Fortune Wood Ch. 02

I awoke sometime later that day not entirely sure how I felt. I knew something had gone from me and it was more than my maidenhood. I rolled over and saw Leif laying next to me, thankfully, this time I was less surprised at his presence. I took the time to get a close examination of him in his day form. His skin was cold and smooth, he looked statue-like with a greyish hue. I knew from the other morning that he could move so wasn't as rigid as a statue but it was still a little unnerving. I wasn't entirely sure whether he was breathing or not and this was truly alarming. I swung my legs out of the warm blankets into the cold air of the wooden house the Night-walker's called their home. I gathered some clean clothes and hastily drew them on, shivering in the crisp air. I looked back at the one who had taken one of the few gifts I had had to offer a husband and threw one of the blankets over his naked body. I didn't know whether he could even get cold during the day but it made me feel slightly better.

I stoked the fire in the living room back into some form of life and went in search of food for myself. The supply in the small kitchen was low but there was enough to get a stew going on the fire I'd revived in the other room. I carried the pot with a chopping board and the vegetables in it, returning for a pot of water and the dried meat I had located in one of the cupboards. I then set to cutting vegetables and dropping them in the pot. It sure gave me plenty of time to think about my situation and what I could do about it.

From what I gathered, Leif; Chief Night-walker and drop dead gorgeous, had given me his blood as a healing draught when I was dying from an attack by Dire-wolves. It hadn't been willing and he made it clear he hadn't wanted me there. However, my drinking his blood had created a bond between us and we knew what each other were feeling. Things got interesting when unfiltered surges of desire had caused us to 'do the nasty' the previous night. Thinking of that nasty sent a shock-wave through me so sharp that I was left gasping for breath for a moment. I'd like to think it was more him than me but I also knew this was untrue, I was as curious about boys as the next girl and he just happened to be there. I was sure interested enough to keep my mind pondering over him as I chopped the carrots. My mind turned away from the contours of Leif's flesh and doubt began to creep in, not unlike the wind blowing in under the door. I didn't know where we could go, we were very different and I didn't know the second thing about Night-walker's. The first I had learnt a day or so ago; they didn't eat humans. But he had said I wasn't even human; I didn't even want to ponder that.

I looked around the small cabin and sighed. My family would be missing me and although Leif said he would get word to them I knew it would do little to relieve their fears. I knew I should go and see them but the snow, which incidentally was still falling, had blocked all the passes. I didn't know how the Night-walker's hunted in it and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out either. I heaved the last of the veggies into the pot and threw in the meat as well. I heard myself sigh and I returned the cooking utensils back to the kitchen and put them away after cleaning them. The room was cold and I know I didn't do the best job I could but I was eager to return to the fire. I looked around the room and noticed it was in a state so decided to clean it from top to bottom. I gathered some rags and set to it.

By the time I had finished I was parched and aching a bit but the room was almost gleaming. I poured myself some water and looked out the window at the falling snow, trying to let the hushed forest soothe me but I could still hear the nagging doubts in my mind. I turned my attention to the bookshelf and examined the titles a little more closely that I had before. A thought entered my mind as I spotted a book on Myths. I grabbed it and planted myself on one of the chairs in front of the fire. I scanned through it and found the section on Night-walkers. Smiling to myself I began to read.

"It's mostly lies you know." came a voice behind me.

"Name of the Eleven! Don't you know it's rude to sneak up on people!" I gasped.

"I didn't mean to startle you." the voice replied, I looked round and saw Loretta standing behind me.

"That's OK." I shrugged, "So, you mind telling me what you folks are all about?" I asked, "Seeing how I am learning nothing from here?"

Loretta smiled at me, her teeth white and perfect. She flicked a black braid out of her way and sat next to me. Her veil was made of a lacy black material and she was almost beautiful. There was something ethereal about her presence and I shifted slightly to make room for her. "I will tell you what I can." she said, "We don't eat people, nor do we have much association with humans. Not here in the forest anyway."

"Why?"

"You have seen us during the day." she replied.

"What exactly is that?"

"It's... hard to explain... it's how we sleep, like you do but it's more enforced." she said, waving her hands as she spoke. "I can't describe it any other way."

"What does it feel like?"

"The same as sleeping does for you I imagine, time passes, we're aware of it, but not at the same time. Sometimes there are pictures while we're in Harmony. Our skin greys and everything in our body stops until the sun sets." she explained.

"I think I understand." I nodded, not entirely sure but I had a better idea. "Is that the only reason you shun human-kind?" I asked.

"No. There are other creatures, human but not, who pose a threat to us as well as you."

"Such as?"

"The Vampire, we may have similar traits but they are all evil, preying on humans for sustenance and pleasure. They kill as they see fit, we only want to be left to hunt and do as we do."

"Is that where all the stories about Night-walker's come from then?" I asked, slowly becoming aware of others moving around behind me.

"It is a common misconception."Loretta said with a sad smile. "We are quite different and yet similar in some ways." she added, rising. "We can continue this conversation later if you wish. I have to hunt." I nodded and watched her stretch, cat-like but there was something far more dangerous about her than the farm cat. She shot me a look that I couldn't decipher before turning away from me. I looked down at the volume on my lap and I smiled, maybe I should have just asked!

I helped myself to some of the stew I had cooked and tried my best to think of nothing particular. I knew Leif was up and about because I could feel a slight tingling in the back of my mind. I wasn't sure if it had got stronger since the previous night or whether I was learning to recognise it. His feelings seemed to be associated with colours in my mind, at the moment he seemed content, which was a hazy orange. I focused on the colour and the bond and watched it changed to a yellow for excitement. I puzzled over this before realising he must be getting ready to hunt with his companions. "Not quite," I heard him say to me. I opened my eyes and say his intense blue ones looking down at me. I managed a weak smile and thought my own colour must be a deep red, like my cheeks.

"Hi." I managed, knowing I sounded lame as I spoke.

"You're getting more sensitive, good." he said.

"Pardon me?"

"We'll be ready to explore your talents soon."

"Talents?"

"The part of you that is not human is coming forward and that's what I want to explore in you." he said with a smile that made me glad I was sitting down.

"I'm still not sure I believe that." I shrugged.

"You will in time." he nodded, "I do have duties to attend to tonight, will you be all right here?" he asked

"Of course."

"I won't be long."

"Leif. What's going to happen to me?" I replied, "I'm sure I can manage by myself for an hour or so, no worse than during the day." I knew I sounded a bit snippy but what did he think was going to happen? He gave me an odd look before turning away from me.

I yawned and returned to the book I had been reading, turning the pages to the section titled Vampire instead. After a while, I found my eyes rolling and I drifted off into a strange waking dream state before the fire. I knew I was sitting in the chair but at the same time I was with the Night-walker's. It was as though I was floating just behind them as they ran through the forest, faster than anything I had seen before. It was what I imagined flying would be like. I could hear their breathing, feel their pulses and sense their agitation as they moved. The forest seemed more alive than it had ever been before. The smallest falling snow-flake sounded like an avalanche as it landed; I could sense life ducking between the trees. A deer. I couldn't make them hear me so I forced Chena's head around and made her see the red pulses that was the deer.

The next moment I was soaring back up through the forest and I was above the trees. I could see the colours of life pulsing beneath me, like tiny winking stars, showing me where they were. The colours were as varied as the creatures living down there. I felt my physical body tremble and I began receding back to the cabin. The forest was withdrawing from me and there was nothing I could do about it. I desperately wanted to stay and observe the winking life lights from the great vantage point but I didn't know how to stop myself from tumbling back down. My eyes flicked open and I was back in the room in front of the now sputtering fire. I shivered and tossed another log onto the smouldering embers and poked it with a stick, making sure the wood caught. I felt heavy so flopped back into the comfortable chair and turned my thoughts to what had just happened. Before I had chance to think it through, the Night-walker's returned, carrying with them a fresh killed deer carcass. Somehow I already knew they would. I smiled weakly as Talon walked past me covered in blood and Eleven knew what else. I closed my eyes again as I felt a heavy pressure building in the front of my head. I felt a yellow presence in front of me and knew it was Leif without opening my eyes.

"Now do you believe me?" he whispered.

"I don't know what that was." I replied, rubbing my temples with my fore-fingers. "I've never felt anything, done anything like it."

"I think I'm beginning to understand." he said. I felt him sit next to me and he picked up my feet. Placing them across his lap he began pummelling the soles with his large deft fingers.

"She's expended too much energy Leif." I heard Talon say, "Leave the poor girl be, she has helped us enough for one day."

"It's OK." I heard myself saying.

"Don't let him exhaust you." he said with his Quillaan accent, his colour was green. I wasn't entirely sure what it meant. I was having some trouble concentrating, I felt tired all over and I could almost hear the bed calling me. Leif's fingers found a particular spot on my foot and I shivered. I felt his smile rather than saw it and I let my mind relax. Leif began speaking to me in a language I couldn't even begin to understand but his voice was soft and I felt soothed. I was vaguely aware of him turning his attention to the other foot.

"You truly are tired." I heard him saying. I nodded. "I'll take you to sleep." I felt him shift his weight and knew he was carrying me to my own room. I lay there, limp and half dreaming as he carried me. His arms engulfed me and I was vaguely aware of him laying me in the bed and pulling the cool blankets over me. "We'll speak of this tomorrow, when you have recovered." he whispered, brushing his soft lips against my forehead. I muttered a response before relaxing into the blankets and letting sleep take me.

It was dark when I woke up, my head pounding. I pressed my hand against my forehead and shook, instantly regretting the movement. It felt as though my brain was loose in my head and was bouncing about when I moved. I took a deep breath and swallowed, my throat dry. I noticed I was still dressed but disregarded this idea and headed for the kitchen. The Night-walker's were up and sitting at the table discussing something but I chose to ignore them. The need for water was for more pressing, I did give them a wave to not be rude. I poured myself a large glass of cool water and drank the liquid down. It was the best I had ever tasted.

Feeling refreshed I returned to my room, showered and changed my clothes. This did wonders to restore me and the headache was almost a distant memory. I smiled to myself and headed back to the living room, there were questions I had that needed answers and I knew where to get them from. I entered the room and the chatter stopped as I crossed the room. Chena gave me a dark look as I pulled the empty chair out from under the table. I did my best to ignore it as I sat down. They all looked at me with severe eyes in silence and my palms began to sweat a little. I tapped my foot under the scrutiny and fixed my eyes on the table. I felt a trickle of sweat run down my back and I swallowed hard, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Not exactly." Talon replied. I lifted my head to look at him and found that he wasn't smiling.

"What you did had the potential to be very damaging." Francis cut in.

"What did I do?"

"You took over Chena during our hunt. I don't know how you managed it but you did."

"It was only for a moment." Chena added.

"But it's something that you shouldn't be able to do." They all began talking at once at this point and I couldn't understand much of what they were trying to say, only that they were angry with me when I had only been trying to help. I buried my hands in my hair and leaned heavily on the desk as they spoke at me, rather than to me. I felt as though I was a young child again, one who had just been caught handling my father's wood axe and was being scolded. I sighed and looked up at them all, the four of them were still talking but I could no longer hear the words.

"Stop." I said, "I don't know what I did but it has offended you. I was trying to help and in doing so I have caused some unknown harm to you. For that I apologise." I paused to make sure they were all listening. "But I want to make this clear. Before I came here, I was a normal farm girl with a normal life. I did my chores, I loved my family and I was happy. I didn't have any abilities and I was happy that way."

"Are you finished?" Talon asked.

"Are you?"

"Almost. It is clear that regardless of how you feel about it, you have these abilities and you must learn to control them." Loretta said, the glimmer of a smile on her face.

"I don't even know what I am." I said, my voice coming out in a small thread rather than the strong noise it should be.

"I have a good idea about that." came Leif's voice, silent up until now. "But I don't know for sure yet."

"I'm not going to hurt anyone am I?"

"I don't know but if what I suspect is true, we may well have to take a trip to see someone who will know more." Leif said, the colours of those around me dropped into a dark shade of grey: fear.

"We cannot leave here." whispered Chena.

"I'm not asking you all to, not yet. There are things we can do here but if we cannot find the answers within these wooden walls then we shall have to swap them for stone ones." Leif said, his voice boded no argument. "For now, I will talk with Freyja and we will do what we can." The silence that followed was palpable and I just wanted to leave. I pushed my chair back and rose from the table. I felt a flicker of green follow me as I moved away but ignored the emotion; maybe it wouldn't be that hard to control whatever it was that was flowing through my veins. I grabbed a book and returned to my own room, letting the Night-walker's discuss whatever it was they had to discuss.

The candles in my room gave off enough light to read by and I planted myself on the comfortable bed and opened the volume. I found the words blurring in front of my eyes and knew that my mind wasn't interested in reading. I shut my eyes and saw the colours in the opposite room, ranging from the grey of fear to the flame red of anger. I could feel Leif's frustration filtering through the link we shared and I felt saddened that I had brought such trouble to these beings, maybe it would have been better to have left me in the forest. I gave myself a mental slap for such thoughts, my life was just changing, that didn't mean it was going to be bad, just different. My thought turned to the night we had spent together the other night and I shivered, there was something spectacular about the things he did and I really wanted him to do them again. I suddenly knew that it was the loss of my maidenhead that had caused these changes within myself and I realised that this would have happened regardless who took it. It was not the fault of the Night-walkers. I felt a whisper of approval and desire filter through the bond and I smiled to myself. I looked with my second sight at the colour that I knew was Leif and decided I wanted to try something.

I slipped my hand up the tunic I was wearing and brushed my fingertip over my sensitive skin. I have an ample curvy figure, one I was not always happy with but I knew its sensitive places. I hesitated a moment, wondering what consequences this would have for me, before giving my right nipple a gentle squeeze. I hardened under my fingers as I pressed it between my thumb and fore-finger. The shiver reached my spine in a shuddering shock and I had to keep myself from giggling aloud. I gave my nipple another squeeze before turning my second sight to the other room again. One of the reds had turned to a deep shade of purple and I smiled, removing my hand from my chest. I knew in that moment that I had a power over Leif, I suspected it would work the other way as well. I shrugged mentally and returned my hand to idly playing with my nipples. I revelled in the melting sensation that had begun sliding between my legs.

I heard my door open softly and I sat up, already knowing who it was standing there watching me, "Don't stop on my count." He whispered, his muscular arms folded across the expanse of his chest. He was leaning against the door frame, his blonde head facing me as I lay there. I could see his blue eyes full of untamed fire as they looked at me, waiting for my invite to join me.

"What are you going to teach me tonight?" I whispered, knowing my voice was heavy with unspent lust. He smiled at me, one filled with lust and desire, I wanted to gobble him up where he stood and slake my trembling need.

"I'm pleased to see you're more eager to learn about me than you are about yourself." he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we forget about that for the moment?" I asked, not wanting to discuss it any further for the time being.

"Of course," he shrugged, walking over to the bed with a swagger that on anyone else would be arrogant. "What would you like to learn this evening?" he asked. I leaned forward and tucked a blonde lock behind his ear, trying to stop my hand from shaking. His eyes followed mine, I brought my lips up to meet his. I felt him flinch a fraction before relaxing, allowing me to kiss him, as he had done to me before. I could smell the woods in his hair and the moonlight seemed to exude from his skin as I felt his lips part and his tongue brush against my own. His fingers pushed through my thick dark hair and urged me to deepen the kiss I was giving.

His height made the kiss awkward at this angle and I urged him to flop next to me. His weight caused the fluffy mattress to dip and I tumbled into his laugh with a suppressed giggle. Leif's strong arms caught me and pulled me onto his lap. The melting sensation reappeared as I felt his hardening bulge press against my outer thigh, I could certainly get used to this. I felt his lips brush the nape of my neck and I kissed the top of his head, his hair soft under my lips. He reached my clavicle and nibbled it before looking up at me. "Relax." he whispered before pushing me back onto the bed. "Scoot up." he indicated. He knelt between my legs and kept his eyes on me as I gazed right back.