*Chapter 21*
~Ghosts~
Nightcrawler found himself caught between the figurative 'rock and hard place'. If he continued on leading this group of foreigners he could put himself in serious jeopardy, it wasn't particularly safe or smart for a person who strongly resembles the devil to be walking around were people might see. If he tried to sneak off he feared what these mysterious Cursed foreigners might do to him, one had already entered his mind and feared what the others could do. So he was stuck.
Nightcrawler sighed; he was going to be in so much trouble when he finally got home. He was already long overdue to return but one thing had led to another and he saw no easy way out. He squinted as the setting sun's rays pierced through the trees and blinded his eyes. Soon it would get too dark for most people to be able to see. Nightcrawler, however, could see in the dark fine so long as the moon was visible and he could easily ride all night if necessary. A grunt from behind made him turn around to see what was going on.
"It's getting late, we're stopping." Logan commanded.
"Jawohl!" Nightcrawler replied.
With a gentle pull on the reins, he sent Schwarzi off the trail and into a nearby clearing. Nightcrawler jumped out of Schwarzi's saddle and stretched his stiff joints and sore muscles. He then led Schwarzi to the far side of the clearing and tied him to a tree before removing his saddle and packs. Schwarzi snorted gratefully for the removal of his load and shook himself out. With that done, Nightcrawler turned to leave only to find that almost everyone else was ready to hand over the reins of their horses to him. After receiving a glare from Logan, Nightcrawler reluctantly took care of all the horses, well almost all the horses.
One woman, the younger looking one with brown hair, took care of her horse herself. She kept her grayish mare further away from the other horses and after taking care of her she left and sat off by herself. The others would look in her direction sometimes but then quickly turn away and go about their business. Nightcrawler found this both strange and interesting, when he had first returned their missing member they'd seemed to be a strong united group, but now he could see that wasn't entirely true. When he finished with this last horse, he'd go ask Bobby about it.
"Bobby, may I ask you a few things?" Nightcrawler asked after cornering the young English boy slightly apart from his friends.
"Certainly, what do you want to know?" Bobby happily replied.
"Could you identify your friends for me?" Nightcrawler politely asked. It looked like he was going to be stuck with these people for a while so it would be helpful to know who was who.
"Well you know who I am and you know who Logan is right?" Bobby asked, the German nodded. "Over there by the fire is Piotr." Bobby said pointing to a tall, muscular man with dark hair. "Over by the trees is Remy." He said indicating a shady looking man with red-black eyes and a sharp looking dagger in his hand. "Over by the food is Jean." Bobby said showing him the other woman of the group. "And-and over there is-is Kitty." Bobby said quietly, his voice catching on some of the words as he referred to the girl who sparked the German's curiosity.
"Why is no one talking to this Kitty girl?" Nightcrawler asked curiously.
"It's sort of a long story." Bobby replied sadly.
"I have plenty of time." Nightcrawler answered.
"I don't." Bobby sharply replied before suddenly stalking off to collect some spare firewood. Nightcrawler blinked, that was sudden. Well if Bobby wouldn't answer him, he'd just ask the girl himself. With a few quick hops, he perched on a tree stump next to her and flashed a bright smile.
"Guten Abend Fräulein! How are you this evening?" Nightcrawler asked pouring on the charm. She gave him a withering sideways glance. "What's the matter Fräulein? Is something wrong?" He innocently asked.
"Leave me alone." She growled.
"Why? I need someone to talk to here since Bobby decided to run off on me and you aren't busy." Nightcrawler replied.
"There are five other people here, talk to one of them." She snapped.
"But I don't want to talk to them, I want to talk to you." Nightcrawler complained.
"Why me?" She muttered irately.
"Because you interest me." He replied.
"What's so interesting about me?" She grumbled.
"You're an attractive young woman who's sitting all by herself and nobody seems willing to talk to you and I want to know why." Nightcrawler explained.
"It's none of your business." She hissed threateningly.
"Well it's either tell me that, or tell me why a bunch of Engländer like you are doing way out here." Nightcrawler countered.
"That's none of your business either." She snapped.
"Tell me one or the other or I won't leave you alone until you do." Nightcrawler declared.
She finally turned to fully face him and gave him a venomous glare that could make even Logan flinch a little. Nightcrawler, however, could only stare in shock. Her eyes, her angry, blue, beautiful, eyes. He knew them. He knew her. What was she doing here? Why was she sad? Why was she upset? Did Bobby do it? If he did then he was in for a world of pain. Or was it someone else's fault? His stare must've unnerved her because she looked away and started to stand.
"W-wait! Please tell my why you're so upset." Nightcrawler begged.
"Why should I tell you?" She snapped.
"Because the curiosity is killing me and perhaps it might help you feel better if you spoke of it with someone." Nightcrawler suggested.
"What was the staring for?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well, it's, um, it's just that you remind me of someone I knew once." He hesitantly replied.
"Really, who?" She asked.
"Er, wait! You're trying to change the subject on me aren't you?" Nightcrawler demanded. The woman remained silent until his patient stare once again proved to be too much for her to stand.
"Fine if you really wish to know I was forced to divulge very sensitive personal information under pressure and I'm still upset about it." She snapped angrily. Nightcrawler looked confused.
"But aren't these people good friends of yours? Shouldn't they know almost everything about you?" He asked. All the woman's anger seemed to melt away in an instant.
"Yes, I should've told them sooner. I wish I had the strength to tell them." She whispered to herself. Nightcrawler's confusion grew.
"You felt you weren't strong enough to tell them whatever it was that you hid from them? What could possibly be so bad that a strong woman such as yourself felt she couldn't tell those who she trusts and cares for the truth?" He asked. The woman jerked in surprise. Apparently she didn't think his hearing was sharp enough to hear what she said.
"What makes you think that I'm strong?" She asked after a moment.
"Well for one, you're far from home. And for another, you're one of two women among a group of men who are all far from home. Not many women can travel the way that you are." He replied.
"It's really not that hard for me, I'm used to being alone now." She said softly. Nightcrawler visibly flinched.
"But you're not alone; your friends are here too." Nightcrawler protested.
"I might as well be. They don't understand." She muttered.
"Maybe they don't understand, but how can they if you refuse to speak with them?" He challenged.
"Who are you to tell me what I should do! I've only just met you! You know nothing about me!" She snarled. Nightcrawler shifted nervously.
"True, you have only just met me, but I wish to become your friend and help you in any way that I am able. I may know nothing about you now but I can learn so that I might be of better service to you Fräulein." Nightcrawler quietly replied, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.
"I will think on your offer and what you have said to me. Leave me now, I wish to be alone for a while." She mumbled waving him off with one hand.
Nightcrawler obediently abandoned his perch on the tree stump and moved across the campsite from her. He curled up against the trunk of a tree and observed the woman Bobby called Kitty from the corner of his glowing, golden eye. She was so very beautiful and at the same time so sad and hurt, if only he could make it all better. But there was nothing that he could do, nothing but lie and be her friend. She did not know him in this form and he would keep it that way, his truth would only bring her more pain.
***
Kitty shivered and rubbed her arm nervously. Their new guide Nightcrawler put her on edge. First he comes up to her oozing charm and self-confidence and tries to weasel information out of her. But the instant he got a good look at her face he immediately changed into someone else, someone familiar. He suddenly behaved almost as if he already knew her, acting quite kind and concerned for her well-being. And he acted as if he was hiding something from her, well besides his name of course. The way he looked at her and the way he treated her made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Then there was the last thing he'd said to her, the way he'd said it made her think of a servant seeking it's master's favor. And finally his eyes, they really bothered her. It wasn't because they glowed or were golden-yellow in color, but that they reminded her of someone else. His eyes brought up ghosts of memory that, even now that he was gone, danced in the shadows of her mind.