The village sentries appeared suddenly, as soundless and scentless as when Adda met the first pack members. One moment, she was trailing along, the warrior ahead of her barely within view, and the next she was surrounded by unfamiliar men with spears. Scet snarled at their appearance and crowded toward her.
She withheld a snarl herself; she didn't like this pack's propensity for surprises, nor did she care for the vulnerable feeling she got when they neared without her senses detecting them. It was enough to make her wonder if she was losing touch with her perception. Maybe having Nex in her head for so long had damaged her instincts.
There is nothing wrong with your instincts. You sense other parts of the forest just fine. Plus, your beast-man was surprised, as well.
She tilted her head. That much was true.
You cannot blame me for everything.
I can try.
Odd as it seems, you bring more problems on yourself than I have. Nex hesitated for a moment. I believe, however, these Shifters are using a very old Quataliki-armu-doseth technique. It is extremely subtle, but I sense they are manipulating the shadows to keep their scent and noise muffled.
That doesn't make any sense, how would they learn anything from the Quatori? And if they did, it certainly wouldn't be blocking scent, Quatori can't do that.
Indeed, that would be an alarming prospect. The demons were already invisible to the eye, without scent, the races of the forest would have no way of detecting them.
If you continue to base your certainties on your limited experiences, you are going to get yourself into trouble....more trouble.
It was odd being warned about getting herself into trouble by the demon in her head.
It is a strange experience for me, also.
They traveled for a distance with the sentries; all were alert, but none spoke. The evening sounds of the forest had begun again, insects droned in the background and a chorus of frogs joined the fray.
They had obviously passed the village boundaries, to alert the sentries, but she had yet to see any sign of habitation. Her nose, however, was sending a different message. The smell of wood smoke and the mangle of Shifter scents that made up a pack had assaulted her for several minutes.
Look closer.
What? She focused on her surroundings. There were no houses or even tents, nothing that couldn't be attributed to the forest itself. Where did these Shifter's sleep, in the trees?
Then she spotted it, hidden in the undergrowth; the amalgamation of several shrubs, a woven dome crafted out of the living forest, so alive that leaves still grew from the structure.
Once she spotted one dome, she noticed several more, sparking a blooming respect for the ingenuity. The village was in nearly complete harmony with the wilderness around it, making it impossible to detect from a distance. They even had grass mats, woven tightly, hung over the dome entrances, offering the dwelling some privacy.
She looked at the warrior nearest to her, intending to express her amazement. She found, though, she didn't have to. The sentries, silent as they were, watched their guests closely. Suitably satisfied with her reaction, more than one wore an expression of pride. The man nearest her, a brown skinned warrior with hair cropped close to his head, offered a slight smile.
Scet placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her. Was he awed, as well? Adda looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at the woven huts, he was glowering at the warrior who had smiled at her.
The domes became more frequent towards the village center. The group, guided by the sentries, wound around the shelters, their path curving and sinuous. Adda watched the huts, trying to decipher a placement pattern. The more domes she discovered, the more she concluded that there was no structure in their location. The Shifters simply built them where the shrubs and grasses had grown in enough abundance to warrant the necessary materials.
It felt curiously...right, natural somehow. Her own pack...most packs, respected and guarded the forest resources, yet this, this was living with the forest.
A drumbeat startled her from her musing. Deep and loud, it echoed like a heartbeat through the forest. Again it sounded.
Adda scoured the area, looking for the player. Shifters melted out of the forest, villagers, summoned, she supposed, by the drum itself. Behind them, she recognized the flickering of flames. A larger fire, the village gathering place. Light was fading out of the evening sky so that soon it would be necessary to see by.
Again the drum pounded through the air, a solitary beat with a long pause afterward. And again, but with increased rhythm, building as they approached.
The Alpha reached the fire first and turned to face them. Highlighted by the flames behind him, he appeared a much more imposing figure. Or maybe it was the strength of the pack around him. It was not a large pack, she guessed around sixty all told, but a disproportionate amount were of warrior stock, even the women, something that was unheard of in Adda's part of the forest, joined the warrior ranks. It wasn't just Kiskan, either, several others stood around the Alpha now, holding their spears and displaying their strength.
She had the urge to slink in closer to Scet. Being an outsider in a new pack was a dangerous and intimidating prospect, that they were flaunting their power so openly didn't make it feel any less so.
The Alpha opened his mouth, and Adda thought he would speak, perhaps announce their arrival to his pack-mates.
Instead, he released the first clear notes of song.
The rest of the pack joined quickly, the notes rising and falling with beautiful and yet chaotic structure. The drum played, too, but now was used to accentuate the changes in tone and volume.
She slowed, her breath catching. There was something about the music, about the flow and tumble of voices, that brought to mind the soul of the forest: rivers and mountains, valleys and trees, creatures providing the pulse of the wilderness. So beautiful was the combination of the village voices and the drum that she didn't, for long moments, recognize any of the words to their song.
When she did, however, a new feeling overtook her. This one of certainty. She had heard this song before, not in its glory, but in the dark reaches of the cavern, awaiting her death. It was the same song Harvok would sing at times, a sound she had latched on to, desperate for anything to transport her from that place. This, then, was Harvok's pack, as she suspected, and this Alpha the one who would know about the orb he spoke of.
Anticipation lifted her spirits. She was close. Maybe the orb was hidden in this very village. For the first time since leaving the cavern, true hope entered her thoughts.
I wouldn't approach him about such things.
Of course you wouldn't. After all, she would be using the orb to be rid of him, to undo the possession. Undoubtedly, that went against all he was fighting for. It might end his existence altogether.
Adda frowned, and refused to examine that thought too closely. It was not guilt she would feel about such a thing. Elation and pride that she had rid the world of such evil, that is what she would feel.
It is amusing that you think it will be so easy to be rid of me.
Her frown deepened, amusement was not what Nex should be feeling as she plotted to be rid of him. She didn't have much time to think on it, for the song came to a sudden and dramatic stop as they halted in front of the Alpha.
“Alikeye-Baroth, this village welcomes you humbly.”
Adda raised a skeptical brow. That was far from a humble welcome, and the old man knew it. She also didn't miss her own exclusion from the speech.
“To honor your return to the forest, we will prepare a feast, though it is too late for such things tonight. This night we invite you to share a meager meal with us and take rest from your journey.”
Right, invite, they invited them with spears and guards.
Scet inclined his head. “We would appreciate both food and rest this night, but a feast is unnecessary, we will be leaving at dawn.”
Shit. Of course Scet couldn't know of her revelation that this was Harvok's pack. In fact, she didn't think she had even told him about Harvok, mostly because letting him know that her hopes were pinned on the fever-dreams of a half-crazed Shifter would not encourage him to continue on this quest. Six, she wouldn't continue it, if it weren't her only hope. This Alpha knew of the orb, she was certain...well, as certain as she was of anything anymore. All she had to do was somehow pry the information out of him.
Adda wasn't the only one who didn't like Scet's announcement, if the sour twist of the Alpha's lips were any indication. Something dark and a little desperate crowded his features.
“It is our duty to aid you, and we do so with eager and humble service...”
There was that word again, the one she wasn't certain the Alpha knew the meaning of.
“You would not eschew the guidance of an Alpha would you?”
Scet shuffled a little; she could feel his discomfort. The Alpha's question bordered on the tone of a command, and surrounded by his warriors, the expression of expected obedience was compounded. She had to admire Scet's resolve, however, when he straightened and met the Alpha's gaze, taking the challenge.
No, this man was definitely not a weak follower, nor was he cowed by the Alpha's status over him. He must have been a beta, she decided, for he was certainly used to command.
Unfortunately for her, his obstinace in this matter went against her designs. She hesitated to reach out to him, should he understand her request and change his mind, his capitulation because of her would seem weak. And, being strangers in this pack, the last thing that would benefit either of them would be to appear weak.
There was a moment of tension, a stubborn battle of wills as the two men stared at each other. And then, to Adda's surprise, the Alpha nodded his acceptance.
“Then we will ensure our preparations are ready for dawn. You have your own callings to follow, of course,” his smile was tight, as he stepped to the side, revealing an area close to the flames littered with grass mats. “Come, sit by the fire while the meal is gathered.”