the Forest

[Red Gypsy]

Wolfe Garm

Ready for shifting him to the Cave

Dameon Black Alt

Still need you to move Alistair and Dev

Wind stepped into the trees for the first time in two years. He closed his eyes and slowly inhaled the scents he'd missed, momentarily getting lost in it all. He hadn't gone to the Safe Path because he was planning on pausing alot during this walk. Thanks to his bad leg, he wasn't as fast as he used to be.

After a moment, he opened his brown eyes and forced himself to focus, to take those first steps into the forest. That led to more walking as he allowed himself to be distracted by different things along the way. It wasn't hard for him to lose track a bit.

There was also the fact that he'd basically snuck out of the castle, so no one had been able to warn him...

In the past, he'd been used to poachers and Hunters, had no problem with dealing with them back then. Now...

He instinctively ducked when he heard the first gunshot then he tried to run. Instinct was a b***h sometimes...

He heard them give chase, heard one of them say that he was 'one of them'... That meant that he was a specific target. And he knew what that meant for him.

Somehow, he managed to run and got into a clearing before his leg gave out, dropping him and causing him to cry out at the pain, hands gripping his leg as he rolled on the ground. He paid no attention to the men that surrounded him, the pain overwhelmed everything.

As they surrounded him, one of them sneered at his show of pain and even smashed at the injured leg with the but of his rifle, causing Wind to cry out and try to roll away from them. It was impossible, of course. Another rifle butt to his head and he was out, making it easy to move him.

They had special orders for some of their targets. They were to be held then handed over for 'special' treatment. As long as they were alive it didn't matter the condition they in.  

[Red Gypsy]

Wolfe Garm

Dameon Black Alt

Your post with Allistair and Dev, as well as with Sasha and Indra

Pops had gotten one of the horses to carry him as he headed along the Safe Path towards the castle. He'd been told that he would be able to travel on it without getting attacked that way since it was spelled for it. He noted that the forest seemed peaceful and quiet, something that he'd missed back home.

He used the travel time to figure out how he was going to tell Griz what had happened. And how he was going to ask Sebastet for help. He wasn't one to ask for help. Never had been. But for this, the Alpha Bear would do it...  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Wolfe Garm

As they followed the wagon along the Path, Ginger kept a hand on her left thigh. She'd also made sure that Noah was on her right hand side. A subtle thing, but something that she hoped no one would notice. As they moved under the canopy of the trees, Ginger had to smile as she looked around and inhaled the fresh air, "It's so beautiful here, and so clean..." she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply but had to open them to look around again with interest this time, "I think there may be blackberries along the Path. Smells so good..." she couldn't help herself. The scent was almost overwhelming at times and she couldn't resist them.


Behind them, Razor had given them a bit of distance in case something happened. It wasn't likely since the roadway was spelled against any kind of attacks, but he didn't like taking chances. Still, the little bit of distance gave him a chance to explain a few things to Nora as she rode next to him, "With shifters, there are a few special bonds that form when we group together. The first is what's commonly called the Pack Bond. It's the bond we have collectively. We all know if someone is hurt, if someone needs help, and things like that. In a pinch, we can communicate with each other. Some groups can actively communicate with each other," e started with the easiest bond then moved on to the next part.

"For the next bond, it's that of Mates. There are two types: Chosen Mates and Fated Mates. Chosen is easy to figure out. You meet someone that you fall in love with, you form the Bond. For Fated Mates, it's different. You don't know when or where you'll meet. Some of us never find one. We dream about it, but..." he shrugged a shoulder, "It's a dream, you know? That one person out there somewhere that's supposed to be perfect for you, completely and absolutely perfect for just you. You don't know who they are or what they look like. You just know that you'll find them someday. The only clue we get is our nose," he tapped the side of his nose as he glanced at her, "We don't know what the scent will be. Just that's the perfect scent for you," he shrugged again and let her think about it for a bit before he continued.

"With some Fated Mates, one is a shifter and the other is something else. We had one bear that found his Fated in an ice elf that got lost. We lost them both... I think it was the attack about a hundred years ago... I think that was it..." he paused to try to think on it but shrugged it off as not worth remembering it, "Anyway... Once Bonded, the pair can communicate silently, feel each other's emotions, sometimes they get a power boost, sometimes they get a lifespan boost... Pops and Widow have been Bonded for about six hundred years now," he motioned towards Widow with his chin, noting that the woman didn't look a day over 35 at worst. Clearly, long life agreed with her. Pops was much older, old enough that he had grey hair on the side and in his beard. But he was still a force to be reckoned with in a fight.

He looked back at Nora and shrugged one shoulder, "I have a suspicion that Ginger may be Fated to Noah. She keeps smelling blackberries even when the bushes aren't fruiting yet," he gestured to a patch of blackberries that were still flowering along the side of the Path as they passed them, "Plus... She never notices guys. But she noticed him. Big time," he added then gave another shrug and left her to think.

Yeah, he had a feeling that she was his Fated. But he wasn't going to push her on it just yet. Soon enough there wouldn't be much choice for either of them. The pull would be too much to ignore. Even for her. But he'd leave it be for now.

Besides, he had Ginger to look after. And he had a feeling that she wasn't as good as she was letting on...  

[Wolfe Garm]

Red Gypsy

James followed Wulfric and Blade through the forest towards the castle, unsure about much of anything and not entirely sure what this Sebastet person was going to do or say, the fact that answers were being demanded was understandable, but beyond that he wasn’t sure what help he would be to assist beyond his skills as a weaponsmith. As they moved through the forest he couldn’t help have his attention pulled away from his thoughts of the conversation coming, when he noticed that Wulfric and Blade had slowed their pace a bit and were looking to the right of the path “what’s wrong?” Wulfric shook his head and replied “nothing that can’t wait, we’ll have to let the village know about it later” James walked up to see what they were looking at and didn’t notice anything, but he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Wulfric looked at Blade a moment uncertain as to what was it was they were looking at, let alone the slight noise that was coming from it was unusual as well. It looked like a portal but not one he had every seen since being here and just as quickly as it appeared it faded into nothing and was gone. Through the bond he couldn’t help but be concerned by what they had seen and when James asked what was wrong he couldn’t really explain it so he just gave him a simple answer and hoped that it would be enough until it could be addressed with Sebastet.

They continued on Wulfric keeping an eye out for anymore of the those Portals but before long the castle came into view and James was surprised by the condition it was in and stopped a moment to take in the sight of it. Before long he had a hand tap him on the shoulder and looked at Wulfric who just gestured towards it and continued on with Blade tucked slightly under his left arm as they walked to the castle, James took a silent sigh and continued on with them.  

[Red Gypsy]

Wolfe Garm

Blade narrowed her eyes at the portal as it faded and shook her head as she considered it then moved on ahead of them, "I'll scout on ahead. Make sure we don't have any idiots up ahead. Maybe you can talk him down from his impending panic attack," she commented to Wulfric as she passed by James.

As she moved on ahead, she shifted to her cat and moved up into the trees to take the pathway easier for her.

Besides, she really wasn't that good with pep talks...

And she was suddenly picking up a flash of sheer happiness from her brother through the twin bond before it was gone again. That was unusual. She hadn't felt anything from her brother for two years. She had a feeling it had something to do with Egan, but she couldn't be certain.

As she moved through the trees further ahead, she had to pause as she caught something ahead of her. She watched for a moment as the guys got closer then moved back to drop in front of them.

She motioned in a different direction that would take them around the attacking group ahead of them. Through the bond with Wulfric, she let him know what was ahead and an idea to get rid of it. After all, they did have a convenient dragon living under the castle now...


They made the rest of the trip quickly with the guys following her black tail.  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Noah relaxed a bit as they followed the wagon along the Path, though he found his attention drawn to the way Ginger's hand rested on her left thigh. While he couldn't say that he knew her well enough to say for sure if something was off yet, something about the situation did feel a bit off. She had already tried to undersell how serious the wound had been until Tiny had revealed the full extent of it. He wouldn't be surprised if she was still trying to keep that up.

He had to smile a bit when Ginger mentioned that she thought there could be blackberries along the Path and said that it smelled good. He inhaled deeply as well and tilted his head with a slightly confused look. "I'm not smelling blackberries," he said. "I'm getting hints of vanilla. That's a bit strange."

Nora listened carefully as Razor started to speak and explain about the types of special bonds that could form among shifters. "The Pack Bond sounds really useful," she noted. "Being connected like that would have to make it easier to perform certain group tasks. Especially for the ones that can actively communicate with each other."

She went quiet for a moment as he described the two types of Mating bonds. She gave a small smile as he described how Fated Mates were truly perfect for each other and that the only clue was a scent that perfectly appealed to someone. The idea of such a bond just made her smile with how lovely it sounded.

She gave a simple nod when Razor mentioned that he had a suspicion that Ginger and Noah were Fated for each other. "Makes sense. Noah hasn't noticed anyone in years. He's had one relationship in his entire life, and it ended really badly. He's been completely turned off of any sort of relationship for a long time. But he immediately lights up whenever he's near Ginger. This is the most he's talked and let himself start to open up in years."

She was silent again for a moment as they moved along the Path. "You think we're Fated. You don't have to say it out loud for me to know that. I started to reach that conclusion as soon as you explained how it worked." She let out a deep sigh and took a shaky breath. "I'm okay with that. Actually, part of me is just giddy at the thought. But there are things you don't know about me. About us. Things that might really drive the two of you away."

She shook her head for a moment. "I have a feeling it'll probably be a pretty long ride to the castle. This seems like a good time to do some talking. So if you want to know more about us, I'll tell you. All of the important stuff and anything else that you might want to know. I just hope that you won't be too upset about what you hear."  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Ginger looked up and met Noah's eyes, her eyes were the color of tart green apples but carried the weight of everything she'd seen and experienced. With his words, she knew what was happening. They were Fated Mates.

But there was more to it than that for her...

She gave him a small smile and nodded as she looked over his face for a moment then looked forward again. She moved her hand over her left thigh and hip briefly and made sure to control her breathing before speaking.

"That makes sense now. It means that we're Fated Mates. Well, there's more to it than that for me, but still..." she trailed off as she looked over at the trees for a moment then continued, "See... You'd be my Second Chance Mate... My first Fated Mates rejected the bond... He wasn't nice about it..." she explained in a softer tone, not sure how much he could hear from behind them or how much he already knew.

Even now, now that she was paying attention, she could feel the pull of the bond. She was simply uncertain about what his reaction would be. And she wasn't sure if would be fair to keep things going forward with him since she didn't know how long she had anyway...


Razor gave Nora a simple nod, "Yeah we are," he confirmed that they were Fated Mates simply and honestly. Then he gave a deep chuckle to her.

"If you mean that you were trained as Hunters, I already guessed that. It's in the way you move, Sweetheart. I don't know what they do to you guys when they're training you, but it sticks. It's like back when there were Feds, or Marines, or cops... You could take them out of their uniforms but they still looked like what they were," he said to her, his tone showing that it didn't matter to him. Of course, she probably didn't have a clue what he was talking about with the cops, Feds, and Marines, but he thought he got the point across.

"Did you know that Sebastet claimed a Hunter as her first Chosen Mate? He and his brother were pretty infamous back then. The Cartwright Brothers were deadly in their individual skills. They still both fell hard for the same girl. And Julius volunteered for her to Turn him so they could be together. The Church hunted them down and killed him for it. There are other Hunters here and elsewhere that left the Church. Some of them helped us get here," he explained that bit of history to her and wondered if the Church was teaching that bit or not.

He paused to let her think a moment then moved on, "Kitten... It doesn't matter to me what you've done before. I'm no saint. I'm not always a nice guy. I can't hold you to a standard I don't live up to either. But I'll let you know that what happens from here is your choice," he finished there and went silent to let her think while he kept his dark eyes on his sister.

From here he could tell that Ginger had figured it out. Her blackberry was riding the horse on Ginger's right side and looked like a possible positive outcome for her. But Razor had no plans to give up his place protecting her until he was sure that Noah was ready to take on that role.

After the last time, he wasn't going to let his guard down....  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Noah could see the understanding in Ginger's eyes as she looked up and met his eyes. He could also see the weight of everything she'd been through. He returned her small smile and noted the way she moved her hand over her left thigh and hip.

He listened carefully and with genuine interest as she explained that they were Fated Mates and that he was actually her Second Chance Mater after her first Fated Mate had rejected the bond in an unkind way. He was quiet for a few moments as he processed the information.

After a few moments, he gave her a kind smile. "I'm a bit familiar with how the Mating bond works," he said. "Nora and I were raised by the church, and they really didn't want us to have access to any information about non-humans besides how to kill them. But I always thought their stance was ridiculous, so I found ways to learn as much as I could without them knowing. Wasn't as much as I would have liked, but I know enough to not be completely clueless."

He shifted a bit and met her gaze again. "I didn't know that it was possible for humans to have a Fated Mate. And I definitely would have never expected that I would have one. But I can't say that I'm unhappy about it. I can't understand why anyone would reject the bond, especially in the way you mentioned. I know how much that would have hurt. I'm happy to know that there's someone out there who is truly perfect for me. And I'm happy to know who it is. So no need to worry about any sort of rejection from me. I'm excited to see how it goes. This island is mine and Nora's chance to have a better life and be happy. And I already can't imagine any way that we could do that better than with you and Razor."

Nora accepted Razor's confirmation about them being Fated Mates with a quick nod. She hadn't ever expected this turn of events, but she was surprisingly happy about the idea. It made it seem like she might actually be able to leave her life as a Hunter behind and finally start to build something that could make her truly happy.

She jumped a bit when she heard Razor's deep chuckle and heard him state that he had already guessed that she and Noah were trained as Hunters. She couldn't suppress a chuckle of her own. "I should have figured that you would be able to tell," she said. "Though the answer to what they do when training us is simple. They spend ages drilling it into us and beating us black and blue when we make mistakes. Probably not surprising that it's pretty damn effective."

She thought about things for a moment when he mentioned that it didn't matter what she had done before and that he couldn't hold her to a standard that he didn't live up to either. She actually let out a soft laugh. "We do feel awful about what we did, but we never actually did much as Hunters. Noah and I were never very good at the job."

She paused for a moment to watch Ginger and Noah ahead of them and shook her head a bit with a small smile. "We were trained to kill, and we're not terrible at that part. We have the ability to do it if we need to. But we never believed in their stupid cause or their bullshit about non-humans being abominations that need to be exterminated. Even as kids, they could never convince us. So we've never wanted to kill for them. There have been moments where we literally had no choice but to do it. Moments where we couldn't avoid it no matter how hard we tried. I don't know that either of us have ever managed to truly forgive ourselves for those times, even if we were forced into it."

She paused to watch Noah for a moment, noting that he seemed genuinely happy in a way that she had only seen once. The last time had ended badly. She didn't plan to let this time go the same way. She focused her attention back on Razor. "The church sent us here with the mission to kill Sebastet. But that's only because we've pissed them off enough that they want us dead. They think that we'll either die attempting the mission or die in some other way later when people find out that we're Hunters who abandoned the cause. But that won't stop us from trying to build a life here. This is our chance at a fresh start that they won't have any control over, and I plan to seize the opportunity."  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Ginger looked down for a moment as she considered what to say. Then she went with what she knew she needed to tell him. She used her right hand to push a lock of her hair behind her ear but only raised her eyes to look ahead, not sure if she could explain it while looking at him.

"I'm not sure if you know how a motorcycle club works," she started, hesitating because she wasn't sure what he knew about biker culture. It could be a bit of a shock for those that didn't understand it.

"Our den started out that way. We're still based in that culture. The males run the major part of things, the women run the everyday stuff. For protection, the males usually claim a female. Once she's claimed," she gestured to her leather vest where it said that she belonged to Razor, "once claimed, other males leave her alone," she was hoping that she wasn't messing up her explanation but she had a reason for the culture lesson.

She licked her lips before she continued, "My mate was also a member of the Den... He even Marked me as his Mate... Then, one day, he decided that he didn't like me talking to another guy. He got mad. Really mad..." she licked her lips again and looked down, "Later that night he beat me up pretty bad then he formally rejected the bond. It knocked me out for about a week... When I recovered, I found out that Razor had formally challenged him and killed him. Then he said he was claiming me until he found a male worthy of me. I've been riding with my brother ever since," she finished the explanation pretty quickly but as simply as she could.

Of course, she forgot to mention that the male she'd been talking to that day was her brother...


Razor gave Nora a simple nod, "I get it. Life throws curve balls out of nowhere at times. I wasn't expecting to have to beat my sister's last mate to death after he disrespected her, but it happened. I was also not expecting us to have to move our entire den to someplace else, but it happened. I wasn't expecting to meet my Mate, but it happened," he shrugged one shoulder and went quiet for a bit.

In the end, he mumbled a soft, "Ah ******** it," then nudged his mare with a knee to move in next to the mare Nora was riding and pulled her from her saddle to sit in front of him. Then he curled his other hand around the back of her neck and kissed her like his life depended on it. He knew he'd caught her off guard but it was worth it.

He gave a pleased growl at the taste of her mouth when she gasped and let him in then growled again when he felt the bite of her nails when she started kissing him back.

Thankfully, the horses just kept walking.

He wasn't sure how long he kissed her before he let her up for air then simply tucked her head against his chest so he could just hold her for a moment as the horses simply carried them all along.

After a quiet moment, he spoke softly to her, "You can tell me to go to Hell if you want to, Honeycomb, but I can't wait to put my Mark in your skin. I know I'll have to wait until you're ready. I accept that. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to convince you to give in sooner," he told her in total honesty as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to keep her secure against him.  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Noah listened carefully as Ginger explained that their Den had started as a motorcycle club and was still based in that culture. He gave a simple nod when she mentioned the part about males claiming females for protection while pointing out that her vest said she belonged to Razor. He'd figured that part out quickly, but it was still nice to hear more about how things worked for them.

He frowned when she started talking about her Mate and how he had decided that he didn't like her talking to another guy. He felt his blood start boiling when she said that he had beaten her up pretty badly and then formally rejected the bond, knocking her out for a week when he did so.

He stayed silent for a moment after she finished her explanation, taking the time to wrap his head around it all. "I can't say that I blame Razor for that," he stated simply. "I know that all relationships will have their problems, but there's never any excuse for beating your partners. Especially over something like talking to another man. And cutting the bond like that and putting you out for a week was just cruel. If anyone ever did anything like that to my sister, I wouldn't let it slide either."

He took a deep breath and watched her for a moment. "I can't promise that I'll be an amazing Mate. I never expected that I would have someone that I'm meant to be with like this, so I don't quite know how I'm supposed to act. But I can promise that if you want to see where things go with us, I'll give it the very best I can."

Nora gave a quick nod in response to Razor's words. "Yeah, life likes to throw curve balls," she said. "And for a while, I thought that all of those curve balls sucked. But I think that I'm feeling pretty good about the last few. I never expected to end up in a place where I can just live a life without having to worry about what the church thinks. And I never expected that I would have a Fated Mate. It's unexpected, but I think that I'm going to do my best to just enjoy it."

She gave a surprised sound when Razor suddenly moved in next to her and pulled her from her saddle to sit in front of him. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but she was cut off when he kissed her. Her eyes went wide, and she froze up a bit as the kiss sent jolts through her entire body.

She wasn't sure how long she was frozen, but she eventually dug her nails in and started to kiss him back. She hadn't known what she should expect with the revelation of them being Fated Mates, but that kiss made it very clear to her. In that moment, she truly understood that she was meant to be his and he was meant to be hers. Any resistance that she might have still had to the idea simply fell away.

She gasped for breath for a moment as he finally let her up for air, though the way he tucked her head against his chest meant that she was inhaling his scent and scattering her wits a bit as she tried to catch her breath. She heard his soft words to her and shook her head for a moment. "If you go to Hell, I have to go with you and drag your a** back," she muttered. "You may not have to try too hard to convince me to give in. I can feel it. We may not have Marks or anything like that yet, but I'm yours and you're mine. I can't resist it, and I don't think I would want to even if I could. It just feels right. So let's get through this ride and requesting Sanctuary, and then we can figure out what exactly comes next."  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Ginger didn't look up until after Noah spoke and she blinked a bit when she did. She had to clear her throat before she spoke so that it would be clear instead of showing what she was feeling. Instead, she wanted him to understand.

"I don't mind possessive and dominant in a Mate. I just want someone that would care. Someone that wouldn't mind me talking to my brother. I'll admit that I'm a bit softer than some of the other females but I'm not weak. I can stand beside someone, there's no reason to worry about that. I just..."

She hesitated partly because she wasn't sure how to say it right. She wanted someone to laugh with, someone to play with, someone that wouldn't mind having fun. But she also wanted someone that would protect her, make her feel safe...

Of course, she also paused when she saw a literal cloud of butterflies take flight across the Path from one side of the forest to the other. It was a beautiful sight. Especially since they were different colors.

After the volcanoes erupted, things like the delicate butterflies were the hardest hit. They had to evolve fast to survive. In the end, it took magic to save them. As a result, they now carried many colors and were a hardier species. They also pollinated more plants.

So she could be justified in getting distracted. And it was worth smiling at...


Razor gave another pleased growl at Nora's words as he shifted enough to place a light kiss to the top of her head, "Then let's get there. I'm sure the horses and kids can take a faster pace. The kids are probably getting a little impatient by now anyway," he said simply.

He squeezed his knees a little around the mare and she moved up into a light canter that took them around Ginger and Noah then up past the horses pulling the cart. A couple of tongue-clicks and they picked up the pace as well, earning a cheer from the kids in the wagon.


Ginger gave a soft laugh as Razor passed them with Nora in his lap, enjoying the sight of her being happy and impulsive for a change. She turned to Noah with a happy expression, "Just give a little squeeze with your knees and she'll speed up then just move with the mare. She won't let you fall," she assured him then gave a demonstration and moved her horse into a canter as well.

It made her leg hurt more but she felt that it was worth it to get to the castle faster. She just hoped that she had enough in her to get to the garden before... Well... Before....  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Noah let out a soft sigh as Ginger spoke and said that she didn't mind a dominant and possessive Mate and that she just wanted someone that would care and wouldn't mind her talking to her brother. "Dominant and possessive aren't necessarily bad traits," he said. "But from the way you described it, your previous Mate went past that and into the territory of controlling and abusive. And those traits aren't acceptable at all."

He took a deep breath and continued. "I could never imagine getting mad at someone for talking to their sibling. And then beating you and rejecting the bond just to hurt you? That's just unforgivable. You aren't just a possession to be owned and controlled. You deserve someone who will love and care for you. Someone that you can have good, fun times with. And someone that can protect you. Not because you're weak or anything like that, because you really aren't. But because proper partners should love and protect each other and make sure that the other is safe."

He paused when he saw her gaze being drawn to something and looked in that direction. He had to smile when he saw the cloud of butterflies taking flight across the Path. "That's just beautiful."

Nora shivered a bit at Razor's pleased growl and gave a simple nod when he kissed the top of her head and spoke. "Yeah, getting there sounds good to me," she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she tried to get her heart to stop pounding from being pressed against him.

She jumped a bit when the mare sped up and moved around Ginger and Noah. She caught her brother's gaze for a brief moment as they passed by and had to blush at being seen in her current position. She was sure that there would probably be a bit of light teasing about it later.

She finally shifted back just a bit after Razor got the wagon moving a bit faster as well. "My offer from earlier still stands, you know. You know the whole thing about us being raised as Hunters. But there are still plenty of things we don't know about each other. We could use this time to fill in a few of the details if you want. Would probably be a good idea for both of us to learn more about each other."

Noah chuckled as Razor and Nora passed by and looked over to Ginger as he heard her laugh. He smiled and nodded as she told him how to get the mare to speed up. He followed her instructions and moved his horse into a canter, laughing a bit as he did so.  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Ginger gave another laugh as the horses ran, delighting in the freedom of it despite her increasing pain. She didn't want to worry anyone or ruin the day. But she could feel it and knew it was speeding up.

She wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. For now, though, she let them all think that the light sheen of sweat was from the extra work of the faster ride.

She patted the neck of the mare she was riding, knowing that the mare was enjoying it as much as she was. This wasn't a full run for the horses but she knew they still enjoyed it.


Razor gave a soft chuckle as she shifted her position in his lap to something a bit more dignified, "Well ask away, Honeycomb. I'll answer anything you ask. I can get any answers I need about you as we go along. I like learning things about you that way so that it's always a surprise," he told her simply. He certainly preferred it that way for himself but he understood her need for answers.

The mares all gave a greeting sound and Razor looked around until he spotted Kana coming out of the trees to move alongside them, some of the other mares moved in as well. He gave a soft laugh, "That's Kana. He's the lead stallion for all the horses. Only Griz can ride him. He's just checking in with his girls and letting the other mares see the kids," he explained.

The stallion was huge. He also looked black until a patch of light revealed dark grey spots along his rear and shoulders. There was also a tint of red in his mane and tail. And he had grey eyes that were startling against his dark fur but carried a very intelligent gaze.

All the mares showed him respect but didn't cower in the least. Obviously, Kana knew how to manage his herd properly.


Ginger gave Noah the same information as they watched the herd move in to mingle with the mares they were riding and nuzzle at the kids in the wagon. Kana supervised it all as he led the way further down the Path.

By now, they were only a few hours out and Ginger was grateful that it wouldn't be much longer.  

[Dameon Black Alt]

Red Gypsy

Noah couldn't help but laugh as well when he heard Ginger's laugh. The musical sound was just infectious. He kept smiling as he watched her enjoying herself, happy to see her smiling and laughing after the heavy topic they had been discussing a few minutes prior.

Nora blushed a bit at Razor's chuckle and the nickname. She had to admit that finding out as things went did sound like a more interesting alternative than trying to find out everything now. Especially since her entire body just wanted to enjoy being close to him.

She looked over to Kana when Razor pointed him out, finding the huge stallion to be quite beautiful. She smiled and looked back to Razor. "I've never seen a horse quite like him before," she said.

She went silent for a moment as she thought about any questions that she might want to ask him. After a moment, she finally looked up at him. "I guess I do have one question. Are you really okay with having a Mate like me? All of you guys are so interesting. I'm just a regular human with a silver allergy. I'm just so ordinary."

Noah listened to the information Ginger gave him with a smile, finding the huge stallion to be just as beautiful as Nora did. He started to notice a slight ringing in his ears as they got closer to the castle, and he could swear that certain scents were becoming far more noticeable. The scent of vanilla that he was getting from Ginger was so much stronger now, and he could swear that some sounds were coming through way louder as well. He shook his head a bit, deciding not to say anything about it since it didn't seem that anyone else was experiencing it.  

[Red Gypsy]

Dameon Black Alt

Razor gave a nod, "Some might have an issue with what their Mate is. Not me, not my sister. We're just grateful to have found you two, no matter what race you are," he told her simply then tucked his face into her neck to inhale her honey scent, giving a pleased rumble at the scent.

He let himself get a little distracted since Kana had showed up. Not much got past the specially bred stallion who was a lot smarter than people assumed.

He loved the feeling of her curling in against him. Though, he admitted that something still felt a bit off. Still, he was trusting that Fate and the Goddess didn't make mistakes with something like this. They were Mates for a reason. So he was trusting it.


Ginger gave a nod as Noah admired the stallion, "If you think he's impressive, you should see the guy that rides him. Griz makes Tiny look small. So Pops bred Kana specifically for Griz to ride. He's got the hardiness of Earth Horses, the grave of the Elvish Horses, and the sheer power and size of the DemonSteeds. Pops went for the best and got it. Kana is the result," she explained then gestured to one of the foals moving near them.

That foal was a grey version of the stallion but just as beautiful, "That's one of his. Watch him move. He's already doing his best to keep an eye out to protect the herd and he's only about a week old," she said fondly.

In truth, she was grateful that she'd gotten to see the colt. She wasn't sure if she'd survive to see any more of them.

She felt a shiver move through her as they got closer to the castle, able to sense some of the stronger protections on it. But that shiver was also from the silver moving through her system. She could feel it shifting through her bone and it hurt like hell. But she had to hide the pain for just a little longer.