Together

Woman of the Otherworld Fanficion

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

As the density of the pools of blood became more pronounced, Riley did not fail to identify the thinning of trees as the two of them slowly emerged to the edge of the forest. Even through Riley could smell diesel, she wasn't able to pick up on the smell of tarmac, meaning they were to face a dirt road. She knew the chances of meeting a vehicle this far into the forest and so far away from Bear Valley was next to nothing but she still slowed and motioned to Nicky about the road up ahead. He in returned gave a nod of his head and the pair observed the building in front of them.

The road was in poor condition and it terminated at a run-down, possibly foreclosed motel that had its main reception standing flimsily at the front with hideous floral curtains, flaking paintwork and a decking that had collapsed underneath the weight of the fallen snow. Once upon a time Riley came to understand that the place must have welcomed tired customers to a holiday retreat that had a warm welcome with vibrant red paint, that had become pale and worn around windows, doors and pillars while the decking that was overwhelmed with vines of ivy or bramble was suffocating the buildings and threatening to tear them down once held lounging tourists and family barbeques. One of the outback cabins was so badly affected by the looming forest it was almost overcome by the plants and Riley had a momentary lapse in concentration as her mind was plagued with images from the Sleeping Beauty fairy-tale and the Castle that was surrounded by thick thorns.

Nick just took a cautious step onto the road and towards the rundown buildings. His form was hulked over but not so he compromised his movement. With efficient movement the pair of them stalked towards the motel to notice large pools of blood that littered the 'Car Parking' area and the broken or uprooted plants that had once been part of a beautiful planter that separated the roadways from the bedroom buildings and reception. Riley was struggling to keep her anxiety hidden as she observed the shattered windows, the abandoned and dusty cars and the furniture that lay broken or had been strewn across the pathways and tarmac. The werewolf knew that something terrible had happened here and as Nick and Riley entered into the first room her suspicions had been correct. A family- a mother, father and two young children had been annihilated by whatever had done this, their flesh littered with hideous wounds while smaller injuries marred their flesh by carrion birds or wild animals. Nick had to force Riley from her studying as he urged her onward; Jeremy would need to know as much as he could from their discovery, knowing that this place could hold the secrets that they needed to identify the creature that was murdering the woman of the town. They also needed to make sure that there were no survivors and that the murderer was not here; after all, they couldn't jeopardise their alpha's safety.

They rounded the corner to the first block of buildings and as they came into what they assumed was the central part of the hotel the pair of them stammered to a stop. Lying in front of them littered hundreds of bodies. Men were clinging onto their wives or children, young lovers holding onto their partners as they awaited their deaths or people fleeing for the forest as they hoped for an escape. Lying in front of them was a mass grave of bodies that had yet to be found, decimated by what had swept through the compound and murdered every single one of them. Riley's heart was heavy with emotion as she placed her paws delicately to the ground, careful not to disturb the bodies of the vacationers below her; Nick was at her side as the pair of them comforted the other, their eyes constantly sweeping across the courtyard. But, as they got further and further to the other block of buildings that was connected on either side by more hotel rooms Riley did not fail to notice more repulsive statues like the one they had found by the edge of the forest. Riley snorted her information towards Nick who fluttered his eyes towards the statues before he began to weave his way through the gargoyles that seemed to take up more space than the bodies; the older werewolf stood on his hind legs, rested his forepaws to the door and allowed his weight to push open the wood. The pair of them emerged into the room, not surprised to find two more bodies of two young men who had been strewn across the bed and another on the floor in the bathroom; however, in the corner of the main living room a large crater that moved into what appeared to be a cavern of stone seemed to disappear into the distance. A tunnel was leading somewhere and all Riley and Nick had to do was follow it. Instead Nick moved back into the snow, sat on his haunches raised his head and emitted a loud howl that remained constant and smooth. It was a sound similar to that of a cry from the horned owl. After Nick had alerted their pack of their position he trotted into the bathroom, signalling Riley that it was time to change back into their human form.

Riley was just pulling her arms into a long sleeved shirt when Nick emerged from the bathroom, his eyes searching for some cloths that would help to protect him from whatever may be within the walls of the cavern. The young werewolf just smiled a very sad smile towards her companion as she located a pair of unused boxer shorts and dragged them up her legs. It was in that moment that Riley felt Nick's hand curling around hers and flung her towards him. Nick's arms were around her instantaneously, squeezing her tight to his chest as Nick felt her face pressing into the crook of his neck, one of her hands clinging onto his neck while the other found the bottom of his shoulder. He was trying to ignore her trembling and as he clung to her he couldn't prevent his own heart from swelling with emotion as his eyes fell to the bodies of the men lying in front of him.

"Are you alright?" He whispered to her softly as one of his hands stroked her hair. He relinquished his hold on her a little when he felt her pulling back but her hand twisted into a fist as she held onto the shirt that he had located from the draw by the bed, her grey eyes were sparkling with so many emotions Nick was unable to identify one, but as he moved his hand through her thick side fringe Riley quickly regained her blank composure.

"How on earth could I possibly be alright?" She started, "We've just walked through a mass grave of innocent people and you're asking me if I'm alright?" Riley breathed, her features expressionless as she tried to compartmentalise everything they had experienced in the last few moments, and like always refused to show any sign of emotion.

"Sorry, stupid question." Nick mumbled in return as he pulled away from her, his hand actively searching hers and when she took it, Nick did not fail to notice the sudden comfort she took from his touch. "But we have no way in knowing what we may face down there." Nick informed as he motioned towards the massive hole in the wall that led towards something they had no idea about. "We might find something we're not going to like."

"We don't have any other choices." Riley expressed before she followed after Nick, noticing how the pair of them had been unable to locate any shoes and how Nick had chosen to wear a t-shirt that did very little to hide the bulging muscles of his arm and chest.

As soon as the two of them had finally prized away all of the fallen furniture the pair of them blanched due to the overwhelming aroma of rancid metal and decay. Riley and Nick could not stop themselves from blanching as the young woman lifted the sleeve of her borrowed shirt to cover her mouth and her nose to try and acclimatize to the sudden onslaught of smell. Nick glanced over his shoulder towards her, his hand tightening around hers as he walked further into the cavern. It was unclear how long they had been walking through the tunnel, but as the stone pathway started to fall downwards the pair of them were unable to make out the dark shapes that littered the sides of the walls. It was in that moment that Nick reached for the back pocket of his jeans and surprised Riley when he pulled out a small torch he must have found within the hotel room. But, as the beams of light that erupted into the passageway Riley was able to identify the forms that had only moments before been unable to identify. Bodies of woman were strewn to the sides, their blood staining the floor red as their bodies withered and decayed. Nick had to force Riley from looking down towards her feet, for he had made that mistake; he had no doubt that since they entered the tunnel they had been walking through the blood of hundreds of people and both of their bare feet were painted red.

"Nicky, look at this." Riley instructed as she guided him back towards the side of the wall, her eyes frowning in concentration as she took in the drawn pictograms that were etched into the cave walls. His lifted the torch light, his sensitive eyesight able to take in the drawing of a great battle of men going up against bat-like creatures, the men rallying behind a man with a sword glowing white and a young woman controlling magic and standing next to a large rabbit. As he continued to study the glyphs is seemed that the battle was neither lost nor won for both sides suffered a tremendous loss of men or beast. But what had Nick confused was the elegant scrawl that described whatever scene was being depicted. Nick just watched as Riley ran her fingertips gently over the carvings, her eyes twinkling with awe as if gazing at her family tree.

Nevertheless, she couldn't keep her emotions hidden as her usually regally hidden emotions came flooding to her features and her composure slipped; her mind was clouded with conflicting thoughts and emotions, remembered images of her dreams came flooding to the front of her mind as she took in the eerily familiar drawings that were resting on the wall in front of her. Confusion and sheer terror covered her features as her usual professional manner of dealing with human emotions and keeping herself detached from a potential personal situation was not helping her come to a logical reason.

How did she know the English translation of the Celtic words in front of her? Why did the drawings that depicted an ancient battle feel like she was remembering it? Why was she backing away from the realization like a whining child instead of facing it like the strong individual she knew she could be?

But all she could think was why was this happening to her? Why did she have to be the one plagued by nightmares, why did she have to be the one reading and understanding a lost language, because all she wanted was to be inconspicuous, to not be noticed and not be the centre of attention because she was not like Elena or Clay, she did not want attention of any kind because that meant someone would have a reason to hurt her.

She was getting frustrated in herself that she wasn't dealing with this situation, that she wasn't actively going about treating her nightmares or getting over her fear of what her subconscious was demanding she know. Elena was right. The last few days had seen her become more of a person, a person who spoke her mind, who defended her ideals and wasn't afraid to show her feelings; even if she didn't own up about how she felt emotional, mostly when it came to Nick.

Amid her panic Riley did the one thing Nick had told her not to do and she looked down and her stomach churned. Her feet and her ankles were smeared red with blood and the bile within her stomach started to rise up her throat. She was losing control and she was screaming at herself for being so emotional but considering she had just walked through a mass grave, she located the body of a young boy that had been mutilated, she was wearing the cloths of a murdered man, was understanding a language she never studied and now she was walking through the blood of the bodies lined at the sides of the walls she said to herself that she had every right to lose it.

Riley backed away from the wall, her eyes flashing to the bodies of the young woman that were draped to the corners of the room and the only thing she wanted to do was vomit and to alleviate the tenderness of her stomach. However, as if he had felt her terror Nick turned around and almost leapt onto Riley as he witnessed the volume of emotions that she was visibly displayed for Riley never ever lost her composure. Nick curled his tall figure around Riley's small figure and he consciously felt Riley's hand clinging onto his borrowed shirt as her arms folded onto her chest as she slotted herself perfectly into Nick's arms who placed a loving kiss to her hair and leant his cheek onto the top of her head.

"Everything's going to be alright Riley, I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt you, you can count on that." Nicky whispered as the arm he had wrapped around Riley's back squeezed her tighter as Riley continued to tremble, the younger werewolf still struggling to compose herself as she allowed Nick's scent, arms and demeanour calm her. "What made you react this way?" He questioned gently as he gave her the space she needed, it seemed to Nick however, that his touch was keeping her calm as he allowed his hand to rest at the bottom of her back as she rested her forehead to his chest.

"Everything." Was all Riley could muster and relaxed a little more when she felt Nick chuckling; with all the places he could be laughing this was possibly the worst place to do it. However, as Riley pulled away a small smile was etched to her lips before something overcame her features as soon as her eyes took in a symbol drawn on the wall. "What is it?" Nick questioned, a frown on his expression as he struggled to keep her with him, his hands slowly falling from hers as she circled around him and back to the wall she had stepped away from only moments before. "Riley?"

"I've seen this mark before." Riley voiced as she momentarily looked over her shoulder to look at Nick and then back to the wall.

"What mark? Riley you're starting to worry me." Nick said as he padded towards her again, her sudden shift in behaviour and her cryptic words had him anxious.

"Seek for the Sword that made Stronger, In a stone is has dwelled, Destroy the one they call Saviour, Who is stronger than Dragon Scales, There shall be shown a token, That destruction is near at hand, For destiny has been spoken, And all is left unknown."

"How do you know that?" Nick asked, his eyes fluttering down towards her as Riley looked up at him, her hands still resting on the cold stone, the young werewolf trying to keep her mind preoccupied so she wouldn't look down at her feet.

"I don't know, I just look at it and I can tell you what it says." Riley expressed

"And this is the symbol you were talking about?" Nick inquired as his fingers trailed the circular symbol that intertwined and twisted together.

"Yes, it's the Celtic symbol or rune that means Strength."

"And you've never studied this before?"

"I'm a Doctor Nick, not a historian."

"Come to think of it, it does look a little familiar." Nick expressed as he sat on his hips "Wait isn't that…." Nick suddenly voiced, flinging his body towards Riley who was pulling at the lapel of her borrowed shirt and displayed the two and a half inch black inked tattoo that was vibrantly shining on her collarbone.

"Yeah." Riley stated before she turned back towards the wall of pictograms. "But I was born with this mark; I didn't actively go to a tattoo shop to get it."

"Shit…"

"Yeah, getting a little creeped out myself now." Riley mumbled.

But, for the second time that day Riley shot off without another word to Nick which had the elder werewolf rushing to her heels once again. Riley was constantly scanning the walls as she moved deeper into the cavern, the pair of them struggling to avoid the bodies of the young woman while they awaited the arrival of their Pack and Alpha. However, Nick could see what was happening before Riley did; the young Doctor hadn't noticed the rickety wood underneath her feet as she was so preoccupied with her studying.

"Riley!" Nick bellowed before he flung himself towards her, his arms curling around her figure only a fraction before the wood gave way and the pair of them were tumbling. The two of them were frantically clawing for any sort of footing, the young werewolves barely able to gain a firm hold on the jagged rocks as they continued to revolve down the cave walls. But, Riley prepared herself for an impact as the floor grew ever closer but she slowly opened her eyes when nothing came, only the resounding groan that tumbled from Nick's lips.

"Oh Nicky, I'm sorry." Riley grimaced as she heard him coughing as she slowly detangled herself from her position draped over his chest.

"Why is it you always land on me?" Nick grimaced as he grasped hold of Riley's offered hand as she aided him into a seated position. Riley just ran her hand though her hair as she sat on top of her lower legs as Nick regained his breath. "But you're otherwise okay, yeah?"

"Yeah, hunky-dory." Riley voiced and completely missed Nick's frown of confusion as he watched her getting to her feet before she held out her hand so she could help Nick to his feet.

"So where are we anyway?" Nick asked as the pair of them looked around to their new surroundings.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Was all she said before her attention was suddenly caught. "Bloody hell." Riley uttered as she headed to her left, her eyes transfixed to the alter that was resting at the other side of the room. It was in that moment that Nick walked up beside his companion and once again took hold of her hand as each of them individually scanning the runes of a language neither of them had seen before. Nick jus lowered his face back to Riley's asking a silent question regarding the words etched to the wall but as she shook her head the older werewolf realised that her language knowledge only stretched to ancient Celtic. "What goes on in this place?"

"I doubt anything good." Nick stated with concern etched to his voice as he took a cautious step towards the table that held something covered by a dirtied and tattered cloth. As soon as he pulled the tarp from the object Nick balked and took a step back, struggling to compose his bombarded senses as he invited Riley forward. Cautiously she moved up next to him and gazed down to the woman lying in front of them. Her ginger hair fanning out behind her, her pale skin marred with dirt and bruises and as Riley tried to get a better look at her body she was unable to identify any other wounds. She wasn't murdered like the other girls found within Bear Valley and as Nick lowered the cloth down to her stomach she realised why; drawn on her skin was a black tattoo of the Celtic symbol Riley had. Obviously whoever did this to her knew this mark was important and had sacrificed this woman for a reason. Nick just looked towards Riley before the pair of them were abruptly pulled from their conversation when they heard the howling calls of their pack.