Long strands of lichen hanging from the leafless trees shimmered as rays of moonlight penetrated their fragile bodies, giving them a timeless, ethereal look that seemed extremely creepy in the coldness of the winter night. Especially in the middle of a forest that itself was located near the middle of nowhere.
Chandre shivered, clutching her coat tighter about her as she glanced up at the full moon. The fire crackled before her, fading away fast as it greedily consumed the last remains of the wood, and she really didn't feel like venturing out of its comforting circle. Nervously, she patted the sword that lay almost underneath her sleeping bag. While it seemed fairly antiquated compared to the stopping power of her .38, she trusted the watery runes that were etched onto the blade above and beyond a crummy pistol. The sword wasn't made of silver, and neither were her bullets, but she had a pretty good feeling that her sword could cut through wolves.
And Shi wasn't back yet.
A low howl wound its way through the trees, rising up into the forest, and she jumped. Sweat trickled down her back, only to freeze there in icy rivulets. Slowly, trying not to make any sound, she slithered out of the sleeping bag, and drew her sword from its battered leather scabbard, only to slide it back in. She didn't want it sticking.
The fire got even lower, and there was another howl. A twig snapped, just behind her, and she whirled, catching red eyes reflecting off the firelight before it turned away. Quietly she drew her sword in her right hand, and with her left slid her .38 from its shoulder holster. Where was Shi?
She felt alone and exposed in the center of the clearing, with the fire reducing her eyesight considerably, even though she knew she could see better than Shi. Or any wolf, for that matter.
A growl, and she turned again, on her heel, gun instantly pointing in the direction. Then a man-shaped presence peeled away from the forest, and she pointed the gun, lowering it only after she saw the familiar blond hair.
Shi ambled into the clearing, naked as the day he was born, muscles taut and rippling as he walked towards her, a huge grin on his face. He seemed impervious to the cold.
"Damn you," she muttered, lowering the gun. "Do you have to play pranks on me? We're in the middle of a fucking forest at the full moon!"
His grin broadened. "Scared you, huh?"
"Fuck you."
He bent down at his knapsack, rummaging through his clothes. "Kiddo, I am the most dangerous thing in these woods tonight."
"What about me?"
His head rose, and maybe it was the way the shadows and light of the fire fell on his face, or the moon reflecting off his grey eyes, but something alien flashed there. She shivered again, not entirely from the cold. "The moon's not completely full," he said cryptically, and pulled a shirt over his head.
"Looks full to me."
"Tomorrow is the full moon." She didn't argue. He'd know. Watching him dress, she holstered the gun and laid the sword on top of her sleeping bag.
"Nice run?"
"Refreshing." He finished lacing up his boots and stood up to hug her tightly. "I wish you could come."
She laughed, and nibbled at his ear. "I don't want to be doggie treats."
He snorted, and ducked his head to kiss her jaw. Between kisses, he murmured, "I have enough control to stop from eating you. Come on, please? I bet I can give you a run for your money now, kiddo."
"I don't want those predator-prey things to kick in," she teased. Pulling away, she asked, "How come your eyes were red a moment ago?"
"Huh?" He stared down at her from his lofty inch. "What do you mean? I just got here."
"You mean you weren't running around the fire scaring me to death?"
His face paled beneath its tan. "No. I Changed and got here." His arms tensed about her, and he sniffed, while she reached out with her mind, and came up with nothing.
"Fuck," he swore, softly, and moved away from her.
She sensed something, both in her mind and like prickles in between her shoulder blades. Whatever it was, was behind her, or close. Carefully she bent down to pick up her sword, and Shi shucked off his pants and boots, standing there only in his shirt.
The air was utterly still as they listened, the forest silent. Even the insects had stilled. Something was definitely in the woods with them. Chandre caught movement out of the corner of her eye, but didn't turn to face it. She could hear it well enough, the soft noises of a predator lurking in the bushes around them.
Shi's head swiveled suddenly, and his lips curled up to bare teeth that were pointier than usual. A wolf stalked into the clearing, growling, and Shi snarled back at it, warning it away as his body rippled with the Change.
Chandre edged closer to him, drawing her gun to protect him in the vulnerable moments of Change, and he shucked off his shirt, letting it drop to the ground. She kept her eyes off him, although bones crunched and a soft moan came from his lips as the Change ripped through his body, faster and easier this close to the full moon.
The black wolf before them stared, then growled, and more wolves entered the clearing. They were too big to be real wolves, their legs and muzzles too long, their eyes too intelligent.
A clawed hand touched her shoulder, but it was only Shi in his half-form. Before her eyes the huge black wolf began to Change, growing taller, until he stopped in his half-form, broad shoulders laced with old scars.
"What are you doing in these woods?" he rasped, glaring at Shi.
Chandre was feeling particularly vulnerable among these wolves, which hadn't changed to their half-forms to follow their leader. Her grip on the sword tightened, but she kept her breath steady, knowing that they could sense fear better than most creatures.
"We're camping," Shi said, his voice lower and a touch slurred because of his fangs and longer tongue. "And we mean you no harm, so if you could leave us—"
"Enough," snapped the leader. "Who are you, ypric?" Challenger, Chandre thought that meant.
"Striker," Shi replied. They wouldn't be going by their real names here, not until they got home.
"And the meat-girl?" Chandre bristled at being called that, and at the derision in the leader's voice. She may not be a wolf, but she wasn't weak.
"Scarlet."
"Where's your Pack, Striker?"
Shi wrapped an arm about Chandre's waist, tipping his chin towards the leader with a smug sneer. "This is my Pack." There were howls of laughter from the other wolves.
The lead wolf stepped forwards. "Ypric, you have trespassed." All of the mirth leeched out of the clearing, leaving only growling wolves.
Shi stiffened. "Kiddo," he murmured, "there's only two ways to get out of this. Fight them all, or fight the leader."
"Either way, I'm going to get hurt." He nodded, keeping his eyes on the leader. She knew that she was good, but she wasn't good enough to fight off twenty wolves that were at least five times stronger than her.
"You have to run."
"Run?" Of course. Against twenty wolves? Shit.
"I'll catch up with you." Hopefully. "Stay in Cains, and I'll find you."
"Right."
He switched languages suddenly, moving to her native language. "There's a river two miles northwest. There're some rocks that span across it, but they're slick."
"I've got my gun and some extra clips with the silver."
The wolves growled, and Shi looked up. "I will fight you, Ulfric," Shi announced, and a gasp rang up through the clearing. The leader looked at him, and laughed.
Chandre broke away and grabbed her scabbard, looping it across her shoulders. With a fluid motion she sheathed her sword. Everything else was ready. She'd have to leave the backpack, but she didn't really need anything in there anyways. The only thing she liked to keep track of was her sword. It was the only thing that really belonged to her. Shi hadn't taken his with, so she wouldn't be burdened down with that.
"You'll fight me, ypric?" the leader barked, hiding a laugh. Chandre eyed the two men. Shi looked small compared to the much larger man, even though he was a good six feet in height. The leader's muscles were roped and thick, and his legs and jaw were powerful. Thick black fur sprouted everywhere, broken up in spots by heavy scarring. This creature had seen lots and lots of combat, and judging from the mass of purple scars at his throat, his was very hard to kill.
Shi, on the other hand, looked tiny. He was nowhere near as broad, and while he stood with confidence, there was a newness that seeped through his golden fur, and there were no scars. At least, no large scars. Chandre knew that he had an entry and exit wound just under his ribs on the left side, from an armor-piercing round, and there was another bullet wound on his right leg, just above his thigh. That one had shattered the femur. But those were the only two major scars, and they were barely visible. Shi might have been an Alpha, but he was nowhere near as experienced as the leader, who must have been Were for over twenty years. Shi had only been Turned four months ago.
"On the condition that you give Scarlet a twenty minute head start before your wolves attack her," Shi said.
"Twenty minutes? Slow creature," the leader spat, but he eyed Chandre up and down. "Five."
"Fifteen."
"Eight."
"Ten."
"Five."
Shi shrugged. "Very well, five." Chandre blinked at him, pretending nervousness. In five minutes she'd be long gone.
The leader stepped forwards. "I'll see you dead, Striker." He stared at Chandre. "You're time's almost up, meat-girl. Get."
Chandre cast one look back at Shi, and took off, twigs snapping underneath her feet. She had just reached the edge of the clearing when the leader attacked her partner, and they rolled to the ground in a tangle of fur.