Private Tales Going home..

[Jorg]

Jorg nodded, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his sword as he pulled it free.

The blade shimmered slightly in the bare light of the moon, a breath filling his lungs as he stepped forward before Silver. His fingers tightened around the hilt as they drew closer to the encampment, the sound of voices echoing out from before the brush.

As he moved the camp came into sight.

A small gasp pulled through his teeth as he saw the state of what Silver's family had done. Dozens of trees lay felled within the clearing, some already chopped into piles of firewood while others had been used to make temporary shelter.

Three fires raged, all of them carefully arranged around wagons. "They must have cut a swath through the Wilds."

Jorg said with a grimace as he came to a stop just before the clearing.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver's brow furrowed as she too looked over the devastation that lay ahead. These were lands that her people didn't know, had never ventured. They were used to finding wide open spaces for their camps, clearings in the forest were not difficult to find, but here?... Her head shook at the butchered jungle and the fires, her jaw clenching as she pulled at the mingled scents as she scanned her amber eyes across the camp.

"Rafe!" a man called from one of the fires, and Silver tensed at the name. She watched her father, tall, broad and with dark, greying hair as he strode to the fire to talk to the man who'd called him.

"That's my father.." she told Jorg quietly, and moved forward, a low guttural growl rattling in her chest. There had to be around twenty men in the camp, and Silver searched the faces that she recognised, swallowing the pain in her throat.

They weren't her family anymore.. They were here to kill her..

There was one man that she paled at the sight of. "The man in the hood.. He's a hunter." And Silver had killed his lover. He must have stayed with the travellers to finish the job he'd been paid to do in the first place. She looked to Jorg uncertainly, now in position, her heart rattling in her chest like a caged bird.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg gently reached out with his free hand and squeezed her shoulder. "Okay."

A hunter.

He should have guessed as much. Lips thinned for a brief moment and he considered the layout of the camp. His eyes wandered through the carts and past them, noting where the other soldiers had positioned themselves in the woods.

"Alright." He whispered quietly. "Stay here, wait for my call."

Jorg took a breath. "I'll kill the hunter first."

He was the one that posed the most danger, and if he could end his life before chaos erupted it would be all the better. Slowly he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Silver's cheek, then he crouched low and quickly moved into the encampment.

His steps were nearly silent, Jorg moving like a ghost. He crept through the clearing until he reached one of the carts, his eyes darting to make sure no one was there. Then he slowly pulled himself atop it, crouching low and waiting until the Hunter came near.

 

[Silver Romani]

Her eyes closed as he kissed her cheek, nodding quickly at his instruction. Silver drew the bow from her back and nocked an arrow as she waited, well hidden in the perfumed flora. Amber eyes followed Jorg's every move until he was atop the cart. She looked across the clearing to where the other men waited, and returned her attention to the hunter as he moved about the camp.

As the hunter finally moved toward the cart, Silver aimed her bow and drew in a breath, waiting for the fight to begin.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg had always been fast, and as a Wolf he was even faster.

The Hunter moved by the cart, a slight stumble in his step as he walked on an uneven root. He glanced down, letting out a curse or some such about how the Wilds was nothing but 'fucking chaos'. Then Jorg jumped down on top of him.

There was no subtlety to the attack. No grace. Jorg knew that this close someone would notice, so the best option was simply to end the mans life as quickly as he could.

His blade came sweeping down in one smooth swipe. Silvery steel flashed red with the flicker of flames, and in one quick arc the blade cut through the The Hunter's neck. Crimson splattered onto the ground as the man's head fell with a thud, his body tumbled down soon after.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"​

A voice shouted, and then Jorg made his call.

It was an echoing sound, A Mallian Sparrow. It echoed out, and a second later the Four soldiers burst from the jungle and ran towards the Traveler's carts.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver had already aimed her bow at the man closest to Jorg, and as soon as the call came the arrow flew, piercing through his neck as he stood up from the fire.

There was chaos as the men all stumbled to arm themselves for the attack, some trying to flee the soldiers who rushed at them, though a few were too late. Silver moved closer, firing as she did, downing another man, and another as the clash of steel rang out in the camp over the screams of pain.

"Where the fuck are you?.." she muttered to herself having lost sight of her father. A snapping of a branch behind her came in answer, and she turned just in time to see the butt of an axe coming at her face, and all went dark.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg didn't know how many he cut down.

Two, three? Perhaps four or more.

It was impossible to count in the chaos of it all. He spotted a blade flashing towards him, a knife stabbing at his side. Each time his sword swiped, slashing and threading through whatever gap it could find. He hacked away at those who came towards him.

There was no smoothness to the dance of blades, no finesse, just a finality. His eyes flickers over those around him, glancing through the thronging crowd as he cut and stepped back.

Then he caught sight of her.

Silver, slowly pressing forward, slowly moving towards the camp. He watched her approach, opened her mouth to send her away. Then the figure came behind her. A shadow that he saw through his wolven eyes. The axe clashed against her head, Silver's form crumpling through the ground.

"No!" Rage spiked through him as he yelled. His voice echoing with a guttural undertone.

Muscles tensed, fingers tightened, and his blade fell to the floor.

It happened fast. So much faster than it had any right to. The sound of snapping bone and tearing flesh echoed in the clearing, and before any of the Travelers could get even close to him Jorg became the monster they had all so despised.

A howl echoed through the sky, and a second later came the first scream.

 

[Silver Romani]

Her father had known the arrows, had known how well she could shoot them and had slunk away from the group to find her. She'd been stupid to use the bow, but she hadn't realised until it'd been too late..

Her father had wanted it over with quickly, had lifted his axe ready to bring it down on her neck, but the sight of her swollen belly made him hesitate.

But she wasn't his daughter, and the child wouldn't be human, it was a mercy and a necessity. She was a monster, they were all monsters.

The sound of the men's screams drew his attention back toward the camp, his skin paling at the sound of ferocity and the glimpse of black fur. Silver wasn't alone. He reached down and grabbed a fistful of her hair, causing her to rouse and groan as she grabbed at his wrists as he dragged her through the thicket and into the camp.

"Stop!!!" Rafe demanded as he dropped to his knees next to his daughter, dragging her to sit up and pulling her against his chest with his axe under her chin, blood already trickling down her cheek from the wound on her head.

"Stop this now or they die." he growled, looking at Jorg.

 

[Jorg]

The Wolf's head turned, a man's throat held between his jaws as he looked towards the sound of the voice that had called him.

A snarl pulled at his lips, bright yellow eyes seeing perfectly through the din of night. Around them the others were still fighting, though their blades slowed as Silver's father called out to Jorg once more. Two of the men Jorg had recruited lay dead, the other two still standing surrounded by their fallen foes.

The man who had sworn himself to Jorg looked at his transformed prince, a mix of fear and strange admiration playing over his features

An echoing snap rang out within the clearing, and then the man who had been held between Jorg's jaws dropped onto the floor with a ragged thud. The wolf took a single step forward, it's massive haunches flexing as it's head tilted.

It was almost as if it was calculating, thinking.

Still, the great beast did not move to pounce, to rend Silver's father. Instead it waited, watching for something more. Ears flickers, nose picking up a scent that Silver would touch upon as well.

 

[Silver Romani]

Every single one of her senses flared to attention as she felt the cold steel against her throat, as she heard the threat barked from her father's lips. 'They'.. To kill her would be to kill their child, yes, but to have actually spoken the threat against him made Silver's blood boil. There was no fear in her as she looked at Jorg, watched the great wolf break another man's neck. Above the scent of blood, her nose caught hold of something else and the back of her neck tingled, her lips curling.

She wouldn't rely on anything else stopping her father from running his weapon across her throat. The bastard had threatened her child, and she was going to enjoy seeing him torn to shreds. She didn't have time to shift, but she had more speed and strength than he did. Her hand shot up to grip hold of the axe's handle, pushing it slowly away from her throat against his resistance. He struggled, and the second he let go of the weapon to reach for another, she threw her head back against his face and scrambled to her feet and out of his reach as he crumpled.

The man's nose broke and he spat the blood that streamed down his face, his axe in one hand and a silver blade in the other as he struggled to his feet, backing up as he looked up at Jorg. "Silver. Call him off." her father grunted at her with his usual demanding tone. One she'd once never have dared disobey, but she no loner answered to him..

"You threatened to kill his mate and child..." her head tilted with a frown, her hand settling on her stomach. "Even if I could, I wouldn't deprive him of acting on his instincts.. You should have stopped hunting me." she shrugged.

 

[Jorg]

Silver had only seconds to look her father in the eye after she finished speaking.

The Wolf pounced forward like a rabid beast. It practically flew through the air and bounded across the clearing in the beat of a heart. It landed upon the elder Traveler with a jerking suddenness, claws drawing across his chest and jaws sinking into his throat before he ever had even a second to scream.

The gory sound of viscera and muscle being torn echoed through the clearing. Blood splattering over black fur and spreading over the grass as the Wolf tore the man into pieces.

Jorg didn't eat the Traveler.

Didn't try to consume him. He tore the man apart for the trauma he had wrought. Ripped him to pieces bit by bit until he was nothing but a lump of flesh upon the ground.

The sight was a horror to behold, so much so that the others within the camp seemed to freeze. A few even dropped their weapons, too startled to move or simply frozen in fear that they might meet the same fate. The sound of crunching bone ended the terror, Jorg raising himself up on his haunches as his muzzle rose and parted.

A deep howl echoed through the forest, ringing through the sky.

It was met with a dozen other in the distance.

 

[Silver Romani]

The look of disgust on her father's made her smile. She was no longer ashamed of what she was, no longer afraid of it, all thanks to Jorg. All she felt to be his and to be the mother of his child was pride and there wasn't a single person alive who could make her feel otherwise. Even her father.

She didn't so much as flinch as the blur of black fur bore down on him, her jaw clenching tightly as she watched the love of her life protect her with such ferocity and rage, watched her father torn to shreds until he was unrecognisable. She felt no pain at what she saw, and she could not find an ounce of sorrow for the fate that had befallen the man who'd tried so hard to kill her, who had threatened to kill her child.

Bright amber eyes lingered on the garish mound of flesh for a moment before they drifted back to watch Jorg howl in his glory, her shoulders rolling at the urge to follow suit as the wolf writhed under her skin, beckoned by the sound. Her brows rose as she heard the answering calls and she smiled up at the wolf, at the blood dripping from his maw, at the sheer power that radiated from him, and it was then she noticed everyone else staring too.

The two Mallian men had dropped to their knees and the remaining travellers had gathered together, some still clutching onto their weapons for dear life, others having dropped or thrown theirs to the ground. She eyed them, saw the fear on their faces and wondered if they'd truly known what they were hunting.

"We surrender...Silver...Please..." one of the men quaked. He'd been a friend of her brother's, she recalled. Her brow furrowed and she turned toward the few cowering men with a scowl.

"You surrender? I have run from you for long enough, all I wanted was to be left alone. And yet you called me monster when you were the ones doing the hunting. No. You don't get to surrender. I didn't ask for this." she growled.

At the sight of them pleading, Silver wasn’t entirely sure if she was born with the ability to forgive, not for threatening what she loved. There was a pillar of steel in her that would not bend or break on this. How could she trust that they wouldn't seek further vengeance, that they wouldn't return with more men, more hunters. Her own child would be made a target, and in letting them live she'd be failing their child before it was even born.

"You made your choice when you followed my father here to kill me." she frowned.

 

[Jorg]

There was no blur.

Not this time.

Instead the Wolf came slowly up behind Silver. He towered over her, his black fur seeming to shift within the night as he came to stand above the future Duchess of Mallia. Yellow eyes peered down at the men knelt before them, jowls slowly retreating.

A low, crimson growl echoed through Jorg's throat.

There was a whimper, a quiet plea, but Silver's words had been final. The Wolf's growl seemed to echo through the air, and the men from Mallia slowly looked away as they too shook slightly. A moment more passed, and then the Wolf pounced.

The loud sound of crunching bone and echoed screams raptured through the air. The noise resounded through the air, bouncing between the trees and reaching to the heavens. One by one the Travelers died, slaughtered like cattle trapped within a pen.

Blood spilled onto the bright grass, flesh splattered onto the earth, and men once living were consigned to a monstrous end.

It took only a few seconds to kill them. A minute at most before the last of the travelers lay as little more than corpses strewn about the clearing. Slowly the wolf raised itself up from the slaughter, eyes closed, chest rising and falling in slow steady beats.

Satisfaction clung to the air.

The simple elegance of a predator finding it's prey.

 

[Silver Romani]

Again, Silver made herself watch and again she failed to find sympathy or remorse. Her hand settled on the swell of her belly, as though reminding herself what these men were dying for, as though to reassure herself that the child she carried would be protected at any cost. She'd see entire cities slain in the same manner if it meant keeping the babe safe. The sense of protectiveness she felt was tenacious now, she could only imagine how she'd feel when the child was here, when there were far more powerful instincts than her human ones to contend with.

She looked over each one of the strewn bodies, the scent of blood thick on the air as she drew in a deep breath. It was done. None were left alive, and now they could go home without fear of being followed by Silver's past. She was free to start her new life, and the weight of dread seemed to lift itself from her all at once.

She went to the wolf, uncaring of the blood and gore as she pressed herself into his chest, whispering a soft 'Thank you..' to him for what he'd done before remembering the two soldiers who remained. She turned her head to look at them, both chalk white as they stared at the wolf in awe and terror.

"You've no need to be afraid.." she assured them.

 

[Jorg]

Both of the men were of Mallian, their tattoos plain in the bare lights of the fires that still flickered in the encampment. Neither of htem tried to stare, but it was obvious from the way they avoided him that they could not quite grasp what Jorg had become.

To them, werewolves were monsters.

There were stories of course, the oaths of Men and Wolves. Yet belief was something altogether different than truth. These men were of the faith, of Mallia's grace, but the sight that fell before them was not one that either of them had ever expected.

Neither of them tried to leave however. Neither of the men screamed or tried to deny what Silver said. They simply nodded, easing the grip on their weapons.

For a time the Wolf simply stood there, watching. His ears flickered, and then finally the snap of bone and tearing of flesh once again began to ring out.

Slowly Black Fur shed onto the ground, skin and ink once again made itself clear. Within just a minute Jorg tumbled into Silver, his muscles screaming in protest as he forced himself to remain on his feet. A heavy breath shuddered through him.

The transformation always hurt.

Always.

 

[Silver Romani]

She was by his side as he shifted back, her arms opening to catch hold of him as he stumbled, a hand pressed to his chest to keep him upright as she leaned to press her lips to his cheek and whisper by his ear..

"Thank you.."

Her head pounded, the dizzying wound left by her father's weapon still trickling a little blood, but she was otherwise unharmed and a hand settled on her stomach protectively as she leaned into Jorg, seeking to take comfort as much as she sought to provide it. "I'll let you explain." she whispered as she looked up at him with a jerk of her chin toward the two stunned soldiers.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg glanced over towards the two men, his head still in half a lull.

The Wolf had released him of it's own volition, but the transformation was never easy no matter how it came about. Lips thinned for a brief moment, and he opened his mouth to offer an explanation to the two men. "I am a werew-"

Before he could talk the man who had first sworn himself spoke over him.

"My Lord. I...I don't think we need an explanation."

Jorg stiffened for a second, expecting some rebuke or perhaps renunciation. What came instead surprised him, perhaps even shocked him.

"We've heard the stories, grew up with them. Never believed em myself really but...well...I made an Oath, My Lord. I intend to keep it. Regardless of the...circumstances."

For a few seconds the Prince of Mallian took a breath, his eyes flickering over towards the other man.

There was a second of hesitation, a moment of thought. Jorg could see it in the younger soldiers eyes, but after a few moment it was replaced by stark determination. He nodded his head, affirming what the other man had said. "Alright."

Jorg said quietly.

"Thank you." He smiled. "Please find me some clothes."

The nights got cold even in the jungle.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver settled her cheek against Jorg's chest as he spoke, covering his naked form from view with a light smirk to herself as she suddenly wished they were alone again, the very scent of his skin was heady, and what he'd just done for her, well.. She had ways of thanking him.

"I like these men." Silver rumbled given their unwavering loyalty. She smiled as she looked up at her fiancé, standing up onto her tiptoes to press a delicate kiss to his mouth and waiting until he had been provided with clothes before she made her way through the campsite collecting bits and pieces, some food, wine skins, furs, her father's ornate dagger that she'd stolen from a Baron for him when she was eight, and a Tamborine she found sitting by the fire. She insisted that the others pick what would be of use or value to them before she made her way back to Raksha.

 

[Jorg]

Jorg hadn't quite liked the idea of gathering...loot, but after Silver's insistence the other three had done just that.

The clothes they had managed to find for him fit just fine, though whatever they were made of made him somewhat itchy. Quietly he wished that turning hadn't ripped his original clothes, and when they reached Silver's horse he couldn't help but wonder if there was some magic which would let him keep his clothing in tact.

It was a hope, a silly one, but still there. "We'll head back to the road now, travel up the coast to Mallian."

The words received a nod from the two soldiers as they insisted on taking up the lead, Jorg and Silver left in their wake as they began to travel once more.

"Think I need a bath." He said quietly to Silver as they began their trek. "We might have to go to a spa before the palace."

Jorg mused quietly as he wrapped an arm around Silver's waist.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver looked over her shoulder as they set off, the realisation of what she'd done finally sinking in. Guilt and shame fell over her in an icy drench, but as she settled her hand over her stomach again she frowned in her justification. They had done what had to be done, for their family's sake. And that was that.

She leaned into Jorg as they walked and she laughed under her breath at his observation. "Yes you do." she agreed with a smirk. "But the blood of our enemies smells good on you." she mused..

"What's a spa?" her brows rose, her hand clasping onto his as it settled around her waist.

 

[Jorg]

He smirked at her. "Not a perfume I'll wear often, hopefully."
Jorg had always liked having fewer enemies than more, though it was certain that he would slaughter anyone that stood between his family and their safety. No questions could be asked about that fact, not before, not tonight.

A smile touched his lips for a moment as her brows rose, and he couldn't help but let out a small incredulous laugh.

For a second he thought that she might have been fooling with him, but after a moment he was reminded of her upbringing. His head shook, and he let his thumb gently draw over her hip as he began to explain.

"It's a place designed...well for relaxation." He said with a continued smile. "There are giant heated pools of water, rooms that are extra warm and filled with pleasant steam. Professional Masseuses."

A heaven of sorts.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver groaned. "That sounds amazing.." she sighed with a warm smile and leaned into him as they continued their journey through the Wilds. It was an entirely different world to the one she knew, but like most gypsies, Silver could feel a sense of belonging in most places. These vast jungles were no exception, and she simply adapted. She learned what fruits and plants were edible and which to stay away from, she learned the sounds of dangerous snakes, which trees to avoid, knew that when the jungle fell silent that predators lurked, and she appreciated the beauty of it all.

Days passed before there were any signs of civilisation. The sun had dipped itself into the sea, throwing up clouds of deep pinks and orange, and across the peninsula, torches lined the road of the tropical beachside village.

Silver looked down from Raksha's back.. "Do you know that place?.." she asked Jorg and hid a yawn with the back of her wrist.

 

[Jorg]

He had expected Vipers. He had thought Hydra's or Balmoths would come after them. When none of them came, when no monsters attacked Jorg was almost...shocked.

It was not an opinion he voiced to Silver, nor the two Guards traveling with them. An odd prickle ran over his skin as they walked, though he never said a word. Instead he just kept quiet, hiking through the jungle until they finally reached the coast once more.

His hand came up to pat Raksha on the neck as he looked at the village ahead of them. "I think so."

Jorg mused.

"It's Leven, My Lord. We traveled through here a few days ago."​

The Prince nodded, affirming that it had been his guess as well.

"We're two days out from Mallian then." Perhaps less if they managed to snag some other horses within the village. "You should start getting ready to be royalty, my love."

Jorg said with a smirk.

 

[Silver Romani]

Silver let out a deep sigh and smiled sleepily at Jorg's words. The thought of a soft bed for the night was one so pleasant she fought back tears. She had never minded sleeping on the ground, but her stomach had grown heavier and less comfortable, and walking and riding for as long as they had done was taking its toll. She had never really felt such an urge to settle either, and she supposed it was some maternal instinct to nest. Silver had never been to Mallian, but she knew in her heart that it was home. In two days, they'd be home.

She slipped down from her saddle to stretch her legs and walk the rest of the way to Leven. The little village was made up of huts on stilts with roofs thatched with palm leaves, and it was lit with flaming torches and alive with music and laughter as the villagers gathered on the beach to drink and dance. Silver's heart leapt at the sound and the sight and she grinned up at Jorg as they approached.

 

[Jorg]

"Greetings!" Jorg called out to those who had gathered upon the beach, waving a hand as jovially as he could manage.

The days trip had let him wash most of the blood from his skin, but he knew that he still looked rather haggard. The same truth could be told for his two soldiers, though Silver herself stilled maintained that stunning glow.

Some of the villagers turned around on their heels as they heard him speak, a few looking surprised, others simple smiling.

"Good evening, strangers. Come to join the festival?"​

Jorg blinked for a moment, looking at the elder woman who had spoken. "I...yes."

He paused for a moment and then added.

"I am traveling back home with my betrothed." He gestured to Silver. "We hope to be in Mallian soon."

There was a quiet punctuated by a dozen whispers. Some recognized the two soldiers, others recognized Jorg himself. The woman seemed to look him up and down for a moment, and then broke out in a broad beaming smile.

"Then perhaps we have two things to celebrate, Jorg Telin."​