Chapter 10b Hunting Down A Friend

Ember wrote:Ember kept her gaze on the tracks she was following as she trotted through the forest. From what she could see from the pattern of the steps, Caterina must have been running with no sense of direction or destination in mind. "I just hope she doesn't wander somewhere too dangerous for her" Ember thought grimly, quickening her pace.

CaterinaJest wrote:I don't know how long I've been running. My legs were burning from tearing through the brambles and underbrush in my path. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. There was a slight gap in the trees that made a small clearing but really, it all looked the same. I tried to force myself to continue running but it would seem that my legs didn't want to listen. My legs gave out and I crashed to the ground. I clutched my head as my tears kept streaming down my face. "I can't do this, I can't do this..." I whispered to myself. I couldn't stop shaking. I can't let them get close! I will NOT make the same mistake! I thought I had learned my lesson, after what happened with them. No. Nothing good ever comes from caring. They can't hurt you if you don't care. That's what I keep telling myself. Who would even actually care about a half-breed... an abomination.. With that thought, I curled in on myself, clutching the cross around my neck. I let out a hoarse laugh as I realized why the thought of leaving Ember, Andromeda, and Beth hurt so damn much; I already care way too much.

Ember wrote:Ember slowed to a halt as she noticed the paw prints she was following started to appear closer together. She lifted her gaze from the prints to see a fluffy bundle curled up on the ground in a small clearing.
Ember cautiously approached, hoping not to scare Caterina, and quietly lay down beside her to be more level with her. She said nothing as she waited for Caterina to respond.

CaterinaJest wrote:I tensed when I felt someone lay next to me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't think any of them would actually follow me. When nothing happened I chanced glancing over to see who it was, only to see the dark glimmering scales of none other than Ember. "Why is she just sitting there?" I thought to myself, my ears still drooping and shaking. I sniffled before asking in a voice hoarse from crying, "W-why did you follow me?" I flinched at my stammer. "Great" I thought grimly, "She probably thinks I'm just some cry baby..." I turned away from her while I waited for an answer.

Ember wrote:"I was worried about you." Ember replied softly. "I knew you didn't leave just to go scouting. I saw how upset you were. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

CaterinaJest wrote:"Why would you care?" I scoffed, "I'm nothing to you, or anyone else for that matter, so you can stop pretending now." with that I sat up, my back to Ember, as I tried to wipe the tears off my face. When I tried to move my leg, I felt a sharp pain go up it. Looking down I noticed that I had slight bloody patches clumping in the fur on my legs. "That's what I get for running through bramble bushes at full speed." I thought to myself as I inspected the gashes on my legs, trying to ignore the dragon behind me. Without looking back, I spoke to her, "You should just go, the others are going to be getting worried about you soon," with a sad, watery voice I continued, "besides, it's better this way, people tend to get hurt when they're around me." "when I care about them." I added to myself. "I'm just a good for nothing half breed, anyways." I whispered brokenly. I tried not to start crying again as I waited for her to get up and leave. After all, everyone always did.

Ember wrote:Tears had started to form in Ember's eyes, not just from the harsh words, but from the sound of despair in Caterina's voice. She could not just leave her like this. She lowered her head next to Caterina so that she was eye level with her. "Before I came here I was an outcast. I was exiled from the wolf pack that raised me. That was on the day I discovered my powers. It was an accident, I didn't mean to set Boris on fire, but he kept pestering me and then he started bullying poor little Lily ... I just couldn't control myself. He didn't die don't worry, heh I singed his furry hide, but he was an upper class wolf, he managed to get the alpha into thinking I was a threat to the entire pack.... I had been wandering on my own for weeks with no company, no friends, until the portal brought me here." Ember paused. "You are my friend, and I'll do whatever I can to keep you as my friend for as long as you'll let me."

CaterinaJest wrote:My eyes widened at her words. "I'm.. y-your... friend?" I whispered. "but... why?" I just couldn't understand it. Why would she want me as a friend? That was when the rest of her words finally clicked. "Wait. You were raised by wolves? Did you not realize you were a dragon? Oh, and as for this Boris, well, he sounds like he deserved it and the fact that he felt he needed to bully a little one just goes to show that he is not much of a furry. A true wolf would not antagonize a helpless pup that could not fight back. It is dishonorable. The alpha should not have punished you for protecting your pack. If nothing else Boris should have been banished for endangering one of his own, and the fact that it was by his own hands makes that much worse." I spoke with passion. "Too many people take family for granted, I lost my parents and siblings when I was young, and then my beloved uncle passed away just before my fourteenth birthday. I've been alone since then. The townspeople tolerated me when my uncle was alive because he provided quite a bit of their food and supplies, but when he passed they became more... hostile." I started picking stray thorns out of my legs as I continued. "The townspeople were very... traditional in their beliefs. In their minds it was dishonorable to marry out of your species, and for a child to come from such a union, well... such a child would be considered nothing more than a disgrace, an abomination... like me. My father was a grey wolf where as my mother was a red fox. They met one day in town. The townsfolk had no problems when they became friends and started spending more time together but when my father asked to court her, that was a different story. The only person who approved was my fathers brother, my uncle. After they eventually married, they moved farther north to start a life away from the condescending townspeople and they had me. It was soon after my fifth birthday that we found out that my mother was pregnant with my little brother." I took a shaky breath, tears coming to my eyes as I continued. "I never got to meet him. We had been traveling back to visit my uncle and tell him the good news when the accident happened. It was raining and there was a mudslide. We didn't see it coming until it was too late, and by then we were already being pushed into the river. I was able to swim to the surface but... I never saw my parents again. After that I went to live with my uncle. I was the only one who knew about the little brother that never got to take his first breath." At this point I was all out sobbing. "And to make things worse, the townspeople said that my parents deserved it! How could they say that?! How could they condemn them for falling in love?! And then that happened. They said they understood. They said they cared! But they didn't! They never did! They just wanted to use me! To get close to me so they could break me! They betrayed me! They tried to kill me but I fought back! I beat them to a pulp and got away. Then the next day they showed up at our house with other townsfolk, and claimed that I attacked them!" I was seething and snarling by this point, and I let out a cruel, dark laugh, "The only problem for them was that they chose one of the only places in the town that had surveillance cameras. The idiots were so sure that I wouldn't fight back, that I would just lay down and die they didn't bother to pay attention to their surroundings. Anyway, the footage from the camera proved that I fought in self defense. I still got community service for the use of 'excessive force'" I snorted at that, and then looked over at Ember with hard eyes. "That's why I don't trust people. That's why I push people away. You can't get hurt if you don't care. I don't let people in." I stared blankly at her for a few more moments, before I let my eyes soften some, "But I'm willing to try."

Ember wrote:Ember listened to Caterina intently. She was shocked by her story. She couldn't understand some of the terms Caterina was using but she understood what she meant.
Ember had noticed halfway through the story that Caterina's legs were bleeding. "Probably from running through the brambles," she thought.
She waited until Caterina was finished before gently laying her paw on her shoulder. "Then you can start by letting me help you."

Without waiting for her to reply, Ember acted on instinct, letting the power of her crystal flow through her. The Starsapphire began to glow bright blue as Ember focused its power Caterina's wounds, which in turn started to glow blue. Caterina's cuts and bruises were healed in a matter of seconds, the only traces that they were ever there were the small clumps of wet blood on her fur. The glow subsided, Ember released her paw from Caterina's shoulder. She smiled. "Besides, what are friends for?"

CaterinaJest wrote:I stared in wonder at were the cuts on my legs had been seconds before. I gave her a small, but real smile. I was still wary, but like I told her, I would at east try. The fear that we could be sent back to where we each came from at anytime still weighed heavily on my mind, though. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, after all there wasn't really anything I could do about it. "What is that crystal made of anyway?" I asked, standing up shakily, my legs still stiff and sore from running for so long. I tried moving around a little, but only managed to lose my balance when my legs cramped.

Ember wrote:Ember caught her before she fell. "Careful." She let Caterina use her as a support while she tried to stand again. "Anyway, you mean the Starsapphire? I don't know what its made of. This was my mother's necklace... its.. all I have left of her. It ... it comforts me, I can't quite explain how, but the crystal's presence ... I'm not sure but .. sometimes I think it speaks to me." She turned her head away, slightly embarrassed . "I know, I know it sounds crazy, but that's the best I could describe it."

CaterinaJest wrote:I looked at her a few moments, then shook my head. "I don't think you're crazy. Besides, seeing as it just healed my legs, it would hardly surprise me if it did speak to you in some way. After all, it's obviously not a normal crystal." I shrugged, "Anyways, I think we should try to head back, though I may need your help, it would seem that I may have slightly over-strained my legs." I gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe you can tell me more about yourself on our way back?"

Ember wrote:Ember turned back to Caterina, a smile on her face. "Thanks for believing me and I'd be glad to tell you about myself. Would you like me to give you a ride on my back? We can travel faster that way and you can rest your legs."

CaterinaJest wrote:I gave her a lopsided smile. "You sure you don't mind?" I questioned, gesturing to her back. She was right, it would be much faster.

Ember wrote:"It would be my pleasure." Ember shifted her wing to make room for Caterina to climb on. "Hop on."