That was one Helluva night.
Rends the Gar was tired after a long night and early morning of near constant fighting. He went over the night's events in his mind as he tracked his quarry through the scrub. It had been hard fighting, and they'd very nearly been overwhelmed, but the Prodigals had held the line and been ready to die to defend the Caern. He was damn proud of his pack. They'd been the only thing holding back the hordes there at the end, even if Roaring Jack had had to come to their rescue it was because of them that there was a Caern standing today. Nevertheless, he'd had to make his excuses to the Elders and cut out of the celebrations early in spite of his exhaustion.
He was a few miles south of the Burned Rock Caern now following the scent of one final loose end from the night before. To his left the sun was just starting its ascent in earnest, now a couple of hours after dawn. Not pausing, he stalked through the clearing where several hours ago he'd been fighting for his life against some of the Wyrm's most devious minions. The remains of the carriages stood as silent markers of the battlefield and a murder of crows scattered from the cold remains of a single human as Rends crossed, nose to the ground. It was difficult, but he was able to pick out the scent he wanted and followed it almost due south.
The trail was relatively fresh, but difficult to follow. Rather than taking an easy trail it seemed to wind through the thickest parts of the wood, often straight under or through a mesquite patch where two inch thorns tore at Rends' coat. He'd occasionally find a bit of blonde hair hanging on a thorn. Sometimes the trail would lead one way, then double back or circle a tree or rock before wandering off in a seemingly random direction. Once he lost the trail entirely when it lead to the base of a tree, then seemingly disappeared. He may have lost it for good if he hadn't gone out to the edge of the tree's branches and sniffed around. Apparently she'd climbed the tree, then walked out on a limb and jumped down to break the scent line.
Clever girl. Very clever. I'll have to remember that.
Resolving himself to a long chase, Rends continued following the winding trail. Eventually it led him to a small creek running noisily across his path. There was small pool where the water had carved out the ground, and thick scrub on either bank of the stream, high rocks on the northern bank obscuring the sight and sound of the little canyon. Rends scampered down the rocky bank. Fresh bootprints were in the caleche bank of the stream, and Rends couldn't help but give a frustrated sigh when he saw the bootprints didn't go across, but vanished into the stream its self. Figuring he was due for a break, Rends shifted back into Homid and splashed some water on his face.
“Don't you know it's rude to keep a lady waiting, Sylvester Clemons?”
Rends looked up. Silke was crouched on the opposite bank behind a large rock in front of a small cave. She was smirking at him as she came to her feet. Rends rose too, wiping his face on a sleeve as he waded across the creek. In spite of the hard night she must have had, she was beautiful even with her black eye. Her braid was wet and freshly redone and she smelled clean and fresh. She'd put on a clean blouse and skirt. Rends chuckled as he came up in front of her.
“Well, I woulda got here sooner but I had a Helluva time findin' the place. See if I let you pick the meetin' spot next time.”
She stuck her tongue out at him as he chuckled. Then she surprised him by stepping forward and giving him a tight hug.
“I never did really thank you last night. I woulda died if you hadn't come in and saved me. I was ready to die. These last few days travellin' with them, bein' around their kind, it was awful. And they had worse in mind for me.”
She looked up at him and he could see the sincerity in her eyes.
“Thank you. I been around monsters all my life, but until last night I didn't think Guardian Angels were real.”
Rends didn't say anything, instead returning the hug for a long moment.
“What I said was true. I's jest doin' my duty last night. Sure it ain't every night that means I get to meet someone like you, but I reckon you'd have gotten yourself outta that mess soon enough. Hell, you saved my ass too. I'd be all burnt up right now if you hadn't got that crazy woman when you did.”
He held her out at arms length, trying to clear his head of the scent of her.
“You don't owe me nothin'. I know you said you was my wife, but if you don't want...”
She cut him off with a fierce kiss
“Sylvester Clemons, you talk too much.”
She kissed him again.
“I been waiting my whole life for someone to fight for me. Now I have you, I ain't lettin' you go so shut up and help me out of this dress.”
*** *** *** *** ***
Some time later they lay atop a scratchy old horse blanket in the shade of their little nook. They were both reawakened from the morning's exertions, but as they lay together sleep was the last thing on their minds. Rends brushed a strand of golden hair from her face. She smiled up at him, holding his hand.
“Well mister Clemons, I know you didn't get much of a wedding night but I hope the morning made up for that.”
He laughed.
“Actually I had one Hell of a night. Meetin' you and them folk you was with was only the start of my night. After I headed off I was fighting one thing or another pretty well until I left to find you. So I guess this was about the best marriage I coulda hoped for.”
Silke came up to one elbow as she bit her lower lip.
“So... how does that work? I mean... it wasn't a full moon last night was it? Ain't that what makes your kind change? And I swear I say you actually reflectin' the light last night like you were made of metal but that ain't from any legend I've heard.”
Rends the Gar inwardly cringed.
I guess that settles the question of whether she's Kinfolk...
“They's a lot of stuff about my kind you heard that ain't true. We can change when we want. It ain't a curse, and it ain't spred by bitin'. We's born like this. It's a gift...”
He told her about the Garou Nation, their ancient secret war against the Wyrm and its minions. She listened closely, never interrupting or asking questions even though he could see she had a thousand of them bottled up inside. He told her about some of his deeds and some of the doings of his pack, shamelessly pointing out his various battle scars.
“So that's about it. Garou is warriors, and my Tribe especially. It's our job to make sure all o' creation don't get overrun by death and Banes and shit. That's why I was willin' ta let you off your promise. You didn't know what you was getting' into. But now you do. If you's gonna be my wife, you'll be part of all this. I'll protect you as much as I can, but I won't always be home. We travel a lot and we can't bring Kinfolk along when we go. It's too dangerous. I won't hide it from you, Silke, it's a hard and dangerous life bein' with a Garou. It ain't fer everyone.”
Her head lay on his shoulder, and she was distractedly drawing circles around the cannon ball scar on his chest. She was quiet for a long moment before she replied.
“Well. I won't pretend I understood even half of all that. I knew Vampires were real since I was a little girl, and I seen some other things more recently that made my blood go cold. Jacob had been in with those folk for years. He practically raised me after my folks died. He was never a good man, but for a while things wasn't all bad. Then he took in with them Vampires and Koffra started... feeding Jacob his blood.”
She snuggled up closer to Rends, shivering in spite of the early morning heat.
“It made him somethin' else. He was always a mean drunk, but that stuff made him mean and strong and it kept him awake for hours longer than he shoulda been. It let him drink more and get more drunk before passin' out. Jacob started lockin' me away when he was out, afraid 'they'd come for me' whatever that meant. Jacob weren't right in the head after that. I could only get out when he was passed out drunk. He still knew I'd been out sometimes, and that was when he beat me worst. But he never told the Vampires about me. He was as scared of them getting' me on that stuff as I was.”
She gave a humorless, bitter laugh.
“I reckon he sorta saved me after a way. I wasn't supposed to even be out here, but the other coach driver Jacob had hired hot his self thrown in jail the night before. Jacob was already in a bad way after he screwed up some other job, so instead of riskin' them bein' made he tied me up, tied my horse to the back of his carriage, and dragged me out here as a driver. So I guess I got him to thank for meetin' you.”
Silke smiled, then leaned up to kiss him.
“So I reckon I ain't all that surprised to find out Were... Garou are real too. I'm too old to believe there's any such thing as 'good guys' in life, but it seems to me you're the monsters fightin' for the right things, and I reckon I can get used to that.”
Rends smiled as she lay back down on his shoulder, again tracing his scars with her finger. He couldn't quite relax though; something still nagged at him.
“What were they doin' out here anyhow? I ain't never fought any before, but I always heard they was city folk and stayed where they lots of humans to hide around.”
Her answer was to get up and walk over to the discarded saddlebags to retrieve a piece of parchment paper. She held it down to Rends and started rubbing his back as he worked on reading the document.
“One of 'em got that in the mail. Land grant from what I can tell. Though why anyone would want land way out here in the middle of nowhere on the edge of Comanche lands I can't imagine.”
Rends growled as he though to himself, then reached over and stuffed the letter into his pants pocket.
“I got some folks I want to take a look at that. They's a couple reasons they might want land out here, but none they should know anything about and ain't none of it good.”
He rolled around to face her, his face serious.
“When we get back to Nacadoches, I want you to stay at Harriet's Saloon. You'll be safe there...”
He trailed off as Silke waved a hand up.
“Whoa, hold on now. I ain't goin' anywhere with you, sweetheart.”
Confused, Rends sputtered for a moment before she ploughed on.
“I know what you are now, and I know what it is you say you fight for. And I believe you. You seem an honest man, and I don't think you're a bad man.”
She held up one finger.
“But I need to be sure. I seen too many girls get swept away by sweet promises and dashing gentlemen only to wind up dead in an alley a week later. I need to be sure of what kind of man you are, and what kind of folk you go with before I give myself over to you. I'm your wife, but if you think for one second I'll be your bitch I'll smack you so hard you'll be chasin' cats around the barn thinkin' you're a sheep dog.”
Rends stared at her for a long time, a tense silence grew between them. Then he bellowed out a loud laugh, full and joyful. Tears started rolling down his face soon enough and he was gasping for breath. Silke started at him, she was caught somewhere between confusion and anger. Still laughing, Rends took her hands in his.
“Silke, you are the strongest woman I have ever met. I knew the moment I saw you step around that carriage you was special and damned if I weren't right! You're no woman to be bought or traded for, and I'm no man to buy a wife. Go see what I done before we met. We may not always follow the rules, but my pack always works for the greater good, and we never compromise. I wouldn't have you take my word for that though.”
Wiping the tears from his face he looked back up at her. Her blue eyes were unreadable.
“But when you's done, come to Harriet's in Nacadoches. I know the owner and she'll take care of ya if I'm out on business.”
She stared at him for a moment, her azure eyes glinting with just the slightest hint of moisture.
“You... you'll let me go? Just like that? You don't even want me back by a certain day?”
“I'd prefer you get done sooner, to be honest. But you take whatever time you need. I won't have a wife who don't trust me and don't know what I'm about. I'll even let you have my guns jest in case you need 'em. Jest send me a letter once in a while. Lemme know what you's up to. But don't come back till you's ready to take on the role of a Garou's wife.”
She blinked her eyes, and a single tear dropped down her cheek. Without saying another word, she pounced on him and they passed the rest of the day much as they had the morning.
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