The Silver Bow

Chapter 10

The girls had decided to stay a in the village for a couple of nights, as Halec was going away for a while at the end of the week and Beatriz wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Watching them together made Zena feel even lonelier so she took to staying at the inn while Beatriz and Halec rode out together.
Zena sighed again as she watched Halec wrap his arms around Beatriz as they came into the in after their day out. She had to admit; she was jealous of Beatriz. With her beauty and charm, she could have anyone she wanted. She was so talented, and beautiful and everything that Zena wished she was. Beatriz was a skilled healer, while she, Zena, could only kill and destroy.
As they got ready to leave, Zena mentally shook herself. She could be jealous of Beatriz, but she had to keep it under control. She had seen people overcome with jealousy before. She sighed and looked outside. It was raining again. Every day since they'd arrived it had rained heavily, and Zena was worried that the rivers would be uncrossable or even flooded.
The girls rode in silence, water dripping from their heavy cowls. The goodbye had been brief, as Halec had had to set off. If was nearing dark and Zena wondered if they would reach the first village before nightfall. She didn't mind the rain but Beatriz hated it, like every other cat she had met. She would want to get dry and warm. Zena looked back and saw her friend grumbling under her breath about the rain. She was also worried that after staying in human form for so long, she wouldn't be able to resist shifting in the light of the moon.
They rode for another half an hour until Zena thought the twisting in her stomach was going to become unbearable. Suddenly, Beatriz (who had over taken Zena earlier) stopped. Zena looked over her shoulder and said nothing. A raging river crossed there path. She couldn't believe it- it had only been a shallow fjord last time they had passed. They would have to camp here, out in the open and in the pouring rain for the night.
A jolt of pain hit Zena and she let out a yowl of pain, more wolfish than human. She couldn't take it any longer. Zena leapt off her horse and shifted, gazing at Beatriz with her large grey eyes. She had to understand. But no. The look in Beatriz's eyes told her that Beatriz scorned her lack of self control. She whined sadly and shook her head. Beatriz could never understand.She looked back once more, then loped off into the night.