PRESENT DAY:
The next few days was rather uneventful. We traveled by daylight, hunted and cooked at dusk, and slept in shifts. I was the only one who didn't have a guard shift. They were both worried about me since that day.
I was plagued with nightmares every night. I would sleep for a few hours at a time. They took turns sleeping next to me as well, they never let me out of their sight. It seemed as if Ishi and Marshall had formed a secret alliance to keep me under surveillance 24/7.
This night was no different. I woke with a start.
Marshall was still sleepy, he pulled me in close and tried to comfort me. I felt clammy and wanted to cool off outside. I kissed his cheek and whispered that I won't go far.
I climbed out of the tent and didn't see Ishi right away. I was glad for the solitude. I walked over to the Icaine tree; it looks like a birch tree and has cone shaped leaves that collect water. I tipped one of the leaves down and splashed the water on my face.
The night air was cool. It helped to cool me down, but did not help my sour mood. I felt disgusted after seeing the harsh reality that exists in this world. It was hard to swallow that there was something so terrible in this beautiful world. Seeing someone commit suicide first hand left me shook. I almost did the same thing once, and it bothers me. At the time, I had no one who cared about me.. just like Mallory had thought before she did it.
On top of these thoughts I had the images of Isola's house in my head. There was a lot of blood on the floor. I worried that Dania might not survive. I worried that the Chimera got to them just like what it did to that group of people in the woods. I would have nightmares about finding their bodies. In some, the bodies are mangled, in others they have taken their lives. I can't seem to get those images out of my mind.
I stood there in the darkness and rested my head against the tree. The silence enveloping me like a wet blanket. Water splashed on my head and I looked up to see a slender arm reaching over my head to tip one of the Icaine leaves and dump water on my head.
I turned around and saw Ishi standing behind me with a devilish smile. I didn't even hear her approach.
I wiped the water off me as I said to her, "Really?"
She just smiled at me, proud of herself. "You let your guard down. Are you going to let all my training go to waste like that?"
I couldn't help but smile back. Ishi rarely had a genuine smile on her face.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" She asked.
"Not tired."
"Again?" She asked.
I've been restless every night so far.
I shrugged in response.
She sighed. "Listen, I can't imagine what's going on in your head, but I kind of get it. The first time I saw something like that, I was a young warrior, I had just come of age. I ended up losing my lunch. My mother came over and told me the story of her first time too. She comforted me by reminding me that it is the cycle of life. After they pass, their souls will be reincarnated and they will be reborn. They will live among us again, hopefully with less suffering. I found comfort knowing that my comrades didn't end on the battlefield, that they are headed off to start again."
"Souls are reborn?" I asked her.
"That is what we believe, yes. Some books recount information that was written in one of the progenitors journals; that souls are recycled. Since the progenitors had knowledge of the gods, it makes it believable, right?" Ishi said to me.
"I have come to realize that anything is possible here." I said, actually feeling a little better.
"If you aren't going to sleep, come sit with me for a while. I don't feel comfortable with you wandering around alone in the dark." She changed the subject.
"Okay." I replied, and followed Ishi.
We found a spot by the campsite and sat on the soft forest floor, looking up at the stars through the canopy.
Ishi told me some stories about her childhood, about how she and Isola lost their parents at a young age during a territory war. Isola became obsessed with medicine and saving lives while Ishi trained to be a warrior. They both became the best in their respective fields and supported each other.
"What about you?" She asked me, referring to my family.
"Not much to tell. I had two siblings, we never got along. My mother died before I came of age. Our father was not a decent person by any means…" I shrugged, "Dania is the closest thing I have ever had to a real sister." I felt an ache in my chest at the thought of her.
"Sorry.." Ishi replied.
I never imagined I would hear Ishi say sorry for anything, it was odd. I looked at her and she continued to stare at the stars.
"I miss my sister too. I know she is clever and won't easily be taken advantage of… but she isn't a fighter. She's my little older sister." She added with a smirk.
"Isola is older?!" I asked, shocked.
In my mind, I always assumed Ishi was older since she is more responsible and takes care of Isola, indulging her habits.
"Hahaha yeah. She doesn't seem like it, does she?" Ishi asked, looking at me.
"Not at all." I started to chuckle as well.
I yawned, finally starting to feel tired.
Ishi patted my head and said to me, "Go get some sleep while you can. We have a few more hours before Marshall and I rotate."
I nodded and headed back to the tent. I quietly entered and curled up next to Marshall, reveling in his warmth.
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MARSHALL POV:
I was nudged awake by the cat, Ishi.
I didn't want to get up. Mika was sleeping peacefully next to me for the first time in a while. Lately she has been waking up before I switch shifts with Ishi and refusing to go back to sleep. I was afraid that if I leave the tent, she will get cold and wake up.
"She's sleeping." I whispered to Ishi.
"I can see that." She whispered back, sarcastically.
"I don't want her to wake up alone." I said to her, hoping that her soft spot for Mika will make her agree to letting me stay here.
"Then I will sleep in here with her while you take a shift." She shot back.
Without warning, my wolf growled possessively. She reflexively growled back. We were both shocked and turned to look at Mika, to make sure we didn't wake her up. She mumbled a little, but didn't stir.
We both heaved a sigh of relief.
"Are you trying to wake her up? Stupid dog. Get out. I'll keep her warm." Ishi quietly growled at me.
Something about her being close to Mika made me feel threatened. Even though I am Mika's mate, there is the potential for more mates due to her vitality. Mika doesn't show interest towards her like that, but she didn't with me at first either.
I reluctantly left the tent and watched as the sly leopard climbed in. I felt my wolf's irritability as she scooted closer to my mate and wrapped her arm around her. I closed the tent flap and walked off to start my shift.
The cold air made me feel the urge to urinate, so I walked off a few paces and found a spot. Once I was finished, I removed my clothes and transformed. My senses felt sharper when I was in wolf form. I paced around the perimeter, inspecting for anything potentially dangerous.
Once I was satisfied that everything was okay, I found a spot to lay down; keeping my ears sharp for any sounds.
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ISHI POV:
I didn't plan to end up like this. I was just going to wake the dog and then catch some shut eye up in the tree. But the sight of her sleeping… Her gentle curves and slightly opened mouth… plus his insistence that she would wake up… before I knew it, I was moving right on in. I curled up next to her, sharing my body heat. We fit together so perfectly, I draped my arm over her to get more comfortable.
It was a nice bonus that this irritated the dog.
It felt to comfortable to have her in my arms as she slept, it was like a dream come true. I wanted to stay awake and savor every moment of it, but her gentle breathing lulled me to sleep.