I found her, she was sitting on a barrel on top of the arch of the west gate, she was overlooking the vast wilderness outside the city..... she had her legs crossed..... she still wasn't wearing any trousers, I tried my best not to stare, we were in the Marketplace for so long..... why didn't she just find something to use to cover up!
I sighed letting her know my arrival, she didn't turn her head one bit to greet me, ".....The pale ones really had the perfect view with this post," she spoke, "Yes, the forest is beautiful and the stream nearby adds to it's luster," I said, "Yes.... but that's not what I mean," "I know..... I just hoped you were," Aye I knew what she meant, that forest is famous for housing dangerous beasts, the foxes that spoke like humans, as intelligent as one too,Stoney Serpents and mutant bats, Owls the size of cows and worst of all.....
"The Poison trants..... it's a good thing we used the tunnels, had we passed that Forrest, half our kin would be lost..... even with our mages and shadow stalkers, the deaths would be..... let's just be grateful, " she said, "Peters insisted on us using the forest to our advantage," "The baker's boy? what does he know of strategy!" ".....Exactly what Elder Michala said, he protested a bit but that's all he did..... had we taken him seriously...."
"Is that why you called me here? to take him under my wing? I'll make short work of the boy then, in three weeks he'll be our best gazer, I assure you," I said.
"....." She didn't say anything else, she simply stared at the field in front of us, I guess she had nothing to say anymore..... but I couldn't find it in myself to leave her so I took another barrel and sat next to her.
"Do you remember what I said to you when we first met?" she said breaking the silence, "Hmmm? you mean when you challenged me to a duel outta nowhere?" I replied, ".... no, no the other..... thing I said," "Hmmm....? what oth- oh...." Aye I know she's talking about now..... I'm surprised she still remembers that.... that was over a decade ago, I was 8 and she was 10, we hadn't spoken a thing to each other before, I always thought she was one of the proud type, then one day, outta no where.....
"I was..... serious then, I'm still serious now..... would you have me?" she said finally making eye contact with me, her face was expressionless..... save for her eyes, those Blood red eyes, there was passion there.... I'd hope she was joking or she'd forgotten..... I'm..... "I'm nearly five and twenty, I'm not getting any younger... neither are you," she continued.
"A-Ama- My Alp-" "It's Amari....." "Amari..... I.... cannot accept....." I said. She studied me for a moment, before closing her eyes and taking a sigh... she stood up abruptly and lifted me in the air with her right hand, "!!!" I was surprised with her sudden outburst. She dropped just as soon as lifted me and glared at me.
"A-" I opened my mouth to speak but she interrupted me, "Get up..." she commanded me, I rose to my feet, the smoldering beauty towered over her, I met her gaze and it was not a pleasant one.... "I am tired of this song and dance..... for seven years.... for seven, you have given me gift after gift, I consider you my equal when it comes to mind and will..... yet when I propose AGAIN, you reject me AGAIN!"
".....I didn't reject you the first time..."
"No..... you fled instead!"
"I- It's more complicated than that....."
"Explain,"
"..... I want to be your equal..."
"You alre-"
"No I am not! This evening..... when you faced the Sol mage.... I couldn't see myself coming out as the Victor had I taken your place instead,"
"That.... means nothing,"
"Yes it does! What we're doing, the path we're following, the war that will come from our actions.... when the humans come for us, I want to be strong, I want to know that I can protect you and everyone in our pack, I want.... to show I am worthy of standing by your side!"
She studied me for a moment..... her eyes softened a bit.... but she was still uneasy, "Prove yourself worthy? How will you do it?" she asked.
"... Before Summer next year..... I will gift something like no other I have before, not like the eye of Mani, no that was a gift for my Alpha.... no, I'll give you Amari Solbiter..... The head of a Sol master!" I shouted.
"... most women would prefer Gems and flowers" she spoke.
" The only Gem you love are those at the butt end of a sword" I said. She smiled at that, I'm glad she's starting to mellow down a bit, "And what of flowers? what type do I prefer?" she asked, "The types that grow off open skulls," I replied, she chuckled at this, her rough golden hair shook with every breath, she laughed long and hard, like it was the funniest thing she'd heard in years.
"Ha, ha..... so pray tell, how are gonna present this gift to me? a rotten head would not please me at all!" she yelled, "I'll guild it in bronze and case it in forever ice! A gift worthy of my queen," I responded, "Hmmmmm....." she touched her chin, "A fine gift..... I'll add it to my collection!"
"Collection?"
"Yes, I kept every sword, every doll and every fur you'd ever given me..... I've kept it all! this one will be the finest you've given me yet! It'll be hard for you to upstage it you know?"
"Aye..."
"Good!"
She took out a bottle of rum from inside the barrel, "The pale ones..... vile as they may be.... know how to make magic with their alcohol.." she said, "Aye..." I concurred.
We drank the bottle in a few swigs,Sharing stories of our battle through the city and of past events of our childhood, then opened another bottle and then another..... the guards on this gate really need to be- oh no need since they're dead! hahahaha! We were having a splendid time until.
"Alpha Amari! Chief Karl Barker! we have news from our scouts! They found Maxie! He's in critical condition!" A raspy voiced old man cried.