[Flashback] Till Death Us Do Apart (Private)

[Kilviria]

Till Death Us Do Apart
Spring, 510 AV

Never had she been this anxious about a mission. From what she’d heard, it appeared to be an ordinary patrol like every day. Something seemed to be strangely off, though. For the time being Kilviria pushed the thought aside, but later she should remember it as a creepy foreboding.

“So we’re out once again” Ansel sighed. Sitting at the windowsill of his room and playing with his violet highlighted hair made him incredibly good-looking to the half-naked female curling up at the fluffy carpet to his feet. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, her happy smile revealing subtly pointed teeth. Her pale yellow hair, the feral glint in her dark eyes indicated her race. And the way she rubbed her shoulder against the vantha’s foot hinted at her affection for him.

“I will help you in any way I can” Kilviria promised her bondmate. He was soft-spoken and sometimes overreacted, but she knew serving Morwen in the Icewatch was important to him. Through their bond and with her strength she would support him as best as she could!

Ansel looked down at her and smiled warmly. They’d been together since Kilviria had been a very small cub, barely away from her mother, and had developed a stable and reliable bond since then. They could feel each other’s emotions, so Kilviria just sensed that her support made Ansel stronger. Then he tapped at the icestone between his legs. “Come, sit with me.”

Kilviria obliged happily and cuddled with him. She only wore a thin indoor tunic she had borrowed from Ansel – with his smell woven into the fabric! – and through thin linen their skin rubbed against each other’s and made emotions stir. “I will follow you and protect you, and defeat any enemy coming in our way. You don’t have to worry when we’re together. Please be happy.”

Still Ansel wasn’t convinced. She knew what he thought, knew that he had been gnawing at that issue for quite some time. Ever since he had joined the ranks of the Icewatch. “Your uncle has told you to join, right? Your craftsmanship’s not too good”, she reminded him and giggled.

That brought a grin on his face and he ruffled her blond locks. “I’m glad I got the chance to meet you, honestly. It’s just … it’s not a life I enjoy. I’m not good at anything else besides fighting and patrolling, but … I don’t enjoy it.”

Kilviria had heard that before, but she had never truly understood his feelings. Although she felt them through the bond, there was something transferring she couldn’t comprehend. “But you like serving Morwen, right?”

Ansel sensed that she didn’t fully understand – again. “Of course”, he confirmed and gave an encouraging smile. “Well, it’s not like I have anything else to do with my time, so let’s get dressed and started.” Carefully they parted and left the windowsill. Both had barely felt the cold of the icestone, thanks to Morwen’s gnosis.

The Ice Queen protected their home and their people. Why wouldn’t they be happy to serve Her? But as long as she could be by Ansel’s side, Kilviria didn’t really care and didn’t concern herself with problems she couldn’t change.

[Kilviria]

Today, they would start an expedition along the southern border of Morwen’s ice and snow kingdom. Basically the patrol was regarded as safe, for there would be two teams of three kelvic-vantha pairs respectively working together to cover the distance. The majority of their companions were known to Kilviria and Ansel. They had met before, in the living quarters, during training and on previous patrols. The Icewatch was the elite guard of Morwen and consisted of the best warriors and fiercest and most enduring dire polar bear kelvics.

The preparations had been made in no time, especially with Kilviria helping her bondmate collecting clothing and packing a set for herself as well. Ansel attended to clean his weapons one last time and eventually made sure that they had enough rations of dried meat, bread and cheese with them. They were working quickly, efficiently and in perfect synchronicity, as there was a set time the expedition would start. Two bells after sunrise the two were standing near the entrance of the Palace Hold, Ansel dressed in thick fur and properly equipped with backpack and weapons, Kilviria in all her naked glory.

She was looking forward to shifting and letting Ansel take his place at her back.

Soon the five other pairs joined. Kilviria acknowledged the other kelvics and their bondmates with a friendly nod respectively while Ansel exchanged a few words with the other guards. “Let’s get going then. We have a few miles to cover before we reach the border”, Orijo announced. Being the most experienced guard at age forty, he would be the leader of the expedition. The others would follow his command for the duration of the trip.

Kilviria wasn’t exactly happy with that, but as long as Ansel felt that obeying the older man was important, she would do so. Then her attention turned to other things. Dissolving in a flash of light, she shifted just when the other kelvics did. A moment later six dire-sized white polar bears were standing in front of the main gates. With the riders mounting them, the patrol officially started.

It took about two bells to reach the southern border. Although patrols were regularly sent to this area in Taldera, it was the first time for Kilviria to see the massive trees and over-sized plants making up the Talderian forest. Everything was huge. Ansel had told her that outside Taldera plants and animals were at least half the size they were here, but she couldn’t really imagine that.

How would the predator kelvics survive with so little meat running around, after all? She didn’t understand, and she didn’t really intend to find out for her own either.

The reason of the patrol was to ensure that the dangerous predators of the woods didn’t come too far north and that the plant growth was natural and remaining in the warmer climate of the region’s southern half. The guards’ main task was to check the forest for signs of unnatural occurrences or growth and tracks too close to the border and the snowy plains.

When reaching the border, Orijo announced a short break and spoke to the riders. “We will split up into two teams here. I will take Ikassa and Shan with me. Thus the second team will be made up of Maar, Ansel and Teaska. Maar, you will be the leader of the second team. We will meet at the gates of the Palace Hold in five days. That should give us enough time to examine everything closely. Any questions?”

Nobody spoke up. The patrol was routine, after all. Perhaps Kilviria and Ansel were the only pair who had never been part of such a patrol before. Also, Maar was known as a people-reader and good leader with significant tracking skills. He would lead the second team subtly, but justly.

Splitting up after the talk, the teams departed into different directions. Orijo’s team headed east, while Maar led Ansel, Teaska and their kelvics west.

[Kilviria]

The days passed without any extraordinary happenings. The team found that the plants were growing like they should and no dangerous forest predator had strayed too far north. Every evening the riders and their kelvics were setting up little two-person tents and sleeping side by side. Even in human form, the polar bears would notice when something unusual happened in the surrounding environment.

On the fourth day, however, tragedy struck.

Kilviria woke early, just as her polar bear nature commanded. Usually she would have stayed with her bondmate to watch him slowly waking up and seize the chance to get some cuddling time, but a strange instinct drove her outside, into the chilly morning air. A thin layer of mist had spread under the trees of the southern forest. Kilviria couldn’t explain it, but she somehow sensed that something was watching her out of the misty shadows.

If that creature was dangerous, it could do harm to her bondmate. That was Kilviria’s first thought. Had she been a normal creature, she would have been frightened by that eerie foreboding, but her worries for Ansel were greater than any other feeling. She’d protect him!

And protecting him meant that she would chase whatever was lurking under the trees away. She had to make sure that it didn’t come closer to the tents.

Shedding the oversized tunic she wore as a sleeping gown, Kilviria placed it in front of the tent so that Ansel would recognize it if he got up before she was back. Gazing over to the forest, she decided that it’d be better if she approached in her human form. This way she’d make less noise than the dire polar bear would and probably come closer to the source of her concern. So she silently walked made her way into the forest, walking between huge trees, large ferns, bushes and other exotic flora. Her human form felt vulnerable and the chill let her skin cool down, although she didn’t feel any of it thanks to Morwen’s gnosis.

Morwen … Through the mark she had granted Kilviria the power to protect Ansel. Hopefully it would also help her to defeat this enemy! While Kilviria wasn’t familiar with the concept of praying, her thoughts could be considered a request for the icy queen’s blessing.

On the soft forest ground no tracks were discernable, at least not for her who was used to the easily readable tracks in fresh snow. Putting her feet down as silently as possible and balancing her body with outstretched arms, she ducked and advanced. While passing another massive tree trunk she heard a rustling over her head.

Suddenly a massive black and moss-colored shadow attacked from above.

[Kilviria]

The human form’s scream was chopped off by a flash of light. Twigs broke and fern rustled when the light rearranged itself in the form of a dire-sized polar bear. Growling, the polar bear shook the beast off her back. Sharp pain exploded at her side as its claws traced marks into the flesh.

When the creature hesitated in front of the polar bear, Kilviria could finally see her enemy clearly. A dire-sized black forest cat, at least six feet in length.

With feline elegance it started circling Kilviria who tried to think about her next action. The cat had a good chance of winning a direct confrontation, although Kilviria could use all energy resources to surprise her opponent and strike quickly. Either way, if she wanted to get out of there, she’d have to act quickly!

Suddenly the cat turned and leapt into her face! With a turn Kilviria managed to shield her head, so that the claws hit her shoulder instead. Again the claws cut slim, stinging wounds.

It annoyed the kelvic. She should be the one in control! She should eliminate the threat for her bondmate immediately!

That thought gave her new strength. She hurled her massive body towards the nearby tree bark, effectively shutting the feline between her and the trunk. Several times she pressed her side against the tree, but the cat twisted itself out of the trap, releasing shrill cries of protest. It was very likely that the rest of the patrol had heard the noise from the forest by now. With the forest cat free, Kilviria could use some support.

However, she focused solely on her enemy. The cat had retreated a few steps, limping faintly on one front leg. Perhaps that weakness could be used as the key to victory?

Instantly Kilviria dashed forward once again, trying to fake a frontal attack. The cat lowered its head and crouched down to jump. In the last second the polar bear retreated to the left, so that the black shadow jumped into empty air. Turning around, Kilviria struck out her paws to grab the cat from behind.

In that second a scream pierced her ears. A human voice!

Her widened eyes recognized the voice, although her brain was unable to comprehend the information. Seeing that the forest cat was crouched over a figure lying on the ground she lunged at the dire predator. One powerful bite broke its neck. Kilviria hurled the now motionless body aside to look at the person it had attacked.

Her heart missed one beat. Blood was everywhere, steaming and flowing out of several spots of the all-too-familiar body.

[Kilviria]

Maar, Teaska and their kelvics were approaching now, but Kilviria couldn’t take her eyes off the bloodstained body of her bondmate. His breast was rising and sinking, yes, but it wouldn’t be for long. Within a split second and a flash of light she was back to her human form and falling down at his side. “Ansel?” she whispered, still not quite understanding.

He was only scarcely dressed, meaning he must have rushed to help her immediately after hearing the first battle noises. Now he smiled and his gaze, albeit a bit blurred, locked with hers. “My sweet bear girl … find another mate … be happy.”

Kilviria still didn’t, couldn’t understand. Why was he talking of other bondmates? He was dying right in front of her!

Ansel’s voice was a barely audible whisper, but her kelvic ears clung to every word. Despite the shock she was in, she realized that she experienced the last moments with him. “You … still young. I will … always remember. You … my only … but I … only your first … mate. Good luck.” The last two words were silently formed with his lips. His eyes had closed.

Then his features relaxed.

What happened after that was a blur. Kilviria faintly realized getting dressed and helping wrapping the dead corpse into his fur cloak and trousers. Then Teaska and his kelvic stored him in a spare blanket while Jiani, Maar’s kelvic, helped her to strike the two-person tent. For the remaining days, Kilviria would have to carry the backpack, weapons and other supplies alone. It was crucial that the patrol continued as usual.

She remembered staring into the flames as the blanket with Ansel was cremated just outside the forest. She remembered someone dragging the dead forest cat out of the shadow and making sure that it could be carried with them on a polar bear’s back. She remembered following the others as they examined the rest of the border. She remembered their group reuniting with Orijo’s in Avanthal.

Back home at the barracks, she plunged into nothingness, wearing Ansel’s tunics, sleeping more than usual and eating less than usual. But slowly routine returned and the life continued with its usual pace.

And that was what bothered Kilviria the most. For some time anyway.

THE END

[Gossamer]

. Character: Kilviria Experience: +4 Unarmed Combat, +3 Wilderness Survival Lore: Loosing a Bondmate, Being Raised Cherished, Understanding Duty, Experiencing Personal Tragedy, Protecting a Bondmate, Patrolling Taldera, Experiencing Depression, Forest Cats (their ability to ambush & stalk prey, how to kill one). Additional Note: You are a lovely writer. I find your posts both eloquently written and visually stunning. I cannot imagine you not finding a suitable writing partner on this site. I thought Ansel was very well developed and I could feel your character's pain in loosing her bondmate. I imagine for a kelvic of her nature, having been raised from weaning by a man that this would be something that carried through her whole life - the loss of this first bondmate. I would assume the Icewatch would have given her a lot of time off and perhaps paired her up with full Vantha that had lost their kelvic mounts. Your perfect companion PC would probably be someone equally struck by tragedy from the opposite side. *sigh* Now I can't wait for your PC to find more adventures and perhaps another partnership. .