It had been so long since Aurora had actually slept until morning and the night before had been no exception. He stayed awake as long as he could until finally, however much he hated it, he simply collapsed. Drowsiness was something he hardly noticed anymore and the shadows beneath his eyes seemed to have taken up permanent residence between his eyes.

But rather than nightmares that usually kept him up in the dark hours of the night, it was simply anger.

There had been others moving outside of his quarters and he heard the familiar squeak of the doors of other officers as they opened. But all had gone quiet for a short while and Aurora was left to the rage pulsing through his veins. He knew where they were going, what they were doing at such an early hour of the morning.

It wasn’t difficult to piece together.

There had to be something, anything, he could do but the longer he sat, the longer he waited, the more he began to think about just what he’d gotten himself into. He considered going to the courtyard, screaming to the skies what he’d been told but much to his dismay, he knew it wouldn’t do any good. From the very day many were able to understand, they were taught to fear the beasts, the animals, which resided in the east.

No one would bat an eye at a half crazed man spouting something they had been taught was wrong all their lives.

Every shred of life he’d clung to, the last person he had left, and his whole world had been torn out from beneath his feet. It was her fault. He knew that finally but it didn’t give him any peace and instead it only furthered the fire burning in his belly.

She’d told him to join the retrievers on their patrol, his first whisper of rebellion. But she’d also warned against stopping them, his second.

But he thought, how often did he actually listen to anything anyone ever said?

“Open the gates.”

The guard only frowned. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir. It’s been asked they don’t open until the patrol gets back.”

Aurora’s horse was spinning wildly in circles, as impatient and fiery as his rider. He grit his teeth, glaring and pulling sharply to halt his horse in front of him.

“Open the gates,” he repeated, swallowing. “As an officer-“

“I’m sorry, sir. Rowena herself ordered the gates remain closed.”

“Why?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t question the orders I get, sir.”

A snort.

“If you-“

His gun was drawn before he could stop himself. “Open the gates,” he paused, “please, or I’ll blow your vexing head off.”

He blinked and for half a second there was silence before a cry went up from the man shaking in front of him. “Open the gates!”

A groan, a clang and a whinny from Aurora’s horse all sounded at once as he drove his heels into the sides of the animal. They were off, flying across the snow and banking sharply towards the same pathway he’d been traveling the day before. One man against a party armed to the teeth wouldn’t do much but the thought was nothing more than a quiet nagging at the back of his mind.

He was never good at coming up with plans ahead of time.

They raced upward, galloping along the bluff until the land sloped downward again and Aurora was forced to slow his steed. There wasn’t much time and judging by the tracks he was following, there were a number he was about to face.

Horse screamed out a whinny as Aurora pulled harshly on the reins, turning sharply to follow the tracks as they veered from the pathway he’d been traveling before. He was getting close, a nervous shiver passing through him as his heart raced along with the pounding of his horse’s hooves.

He didn’t understand why such a small group of creatures, faeloren, he recalled, mattered to the Dravara. Rowena had eluded to just how easily she could have destroyed them already and yet, it seemed like she was only toying with them.

It didn’t many sense.

“Easy now,” he called, pulling his horse back upon spotting the steady movements of the horseman in front of him. “Good boy.”

“Who’s there?” a voice called.

He ignored it, spotting the rest of the party that had pulled to a halt at the base of a hill, all eyes on him. Aurora stopped, pulling his horse to a halt as the party leader rode forward.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Aurora swallowed, anger burning in his belly. “Neither should you.”

Laughter.

Aurora’s face flushed hot.

“Go back to the stronghold. You don’t know what you’re doing, you damn loon.”

“That’s enough,” Daniel barked to the man that had spoken.

He grit his teeth.

“What are you doing here? The gates-“

“I opened them.”

Aurora rode towards him slowly but Daniel only glanced back hesitantly at the group behind him before motioning for Aurora to follow him. “I need to speak to you privately.”

“Why?”

Daniel didn’t answer, spurring his horse into a trot and leaving Aurora no choice but to follow until they were out of earshot. Aurora rode up beside him, grabbing his sleeve. “Daniel, listen to-“

“No, you listen to me. What are you doing out here?” he hissed, words harsher than Aurora had ever heard them.

Aurora didn’t answer right away, trying to keep his voice from quaking in anger when he dared to open his mouth. “I want to join you. There is nothing left I can do in my life. Why not do something good for…my kind while I can?”

Daniel blinked in surprise, glancing in the direction the Dravara were out of sight. “Go back to the stronghold. How do you know about the retrieval parties? No one-“

“Rowena.”

A sigh and Daniel rubbed at the back of his neck. “I know that’s not true-“

“She did-“
“No, I don’t doubt that much. I just know you wouldn’t do this.”

Aurora cleared his throat. “You’re right. I know they don’t trust me but you have to listen to me. We can’t do this, Daniel. They-“

“Excuse me? There is no we, Aurora. I’m doing what’s right,” he snapped, pulling away from Aurora as his eyes fell to the ground. “Go back to the stronghold before you get hurt.”

While his reply was off-putting to say the least, Aurora was more surprised by the anger, the way his words lashed out with thorns, which clung to his voice. He was the only one that actually ever listened to anything Aurora had ever said.

To be entirely unreasonable wasn’t like Daniel.

“I refuse to go back knowing what you’re about to do. Can’t you see what she’s doing to you? To them?”

“They’re animals-“

Aurora seized him by the collar of his jacket, pulling him harshly towards him and nearly clacking their heads together. “You’re wrong. They’re not animals and you are about to-“

Daniel pulled away again. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my job. You should try it. Go home,” he paused, swallowing, “before you get yourself killed.”

A low bellow cut through the brief silence that fell, echoing through the trees and reverberating in his chest. Aurora’s head snapped upward, yells and shouts ringing in his head a moment later.

He knew what it was before he even spurred his horse forward, surpassing a frozen Daniel who only stared, and came to see the figures emerging from the trees.

“Run! Get out of here?” he cried, circling the party that made every attempt to form into ranks.

But then Daniel was there, gun drawn and face hardened. “Stand your ground!”

Aurora pulled back on his reins, fighting to control the animal fighting to bolt beneath him. “You’re going to die. Don’t listen to him!”

One, a single rider, shot from the group only to his escape and his breath cut short when two arrows were buried in his chest a moment later.

“Flee and you shall meet the same fate!” a voice roared from the trees.

Aurora recognized the voice, blood freezing and eyes scanning to locate the creature he’d spoken to a day earlier. A gunshot split the air and Aurora’s head whipped sideways spot Daniel, trying to control an equally spooked horse as the sound of his shot faded.

“Run!” Aurora yelled, ignoring Shaah’s warning.

“Form your ranks! Don’t listen to him!”

It wasn’t hard to pick the hulking form of Shaah from the rest of them, coal colored fur marked with paint, designs that Aurora couldn’t bring himself to focus on.

“You lie!”

“Kill me, then. You’re right…I lied to you. These others have done nothing-“

Aurora’s horse screamed as Shaah snarled. “Done nothing?”

“Leave them be. No one wants to die and I don’t think you can afford to lose any of your clan, can you?”

But Shaah couldn’t reply before the Dravara charged and the two sides met in a flurry of gunfire and daggered teeth. The fight was over before it even began and Aurora watched in horror as the Dravara were cut down, shot from their horses or simply torn from the backs of their panicking steeds. It felt he’d only blinked before he was staring at the dead, the dying, and the wounded still crying out for help around him.

“Aurora!”

The voice brought him back into reality but not before his horse was thrown sideways, sending him rolling away until he was snatched from the ground a moment later. Claws dug into the back of his neck as he was lifted by his coat and held up in the air like he weighed nothing at all.

“I should have known. Bantrem has failed. You have failed-“

“Wait,” he managed.

Shaah snarled, tossing him away into the snow again and forcing the breath from his chest as he landed roughly. He wheezed, trying to scramble to his feet but not even making it off the ground before Shaah’s paw was around his throat, claws digging into flesh as he was lifted once more.

“Please,” he gasped around his grip, “I can…help.”

“You lie again? I spared your life,” Shaah growled, tongue flicking across his bared fangs.

Aurora couldn’t reply, darkness encroaching on his vision as he scrabbled to pry Shaah’s claws from his neck. It was hopeless, something he knew very well, but he had nothing left to lose. But as much as he tried, Shaah wasn’t letting go.

A gunshot.

Aurora didn’t feel himself hit the ground, only vaguely aware he had landed there a few moments later as he heard the clan leader shriek in pain. He clutched at his forearm, backing away with ears pinned back against his head and mouth still open in a snarl.

“Are you alright-“

“I knew we’d die,” he wheezed, breaking off coughing, “fighting but I never thought it would be like this.”

Daniel helped him up, pressing close in terror, and it took Aurora a few moments to realize just why he had come to Aurora’s aid. They were the only too left standing, the only two survivors of a slaughter.

“We’re surrounded,” Daniel whimpered.

“And you just shot the clan leader, brilliant.”

Shaah didn’t remain distracted for long turning his attention back to them once more with eyes burning in fury.

“Slay them!” he roared.

“T-they’re savages. Do you understand now?”

Aurora shook his head, stepping in front of Daniel. “Daniel is the chief officer! He has more power than I do with the Dravara. He can change this, all of this!”

“Aurora, shut u-“

“Spare you? I gave you one chance and you repay me with this. I left you alive but I will not mistake again.”

“I-I don’t want to die,” Daniel hissed from behind him. “What are w-we going to do?”

“I have an idea,” Aurora mumbled softly, “but you are not going to like it.”

“Try me.”

Shaah snarled. “Do you have anything else to say?”

Aurora reached for the compass in his pocket, closing it in a fist. “On the count of three…run and I’ll distract them.”

“That worked so well last time.”

Aurora watched as Shaah groaned, looking down at the wound in his arm and for once, he actually had a plan. “That will kill you. If you don’t cure the poison-“

“There is no poison. Cubs have had worse in play. You are trying to distract me.”

Daniel hurried up behind him. “What are you doing?”

Aurora ignored him. “We can help you. Daniel is quite the healer, aren’t you?”

The Dravara stiffened behind him, staring over at Aurora in confusion and terror at what he was suggesting. “Yes, w-well, I’m not the best but I can h-help you.”

“What is this?” Shaah snapped. “Kill them!”

“Wait, we aren’t tricking you. I did tell you I’d help and I will…starting now.”

Shaah’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Why should I trust you? You cause nothing but pain.”

“You told me once about the Dravara who helped you-“

“He is dead.”

Aurora stepped forward again. “And you will be too…if you don’t let us help you.”

Shaah growled, glancing towards the faeloren gathered in the trees before his attention moved back to them with a huff. “Help then.”

Aurora took a few steps forward, taking Daniel by the sleeve and trying to ignore the growls rumbling in the treeline around them. “Daniel, you’re the expert here. So, make like an expert and…expert…things.”

Daniel only stared over at him in horror, moving forward and holding a shaking hand out towards the clan leader. “Will you allow me?”

His ears flattened, teeth still bared before he held his arm out for Daniel to see.

“What exactly are we doing?” Daniel hissed back to him.

“Helping.”

“Yes, Aurora, will you go to one of the saddle packs and find something I can bind this with?” he asked, voice quivering.

Aurora nodded, watching Daniel carefully as he turned to face the nearest animal, legs splayed out and mouth still frozen in a fearful whinny that never managed to escape before an arrow had struck it dead. He swallowed, shivering as he moved forward to dig through the pack and returned with what he assumed was the only medical supplies they had.

“You have killed before. I remember the faces-“

“Here,” Aurora said, cutting Shaah off to handle Daniel a roll of bandages and a small glass bottle.

“Open it,” Daniel said, rotating Shaah’s arm carefully.

“Open what?”

“The vial.”

Aurora pulled the cork off with his teeth, spitting it out and handing over the bottle, hearing Daniel laugh as he took it into his hands.

“This will hurt-“

“We are strong,” Shaah snapped.

“I-I was only warning you,” Daniel said, swallowing.

Shaah recoiled with a snarl, grabbing at his arm as his fur stood on end like he’d been struck by some bolt no one else could see. He huffed, head shaking back and forth quickly as he backed away.

“He did warn you,” Aurora replied simply.

“Aurora, no.”

Daniel cleared his throat. “You’ll need to cover it to keep-“

“We know,” Shaah growled.

Silence.

Aurora hoped, for half a second, everything would end but when Daniel spoke again his heart stilled in his chest.

“You killed my men.”

Shaah’s head lifted with a snort, eyes darkening.

“Daniel, drop it.”

“No, I knew these men. They’re dead now because of you and the rest of you animals-“

“And your men would have done the same!” Shaah roared.

Aurora made a grab for his arm. “Daniel, this is not a fight you’re going to win.”

Daniel’s hand was on his pistol a moment later, tearing away from Aurora to cock the weapon back to fire as his aim steadied. “I-I won’t die before it does.”

Shaah’s ears flattened again, a huff sounding from him as he glanced up at the faeloren around them. Daniel didn’t move and Aurora was left staring in horror, unable to move without fear of setting either of them off. However, it was only a matter of time before something snapped.

“Lower-“

“No.”

“You are all the same. You will attack even if it means you will die. Fire your weapon and you will die-“

“And so will you.”

Aurora’s heart was pounding, hammering faster with every second that rolled by and every twitch of the faeloren around them. He didn’t even notice the one drawing an arrow, pulling back to fire and aiming, until Daniel spun to face her.

“Move an inch and I-I swear to the goddesses, I’ll shoot you.”

The faeloren snarled, slowly bringing her bowstring forward while Daniel only stared. “I expect an answer.”

“Leave her be,” Aurora barked. “She doesn’t understand.”

“I expect an answer!”

“Stop it!”

Daniel glared, turning to face Aurora and, much to his horror, he caught sight of the faeloren drawing back again. Daniel whipped around when his eyes widened. “Fire that arrow and I-“

The faeloren fired.

A crack rang out in answer.

Aurora’s heart froze again.

There was a shriek as she fell, crashing and writhing briefly before her body shuddered and then was still. Daniel’s eyes stared straight ahead, horror in his gaze as he stared at the nonsmoking barrel of his gun.

He hadn’t fired.

Aurora was too shocked to move, watching in horror as Shaah’s eyes flashed with rage and, with one swipe of his arm, struck Daniel in the side of the head and sent him sailing into the snow. He was gone then, fleeing with the rest of the clan into the trees once more.

Daniel.

He went stumbling sideways, limbs unfreezing as he slid to Daniel’s side, kneeling and shaking his shoulder. “Daniel, can you hear me?”

Silence.

Aurora swore, moving to collect the roll of bandages that had been left behind and quickly returning to, rather than wrap them, simply pressed them against the side of Daniel’s head where blood was leaking out into the snow. But his hope didn’t linger long before crimson had soaked through the first layer and was staining his hands.

“Vex it all! Answer me, you son of a bitch!”

Daniel didn’t stir.

Hoof beats sounded around them but Aurora was too distracted to notice, too panicked and too focused on the man bleeding in his arms.

“What have you done?”

He barely heard her voice, only glancing up to see the white horse and the black of its rider’s hair before his attention snapped down again.

“Help me,” he croaked, unable to keep his voice from shaking.

“Seize him.”

Aurora was dragged away then, kicking and scrambling to break their grasp.

“We were attacked! He needs help, please.”

“Your blood is on his hands,” she hissed, “explain that.”

“His party was attacked-“

She shook her head.

“Bind his hands.”

“Help him,” Aurora cried as he was dragged backwards, “please, I’m begging you!”

Silence.

“He’s dead,” a woman called from Daniel’s side, rising slowly to his feet. “There’s no help to be given.”

Aurora could have sworn he’d been shot, pain ripping through his chest the moment the woman’s words left her lips.

“I’m sorry,” one of the Dravara behind him whispered.

He dropped to his knees, head falling again. Daniel couldn’t be dead; it wasn’t possible.

“I knew you couldn’t be trusted but I never once thought you would resort to something like this. Take him back-“

“This is your fault!” he cried, tears stinging on his cheeks. “He’s dead because of you. I’ll make you pay for this, all of it!”

She moved forward then, raising his head, cradling a slender hand against his cheek, smiling. “We both know there is nothing you can do about it.”

“Kill me,” he croaked.

“That would be far too easy.”

Aurora didn’t pull away, only letting his head drop again and gritting his teeth against the pain shooting through his chest. He didn’t fight as they forced him to stand, led him away while his eyes only remained glued to the form of the man lying there on the ground. He was aware of one thing and one thing only, everything else seeming not to matter. The blood running down his back from a reopened gash, the cold in the air and the trouble he knew he’d gotten himself into didn’t even register in his mind.

They were nothing compared to the sorrow threatening to tear him apart completely.

Next Chapter: Chapter 21