Chapter 65
They found the elven hunter, Deygan, and after the injured elf had passed out from pain, Aedan carried him back to the Dalish camp. They were met halfway by a guard, who checked Deygan's vital signs before standing and offering her thanks to Aedan and his companions. As the Dalish carried their hunter back to camp, Emma wiped a thin layer of sweat from her brow. "Is it getting hot?" There were a few cursory answers, but it seemed no one else was feeling the heat as much as Emma. She debated about taking her cloak off, but then a shiver rolled down her spine and she decided to keep it on. Ah, damn it! She hoped she wasn't coming down with the flu - hot one minute and shivering the next.
They reached the spot where they'd initially encountered the werewolves, only this time they were greeted by darkspawn. Emma grabbed her staff, and her companions reached for their weapons as the fight began. She noticed a slight trembling in her hands and struggled to cast a spell. She looked down at her hands, confused and annoyed. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
As her frustration grew, and more darkspawn poured out of the forest, a red tinge coloured her vision and a violent rage swarmed through her body. She growled and threw her staff to the ground no longer having any use for it. Before she could even consider her actions, she pounced onto a hurlock and shoved her hand at its throat – except it didn't look like her hand – this thing had fur and claws… really big claws and they were doing a great job of ripping out the hurlock's throat. The scent of blood filled her senses and she wondered why she'd never realised how good it smelled. She looked around for more things to tear apart and grinned when she spotted an ogre stomping towards them. A low menacing growl vibrated in her chest and she charged before leaping gracefully off the ground and landing on its massive chest. She dug her claws in, right where the heart should be and twisted. The horned darkspawn roared and grabbed at her, but with her newfound agility, she flipped over onto its back and sank her vicious claws into its thick neck. Something inside of her - some instinct told her not to bite or taste the blood pouring from the deep wound. The great beast staggered and she tore her claws from its throat, scattering muscle and flesh through the air in a gruesome arc. As the ogre fell to the ground with a crash, a shudder ran through her and she arched her body, tipping her head towards the sky and howling triumphantly.
A stunned silence filled the clearing as the final darkspawn fell, and everyone turned to look at Emma, standing atop the ogre with blood dripping from her hands, well paws, and patches of fur sprouting up all over her skin.
"Oh, Maker! No!" Aedan's anguished cry caught Emma's attention and she looked at him unsure of why he looked so sad. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him she felt fine, better than fine, actually, but right then a sharp pain shot through her stomach and she dropped to her knees. Ah hell, if my hand starts doing that weird shit from American Werewolf in London, I am going to freak out! She screamed as her jaw elongated and sharp teeth punched through her gums impaling her lips and filling her mouth with blood. Her body contorted and bones popped out from their joints, realigning themselves into something different, something inhuman. Her skin rippled and itched and she dug her claws into the ground to stop herself from scratching the flesh from her bones. Damn it! I knew these fleas would be a problem. A hysterical giggle built up and tumbled from her newly shaped mouth, but as it sounded more like a growl than a giggle she quickly stopped herself.
Emma's chest heaved as the transformation ended. Her ears flickered at all the new sounds while her extra sensitive nose twitched at the incredible array of aromas. Good God, something smelled delicious; all musky and wild and… she lifted her head and zeroed in on the source of that mouth-watering scent. She pushed herself upright and realised the ground seemed a lot further away than it was before. She hoped her vertigo wouldn't kick in because she didn't want to spend her time running around on all fours.
She stepped toward the man who smelled so good to her but stopped when he took a step back with fear and sadness in his eyes. Her lips pulled back in a snarl as she remembered he was no longer hers. "Find the werewolves' lair and talk to the Lady. Do what she asks and break the curse." Damn, her voice had dropped so many octaves she could have given Christian Bale's Batman a run for his money.
"Emma…" The man who smelled like warmth and comfort held out his hand to her and she took a step forward, wanting to be near him, to feel his arms around her, but it couldn't be because she remembered this man – Aedan – telling her that they couldn't be together. Raw pain tore through her chest and she threw back her head and howled mournfully, pouring all her sorrow and heartbreak into that long soulful note. It took a second for her to realise she had a backing and looked down to see Revek just finishing his howl.
She started backing away from her friends as a cold, awful rage swept through her. All the anger and hurt she'd bottled up inside were no longer held back by the usual inhibitions that a person had. Primal instincts were rising and they were telling her to hunt, maim and kill.
"Wait… where are you going?" Aedan said, stepping towards her.
Her green eyes blazed as she looked upon the man who'd caused this agony, and she didn't know whether to hurt him or hump his leg. On top of the strong emotions coursing through her, she was dealing with all the extra input - scents, sounds, and small movements once invisible now easily detectable. She leaned forward in a menacing stance, flexed her claws and roared - it was all she could think of to get them to leave - but the stubborn bastard moved closer. "I'm coming back for you, I promise."
The beat of his heart and the nuances in his voice revealed that he'd told her the truth. Damn! Suddenly she'd become the world's best lie detector! Emma knew she should leave, but she had to know. "Did you ever love me?"
Aedan's eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "I do love you, and I always will." The scent of his truth wrapped around her battered heart like a warm blanket and she closed her eyes for a moment, savouring his words.
Emma flinched as his fingers stroked her face, but took pleasure in feeling his touch again after being without it for so long. The larger, primal part of her brain didn't understand the strong emotions flowing through her, and it warred with the small human side of her, causing conflicted feelings that she didn't know how to deal with. It all made her head hurt. A deep growl rumbled from her chest, and she barely managed to cling to her humanity long enough to tell Aedan about the Grand Oak tree before giving in to the animalistic side of her nature. Still growling, her ears flat to her skull, she turned and bounded off into the Brecilian Forest, leaving behind all her friends and the man she loved.