Tales of the Silver Wolf: part 9

Hey, I’m back. It’s been awhile since I posted. The other day, inspiration just hit me. Been workin’ on a few of my tales. Here ya go. Hope ya like it.

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Tales of the Silver Wolf part 9

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H’kira, Rahas, and Specter loped back to Athkatla and into the Copper Coronet.

“Where in the Nine Hells have you been?” Jaheira started. H’kira shifted into half-elven form.

The wizard-slayer grinned wickedly, “Are you sure you want to know?”

The druid rolled her eys.

H’kira grinned again, “This is Specter.”

Greetings, druid of my Kira’s pack

Well met, packbrother.

These two are awful, are they not?

Jaheira nodded.

Rahas turned to his mate, “I think they’ll get along just fine.”

H’kira snickered. They all headed up to their rooms to pack. Jaheira opened the door to her room and staggered back, eyes wide, skin pale.

The druid murmured one word, Khalid.

H’kira caught Jaheira and held her up, “Jae, Jae, what’s going…”

Khalid is in there, bond! He is an abomination! the Wolf sent.

“Rahas!” H’kira yelled, setting Jaheira down and running into the room. A half-elven man with carrot-colored hair, it was Khalid, the Wolf knew. He turned, looked at her. He was in there, Khalid’s soul was in there, a living soul, caged in a dead and dying body, unable to control his own actions. His torso was bare, she could see where the slashes from torture still remained, stitched shut to avoid gore, not healed. He stalked toward her, Rahas leapt into the room.

“Don’t hurt him,” the wizard-slayer warned, “Just help me catch him.”

Khalid drew a crossbow and aimed for Jaheira as she approached the door. In a second, H’kira had shifted and tackled the druid. The bolt tore through the werewolf’s shoulder. The Wolf snarled.

Silver, H’kira sent to Rahas. Then she twisted unnaturally and clamped her teeth around the arrowhead, tearing it free. The graceful silver canine leapt back into the fray. She mid-shifted and wrenched the weapon from his grasp. Rahas pinned the struggling half-elf down, between the two of them, they managed to tie him to the bed. H’kira cast a minor healing spell on her shoulder, closing the wound, as she shifted back half-elven.

“Is there,” the wizard-slayer glanced at the prone form of her friend, then back at Rahasein, “Is there anything we can do?”

The drow thought for a moment, then grinned madly, “We might, get Vic and Spec, and when you’re done, please go console the druid, Shardul will update you.”

“Alright,” H’kira stated. She sent for Specter and he brought Viconia up, gripping her hand gently with his wicked fangs.

“Good luck, my love,” H’kira whispered, pecking him on the cheek once before collecting Jaheira and taking her into the other room.

***

“There is only one way I can think of to bring him back and I need both of you. It is your decision, though, whether or not we proceed,” Rahas said, “It involves me killing Khalid, Viconia resurrecting him and Specter bonding with him.”

That thing is not even truly alive the blue-gray wolf snarled.

He will be for a short time when Vic resurrects him, then we just have to heal him or he’ll die quickly

I know of your power, dark brother, show me his mind, his memories, and I will deem him as I see fit.

Very well.

The drow put one hand on Khalid’s forehead and the other on Specter’s. He shuddered once and directly connected the two minds.

Specter was overwhelmed. A woman, half-elf, the druid he had met. Love, extreme love, shame, power, loved, death, duty. This…this was a good man, torn from his mate, the woman he loved more than life, turned to an abomination.

If the wolf could have, he would have wept.

I… Specter’s mind-voice broke, I will bond with him, when he lives again.

Thank you, Specter, H’kira sent.

Now I know why the Wolf would chose to bond, he deserves to live, as you did all those years ago, my Kira.

“Well Viconia, will you do it?” Rahasein asked.

“I owe your mate my life, male, twice in fact, I will restore her friend’s life,” Viconia responded.

Specter, you know the risks.

I may die, I am willing to chance it.

Once you are within him you must restore his very blood, his life-force, even decayed organs, we will help you from out here.

Let us begin.

Very well.

Rahasein drew a dagger, extremely thin and very sharp. He shed a single tear and drove the blade into Khalid’s heart.

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Jaheira was beside herself, “Could they not just leave him be…did…did they have to turn him into an unnatural being.”

His scream echoed down the hall.

She broke down.

“I’m sorry…” H’kira whispered, “I’m sorry…”

“I want…to…to see him,” the druid managed.

“Not right now, they’re going to try something,” the wizard-slayer said.

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“Are you ready?” Viconia asked. The other two nodded. She cast her spell. Khalid began to breathe and blood trickled from his wounds.

Specter stared at the man and with the help of both Shardul and the Wolf’s power, force-bonded. The blue-gray wolf added into mist, which was absorbed into Khalid’s body. Viconia and Rahasein began to heal, even as Specter did the same from the inside.

Rahas watched in amazement as Specter’s power caused Khalid’s dead skin and muscle shed off, replaced quickly by healthy tissue. So it went, healing on the inside and outside. Finally after what was hours, but felt like days, they were done. Khalid was weak, but alive and sleeping.

He made it, love, he’s asleep, Rahas sent.

I’m going to let her stay here, she fell asleep, she needs the rest.

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In the late afternoon, she woke Jaheira up.

“Jaheira, Jae,” the wizard-slayer gently shook the druid awake.

“What?” the druid sat up.

“They have finished, come,” the werewolf beckoned. They went into the other room.

Jaheira sat silently beside her husband’s bed for quite some time, as the werewolves and Viconia cleaned up the rather filthy room. After they had cleaned and moved Khalid to a fresh bed, Jaheira began to talk, “How did you…”

Khalid opened his eyes and she knew. Those warm brown eyes, were quickly fading to pale blue, reminding her of years past when she watched the young half-elven woman, Gorion’s ward, watched her eyes fade from deepest blue to molten amber, after the bond.

“Jaheira,” Khalid marveled as he sat up.

She hugged him to her, “Khalid.”

“I…I’m alive,” he said, “Oh, gods, I almost killed you.”

“It’s alright,” his wife murmured.

Is this some sort of deranged two-leg’s custom? Specter asked.

Is what? Khalid questioned.

Putting your arms around people.

It’s called a hug

Oh that helps.

Yes it is.

Thanks.

No problem, Specter.

It’s odd being up here, bond.

I guess I am a bonded one now aren’t I?

Yep, welcome to the joy of werewolf-dom.

“I’m a werewolf,” Khalid stated.

H’kira nodded, “You also need to eat something eventually.”

“He’ll need his strength,” Viconia remarked, as she headed for the door, “His wife probably has plans.”

Jaheira turned a rather interesting shade of pink.

H’kira snickered, “Well, Khalid, for what it’s worth, we all missed you.”

Rahas winked at Jaheira, “We’ll go, food will be down there when you want it.”

The drow and the wizard-slayer went to their own room.

“Khalid,” Jaheira murmured, “I…I thought you were dead.”

He gently brushed away a tear that was tracing down her cheek.

“I was, dear,” he replied, “But I’m here now and I’m never going to leave you again.”

“I love you so much,” she whispered, crying openly.

“Love, love, don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it, I’m so…”

Khalid kissed her.

“I know,” he replied, breathlessly, before kissing her again.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jaheira asked, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m fine,” he murmured back. Jaheira smiled and he pulled her into bed.

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Well there ya go. Next chapter will clarify some things about Khalid’s newfound wolf-dom. Hope ya liked it.

H’kira n’ the Wolf