A/N: Well folks, here's my installment. As usual, I'm worried and obsessed with detail :D I really enjoy writing this though. Just more of my lovely darlings here. I loved writing about Wren and Nerys though. I have to say, having a character who is family of those two is a good time. The dynamics are quite fresh.

New note: This story is still being continued but can be found at kkolmakov's profile so that we comply with 's regulations about multiple postings of content. I'll still be updating Nerys' part. The liink to the story is in Chapter 7 and on my profile page.

Updated A/N: I've decided to only included all of the Nerys Killiare chapters here. Hopefully I don't get in trouble with rules, but I just really want to have my chapters available on my page :) For those looking for the larger context, take a look at "Claws and Cloaks" on kkolmakov's page, as well as "Wolf Red and Wolf White" on Wynni's page. It's a three way collaboration.

Written by RagdollPrincess

NERYS/KILLIARE

Nerys sat on the log by the fire, finishing her meal. She felt tense and anxious and was trying to ignore it. She stared blankly into the fire as Wren and Darius talked quietly, their words muffled. Nerys knew they were talking about the Crooked Dwarf and what was to be done for Killiare and Carys, who were both to be tied to him for seven years.

They were being quiet so that Killiare did not hear them, his being, in her opinion, oddly ignorant and uninterested in the reason he'd been taken on this journey by his uncle and brother. She wondered why he thought they were here in the forest, or why he didn't seem surprised that these women had suddenly joined in with his family on their journey. He seemed a bit passive, almost dimwitted, going along with whatever his uncle and brother decided without question, but she would have to talk to him in order to find out his thoughts on the situation, and she simply could not bring herself to do that.

Nerys did not feel well. She felt short of breath and heavy behind her eyes, the palms of her hands tense, making her clench them repeatedly. She suspected what her reaction to Killiare meant, but she was unsure, not seeing any sign of recognition of her as his half in him. She wasn't sure what she would do if she did.

Unlike her flame haired cousin, Nerys tended to be cautious, lacking in flamboyance. Wren had a certain flair to her, a confident impulsivity that never led her astray, whereas Nerys preferred to remain detached and calm. Carys called her avoidant, which would annoy Nerys if it had come from Wren, but from Carys seemed only to be a playful observation. Nerys was anything but calm now, and she kept her distance to gather her thoughts.

When she'd come upon her cousin and sister in the clearing with three men who were clearly Wolfkin, she'd had the urge to turn and walk back to the village. She'd been tracking her sister, who she hadn't been aware had set out on her own from the village for thee grandmother's until Carys had already had a good head start.

Nerys had lingered in the trees, never one to rush into things, and had immediately seen the dark haired young man. She's had to take a moment to calm herself, panicking at first at her reaction to him. She felt irresistibly drawn to him, as though she'd come here for the sole purpose of meeting him.

She'd taken deep breaths to calm herself, not liking being distracted by any emotional reaction, and had made sense of the situation. She's been surprised when she'd realized Wren had bedded the older man because Wren typically didn't keep her conquests around long enough for Nerys or Carys to meet them. Wren was like her namesake to her lovers, here one moment gone the next, having taken flight on the wind in the blink of an eye.

Nerys had turned her attention to her sister and was further alarmed by what she saw there. Her beautiful adorably insightful and kind younger sister seemed to have bewitched the third man in the clearing. Nerys wasn't sure how she knew. She just sensed a possessiveness to him, something in his stance that signaled that he recognized Carys as his half.

Nerys felt alarm begin to wail in her ears. This was no ordinary meeting of travelers, and Nerys was terrified that for some reason it was not chance that she would come upon her sister in the company of her cousin, who was supposed to be out hunting, in the company of these men. Fate had a plan afoot. And that was when Wren had called her out of the trees.

Nerys glanced at Killiare now by the fire. She'd avoided him since that time, not sure what to say or do. She wasn't one to speak to others without necessity, and she hadn't known how to respond to his advances towards her.

He had such dynamic features. When he was laughing, his black eyes crinkled and narrowed as he grinned. But he just as often appeared fierce, dark, and dangerous. Now he appeared, calm, serious, and guarded, lost deeply in thought. He held his bow in his hand, absently plucking the string, just as she held a knife in hers, flipping it lazily from end to end.

Killiare glanced towards the western sky where the setting sun was about to descend completely. He rose to his feet and glanced at his uncle who nodded before Killiare strode into the wood without a word, the trees closing behind his back and obscuring him from vision as Nerys' eyes followed him. This would be his fourth and final night shifting. The fourth shift was supposed to be the most animalistic, the most consuming.

Darius followed and retrieved Killiare's clothing from the wood before entwining himself again with Wren. Nerys ignored them, and it wasn't long before they drifted off into the trees themselves. They'd remained by the fire for his shift the previous night but said they were unconcerned about this evening, despite Nerys' misgivings.

She sat staring into the fire, listening to the sounds around her. Wren and Darius must have gone a long distance. Wren's loud cries sounded far away.

She knew Killiare was hunting. She could hear him not far off from time to time, and she was scared and cautious. He was a newly turned Wolfkin and she doubted how possible it was for him to control his urge to kill humans. He seemed to like being Wolfkin quite a bit, seeming almost excited at the prospect of shifting this evening. She could be in grave danger if he gave into his impulses. Considering how attached she has become to him, she wasn't sure how she'd react if she had to defend herself.

She started when she looked up and saw he was suddenly standing in the clearing. She didn't even hear him approach. He was covered in blood from whatever he had killed and feasted on.

He stalked towards her slowly while her heart hammered in alarm. He stood before her and gazed into her eyes. He was huge, his eyes nearly level with hers. She was tall compared to her sister and cousin, and yet he physically dominated her. He could crush her with his powerful jaws, and she would never survive if he turned his claws on her. She held her breath as he stood before her, seeming to consider her carefully.

Then suddenly he turned away and curled by the fire as he carefully bathed himself, cleaning all of the blood from his fur. She exhaled a sigh before slowly settling on the log again, watching him bathe out of the corner of her eye. It was lovely to watch him, and her stomach fluttered as he carefully cleaned his paws before rubbing his wet paws over his face, closing his eyes each time his paw swept over the short fur there.

Once he was clean, he bounded up, suddenly energetic and almost gleeful. He glanced at her and pranced away playfully. At first she was surprised and confused but then she couldn't help laughing at how silly this lethal creature looked, tumbling like a puppy. This behaviour continued for several minutes, and at times he would lope joyously around the clearing. At one point he even did a quick turn trying to chase his tail, then bounded towards her and bent low on his front paws, his rear in the air as he panted happily. She grinned at him, waiting to see what he'd do next.

He calmed suddenly and came to stand before her as he rose up on his hind legs, resting his paws on her shoulders and draping himself over her in a hug as he nuzzled her hair and ear. She stiffened at this action, her heart hammering in fear but also at the nearness of him. She wasn't sure how to react and wondered if she was in danger, thinking that she had a blade stashed in her trousers that would surely penetrate his heart if needed. Then some a memory surfaced from her training with Wren, and she realized he was engaging in Wolfkin courting behaviour.

Her heart froze. She finally had the answer to her question about if he recognized his mate in her, but she wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to do, although she knew what she desired. It didn't matter though because he pushed down on his paws, and she understood that she was expected to sit.

He lowered himself before her, settling on his belly, and brought his nose to her fingers as he began to clean her, licking any remnants from supper away. She giggled and blushed, but did not pull away. After a moment she began to gently stroke his muzzle, delicately playing with the short black whiskers there while she watched this beautiful creature groom her carefully as though she belonged to him. She laughed as he then brought his muzzle to her face, cleaning it thoroughly, before continuing with her hair. She sighed and resigned herself to the feeling, wanting only to be close to him, and glad they did not need to speak as he was in wolf form.

She stifled a yawn and he moved, curling his gigantic body around hers. She understood what she was to do as she leant into his broad side, feeling his hard ribs beneath his stiff fur. She threaded her hands into his fur, the outer hairs stiff, covering a downy under layer that was still thick for the cold spring. He draped a paw over her possessively, and she felt cradled by the heavy weight, warm and comfortable. It was in this position that she fell asleep, feeling his steady breath beneath his ribs.

When she woke in the morning, he was completely naked and they were tangled together. She glanced around alarmed at his bare state in the cold air. Finally, she removed her cloak and draped it over him, avoiding looking at his body. He lay sleeping while she watched him, and she began to shiver as she sat without her cloak, unwilling to be near him in his naked human form.

Wren and Darius were nowhere to be seen but she was sure they'd appear soon. She wasn't concerned about either of them as they themselves were the most dangerous things in the forest. She began to shiver, and biting her lip she finally lifted the edge of the cloak and slid beneath it, curling her back into his chest and wrapping her legs over his bent knees. His body was scorching hot like a furnace, and she wondered if it was part of being Wolfkin. She felt warmed immediately and began to doze again.

She woke sometime later feeling wonderfully warm like she was in a cocoon that she had no desire to leave. She felt a heavy weight over her ribs and realized there was an arm draped over her. She stiffened, not sure what to do.

She heard a throat clear and glanced up to see Wren and Darius standing not too far away. Lifting her head, her wide eyes met Wren's, who smirked at her and shook her head

"Dear cousin, you appear to have forgotten everything I taught you. We came upon you completely unawares."

Wren's voice appeared to wake Kili as he began to stir. Nerys felt something hard against her back and gasped, realizing what it must be. She scrambled out from under the cloak, her face burning, as his eyes fluttered open. He looked shocked for a moment before colouring similarly, drawing the cloak tightly around him as he sat up, before he saw Wren and Darius watching them in amusement.

Killiare stared at them for a moment before clearing his voice carefully.

"Good morning, uncle."

"Good morning, Killiare. Would you care for your clothing?"

Killiare coloured even more brilliantly, and Nerys quickly busied herself getting a fire started.

"If you would be so kind," he murmured.

Darius tossed Killiare's clothing to him in a heap, and Killiare struggled to don his trousers beneath the cloak. Having covered himself sufficiently, he stood, less concerned about his bare chest. Nerys felt his gaze on her and did her best not to look at him as she attempted to calm her trembling hands to start a fire. After several unsuccessful attempts she glanced at Wren.

"You could help, if you felt so inclined."

"I don't," smiled Wren as she sat on a nearby log, stretching her legs lazily before her, "but thank you for the offer. It's much more enjoyable watching you do it."

In irritation, Nerys stood suddenly, abandoning her task. She grabbed her bow and strode into the woods without a word, ignoring the sniggers behind her as she went, intending to find game to have for breakfast as not everyone had feasted the night before.

The next night Darius and Wren retreated into the woods long before sunset. They had no need to wait as Killiare was not going to shift that night. Killiare and Nerys found themselves sitting by the fire again in silence. Finally Killiare spoke.

"What training have you had with a blade?"

She looked at him in surprise and grinned. This was a topic they could discuss that did not lead to awkward discomfort or draw attention to the gnawing tension growing between them. She knew where things were going to eventually lead, but she had no idea how to bridge the gap between them. Discussion and romance was not her arena of choice.

"A great deal. It is my preferred weapon. You?"

"Some. I'm not as skilled as Fili. I prefer a bow. But it is a close second for me."

She smiled at him. They settled into silence again. The suddenly she looked up at him. "Do you want to spar?"

He grinned at her and jumped up as though he wanted nothing more.

They sparred for the better part of an hour, only stopping when it became too dark for them to see safely, although they spoke about their strategies for fighting in the darkness, their use of sound to track their prey. Killiare spoke of his ability to use his opponent's scent to his advantage, talking about how he could even smell fear, especially when he was about the win the fight. They were well matched, and although she was clearly a superior fighter with a blade, he was clearly well trained. They talked at length about techniques and injuries. As they walked back to the campfire laughing, and Killiare flung his arm comfortably around Nerys' shoulders. He told her a story about a time when he and Phillippe attacked Darius and Killiare somehow accidentally split his own lip.

They fell into comfortable silence as they stopped before the fire, the embers dying low. She turned to him to say she was going to gather wood to build up the fire and paused when she saw he was gazing at her. She gazed back at him, for the first time feeling no need to pull away. Suddenly rising on her toes, she pressed her lips to his, no longer feeling uncomfortable with her attraction to him.

She heard him sigh as she kissed him, and he returned the kiss carefully. Pulling away she gazed up at him as he grinned at her.

"Thank you," he said.

"What for?"

"I would never have gotten around to that." He smiled as she gazed at him and dipped his head to kiss her once more, chastely, his eyes fluttering shut at the contact.

He pulled away again, and she laughed although she wasn't sure why. He laughed with her.

"Well, how about that fire?" she asked.

He nodded and bent to stoke the embers while she jogged to the trees to gather kindling.

She didn't hesitate to curl into him as they settled by the fire for sleep. As she settled, she could hear Wren in the distance. It sounded like she and Darius had started on another round.

She felt as comfortable and warm as she had the night before when she was curled into him, both covered with her heavy grey cloak, his brown one below them protecting them from the cold. She was just drifting off to sleep when his voice drew her back to waking.

"I have something to discuss with you," he murmured.

She felt suddenly awake and turned under the cloak to face him. She immediately noticed how broad his shoulders were, that lying beside him like this he towered over her much narrower frame.

"What?" she asked, not missing the feeling of her belly and chest pressed against his as he draped his arm over her, pulling her to him snugly with her head lying on his arm stretched below her.

She noticed she fit into him perfectly, her head tucking nicely below his chin. He really was quite tall.

"Uncle and Phillippe think I don't know," he began, and then paused. Her breath hitched as she realized she already knew what he was going to say. "And I know that you already know, as well." He stared at her, and she didn't even bother to pretend his words weren't true.

"The Crooked Dwarf," she answered.

He nodded and gazed past her shoulder, lost in thought. "I was just a baby when it happened. I only found out because I overheard them talking one day. They must think me a halfwit for me to seem to be completely unawares my entire life of the agreement, or of their plan to get me out of it." He shrugged amiably. "But no matter, they mean well." He smiled at her for a moment before beginning again. "As you know, Darius and Phillippe want to offer themselves in place of me."

Nerys was indeed already aware of this plan. "Killiare," she finally said. "The Crooked Dwarf is the same imp who my sister will be bonded to for seven years. She's contracted to go to him in three months. It was an exchange made so that the imp would save our village from the plague."

Killiare nodded slowly. "I'd been wondering," he said. "I thought there had to be some sort of a reason why you would agree to join us. Even with your cousin's mating with my uncle, there was no reason why either of you had to come on this journey. But I won't let that happen."

"What do you mean you won't let that happen?"

"I'm going to somehow find a way to keep Darius from getting to the imp. I'll go instead. And I'm going to …" Killiare glanced away for a moment. "I'm going to make him change his mind. About both of us."

"And if he doesn't?" Nerys asked pointedly. She noticed Killiare was avoiding eye contact with her. She wondered if he was planning to kill the imp or just give into the contract.

"I had wondered about Carys, and I was thinking if the imp cannot be reasoned with that I'll offer myself for fourteen years instead, for both hers and my contracts," he said.

"Whoa," Nerys said. "Not so fast. You can't just offer yourself like that." She swallowed. "We need to talk about this, Killiare." She couldn't help noticing how happy he looked at her words. It was the first time she'd verbally acknowledged their connection, despite her kiss, despite their sleeping tangled together the way they were.

"What would you suggest?" he asked, his arm tightening around her waist.

She swallowed. "If the imp cannot be reasoned with, we kill him. If he cannot be killed..." she paused, "then I will take Carys' place." She glanced at him, his face unreadable. "Our families will be safe, and we ... will be together."

He didn't speak. For a moment he only stared at her, then dropped his head to kiss her softly again, rubbing his nose against hers in a gesture that reminded her of his nuzzling her face in wolf form the night before.

"Alright," he finally said. "So the plan is to first reason, then try to kill, and then to trade if worst comes to worst. ls that normally the order you do things in?"

She couldn't help laughing. "Usually it's a bit hard to trade if the killing has been done, but this is a powerful imp, and I'm not deluded that we are likely able to overpower him."

Killiare nodded. "But first we have to get Darius and Wren out of the way. Phillippe is gone now, luckily, but Darius is too stubborn, so I have to find a way to keep him … preoccupied." He grinned at Nerys, and her heart skipped a beat. Even in this moment, she couldn't help loving his playful mischievous nature.

She chewed her lip thoughtfully. Unlike Killiare, she was familiar with the forest and the path they were talking. "I think I have an idea," she said. "I believe we require a cellar, with a good strong door. And I know of just the place to find such a thing."