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Safira snorts and starts to roughly lick one of the pups who I have named Juniper.
“What is wrong?” Kian asks me as I start crying while Alfa keeps whining.
“Alfa says…” I wipe my tears away and I stand up, still holding Alfa’s heavy weight, though, at that moment, it feels like she weighs nothing in my arms.
“Alfa says that she will go wherever I go.”
Kian breaks into a smile again and leans down to kiss me while Alfa squirms impatiently between us.
We break apart, laughing, as she lets out a series of startled yelps.
“She definitely doesn’t like being stuck between the two of us.” Kian smiles broadly.
30
KIAN
The pack are better trackers than any orc could ever be,I think to myself as we make our way back to the Risen Ash clan camp.
My memories are coming back slowly, and the way home is among those memories.
I know that we have to head east, away from the Great Lakes, although I do know that the camp is still close enough to the lakes that we can hunt for animals that live in and around the lakes.
But with the pack’s help, we’re making our way home much more quickly than if we had to rely on my directions alone.
Amara communicated with them to sniff out the scent of a large group of orcs, and somehow, they’re managing to do just that.
Fever is at the front of the pack and is doing more of the tracking, and also makes us stop every hour to ensure that we’re safe.
“He is really taking his new role as pack protector seriously,” I tell Amara with a smile, and she smiles too as she looks reflectively at Fever.
“I think he’s trying to make up for a lot. I think he wants forgiveness,” she says slowly, as though she is still considering her words.
“At least we’ll get home safely,” I say. Amara sighs happily and takes my hand in hers.
We walk until the sun starts to set before we settle down for the night.
I realize, as Amara falls asleep in my arms, that I have changed completely.
I am no longer a warrior.
Kian the Undefeated Gladiator be damned!
* * *
We area couple of days away from the clan’s camp when we settle down for the night and make a temporary camp of our own.
The wolves settle in a circle around us, and I stoke the fire that Amara started. Fever and Terror, one of his littermates, went hunting and brought back half a deer, which Amara is now skinning and preparing to cook.
Today was different. Today, Amara is different. I am not sure why because we had a good night last night and a good day yesterday.
But tonight she is anxious, almost jittery, and nearly cuts herself several times when carving up the deer meat with my knife.
“Are you okay?” I take the knife from her gently and set to carving the meat myself. I have seen her do it enough times.
She inhales shakily and rubs her bloody hands off on her trousers.
“I’m just nervous,” she finally admits. She takes chunks of meat from me and places them on a flat rock on the fire.
