Roman
It seems I have been going in circles. Adam's scent was allover the damn place. I must have passed this tree three times already. I was getting a clear picture in my head. The only reason why Adams scent would be in circles like this is because he was running and trying to cover his tracks. Running back and forth along the same path made it impossible to trace. I growled in frustration. It's getting dark. My best bet now was to find the Natives hunters again and try to scent him out from there. Although I am not going to lie, I am looking forward to seeing my mate again.
Taking off in the direction of where I had last seen my mate, I felt in my mind for the new bond. It was so weak that it was just barely there. I doubt my mate would even notice at this stage. Even though she has to have some wolf blood in her, I don't know how much she has. Depending on how much of her wolf blood is diluted, corresponds with how dormant her wolf genes are.
A light ahead of me, pulled me from my thoughts. I could smell her from here. The soothing scent of my mate, like a balm over my emotions of worry and over a century of loneliness. Slowing down, I carefully walked to the edge of the brush to get a better view. Taking note of the people there, I noticed only my mate and another man were here at the camp. I could see the side profile of my mate, and the back of the native man.
"Just keep your head low and don't ask questions." The man told her.
"Is it because I am not a hunter or because I'm a woman?" my mate retorted in distaste. My woman has got spirit, I thought as I half smiled.
"Both and neither. Don't ask anymore questions, please Onawa." The man voice pleaded for her to understand him.
Onawa must be my mates name. It's an unusual name, like all of the Natives, but only hers makes me want to melt into a puddle. I smiled at the thought of a woman able to make me of all people feel like this. The irony was not lost on me about the predicament I was in. The one tribe that is actively trying to kill us, and my mate is right smack in the middle of them. It should irk me, but not doesn't. Instead, I feel excitement at the sense of a hunt to win my mates heart.
"Whatever it is, does Chief Delshay know?" My mate asked him tiredly as she subconsciously played with the end of her braid. The man nodded, but stared off beyond the camp.
As I watched my mate, I began to think. There is only one hunter, I could easily subdue him and take Onawa home with me, but then it would give the Natives a reason to attack. If they have Adam, he would bare the brunt of my reckless decision. No, I couldn't have that. I would have to find a way to see her and convince her to leave the tribe of her own volition. As much as my wolf wants to take over and throw her over my shoulder, the consequences of those actions are too great.
"You can go to sleep if you like. I'm here to guard the camp anyways, so I won't be sleeping." The hunters broke the silence.
"I look that tired, huh?" she asked as the right side of her lips curved up into a half smile.
"Yes. I-I mean no. Uh…I mean you still look beautiful, I just thought you might like a good night's rest." My mate burst into laughter as the hunter became flustered.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
" You! Are you that afraid of offending me now? You know, nearly killing you earlier was an instinctual reaction to you being a stalker. I am not going to torture or kill you for insulting me." She continued to laugh. I smiled at thought of my mate nearly killing a hunter. She defiantly a fighter. Not a lot of women have that.
I must have spent a couple hours doing nothing but watching my mate. The way the shadows cast by the fire danced on her face. How some of her hair moved gently when the wind caressed her. All of the bliss I had selfishly indulged in came to a screeching halt as a man's faint screams reached my ears. I stood up, alert and checked my surroundings. My mate seemed unaware of the screamed as they got closer. A few moments later I could smell blood. Lots of it.
I heard fast galloping approaching as felt my muscles tense. I watched and waited for the moment I would need to spring into action. As the screamed got closer I noticed my mates head jerked up and looked towards the screams. Interesting. She hear better than a human. Her blood must not be as diluted as I thought.
Onawa
"You can go to sleep if you like. I'm here to guard the camp anyways, so I won't be sleeping." Tarak said as he looked at me.
"I look that tired, huh?" I asked him with a half smile.
"Yes. I-I mean no. Uh…I mean you still look beautiful, I just thought you might like a good night's rest." Tarak stumbled over his words and I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
" You! Are you that afraid of offending me now? You know, nearly killing you earlier was an instinctual reaction to you being a stalker. I am not going to torture or kill you for insulting me." I said as I continued to laugh.
After a few moments of silence I heard a scream from my left. It came from the same direction that the hunters had left.
"Help me!" the screams said. I stood in alarm as my eyes tried to see into the darkness.
"Onawa, what's the matter?" Tarak asked me.
"Do you hear that?" My voice held stronger than I felt.
"Hear what?" he asked as another scream rang out.
"Listen." I said with my eyes still focus of the direction of the painfilled screams. For some reason I couldn't tear my eyes away from the darkness before me.
After an agonizing 2 minutes Tarak stood up and readied his bow.
"Onawa, get behind me!" Tarak said urgently.
As the screams got closer, we could see the outline of four shapes. Three were walking, one was being carried.
"Tarak! Put your bow down!" I heard Taza yell.
Tarak instantly put his bow down and rushed forward to our fellow hunters. As they came closer into the light, I could finally see what was going on. Taza and Kuruk we're carrying Elan while Bodaway was trailing behind with the horses. The sight of blood made me spring into action.
"Tarak! Lay a blanket next to the fire, now!" I called out as I rushed to put together the herbs and tools I needed. I had only dealt with an amputation once, but that was a finger. This, was an arm. Upon looking at it, I could tell there would be no way to save it. The chunk taken out of his arm had ensured that there wasn't enough flesh on his arm left to put anything back together.
Elan continued screaming as they laid him down on the blanket. As I began to survey the damage, I noticed they were able to use a piece of leather as a tourniquet. This is what most likely saved his life, I doubt he would have lived to make it here otherwise. I took the glass bottle labeled laudanum and held it up to his mouth.
"Drink this." I ordered. Elan did as told and within a few moments he was out cold. After I sterilized the handsaw I had, I then did the same with his arm. Due to the location, I had to amputate about three inches below the elbow. With the saw in hand, I began to amputate.
The squelching and crunch sound that was made from the sawing of bone and flesh made me cringe. Vibrations that came as I sawed back and forth into muscle and bone, went up into my arm. I could smell the copper from the blood as it permeated through the air, almost making me choke. Nevertheless, none of what I was experiencing, kept me for the task at hand.
"Tarak, put the blade of my knife in the fire, we are going to need to cauterize the wound." I said as I finished sawing through the last bit of flesh. Laying the saw aside, I handed him my knife.
After a few moments, Tarak handed me the hot blade and I pressed it to the end of the amputated arm. As the sickening smell of burning flesh wafted through the air, I could hear as one of the hunters ran to vomit into some nearby bushes. When I took the blade off the amputation site, I used some clean cloth to wrap the now cauterized wound.
"I need a couple sticks to use for bracing. He doesn't need to be moving his elbow for a while. Last thing we want is the skin stretching too much and ripping the scab open." I said as finished up wrapping his arm. After the limb was fully wrapped, I went ahead and loosened the tourniquet to slip it off.
As I waited for one of the hunters to bring me the sticks, I looked at the severed limb when I noticed what looked like bite marks. Whatever bit Elan, cost him to loose part of his arm. What in the hell where they doing out there to get Elan's arm bitten off? I turned to Taza.
"Was it worth it?" I asked him angrily. I was instantly answered with a backhand to the face, effectively knocking me to the ground.
"I am the future Chief, you do not speak to me that way!" Taza yelled at me. As tears blurred my vision, I sat up and winced as I brought my hand up to my face.
"What the hell is your problem man?" Tarak yell angrily. When I looked up I saw Tarak shove Taza. "You think because your future Chief, that it entitles you to hit women?" earning Tarak a punch to the gut.
"Shut your mouth and keep your hands off of me." Taza said lowly into Tarak's ear as he was still bent over clutching his stomach and gasping for air.
"Taza, I think everyone needs a minute to cool off." Bodaway said as he gently touched Taza's shoulder. After Taza turned his back and went to his tent, Kuruk walked over to me and Tarak and helped us up.
"I am sorry, Tarak." I said to him as I hugged him.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Taza is letting his ego get to big, and he needs to be put back in place." Tarak rasped out as he started to gain back control of his breathing.
"While I agree with you, it's best to keep low till we are back home. The only one that can straighten Taza out, is Chief Delshay." Kuruk said and Tarak and I both nodded in understanding.
"Let's get Elan to his tent, then go to bed." I said then proceeded to hold open Elan's tent flap while Kuruk and Tarak carried him in.
After they left the tent, I proceeded to take off Elan's shoes, put his blanket over him, then elevated his stump on his bag. It was then I noticed that his stump had been splinted. I know I didn't do it, I was arguing with Taza. Tarak was also arguing with Taza, and Bodaway was tending to the horses until he stepped in to break up the fight. That only leaves Kuruk. When I left Elan's tent, I went to Kuruk's tent.
"Hey Kuruk? Did you splint Elan's arm?" I asked him from outside his tent.
"Yes, why? Did I not do it right?" he asked as he peaked outside of his tent.
"Oh no, it's fantastic. I just wanted to say thank you. I feel ashamed that I didn't wait until I was done fixing him up, before mouthing off to Taza." I explained.
"Ah. Well, I'm glad I did it right. As far as mouthing off to Taza, I would have done the same thing." He said with a small smile.