Chapter 85. Wolfkin [2].
Chapter 85. Wolfkin [2].
His lips widened even more as he uttered in his thoughts. ’Haven’t you been answering my questions already.’
With a sigh and a nod of understanding, Ray replied."That’s fine."
He reached into his pack slowly, making sure she could see every movement he was making.
Nora’s claws twitched when he noticed what he was doing and her entire body tensed.
She was prepared to see Ray bring out a weapon but to her surprise, Ray pulled out a wrapped bundle and set it on the ground between them.
Then he stepped back.
Nora stared at the bundle and her sharp nose caught a whiff of what might be inside the bundle.
But still, she asked with a serious look on her face. "What is this?"
"It’s food. You look like you haven’t eaten in days."
Nora’s nose twitched again and her stomach growled audibly.
There was a brief silence between them and Nora didn’t move for a second as she considered the offer laid in front of her before opening her mouth to speak.
"Nora doesn’t take food from humans. Humans poison food."
Hearing this, Ray smiled and sat down on the ground, still keeping his distance.
"If I wanted to poison you, I’d have done it while you were killing those hunters. You didn’t notice us until after, remember?" He asked and Nora’s tail flicked again.
She was thinking about approaching the food.
Her amber eyes moved between Ray’s face and the bundle on the ground.
Then finally, she crept forward slowly and approached it cautiously.
However, her eyes never left Ray’s face.
She picked up the bundle and unwrapped it carefully before sniffing the contents first.
It was dried meat, bread and cheese.
Nora’s ears perked up slightly and she tore into the meat with her teeth.
She chewed it quickly and Ray waited while Mira sat quietly beside him.
Nora swiftly finished the meat in seconds and started devouring the bread as well.
Her tail wagged slightly in excitement but she caught herself and forced it to stop.
However, to her surprise once again, Ray pulled out another piece of dried meat and tossed it gently toward her.
Nora caught it mid-air and devoured it again.
*Yum yum yum*
Ray smiled and tossed another and she caught that one too.
Slowly, piece by piece, Ray continued to feed her.
Now, her tail started wagging again and this time she didn’t stop it.
After the fifth piece, Nora sat down on the ground.
She was still chewing but then she noticed she was the only one eating right now, so she lifted her head up to ask with a suspicious look on her face. "Why does Ray give Nora food?"
"Because you’re hungry."
"Humans don’t help beastkin. Humans hurt beastkin."
"Yes, I know some of us do, but not all of us." Ray said quietly.
Nora’s ears flattened and she uttered.
"Nora knows humans. Nora fought humans for six years. Humans only help when they want something."
Ray nodded. "You’re right. I do want something."
Hearing this Nora’s eyes furrowed with expectations and her claws extended slightly as she asked. "What does Ray want?"
"I need to know if you know something very important to me."
Nora’s eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"I’m looking for a healer. I heard the church is looking for her as well."
Nora went very still and her tail stopped wagging. "Does healer lady uses a sword?"
"Yes, how do you know? Have you seen her?"
"Maybe, but Nora won’t betray healer lady."
"I’m not asking you to betray her. I’m asking you to help me find her."
"Why?"
"Because I want to help her. Not hurt her."
Nora laughed bitterly.
"Ray lies. All humans want to hurt healer lady. Church soldiers wants her dead."
"I’m not working for the church."
"Ray is still human."
Ray leaned forward slightly as he placed his palm gently on his face.
He could see that their conversation was heading nowhere.
However, he couldn’t help but wonder why Nora felt this strong urge to protect someone she wasn’t even supposed to be friends with, much less having Sera as an acquaintance.
He wondered what could be behind Nora’s strong desire to not tell him anything, and then he realized something very important.
Ray noticed the few marks on her flesh, then he asked softly. "The healer saved your life, didn’t she?"
Nora froze and her amber eyes went wide.
"How does Ray know....."
"I guessed it."
"Nora was wounded when Nora escaped the slavers. Nora was scared of dying but healer lady appeared and healed Nora without asking for anything. That’s why Nora won’t betray healer lady, because healer lady showed Nora kindness."
Ray nodded in understanding and he repeated his words firmly. "I’m not asking you to betray her but I’m asking you to trust that I want the same thing you do. I want her to be safe. I want to help her. And I think you believe that, or you wouldn’t still be sitting here."
Nora stared at him for a long moment and her tail curled around her legs.
After a while, she finally spoke quietly.
"Why does Ray want to help healer lady?"
"Because the people hunting her are the same people I’m going to destroy. And I think she wants them dead just as much as I do." Ray replied honestly.
From what he could see, Nora was a beastkin with a sharp sense of smell and hearing.
This means that she probably would have recorded the scent of the woman who saved her.
In other words, Nora was his best shot in finding Sera as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Nora’s ears perked up and she asked. "Ray wants to kill bad church people?"
"Yes."
"Nora wants to kill bad arena man, Veylan. Veylan took Nora’s family, killed Nora’s father, sold Nora and Nora’s brother. Then Veylan told Nora that Nora’s mother was dead."
Her voice broke slightly on the last word.
Hearing this, Ray’s expression softened. "Your mother isn’t dead, is she?"
Nora shook her head as tears streamed down her face.
"No, Nora smelled mother two weeks ago. It was near big city with tall stone buildings. Nora smelled mother’s scent and Nora knows mother is alive. Mother is sick so Veylan wants to sell mother before mother’s sickness worsens, so mother is being moved soon."
Her claws dug into the dirt.
"Nora has to find mother before bad men move her. Nora has to save mother or Nora will lose mother forever."
Ray stood slowly.
Mira stood beside him.
"Then we’ll help you."
Nora looked up at him, confused.
"Why?"
"Because you need help. And because if we help you save your mother, maybe you’ll help us find the healer."
Nora’s ears flicked.
She was thinking.
Her tail swayed uncertainly.
Finally, she nodded slowly.
"Nora will help Ray find healer lady. But Ray has to help Nora save mother first."
"Deal."
Nora stood and brushed the dirt off her legs.
"Nora knows road where bad men move cargo. Nora will take Ray and cow lady to road tomorrow morning."
Mira bristled slightly. "Cow lady?"
Nora’s tail wagged. "Cow lady has horns. Cow lady smells like cow, you’re cow lady."
Mira’s eye twitched and Ray fought back a smile.
"Her name is Mira." He said calmly
"Nora will call cow lady Mira if Mira wants."
Mira sighed softly. "Yes, thank you. I would like that."
Nora turned and started walking deeper into the forest as she said. "Nora will sleep now. Ray and Mira should sleep too. Tomorrow will be long day."
Ray and Mira followed her.
They walked for another twenty minutes before Nora stopped near a small clearing.
She pointed to a hollow at the base of a massive tree. "Nora sleeps here. Ray and Mira can sleep there." She pointed to another tree a few feet away.
Ray nodded and Nora crawled into her hollow and curled up, her tail wrapping around her body.
Within seconds, she was asleep.
Ray and Mira set up their bedrolls under the other tree.
Rime hopped down from Ray’s shoulder and curled up between them.
Hos body was warm despite having a strong affinity to ice element.
Mira looked at Ray and asked softly "Do you really think we can trust her?"
"Well, first thing first. She certainly doesn’t trust us," Ray replied quietly. "But she needs us and that’s enough for now."
"And if she betrays us?"
Hearing this, Ray’s eyes flicked toward the sleeping wolf girl.
"She won’t. She’s desperate. And desperate people don’t betray the only help they’ve got."
Mira nodded slowly, and they both lay down and tried to sleep.
Tomorrow would be a long day, so both of them needed to sleep as soon as possible.
"Goodnight Ray."
"Goodnight... Cow lady?"
Mira punched his shoulder.
"Ow....." Ray groaned and Nora smiled from where she was pretending to sleep.
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A/N: Thank you so much for reading as always...
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