Stranger Skies (The Borderlands Saga #1)

11. Migration

It was another two days before they made it to the third pack's den. Though Thalaea carried the one injured wolf, it did not speed them up overmuch: the witch's muscles were tired and she could not keep up her speed from their former flight. Furthermore, the pregnant bitches were about six or eight weeks along in their twenty-week pregnancies and each had a good waddle going.

It was towards the end of the first day on the trail that Thalaea noticed her coat was covered in dried houndsblood. She'd noticed when she'd killed the dog, of course, but somehow after that she'd forgotten — it wasn't as if she could have taken her coat off and shoved it into her rucksack while the blood was wet. Once it had dried, the fact that she was covered in it had slipped her mind, and none of the other wolves had made any comment about it.

She decided to keep the coat on for the time being. Under it was her sweater from Brinna, and those two items were the warmest clothes she owned at this point. She'd rather wear a bloodstained coat and protect the precious sweater beneath than take off the coat and get the sweater stained.

The sweater still smelled vaguely of Brinna, and Thalaea breathed in the scent deeply whenever she could. Her hearts ached in the absence of the gorgeous woman with the red hair. She hadn't admitted it to herself before but she had fallen deeply for Brinna. Now she faced never seeing Scoas' and Natai's daughter again. Nor Scoas and Natai, or Alaev, or Enendoa.

It was a downside to having three hearts, she decided. She was sure unicardial beings did not suffer so much pain with a broken heart. She was dealing with three broken organs; the pain, surely, was three times as much.

But she couldn't even wallow in it. She had to focus on escape. She had to focus on the pack that was now her family. When they made it to Thaen — then she'd have time to mourn the loss of her Minae loves.

She hoped they didn't suffer because of her actions in killing Kaz.

What's on your mind, Witch? Ruk's voice cut through her thoughts.

She and the alpha male had spent the day chatting, off and on, whenever Ruk chose to walk beside her. As pack leader, he had to make rounds during the extended walk — checking on his packmates, making sure all were well, deciding when to call breaks. When he could, he padded beside the biped in the group, and they got to know each other. Now he was calling her Witch, as Salia did, instead of Stranger. Witch had become her pack rank — as unique as was a wolf stuck in human form.

My last pack, she said honestly. She'd told Ruk she'd used to be a wolf, in a place far away from Min. She hadn't said she'd used to be a goddess. Only Laeanai believed her on that, and even then there was some...disconnect. As if he believed she had been the goddess of a different species that also happened to be called wolves but not the goddess of Minae wolves. The wolves here hadn't had a deity in anyone's memory; not even the Lorekeeper's considerably long one. I miss them a bit, she added.

Ruk grunted in understanding. It is always hard to leave those we love. Or to leave the lands in which we were born. It will not be easy for us to adjust to Thaen.

There was no censure in his words; merely observation. I wish Steelmint were safe for you. She wished it were safe for her, too.

If wishes were boar, we wouldn't need to hunt so many damned rabbits.

Thalaea laughed. True.

When she had energy for wondering, she wondered about what they'd find in Thaen. The Minae seemed to believe the Thaenites — the Elves — still lived, plotting the demise of Min every second — even if none had heard from Thaen in centuries. She'd observed enough in her time among the Minae to learn that Thaen, and wolves, were feared — and that both were entwined in the minds of the Minae.