VESPER

 

Rudy and I spent the night in Dirge alone together. Our first time in the city was finally peaceful despite what had happened earlier. York assured us that the men who attacked and abducted Rudy would be punished accordingly.

It was frustrating to see that Rudy was still shaken by the events. I planned on doing everything I could to make sure that he had nothing to worry about.

The next morning, Rudy and I left the city and made our journey back through the Timberlands. As we got closer to the woods to the east of the city, I felt the cold coming. The sky was clear but it was easy to sense that more snow was on the horizon.

I walked side by side with Rudy. The Omega had his head down as he slowly moved forward.

“What did you think?” I asked.

“About what?”

“What else? The city, of course.”

“Oh… Right…”

Rudy sighed a deep breath as he thought about it.

“It’s interesting.”

“Interesting?” I said. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“I don’t know… I thought about Dirge often but I never imagined that I would ever actually go there.”

“And now that you’ve been?”

He looked up at me and smiled softly.

“I enjoyed my time with you,” he said. “I enjoyed my time in Dirge. It’s not perfect but it seems like a good place to live.”

“It does.”

“What about you? Did Dirge live up to your expectations?”

“Well…”

Going to the city was like visiting another world. The memories would stay with me even if I never returned.

“…There are good people in Dirge. York. Saxon. I’m sure there are others. It was pleasant, for the most part. My hope for the city is that everybody finds the refuge they seek if they intend on going there.”

“It’s a shame the circumstances didn’t make our time there more enjoyable.”

“Perhaps I can take you back there. When this is all over, I’ll talk to Saxon and convince him to get us a room again. It would be quite nice to cuddle up in that room when the snow comes, wouldn’t it?”

Rudy put his head down as his cheeks started to blush. I couldn’t help but laugh softly at the sight of him. Such a handsome Omega but innocent all at the same time.

“I’m happy wherever you are,” he sighed. “Dirge. The Timberlands. It doesn’t matter where we go. Speaking of which… Are you sure that map is where we need to be?”

“I’m sure of it. I can’t read it exactly. We’ll make one stop just to be sure.”

We walked through the Timberlands that morning without much of an issue. It was cold but the sun was shining bright. The snow from the previous storm had melted, so the forest looked more familiar to what I was used to seeing.

We made our way through the trees until we came upon the forest clearing I had spent most of my life in.

The men and women of Kai’s sleuth were out in the open as usual. Some of them lounged around on the grass. Others worked to make tools and crafts. Some were fishing for themselves in the lake nearby.

I searched the crowd and found Kai sitting on the grass, keeping warm next to a bonfire. My friend Megan sat right next to him.

I approached them and they both turned toward me.

“Vesper!” Megan said. “You’re back!”

“How was your journey to the city?” Kai asked.

“It was… eventful,” I said.

“I take it you found the answers you were looking for.”

“Not exactly. But I think I’m on the right path. I was hoping I could ask for your guidance again.”

“What is it?”

I sat down next to him and pulled out the map. Megan and Kai looked on in eager anticipation as I unfolded it.

“This is a map,” I said as I pointed at all of the destinations. “Over here in the west is Dirge. In the east, the Timberlands where we are.”

“Why do you have this?” Megan asked.

“Because of this…”

I pointed at the small area circled in red near the top of the map.

“…I took this map from one of the hunters who attacked me,” I explained. “He said there are others. This is where they are. I’m sure of it. I just don’t know where that is… We’ve never had much use for maps.”

“What do you think?” Megan asked Kai. “Do you know where that is?”

Kai squinted his eyes. He examined the map closely as he stroked his beard. A few moments went by until he nodded.

“It’s in the mountains,” he said.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “There are other areas north of here. More of the forest—”

He stuck his finger out and guided it over the parchment.

“Nobody lives in the mountains any longer,” he said. “Even the stories from the ancestors are rare.”

“That would make some sense,” Rudy said. “It would be the perfect place for them to hide and not get caught.”

Everybody seemed to be in agreement that the mountains were my destination.

“All right,” I said. “Then I’m going to the mountains—”

“Have you ever been to the mountains before?” Kai asked.

He stared at me, still stroking his beard with that inquisitive look in his eyes.

I shook my head and he smirked.

“There’s a first time for everything,” I said.

“There’s a reason nobody lives in the mountains to the north. They’re treacherous. Even for the most experienced explorers, which you are  not.”

“He’s right,” Megan said to me. “I’ve only heard stories of the mountains.”

“I’ve heard the same stories,” I said with a laugh. “Those are nothing but fables. Old superstitions.”

“Still, a journey to the northern mountains is not something you should take lightly. Especially when another snow is coming. I can’t imagine that they’ll be easy to traverse.”

I sat up straight and looked at Rudy.

He’d been mostly silent this time.

He was concerned after what happened in Dirge. When I looked into his eyes, I saw that the worry he had was only growing. I clenched my jaw and sighed a deep breath of frustration as I shook my head. I knew that no matter how hard it would be, I couldn’t let him down. Not now.

“I’m going to the mountains,” I said. “I’m going to the spot on that map. I’m going to deal with however many hunters remain. Once and for all.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” Megan said.

Megan shot up from her seat.

“What?” I said.

“The mountains are dangerous. Kai knows it. I know it. You know it.”

“They are dangerous. That’s why you can’t come with me. I won’t let you put yourself at risk.”

“You’re my friend, Vesper. Just because you no longer live with the sleuth doesn’t mean I’ll let you walk off and put yourself in danger. Not when there’s something I can do about it.”

“Megan…”

She put her hands on her hips. She was a proud woman, standing defiantly like I was so used to seeing her.

I rolled my eyes and looked away in frustration. I knew the only way I could get her to change her mind was to put her down myself, and I wasn’t about to do that.

“All right,” I said. “You can come with me. But no others. We will be the only ones to settle this. This doesn’t concern the sleuth—”

“If it concerns the safety of the innocents in the Timberlands, then it does concern us,” Kai said as he got up.

“So, what are you saying? Do you want to come, too?”

“I have no desire for bloodshed. You know we’re a peaceful people. But if there is a threat out there, it must be dealt with.”

“I won’t allow you to put so many others in danger. I dealt with two of the hunters myself. I’m confident I can deal with the others.”

“Yes, I have no doubt about that.”

Kai put a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.

“I will speak to the others. I will see who will accompany you on this journey. I know there are some who are eager to travel the mountains, despite the coming weather.”

“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “I suppose I can’t stop you.”

Kai walked away. Megan took a step toward me and patted me on the arm.

“Don’t be so upset,” she said.

“I’m not upset,” I said. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to put so many people in danger.”

“People are already in danger. The most important person you should be looking after is in danger.”

We both turned and looked at Rudy. He stared at the both of us, his eyes wide.

I walked over to him and put a hand on his arm.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” he said. “If the hunters are in the north mountains, then that’s where we must go to deal with them.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll allow the others to come with me but not you.”

“What?” he exclaimed. “But—”

“This isn’t a discussion. I can’t allow you to come with me.”

“But I’ve been by your side this entire time! You can’t expect me to stay back here while you risk your life!”

He was suddenly becoming so emotional. It was an outburst so strong it was hard for me to look him in the eye.

I put my hands on the side of his face and brought him closer to me.

“You are an Omega, my Omega. You are carrying my child. If something happened to you, it would be worse than death itself. I won’t allow you to be put in harm’s way.”

“And how do you think I feel?” he responded. “You expect me to just sit back here and spend my nights worrying about you, hoping that you’ll return.”

“I will return. I promise you.”

I leaned forward and kissed him softly on the forehead. Rudy’s eyes were glazed over as he did his best to hold everything back. I remained strong, my jaw clenched as I held him close.

But Rudy suddenly pulled away from me. The look in his eyes changed. His stare narrowed as he looked back at me.

“What is it?” I said. “What’s wrong?”

He took a step back from me and focused his eyes on the edge of the forest clearing.

“No,” he said as he shook his head. “It can’t be.”

He sniffed the air as he kept walking forward. I looked at Megan and she shrugged her shoulders at me.

“Rudy? Rudy, what’s wrong?”

He ignored me as he kept moving forward. I followed after him until he got all the way to the edge of the clearing.

“It can’t be,” he said.

Suddenly, someone emerged from the darkness of the trees. A young teenager stumbled forward and fell into Rudy’s arms. He was covered in sweat, gasping for breath like he’d just run for miles.

“George!” Rudy exclaimed.

Rudy laid the young Omega on the ground as he tried to catch his breath.

“George, what are you doing all the way out here?” Rudy asked.

Megan and I looked down at the boy. Rudy’s herd was miles away, it was no wonder he was so exhausted.

“I found you,” George said. “I knew I would find your scent if I just kept moving west.”

“Are you insane?” Rudy said. “Do you know how much danger you put yourself in? Knox would kill you if he found out—”

“The herd. The herd is in trouble.”

“What?”

“Hunters. The hunters came to the herd. They attacked.”

“W-what…”

“Hunters?” I said as I took a knee down next to the boy. “Are you certain?”

He nodded to me.

I looked at Rudy and he appeared to be in shock. His eyes wide and his mouth half-open, Rudy looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“I came here to find you,” George said. “You’re the only one who can help. I know you can.”

“Rudy…”

I whispered his name to him. He wasn’t saying anything but I already knew what he was thinking. I’d known him long enough to know that he wasn’t like most Omegas I’d met.

“Are you injured?” Rudy asked George.

“No,” George said, shaking his head. “I’m fine. I’m just… I’m a little tired.”

“Stay here,” I said. “The sleuth will keep you safe.”

I looked up at Megan and she nodded. I turned back to Rudy and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Rudy—”

“I have to be with my herd,” he interrupted me. “If they’re in trouble, I have to get there now.”