Chapter 67

As Wynne finished the healing, Emma reached out and gently touched her friend's arm. "Did you meet him?"
Wynne cocked her head to one side in obvious confusion. "Who?"
Emma glanced around the forest, trying to pinpoint her location; damn it, she always got confused when trying to find Aneirin. "Oh, wait! I know where we are. Okay, don't worry, keep following this path and you'll find him."

Aedan approached her, and with gritted teeth, she stopped herself from running away and hiding. She didn't consider herself vain, but honestly, how many women would want the man they loved to see them in the form of a werewolf?
"How are you holding up, Emma?"
Her head snapped up and she glared, and it was a pretty intimidating glare, considering her towering height and muscled furry body. "Oh, I'm doing fine, thanks. I scared the crap out of myself by looking in a river, played fetch with a sylvan, and I'm being eaten alive by fleas." She scratched at her chest because just the word alone made her itch. "All it needs now is for a wolf to start sniffing my ass, and my day will be complete. How are you doing?"
"Okay, I guess that was a stupid question, but I'm worried about you. I just wanted to make sure you're all right."
Emma huffed and rubbed a hand over her face. "Sorry, it wasn't a stupid question, I'm just having some anger management issues. I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine… considering the circumstances." He moved quickly and pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping tightly around her body. She froze at the unexpected gesture, but then carefully returned the embrace, mindful of her strength and sharp claws.
"Come with us, Angel. I don't like the idea of you being out here alone."
Her eyes stung at the use of his endearment for her. It was the first time he'd spoken it since they'd broken up. She wondered if they had a chance to reunite and then dismissed the idea. He obviously pitied her predicament and had used the term to make her feel better. She dampened down the flare of hope as she replied, "I can't. I don't have that much control over my emotions and I don't want to unintentionally hurt someone."
His hands gripped at her fur revealing the force of his emotions. "Be careful out there, okay?"
She nodded against the top of his head. "You too."
He let go of her as abruptly as he'd hugged her, and walked off. She immediately felt the loss of his warmth and shivered, her thick coat no match against the chill of loneliness. She couldn't watch him walk away again and instead turned to Danyla. "Okay, let's go and find something to kill."

-x-

"You're an idiot! You know that, right?" Aedan snapped out of his thoughts and glanced over at Alistair, surprised to see the normally cheerful Grey Warden with an angry expression.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me. You're obviously still in love with her, yet you pushed her away from you."
Aedan watched a halla skip by and stop at a thick patch of grass, where it grazed contentedly. He felt a pang of jealousy for the simple life it led. "You don't know the whole story," he growled, feeling defensive.
Alistair shook his head. "I don't need to. You love her, she clearly still loves you. So what's the problem?"
Aedan snarled and pushed the other Grey Warden up against a tree. "She could be taken from me at any moment, and there's nothing I can do to stop it! I'm fucking helpless to save the woman I love. So don't tell me it's that simple!"
Alistair didn't resist his friend's aggressive action, but his face softened as he listened to the heartbroken words falling from the man's lips. Aedan pushed away and swiped a hand over his eyes. "Sorry, Alistair. I shouldn't have done that, it's still a bit raw at the moment."
He started to turn away, but Alistair gripped Aedan's arm. "Has it crossed your mind that either of you could die at any time? You almost died in the Deep Roads. Let's be honest, we're not exactly living an easy life at the moment." Alistair dropped Aedan's arm and rubbed the back of his neck. "If I had what you had with her, I'd make the most of our time together."
Aedan looked stunned, and it was plain that the thought had never crossed his mind. "Maker! I've been an idiot."
His friend chuckled. "Yeah, you have, but hey, we all have our moments."
Aedan rubbed the heel of his hand above the bridge of his nose, looking distracted. "I've really screwed up. What if she won't take me back?"
He got an elbow in the ribs for his comment. "Don't be silly. She still loves you, though she might make you grovel a little... well, a lot."
Aedan glared. "That's not very helpful, Alistair."
The Grey Warden just chuckled and walked away. "And focus on the problem later, because I do not want to have to tell a seven-foot werewolf that you've been injured, or killed." Alistair shuddered at the thought of what a pissed-off female with sharp claws could do to him.

-x-

Emma settled herself on a thick branch and looked out over the Brecilian Forest, thoroughly enjoying the view considering this wasn't something she could normally do because of her vertigo, however, that had disappeared when she'd transformed. "Do you think it's a good idea to be up here?"
Emma glanced over to her companion. "Why wouldn't it be?"
Danyla looked down, nervously gesturing to the ground below. "Well, I don't think wolves are supposed to climb trees."
"Well, that's true, but we're werewolves, we're allowed to break the rules."
Danyla chuckled. "I guess you have a point." She scratched at her leg. "Fenhedis! These blasted fleas!"
Emma nodded in sympathy as she raked at her stomach. "Maybe we should go and soak in the river for a while? I think we've done everything we can for now."
"Oh, I like that idea; let's see how many fleas we can drown."
Emma grinned and started to climb down from her perch when she saw Zathrian moving through the undergrowth. She quickly clamped a hand on Danyla's arm and made a shushing gesture when she noticed the woman was going to call out.
Danyla cocked her head in confusion but remained silent. They waited until the keeper had walked past and then climbed down the tree. "Why did you stop me? He could have helped us?"
Emma shook her head. "He'd be more likely to try and kill us. But you're right, he can help us, he just doesn't want to… at the moment." She hoped Aedan would change Zathrian's mind and get him to release the werewolves from their curse because if she had to put up with these fleas for much longer, she would be having some serious words with the Keeper. "Actually, that's not a bad idea," she murmured. Zathrian's fight was pretty difficult, and although she knew Aedan and the team would be able to handle him, she figured she should be close by when the curse was broken – just to be on the safe side.
"What's not a bad idea?" Danyla asked.
"Oh, sorry, I was answering my own thoughts. I think we should follow Zathrian."
Danyla shrugged. "Okay, although I was looking forward to my bath."
Emma chuckled. "Don't worry, next time you have a bath, you'll be with your husband."
The elf grinned and rubbed her hands together. "That sounds like fun. And I suppose you'll be bathing with that blue-eyed human we met earlier?"
"Ah, no. We're not together." Just saying the words caused a dull ache in her chest and she quickly changed the subject. "Come on. Let's start following the Keeper." She sprinted off without waiting for an answer. It was time to end this curse… and these damn fleas!