Choices

Caith finally looked at her when he was dressed and said, "I am sorry. It's just not right to do it now."

"Why's that?" She asked tilting her head to the side slightly her eyes alive with curiosity. "It felt right to me," she added.

"It felt right to me too, but we barely know each other. And besides have you ever met another guy your age? Am I the first one?" He asked her sitting next to her on the bed which was still a little wet from their earlier interaction.

"I have, but I never really got along with many of my peers. I meet some people I got along with but it was a small village where we lived. Most of the people there were suspicious of shifters. So they had no idea of my abilities, but elves, goblins as well as other being and half beings lived there. I just pretended to be a regular human and I went on a few dates but I never liked the men. There was something about them that seemed off. Then when my Papa died I tried to go live among people but I didn't fit in. So I choose to go live in the woods by myself." Sionna looked down at her fingers and touched the tips together ever so slightly.

"That might have been my first kiss, but it's not because I haven't had the opportunity. I just never wanted to do it before now." She seems fascinated with her hands as she listened to him take a deep breath.

"I still think it would be good for us to take things slower. Besides, I don't want to get you pregnant and we don't have any potions." He answered slowly. Then reached over and carefully lifted her chin to face him and gave her another small peck.

"This is new to me too, I never wanted anyone before." He said and his words made excited chills run through her body.

"Okay," she replied finally. "I never thought of that," she spoke softly while reaching over and squeezing his hand.

"Thank you for understanding, he said kissing her forehead. Do you want to go to bed now?" He asked and she nodded.

"But as humans," she said crawling onto the bed and flicking the wet covers toward the foot of the bed.

"Of course," he replied laying down next to her and wrapping his arms around her pulling her close. She curled up into a ball and he pulled his knees in toward her but his feet still hung over the end of the bed.

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Ciall opened to see some light filtering through the branches. Her body hurt, especially her head and she wondered where she was for a moment. Suddenly the moments of he past raced back through her mind and she remembered why she was laying there. She sat up and saw the blood bath around her. The smell of blood and decay filled the air. As she looked around she noticed Demarcus's body laying not far from her. His eyes were closed and his hands were placed over his chest holding his bow and arrow. He was in the position that most people were when they were buried. She crawled to him her eyes filling with tears. He looked to peaceful but that usual fire wasn't there and it made her heart ache. She brushed his hair and felt is cold stiff body. She let out a blood curtailing scream of pain and anger. Her normally so cold and collected demeanor was reduced to a woman in a fit of hysteria. She wished so badly she had treated him better, that she actually acknowledged they had something. Now she couldn't, the one person she loved in this world was gone. When the pain reduced to a dull roar she looked around at her surroundings. There was a little burlap bag with a note under it. She crawled toward it and lifted it up. It was heavy and she looked inside it was filled with gold.

The note was addressed to her,

Dear Ciall,

I am sorry for your loss, but this is your chance to turn a new page in your life. Take this gold and start a new life. Free the Pugot who you were given control of. He is now frozen near you. He will not hurt you and go just go home. This is your last chance at a good full life.

If you decide you want to continue on your quest to aid slavery. Then you must first free the Pugot. I put a spell on him that will only allow him to tell you where the compass is once he is freed of the curse. Upon breaking the curse the ice will also melt. I saw the marking on your arm, you are very capable of doing this.

I do warn you, if you hunt me down again I will kill you. However if you still desire to go after me that is yours and yours alone.

Sincerely,

The Wolf

Ciall set the note down and looked at the bag. It had a handsome amount of solid gold and she thought starting a new life. That's why she got into the slave industry, it made her wealthy. And coming from city slums that was never going to be a possibility for her.

This was her opportunity to let her dreams come true. Then she looked at Demarcus's body laying near her. Then the dream of a future melted away. No one was going to love her, Demarcus was the closest she ever had to love. And she believed the closest she would ever get. No one would love a part goblin like her she thought looking down at her skin. She couldn't even love herself. It was a miracle that someone showed any sort of interest in her. Making her decision she rose from her place on the ground.