I Who Should Not Be
Chapter 11
They managed to travel until dark without stopping for more than a moment to let Arya off of Mishee so she could clamber up onto Onika's back. Arya noticed that as she ran, the Wolfborn did not speak to the other members of the party. Once they stopped for the night, the elf slipped off the giant panting wolf's back, watching as the fur melted into skin and her body shrunk to her Tame size.
The Wolfborn worked silently, removing Mishee's saddle and arranging her things so that they could stay clean and be packed quickly. The others noted her silence, but passed it off to fatigue. The woman had been running all day after all, they understood if she didn't really feel like talking.
"Onika?"
Murtagh had looked up from the cookfire and noticed that the Wolfborn had vanished. Swearing, he rose to his feet and his two companions did the same.
"Where did she go?"
"I don't know. She didn't make a sound…"
"I can try to go and find her. Elves don't get lost."
The two men agreed and Arya set off in the direction that she had last seen Onika. It wasn't long before she saw the familiar bright hair peeking over the top of a pile of brush. The elf cleared her throat and jumped when she heard a familiar voice.
"I hear…you. Why are you…here? You followed?"
"When did you learn to speak?"
She eased closer to Onika and found the woman sitting on the edge of a rivine, looking down at a rushing river below.
"Not long. I have…listened. I have learned."
Arya marveled at the sound of the Wolfborn's voice. It was low and husky, a hint of a growl always lurking at the back of her throat. It was soothing to hear even as it set her hair on end.
"What are you doing here? We were worried."
Onika looked to her left and pointed to a fallen log that had been cut into with a blade until a symbol was etched into it's surface. Three circles stacked into a triangle with thorny vines weaving through them.
"What is it?"
"My brother…my family. We pass my…home."
"Why didn't you say something?"
Onika shook her head as the elf sat down beside her, letting her feet hang over the rocky edge as Onika was.
"I hear…they speak to me…They want."
"What do they want?"
"Me. They say other brother is…wandering. Not dead. He was here. Finding him…so we can free…our family."
Onika's voice had been heavy with sadness when she spoke of her dead family and brother, but when the topic turned to her living sibling, her voice was full of burning hatred and venom. Arya wondered what the other Wolfborn could have done to bring such hate from a sister who obviously suffered due to the annihilation of her pack. The elf was going to ask what he had done when a metallic smell hit her nose.
Arya sniffed and looked down at Onika's lap and saw that her hands were dark with blood that came from deep gashes on her arms. Her eyebrows shot up and the Wolfborn chewed her lip. There was something she was not telling her, Arya could tell, but did not press her.
"I tried to…spell brother. Our magic is…"
"Blood magic. I read it somewhere."
"Blood magic."
Arya sighed and rubbed her neck and stood, holding out a hand to her only actual friend.
"Come on. We need to rest before we set off in the morning. Besides, Eragon and Murtagh are probably worried sick. We've been gone for more than an hour."
Onika nodded and stood, taking the hand Arya offered before thinking to wipe the blood from her own. They looked at their joined hands for a moment, then smiled and began to walk.
"You know, Onika… you can trust us."
"I know… I do."
"Good."
With a sigh, Onika allowed Arya to lead her back to the camp. She was surprised when Murtagh got directly in her face and snarled, showing his teeth. Instinctively, Onika lowered her head and whined softly. Arya tipped her head and watched as the Wolfborn licked his chin and nudged his jaw with her nose. Eragon stood and led her a few steps away before whispering an explination.
"He just told her he was pissed off that she left. She's apologizing as hard as she can without offering up her belly. See the way she's tipping her head to show her throat? That means that she isn't going to fight him on the subject, and he may punish her if he thinks she deserves it."
"How do you know?"
"She explained a lot of it. And Murtagh told me he was going to tell her off when she joined us. Where was she?"
"Near a grave."
Eragon looked at Onika, who was sitting near Murtagh, and smirked for a moment when he saw his older brother's arm over her shoulders as she spoke in her harsh language. Then a thought seemed to come to him and he looked Arya full in the face.
"A grave?"
"Yes. She said it was her brother's."
"Did she say anything else?"
"Yes. Her other brother was here reciently. I don't know if it is good or bad, but the mention of him seemed to make her angry."
"Hm. I'll talk to her. But for now, let's get some rest."
They rose and went to their respective bedrolls and closed their eyes, listening to Murtagh and Onika's quiet growls and barks.
The Wolfborn looked at Murtagh as he spread out his bedroll and got in, her eyes catching the light of the fire. Mishee snored quietly between Saphira and Thorn, who both were keeping watch. Onika rose and curled up first near her elf friend, then got up again with a sigh.
:Pack Female.: "Can't sleep?"
:Pack Female can't get comfortable. Beds are softer and don't have sticks.:
Murtagh chuckled and held the blankets of his bedroll open with a slight smile.
"Eragon didn't pack your bedroll, go figure. You can sleep with me tonight and then steal his blankets tomorrow and make him fend for himself."
Onika snorted and crept under the covers, yawning. Curling up with her back to Murtagh, she scooted back until she felt her back touch him, then rolled over. She uncurled her legs and pressed up as close as she could without pushing him out of his bedroll, burying her nose in the hollow of his neck, she yawned again and fell asleep.
Murtagh sighed and smiled, putting an arm over her as he had at the inn. Maybe he wouldn't let her steal Eragon's bedroll after all. He liked her just where she was.
A/N
Aww, ain't it sweet?! retches into a bucket I can't believe I wrote that sugary mess… ah well. Comments, suggestions or criticisms? All comments are treated as donations to the Cookies for Murtagh and Eragon Fund. Please, help a hungry Rider. laughs Seriously though, I love your reviews, so please write them.
(And in case anybody was wondering, I am due around January!!)