Ileus: The Dark Prince

Along with a division of two dozen soldiers, Vaarin rushed to the site of invasion by the rogues. The place reeked of blood. Limbs, flesh and blood were scattered on the ground. It was easy to guess that the soldiers who were attacked were taken by surprise. He just couldn't understand that all these years the rogues hadn't touched the Whiteclaw pack. How come they struck at this time?

As Vaarin surveyed the area where the carnage took place, he tried to put things together. What was it that he was missing? He knew that many people from his pack had turned rogues during the long years of war. It was time to increase his efforts to bring them back to the mainstream. It was going to be a tedious affair, but he was sure that the life as a rogue was one, they would want to abandon and live a more peaceful life. But then there were people—strong people, people in power, who wanted these men to remain as rogues.

With too many thoughts swirling in his mind as to what steps he should take first to secure his pack, Vaarin moved to the east borders and then to the south. In the dead of the night, there was nothing untoward. He started to the southern borders and once again everything was dead quiet, until he picked up a faint smell. That of his son, Luke. Vaarin came to a sudden stop, flaring his nostrils to whiff. "This is impossible!" he rasped.

"Anything wrong, my liege," asked a soldier.

Vaarin whipped his head to see him, his eyes wide, his body heated. Shock blasted through him. Was he going mad? How could Luke's smell linger in the southern borders? It was as if he had stayed here for some time and then left. Vaarin wanted to shift and follow the scent of that he had craved for so long, that he had been chasing in his dreams, that he thought would never fade. He had hated the General for a long time for killing his son, but Olivia had revealed that it was Kaizan who killed him. The burden of hating Kaizan had lifted a little. Vaarin had buried the memories and locked them in some part of his mind, but this smell… it was threatening to unlock those memories.

Vaarin dismounted his horse. "I want all of you to remain here," he ordered. "I am going in the forest to check upon something." He didn't want to tell the soldiers that he wanted to follow his son's faint smell. Saying that he leapt towards the forest, shifting in the air in his wolf form with gray fur. The moment he landed on the ground on his paws, he growled and then loped into the forest. In his wolf form, he was able to detect and follow the smell better. However, the smell faded away soon enough and was replaced by the smell of woods. Disappointed as hell, Vaarin returned. He was surely going mad, he thought.

Along with his soldiers, Vaarin returned to his home just before dawn. He saw that logs in the bonfire had turned to embers. They flickered red and orange when a cool breeze passed over them. He ordered his men to keep patrolling not only the borders, but also within the pack's territory and keep a watch on the rogues. When he returned to his chamber, he found Kaia sleeping. He removed his clothes and slipped beside her warm body inside the blankets. Instinctively, Kaia wrapped her arms and legs around him to make him warm. He contemplates on whether he should reveal this information to her, but then decides not to tell her. There was nothing to tell her…

Next day was filled with more ceremonies accompanied by feasts. The week was coming to an end and Kaizan and Olivia were supposed to leave in two days. So, it was the last day of the ceremonies. Kaia had intentionally not kept any ceremony on the last day of her daughter's stay. "I want you to rest," she said, as she distributed the small goatskin purses to all the cousins which contained pearls and gold coins.

From the corner of her eye, Olivia saw that suddenly Claire squealed. When she looked in the direction of her sister, she saw that Claire had blushed and had become excited because Morris had just come. Olivia laughed at her sister's reaction. She had asked Claire to get Morris for the ceremony but the man found time so late. He came to stand beside her and the bubbly Claire placed a kiss on his lips. Morris… blushed.

Kaia and Olivia went to them. Morris bowed to Kaia and Olivia. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Luna," he said to Kaia.

Kaia smiled and said, "You have come late, Morris."

"I am sorry… There was a lot of work. Father is expanding the business with other packs. We will be importing grains and textile from the neighboring packs," he said. "We had many meetings with the merchants and it kept me very busy."

"That is fine," Kaia said, totally happy and impressed to see that there was progress in the pack after the treaty. She hugged Claire and gave her the money bag. "Now that you are here, Morris, you must eat dinner before going."

Morris smiled and bowed to her again. "Yes Luna."

Claire pulled him away from there and instead of taking him to the side where the dinner table was laid, she took him to her cousins who were once again dancing around the bonfire. Claire gestured to Olivia to join them. Kaia nudged her daughter to go and join the fun. Soon even Kaizan joined them. All of them were dancing and laughing and drinking and jesting with each other. Olivia couldn't help feeling so alive in a long time. She leaned over to her husband and whispered, "I did right by taking a decision to come here."

Kaizan picked her up by her waist off the ground and kissed her on her lips. "Nice decision, wife!" he said and then kissed her more, as he continued to move in the circle amongst all the teasing and merriment.

"Put me down!" Olivia chided him.

"No," came the answer. The wolf had grabbed his food.

At the end of it, Morris said that he was in a big hurry and offered to drop Claire back home.

"Not necessary," said Olivia. "We will get her dropped."

Morris's face fell. He mustered courage and said, "I insist."

Olivia chortled. "You may!"

Claire shook her head because Olivia had just begun to get back at her. She left in a hurry with Morris and forgot to take her purse that Kaia had gifted and also her own purse. A servant suggested, "Should I go to hand this over to Lady Claire?"

Kaia nodded and handed the purses to him. She was too tired to stay back. After giving away the last of the gifts, she went back to her chamber where Vaarin was already sleeping, tired after the hectic day.

Olivia and Kaizan went back to the bonfire where the cousins were now sitting in groups and listening to the stories.. Olivia settled in between her husband's thighs and caught up on the conversation.