Judy: I'm glad it's still up to your standards, happy days
Moonpriestess30: Well I'm hoping that if i get enough in backstock I'll be able to post all week but at the moment it is going to just be one a day mon-fri
Chapter 39 - Resolved
'What the fuck do you mean she's gone?' Hawke said slamming his hand on the table, he was already in a very pissed off mood. Having to fight a Varterral wasn't his idea of a simple errand and to top it off the Keeper had given him the tool and he was having conflict about giving it to Merrill, so she had left in a huff.
'She's gone, she bit Fenris and ran further into the woods,' Aveline said as she stitched, Fenris was looking out the window moodily and had refused to go to Anders' clinic to be healed so Aveline was sewing him up the best she could. 'Could you watch it? This is taking longer than needed, I don't need you making it so that I stab him necessarily,' Aveline scolded as she steadied herself.
'Why didn't you look for her?' Hawke demands, this was the second time she had gone missing in twenty four hours, 'she can't be out there on her own, she's going to get hurt!' Fenris hadn't told Aveline about Makatza killing the hunters and simply said that he had scared her into biting him by accident. He glared at the Apostate and raised a brow, 'you did go looking for her and that's how you got bitten... right, sorry,' he says sitting at the table with a sigh. 'I just don't understand why she bit you, I mean-'
'-She had been hurt by a couple of hunters and she was not thinking properly,' Fenris snaps simply. 'It was not intentional. Which is why she then ran from me afterwards,' he says bluntly as he winces, Aveline was doing a good job but she wasn't as fast at it as he'd like, it stung like the blazes. 'She had already killed them by the time I arrived.'
Hawke ran his hands through his hair as he leant back in his chair. 'Okay, okay, well it's getting too dark to search now, by the time we get there we'll just have to set up camp. Besides after the fight with that blasted creature I'm exhausted. Even Isabela went to bed without pestering me,' he sighs. 'Keep this to ourselves and we'll travel over at first light?' He suggests. 'If you're feeling well enough, Fenris,' he adds watching the elf nod curtly. 'Thanks Aveline, for everything,' Hawke says patting her shoulder as he gets up. 'We'll grab some horses and take Bubble, that should be enough to track her down. She won't have gotten too far,' he doesn't like the idea of leaving her out overnight but there was nothing he could do right now, he needed to rest.
-x-
She dug around the stump and managed to make the hole big enough for her shoulders to get through, the pups were shivering and scared. Makatza had attempted to clean the blood off her fur by rubbing her snout along the grass she found on the way back to the puppies. Forcing what happened with Fenris to the back of her mind she focused on the young ones. She whined softly at them and assured them that she wasn't going to hurt them, they clambered forward and nuzzled her softly. Hmm, I don't want to stay here for the night, it's too open and the mother's body might attract unwanted visitors, she thought. With a bark telling them to stay put she went over to where the mother was lying and sighed, it was enough to make her want to cry, it was so senseless. Shaking her head she used her large paws and after about twenty minutes of digging she had managed to create a deep hole, it wasn't perfect, but it was enough. Gently she pushed the wolf into the grave and began to cover her with the loose dirt, she had no doubt that the body would be found but it was the thought that mattered. The pups wandered out and Makatza shook the loose clumps from her pads before going over to them, they could walk well and she could tell they were hungry. With a sniff in the air she could smell moss and damp, that might mean a cave nearby. She huffed at them to follow her and began to lead them to hopefully more shelter. Thankfully it wasn't long until she found what she was looking for, it was large enough for her to get inside and high off the ground so they'd be safe from most predators. Grabbing the male pup she leapt onto the ledge and into the small enclosed alcove she had found, returning for his sister she tucked her away. 'Okay, I'm going to get some food,' she said softly to them as she licked their heads, they must be about three weeks old if they wanted solids and hopefully she would be able to get them back to the city soon so she could get them some milk.
She left them in relative confidence and ran through the trees until she caught a scent. A rabbit. It would do, it was small and easy to carry. Should be just enough to fill two young pups, so she slowed down and began to silently pace through the trunks with her nose to the ground. She could feel the vibrations through the earth and hear rustling, lowering her body down she hoped that in the dark she would blend in easily. The rabbit appeared in view and she held her breath as it looked around, I'm sorry little thing. I have hungry puppies that need feeding and you're just the right size, she thinks sadly as she pounced the last few feet to the rodent. There was a brief squeak as she closed her jaws on it's throat. 'Sorry!' She woofed knowing that there was really no need. With a heavy sigh she turned and ran back to the hiding place that she had found, the pups were quiet waiting for her to return. She clambered onto the ledge and into the alcove, 'here, eat up,' she says softly as she drops the rabbit in front of the pair who dive in happily. After a little while they eat their fill and yawn with a burp before slinking over to Makatza, she licks them clean before throwing the rabbit leftovers into the corner and lying down so that they can curl up in between her legs next to her belly. She curled around them and rested her head on her paws as she exhaled, it had been quite a confusing day and she wasn't looking forward to the morning, she could feel the inner wolf rattling the cage she had placed around it. Guilt swamped over her, she could still taste Fenris' blood and it made her feel a bit nauseated with the thought. She had to get them back to Kirkwall and get out of this form, not to mention that she then had to somehow face Fenris; who probably hated her and no doubt his hatred for her magic would come back full force. She was distracted for a brief moment as the girl pup licked her elbow with a yowl, they seemed to have taken to her quite easily which she was grateful about. It probably had something to do with Wither Fang but she didn't question it. Makatza shushed her and licked her entire head with one lap of her tongue, reassured the pup closed her eyes and settled down. She smiles and rests her head again this time slipping easily into the fade.
-x-
'Here,' Fenris said as he brought them to the bodies of the hunters, they had been partially eaten during the night by creatures but their wounds were still clear.
'Maker damned,' Garrett said with a grimace, 'half his head is missing and it looks like she tore him down to the spine,' he described what he saw as Bubble sniffed about. Aveline had to excuse herself from the outing as a duty had come up but Hawke didn't mind that it was just the two of them. 'Get anything Bubble?' He asked offhand.
'Yes, that one was still alive when I got here but there was nothing I could do,' he says shrugging a shoulder. He didn't feel bad about leaving the man either, though he probably should have. 'She had a wound on her shoulder that she had not healed,' he says as he looks around for some sort of clue. He hadn't slept well and his arm still hurt, he couldn't hold his sword properly and it was frustrating him to say the least. Hawke had collected him at first light like he promised and riding the horse had proven to be more difficult than he thought.
Bubble barked and trotted between the trees knowing that they would follow. Fenris privately wondered if Makatza had gone feral again but his questions were soon answered as they came across a lot of blood and a lot of disturbed earth. Bubble began to dig lightly and they discovered the wolf she had buried. 'A grave?' Garrett said quietly. 'This must have been the wolf they had originally hunted,' he put the evidence together. 'They were halfway through skinning her as well,' he says as he looks over the body.
'She had pupped,' Fenris spots. He looks around and sees claws marks near the stump, with a little pain he manages to reach inside and pull out a limp ball of fur, 'there are some still here,' he sighs heavily. 'There seems to only be this one,' he feels around a little more, 'they normally have litters larger than this,' Fenris says placing the pup with the mother as Garrett brushes the dirt back over them.
'Do you think Makatza found them?' Hawke asked as he stood up and brushed himself down.
'It would not surprise me,' Fenris said simply. Bubble yapped at them and continued to follow the trail until they reached a rock face. He could see an alcove higher up the ledge, she could have easily jumped up there and it would be a sensible place to spend the night.
'Righty-ho, Bubble, try reasoning with her,' Garrett says simply. They had brought tranquillizers and rope in case they had to catch her though they both hoped that wouldn't be the case. The Mabari nodded and jumped up onto the ledge with a little bit of a scramble.
'Mistress?' He whined looking into the dark. There was a low warning growl, he flinched but stopped in his tracks and sat down. 'It's okay... Master Fenris isn't angry. They just want you home,' he explains as he watches shapes move in the dark. 'I've bitten Master a lot and he was more worried about me than the injury I caused. They just want you safe, mistress. Now do I really have to come in there and drag you out and get mauled in the process?' He asked with a huff. She had stopped growling for the moment but when he lifted a paw to come closer she started again.
'Stop. I will come out,' Makatza says resigned. She knew that she would have to sooner or later, she just selfishly wasn't ready for the moment. She walked out with the pups hanging by their scruffs in her mouth, they were pretty sleepy and weren't ready to be woken. Makatza looked down at her cousin and saw that Fenris was next to him, she hated that her heart pinged with happiness as she saw him. Somehow she felt that these feelings were being forced on her instead of them growing naturally. Gently she leapt down from the ledge and walked over to them placing the pups down on the bracken.
'Puppies!' Garrett screamed in glee as he flopped to his knees and grabbed one. Makatza had a flash of wolf for a brief moment but fought her back into her cage, she was sick of this; she just wanted to be herself again. Fenris noticed that her eyes shifted amber for a second with her internal war. 'Oh maker they're the best thing ever!' He squealed as they woke up happy to play.
Makatza shook her head as a wave of dizziness washed over her, she stumbled to the side before falling heavily. 'Makatza!' Fenris said running to her and stroking her ear, she was panting heavily and her mana was rolling off her. He didn't get to say any more as she began to whine, her fur had begun to lighten and he realised that she was changing shape. She glittered and her paws started to lengthen and split into fingers, it was when he could see her collarbone and shoulders that he noticed she was coming back unclothed. 'Hawke!' Fenris said sharply as he turned around and walked a couple paces.
'Huh?' Garrett said completely oblivious to the large discharge of magic happening a few feet away. 'Oh shit!' He exclaimed as he put down the puppy he was playing with and pulled off his tunic, it would be long enough though she might be a little chilly. Makatza had shakily gotten up and was leaning against a tree her hair covering everything down to her waist. Hawke was looking through his fingers as he attempted to pass his top over. 'Here, Katza,' he says feeling her take it gently.
'Thanks,' she says a little hoarsely as she stiffly drapes it over her head and lets it fall into place. It came down halfway across her thighs so it was sufficient for the time being. He nodded as he was able to look at her, finally. 'I'm sorry,' she said with a half smile. 'I didn't even realise I was shifting, I don't really know how to bring back clothing,' she apologises.
Garrett shakes his head and hugs her tightly. 'Oh, I'm just happy that you're back and no longer have paws and a tail,' he says happily. 'Your father is no longer going to kill me,' he chuckles. Makatza hugs him back just as hard despite her shoulder and feels her eyes well up.
'That was an experience,' she mumbled. She still felt the pull towards Fenris but it was nowhere near as strong as when she was a wolf. Bubble said it would fade in time so hopefully it would be liveable. Her puppies were quite happy to play with the Mabari while Makatza reunited with her cousin.
'I'll make some sort of sling for the puppies,' he says squeezing her arm fondly before letting her go. He went over to Bubble and the pups and started to do as he said. Makatza brushed her hair aside noticing a leaf falling from her curls. She wasn't trying to avoid Fenris but she didn't want to do this so soon either.
Fenris; confident that she was no longer nude, had turned around and was waiting patiently. She sighed mentally and walked over to him a little unbalanced, she stumbled on her ankle as she got close and he had to grab her to steady her. 'Makatza,' he said quietly. She smiles weakly and then looks up at him after catching a glance at his stitches.
Her eyes well up and she can't stop the tears and guilt as she throws her arms around his shoulders, hanging off him as she cried. 'I'm so, so, so sorry I bit you!' She sobbed. 'I felt horrible, I didn't mean to. I really didn't!' She said not caring that the last thing he probably wanted to do was hug her. 'I'm so sorry,' she mumbled as she buried her head into his shoulder. She jumped as she slowly felt him embrace her gently, resting his head against hers as his grip around her waist tightened.
He breathed in the smell of the earth and blood on her hair and a wave of relief rippled over his chest. 'You are forgiven,' he assures. 'I am glad you are safe,' he adds not caring that he was sure Hawke was watching them. At this moment in time he felt an sense of elation that he didn't know was possible.
