by the fire; his shadow stretched out to nearly reach the couples’ feet.

  Chancing a look, Xian saw them sleeping. Letting out a single chuckle he muses to himself. Asleep already. Not a bad idea if you ask me. The bounty hunter soon found himself heading towards the sweet embrace of sleep.

  An hour passed before Sotek stirred from his rest. His eyes slowly opened to see Aela looking down at him. She softly smiled as his head lay resting on her lap.

  “Hey you, sleepy head”. She said placing a hand on his right shoulder. She kissed the tips of her fingers then lightly pressed them against Sotek’ slips. He returned the kiss and savored the moment before trying to lift himself up. “Feel alright?”

  “Yess, just tired. I need to get up, move about”.

  “Yeah? Oh!” Her eyes went to the black Argonian, content written all over. “Then I suppose we owe the bloody fool our thanks, don’t we?”

  “Not just for the potion,” Sotek said, “but also for the vampire, draugr and our little scuffle.”

  Aela winced at the mention of the battles. “Dammit, I guess you’re right…” Looking up to the sky she could see the two moons at their highest point, marking the start of a new day. Giving a sly smile to Sotek, the Nord asked him, “Up for some hunting? Is Omega up for it?”

  “Yep,” Sotek said with a smile.

  Just like that, energy returned to Aela’s body and limbs. She shoot up and smiled at the prospect of hunting.

  “It’s about damn time!” Without any thought to Xian who was still sleeping, she transformed where she stood. The ground beneath her feet heaved from the increased pressure as her weight nearly tripled. Red stretched up towards the sky and softly howled for in anticipation for her mate to join her.

  Sotek’s change was a lot longer than Aela’s and a lot louder. He cried out as his shoulder’s broadened while a white fur smothered his scaly skin. The noise woke the black Argonian from his slumber. He had just enough time to see Omega and Red before they darted off into the darkness, their yipping and playful growls echoing in the distance.

  Xian didn’t have to wait that long for them to return to the camp. Or at least near the camp. He was painfully aware of their presence due to the growling and playful snarls between them but it was the recently killed carcass of an elk that was tossed into the camp that signaled their return. Or at least it would have if they hadn’t already run off to play. Their little racing had to two pinned against each other. Red, thanks to her greater strength, was ahead of her weaker wolf. To tease him she’d slow down for him to catch up only to run ahead of his again.

  Each time she did that, her scent was getting directly into Albino’s nose. It was driving the poor wolf crazy. He was finally able to, unexpectedly, get on her back when Red stopped abruptly and sent the two of them to the ground. He playfully, yet forceful but not enough to cause pain, bit the back of Red’s neck.

  Red rolled to the side and managed to pin him to the ground. She snarled at him then tried to run away. Whether he was faster on his paws or just lucky didn’t matter. Omega managed to swipe her back leg sending her sprawling out of control. She retaliated by charging into his side, her weight taking the advantage and he soon found himself pinned under her bulk once more.

  Xian yelled out to them as he drew his skinning knife.

  “Hey! I’m not your keeper. I’m damned if I’m skinning the next one… You hear me?” The only answer he received was a series of howls as the two werewolves set out across the plains.

  Opening a bottle of mead, Xian began to delicately put its contents on a roasting Elk leg. Turning the meat to the other side he heard various howls and roars from several hundred yards away. The fire didn’t reach that far, restricting his sight, but Xian knew exactly who it was.

  “Werewolves,” he grumbled.

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