Chapter 23

Saachi slowly opened her eyes to see a brown blarr was over her head. She blinked a few times to clear her sight to see it was the ceiling in her's and Blue's cabin. She lay there for a bit then she remembered the Black Dragon that attacked the Arluq. "Shit the black dragon! Where is it!" She was going to pull herself up and out of bed when she was stopped by Sandstorm who was watching over her.

" Easy Saachi, you were out for a while." He told her as he held his paws out that her chest was pushing against his paw stopping her. She opened her mouth to ask about the Black Dragon and the Caravan but she was cut off from Sandstorm. "Before you ask, the Black Dragon was chased off from the Ace Hunters and the Caravan is Safe. We are at a small beach village on the border of Raging Sea." She looked around to see her weapons was resting on the weapon rack that was bolted to the wall of the cabin.

'I was out for a while.' She thought as she put her hand to her head. She looked over to Sandstorm and asked. "How is Night and Blue? Are they ok?" Saachi studies Sandstorm as he nods his head. She sighs in relve knowing that she was the only one that was out from the hunting party.

"Night had a gash that ran down her right arm. Will Blue got a few cuts on him but nothing to major tho." He saw Saachi try to bring herself up onto her feet but fell back down with a howl of pain shot through her upper leg. "Here let me help you up." He said as he jumped down to help her up. As she was a little wobbly on her feet she used the bed to help her as she walked putting pressure on her bad leg biting down on her lip through the pain until the pain was dall enough to walk that it was hard to tell that she has a small limp to her.

She got her Great Jaggi armor on and strap her Great Jaggi shield onto her arm and faston the Great Jaggi sword that was still in the holster onto her lower back. She was about to put the helmet on but she tasted it aside and walked out with Sandstorm following behind her. As she stepped out of the hunters sleeping quarters to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin which felt very welcoming for once. She made her way across the deck of the Arluq to the ramp that led down to a sandy beach with wooden planks that lined the side of the beach acting as a mix shift walking dock. Leading around the bend of the beach that was hiding behind some large palm trees. She followed the wooden planks to see that the Caravan had set up in the very small beach town that is filled with only palicos with a wvyarian elder and a young little girl with long red hair which Saachi can guess was four. She could see the street cook cooking up meals for the wild palicos and mylinxs. The Man was making the repairs for Arluq as the Caravaneer and the Guildmarm were talking to each other at the caravan's quest border by the main gates. Night was walking through the main gate from completing a quest. Little Miss Forge was keeping the little girl and a boy with red-brown hair from bugging everyone, the little girl must have seen Saachi. She was pointing at her and saying something but she was too far to pick it up and everyone was started to crowded except for Blue. "You're finally awake." The Caravanner said to her as he gave her a hard pat on her back nearly making her fall over since she was weak.

With the Guildmarm adding on "How are you feeling? You worried us, you know that Doodle?" She was so happy to see her on her feet that she had pulled Saachi into a hug her as she let her know that they were worried.

Saachi was standing trying to hold her arms up lazily, stopping at her elbows from the Guildmarm hugging her. "Sorry I didn't mean to put everyone this much worry."

She saw Night walking up to her and she looked quite irritated with her. She walked straight up to Saachi, giving her one of her most hardest punch onto Saachi's shoulder. "You have no idea how worried you put everyone in as you slept comfortably for almost two week, that was reckless of you to do." Before Saachi or anyone could say or do anything she pulled Saachi into a tight hug and told her. "But I am happy to see you alright and up again."

Saachi was shocked to hear that she was out for almost two weeks. 'Almost two week? Sandstorm did said I was out for a whole.' she thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around Night to hug her back. "I'm so sorry that I got you that worried. I will be safer next time, I promise." She noticed that Blue was not in the group with the rest. "Where's Blue?" She asked until she saw Blue walking through the group but stopped just a foot in front of her. He looked as or more irritated as Night was when Night had seen her. "Blue, I'm so sor-" but he cut her off before she could finish.

"When are you going to tell me, no tell the Caravan what you are?" He stared straight into her ice blue eyes and with anger was all over his face. He was waiting for her to give her reasoning why but it never came. She heard the time to tell him but she just did not know how to tell him without freaking him out. "Well are you going to say it or am I going to have to." He said as he leaned closer to her that his face was incense away from her face. But the words were clawing at the back of her throat trying to not come out. "Fine, Shifter."

As he said Shifter it had the hint of bitterness in his voice that felt like getting her heart stabbed. She quickly looked at the small group of guild knights that was talking to themselves. She was thankful that they did not hear Blue. "I just could not find the right words to tell you, I'm so sorry." He ignored her as he turned his back to her and walked away. It feels worst to feel that she just lost the one she loved and the trust of the Caravan. She did not even see the Caravan's faces as they all looked at her in shock, but it did not take that long tho to see them all but it brought a small smile when she saw Night acting to be shocked like the other even though she knows Saachi's secret.

The Caravan had a meeting to get to know what Saachis fate was going to be as she waited sitting on the white sand looking out to the sea. Night walked up to sit next to Saachi just to see a puzzled look on her face. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked as she place one of her hands on to Saachi's shoulder.

Saachi shocks her head. "Not that well, everyone knows what I am now. I am better off dead now if they decide to tell the guild." But yet again there was more to it but she just hoped she was going to forget about it but it did not. She was quiet for a while until she asked. "What happened to me when I black out for almost two weeks?" She had not even taken her eyes off the blue sea.

"You almost died on us. After you fell into the sea and was not emerging the Ace Commander jumped in after you. He pulled you out of the water and you were not breathing so he performed CPR on you bringing you back to life. Blue and I have been by your bedside the entire time." Night explained to Saachi as Little Miss Forge came running up to them.

"The caravaneer wants to have a Caravan meeting." She told the two hunters. They got up and followed her as the Caravan was standing in a tight circle. Little Miss Forge walked back next to The Man who was standing next to The Caravaneer with his arms crossed against his chest. The Guildmerm was standing on the other side of the Caravaneer.

As the two hunters got to the rest of the group they head the Caravaneer started "Alright I have called the meeting in regards-"

He was cut off by Saachi who had a feeling the meeting was about her.

"If this meeting is regarding me, all I gotta say is please don't tell the Guild about what I really am." She said as she could feel the whole Caravan's eyes were on her. But she knows what the Guild would do if they found out that they miss one, they will most likely behead her by a guild knight. Just the thought of her head being cut off she subcutaneously rubbed around her neck with her hand.

The Caravaneer raised an eyebrow at her as he asked a question. "Why should we keep this from the Guild?" His arms were still crossed across his chest waiting for her to give her reason.

"If you tell the Guild that I am really a Monster Shifter, they will send a Guild Knight to finish me off like they did with the rest of my kind." As she finished she saw how everyone was talking, going over the choices and opinions again. Saachi just internally sighs hoping that her final days have not been numbered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder as she looked to see Night was standing next to her with a comfort squeeze. Night knows that from Saachi, knowing that the Guild will kill her with no hesitation. "Agree" as she started to speak, the caravan stopped talking and looked to her as she counted on "we need to hide this from them or otherwise they will kill her for what she is." Saashi looked over to Night with a small smile that was saying Thank You with Night giving her a small nod.

After about an hour passed with the caravan talking with Night and Saachi standing away from the group until the Caravaneer walked up to them with the caravan at foot. He cleared his throat to get the ladies attention. "Saachi, we have come to agree that we can't just send one of our hunters off to the slaughter but we need to know what type of monster shifter we are hiding? A Rathian, a Nargacuga, or."

She cut him off before he listed another wrong monster. "An Elder Dragon, but I am not fully sure which one. The thing is I don't know if I am an Oroshi Kirin, Velkana or a Frostlis." As she told him that she was an Elder Dragon they all looked at her in shock to hear that she was one of these ancient beasts that can change the environment around them when enraged.

"An elder dragon!" He said what was on the whole caravan's minds. He turned to the Caravan and told them. "All of you this is a hush thing that only the caravan needs to know. Saachi when the guild knights leave the island and if you feel comfortable can you shift so we can see your monster form?" He uncrossed his arms as his white bird landed on his shoulder, petting it.

Saachi nods her head as she walks up to the Caravaneer just to have him take a few steps away from her. She was blessed to be in a great caravan. She was just smiling when the little girl that called this place home came running up and since Night of all people was the closest to her so the girl ran up to Night and was hiding behind her. Night look down at the girl still felt slightly uncomfortable but she eventually asked. "What is it?"

The girl pointed to the forest that lined the beach and fear was in her green eyes. "I saw something move in the woods and it looked big. Mommy and daddy are gone too." She told Night stayed close behind Night as Night looked back to Saachi to beckons her over.

Saachi noticed Night with the little girl hiding behind her and walked over. "What's wrong?"

She asked in a low tone. Night looked down with her eyes at the girl. Saachi looked down at the girl and she just looked up to meet Saachi's eyes with fear but it was not fear from her but she was scared of something. Saachi gives a warm soft smile to the girl. "Don't worry sweetheart." She said with a soft voice to follow the smile as she got down to the same level as the girl.

The girl smiled back running off to play with a white wild palico by the water that was building a sand castle. "The girl reported that there is something in the woods, we need to investigate it. Do you want Blue to tag along… or do you want to give him some more space?" She asked as Saachi stood up and looked back to Night as she started to talk.

Saachi looked around to see that Blue had already left with some of the caravan. "Let's give him some more space. Let's go and get ready." She left to get her things ready and to get Sandstorm with Night following behind her.