Irreplacable

Chapter 4

"Come here, let me look at you in the light." Keenan growls, picking her up by the scruff of her neck. She wipes her mouth on her sleeve, and obeys him wordlessly. Was this just another trick by her mind? Playing the dirtiest of lies out to these men still mourning their lost friend? He stares at her, through her, then looks to his brother, lowering his shaking hands.

"What do you see?" Kitsuné asks, jerking his head at her. She looks at him with golden flecked green eyes, bright as the sun, dulling ever so slightly as tears well up.

"Why didn't you think to mention something about this earlier? To us? Surely if Errison knows he would have said something?" Keenan denies, shaking his head and fists at unknown forces. He whirls away from her, contemplating the possibility of this being true. She stands still, not moving with paranormal precision. "What are you?" He demands finally. "Tell me what you are, wench!" He accuses, turning quickly, advancing on her to intimidate the thing into submission. If there is one.

"I am not a demon!" She cries out. "How could I possibly know these things?" Her leg burns with pain, her face, pale as a dead man, and she grapples to the closest thing to her, Keenan. "Trust me as you will, but I would not lie." She gasps out between clenched teeth. After a moment, he pulls her chin up, to look into her pained eyes.

"I believe you." Kitsuné says from behind her. "But maybe there is more to this than on the surface. This is why Errison wished us to care for her. I hope." He slumps down onto a log he pulled up but a moment ago, twisting twigs together to spark a fire for the night.

Keenan's eyes narrow, and then he drops his hand from her chin, prowling to the two horses that remain unpacked, throwing bags from both of them. She closes her eyes once again, not listening, but shutting out the memories. Something transparent slams into her chest, wanting in and she stumbles. "Get off me!" She screams, swatting the air in front of her. The object, not invisible, but, "a wolf!" It jumps at her playfully, putting his huge paws on her chest, crushing her as she falls. "Kill it! Oh gods, what is it doing, get it off!" She gurgles under it as it licks her face relentlessly, fangs colliding with her smooth skin every other lick as if to nibble at her. Then, landing a blow with a loud clap, the thing whines, stepping off of her, and she sits up, scooting away faster than shes ever moved before, gathering her thoughts.

The twins hold in laughs. "A fox, not a wolf, my lady." Kitsuné grins, snapping his fingers at it and it obeys, running over happily, rolling onto its back in submission. She wipes her face of slobber, still shocked. 

"I thought i was going to be eaten by a demon! Gods." She curses, checking herself under the wary eyes of her companions. "Why are you looking at me like i'm some kind of ghost?"

"What?" They ask in unison.

"You are joking, right?" Keenan hisses. "You just-"

"You just told us who you really are." Kitsuné interrupts, leaning forward.

"What are you talking about? I'm Evelyn, a peasant, a forester, a mercenary's apprentice.. no one else."

"You're shitting me." Keenan laughs. "Cut the crap, Ev."

She laughs at him coyly. "Where did you come up with that? Finally fond enough of me to give me nicknames, hm?" His grin falls. He didn't want to believe it. His brother rubs his scruffy chin in confusion at her. "Stop looking at me like that!" She growls, standing once more, stuffing her freezing hands between her arm pits. Her leg pain finally dulls down enough to bear without twinging from every movement, and she grabs her things from Keenan's hands. Frozen, hes completely frozen. She grins slightly, poking at his stiff posture. "You okay, brute? Need some water or something?" She croons sweetly, adding a hair flip for drama.