Korah: Heir of Gnamalea

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Thin snow had started to fall later in the matured winter. White, crystal flakes slipping from Korah's new thick, woollen boots, keeping her feet warm. Seb and Marcus carried their supply of food and water on their backs as Azula trailed beside Korah. Azula had been quiet these past few days; it's started to worry Korah. She hadn't seen Azula in so long; she'd aught to talk to her more through their journey. Tafiti's coven had kept us all distracted, especially Seb and Azula. Volunteering and taking care of all the children seemed to have taken an enormous weight off their shoulders. A relief to Korah, feeling like a burden. Korah felt terrible for dragging Azula and Seb into her problems and putting them into jeopardy. She was glad Seb and Marcus got along well, though there was still some tension between herself and Azula.
To fill the cold silence, Korah spoke up.
"It's so quiet. I hadn't known quiet for a long time".
Azula smiles, "Well, it'll be this way for a few weeks". Alistair and his friends remained in the front and behind the four of them. Like Tafiti had promised, she had her son and his pack lead us back to Gnamalea. She had wondered where they would go. Korah's bunker was too small for them all and too dangerous to be sleeping amongst the dirt at night.
     "Marcus, where are we staying once we reach Gnamalea? My bunker wouldn't fit us all". He stayed silent for a moment; he hadn't thought about that. He gave her a small smile and grabbed hold of her hand.
    "We'll visit my mother and my brothers. They have a basement and an empty room, plenty of space for everyone", she returned his smile, but an uneasy feeling came to her stomach. She hadn't thought about meeting Marcus' mother or siblings.
    Alistair and the others had stayed quiet for most of the trip. Eden had said Werewolves senses are heightened when it gets soft. It was almost distracting, and it made her feel uneasy. She knew Marcus felt the same. After their bond had been made, their bodies senses and emotions had been heightened like they had been merged. She could feel his heartbeat in rhythm with hers, his breathing heavy, but again, synced. Her shoulder wrap and hood kept her cold body warm, with her thick, woollen lined dress tight at her waist. The dress was old, she could tell, but elegant. She had pulled it from an old closet. Obvious no one had worn it in a decade, she hadn't minded. Alistair and his pack had stayed in their woollen shirts and armour, not that they needed them, as their body temperature is ten times hotter than the average human. Walking was difficult with the thick snow devouring the ground like a white sheet laid across the grass. Korah's boots had been swallowed a couple of times, but they had kept her toes warm, but she was getting cold feet meeting Marcus' mother.
     "Don't fret, Korah; they understand people. They will love you", Marcus says through their telepathic and emotional bonded aura. His words were comforting, but the thought of his mother disapproving of a witch in her house was unsettling. The travel would again be careful. The King of Gnamalea may be a fool, but he is intelligent and diligent. We would need to be just as bright, and we would have to do this for the entire walk.
    Azula seemed agitated the further they had continued on their track. She had stuck by Seb as she mutters something about her stomach feeling funny. She shouldn't have been able to hear, especially over the wind, but she couldn't help but feel concerned for her friend. The food didn't seem to agree with her for the months at the village. She had once been sick from having a few too many in the dining room, but Azula seemed to feel much more discomfort. As Seb kept a close eye on her, Alistair started setting up a small rest space. A small cave had been left open, the walls were cold, but the head of the cave was able to escape its inside warm without drawing attention above the trees. The sun was a low glow by the time they had made themselves comfortable for the night. They had been walking for a few hours, but they had left at a later time than they supposedly should have. Korah's new clothing's warm layers were enough to make her feel comfortably warm near the fire.
The cold air was still fighting to draw itself into the small cave, but as the night began to continue, the strong wind was slowing down into a low hum against the rock walls. Korah had curled herself into Marcus' body, with their cloaks wrapped around one another; Azula had been sitting by the fire as Seb comes back with a vile of water from the bag she had equipt luckily before she had left my hideaway. Luckily the nearby lake hadn't been far; it was too cold and dark, too dangerous. Luckily had been accompanied by one of the wolves. She knew the love Seb had for her friend. Sweet.
     My thoughts are brought to my first encounter with Marcus, not long before he had chosen to help her plan to help Gnamalea and help her brother. William. She hoped that he was still alive—the fear of feeling alone and the only one who remains with the Lagnora name. The feeling of loneliness wasn't entirely how Korah thought at this moment, with Marcus. But the last of her bloodline would be almost extinct if he weren't alive. Her innocent, big brother. The one person she could rely on upon through her young life.     Marcus had sensed her worried thoughts and wrapped her tighter into their cloaks. The wolves continued to surround the cave's opening, their skin left heated and tanned as the harsh winter brew against their skin. No shivering or movement was shown from either of them—statues; solid and concentrated. Alistair was occasionally coming into the cave to check up on us, especially Azula with her weak stomach. As everyone started to grow tired – the wolves still outside of the cave – Marcus had curled me further into his lap, leaning himself against the wall.
     "How far are we from home?" he looks down at me. A small smile appears on his face.
     "Well, home? I don't feel I'm far at all. Because I feel here is where my home is. Gnamalea was never home". He was right, Gnamalea had once been home to more than thousands of people, but that changed all those years ago. Her heart heated at his words; they were calming and true. She felt close to home, wherever they were. But her question remained.
    "How far away are we from, Gnamalea?" she says with a smile, looking up at his dark face. The fire is the only light source, the orange glow in his ebony hair and mossy eyes. His manly beauty was envious. His eyes stained into hers, the permanent green remaining in her mind.
"A few days, maybe?" her mind immediately ran a mile; she wondered the consequences of wandering in the empty woods, wild creatures lurking in the dark. The nights they would have to walk. Would Azula be okay?
"We're going to get there okay, including Azula. Please, Korah, sleep. You're tired, and we had an early morning", his words weren't full of annoyance, but she knew he was persistent to sleep. She nods, cuddling further into his chest. His warm hands on her back as he falls asleep against the cool caved walls.
Her thoughts wandering into her sleep.