Private Only If For A Night

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | Lol
Location | Islimore, Lupo Encampment
Tag | Karim

The air was thick with the scent of roasting meats and hints of lychanberries, the feast of Aerðs well underway and her steadfast companions no where to be seen - likely off enjoying the festivities in their own way, leaving Aelin to her own devices.

Distraction came in the way of one wolf whom she'd simply known as Karim , a man she'd been eager to meet after he'd tipped her off on how to find Miera, who likewise regaled Aelin with tales of him. Whether he'd known it or not, his involvement in helping her locate Miera had been the catalyst leading to this very night that had summoned the beginnings of what would be the Lupo's return to Islimore.

Sharing a drink seemed the least she could do.

Together, the two strolled the perimeter of the encampment, led along by the radiant beams of Islimorian moonlight and the sound of drums and horns, drinking and laughing well into the evening and long after many of the others had retired to their own tents.

It was difficult to recall what happened after the fifth or sixth drink, only knowing that sleep had taken her hard and swift.

In the morning that followed, sunlight streamed through the moon-roof of the silk tent and fell across her face, sounds of birdsong welcoming her to awaken. The she-wolf stirred only slightly, backing herself into a large and warm shape that curled around her. Whatever the thing was outsized her by at least two times, yet allowed her curved hips to align perfectly within the L-shaped bend, the rest of her small frame fitting just as snugly. An appendage of the unknown thing moved closer, ensnaring her narrow waist and pressing against the flat of her belly to pull her even closer. She felt safe and warm here, wherever here was. A drowsy smile spread over her face, a hand gently brushing over the strong thing that held her.

Until she caught the scent...

Karim?!

Fiery red eyes flew open, trying to gather her bearings on where she was and how she'd ended up here. The wolf's breath was warm against her neck, still sound asleep and cradling her tightly, making her that much more aware of her state of undress. Aelin lay frozen.

How long had he been there? Whose tent were they in? And why in Aerðs' name were they naked? Her heart pounded fervently at the implications, feeling herself growing hotter by the minute before slowly attempting to detangle herself from under his arm and the piles of furs that covered them to search for her clothes, hoping to make a quick escape before he woke up.

Gods boil me...

 

[Karim]

It'd been a long time since he had such a deep, relaxing sleep. Ah, what did he even do last night? He hummed, half asleep as he went through the memories. Some woman wanted a drink with him. It was.. Aelin Erevos right? Yeah. The one who helped Miera Erevos get free. Be safe. Yeah, it was the least he could do, sharing a drink. He'd done little to actually help her. If anything, he probably scarred the kid for life when he went on a rampage.

He couldn't bring her along after that. Just help her find a safe place. Give her money so she could survive.

Ah.. Warmth. He smiled fondly as he leaned forward, holding the warmth closer to his chest. At least until it started to move. A deep, annoyed frown formed as his grip around the warmth tightened. Refused to let it just leave. He was comfy and he rarely had the chance to sleep this good. Some kind of new heater? His hand shifted, moving over the source of the warmth in his half asleep state.

Smooth. Warm. Soft. Kinda like-

Karim's eyes shot open as more than one realization settled in his mind. He practically threw himself away, staring at Aelin in disbelief. "W- What the hell!? Why are you here!?"

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | lol
Location | Islimore Encampment
Tag | Karim

Aelin was nearly free when the heavy arm encasing her gave a tug against her waist and pulled her even closer, tighter, causing her to nearly yelp with surprise. He still wasn't awake, but stirring. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind about what she should do, only outmatched by the rush of blood in her ears and the sudden, unfamiliar heat that traveled down her body as deft fingers smoothed down her bare curves. Her spine went entirely stiff, flinching away from the touch of a foreign male.

What do I do? What do I do? Aelin panicked.

Blessedly, the decision was made for her, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd felt her silent flinch.

Without warning, Karim scrambled unceremoniously from her pliant figure to the far side of the tent, putting as much distance between them as possible and unintentionally taking a good portion of the pelts with him.

"DON'T LOOK!" she screeched, launching a downy pillow at his face as she stretched to snatch back some of the covers, crumpling them to her breast and haphazardly wrapping them around herself in a makeshift gown.

Get it together. She scolded herself, keeping her back turned to him, determined to pretend she hadn't just been naked in his arms a few moments prior.

Her throat bobbed with a soft swallow, releasing a heavy breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I'm just as confused as you are by all of this." she'd never felt so embarrassed or absurd.

Slowly, the blush began to quell and her breathing evened out. "You mean to tell me that you don't remember anything at all, either?"

 

[Karim]

"Wha- You don't loo-" His attempt to speak his protest was pretty much cut off the moment the pillow hit him in the face. The only reaction was the fact he'd stop talking. And reached up to keep the pillow covering his face. Fine, if that's how Aelin Erevos wanted to play it, he wasn't going to argue. So long as she wasn't staring at him at least. Once she seemed to at least be clothed he lowered the pillow, covering his lap. He'd have to find his own clothing. Had to be somewhere in the tent.

He sniffed the air. Yeah, there they were. laid out as if they'd been drying. Were they? He smelled cleaning solution. And.. Her. On him. He frowned a little as he scooted towards his clothing to start actually covering himself more.

"No, I don't. I'm just as confused as you are." Shirt on he haphazardly tried to pull on his pants under the pillow to keep himself as covered as he could. Then sniffed again, this time in her direction.

"Whatever happened though, I don't think we did anything more than sleep. I don't smell me on you."

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Hljóðleva Encampment, Islimore
Tag | Karim

"No, I don't. I'm just as confused as you are." Shirt on he haphazardly tried to pull on his pants under the pillow to keep himself as covered as he could. Then sniffed again, this time in her direction.

"Whatever happened though, I don't think we did anything more than sleep. I don't smell me on you."

Her heart having finally calmed, Aelin was able to confirm his assessment with a cursory sniff. Had anything happened between them, his scent would have been that much stronger to her senses, imprinted.

"We probably just drank too much, went for a run, and don't remember." her logical mind reasoned, though something heavy and unsettling stirred her stomach.

Once she was certain he was clothed, and her nerves put at ease by his own form of early protestation (that she'd caught just before the pillow thwacked him), she did a cursory sweep of the tent for her clothing, and grabbed for the intricate black gown of gossamer that she'd been wearing the night before.

"Turn around." she demanded, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he would, before slipping into her dress that surprisingly... smelled nothing of the night before. Not of Karim, not of the fire pits, or of he various smells of wolves who'd brushed up against her, nor the lychanberries. Instead it was crisp and clean. Too clean... even her fur lined cloak, perpetually saturated in mud from the endless rains of the area, was scrubbed. The she-wolf said nothing, her thoughts swirling as deft fingers clasped the wolven fastening at her delicate neck. The feeling of dread swelled.

Rising from the piles of bedding, Aelin moved to the front of the tent, pausing.

The scent of blood seeped into the air like a fresh, oozing wound.

Why it'd taken this long for her to be able to smell it, she couldn't say. Alcohol had never dulled her senses like this. "Do you smell that?" she asked, reaching for the flap of the tent and pulling it back to step out.

"Dead," her voice was strained and breathless, like she'd been struck in the gut and had the wind knocked out of her. "They're dead."

The camp that'd been filled with so much light and laughter the evening before, had become a battlefield.

No, a butcher's den.

The flames from the feasting pits were still going, smoke lazily whisking towards the sky, with some of the silk tents having caught fire the night before - husks of black soot, covered in dying embers. Nothing remained but the stones of Hljóðleva with bodies upon bodies of wolves laid upon the forest floor. The stench of death was still settling in, but the flies were already buzzing.

The heat rushed from her, leaving nothing but a sick, cold feeling in her stomach.

"I promised I would protect them." her throat felt suddenly raw, that ashy, smoky taste coating her mouth. Aelin's mind raced, settling on the question of what'd happened to her friends, her companions. She knew Declan was safe, far north... but what of Firenne, Gerwald, Brynjar, Varick, Miera, and Freya? She hadn't seen them last night and assumed they'd gone off somewhere... but what if their bodies were here? Exposed to the elements, being picked apart by hungry crows.

Without another word she stumbled into the camp, determined to find answers, for something that would make sense of all this.

 

[Karim]

"Uh huh." Turn around. He sighed, but complied with the request. Given his own embarrassment, he wouldn't protest. Still, something was bothering him. Not just his cleaned clothing. The world outside the tent was quiet. And.. Smelled wrong? Smelled like..

"Do you smell that?"

Karim tensed. Nodded. He stepped out beside Aelin Erevos , his gaze hard. Devoid of emotion. Blood. Too much blood. Lupo blood. How long had they been asleep? Why were they left alive? Those were the only two questions he had. Miera wasn't here. He could smell that much. Did they escape? Were they gone before this happened? Either or was fine with him. Relief was all he felt as he looked among the bodies.

That relief only lasted for a moment, though. Aelin stumbled and through sheer habit he reached out to help steady her. Briefly before pulling his hand away. ".. You know who these people are. Take a tally on who was lost. I'll keep an eye out for whoever did this." Nose out, really. He was already sniffing the air, trying to sort through the scent of blood. Someone had to cause this, right?

Goosebumps formed as he caught a different scent. Völsung. The clan he'd slaughtered. The ones that held Miera. The clan that'd enslaved him.

They did this. They drugged the party. Killed everyone. Why? To get back at him? Slaughter his clan like he'd done theirs? This wasn't even his clan! Anger rushed through him, his hands trembling in fists. He should've killed all of them. He thought he did, but he hadn't? Who survived? Where were they. He'd kill them. He'd slaughter them like they slaughtered these people. They deserved death. They deserved pain.

Karim paused. Took a breath. Too close. He felt that anger slow, dull. He couldn't loose himself, not yet. Not with Aelin still there. These were her people. It wouldn't be his revenge.

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Hljóðleva Encampment, Islimore
Tag | Karim

Aelin wasn’t sure how long it took, walking among the wreckage and gore, searching for survivors. Birds flew overhead and cried from the trees, waiting to start their feast. She felt the whisper of death and could nearly hear their final screams as she threaded her way carefully through the encampment, passing nearly a dozen men who hung from trees and several women beside… but none shared the faces of her companions.

Silence fell like a heavy shroud over the bereaved huntress as Aelin made her way back to Karim. There was a modicum of relief in the fact that not all of her people were here, nor had she found the corpses of her closest friends in the wreckage, but yet, Aelin could take no solace. More than a hundred of hers laid dead, it would take hours to give them a proper send off. Hours she didn’t have.

Aelin moved onward through the ravaging, memorizing each and every face that she passed, committing them to memory…until she heard a sound.

A shuffling from the trees caused her to pause, to listen carefully. She inhaled to try and catch a scent, but found it muddled from the thick columns of smoke. Lips set in a firm line, she turned to the source and pressed forward on a tidal wave of bloody vengeance.

The sound had been so light that at first she questioned if she was chasing after ghosts, or an animal who’d smelled the fresh corpses and come to take a cursory taste, but as she drew closer, the scent of a wolf nearby filled her nostrils, becoming clear enough for her to recognize that this smell was new and unrecognized. Perhaps he’d had an unfortunate stumble and was left behind - or had come back to spy on them and report.

The bones of her right hand reshaped and re-arranged, long claws emerging from beneath pristine nailbeds. Small as she was, Aelin had always been quick, ripping through the clearing with her claws extended, met with the sight of an ugly, cowering, filthy, brigand who yelped as she brandished her claws against his throat.

“Who are you?” the she-wolf demanded, her cultured accent cut through with a snarl. She didn’t have to wait long for a response.

“Offworlder scum!”

It was a less-than-satisfactory response and a highly unoriginal insult that did nothing to explain the mystery of who he was. She had neither the time nor the patience to play this game and yanked him to Karim.

“I’ll ask you again. Tell me who you are.” she murmured, dropping her tone in low warning. “And if I were you, I’d choose my words wisely, for they may be your last.” Aelin remarked, something primal rising from her belly and crawling up her throat in the form of a low, inhuman growl. The rage of her inner wolf was roused - desiring nothing more than to sink her teeth into whoever was responsible and tear them apart limb from limb, shredding their flesh until it dangled from their bones like bloody ribbons.

 

[Karim]

Offworlder scum?

Karim had followed close after Aelin Erevos . These were her people. Her clan. Whatever happened affected them both. Though, the more he thought about it, the clearer the picture continued to form. Völsung. He'd slaughtered their clan himself, but wasn't it the younger Erevos that he didn't take with him that could've been the target? Whoever returned would've only known about her.

Then..

Karim caught the offworlder by his collar, lifting the man easily into the air. His own anger had been roused. His eyes narrowed. Then he blinked. Slowly settled the man back on the ground, where he promptly fell flat on his ass in a panic.

"You were the one serving drinks, weren't you?"

The man visibly panicked, but nodded. "I.. I didn't know! One of the others gave me some powder, demanded I mix it in!" Was that why neither of them could remember much past their drinks? His eyes narrowed further.

"Who?"

"I never got a name!"

"You're not making it hard to kill you."

"I.. I dunno! I got the pouch still! That had the powder!" Karim let out a sigh before reaching down. Snatching away the pouch the moment it was produced. And sniffed. Yeah. Völsung for sure.

"We can track the scent." He turned his gaze to Aelin, ignoring the merchant for the moment. "What do you want to do?"

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Hljóðleva Encampment, Islimore
Tag | Karim

“We can track a scent, what do you want to do?”

An idea began to form in her head, one that her mind rebelled against even as she contemplated it. The she-wolf stood silent and swallowed softly, then knelt to the muddied ground before she could change her mind. There was more that he wasn’t saying.

Reaching out she grabbed hold of his arm and yanked it out. “W-What are you doing!?” he screamed, but Aelin said nothing, her blazing gaze, like bottled wildfire, leveled on him. Again, she felt herself hesitating, her heart racing within her chest.

Could she really do this? It was not the first time she’d had to kill, but those times It was kill or be killed. This was different, beyond anything she’d ever done before… but the faces of everyone who’d been killed were branded to memory and the wolf whiplashed angrily throughout her body.

He may not have killed them directly, but he was still partly responsible.

With her arm still half-changed, she reached out and slashed along his right wrist. He screamed, a high-pitched rabbit like squeal as a redline opened, blood gushing. Reaching for his left, she did the same. He screamed again and thrashed wildly in her grasp, which she tightened even more. “Moving will only make it worse.” Aelin stated, keeping her tone calm and willing her hand back to normal. “If you want the bleeding to slow, then hold up your hands.”

“Wh-wh--”

“Why am I doing this? I shouldn’t have to answer that. I know that there is more you’re not telling us, so if you want to live, then you’re going to need to cooperate.” her voice remained low and as viscous as the claws hidden beneath her skin. “You have about ten minutes before you bleed out. If you give me what I want to know, I’ll treat your wounds and see you to a healer. If you don’t? Then you’ll be killing yourself. It’s your choice. Now… what did they come for?”

“A pr-priestess.” he stammered, swallowing. “Y-Your sister. They said they’ve been hunting for her for months, th-that she belongs to them.”

Hunting. As if she were indeed prey.

But the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, painting a clearer picture of what’d taken place. Miera had assured her that they were all dead, that Karim had ‘taken care’ of the clan who’d abused and held her captive. Aelin inhaled deeply, her blood turning icier than the freezing rain that’d finally broke, sluicing down her face and onto her clothes.

“So why didn’t they kill us?”

“They s-said you were both worth more a-alive,” the words rasped from his throat, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate despite the blood loss. “Said if they couldn’t have her, the-they’d take you instead. Said they’d be b-back if the s-slight against their clan wasn’t repaid.”

Aelin didn’t move, her pillowy lips tightening into a grimace.

“And what did they offer you to betray us?”

His face was white, but he clearly didn’t care at this point, willing to tell her anything to save his own skin.

“A few thousand credits,” he breathed, “Enough to get off this gods-forsaken world.”

Satisfied with everything he’d told her she allowed his arms to drop, stretching her legs to stand.

“Y-you’ll take me to a healer now?” his voice raised to a panic, but his desperate words fell on deaf ears, turning instead to face Karim.

She’d never reneged on a deal before, but all she could think of were those who’d been slain. Men, women.. children. And for nothing more than a bit of gold to line his pockets with.

“Let’s go hunting.”

 

[Karim]

Karim stayed quiet. Listening. Watching. It was Aelin Erevos 's choice. As expected, none of this truly involved him. Not directly. But watching the man start to bleed out as she turned. She couldn't go back on her word. He never gave his own. Without a word he crouched down before the merchant, swiped his hand forward. Without a visible display of what he'd done he slashed open the man's throat. Death wouldn't be instant, but it would be faster than his wrists.

He wiped off the faint traces of blood on his fingertips, turning his gaze back to Aelin. Nodded.

"Lets."

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Near the Abolase Mountains, Ruins of Aermonen
Tag | Karim

It took three hours before they found their quarry - twenty wolves in counting with one dominate male (whom she assumed to be the Alpha) barking out orders to nine younger ones who were herding the rest of the trope like sheepdog guiding livestock home after market day, Aelin immediately recognizing some of those as members of her own pack, taken captive.

The group had already set up camp within the rocky foothills of the Abolase's, surrounding the ancient ruins of Aermonen.

Peering over Karim's shoulder, she nodded towards two others approaching a set of rocks where guards stood positioned to overlook the highest peak of the settlement, noting how young many of them looked, though realizing this did not denote a lack of experience - given the longevity of a wolves life. If anything, the scars that marred what exposed flesh there was, was a clear indicator of seasoned warriors.

"We should split up and sweep through the area, try to find a vantage point so we can get the Zorathi out of there before making any moves." she said quietly to Karim, making sure her voice was low enough that only he could hear her. Aelin's features remained expressionless, save her rosebud lips that were drawn into a tight line - the singular crack in her otherwise calm façade as her mind swam with visions of the imprisoned Zorathi lying dead at the hands of the enemy should they make any missteps.

 

[Karim]

He crouched low as he could, knowing full well his height certainly didn't help the current scenario. Their own. Wolves, like them. It still filled him with an unyielding hate to know that there were some of their own kind that would butcher and sell others. To know that what happened to a clan at peace was.. Karim closed his eyes. Took a breath. His rage simmered to a stop before it could boil over.

"We should split up and sweep through the area, try to find a vantage point so we can get the Zorathi out of there before making any moves."

Smart. Despite it being the murderers of her closest kin, she was keeping a more level head than Karim ever could. He gave a single nod before shifting. In an instant the man was replaced by his wolf. His eyes stayed the same, watching Aelin for a moment longer. The look alone spoke volumes.

None below would survive.

Then took off in a run. He kept to the shadows, moving like a shade between the trees, rocks, anything to find a vantage point. Count heads, learn the movements of the make shift guards. Only ten. Good. Pulling them from the others would be more difficult though. They needed to break the group up, separate them from the prisoners. Or at least enough to- A fist was swung, impacting the face of one of the prisoners. Karim watched them drop.

A boy.

His fur bristled, and he leapt from the shadows. In a blur he closed in on the offender, his jaws snapping with an audible crunch. There was a moment of surprise, not just on the one he attacked but the others around. Then a scream as blood seeped from the now ruined arm.

"What the hell! Get it! Get them! You three, bring the captives around! If you can't capture this mutt, be sure to at least pelt the idiot."

Karim just let out a low growl as blasters were pulled. He was more beast than man at this point.

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Ruins of Aermonen.
Tag | Karim

Aelin was in the middle of her own investigation, nose to the ground, when the noise of shots fired stopped her in her tracks. Around her, she could feel the vibration of running feet and could hear the raising of gathering voices. She dropped her head, ears perked up. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her breath coming in quick pants as she felt her own claws digging into the earth beneath her.

Faster than she could think, faster than she could move, Aelin took off at a sprint and rushed towards the sound of the fight.

Lunging forward, her jaw closed in on flesh, tearing the throat of one of the guards who'd raised their blaster at Karim. Blood sprayed, bodies moved about frantically. Blaster bolts flew past her and the smell of burning hair filled her nostrils, dimly aware that the guards had turned their blasters on her and that she'd been shot.

Aelin whined, lowering her head and shaking it. She had to keep moving, she couldn't stop. Now that they were in it, she knew that if she stopped for even a second, the enemy would gain the advantage. They wouldn't make it. And if they didn't make it...

The she-wolf refused to think of it, running on pure momentum and adrenaline and letting instinct control her muscles.

Another guard fell. And another.

Blood spattered over her muzzle, the taste of copper filling her mouth and dribbling down the front of her tawny colored coat.

The scent of death filled the air, blood on the wind, ignoring the pain that throbbed in her side. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. She had to help Karim. She had to save the others.

 

[Karim]

It was a flash of red for Karim. A spark that raged into an inferno in his heart, clouding his mind with nothing but rage. Until the sound of another whine filled his ears. His wolfish form, larger than any of the men here, dropped the man he'd just killed from his maw. Watching as Aelin Erevos charged forward into the fray. She'd been shot. Another blast impacted his side, but he didn't seem to notice.

He just watched the girl as she rushed through, rending flesh and ignoring her own wounds.

Karim did the only thing he could do when he realized she was in danger. The others were in danger. He shifted back to his human form, suit and all, in the blink of an eye. The wounds he'd sustained were already healed, even as another blaster was raised towards him. His eyes met the shooters, and immediately the gun fell. No trick of the Force. Karim stepped forward, his now golden gaze staring at the wolf within the boy in front of him.

The wolf that cowered when faced with Aerðs.

"Bring me your Alpha."

The man, still confused by what was happening, gritted his teeth. Forced himself to move, to lift his gun. Only to blink. And shift violently into his wolf. A similar reaction happened to the others who stood against them. Their inner wolves refusing to listen to them, obeying the will of he who reigned above all. The gunfire was gone, and in seconds the once loyal pack had brought their leader before him.

Karim stood tall, his eyes glaring down at the man. And at once, the man understood. Panic filled his eyes. Fear, that only gods could bring. Aerðs didn't give him the chance to speak, though. He reached down, snapping the man's neck with his bare hands. As the body twitched on last time, he turned to the wolves that remained.

"You will never again walk as men. Go, and live your lives as the beasts you are."

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | ???
Location | ???
Tag | Karim

Karim fought like a force of nature - somehow wild and controlled all at once - several wolves laying at his feet, a bloodied and mangled mess of ribboned flesh and fur. Something akin to grim approval curled her lips, but her satisfaction was short-lived.

Out of nowhere, or so it seemed, one of the guards descended; his thick hands making a grab at the back of her neck, unsheathing a wicked-looking curved knife and preparing to drive it deep into her ribs. Aelin thrashed, squeezing her eyes shut, tensing for a moment that never came. Instead, the burly wolf dropped her from his grasp and fell to the ground with a great thud.

All at once, the raging battle seemed to come to a screeching stand still. Aelin spun around in a flash of glimmering bared teeth, snapping inches from her attacker's throat…when a thunderous roar filled her mind, forcing her to cease. Aelin tried to shake it off, scratching at her ear with her forepaw.

Have to keep fighting. Can't stop. She thought, her chest rising and falling heavily from the shock of adrenaline that was keeping her going.

She went to lurch forward, but a sudden flash of pain from her injuries caused her to drop gracelessly to the earth. Aelin inhaled sharply and gasped, growling in frustration as the burning sensation radiated out of her nerve endings in razor-edged waves. In the heat of the moment, she had not felt the blaster burns, but now, she was brought to her knees and lowered her head, taking a moment to simply breathe, before lifting her head once more to see…

Karim?

In the blink of an eye, Karim was on his feet, completely dressed and human.

What was he doing? Aelin couldn't help but question, watching in disbelief as several of the other wolves cowered stupidly to the ground, followed by murmuring.

"Bring me your Alpha."

Without hesitation they were gone, scrambling into the dust and disappearing, only to reappear several minutes later with the Alpha who'd orchestrated everything. A similar reaction happened to the others who stood against them, followed by the sound of bones snapping and a heavy thud.

"You will never again walk as men. Go, and live your lives as the beasts you are." Karim practically spat the words, the tone in his voice making it clear that he would be happy to kill every one of them, if only to make a point.

What was this? Was she… hallucinating? Why weren't they fighting back?

Aelin tried to rise once more, to go to Karim, trying to make sense of it all, but the pain seized her and squeezed like a giant's fist around her body. She closed her eyes then, relenting as her mind drifted into the darkness that edged in around her vision, all color becoming swallowed by shadow...

*****************

She awoke to the sensation of something warm and soft wrapped around her shoulders, artificial heat blowing across her face. Aelin shifted, trying to stretch her legs, but the pain made her whimper and pull back.

"Is that too much?" a face bent over hers, Anders red hair falling over his forehead, shoved back with an impatient hand. "Aelin?" he asked, sharper now, with an undertone of worry as he reached for the vent and tilted it away.

"W-" she croaked, then gently cleared her throat. "What happened? The Zorathi... are they... did they make it? Are they okay? Is...Karim...?"

Anders eyes flickered away, barking over his shoulder.

"Oy! She's awake!"

 

[Karim]

Karim pretty abruptly made his way into the tent. Concern, at first, for Aelin Erevos . The worry in his eyes as he briefly looked her over turned to relief as he saw the girl sitting up. Whole, if still likely sore and injured. "You gave me quite the scare there, y'know? I'm glad you're alright." He stepped past the man acting as doctor, reaching down to set a hand gently on her shoulder.

How much did she see? How much did she remember? Questions for later. Right now,

"Everyone's safe. You saved them."

 

[Aelin Erevos]

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Appearance | XoXo
Location | Camp Infirmary
Tag | Karim

"Everyone's safe. You saved them."

Her face lowered into her hands, a long breath exiting between clenched teeth and wondering if she'd ever felt as much relief as she did in the moment when Karim confirmed that the clan was safe, secure. After several moments of working to compose herself, she lifted her chin and turned to address Karim, to thank him, but paused - blinking slowly as her eyes found his, something familiar rippling through her. Calling to her.

Don't you remember? Remember me?

She furrowed her brows. Aelin was absolutely certain that there was something important she was forgetting, but simply could not remember what it was. She thought and thought, then thought some more, frustrated in her futile effort of trying to fit everything together. Returning to the present moment, Aelin released a breath that she did not know she was holding, then with a jolt of abashment realized how long she had been staring at Karim. She knew she was not actually staring at him, but contemplating what had happened. "How long have I been out?" she asked finally, looking between the two men.

Ander's pursed his lips, his one mechanical golden eye fixed on Karim before returning his gaze to Aelin. "Four days. Karim got you here quickly, and we were lucky to have a working bacta tank. You were in a lot of distress so we had to keep you drugged during recovery to make sure you wouldn't change. You'll have a few scars, but otherwise you'll be fine."

"I don't remember, it's all a blur." she said softly, trying to shake off the fuzziness, causing a shower of burning sparks to shoot through her head, making her sway. A firm hand grabbed at her elbow and urged her to rest back against the headboard of her bed, placing a cup of steaming cider in her hands. "Drink." he said gently, and she did not disobey, taking a few careful sips to test how hot it was before taking a much larger gulp. "It's an after effect of the drugs, it should wear off eventually, but you need to take it easy in the meantime." Anders scratched at his chin, stepping away from her bedside. "I have some others I need to check on, so I'll leave her to your care." The tent flaps rustled softly behind Anders as he left, leaving just the two of them.

"What happened to Völsung? Are precautionary measures being taken in case of another attack?"