The Dark Ages of the Synakoy; The Past Forgotten, Wolfheart [top ebook reader .txt] 📗

He looked over to see Kai glaring furiously at Riviera. She looked both pissed and troubled.
“I will hope until the sun fully raises, Riviera. Give me that long, at least. And don’t say anything to the girls. I will search for her on my own when the time comes.”
She nodded and returned to the fire. Kai wouldn’t look at her.
Levin looked back out toward the cave and sighed.
Will I ever see her again?

*****

Kai began to grow restless as light filled their temporary camp. So she saddled the horses, and untangled their manes and tails. They had a little grain on the Garix, but not much. The horses were given what they did have, however. Ivory checked their hooves and reassured Levin and Kai that there were no stones, and all the ankles, knees and legs of the remaining horses were in good health. She did, however, linger on Wildfire’s stomach.
“She’s losing weight, Kai.” She whispered so Riviera couldn’t hear. “Give her extra grain, and don’t ride her hard anymore. She should be gaining. That foal seems weak.”
After that, all Kai could do was pace.
“When I go to find Kiyoshi, you two need to stay here. Stall Riviera and make sure she doesn’t leave until I get back.” Levin told her too quietly for anybody else to hear. His eyes were troubled. They were puffy, pink and his face was very cold.
“Right. Don’t get frostbite. We can’t lose you; not after Ky has given us this scare.”
The sorrow in his eyes deepened. Kai realized they could fully see the cave. But it was too far away to see it in detail.
That’s just as Ky had wanted. We can’t see Tempest’s body – but we can’t see her either. Damn!

Levin rose and mounted Champion.
Is…is the snow…moving?

“Riviera! Look at that!” It was Tenzik’s voice. “Lion!”
“Where are the others?!” She exclaimed, drawing a sword and mounting her own beast. “Find them!”
Kai mounted Wildfire quickly. She could see its amber eyes now, and drew her bone dagger. It was slowly becoming a huge, white lion twice the size of an African Lion. The fur and mane looked thicker. Then she sat up in the saddle straight and glimpsed something strange. Was that…a leg – a human leg?
“Wait!” Ivory shouted. “Ky is on his back!”
Levin answered “She’s conscious! Ky is riding the lion!”
“What?” Riviera held her ground as the lion slowed to a stop right before her. Kai gasped at the sight. Both were covered in blood. Kiyoshi was as pale as a ghost, as if she had died and come back to life. The girl watched in amazement as the lion bowed to Riviera and lay down to allow Ky to look Riviera’s pale face in the eye.
“I have returned, Riviera. And it is all thanks to Zenic. He showed me who I am, and if you kill him I will not accompany you. I will learn to survive with him – through him – and take my family with me.”
Kai stared at her in shock. Her sister looked over at her and Kai gasped. Ky’s eye…her left eye was…it was amber! The blood…was Ky…was Ky even…human? Her breath came in short.
Everything went black as she feinted.

*****

Kiyoshi rushed over to Kai. She was fevered.
Three days in this world and everything is falling apart.

“We need to get her to your healer.”
“The man I asked to heal Tempest can heal her fever with ease.” Riviera spoke quietly. “And that mare is starting to look very thin. Is she pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Then she needs less exercise and extra grain.”
“I’ll see to it.” Ky picked Kai up and looked at Zenic. “Do you mind carrying two, Zenic?”
He nodded his permission. Levin came over and gave her a big hug. Heat flooded through her.
“I’ll hand her to you once you’re ready. It’s good to see you.”
“Thanks.” She handed Kai to Levin. Then she turned and climbed up to sit on Zenic’s back. Levin handed Kai up to her. Ky nestled her in Zenic’s mane, where she’d be warm and safe. “If you’re ready, Riviera, so am I.”
She turned and retrieved something from her saddle bags. Then she tossed it into Ky’s arms. “Change into that as soon as you can. The blood will draw in more lions that are a whole lot less tame.”
Looking down, she saw more clothes, but they were all white except for the seams, which were light purple. As soon as Ivory and Levin had mounted and Ivory had Wildfire’s reigns, Riviera began to move in the direction they had been moving in before the accident.
*****

They reached the cave with the other scouts by noon. Kai was still unconscious. Ivory and Levin rode as close to her as they could without the horses spooking – at least six feet behind. They rode in silence. Kiyoshi’s head was throbbing. She tried to focus on what had just happened, but there were new senses she couldn’t get used too.
Her sense of smell was incredible. She knew the horses were afraid of her. The horse-sized Maned Wolves were edgy and nervous, though not exactly afraid – more or less suspicious. Most the scouts felt the same. Riviera was focused on the trail. Tenzik smelled of horror and anxiety, though whenever Ky looked back his face was emotionless, so it wasn’t her and Zenic – it was personal. Both Levin and Kai were anxious – most likely for Kai. They were exhausted, too. She knew that was her fault.
And there was something else that was much less human – or animal. It was…strange. She could close her eyes and know where every rock, every sapling and every animal was within ten feet of them. She knew where the rabbit was under that half-frozen bush. She knew the dots in the skies were eagles. But everything was jumbled and confusing unless she focused on it. Her head throbbed with the information.
“Be calm, Kiyoshi. It will become easier. You will grow used to your senses.”
She nodded, trusting him.
Riviera glanced nervously back at what she would hear as mere growls.
“It’s nothing to worry over.” Ky reassured her. “He’s just trying to make me feel better.”
“You feel ill?” Tenzik asked.
“I’m very tired. And Kai is ill, so that worries me. Should I feel well?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea how you feel. There is no ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ when emotions come into play. I just hope you do not become sick as well.”
“Yes. After that scare, we need you healthy. Don't get sick on us!" It was Levin’s voice.
Would he hate me if he knew what I can now do?

“We need to talk, Levin, when we get a chance.”
His surprise trickled into her, making her shiver.
“Are you cold?” Zenic glanced back.
At least he’s practical. I am a bit chill…

“Yes.”
“I can walk and run without you guiding me. Sleep; I will awaken you when we stop.”
For a moment, she hesitated, recalling how Tempest had become injured during her nap. Then she looked down and saw his giant paws – they were far more suited for the ice, stone and snow than hooves. So she curled up next to Kai, making sure they were both secure, and fell fast asleep.

Ky woke to bright light and white, warm fur. The scent of fire and a feel of people and their animals enveloped her. She sat up to realize they had stopped at a large cave. Surrounding them were the scouts. A large fire blazed just inside the cave entrance. Glancing around, she saw Levin held Kai, while Ivory spoke with the man who had attempted to heal Tempest.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t allow them to awaken you when we arrived. You were exhausted and still shivering slightly. The girl needs medical attention, however. So they took her carefully. Ivory gave me meat.” Zenic told her quietly.
“That was kind of her.” Ky answered quietly, so none could hear her.
“They all know.”
“Not Ivory and Levin.”
“They would understand.”
“Ivory would. She used to talk to animals. They answered her, too.”
“She is a body changer.”
“A…what?”
Ky scrambled down and began to untangle his mane absently.
He mulled his words over a little as she worked.
“I do not know your word. Let me explain it instead. She can make her body become another animal, though her mind and soul remain the same. She can therefore understand even me, though she cannot do more than that yet.”
“Yet?”
“Your abilities do not awaken until you suffer beyond suffering. This means, something tragic must happen first.”
Something tragic must happen…

“What about Kai?”
“Oh. She’s got wolf blood in her. I smell it from here. That’s why she’s fevered, really. She saw you all bloody and feinted. Now she’s fevered. She needs help to bring that down, sure, but her wolf blood was awakened either way. Apparently, you're very important to her.”
“Wolf blood? Will she get ears and fur?”
He looked at her, his amber eyes amused. “Darling Ky, your ‘sister’ is a wolf-man. She is a werewolf, if your language is Latin-based. If not, there are many other names…”
For a second, Kiyoshi was shocked. But the more she thought about it – Kai’s temper, her restlessness with leashed or fixed dogs, her love for meat and the full moon…even her brutish fighting style – and laughed.
“How did I miss that one?” She asked both herself and Zenic.
“Disbelief in the blood makes it easy to pass everything obvious up.” He answered logically.
“You know, for a lion, you certainly are logical.”
“And for an Elf, you certainly are emotional.”
Elf? I thought I was Druid…?

“Druid is a class. Elven is a race.”
She blinked.
He’s doing it again…and could you stop now?

A rumble came from his throat that Ky understood as a laugh. But most of the men didn’t, and turned to eye him distrustfully. When he didn’t move, they turned back to their work.
Levin laid Kai down on a bed of fur and hide. The man bent down and placed his hands on her chest. He closed his eyes and began to move his hands in a familiar movement.
“Hey…your style…it is Reiki.”
“You know energy healing?” Somebody asked. She looked around and saw a boy slightly younger than her.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you heal her?”
“I know about it. I’ve never had the power awakened.”
“I see.”
He turned and walked away.
Zenic snorted. “Children are so nosy.”
“Never mind them. Let’s make sure Kai wakes up.”
“I will remain here.”
She nodded, knowing he would spook most of the scouts and all of the animals if he came with her – if he moved, in fact.
People here fear his kind. And those wounds looked very human-made. I wonder how much damage the lions actually do, and how much humans react purely in fear of their lives just because they don’t understand them.

She went over and sat beside her younger sister’s bed. For a time, she watched the man work. But she knew Kai wouldn’t break her fever tonight. No…the child wouldn’t break it until her body and mind were ready to handle the truth. Yet Kiyoshi sat with her, careful to not fidget.