Chapter Twenty-Two: Jorah

 

A t first Jorah led the group through the thickets and dark treeline, navigating by his sense of smell and sight, but soon enough he was forced to admit he had no idea where he was headed, so Nyssa took the helm, the rest following close behind as she wound through the woodland, steering them ever closer to the Northern Mountains, which loomed over them all like a prickly giant.

Jorah realized from this far down anyone climbing would look like an ant crawling over the body of a great beast. Shifters who lived in the Oldwood always had to crane their necks to look up at whatever lay beyond its cloudy peaks, wondering whether the rumors of the Bear Clan were to be believed or not.

What was that like, he wondered, to be so unsure of whether an entire clan lived above another or not? Despite the Bear Clan’s isolation, at least they knew the Pack and Pride lived on in the woodlands at the base of the Northern Mountains. Nyssa didn’t even know Jorah existed until just a few days prior, instead he was nothing more than part of a myth to her, a story to tell to little pups and cubs about what happens to those who cross the Vampires.

When the group finally reached the foot of the great Northern Mountains, Jorah finally found his time to shine. Nyssa pulled back and Jorah led the way up, climbing up and over steep slopes and eventually spying a narrow trail where the wind howled through. More than once, Nyssa clung to Jorah the higher they ascended, her eyes widening at the impressive drops to the hard earth below.

“What’s the matter?” Jorah said with a sly grin. “You didn’t react like this the other two times.”

Nyssa shot him a frown. “The first time I wasn’t even conscious for the trip up, and the second we were on the run! I didn’t exactly have time to stop and take a gander.”

“Believe me,” Lowell called from the back of the group. “You don’t want to imagine what it would be like to fall from this height.” His face scrunched up. “Let’s just say it really hurts when the earth races up to meet you.”

Jorah sighed as he remembered watching Lowell slide over the edge days ago, trying to hang on for dear life, afraid of stopping to look over the edge lest he tumble himself, killing both him and the unconscious Nyssa. He still didn’t know exactly how Lowell survived the fall, maybe that sturdy, muscled body of his wasn’t just for show.

“If anyone wouldn’t need to worry about falling, it’d be Nyx,” Finn suddenly announced. Keanu nodded vigorously. “That woman is like one of those mountain goats, hopping from foot to foot, ledge to ledge, like it’s the easiest feat in the world. I remember when…” Suddenly his voice trailed off, his gaze cast down. “I remember when she was still loyal to us, to you Jorah. I remember the time before she didn’t betray us so easily to the Seers.”

Whether it was Finn’s drastic change in tone, or the endless, bone-chilling howling wind, an odd wave rolled over the group, save for maybe Bronwen, who remained almost emotionless as always. Jorah couldn’t quite place the feeling, maybe a guilt or sorrow for Nyx’s situation? But it rattled him to the bones and churned his stomach. Right now, Jorah wouldn’t be surprised if Dallan was scolding Nyx and the other bear shifters for failing in their attempt to capture Jorah and end the lives of those who knew about the Bear Clan.

Nyx was still so beautiful in that ghostly way of hers...she didn’t deserve what was happening to her. She didn’t deserve to have to choose between her unrequited love for Jorah and the pressure from the Seers and her people. These laws of isolation the Seers were enforcing needed to end.

“She didn’t betray us...not the way you’re imagining it,” Jorah found himself saying. “I got to speak to her myself, just after she attacked Nyssa, Bronwen and me. She was angry, mostly with me, about choosing to leave the Northern Mountains behind without her, and go with Nyssa instead.” No one said a word, so Jorah kept his mouth moving. “Try not to blame her too much. She was probably put under a lot of pressure by the Seers, right?”

Both nodding, Keanu and Finn looked to each other. “Yeah,” Keanu said. “She wasn’t happy to be hunting you. Just wanted to bring you back to us.”

“It’s still annoying, though,” Finn said, growling. “Do you think there’s a chance she’ll attack us again?”

“Not this time,” Jorah said, staring up at the mountain. “I’m sure she’ll side with us, without a doubt. Just have faith.”

Instead of wallowing in faith, Finn grumbled something while Keanu continued to march up in silence. Nyssa kept her mouth tight, unwilling to say anything that could offend either of the two about Nyx.

It was Bronwen who lightened the mood. She moved to the middle of the pack, strolling up just as easily as Jorah suspected she would, using her long legs to match their pace. “You know I have a story about a man who went insane trying to decide between a love and his duty.”

“How long is it?” Nyssa asked.

Bronwen’s blood red eyes sparkled. “Long enough to keep us occupied on this boring climb. It begins with a man, someone I knew from across the sea, before I came to travel to this continent. He once loved a woman, so much he’d visit her every nightfall with bouquets and treats from the local baker.”

“Bouquet?” Finn asked, licking his lips. “Is that some sort of food?”

“Flowers wrapped together,” Bronwen said.

“And baker? What’s a baker?” Lowell called from the back.

“Someone who makes sweet food, often so soft and warm the bread would melt on one’s tongue. But anyway, moving on with the story. So, this man was a soldier...before you all ask, a soldier is like one of your warriors, ready to fight at any moment. A soldier was never supposed to leave his post for anything, even love, yet he did so anyway. One night, this man was on his way to visit the woman, bringing more sweets than he’d ever brought before; one of his superiors had expressly ordered him not to leave his post that night, for fear of a monster said to be prowling the streets. Instead of simply waiting until morning, the man lost his patience and went anyway, but soon he found himself face to face with the monster. The woman, seeing the man to be late, went to look for him, only to find his mauled body on the cobbled street. Then she came face to face with the monster herself.”

Bronwen’s face darkened at this point in her story, her normal, happy expression vanishing into the wind. “The monster was pale, with red eyes, and a strength that no other man could best. The woman expected the monster to simply kill her outright, like it had done with her companion, but unfortunately for her, the monster had other plans. He bit her, changed her to be like him, and she became a monster forever more.” Suddenly her smile returned, her eyes brightening, and she gazed around. “The end!”

Unsurprisingly, everyone gaped at her, with Jorah still trying to wrap his mind around the simple story.

“What the hell was that?” Finn asked. “Are all Vampire tales so strange and dark? I expected a happy ending from you.”

“Sorry, but there was only ever one ending to that story,” Bronwen replied happily.

“Was that supposed to make us feel better?” Finn prodded.

“Merely to entertain. Vampires love tragedies,” Bronwen said.

“We aren’t Vampires,” Finn said back.

“Clearly,” Bronwen retorted.

Finn burst out laughing moments later, unable to contain himself. “Now this is rich! Never, ever in my life did I expect to be told a story from a Vampire...this goes way beyond simply being at peace with one another. Hey, maybe you want to try telling that tale to the Seers? I’m sure they’ll get a kick out of it.”

Bronwen merely giggled and closed her eyes to the cold.

Watching and listening to Bronwen this whole time made Jorah think of the other blonde Vampire at Gray Creek, the one that had caught him so off guard at first. “Does that other Vampire at Gray Creek tell similar tales?” Jorah asked. “What was her name, Magnolia?”

Bronwen caught his gaze. “Ah, her, well she knows a few, but she may not be as good at relaying them to a crowd. She’s never been one to do the entertaining, rather one to listen and observe, to make reports to her master.”

“Wait…” Finn said. “There was another Vampire down there? I don’t remember seeing another one.”

“That’s because she was hiding away in the Pack Alpha’s home. She’s been speaking at length with Darius, making up plans for peace in place of her master. Either that or she’s already gone back home to the Blackwood. Not that I care, one way or the other, it’s not like I’m good friends with her or anything of the sort.”

“Hey, Bronwen,” Finn continued. “Do Vampires truly want peace with the clans of the Oldwood and beyond? Do you and the others really not feel the need to fight us?”

“Yes, we do,” Bronwen said curtly. “Most Vampires do in fact want peace, and many want more than that. Trade, visitation, to mingle and speak with you all. Obviously, there are a few that think of the clans as nothing more than game to hunt, but I assure you they are the minority. We Vampires didn’t come to this land simply to play violent games with others. There were reasons, needs, if you will, and we needed a place to stay. The Blackwood was the first place we all landed, so a few of the Thirteen Lords started a war to claim the land for themselves.”

Her word must have been good enough for Finn, because he didn’t say any more.

For Jorah, he didn’t know whether to take Bronwen at her word or not, but he got the feeling she was telling the truth, and not just because Nyssa smiled and nodded at Bronwen.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d bring the Bear Clan around to see that day, when the past remained in the past and every group on the continent could come together and live amongst each other. But first they needed to end his clan’s isolation.

One way or another, Jorah would find a way, with Nyssa at his side.