Soulmates Across Borders

Chapter 25

The wolves came out of their mist form to rest while everyone ate lunch. It was exhausting to stay in mist form for so long, and besides, they hadn't seen any beastmen in the area all day.

They finished eating and were about to get back to work when Solí suddenly felt the presence of Aer'ehk. She looked toward the river in alarm.

He's nearby? Pango asked urgently.

Yes, I can feel him.

This isn't good.

What do we do?

Say you need to go relieve yourself and see if you can find him and tell him to leave.

He probably wants me to come with him now. "Damn it," she said under her breath. I'm not ready to leave.

I think it's time though. Sorry my love, but we must go. Don't say goodbye. It will make it too suspicious.

Ugh, I hate this!

Solí nodded and stood up. "I'm going to relieve myself. I'll be right back," she said around the knot in her throat.

"Take Pango with you. The forest might not be safe," her father suggested.

Pango stood and followed her toward the river. She forced herself to keep her eyes ahead instead of looking back at her family, so they wouldn't see the tears streaming down her cheeks. They walked into the woods.

You still have me, Pango told her. I'll always stay by your side, Solí.

I know. I love you, Pango. She sobbed.

He whined and licked her hand. They made their way through the woods and to the river, until suddenly, Aer'ehk was there in front of them.

He smiled at her, but she couldn't bring herself to return the smile. He clearly said, "Hello Solí," in his beastman language, and so she replied,

"Hi Aer'ehk."

He spoke softly to her as she approached, and she could tell he was upset to see her tears. She swiped them off her face and forced herself to smile at him. Then she reached out to take his hand, and when they touched, her soul awakened with a swirl of cold power at her first sacred circle.

They both gasped at the shared sensation.

You can't tell him that you want to go somewhere neutral, Pango said.

I know. I thought I was going to get one more dream tonight to tell him. You can come out, Pango, she added.

So her wolf left the cover of the bushes and approached. At the same time, a white and gray wolf appeared behind Aer'ehk.

"You have a wolf too?" she asked him. She pointed, and he turned to see what she was looking at and then nodded. She spun her hand around to point at her own wolf behind him, and Aer'ehk smiled.

She's beautiful, Pango said.

I'm glad you'll have her to keep you company.

He calls her Lupé. She's different than a bonded wolf.

She's what we call an ensorcelled wolf, Solí said. So she can speak with you? What does she say about her bond with Aer'ehk?

She has grown to like him. He can't understand her like you can understand me, but he treats her well.

Well, maybe one day I'll be able to cast the soulbond makutu on the two of them, and they can be like us.

I will ask her what she thinks of that, Pango told her.

Wait until you know her better. I have to learn to unlock my highest sacred circle, so when you ask, tell her I don't know how to do it yet.

Understood. Pango walked by Aerk'ehk and up to Lupé. Before they were quite close enough for a proper greeting, Pango put his ears back and shied away back to Solí.

What's wrong?

Wuruhina is asking what's taking so long. I told her you aren't feeling well, but we need to get out of here as soon as we can. If your father sees you trying to leave with this beastman, we'll be in deep trouble.

"Shit." Solí squeezed Aer'ehk's hand and broke out into a run. Aer'ehk pulled her toward the river. Pango followed on her heels, and Lupé took up the rear.

They burst out of the trees in front of the water and came to a sudden halt in front of a boat that Aer'ehk had probably left there. Beastmen were crossing the river in their strange boats that could go so much faster than the Värian log rafts.

Aer'ehk said something under his breath. Then he turned downriver, and she followed after him as he ran. But the beastmen had seen them. Their boats were fast and loud. They'd close in on them soon enough.

What should we do, Pango?

The mist makutu. It's the only way. We need to find some lilacs.

She dove back into the woods, Pango right behind her. Aer'ehk let out a yell of surprise and came scrambling after her.

"We need lilacs!" she shouted even though she knew he wouldn't understand. "Come on!"

More bad news. Some summoners spotted the beastmen. Your family is worried about you. They're coming after us.

Shit! She sprinted through the woods, her eyes darting here or there looking for purple. There's no lilacs Pango! What do we do?

Keep running. As fast and as far as we can.

Her lungs rasped with panicked breaths. Aer'ehk was falling behind. She slowed and waved him onward, and what she saw when she looked back to him gave her chills.

Värian summoners were sprinting out of the woods with their wolves, and from the river, the beastmen were giving chase. A few of them noticed the summoners coming out of the forest. The summoners noticed the other beastmen. They stopped and strung up their bows.

"Shit!" she swore again. "We're not going to make it. We need to think of something!"

We need to go back to our sides, Pango said. We go back with the summoners and Aer'ehk and Lupé go back with the beastmen. It's the only way.

How do I explain that to Aer'ehk, though?

I don't know. Just try!

So she ran up to Aer'ehk and grabbed his hands and held him still. She patted his chest and then pointed at the beastmen. "Go back for now! We'll think of something else later, alright? For now, just go back with your men!"

He squinted at her and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

She patted her own chest and pointed back to the summoners, who had started shooting their bows. An arrow landed only a pace away. "I'm going back for now, alright?" she screamed at him.

She turned to jog back toward the summoners coming out of the forest, but Aer'ehk grabbed her hands and yanked her back.

"You don't understand! We're going to die unless we go back for now!" She patted his arms and then pointed back to his people. She pushed him in the direction and then tried to go back toward the summoners. A few were running in on foot to attack Aer'ehk. Off to the side, summoners had started fighting the other beastmen, who were closer than Aer'ehk and Solí.

Finally, her meaning became clear to him. He kissed her hand and took off in a sprint back toward the beastmen. She and Pango hurried back to the other summoners in the forest. She watched him run as she climbed the slope back into the forest, and he disappeared through the trees.

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1187 Words ~ 28664 Total