Chronicles of the West

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope your holidays are wonderful!


Chapter Thirteen

Silvana approached the lake with no small amount of caution, the old ones were unpredictable. Standing near the bank she let her youki swirl out over the water. The murky liquid sloshing against the grassy earth. She waited for long minutes was about to start again when the ground shifted.

Silvana braced herself as the dark waters began to bubble and boil. She clenched her jaw tightly as the massive head and neck appeared from the frothy water. It was indeed massive. It's eyes slowly opened, bloodshot yellowed orbs that spun wildly before fixing on her with barely repressed malevolence.

Silvana waited for it to speak and speak it did, blasting her with a rush of fetid hot breath that reeked of old water reeds and unclean lake water. She fought the urge to gag. "What do you want?" he demanded coldly, his beaked mouth snapping shut on the last syllable.

Silvana bowed slightly in respect, "I have come to ask you something old one" she said. The turtle rumbled in his great shell. "And why would I answer you? I do not know you". Silvana licked her lips and tried to calm the angry beast, "You are very old!" she cried out over the noise he was making, "You know the secrets of this forest and the mountains. I am seeking someone that you might know!"

The turtle eyed her in silence, "I want to sleep. Not talk and you have disturbed me foolish child. For that you will pay!" he shouted and his long neck dipped toward her violently. Silvana made to leap back but a blur of silver dropped between, his blade drawn. "Stop right there you crabby old mud slug" he barked.

To her amazement the turtle did. He paused to view this new comer. He took in the silver hair, the golden eyes and sniffed. "You are a dog" he stated. Ryu keh'd, "At least your nose works" he retorted. The turtle snapped at him, but Ryu was quicker on his feet. He smacked the turtle across the top of his head with the flat of his blade.

The turtle spat filthy water and vixen and dog, but Ryu dodged it, keeping Silvana against his side. "Don't make me kill you!" he growled at the angry thing. The turtle chuffed, "What do you want?" he demanded again. Ryu set Silvana behind him, "There was a demon that lived in the tallest mountain. He can grant wishes. Did you know him? Is he alive?" he asked.

The turtle blinked, "I might have.

I might still" he replied, his tone becoming wheedling and Ryu knew it well. "What do you want?" he asked. The turtle looked down at him as though sizing him up, "Something you'll not be able to give me" he said. Ryu growled, "Try me".

The turtle sighed, his age becoming more apparent, "I know what you seek and I have the map to take you there" he said at last, "I will give it to you when you bring me what I want". Ryu nodded, "What is that?". The turtle's watery gaze swept over the two smaller beings before him. "Bring me the moon". With that he laughed and submerged into the water.

Silvana growled at Ryu, "Oh that was helpful" she snapped, "Why are you here?". Ryu sheathed his sword, "To help you". Silvana folded her arms, "I don't need your help Ryu". The hanyou smirked, "Yeah, you were doing really well on your own against him". She bristled at him, "And I suppose you were!".

He nodded and turned to walk away, "Sure I was, I give him the moon, he gives me the map" he replied. Silvana glared at him, "The moon, he wants the moon! How are you going to manage that?". Ryu chuckled, "I'm not, Kurama is" he told her.

She blinked in confusion, "I don't understand" she admitted. He turned to look over his shoulder at her and gave her a small smile, "I know" was all he said. She walked behind him, lost in her thoughts. He left her to her silence, not sure what he should say. The scent caught his quite suddenly and he tensed, hearing her already growling behind him. Wolves.

He drew his sword and waited. Silvana stepped forward and he growled loudly, but she was already off to confront the strangers. "Silvana!" he called but she was already gone. With a curse he sheathed his blade at his back and sprang after her, couldn't the damn woman smell that the wolves were in musk?

Silvana did smell though and that was why she was after them. There females that lived in her forests and they would not be subjected to the wolves. Not while she lived. She found them easily enough, a straggling band of six. They were feral looking, barely able to take humanoid form and she felt the disgust rise in her.

She unmasked her scent to them and watched them sniff tentatively before their eyes snapped to her. They growled at her and she dropped neatly to the ground from the branches she'd been standing in. They eyed her carefully. Taking stock of weapons and power. She would not go down easily. One wolf separated himself from the others. He was different, he looked very much human. His pointed ears gave him away however. His brown hair hung to his shoulders and his amber eyes locked with hers.

He sniffed, deliberately. His lesser company surrounded her and she allowed it. She unsheathed her blade as they sprang at her. Yelps and growls and snarls filled the clearing as she dealt with them. Claws and steel flashing in deadly synchronization. The tall wolf hung back, watching, waiting.

His followers broken and bleeding before the tall demoness. She eyed him coolly, why had he not stepped forward to assist them, as a pack leader should. Her blue eyes widened, these were rogue wolves, outcast from their own packs and traveling together for whatever reason.

She glared at the male and he smirked at her, "You aren't in heat" he said, "Not that it matters to me". He took a step forward only to find himself staring down the honed blade in her pale hand. "Come no closer" she told him. His dark brow furrowed in irritation, "A bitch should know her place" he said in a warning tone.

"She should, but this one doesn't know that" came Ryu's voice ringing through the trees. The male instantly on guard. Silvana narrowed her eyes slightly, she didn't need the half breed to fight her battles. The wolf eyed the hanyou before him and chuckled, "Dirty blood" he muttered.

Ryu drew his sword, "Pardon me?" he asked with mock calm. The wolf glared at him, his lips drawing back to show of an impressive set of fangs. "This has nothing to do with you half breed, walk away and I may let you live". Ryu cocked a brow, "Really?" he asked. The wolf nodded and snorted.

Ryu swung his sword to rest on his shoulder and rolled his head back to look at Silvana, "Oh he's a keeper" he remarked dryly. She blinked, why was he amused? She turned her attention back to the matter at hand when the wolf sidled closer. Ryu shook his head, "I wouldn't do that. Trust me, you don't want this one" he said.

The wolf growled in irritation but his gaze swung back to the half dog. Ryu waited for the wolf to ask. They always did. "Why is that?" he asked gruffly. Ryu shrugged, and brought his sword down, "Because she isn't for you, you mangy excuse of a hairball". The wolf leapt at the male, whom he clearly defined as a rival and Ryu dodged him artfully.

"Come on, that's the best you can do?" he taunted and wolf snarled leaping again. Ryu leapt and dodged and slashed at his opponent. "Must have done something pretty bad to kicked out of your pack" he mused. Amber eyes clashed with golden as the wolf stepped ever closer to the edge of his control.

When the wolf knocked down a tree in his anger, Silvana leapt away from the area. She'd have preferred to deal with the upstart herself but Ryu was amazing to watch. The wolf lunged a final time and she watched as the hanyou spun his blade in his hand and brought it up in a gleaming arc, ruby droplets rose into the air.

The wolf fell coughing to the forest floor, eyeing the hanyou with his one remaining eye. A deep gash marred his features and he snarled lowly. Ryu watched him, "Shall I finish you?" he asked, readying himself for the mercy blow. The wolf snapped in fury and the blade swung smoothly.

Silvana turned her head as the flood of blood splashed across the clearing, it even spattered hotly on her. She growled in disgust. "Ryu!". He whirled to face her, eyeing the blood. She wasn't hurt, but she was mad. "He wiped his blade on the fallen and turned back to her, "There's a stream not far from here, you can wash" he said then. She glowered at him, "I know that!" she snapped, "I didn't need your help here either".

Ryu growled at her, a soft growl, showing his growing frustration with her childish outbursts. She actually took a step back from him, unaware and the dog grinned. "There may be hope for you yet". She stomped past him into the greenery, anxious to bathe the filth from her person.

Ryu took in the carnage she'd left behind her. She was good, he'd give her that. She could have easily handled the wolf, so why hadn't he allowed it? 'Because' his inner beast whispered, 'You seek to be above her and so act as the dominant male to her'. He shook his head of his foolish thoughts and went after her.

She was already in the stream when he found her. She kept her back to him and he gathered wood to make a fire before she returned. He sat staring at the dancing flames as she stepped into the circle of light. Ryu barely glanced at her before walking into the treeline.

She sat before the fire, the blood had come off easily enough but self doubt, well that didn't wash away so easily. She wasn't aware of how much time had passed as she sat contemplating the stubborn male who seemed fixed on dogging her steps. She sensed his approach and looked up as he handed her two cleaned rabbits.

Silvana stared up at him and then at the rabbits in her hands. Ryu noted the furrowing of her brow, "It's just food" he told her gruffly, suddenly unwilling to consider his instinct to protect and provide for. She quickly spitted the little bodies and set them cooking.

They said nothing for a long time, the scent of roasting hare rising in the camp around them. "Thank you" she said after she'd eaten a small portion. Ryu looked up from his own meal and shrugged, catching two had been no extra work really. Silvana stared at him from beneath her lashes for several minutes.

Ryu felt her eyes on him, like licks of heat wherever they touched. Looking up, he caught her, "What?" he asked, not used to such guarded scrutiny. She blushed and stared at the fire again, "You….. you're different from him" she blurted out. Ryu's ear flickered, "Toga? Yeah I guess I am".

Ryu sighed at the tension that suddenly became palpable. "Look, I didn't mean it" he said. His eyes fixed on the stars that were winking to life above them. She turned to look at his strong profile, the same elegant features that betrayed his bloodline. She said nothing. Ryu folded his arms behind his head and stared off into space. "You aren't a whore" he whispered.

Her blue eyes widened momentarily and then she looked into the fire. The fire was safer. "Then what am I?" she asked softly. He shifted slightly, "You" he replied. She didn't understand his meaning, he knew that. "Look, I shouldn't have said it and it really had nothing to do with you. I was pissed at him".

She blinked and turned her gaze skyward as though the glittering stars would offer the answers to her many questions. "I don't know why you have done all things that you have, but I know enough about you to know that you aren't a person of weak character to allow yourself to be used. I am assuming that this is because there was genuine affection between Toga and even Kurama" he went on.

She paled, did he know everything about her life? He took in a deep breath, "I'm not all that proud of things that I have done but at the same time I don't regret them. I chose to do what I felt best at the time. I know that you don't love Toga, not like that anyway. So why don't you tell me why? Because he gave you freedom?"

She nodded, her eyes taking a distant, far off look. "Yes, because of that. Because he saved me from a fate worse than any of my own making. He and Kurama are my friends, and they have helped me when I needed them most. I would do anything for them, and if that includes being a companion from time to time I am not opposed to that. At least I feel something with them, and that hasn't happened with anyone else" she answered softly. Ryu kept his eyes on the sky, "That's not true Silvana" he told her.

She turned wide eyes to him, as his golden gaze moved from the deep blue heavens to the deep blue of her eyes. "You felt something with me" he reminded her. Her stomach gave a strange lurch and she looked away. That was true, she had, and it worried her. She lifted her eyes slowly to his, to see the molten gold of his hungry gaze. Her breathing grew harder. As though the oxygen around her was heavier now.

He could see her reaction to him, the dilating of her pupils, the flush that swept from her cheeks down her neck. The rapid pulse at her throat. Her arousal that hung lightly between them. His body was reacting to her presence and he was hard pressed to ignore it. She licked her suddenly very dry lips and stared at him, "What do you want from me?" she asked breathily. Not liking how well the thief could read her.

Ryu turned his gaze away though the effort cost him greatly, "Wrong question" he told her. Her little intake of breath almost made him smile, "It's not what I want FROM you Silvana, it's what I want FOR you". With that said he closed his eyes and settled for the night. She was left to stare at him in confusion and so small amount of curiosity.


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Toga paced across the chamber to the bedside. Aislin was sitting up and turned toward the window. As though she could see the heavy moon high above. "Aislin" he called softly, "What bothers you tonight?". She didn't turn to him, but held her hand out to him in the dim room.

He came to sit beside her, clawed hand swallowing her own smaller one. "What have you sent them away" she asked softly. Toga's thumb absently traced over the smooth flesh of her knuckles. "They seek something that I want very much. Something I must fight for" he told her.

She withdrew her hand from his grip, "Your vagueness bothers me Lord Toga" she admitted, "Everyone speaks of the this great undertaking and yet they seem guarded when I ask of it. Has it to do with me?". Toga pulled her back to rest against his chest, curling his strong arms around her.

"Yes, it does" he admitted to her. She nodded, letting her head rest back against him. "Tell me?". He nuzzled against the top of her head, drinking in the softness of her scent. "There will be time for that later" he assured her. She sighed heavily, "You know that I am happy with you don't you?" she asked him. He grunted and she snuggled closer to him, "Grunting does not become you" she teased.

His clawed hand rose to catch the sunny length of her hair, brushing it aside, revealing the soft flesh of her throat. His nose brushed against her cheek and then the curve of her shoulder. The tiny purple red mark that lay there. Hidden from all sight but his own. She shivered at the warm breath that teased against her. Toga wanted this spot to bear his mark. He settled instead of brushing his lips lightly over it until her grip on him tightened.

Aislin let her eyes fall closed as his mouth opened over the tender flesh, his smooth fangs ghosted over the flesh followed by his hot tongue. She let out a small moan of pleasure at his affections. He did this now nearly every night and she longed for him. His lips closed again and he suckled lightly on the spot he claimed as his own.

"Toga" she breathed, her small hand cradling his head to her. He lifted his head to stare at the loveliness of his ward. Slowly he pressed his lips to hers, feasting on the sweet softness she offered. His resolve was crumbling, his demon telling him that she didn’t need her sight, that he could take care of her. His pride however was another matter. He wanted her to choose him because she loved him, wanted him, not because she depended on him for her care. She could only make that choice when she was whole again.