Hello, all my dedicated readers! I am glad to say that I will be rewriting the whole Immortals series in Kit's perspective! Hopefully updates will be quick, but if not do not lose hope. Truth be told I've had this idea for some time, and decided only now that I must share my slightly insane ideas with the world!!…Or at least you nice people on fanfiction. A/N: The chapter before this is supposed to take place on the way to Dunlath before Wolf Speaker begins as a deleted scene, okay?
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I watched as my ma looked out at the rain, playing with the silver claw on her neck. I wished she would stop, I was not allowed to touch the claw. Ma had learned that my claws were sharp, and if she did so, I often accidentally sliced the leather throng that held the claw in place on her throat. I also got the idea that Ma was thinking, and would not thank me for interrupting her thoughts. So I watched in painful silence as my ma fidgeted with the claw and watched the rainfall outside the cave we had deemed worthy to spend the night in.
"What are you thinking of?"
The voice startled me, and I turned her head to look at the speaker. He had a dark face and brown eyes. He wore his black springy hair back in a horsetail for two reasons: one he did not enjoy having his hair fall in his face as her did his work, and second, he had an idea that if he did not I might decide his hair would be a nice play toy. And as I said earlier, my claws are sharp, and I don't believe he wants a hair cut.
"You look grim," He added.
Ma turned around from the cave entrance to face him, "I'm just wondering if Onua is managing the Rider horses alright without me," she lied, "I know the king told her he needed us to come here, but I still feel as if I should be helping her."
I snorted, they didn't hear me. The lie was a bad one; Numair knew my ma too well to think something like that would bother her.
Ma made a face, as he told her just that, and asked what was really bothering her. "I'm scared," she admitted.
This seemed to get his attention, "What of?" He asked.
I considered taking a nap as my mother and her teacher debated whether or not she would go insane when she saw the wolves from her old pack again. The wolves had helped her hunt and kill the bandits that had killed her family and many of her only friends. While with the wolves, my ma had forgotten she was human, and if it had not been for Cloud (Ma's pony) she probably never would have stood on two legs again. Two of the pack--Russet and Fleetfoot--had showed up one day and told them that humans were ruining their new home at Long Lake. Worrying for her friends, Ma had begged to come to the rescue, and had gotten her way since they were conveniently headed toward the place where the Ninth Rider group and a party of twenty Tortallan soldiers had disappeared.
Finally Numair seemed to have proved that she would not go insane, because they were no longer talking of insanity, but instead something about some City of the Gods and an aura…I was getting sleepy, I heard Numair ask Ma how long to their destination. As she was answering she broke off and I heard her yell "Brokefang!"
I looked up, suddenly awake and interested by the new arrivals. Three lead while the other four stayed behind them, two of the ones in the lead she recognized as their guides, Fleetfoot and Russet, but the other one was unfamiliar. He held his tail high and proudly, and I took this as a sign that he was their leader.
Ma ran to them, and disappeared into a pile of excited yelping and tail wagging, as the pack greeted their pack member from long ago.
I was temped to join her, I wanted to meet these animals that had helped my mother when she needed it most, but knowing that many mortal animals were unnerved by the sight of me, I kept to the shadows.
Numair moved to the cave entrance and reminded my ma that she was getting soaked, and asked if they could please move their reunion inside.
Ma invited them in, reminding them not to eat her friends (I hoped I was included, the wolves looked fierce). She introduced them to Numair, while Fleetfoot and Russet moved to sit near the lanky mage, clearly telling the rest of the pack that they liked him. The pack greeted Cloud, Brokefang giving her a few licks, which I was amused to see the temperamental pony return. Cloud had come to a truce with the wolves in the days that Ma had ran with them, but needless to say that the Spots and Mangle had not. Though Ma had certainly reassured them that the wolves would not harm them, their natural fear showed as they shook, whites showing all around their eyes. Once the wolves had finished their greetings the horses moved to the back of the cave and stayed there.
"Kitten," Ma called. I turned my face in the direction of her voice to see her looking around for me, "Come meet the wolves."
Carefully I slipped silently from the shadows in which I had hid myself, to the soft light of the fire. I eyed them warily, I had know enough animals in my short existence thus far to know that if an animal thought I was unnatural they would attack, believing that something like me should not exist. I slowly rose onto my hindquarters to fully inspect them. They stared, ears flicking back and forth with uncertainty, and tails half tucked between their legs. I chirped trying to reassure them.
"This is Skysong," Ma told them, "That's the name her ma gave her, anyway. Mostly we call her Kitten."
The large male I had seen earlier, walked toward me, legs stiff, and sniffed me. He gave the smallest of wags and the others came near me.
Once they had finished their inspection of me, Ma introduced them to Numair who they took an immediate liking to (Ma had told them he was pack now), and taught him how to tell the difference between the wolves.
Once introductions were done, Numair and my ma asked Brokefang about why he needed them, Ma translated everything Brokefang told them so that we could understand. Brokefang told of how the humans were driving off all the game and how they were ruining the forest. They explained that they had already moved their pack from the land where generations of their pack had lived, and that Long Lake was too good to give up on. Brokefang was certain that Ma could help them, and that was why he had sent Fleetfoot and Russet after them.
The wolves left to hunt as Ma translated the last of their words. She moved to the mouth of the cave and watched them disappear into the rain. I realized it was getting dark as Numair took out the pots and pans we always used on journeys like these. I cast a glance at my ma, her eyes were far away, and I knew she was remembering something from long ago, and would not appreciate my company at the moment, so I turned my attention back to the clatter of Numair and metal cooking gear.
After a while Ma spoke, "I think I know why Brokefang changed so much." She said. The following conversation did not interest me, particularly because the lanky mage had gone into one of his famous ramblings again.
What did interest me however, was that he had began to cook supper. Ma sat next to him and began to slice chunks of ham, and seeing what she was doing, I came over to eat--err...I mean, help her.
--This is very nice,--a rough voice said in our minds. --Cozy, especially on a rainy afternoon.—
Me my ma and her teacher all twisted to look at the cave's entrance. I was surprised to find that it was illuminated by a silver glow that appeared to originate from the animal standing inside it. I had seen an animal like it before, but not nearly as big as this one; Ma had called it a badger. She said that she liked badgers, and that the badger god sometimes visited her in her sleep. She also told me that he had given her one of his claws, despite her protests, to help him keep track of her. I assumed that the large badger before me was the one she had spoken of, if for nothing else, his size. The Badger waddled in and stopped a polite distance from the fire to shake off the rainwater caught in his coat. I dimly noted that Ma had begun to play with the claw at her throat again.
When the Badger had finished, he waddled over to stand between my ma and Numair.
"Daine is this--?" asked a nervous-sounding Numair.
The badger looked at him with coldly intelligent eyes that made me get the shivers just looking at them. –I told her father I would keep an eye on her. So you are her teacher. She tells me a great deal about you when I visit her.—
"May I ask you something?"
I rolled my eyes (a habit I had picked up from my ma), that was Numair, curious as ever.
--I am an immortal, the first male creature of my kind. The male badger god if you like. That is what you wished to ask is it not?—
"Yes, and I thank you," Numair said hesitantly.
My eyes were wide, how could he have known what the mage was to have asked? But he had confirmed it; he was definitely the Badger that my ma had told me of.
As Numair and the Badger conversed about mind reading, probe shields, and compared and contrasted immortals with gods, I began to feel slightly impatient, he had come to tell us something, and the mage kept sidetracking him! He finally revealed why he came. I was interested as the large badger told my ma that she was ready to do something new, he told her she could enter the mind of a mortal animal, see what they saw, smell what they smelled, heard what they heard, and so on. But, what he said next surprised me even more.
--Where is the young dragon?—
Why would he want to talk to me? What should I say? Surprised, but interested, I walked over from the other side of the fire where I had been watching, and came to sit in front of him, a clump of his fur clenched in my admittedly small claw. I know that to my ma and he teacher, all they heard were my vast vocabulary of trills whistles, chirps, and clicks but the badger heard much more. Someone who really understands me! I thought with excitement. I proceeded to tell the badger all about myself, how well Ma treated me and so on, and was highly pleased that he seemed extremely interested in what I had to say, and listened patiently to me chatter.
After he had listened to me, he went to talk to the horses and Cloud. When he was finished, he returned to Ma and Numair, who were waiting patiently at the fire.
He told us he had to return to his home, and that things had been hectic since the protective wall had been broken.
Numair asked him if he knew who had destroyed the barrier, but the Badger told him he did not know, and with that he disappeared in a flare of silver light.
"Well," said Numair. My ma and me looked at him, expecting him to say more, but he only busied himself with the vegetables.
"I think he puts a magic on me," Ma said suddenly.
"How so?" Numair asked, ever curious.
"Every time I see him, I mean to ask who my da is, and every time I see him I forget! And he's the only one who can tell me, too, drat him."
I gave a trill, concerned for my adoptive mother. To have magic worked on you was not pleasant, or so I had been told.
"I'm alright, Kit," Ma said with a sigh, "Its just not fair though."
"Somehow I doubt the Badger is interested in what's fair." Numair said with a chuckle.
I smiled as best as a dragon could, he was right. Ma gave a one-sided smile as well, she knew too.
"Speaking of what s fair, what do you think of the advice he gave you, about becoming a magical symbiote?"
I tilted my head to the side, and whistled and inquiry. What on earth was a symbiote, nonetheless a magical one!
Ma seemed to agree with me for she said, "A magical sym—sym—whatsits?"
"Symbiote. They are creatures that live off other creatures, but not destructively, as parasites do. An example might be the bird who rides on the bison, picking insects from the beast's coat." He explained.
"Oh. I don't know what I think of it. I never tried it." Daine said.
Helpfully, he suggested she try it now with Cloud, since the vegetables would take a while to cook.
So Ma asked the temperamental pony if she could (only to be corrected by Numair), and the pony agreed, not knowing if it would help. Ma went to sit near the pony, in the back of the cave while Spots and Mangle left the cave to graze. I watched her, wondering what would happen. Ma seemed to notice that Numair was getting ready to make campfire bread, as she told me not to let him stir it too long, she didn't want hard bread. I chirped with acknowledgement as Numair glared at my ma. Ma closed her eyes and breathed slowly, after a while I realized nothing was going to happen, and became increasingly bored. So I did as my ma had told me, and kept Numair from stirring the bread too long. Once in a while, Cloud whinnied or showed some kind of unhappiness, and I wondered what was going on.
"Lets try again tomorrow," Ma finally said, "My head aches."
"Come eat," Numair called, "You've been at it nearly an hour."
My ma complied, getting up from the floor and walking toward the fire, Cloud trailing after her. Ma reached in her pack, and pulled out a carrot for Cloud, then went to sit with us. I climbed into her lap as Numair handed her a bowl of mildly spiced vegetables and cooked ham. Unfortunately for her, my presence forced her to arrange her arms around me as she ate. As she ate she explained what had happened.
Cloud seemed to listen as she explained, her ears flicking back and forth. When Ma finished she turned her head towards Cloud, as if the pony was telling her something.
"Who then Cloud?" Ma said, I assumed that she was talking to the pony again, and would offer us no explanation to her seemingly, one-sided conversation until they were finished. I tuned out of their conversation, and tuned in to the leftovers from the meal.
"I wish I could hear both sides of this conversation," Numair told me, "I feel so left out sometimes."
I whistled in agreement, it was not only confusing to listen to, but I also couldn't help but feel cheated when they could have private conversations like this.
Ma finally turned back to us, and relayed their conversation to us. I listened as she told us that Cloud had told her to try it with Brokefang, because he was a hunter like her, and she was a grazer. Even though Cloud had known her longest, that fact could not make up for their differences.
Numair had told her that he thought it interesting, and probably true, as Cloud would be wiser on this subject than him, and (noticing that she was tired) told her to go to bed. When she refused, he told her the moon would not stop its monthly journey because he cooked and cleaned on the came night.
Finally, Ma gave up and climbed into her bedroll, falling asleep the minute she pulled up the blankets. I curled up next to her, and fell asleep, only to wake when Ma did, when the wolves returned from their hunt, and only for a short time at that.
The morning came, damp and chilly as it was, I knew it was only a taste of what was to come. Breakfast was always a quiet time, seeing that neither Ma nor Numair were morning people, and no one wished their anger. The wolves had left to finish last night's kill for breakfast. Afterwards they cleaned up, saddled the horse and set out for the day's journey.
When the wolves returned, Numair was giving a scroll to Ma to send to the king. Once the report had been sent on the wings of a golden eagle named Sunclaw, Ma seemed to have a conversation with Brokefang. Once the matter had been settled, or so I hoped, Ma placed me atop the packs on Mangle's back (my usual perch when traveling) while Numair mounted Spots. Once Ma was seated atop Cloud's back, Numair told Brokefang to "lead on," and so he did.
The wolves trotted away from the cave and down the trail, the horses and their riders not far behind. The path forked farther up the trail, one end lead to the mountains, the other to a nearby river, Brokefang lead them uphill. When Ma asked why he did not follow the river, which would surely lead them to the valley, and be less hard on them, Brokefang replied that it was easier, and that humans went there all the time. He told them of soldiers and men with magic fires would kill wolves on sight, and it was not wise for the pack to travel that way for that very reason.
Once Numair had been informed that the men with magic fires where mages, like him, he seemed to think about what Brokefang had said, and decided it was best to avoid other humans, and take the mountain pass and Brokefang had said. He thanked them for the warning, and they continued on up the mountain road.
They followed the wolves up along the side of the mountains that rimmed the valley of the Long Lake. The wolves did not hesitate when they came to an area bare of trees at noon; rather they trotted into the open. Suddenly, Ma stopped. She got out her crossbow, put an arrow in the notch, and fixed it in place with the clip.
When Numair stepped forward, Cloud took his tunic in her teeth (a polite way of saying she bit him).
"Stormwings," Ma explained.
Numair drew back from the bare ground, and they watched the sky from he tree cover. He reminded my ma that they had not attacked yet, and to keep an open eye. She agreed.
When Ma told us that Brokefang had called them harriers, and told her that they worked with the soldiers and mages, Numair commented that it sounded like Emperor Orzone's work. The emperor was a mage, and seemed to have a special relationship with immortals, Stormwings in particular. Some believed that it was Emperor Orzone's doing that so many immortals were released into the Mortal Realm, Numair included. Orzone had his eye on the country's wealth, and some thought he would attack when the country's defenders were tired and worn out from battling immortals.
"Now, can I shoot them?" Ma asked. I grinned (as much as a dragonet could anyways), Ma really hated Stormwings.
Numair told her not to, and fuming, she made her way back to the trail, after waiting until the immortals were gone of course. Half way back to the trail, Numair stopped, looking at a large, blackened crater on the slope down from them.
Saying something about it not being a natural occurrence, he trudged down the slope toward it.
"This isn't the time to explore!" Ma scolded her teacher.
He either ignored her or did not hear her, for he continued walking toward the crater.
Ma sighed, and told the horses to continue down the trail. (A/N: She said it ALOUD that's how Kitten knows, just had to make that clear otherwise I would have had you all at my throat saying "How on earth would Kit know if she told them?" Don't give me that look, you know you would!) Ma followed Numair with me, wide-eyed peering over her shoulder.
Numair was crouched over a blackened lump, carefully pulling it apart, as we approached. Grimly, Numair held his discovery up before my ma; it was a piece of cloth, the symbol of the Queens Riders proudly displayed on it. "Now we know what happened to the Ninth Rider Group." He stated with equal grimness.
Ma's hands trembled with fury; I knew she had many ties to the Riders, and the sight of the charred flag must have filled her heart with just as much fury as it held sorrow. "And you stopped me from shooting those Stormwings," she said, her voice a deadly quiet.
"They don't kill with blasting fire like this," he stated, "This is battle magic. I have yet to hear of a Stormwing being a war mage."
"I bet they knew about this though."
Numair put a hand to the shoulder opposite I was sitting on. "You're too young to be close-minded," he told her, "A little tolerance wouldn't come amiss." With that he turned around, and started climbing up the hill, folding the charred flag.
!!
OO
My…Hands…Hurt!!
Do you people have any idea how long this took for me to write?? 2 days! This is going to be tougher than I thought, but I will not give up! By the way I do need to inform you that soon I will be going to summer camp at a college for 6 weeks and will most likely not have access to a computer for most of the week. I say most of the week because I will come home on weekends and Friday afternoons, but—no offense—but I would rather spend that time with my friends since one is already upset with me as is because I signed up to go to the camp in the first place…Anyways, after that I leave for our family's boating vacation, and needless to say, there is no computer on the boat. So I'll try to update when I can, but I promise I will not give up!
Now please review while I go soak my hands in a bucket of ice…