A/N: The name Rakab is actually a real name spelled backwards. The real name, Bakar, means: alone. Namid is another real name; it's Native American for 'star-dancer' Which is where I got the idea for the plot.
Just some info I decided to share.
Rose woke from a nap, and saw the sky had turned a deep blue, the sun high in the sky. Sitting up, her sharp ears heard the sound of quiet breathing beside her. She turned and smiled at Nyesh, who lay still in slumber. Leaning down, she kissed his cheek and rose from the bed.
She decided against waking Nyesh so she quickly went to the practice courts and took a practice blade from the weapons lined against the wall. Finding no challenger, she took the blade and swung it in a wide butterfly sweep, finding it to move easily through her hands. Flicking the hilt up, she caught it and threw it up again, grinning as she caught it.
As she threw it up again, finding fun in this, a voice made her jump. "You may want to try the serpiente blade dances." The practice blade dropped to the floor with a clatter as she turned around and found Chu'si standing leisurely by the doorway of the indoor practice courts, a smile on her face.
Rose picked up the blade and turned to Chu'si, "Aren't you supposed to be indulging in your men?"
Chu'si made a face, "Oh, you hit me hard, my dear cousin." "I suppose you treat Nyesh this way or would you rather ravish him?"
Rose scowled, "I would not."
Chu'si, "I know he wants to ravish you…it's in his eyes."
Rose almost envisioned Nyesh's eyes, alight with fire, and filled with passion and drew in a sharp breath to calm her nerves from the intoxicating image.
"Just as I thought." Muttered Chu'si, "You actually want him to?"
Rose ignored the question, glared at her adopted cousin, and silently picked up the blade and walked out.
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Namid pulled away from Rak, "I-I…"
Rakab put a finger to her lips, "Shh. You don't need to say anything."
Namid took his wrist and moved his hand to rest at his side, "Rak…"
She saw the hurt in his eyes before his question was asked, "Will it be his heart or mine?"
"Please…" Namid plead, "You're my first priority."
"Priority?" "Oh, so that's what you think? That I'm a chore to you?" Rak's eyes flashed angrily.
"No! Noth—" Namid suddenly found herself hanging by the collar in Rakab's grip, his face twisted with grief-stricken rage. Namid's eyes widened and her face went white in terror. "Rak…please stop…you know I--just stop this," she sputtered. "Let me finish."
Rakab snarled, "No!" "All my life I've protected you and this…" He sucked in ragged breaths, "This is what we've come to."
Namid closed her eyes from the image of the monster that her friend had become. "Rakab…" she whispered.
Sheila's voice rang through the clearing, loud and demanding, "Rakab, let her go!"
The emerald boa was standing by the entrance of the clearing, green eyes irate.
Namid was dropped to the ground, and, looking up, she saw her friend collapse to his knees, the anger vanishing from his tense body and tears replace the rage in his eyes. Soon, he bowed his head, body shaking with sobs. "Oh, gods, Namid…" he sobbed, taking her hands. "I-I'm sorry…"
This was the first time she had truly seen him collapse, to fall to his knees in sobs. His tears fell to the snowy ground and the she-wolf felt like he was confessing his crimes to her, surrendering his dark life for the light she seemed to radiate. She tentatively wrapped her arms around him, comforting him as best she could.
Sheila's eyes softened and she walked back to the waiting members of Sheeva Intre, head bowed. "He's torn between two loyalties as she is. Torn between his old life and the new." She thought.
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Nyesh groaned as he stood and stretched. Hearing footsteps, he whispered, "Rose?" Turning around to face the door, he found not Rose but Chu'si standing there, an empty smile on her face. Nyesh cocked an eyebrow and Chu'si's golden eyes just danced in reply, "My cousin did say you were a thief…what kind are you exactly?" She walked inside, closing the door behind her, her movements slow and like a serpent waiting in the grass to strike. The panther-wolf backed off a step and watched the wyvern's movements like a hawk.
Nyesh's reply was blunt, "Are there any others, princess?"
Chu'si laughed softly, "Come now, Nyesh," she sat on the bed, and took his hand, "You and I both know you wish to ravish Rose… to deflower her," she laughed again. "I see it in your eyes…" Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, "Well, let a professional show you how." She grinned and took the collar of his shirt, dragging him down with her, silencing his protests with a kiss.
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Namid stood with Rakab from the cold snow. Rak took a deep breath and steadied himself on weak knees. When Namid put a hand on Rak's arm, he shook his head, "I'll be alright."
The she-wolf let Rak walk ahead and watched as he walked with long, confident strides, as if he hadn't shed a tear. She admired his strength in will and the ability to stand up for himself even when times were dire. She supposed it was what drew her to him as a friend that one summer's day, when she was four…the day the feral bear shifter attacked.
A small child tottered over to a boy of six and giggled as she shifted to her silver wolf form, loping over the grass. Barking a challenge, the seven-year-old boy laughed and shifted into a black wolf, chasing his friend over the low hills of the Lupine territory. Suddenly, a bear clambered from the bushes and Namid froze in terror as it rose on its hind legs, a thunderous grunt escaping its throat. Rak stepped in front of Namid, growling protectively and baring his teeth. The bear groaned and swiped a paw as Rakab leapt and sunk his teeth into it, hanging on as the bear growled and tried to shake the wolf off. Namid whimpered as Rakab was flung into a thorn patch, wincing in pain as he shape shifted back into human form and limped out, cradling bleeding hands. The bear growled as Rakab eluded him and swiftly picked Namid up, despite his bloody hands, to run. Namid shied away into Rak's arms as the feral bear shifter faced to her and finally blundered off into the wood on all fours.
Namid looked at Rakab's white-scarred hands and shuddered. That was how his hands had been scarred: From his foolish, protective nature. Now, as a man, Rakab was both protective and possessive, and since the death of his adoptive parents' nearly twenty-three years before, he had to watch his world crumble at his feet. And she supposed some Lupine members had gotten tired of having him, an adopted son, in the tribe and that's why they cast him out. She would never really know.
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Nyesh grabbed Chu'si's wrist and pinned her against the bed, eyes burning with anger, "I shall not do as you do." He growled.
Chu'si smiled a sickly-sweet smile, "I know you would say that."
Nyesh's lips curled into a snarl. "Shut up you vile woman."
She giggled, "Aren't you the aggressive, one?" she crooned.
Nyesh rose from the bed and pulled Chu'si up, "I believe," he began, pushing her to the door, "It's lady's first." With that, he shoved her outside and slammed the door shut in her face.
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Rakab and the members of Sheeva Intre quickly had breakfast and, as Shiela pulled Namid aside, Senka, Bialas, and Yrel tried to distract Rakab with conversation. Namid gave the emerald boa a strange look when she didn't seem to explain herself.
Sheila placed a consoling hand on Namid's shoulder, "It's time you should be back for Salem."
Namid bowed her head, "I'd hate for him to…" She couldn't bear to say it.
"Commit suicide?" Sheila asked.
Namid flinched and Sheila nodded in sympathy, "We'll keep a close eye."
The she-wolf hugged the other woman and smiled, "You've done so much for me already."
Sheila grinned, "We're just trying to live our lives."
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Rose took a few swings with the practice blade and grinned. Oh how she wanted to hunt, feel the blood roaring in her ears the adrenaline coursing in her body. Oh gods hunting was a joy she would never sacrifice.
The woman whipped around, the sword suddenly meeting the steel of a real blade with a sharp clang. She couldn't see the challenger's face, but she somehow knew he was skilled with his sword.
The stranger struck first, blade like a whirlwind as Rose struggled to block and to find an opening. When she found one, she lunged as the stranger parried sharply turning to the right and stepping back. Rose sidestepped as the stranger brought his blade in a wide butterfly sweep. As Rose turned she found herself hilt to hilt with the stranger. At this chance, the stranger then brought its height and weight to bear down on her as Rose struggled to regain her stance. Instead, she fell to her back and the stranger wrestled the blade from her hands, and covered her mouth with his hand. In a husky voice the stranger bent down and whispered in her ear: "Don't struggle, or it's your life."
Rose went rigid with fear, yet her mind was screaming and struggling for her body to obey her thoughts. She knew that if she struggled she would die and if she didn't she would be carried away and die anyway.
The stranger then took the hilt of his blade and raised it as if to lay it by her head, but instead he brought the hilt down to strike Rose's skull, hard. Rose's cry was muffled from the attacker's hand and she felt a stinging pain in her skull before she fell limp in the snow.
The stranger grinned and picked the woman up, running into the wood to his own came, the glint of stormy-blue in his eyes fierce.
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Rose opened her eyes and found herself gagged and bound. Her stomach growled and her head hurt like someone had dropped a heavy rock on it. She had no sense of time yet she figured it was a few hours into the afternoon and it had gotten cold and dark. Groggily, she looked around and found herself guarded by two serpiente men. Their leader sat by a crackling fire, talking softly with another man, but Rose was too tired to try and listen.
Suddenly the leader stood and came to kneel beside her. She tensed, expecting the worst; instead, he watched her struggle against her bindings and laughed when she finally gave up. He met her red-silver, livid gaze coolly and edged closer to her. "Can't escape now, can you, princess?" he taunted, "You know, sprouts often grow most beautifully when their faces are turned toward the sun..." Rose turned away, feeling her chances of help slip beneath her fingers, as if the key to her heart was being pried from her fingers and her deepest secrets revealed. The leader then roughly gripped her chin forcing her to face him, wrenched off the gag and kissed her.
Rose struggled against her bonds, silently cursing as Ralon's tongue slid between her slightly parted lips. She kicked herself for even opening her mouth to curse and longed to torture him right now. Torture him to his death as he had done to Nyesh's father. This man—this snake had even openly admitted to the capture, but he had other men do his dirty work.
Ralon failed to notice Rose as she inched away from his touch, he wrapped his arms around her, his fingertips brushing her arms and shoulders as his mouth roughly caressed her neck and collarbone and clearly enjoying her helplessness as his hands explored her curvaceous, well-worked body.
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Nyesh walked outside in the snow and noticed the practice blade on the ground and the blood, which turned a light pink in the snow. He nearly panicked and his mind reeled with thoughts yet they all came to two conclusions: Rose was either dead or captured. He didn't wish for either, but still he worried. Rose was a strong woman and he knew it, but he had a feeling he needed to do something—and fast.
But first things first, Namid and his father needed to know.