Ashes

Pain

We danced for what felt like the entire night. It was only when the music and ceremony stopped when I realized how tired I was. I yawn and rub my eyes.

Iorek chuckles, "We should get you to the cabin"

I smile sleepily at him, "What? I'm good!"

He laughs again. "Sure!" He takes my hand and takes me back to our cabin. "Did you have a great time?" He asks me, I laugh and am about to answer when I catch Vixen glaring at me from her cabin and my smile is wiped again.

"Yeah I did"

Iorek doesn't seem to catch the tone change and nods, "that's great!"

I wake up the next morning to Iorek gently nudging me. I groan at him and roll over. I expect to hit fur but I don't and I sit up, with eyes wide.

"Where's Ryu??" My breathing becomes rapid as I scan the room and still don't see him.

Iorek places a hand on my arm, "He's outside. It's alright."

I relax, "Why is he outside?"

"He's ready to go hunting, I was going to bring you on a hunting trip. That's if you want."

I nod eagerly, "yeah"

I get up to get dressed. He places a vest down on the bed, "uh this is for you" I touch the leather and smile. "Thanks".

He walks outside to give me privacy and I slip the vest on. Perfect fit. I smile and grab my bow and dagger and walk outside. Iorek greets me and we walk with Ryu into the woods. After a while of hunting and Ryu catching more than he did.

He looks at me, "He's quite a catch isn't he?".

I chuckle and agree.

"So how did you and Ryu become a thing?" He asks me.

I smile, remembering the day. "I was picking berries one day with my mom when I was little. We came across a little panther cub. He was injured so me and my mom decided to take him in. He had been attacked by wolves. Luckily my mom was a healer and she knew how to mend wolf attacks. We patched him up and sent him on his way. He came back the next day though and we didn't know why. He stayed near by for a week until he crept inside the food supplies and scared my aunt." I giggle childishly, "long story short he never left us for more than a week. We ended up just accepting him as part of the tribe."

"So you did have a tribe" Iorek adds jokingly.

I roll my eyes. "He started to hang around me a lot and then after a few months we've just been inseparable." My smile becomes wiped as I remember the dark days. "But then he disappeared one day. The day we got attacked..."

Iorek looks up at me, "attacked?"

"We got attacked by a tribe called Cassia, they took everything from me." I look up at him and see his face go pale.

~ Iorek ~

The world around me starts to spin. "The Cassia?" I ask her, hoping I heard her wrong. She confirms it with a slight nod. I gulp and look down, pretending to be intent on fixing my bow.

"Why?" She asks.

I have to tell her.

"That name was just familiar that's all" I lied.

I had my chance to tell her and I lied instead? I become angry with myself. She must be an Azalea. She won't want to join my tribe. She may not even speak to me again. I can't lose her.

"Hey are you sure you're alright?" She asks me and I nod. "Well the food won't come to us heh."

We found him and tried to kill him.

I can't find myself to look at either of them. Ryu spooks some birds and I take my anger out on them. Shooting three of them down.

I knew it was a bad idea to reveal their location. I look at Serene as she goes to retrieve the birds. I killed her family. I almost killed her. My hands clench and I turn to walk back to camp.

"Hey! Wait up!" She calls to me. I ignore her and walk faster, trying to calm my thoughts.

I'm so fucking stupid. And I lied to her. I fucking lied to her. When she finds out she's going to leave.

I hear her run up to me. "What the hell Iorek?! I called for you!" She exclaims at me.

Ryu trots behind us and I look past her. She runs to stand in front of me, forcing me to stop.

"Don't think you can ignore me either"

My jaw clenches as I try not to explode. My rage turns into sorrow as I stare into her face. "I'm sorry."