The Marks

VII.

Celeste was completely enamored. Her male was gorgeous. She has spotted rough and tumble men - including her Father and Rex - but never a man that she would consider beautiful. The warm chocolate eyes that seem to get darker the longer one looks at them, with unruly wavy hair, a straight nose and bow shaped lips. Of course Lycan genetics does not give way to a body holding fat but Celeste thinks that her male was an exception as she is not mad with the meat he carries on his bones.

"Quit staring at me. It's irritating the fuck outta me." Her male snapped at her. If it wasn't for the harshness of his words and tone, she would have begged him to have an amazing voice.

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Celeste begrudgingly looked away. Her fur has already taken to his and she is falling down the same pit. How? She still doesn't have an answer to that question, and she doesn't know whether she wants it to stop or not.

Pulling at the parka that covered her from head and dropped to her toes, and adjusting the her face cloth and gloves, she noticed they have reached the mouth of the river that meets the sea. We're traveling by sea so he lives a great distance away. Celeste looked back towards the mountains as she got misty-eyed. She's going to miss running through those trees, embankments, cliffs and every other danger that filters through the mountains but - most importantly - her family. The sisters are all separated and gone about their new lives. She just hopes she'll be able to see them again.

Just as she was done reminiscing and feeling somber, her fur yipped at her. She turned around and saw a wooden vessel floating towards them as it seems to get bigger and bigger as time passes.

Rex taught her about this during a geography lesson. There are three modes of transportation that currently exist - by land, by air and by water. While they are pretty use to paddle boats going up and down rivers, there are larger vessels created that can do the work of a thousand boats. A ship is its name from what she can recall.

She marvelled at the sheer size of that. While she was excited, her fur was anxious and she had to push some of her positive energy to get her to calm down. Once that was settled, her make shouted for her.

"Hurry up will ya! The quicker I leave, the better. I hate sailing."

*****

Not once.

Not once has he come to see her since the ship has set sail. She scrunched her parka beneath her fingertips as a wayward cough from a distant female punctuated the relatively quiet holding cells. Even though her rank allows her free range aboard the ship. She wasn't comfortable going about alone. She didn't know anyone and it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, her male led her here and she will stay here until he returns.

"So you're seriously just gonna sit there all day, huh?" A random female with seemingly glowing hazel eyes and dark hair with her body covered in worn leather and her parka, came up to Celeste with her hands on her hips chastising her like she was a young misguided pup. Celeste and her fur growled - there was no power behind her person and for her to snub her nose at them was disrespectful and needed to be rectified. She instantly put her hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying. You've got to be hungry by now."

Her fur snuffed at the female before turning tail and moving to the recesses of Celeste's mind leaving her alone to deal with the female. Celeste sighed, even though she and her fur are close she can get very moody very quickly leaving Celeste at the most inopportune moments she is most needed.

"So... are you going to eat?" the female asked.

Celeste wanted to snap at her but her stomach beat her to it causing the female to double over and laugh out loud while clutching her stomach, and bristling Celeste's skin even further. The female straightened as she wiped a tear threatening to spill from her left eye beckoning her to follow. "I'm Maggie by the way. Don't know what possessed my parents to name me that but still, it is what it is."

She followed her to the top deck before dipping into a side door which opened up to a grand dining hall. It was warmer than the rest of the ship but that can be attested to the miles of steam wafting about the room showing a recently prepared buffet. The warm tones of green, gold and brown tapestries hanging loosely against the ship's oak paneling and candles flickered at every corner of the room. Chains, though showing its age, added to the magnificence of the overhead ceiling. 

Celeste was in such awe that she didn't take note of how crowded the dining hall was and instantaneously lost Maggie on the way in. Anxiety started to set in in the unfamiliar area and brought her fur to the forefront on high alert. Low growls started to erupt from her throat as her fur was beginning to make an appearance and therefore bringing unwanted attention to herself.

"There are you are!" A shout came from a few away to the right of where Celeste was standing, "I  thought you were right behind me!"

The familiar voice that rushed through her senses were none other than Maggie, and even though she still has mixed feelings towards the female, she is the only familiar face next to her male and he's nowhere to be seen. Surprisingly, her fur calmed down as well to the familiarity of the female and allowed her to draw near in the sea of furs.

"I'm sorry," Celeste mumbled, "the dining hall is beautiful."

"It is," Maggie concurred, "it got me the first time too." She grabbed her hand and dragged her to the first table serving meats and stews, "there are literal beasts aboard this ship so you better grab food while you can. It's like rationing doesn't exist among this pack."

Celeste nodded vigorously. She was indeed ravenous and could eat a whole bear by herself at this moment but once the word 'ration' sneaks its way into a conversation, conservation is a must.