Irina became aware of the noise first, the soft beep of monitoring equipment layered over the soft familiar hum of a ship she’d come to recognise as a second home. Then the discomfort came, the itch of bacta bandages working overtime to heal wounds that could have killed her. The memory came sharp, molten eyes turned upon her without recognition, rage that had suffocated her.
She drew a sharp breath, eyes snapping open. It was not a moment she wanted to relive. Not now. Gently, she pushed herself upright, blinking in the medbay’s bright lights.
Gerwald stood at the threshold of the medbay door. The medical droid moved aside as Irina came to. His golden stare was fixed on her, not with concern, but disappointment. She had allowed herself to get hurt because the lesson he had sent her to battle with hadn’t taken. Perhaps the scar would remind her.
Irina had the decency to look mildly ashamed, avoiding his gaze she muttered. “Don’t look at me like that.”
He took one step forward. A long inhale dragged through his nose as his eyes moved to the bandage. The Dread Wolf shook his head and turned aside. He walked out the door. He said more without words than he ever did with them. She tested the roll of her shoulder, wincing slightly before sliding from the bed, bare feet padding along cold durasteel floor as she moved towards the door..
“Where is he?”
The droid answered, its mechanical voice coming across cold and unfeeling.
“The young master is in the biodome. If you would like to see him, you may leave once we are sure you are stable.”
“I’m stable.” she told the droid, not bothering to wait to hear its reply as she left it behind, feet moving quickly through the corridors till she reached it. The hiss of the biodome doors opening was accompanied by a wave of heat and moisture, thick and heavy. Cold metal gave way to soft warm earth as she stepped inside, the door closing behind her.
The biodome captured something that should not have been on a ship. Somehow the Lord Commander had captured a portion of Stewjon and planted it in the artificial space. It was his, a place for the wolf to run free. In this instance, it was a sanctuary for the recovering pup. Aerik was hiding at the base of the tallest tree, his fur blending in seamlessly with the shadow.
“Aerik?” she called softly.
He did not stir at the sound of Irina’s voice. The only indication of his presence were the wisps of smoke flowing up from his body. Aerik was asleep, soundly. A bright, molten scar stretched across his jaw. It was new, a souvenir from the battle they had just fought.
Irina could smell the smoke before she could see him, the tang of it out of place amidst the earthy tones that normally filled the space. She followed it to the biodome’s centre, stopping when her eyes fell upon him, taking in the sight of him, the fresh molten scar along his jaw, the slow and steady rise and fall of his sleeping form. He was okay. Relief washed over her and she moved forward, bare feet disturbing the leaf litter around him, but he didn’t stir. Slowly, she settled herself down on her earth beside him, her back coming to rest against his flank. She folded an arm beneath her head as a pillow and let out a heavy sigh.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Aerik Lechner.”
He raised his head as she approached and set it back down as she laid down. A gentle sigh escaped his nostrils as his eyes closed again. Her words landed on his ears which drew a small whine from his lips. The wall between their minds dropped just enough for his words to pass between them.
<< “Me? Never!” >>
A smile curved her lips as she moved to her back, reaching a hand up to stroke his flank, fingers digging into his dense fur. Words danced on the edge of her tongue, carrying with them a surge of affection she didn’t bother to quell as it shivered along the newly forged bond. Her jaw tightened, clamping down on the words she didn’t dare say aloud. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.
They sat together in the quiet for a moment. Pain still pulsed at the pup’s jaw, though it was more a dull and annoying ache than the sharp sensation it had been at first. He tried to piece together the fight and what happened. All he could remember was everything up to the cut. Everything after was a blur, until he woke up in the biodome on his father’s flagship.
Something happened, but no one would tell him anything. Maybe Irina would be honest with him.
<< “I don’t remember anything past the cut,” >> his mind pressed into hers. << “What happened?” >>
She opened her eyes, staring up at the canopy of the tree above them, memory flickering vividly in her mind. She swallowed and sat up, turning to face him.
“I felt it.” she said, her hand reaching for the angry red scar that marred his jaw, hovering for a moment without touching. “You were so angry…” she blinked, meeting his gaze, her hand dropping. The image of his head lowered before he lunged for her overlaid the one sitting before her now. There was no fear, despite the fact that he could have killed her, there was just…sadness. “I felt your change too, but it was different. You were different...Out of control.” She dropped her gaze “You tore your way through anyone and everyone in your path.” She forced herself to look back up at him, “If Skadi had not been there…”
<< “What…” >> his thoughts paused. << “What is no one telling me?” >>
“Do you trust me?”
<< “With my life.” >>
“Then trust me when I say you do not want to know. Don’t chase answers you are not ready to hear.”
He sighed and stood up. Aerik arched his back and stretched his front paws forward as he yawned. Slow steps carried him toward the thicker parts of the foliage in a way that told Irina not to follow him. She would hear bones popping and snapping as he shifted back to his human form.
Irina stood, wincing at the noise, she had hated the sound when she had been with him the first time he had changed and she was certain she would hate it for the rest of her life.
When he stepped out his attire was simple. Loose pants and a tunic that tied closed, but remained open, was all he wore. The pup still liked the feeling of grass between his toes. Maybe it was the first time he truly noticed how tall Irina was compared to him. It made him smirk, though he winced as the muscles tugged on the fresh scar. His change had cauterized it, but the wound was still tender.
“Yes father,” he chuckled. “Don’t think I don’t know where you learned that answer. You don’t want to say, fine. It’s all fresh, and I am still healing. Not sure I want to know right now anyway. I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.”
Aerik stepped closer.
“You okay?”
She resisted the urge to reach for him, to run fingers along his exposed torso, forcing herself to focus on his face, despite the way he made her heart race.
“I am now.” she replied softly.
He smiled.
“So this is gonna sound weird but… I don’t know how… really… but you want to touch it.”
Aerik didn’t ask, he stated. The bond which had been forming told him enough. He just wasn’t aware of the nuances of why.
“The scar… it aches but… you can if you want to.”
Heat flooded her cheeks and her eyes found the floor fast, shaking her head as she shifted her feet, keeping herself rooted to the spot. She had pressed too often, asked of him too much. He knew where she stood, what she wanted. It was up to him to bridge the gap now. She cleared her throat and looked up, smiling slightly.
“It’s not your scar I want to touch, Aerik. It’s just you.”
“I know.”
He was quiet as he reached for her hand and brought it to the point of his pain. Aerik stepped in a little closer as his eyes locked with hers for a moment.
“But this is where it hurts.”
Aerik placed his other hand over her heart.
“And this is where you hurt.”
Her heart was loud in her own ears, she knew he could hear it, could hear what his proximity was doing to her. Her feet finally moved, stepping in closer as her free hand slid over the one he pressed over her heart, her thumb caressing his cheek.
“Aerik…” her voice was little more than a whisper. “Please don’t play with me.”
His forehead rested against hers as his eyes closed. He listened for a moment as her heart drummed and pounded in his ears. He took the hand she placed over his thumb and let it rest on his chest. She would feel his own heart racing. If she was looking at him, she would see him smile. It was innocent.
“I’m not playing,” he whispered. “Why do I keep dreaming about you telling me that you love me? Is it just a dream… or am I remembering something?”
Surprise made her brow jump upwards, head pulling back slightly from his as she looked at him, searching his face. “You were… I didn’t think…” she swallowed and shook her head, looking down at her hand now pressed against his chest, too afraid to meet his gaze, too afraid that what she might say next might drive him away.
“You are remembering something.”
He nodded and said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. She had already told him not to ask questions to the answers he wasn’t ready to carry yet. His heart raced harder because he wanted to know. He could tell she was not telling him everything, but for the moment he didn’t care. He pressed his lips to her cheek.
“Rin…”
His eyes found hers.
“Can you stay… until I have to leave?”
It was not the question he wanted to ask. Aerik wanted to press for an answer, but he knew by her reaction he didn’t want to know, not yet. Instead he just focused on what he knew.
“I miss you…”
“I… I love you too.”
She let out a small noise, something close to a sob the hand that had been resting on his chest sliding up to the nape of his neck pulling his forehead back against hers and she drew in a deep shuddering breath, pressing closer to him as she exhaled, tears escaping the corners of her eyes as her heart sang.
“There is nowhere else I would rather be. Of course I will stay.”
“Good,” he said, pulling away, “I have to change again. It accelerates the healing, but it’s still me.”
He walked back to the thicket once more. The missing memories still plagued his mind, but at least he had one missing piece. They could talk more later. For now, the pup needed to heal.
