Chapter Thirteen: Jusk
The group had been walking for most of the day stopping only briefly to rest and Shyvana's feet hurt. It's not that she was physically tired her stamina was far better than a normal human but she preferred flying to walking when it came to travel. The sky was starting to darken, sunlight dropping low on the horizon as dusk settled on the group. Jarvan threw his hand up signaling everyone to stop.
"What's the matter sir?" Garett asked his hand unconsciously moving towards his bow strapped to his back as he looked around the area.
They were in a heavily wooded area the surrounding trees reaching high into the skyline. Shyvana could hear the faint sound of moving water in the distance and inhaling deeply she could smell the dampened soil of the river's edge. She looked at Jarvan and nodded her head silently agreeing with him this location would be perfect to set up camp for the night. Easily defendable if the need arises and secluded enough that anything passing through would have a hard time seeing them if it wasn't looking.
"We'll stop here for the night" Jarvan said unfastening his lance from his back and stretching.
His companions nodded and set about making a camp. Shyvana decided that she would sleep along the edge of the tree line close to a large rock formation to not disturb Jarvan's men. She could see Hart glaring at her as she set up her makeshift camp.
"Garett, go find some food in the supplies, Shyvana Connors could you please make a fire, Dagonett Hart run a perimeter check" Jarvan said dropping his lance and bag beside a large tree between Shyvana and his companions.
Shyvana cocked her head to the side watching Jarvan unpack his supplies setting up his bedroll close to her own. She ducked her head and smiled to herself.
"Alright dragoness I'll get some firewood if you wouldn't mind providing the flame" Connors said smirking at her chuckling at his own pun.
Shyvana looked up at the large burly man and smiled nodding. She quickly set out to make an appropriate fire pit clearing a patch of leaves and using her flames to super heat the soil creating a hard-solid patch of glass like material. Connors raised an eyebrow as he watched the dragoness make a fire pit the look on her face pure concentration as she summoned her flames and blasted the ground the damp earth sizzling as she super-heated it. Jarvan stepped up beside Shyvana looking down at the shiny hard ground and then at Shyvana's hands. Each of her small pale hands had darkened to a tough leathery violet ebony scales creeping along the backs of her hands. Purple flames sparked and poured from her fingertips like molten lava giving her forearms the appearance of an erupting volcano. His gaze traveled up her body unto her face her eyes glowing a vivid purple reptilian slits replacing her round orbs. Jarvan was in awe of the power she possessed when she summoned her draconian strength but he was not afraid and did not move away as the flames burned brighter around her then slowly died down. Shyvana snorted billows of smoke raising high into the air from her nostrils she shook her head blinking away the reptilian eyes. She looked up and Jarvan and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry I guess I over did it" she stepped away from the fire pit as Connors dropped an armload of wood unto the pit.
"No its quite alright, its captivating watching you control fire like that" Jarvan said smiling down at her.
"I wouldn't want to piss you off that's for sure" Connors said laughing as he left to bring more wood for the fire.
Shyvana laughed and kneeled by the fire pit closing her eyes and taking a deep breath a small mote of flame dancing in her outstretched palm. She lowered her hand into the wood and watched as fire sprang to life satisfied it would stay lit she pulled her hand out of the flames. Garett returned empty handed and shrugged as Jarvan gave him a questioning glare.
"There's nothing left sir, most of our supplies were destroyed when we were attacked by the dragon" Garett said crossing his arms looking down at the fire.
Shyvana looked down at the flames, fire dancing in her eyes. She lifted her head and sniffed the air turning to look at Garett.
"We could always just hunt something" Shyvana said innocently shrugging.
Jarvan looked back and forth between Garett and Shyvana and nodded at her suggestion.
"Perhaps you'd like to get some good use of that bow of yours Garett" Jarvan said looking down at the younger man smirking.
Garett looked up at his leader and rolled his eyes flinching as his right eye began to spasm. He scowled and rubbed his face reaching for the bow on his back.
"Alright sir, but I make no promises its fairly dark out and I'm half blind, prick" Garett said looking at Jarvan whispering the last word but Shyvana heard it and started laughing.
"Perhaps I can be of service; I can see in the dark after all plus I can hear and smell better than you" Shyvana said stepping up beside Jarvan looking at her delicate hand in the firelight grinning as large talons sprung from her fingertips.
"I'm not completely useless madam, as I matter of fact I could probably out hunt you in the daylight" Garett said leaning towards Shyvana wearing a shit eating grin.
Shyvana snorted and laughed shaking her head. "Is that so, do I hear a challenge Garett" Shyvana purred her eyes glowing in the dim light.
Garett straighten up and crossed his arms puffing out his chest smiling proudly "Yep".
Dagonett rolled his eyes as he approached the group and pushed past Jarvan throwing his arm around Shyvana's shoulders tossing two dead rabbits at Garett's feet.
"If you two talked less we'd have started eating already I caught those while the lot of you were yapping over here. And lass go easy on the poor lad he is a half blind little shit after all" Dagonett laughed at the expression on Garett's face and soon everyone started laughing.
"Here, let me see those" Shyvana said gesturing to the rabbits Garett raised an eyebrow and obliged handing her the animals.
Shyvana made quick work of skinning and cleaning them her long talons easily slicing through the soft flesh as she threw away the entrails. Her long talons dripping crimson blood shining ominously in the firelight. She looked down at her hands and back up at the faces of her companions and backed away. Garett and Connors were staring at her hands each talon about three inches long and razor sharp were dripping blood onto the blood stain earth beneath her feet. In the firelight, she didn't appear to be a young woman but a predator ready to devour her prey in one closed fist. She shook her head and her long talons retracted but she could see the fear in their eyes, in their body language and she dropped the meat in the grass turned tail and ran for the river tears stinging her eyes as she ran.
Jarvan watched in amazement as Shyvana used her long talons to easily clean the rabbits but when she rejoined the group Connors and Garett backed away. He noticed they were staring at her hands her long talons dripping blood his gazed traveled to her eyes and he could see the pain lingering there before she suddenly dropped everything turn and ran.
"Shyvana, wait" Jarvan said stepping forward moving his hand towards her but Dagonett put his arm on his shoulder stopping him.
"Give her some space lad" Dagonett said watching the purple blur fade from view.
"Good riddance you filthy half beast" Hart sneered stepping up beside Connors.
Jarvan spun around rage boiling in his steel blue eyes pointing his finger at Hart like a dagger.
"You shut your damn mouth, every chance you get you try to belittle and diminish her, she's just a misunderstood young woman who is trying to find her place in this world after her father was brutally murdered you of all people should understand that. She's not some beast hell bent on destroying everything she touches and right now she's far more human than the likes of you. I don't care if you don't get along I'm tired of this bullshit so cut it out" Jarvan hissed through clenched teeth his eyes boring into Hart's.
Jarvan spun and started following Shyvana through the tree line towards the rustling of water. Dagonett sighed and looked at Hart watching as the other man set his jaw red tinging his cheeks in embarrassment. Hart locked eyes with Dagonett defiance and rage threatening to boil over but he sighed and looked away his anger sizzling out as he dropped his head.
"Alright lads, let's just let the captain cool off shall we. And for the record miss Shyvana isn't our enemy out here she's our ally don't let her appearance cloud your judgement she's a nice young woman If you give her a chance." Dagonett said exhaling through his nose turning to look at the golden form of their leader disappear into the forest.
Garett and Connors looked at each other than bowed their heads looking into the fire. Hart snorted and stomped over to his bedroll ignoring Dagonett's glare. Dagonett sighed and picked up the rabbits fitting them to a spit and sat down to start cooking them. Garett and Connors joining him the three of them content to sit in silence as the awaited Jarvan and Shyvana's return.