Hamlet
n. a small settlement, generally one smaller than a village.
Five days into their winter mountain retreat had passed, and Aqua received another strange vision. She, alongside Kamui and the rest of the royal siblings, left to venture into a deeper recess of another unmarked cave, where a sparkling border of reality and dreams shimmered in the air. As each sibling walked through the threshold, the boundary glittered, and when the air sat still and stagnant, none of the royal children were to be seen afterward.
They were far out of reach, and the rest of the army was left to themselves as they couldn't bother with trying to breach the barrier (if Cyrus and Suzukaze's repeatedly failed attempts were any indication of such a thing), for the time being. Naturally, some of the retainers—Marx's retainer Lasward and Ryouma's retainer Saizou, especially—tried to keep order within the remaining ranks, although they couldn't account for everyone.
It was this exact moment in time where Nishiki and Flannel realized that if there was ever an opportunity to sneak away and revisit the beloved homes they left behind, now was the time to do it.
They ran into each other outside, both of them met with an urgency and impatience that came with the excitement of sneaking away. They headed further and further away from the others, until the only sounds they could hear were from the snowy crags around them, and each other.
"So, what're you going to do 'til they come back?" Flannel asked. "I know what I'm gonna do, but I wanted to hear it from you, too!"
"Well, it's nothing much," Nishiki said. "But I don't think they'll be back within a day. In that time, I think I can make a quick trek back home and come back just as fast."
"You're serious?"
"Yes. I miss them so much, and I don't know if I'll get to see them soon, considering how things are going here on the warfront. So, yeah, I'll head home for a day or two." Nishiki glanced backward in the direction they came from, with a slightly worried look on his face. "Lilith left the gate open back in the cave. Maybe I can ask her to drop me off as close to the hamlet as she can."
"That's a good idea," Flannel praised. "I'll ask her the same for Mount Garou."
"So you're also going back home for a little while?"
"Yes!" Flannel cheered, tail wagging back and forth behind him. "I'm homesick, too. And like you said, this might be the only chance we get, so we'd better take it. There's no hunting for the cold-footed, after all!"
Nishiki smiled, clearly amused by the other's new resolve. "You're right," he said. "Okay, then let's head back together. And when you get back from your trip, you can tell me all about your family and how they're doing."
"Same to you!"
As they returned to the base camp in question, both Nishiki and Flannel wore impossibly happy smiles on their faces.
But nothing could mask the inner anxiety within, one that formed from a deep anguish and homesickness.
.
.
.
The exchange with Lilith was easier than he thought it would be. As it turned out, she had nothing to do with Kamui's extended absence, and her powers would be able to encompass the transportation needed to cut the week's long journey to Mount Garou and Youko no Hama down to size. It would take less than a day's trip, if she dropped off both Nishiki and Flannel at their respective destinations. And if that were the case, then the two of them could really be in and out of the mountains by the time that Kamui and their siblings returned.
The problem laid in the integrity of such actions. "Because they told me not to overextend myself," she explained. "And...well, they wanted everyone to stick together, so I don't know how helpful it would be if I defied their wishes like that."
The three of them talked the problem over for some time, but when the two beasts finally presented offerings for the dragonling in question, she seemed more pliant than usual. "Well, since you're being so kind to me in place of my master...then I suppose I could pretend to be naive if anyone asked about your whereabouts…"
Everything was so set into place, that Nishiki almost left right then and there. But then he remembered that he promised to bring back a souvenir to one of the kits in the village, so he doubled back to the armory tent set up outside, and grabbed the nicest—albeit the smallest—thing that he could take with him, and returned to the rendezvous point where Lilith said to use at his own will.
Just as he began to approach it, however, he could hear the soft patter of footsteps resonate behind him. The sound almost froze him in place, if he hadn't heard it a few seconds ahead of time as he did. It registered in his mind that someone else was there, now, and while they were surely suspicious of him for appearing to leave so suddenly, if he could muster up a reply to deflect all the blame from his soon-to-be absence, then it might lessen the damage.
A voice called out to him, the footsteps coming to a halt. "Nishiki?"
He forced on a friendly smile, and hoped that its brightness would be sufficient enough to cover up the intense nervousness he felt inside. As Nishiki turned around, he faced the single entity that could ruin his plans entirely. And when he saw exactly who it was, he mentally cursed himself.
"Orochi," he greeted her calmly. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask you the very same thing." Not ten seconds into their conversation, and her lips curved upward to make a vicious smirk. It didn't help that she placed her hands on her hips, too, as if to celebrate her upcoming victory over Nishiki. "Sneaking around, are we? I'll have you know, Nishiki, being absent so often usually allows room for nasty rumors. It'd be a shame if even more of them were to start up suddenly, and without warning."
"I know!" Nishiki insisted. "I know, I know I shouldn't really be leaving right now, but I promise that I'll explain it all to Kamui later. This is way more important than any silly rumors you may have heard about me, however." His smile lessened into something more genuine. "I'm off now! Bye, Orochi!"
"Wait!" She cut in, sounding quite serious, for once. "Is everything alright? I've never seen you look so troubled before."
The feeling of impatience rose within him. If he didn't owe Orochi the favors that he did, he would have just ran off already. But her intense stare, coupled with his own hindering kindness, forced him to stay put just a little bit longer. "I'm fine, I just have to go."
"Go where? Where do you have to go that is so important that you have to try and sneak out, instead of just telling everyone your intentions? I mean, if it's personal, then..."
"I'm going back to visit my home."
She blinked once, twice, thrice at last, before asking: "Your home? Where all the other youkos are?"
"Yes, that place. I've never been gone so long before, you see. And I figured that since Kamui and the others are busy with something important, then I could afford to leave for a day or two, even if it's just to see my family again."
"Wow. That's really sweet of you, Nishiki. Here I was, thinking there was some grooming parlor out there that you were dying to go see, but you were actually thinking of others instead! I'm moved."
"Uh-huh, great. I'll just be on my way, then—"
"But," Orochi interrupted, face shifting into her trademark smile. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you while you're out crossing the mountains and such."
"Huh? What do you mean? I'll be fine, it's my home, after all, and I—
Nishiki suddenly caught onto her ploy, in near disbelief of her cunning. Just as quickly as he had seen through her, he shook his head in firm denial.
"No."
"I didn't even say anything!"
"You didn't have to say anything! You want to go with me, don't you?"
"Well, if you're asking me, I couldn't dare refuse!"
He groaned. "Orochi, you can't come with me. It's a family business, and it'd be weird to have you there, you know, with my family? It doesn't make sense for you to come with me."
"I won't get in the way," she reassured him in a sedate voice, one that didn't quite work at putting all his nerves at ease. "I'm curious, is all. And I'm genuinely worried you'll run too fast and fall into a canyon, or something. I'll even cover for you when we get back! I know you must have convinced Lilith, somehow, but she's far too innocent to keep up the ruse for that long. When she inevitably snitches on you, I'll support you, and claim that you were actually assisting me in some divine journey, or something."
"Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Yes, but only if you let me come. If you don't, I'll just let Kamui or Ryouma know that you're skipping out on your duties again."
"That's blackmail, Orochi!"
"It doesn't have to be, if you would just let me go with you."
At that point, Nishiki realized there was nothing he could do to shake her off his tail. He was a fox in every sense, but Orochi had her own clever streak that currently outmatched his. If he wanted to go visit his family without a hitch, he would have to accept her offer.
Even if it was blackmail.
"Fine, fine. But don't blame me if the mountains get too steep for you. There's a reason that us foxes hide up there, anyway."
She smiled and clapped her hands together. "Thank you, thank you! Well, let's not waste any more time! Off to the youko mountains, we go!" In that same, swift movement, Orochi grabbed Nishiki by his hand, and dragged him forcefully towards the rendezvous point: a glinting and barely iridescent portal of light, hidden away from the rest of the soldiers in the army.
Nishiki laughed, too, for Orochi's sake if nothing else. Yet, as the two of them stepped through the threshold—and as they disappeared in a shining display of space-rendering power—Nishiki couldn't help but feel like he made a mistake in letting her go with him.
.
.
.
"Pieri, for the last time, I'm not going hunting and I'm not taking you with me."
Flannel wasn't having an easier time, himself, as seconds before he reached the barrier, he was caught by another woman with a rather sharp eye.
And because it was Pieri that caught him, she had a sharp blade, as well.
"But Pieri wants to go with you. Besides, you always go hunting and whenever Pieri asks, you say no! So what else could you be doing?"
He sighed, fingers twitching with annoyance at the fact that they were even having this conversation at all. If only he was a little bit faster, then this whole fiasco could have been avoided. Frustrated, he realized the only way she would understand was if he told her honestly.
So, he was honest. "Listen, I'm not going out to hunt. I'm going out for a different reason."
"That—"
"And you still can't come with me. It's something personal, Pieri."
She frowned deeply, scarlet eyes burning with sheer indignation. "Personal? Don't you think that you gave up part of your personal life by joining a war? Pieri has been Lord Marx's retainer for a while now, so she knows that the idea of 'personal' is just a joke!"
He was taken aback by the sharpness of her words, those that could have only formed by having tasted the bitterness of personal and impersonal matters herself. Of course, it wasn't totally unreasonable that Pieri also felt pain and suffering at some point in her life. Her bloodthirsty tendencies and mental instability aside, she was still human, and so she had a basic understanding of tactfulness and emotionality.
Whether or not that understanding was entirely fractured remained to be seen, and Flannel felt bad for undermining that rather vulnerable quality within her.
Maybe she'll understand, after all.
"Fine, fine. No need to get all angry on me. I'm not going hunting, okay? I'm going to visit my family."
She blinked, eyes widening as if the very concept of family confused her. "Your...family?"
"Yes, my family. I may be a garou, but I still got one of those. A pretty big one, too. Us wolves are normally a close-knit bunch, and for me to leave so suddenly probably made them all sad. I'm just going to visit them for a day or two, while the royals are all out on their magical spirit party or whatever. Is that so bad?"
"No," Pieri said. Her eyes lowered, and were fixated on the movements of her anxious fingers that pressed against each other desperately. "No, Pieri guesses that it isn't so bad. And you're not going to kill things if you're visiting family, so it'll be boring for her no matter what."
Flannel sighed. He was the one that wanted to be rid of her in the first place, and yet seeing her so dejected made him regret his decision to do so. It was because of Pieri, surely, and her unique personality and character: a young woman who was so obviously broken—far beyond the severity of Flannel's self-fractures.
They shared a common interest in killing, as well, and he knew what it meant to have someone who understood you when no one else did. He also knew what it felt like when that person would leave you out in the cold, and he figured that he shouldn't do something so cruel to Pieri if he could help it.
"You should come with me, then," he relented. "You should come with me to see my family."
Her mood visibly shifted, eyes brightening and smile widening. "Really? Do you really mean that?"
"S-Seriously? I just told you that it was okay to go with me, and you're still asking me if I meant it or not?" He flushed red at the admittance of his own feelings, more so than at the genuine sincerity of her words. "But yes, I really mean it. Don't make me say it again."
"Yay! Yay! Pieri will be good! She promises to be good on this not-hunting party!" She was so happy that she nearly jumped out of her armor.
Flannel had to stifle a laugh, before saying, "Let's get going, then. If we're quick enough, we can be in and out before anyone even notices that we're gone."
They walked closer to the glinting portal, which was set up for them beforehand, courtesy of Lilith. As Flannel invited Pieri to cross through the threshold first, he thought amusedly to himself.
Or, at least, before anyone cares that we're gone.
.
.
.
Nishiki truly imagined that by bringing Orochi along, he brought someone quite disagreeable, and that she would be loud and demanding—distracting him and dragging him every which way, except for their actual destination. So he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that for the first hour into their journey, the diviner stayed utterly quiet, and simply followed the youko through the beaten paths and down the calming streams, all so they could make their way to the secluded hamlet.
He had half a mind to ask her if she lost her ability to speak along the way. Even if that were the case, he didn't care as long as it meant that he could enjoy the rest of the trip in peace, with nothing but the sounds of nature guiding him ever onward.
But when Nishiki slipped by the riverbed and landed in the water, he realized right away that he was wrong.
The diviner, who hadn't said a single word up to that point, broke out into sudden and raucous laughter—that which shook her whole body at once, from head to toe in sincere hilarity. "Silly fox! Did you forget how to walk just now?"
"Not at all!" he denied. "I just forgot about that spot right there. Anyone could have made the same mistake, and, hey! Quit laughing! I'm soaking wet, now!"
"Sorry, sorry." She squealed as she wiped tears away from the corners of her eyes. "But you should have seen your face!"
"Ha, ha. Could you stop laughing at me, please?"
"Okay, but only because you asked nicely. Here." She reached into her bag, and handed him a dry towel from within. "Take this. I brought it with me because I thought that all this running around would get me sweaty, but it serves an even greater purpose now."
Nishiki sighed, and took the towel from her hands. When he regained his footing, he started drying his hair. His movements were methodical, as if he were a practiced surgeon in the field of hair care. Orochi envied the way that once dried, his hair was just as perfect and pristine as it had been before.
Honestly, she thought. Did it even get wet in the first place?
Once finished, he handed the towel back to her, a proud smile plastered on his face. She scoffed. "Impressive, Nishiki. But there's nothing too mind-blowing about being a narcissist."
"Please, there's nothing narcissistic about appreciating what you have," he retorted. "I'm beautiful, obviously. So it makes sense that I'd do my best to keep it that way!"
"Ha," Orochi jested. "Well, beautiful as you may be, don't forget that your body is more important than your hair. You should have dried off your legs first, or something of actual importance. You'll catch a cold at this rate."
"I might have caught a cold, if I were human," Nishiki boasted, and relished in the sour look that appeared on Orochi's face. "But I'm not, so I'll be fine."
"If you say so," she said. "How much further do we need to go? I feel like it's been hours, already."
"We're still a few hours away from the hamlet, Orochi. And we've been out here for less than an hour. Don't tell me you're tired already!" A tiny smirk crept up on his face, one that transformed his peacefully handsome features into something devastatingly devilish, but still oh-so-handsome in every way possible. She sighed happily at this development, and answered him accordingly.
"Of course not. I was just surprised—what with you being a youko and all—that you would choose to travel in your human form. Wouldn't you get there faster in your real form?"
"I would, but I like the view around here. If you don't like it, then you probably should have let me go alone."
"Now, what kind of friend would I be if I left you to your own devices? Besides, for all you know, there could be traps in the mountains."
"Traps," he echoed her statement with obvious disbelief. "In these mountains? This is my home, Orochi. I think I could tell if there were traps or not."
"I'm sure you could, I'm only suggesting that there are somethings that not even youkos can predict. Like the future!"
"The future, huh?" His ears twitched curiously. "I'll admit, you've got me beat when it comes to divining. But I'm sure my future will be fine if I keep walking on like always!"
"If you say so," she teased. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
He smiled softly, as if that mischievous man from before had disappeared, and became the truly kind and sincere person that Nishiki pretended to be.
The truly kind and sincere person that Nishiki always was. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't."
.
.
.
"This whole mountain is your home?" Pieri asked, completely in awe of the staggering heights before her. Mount Garou was named after its inhabitants, and much like the wolves, it stood tall and powerful, intimidating any weaklings that dared try to scale its peaks.
She felt insignificant compared to a monument of that size, and for the first time since meeting her, Flannel thought she seemed truly weak.
"Yup," he agreed. He expected such awe and inspiration towards his homeland, so her amazement was nothing new to him, after all. "I've been here for as long as I can remember. Before I joined the army, I only left a few times on my own."
"Wow, that's amazing. You know, Pieri has heard stories about Mount Garou." She glanced at the wayward boulders, as well as the towering trees that dotted the horizon like stitches in a cloth. "But none of them were ever like this."
"This is the real deal, so forget whatever those stupid books had to say about Mount Garou," Flannel said defensively. "But, yeah, my whole clan lives at the top of one of the peaks. We can see the entire mountain from up there, it's pretty cool." Almost lost in the splendor of his own home, the wolf was quick to cover his tracks when he blurted out: "I mean, it's better than cool. I'm a garou with pride, after all! I'd never want to live anywhere else!"
"Glad to hear it," she said. "So, which way do we go first?"
"Here's the thing about that: I don't actually know which way we should go first."
"Wait, what?"
"I-It's not like I'm bad with directions, or anything, it's just that I get lost from time to time…"
"Pieri isn't the smartest soldier in the army, but she definitely knows that's what it means to be 'bad with directions'." She rolled her eyes (although only one was visible) at this startling revelation. "Then how did you even leave your home the first few times?"
"The first time was literally an accident, and well, if I ever wanted to leave I would just wander around until I eventually left the mountain."
"Then how did you come back?"
"Uh, I didn't really get back on my own. Usually my cousins would find me, or something." He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, as he added on to the continued list of reasons titled Why Flannel Should Never Navigate Things, Like, Ever: "One time, it took them three days to find me. I just slept out in the woods and hunted animals all the while."
"That's really bad. Well, Pieri definitely thinks that you should work on your sense of direction," she said. "Maybe this time, Pieri should be the one to lead."
"You?" Flannel balked. "No offense, but this is my home. I think if anyone should be the leader in this case, then it should be me."
"You just admitted that you don't even know exactly where your tribe lives," she pointed out. "Pieri has a feeling that she will find your home before you do."
"I'll find 'em! I'll just sniff 'em out, and we'll be there in no time! I bet you can't sniff them out like I can!"
"Aw, but Pieri wants to try! Besides, if you could sniff them out, then why would you ever get lost in the first place? You're terrible, Flannel!"
"Suit yourself," he grumbled. "Don't come crying to me like a little pup if you can't find them."
She started the gradual ascent up the mountain, lithely springing from one rock to another. She had no ropes, no hooks, and no bearings except for her own body and knowledge of the space around her. When she was high enough, Pieri turned around, and smirked down at the wolf simmering in his own pride below her.
"Pieri should be saying the same thing to you."
.
.
.
The second they reached the entry to the hamlet, Nishiki knew he made a mistake.
The whole time they scaled the mountain (which was met with obvious awe and reverence by the human Orochi, who hadn't even set foot there before), Nishiki was silent as he thought of a good way to introduce Orochi to the tribe—without getting in trouble, at least. Because unlike his fellow youkos, he actually enjoyed being around humans, and eventually grew used to their continued presence in his life. He foolishly forgot to take his tribespeople into consideration at all when concocting this plan, so he dreaded the looks on their faces that would surely form after they see that he brought a human home with him, of all things.
When Orochi spotted an adorable set of fox ears in the short distance, he knew that the battle had just begun. The atmosphere grew silent between them, and the friendly banter from before died within seconds, with no chance of ever coming back. Just as she had detected this stifling air, Orochi felt choked by it, and barely mustered out the will to break the quietude between her and Nishiki.
"We're here, aren't we? So why the sudden dread? Is something wrong, Nishiki?"
"Other than the fact that you came with me even though I asked you not to? Then, no, nothing's too wrong, except…"
"Except…?" she echoed his words back at him, voice rising with a suspicious lilt. Then she looked back in the direction where she first saw the fox ears, and realized now that there were gleaming pairs of scarlet-red eyes staring at her from every angle.
"I mean, how much do you know about the foxes, Orochi?"
"Quite a bit, actually." She didn't know what this has to do with the strange aura she felt, or the odd sights she witnessed, but she played along with him, anyway. "My mother was fascinated by the tales, and she always tried to convince my father to make a visit to the sacred hamlet. They never did, obviously, but I learned a thing or two from them during their living days." She recalled the memories fondly, and would have been lost in such a pleasant stupor, if the current situation didn't already drown her with waves of anxiety. "Why do you ask?"
"You know what we do, right? You know of the conflict between humans and beasts?"
"Yes," she replied gravely. "Yes, I know what my kind has done to yours, and vice versa. I'm not a fool, Nishiki."
"No, but I am," he lamented. "I didn't exactly tell the other foxes about you. They're not like me, so, uh, they might even...attack you, since you're human and all."
"Oh, you can't be serious! But why would you—"
"I'll protect you if they try to hurt you," he insisted. "I'm sure they won't, but—"
As soon as he spoke, one of the foxes appeared before them, teeth bared and fur bristled as the electricity of danger passed through them like a current. Orochi wanted to admire the sleekness of their fur, but hardly had the chance to as they snapped at her—sharp teeth lurching inward for a kill.
Maybe it was instinct from having fought so many enemies in the past, but Orochi quickly took out her own defensive measures, too. Her hands wrapped tightly around the body of an unbound scroll, only to unravel it seconds later, and reveal the glowing golden spirit of a very, very, very angry tiger. The magic formed in this animalistic shape, and before she could think twice, it leapt off the page and charged at its target.
The other fox—a youko, by the looks of it—tried to dodge, but was unable to evade the assailing speed and power, and within seconds they were toppled over by the force of the magical impact. This movement sparked the anger among the rest of the gathered foxes, and all at once, they emerged from their hiding spots, ready to exact revenge on her.
Overlapping screams erupted throughout the air like static, and the words warbled out incoherently—everything from vicious battle cries to declarations of premature victory to threats on Orochi's life to defensive measures on preserving Nishiki's life—all the while.
"Get away from our leader!"
"How dare you trick our dearest Nishiki? You will pay!"
"Human! Invader! Outsider! Kill her, and quickly!"
"Out of my way!"
"I'll end this now!"
Fear etched itself in Orochi's eyes, but so did defiance, and she figured that if anyone could decide her fate, it certainly wouldn't be these violent beasts before her. The number of foxes pouncing at her at once would mean death, for sure, but she would go down fighting. Her hands held on tightly to the scroll, where she summoned another magical tiger spirit from within its contents.
Before this one could jump off the page, however, Nishiki grabbed Orochi by the arm, and forcefully threw her behind him—shielding her with his human form.
Everything screeched to a halt as the other foxes realized what was happening. Instantly, it was as if all the anger and hatred within them had melted away, forced to dissolve among the awkward air, instead. Because the body and presence of their long-absent leader stood in the way of their carnage, and was hell bent on protecting the one thing that youkos were always meant to hate.
Humans. He protected a human. And from the looks of it, she was just as surprised as they all were. Her violet eyes were bright, wide, and confused at the scene before her. She shook with fear, remaining silent as she cowered behind Nishiki's resolute figure.
As much as she hated to think it, he was the only thing standing between her and certain death.
The other youkos and the kyuubi-no-kitsune knew this, too, and so they were just as apprehensive as Orochi was when they spoke to him.
"What is the meaning of this, Nishiki? Why do you guard the human like she is one of your own? And why do you return with your strength pitted against us, rather than beside us?" A rather wise elder emerged from the back of the mob, eyes narrowed with disappointment and scrutiny. "What is happening here?"
"It's very simple," he said, completely composed despite the chaos that existed around him. "We all need to calm down, put our weapons away, and talk."
.
.
.
Less than two hours after their initial arrival at Mount Garou, and Pieri managed to bring them to their destination. The start of a windy, leaf-strewn path laid itself before them, and the patterns of paw-shaped prints in the dirt and in the rocks around them signaled the presence of wolves nearby. That, together with the overwhelming aroma of garous, lead her to believe they had reached their goal.
Pieri celebrated, deservingly so. "We're finally here! Told you that Pieri could find your home before you could! Told you so!"
"Wow," he gaped. "You really did it, huh? As expected of Pieri."
"Wait, seriously?" Her eyes widened, hands masking her mouth in exaggerated surprise. "Y-You're praising Pieri? That makes her so, so happy!"
"I-I'm not praising you," he denied, despite his cheeks reddening. "I mean, it's the least you could do for us, since you wanted to come along and whatever…"
"Heeheehee! Pieri is so happy! She can't wait to meet your family!"
"Right, my family. So let me warn you upfront about them." He glanced down the path, ears twitching as he tried to discern for any nearby presences. Flannel could tell that the scouts were alerted of their presence, and very soon the others would assemble together to meet him at the end of the path. He sighed loudly, and turned back to face the cavalier in question. "They're not used to humans, just yet, so stay close to me. Then they'll know that you're not a threat."
"Okay! Sounds easy enough." Her smile widened, only this time there wasn't any malice found within. She seemed peaceful, for once in her bloodied life. "After you!"
"Okay."
As they walked down the pathways, Flannel detected more and more wolves gathering. They flooded into the forest, and hid wherever they could: behind large boulders in the rocky roadside, within the convoluted branches of giant trees, underneath obstructive fern brackets and fallen logs. Flannel noticed each and every one of them, his hair standing on end as he did so. His natural instinct told him to be ready for battle, but his beating heart reminded him that they were family, and they wouldn't do something as silly as fighting him on sight, just because he had an accompanying human beside him.
Even if she was a suspicious character. If the wolves were trying to discern whether or not she was an enemy or a friend, then they had a hell of a time doing it, especially since her movements and behaviors contrasted with one another. She had a wide smile and bright eyes that seemed childish, but her body moved in a way that reflected her soldier-like discipline (the stance, wariness, and caution), and there was a current of bloodlust that ran through her—fingers itching for action.
It also didn't help that she equipped herself with a large, yet lightweight lance whose sharpened end wasn't any less intimidating than it was when she sat atop a horse. Although she made this whole journey on foot so far, Flannel knew that the lack of a steed didn't inhibit her in any way, and so she wasn't weaker for not having her usual partner by her side.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come down to mindless fighting between his family and his friend, because even though he was gone for a long time, he still retained the honor as the alpha garou, and so it would be difficult to wrest authority from his person—even if he was missing in action, as far as any of his pack members were concerned.
The two of them finally reached the end of the path, where they found themselves in front of the wolves' home. The outer camp of the territory was lined with makeshift dens and secret hideaways made from forest branches, but a majority of the dens were found in the nearby rock formations and cavesides. They watched as multiple wolves left their dens, and emerged from the darkened space with gleaming black-and-red eyes, all scrutinizing Pieri for her strange appearance.
It wasn't long before everyone came outside, and they were extremely tense, with stiff shoulders and stiffer looks in their eyes. Even the children braced themselves for this odd confrontation, eyes trained and claws unsheathed at the sight of Pieri, the stranger.
Although they seemed just as disconcerted by their own leader, who stood close to her in a way that they couldn't understand just yet.
Flannel hoped that his return home would be met with more laughter and camaraderie than this, but he knew that it was to be expected, given the situation they were in. Still, the silence of his fellow wolves was deafening, and the hardened stares on their faces did little to remedy the situation.
If he made a mistake in bringing Pieri along, there was no fixing it. All he could do now was wait and see the repercussions in his actions.
The first move was made by the other wolves.
A mánagarm stepped forward, its body black-and-red, tall and domineering, like a bloody shadow in the midst of twilight. Claws gleaming and eyes staring, they spoke. "Well, well. If it isn't Flannel."
"That's me," he said. "It's been a while."
"It has," another wolf agreed. They stepped out from the crowd, and revealed themselves to be a tall individual—even in human form, where their hair fell down in long, tangled strands down to their waist. Their eyes, blood-red and disbelieving, narrowed ever so slightly. "You said you'd be gone a while, but this was way longer than what we all expected it to be."
"Yeah, well, I can explain—"
"There's no need for that," a high, feminine voice cut in. This one was also in her human form, and she looked so much like Flannel that Pieri wondered if they were siblings, or more closely related to each other than the others were. "It's pretty obvious what happened, y'know."
He looked to Pieri, who only shrugged in response. She was just as clueless as he was in this situation, and so it was useless trying to seek help from her. Because, in her mind, the simple solution would be to kill anyone that misunderstood her as the enemy, but she highly doubted that Flannel would want that to happen to any member of his beloved wolfpack.
They came to a silent agreement as Flannel turned his attention back to the crowd, and spoke in the calmest voice possible. "Listen, the truth is that—"
"—You've found a mate!"
"Yeah, that's why—wait, what?"
The spell broke, and the serious air that swallowed the mountain whole disappeared into the evening air, as all the wolves ran forward, encircling their leader and his apparent mate with obvious glee. Their smiles were so wide and misplaced that Pieri could truly see how they were all related to Flannel, now, although such a realization was more relieving than it was anything else.
Even if they did seriously misjudge their relationship.
"You left to find another mate! And you were too embarrassed to face us after all this time!" The mánagarm from before explained, slapping the leader on his back with a little too much force. "Even if she's a human, she must be special, since you picked her as your mate and all!"
"This was the fastest mating session ever! You guys didn't even need a whole year to choose each other! I'm so jealous!"
"You've returned, and with a mate! We're so happy, Flannel! Let's celebrate!"
Their raucous laughter and shouts mixed into one incomprehensible noise, and even Flannel found himself overwhelmed by their sheer joy. Pieri resisted stabbing the wolves that started playing with her hair, sniffing her, and exclaiming what a pretty thing she was—or laughing about what a lucky dastard Flannel was, for getting her to stay by his side, in spite of all his shortcomings (of which there were many, if a particularly cranky wolf elder had any say in it).
She really wanted to knock some sense into them, explaining that she and Flannel were just friends and not married or eloped like the other wolves made them out to be. But at the same time, she really didn't want to have to start a fight with any of them,just as she didn't want to rekindle the widespread suspicion they had for her in the first place. Even if it was a lie, going along with the whole "mating" business was better than the alternative, which was telling the truth and potentially angering the rest of Flannel's family.
Pieri really doesn't want to have Flannel and his family have a huge fight because of something stupid, she thought to herself, defeated. She has no choice.
In a quick, abrupt movement, Pieri reached out and grabbed Flannel's arm, pulling him closer to her. His body pressed against hers—shoulders against each other, his face partially buried in the crown of her colorful hair—and he barely held onto his breath as it felt like it was ripped out from his lungs. When he realized what had happened, his eyes were a few movements too wide, and his face a few shades too red.
Pieri's hair smelled pleasantly of strawberries, still, although the mountainous earth and shining sun managed to squeak their odor into her strands, too. It was a good scent, all things considered, and he just desperately hoped that she couldn't feel the heat escaping from his face.
He would die if she could.
"That's right!" She affirmed their suspicions with a strong, confident voice that silenced even the most boisterous wolves. "We are mates. And we're really, really, really happy, too! So happy we could kill right now! So if you could stop crowding around us, that would be really awesome!"
Everyone backed off at once, without so much as a whimper of refusal on their end. Probably because they didn't want to end up on the wrong side of Pieri's lance, but also because they didn't want to leave a bad impression on their leader's new mate—a total lie in which they completely believed in, now more than ever. As such, they dispersed back into their caves and hideouts (a sea of grumbles alongside them), and when Flannel was sure that every last one of them was out of earshot, he hissed quietly to Pieri.
"Hey, why'd you lie like that? Now they think we're actually mates!"
"Pieri said that we were mates because she doesn't want your family attacking us when they find out the truth," she whispered. "And she doesn't want to see you fight with your family, anyway. Fights that don't have killing or bloodshed are so boring."
Despite her saying that, she seemed completely concerned at the matter at hand. The glimmer of wonder and worry in her eyes was something rare but precious, to the point where Flannel felt wronged just by seeing it. At first, he suspected that she actually enjoyed this nonsensical scenario of hers, but even if she did, Flannel understood that she had his best interests at heart.
So, it would be disrespectful to do anything else but go along with her plan, too, especially since she ended up coming along this expedition anyway, despite her initial agreement that it was okay if she didn't show up in the first place.
Feeling grateful, Flannel walked further into camp, where they were in full view of the other wolves. In a rather bold display, he pulled Pieri closer to him, and planted a firm kiss atop her head.
She tasted like strawberries and sun.
He couldn't have been happier.
"Well, then, my love, let's introduce you to the family. What do you say?"
"Pieri says that sounds like a great idea. Where do we start first?"