~ 37: A Camping of Sweets and Sours - Part 2 ~

I had grabbed Aidan's outstretched hand in response to the sound. Mel was behind him while he had pulled me to his side. But I was too daring to remain next to him without taking some action. However, Aidan shoved me towards Mel and went in by himself to explore.

"Stay here," he said in a daunting tone.

"It's too dangerous for you," I whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

"What's the difference between you and me? We are both human beings, and it is my duty and responsibility to check the matter out. Stay put."

He had disappeared behind the trees, crunching the little twigs with his feet as he strode into the darkness. Mel was hugging me with closed eyes as though her life depended on it. I kept my arms around her with my hand on her head to console her. In her eyes, animals ripping people apart could have been as good as people beating up innocent ones.

Not hearing a single word from him after calling him out through whispers and loud voices had me worried. So I got Mel to sit it out in the car that we had booked for the day. I checked my weapons and tied my large napkin to the belt for accessing it easily, in case it became an emergency.

I used the faint torchlight to help me across the forest without making a single sound. The stillness of it made my heart drum in my ear, but I continued without looking behind. I was as alert as a wild animal.

I had ventured deep into the forest when I saw a small spot of light similar to mine, flashing once every ten seconds.

"Aidan?" I said softly for the forest to echo it.

But the person didn't budge from his position except for a second longer as another growl sounded across the forest floor. The stop frightened me to think that it may not be him and someone on the prowl to catch a woman. Then he kept on moving, and he continuously switched his torch, on the phone perhaps, on and off to avoid the attention of any wild beast.

Suddenly, a hand covered my mouth and rounded my waist. I didn't scream or bite on hearing the warning note of my captor.

"Don't try anything," said his deadly cold voice. "It'll cost you greatly."

I tried to wrench my hands off when I noticed the red ring glow. In the darkness, it was as bright as fire, spinning around my ring finger in glory.

'Lucas?' I asked him telepathically. 'What are you doing here? Didn't you say that you didn't want to see me until that night?'

'You summoned me, you idiot,' he replied.

I frowned at the accusation. 'When did that happen? I'm sure you are here on your own accord.'

'There are wolves in this forest, and who knows if there are werewolves here or not? You shouldn't have come here at night.'

'Then are you telling me to stargaze in the morning? Have you truly lost your mind?!'

'Shhh. Let me listen to the problem on the other side.'

I squeezed my eyes shut and listened as well, with Lucas's chin resting on my head. He hugged my shoulders so that I couldn't move an inch.

"What do you want, Human?" said a growling voice. "There's nothing for your kind here except death."

"I come to ask for a deal," another voice whispered. "I'm only allowed to ask of it now since my time has come."

'Who and where are they?' I asked him in astonishment. They were pretty far off but this man was able to transfer his energy to be so that I could hear them too.

'The first is a wolf, like I told you before,' said Lucas. 'They are most probably werewolves because otherwise, you wouldn't be able to understand them. The second one is obviously a human. Keep listening and you'll get some answers.'

"What would a mere human want from creatures loathed by their kind?" the wolf-kind creature said. "If you have come to seek for peace, we do not want it. In fact, we do not have anything to do with humans with whom we can't live in harmony."

"Then what if there was a certain water creature in your territory?" the other one asked. "Wouldn't you want them killed?"

"Why would they even walk on our land when they don't have legs? None of them wants to rule the land anyway. They cannot even approach land in fear of making known their existence."

"There is one creature who has escaped and her family lives on our land. Who knows if she might become strong enough to rule the land and throw such creatures out? Only a small deal can save your kind amongst others."

I felt Lucas clench his jaw and wondered whether he was as angered as me to throw off a creature that probably could not harm.

"If that creature hasn't caused a problem, why should we make a move?" asked one of the other wolves of the clan.

"Because it would be too late to save yourself then," said the man. "This land, on which you live, will be yours no more. What shall you do then?"

"What should we do then?" said the leader of the clan. "If the deal is feasible, only then shall we proceed."

"Then, dear King of Lycans, would you join hands with us, the Queen witch and I, against an upcoming war? If we win, which we shall, we shall expand your area of occupancy. Whatever be the outcome, your land will always be protected."

"We accept and honour your proposal."

I felt his hand cover my ears as the ground below us shook. We both crouched down and leaned against the tree beside us to keep our balance. From the magnitude of the earthquake, it seemed like some large power had been summoned.

After the last tremor that passed the land, the silence of the forest returned and the suffocating feeling left.

Then a voice boomed, "It is a pleasure to have you as our ally, King of Lycans. Perhaps you would help us find the little one, who I'm looking for, and is currently in your territory, according to the oracle and the scent in the air."

A breath didn't pass when a flare erupted in Lucas's hands and a dead fish landed next to our feet. In a moment, one of his hands covered my eyelids and the second glow shone around us.