I Who Should Not Be

Chapter 23

Murtagh sat with the little dwarf child and waited for Onika to finish pulling her loose shirt over her head. The dark haired Rider had asked Orik about what he knew about Wolfborn, and the dwarf king had told him where the library was. His eyes followed the lone female Rider as she walked a short distance away and began humming quietly before turning to him and smiling.

"That Stone Ghost…is it a friendly creature?"

"It is a…protective spirit. It won't hurt you as long as you don't hurt the baby."

He nodded and stood, holding the child out away from him. Onika tipped her head and smirked.

"It's just a baby, Murtagh. It won't hurt you if you hold it a little closer to you."

"Erm…"

Onika rolled her eyes and took a few steps toward him and pushed the baby closer to Murtagh's chest and turned his arms until he was holding the child in a more comfortable position.

"There. See? You won't break him that way."

The dark haired Rider glanced at the baby and then looked back at Onika, trying to keep himself from inhaling too deeply.

As they walked through the caves, Onika walked ahead of Murtagh. He still was trying to breathe as little as he could, for fear of her new stronger and more attractive smell might addle him again. Finally he just breathed through his mouth, as his lungs protested so little air with such strenuous walking.

"Have you ever thought that… Maybe something is waiting for us?"

"Other than the Mad King?"

Onika made a face, turning so she was facing the dark Rider and continued to walk backward. The little dwarf child was busily tugging at Murtagh's long hair, making him wince. Onika finally rescued him, slinging the child over onto her hip and fixing him with her yellow eyed stare.

"I don't understand what you mean Onika."

The Wolfborn shook her head and looked over her shoulder quickly, then glanced over Murtagh's. Her eyes were worried, and a small crease was starting to find a permanent home on the skin between her eyebrows.

"I'm just worried Murtagh. I keep feeling like something…"

Her words trailed off as her eyes widened as she stared past the dark haired man. Her arm clamped down on the child on her hip as she took a step back.

:Changing. Get up on my back once I'm fully shifted and hold the pup.:

Even as she spoke, she handed the child to him and began to shift, turning her back on Murtagh, though her eyes never left the space behind him. Her shift was just as fast as it had ever been, but he noticed that it seemed less natural… He climbed up onto her back and made sure that he had the little dwarf secure before making a small noise to tell Onika that he was ready for her to run.

He had barely made the sound before he felt all the muscles below him bunch and they were off. Murtagh leaned forward to try to both shield the boy and keep himself from losing his head to a rogue rock.

Murtagh, what is happening? Mishee is telling me that Onika is afraid and you are fleeing something in the caverns. I feel your own anxiety. Do you know what she is afraid of?

She hasn't said anything to me.

Hmm.

Murtagh twisted his hand deeper into the fur in front of him when he saw a wide chasm coming closer. He usually was not afraid of going over something like that, but then again, usually he was perched on a creature with powerful wings… While he knew Onika's physical strength was unsurpassed when she was in her wild form, he couldn't quiet the little voice in his head that kept saying that there was no way she could jump that chasm.

When she reached the edge, Murtagh tightened his grip on the child and leaned forward. If he fell, there would be little that he could do to stop himself before one of the sharp rocks that jutted from the chasm's walls broke him into little pieces.

The Wolfborn landed hard, the shock of her metal foreleg sending stone shards flying. Without warning, Onika shook, sending Murtagh and the child sliding off her back. Murtagh landed on his feet with the now screaming child held to his chest.

"What's happening, Onika?"

:Go! I will follow when I can. Take the pup back to where he is safe, then tell Pack that I will see them later. I won't let them touch any of you!:

"Onika-"

:NOW!:

Murtagh briefly considered pulling his Alpha rank on her, but then he thought about the child that was squalling in his arms. He couldn't have Orik's son being hurt by whatever was coming. Finally he muttered a spell under his breath and began to run. The spell gave him more speed than he would ever achieve as a human, almost equal to that of the running Wolfborn.

When he looked over his shoulder, he saw that the wolf Onika had turned towards the chasm and raised her hackles, a low growl reverberating off the stone walls.

Call the others to you Thorn! Hurry!