Black Ice-Completed
Chapter 38

Allaidh’d head suddenly looked up from his kill, his golden eyes narrowing at the surrounding forest as he sniffed the air. There! That was where he could smell the scent coming from. Even through the smell of blood and meat, he could smell the sweet scent of lilacs.

Slowly, as if not sure he wanted to replace it, he followed the scent through the forest and came across a small glen. In the middle of the wildflowers was a beautiful woman. She had the most beautiful white blone hair he had ever seen. So much like starlight up in the skies.

Her body was a contrast of her hair, where her skin should have been pale, it was instead a burnished amber with plenty of curves. He had to bite his tongue before a growl of want ripped out of his mouth. He wondered what her eyes looked like, he willed her to turn around so he could see her eyes. And as if the great Forces had heard his pleas, she turned and stared into the forest, her glowing lilac eyes scanning the shadows.

Hunkering low, he felt his heart skip a beat as her eyes went by his hiding place. Alladh imagined those eyes connecting with his and it took all his willpower not to make his presence known.

He watched as the woman picked up a basket of wildflowers and start walking down a path. As she walked he followed, his instincs screaming at him to protect her from others that dwelled in the dark forest. He stayed well within the shadows watching.

What he never knew was that Saobhan knew of the shadow that followed her. Her own heart told her that it was someone who would never harm her. Purposely she would go to the glen, an errand her mistress didn’t mind for she loved the wildflowers Saobhan would bring back, and always try to replace her shadow while she picked flowers.

On her way back though, she would sometimes 'accidently' drop a flower along the way, and when morning came, any flowers that were dropped would be back in her basket by the temple doors.

Finally after months of this interlude, Saobhan had coaxed Allaidh out of the shadows and they talked well into the nights. Soon, love grew and Saobhan became pregnant. When the Goddess Alta found out, she became enraged and banished her servant from the desert lands.

Having nowhere else to go, Saobhan went to replace Allaidh up in the north. The two lovers joined when the moon was at its highest and the wolf God welcomed her with open arms. There, Saobhan birthed twin sons, one wolf, one shifter and Allaidh placed them on the world to flourish while he and Saobhan went to the heavens, Allaidh forever being Saobhan’s shadow as she dropped wildflowers.

…..

“Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Veronica asked as she watched Nyota pack, “You can always stay with Carlos and me!” she said in a rush, not wanting her niece to leave just so soon as she had gotten her back.

Nyota paused in her packing and went to her aunt, smiling, “You know it’s time for me to go and I don’t want to intrude on you and u-uncle Carlos,” Nyota said as she stumbled over the word uncle, “You’re far worse being around with him then you ever were in Skotadi with that paovraf!”

“Shh!” Veronica said as she slapped a hand over Nyota’s mouth, “I haven’t told anyone about that!”

Nyota looked at Veronica, a frown set on her face, “Are you going to?”

She watched her aunt nod her head slowly, “Just not yet, not when we just got married!” she said and then got quiet, “B-be sure to send me a letter afterwards! Just so I know you’re okay and alive!”

Nyota smiled at Veronica, letting the issue go with her aunt’s untruth. Instead, she came forward and gave her aunt one last hug, “I was born for this! I’ll be okay,” she said as she started out of the tent, never letting Veronica see how worried she actually was.

Nyota was pleased that she had a chance to replace her Aunt, that they had found her as well. Emmalie and Veronica had told her that had she gone another mile North before collapsing, she would have been in Agoroth’s territory, a giant sand viper that ate all who entered his domain.

Instead of tossing her to him like Harris had wanted to do, Veronica and Carlos had carried her home and taken her to the ruins around the desert rocks that marked the middle of Uscyte. You could travel anywhere from there and know exactly how long it was going to take you to reach your destination.

All Nyota had to do now was go directly north until sand turned into snow. She’d walk along the border to Akala Pass, it was the only safe way to get into Azgeta. If she continued directly North, she would be on the Ice Floes, and undoubtly attract the attention of the Ice spiders.

Her father had told her about them long ago, “Our land is vastly dangerous. Not only do we have actual wolves, but also shifters and Thurians that we have to fight territory with. But we also have giant polar ice bears and ice spiders.”

“Ice spiders? What are those?” Nyota had asked as she thought of the spiders in Skotadi forest.

“Its extremely old magic. When the land was whole and one continent instead of three, there were witches that bent the elements to their bidding. They’d make them into unnatural shapes or into animals. Ice spiders are the left overs of that magic. They are completely made of ice and are in the shape of spiders. Their legs are like daggers, fire doesn’t deter them much because it takes a very hot fire to even get them to start melting,” Braytek said as he looked at his daughter seriously.

She was thoughtful for a moment, “If fire will not kill them what will?” she asked as she stared into their campfire.

“Their biggest weakness is ontop of their back where the abdomen and thorax meet. There is the thinnest area that a sword can penetrate through which will shatter them to pieces and the magic will dispense.

He had also told Nyota that to try to fight them as a wolf was certain death because their dagger like legs could easily slide through fur and muscle. It’d be a quicker death than what you would think.

Shuddering at the thought, Nyota continued to travel at night. Veronica had mapped random oasis’ that popped up so she could stay hydrated. Her journey, because of the information, was far smoother than it had been getting into Marais or the lower half of Uscyte. By the time she made it to the border, Nyota felt a little more confident in what she was doing.

Hello people! I wanted to let you know that Desert Rose will get one more update today before it's put on pause. I don't like to update two stories at the same time or even write them during the same time. If I tried, the quality of my writing and my stories plummets down and explodes, and that's not fair to you guys or even to me!

On second note, its my birthday! Woot Woot! 29 years... I feel old. TT.TT oh well. Making cobbler today and hopefully get some more writing done. May you all stay safe and sound in these times of chaos and discord!