Hair of Gold: Just Right (Urban Fairytales Book 6) (6 page)

The next day was a flurry of activity. We all agreed to a course of action, we would hunt down the vrajitoare and her kin to make them pay for the deaths in the village and the terror they have visited upon those we claim as our own, the people we protect.

We gathered supplies and went down into Chernivtsi to tell the townsfolk what we were going to do.

I spoke with Gabriela about watching over my livestock, who readily agreed with a blush. Little Bear always teases me, that the buxom maiden was sweet on me. If only. She outclassed me and didn't smell like bear all the time, only of gardenias. It was for the best really, she was not a sturdy sort, and I'd fear accidentally snapping her like a twig if we did court.

Vladimir made sure the village knew that they would be left unprotected as we went on our quest, possibly over a Wolf Moon. But we hoped that any raiding parties that may be heading their way would have to cross our path to get to the village, and we would deal with them appropriately. That if all went well, the raids would stop, then all there would be to fear were the wolves, like it used to be.

I silently wondered just how many disposable fighters that Narcisa had at her command, and why they all seemed to willingly meet their ends at the end of my blade or my brother's fangs for her.

The villagers supplemented our supplies, and I again thought of how odd the world we live in was, where a family that would have been thought of as monsters were instead viewed as the heroes and protectors. All because we fought an even more terrible foe for them when no others would.

Before noon we were off, heading south. I swallowed, and Little Bear rested his hand on my shoulder as we walked, knowing my mind. Romania was my destination with my parents, a destination we never reached. I had never gone with any of my brothers when they were crossing the border for supplies or to do trades with other villages. But here I was now, about to step into the land that was to be our salvation... an unrealized dream.

Time has this habit of dulling the worst of our pains. Instead of the terror, uncertainty, and sense of loss I had over my parents in the early days, time has tempered this into a sad memory of my mother and father to accompany all of the happy memories of a child. The only fear I have now is that it gets harder and harder to remember their faces, their voices... their laughter.

Though I am reminded of mother every time I see my reflection in the pond in the woods near the cottage. I have her hair and eyes. I miss her.

When we reached a ridge at the base of the soaring mountains, I knew that we had entered Romania. I had finally reached my destination from my quest so long ago. A quest unrealized, a quest unneeded as I have found my home. I paused and then looked at my brothers in pride. They were my family now, and I hope that I did them proud as well.

Pavel removed his hand from my shoulder and gave me an understanding smile, then nudged his head as we all started walking again, saying, “You've finally made it to your destination Kat.”

I nodded and picked up the pace, forcing my brothers who had longer strides than me to step faster to keep pace. Vlad chuckled and asked the others, “How can such a small thing always need to be scurrying along so fast?”

I called back over my shoulder playfully, “Do not make me come back there Vladimir Yegor Inanov.”

Our brothers chuckled at him, and Andrei said in mock fear, “Oooo... she has three named you, that cannot be a good thing brother.”

We all shared a laugh then continued down the path. By the time we set up camp for the evening, we were deep under the thick canopy of the Romanian forests in the mountainous land. I thought, not for the first time, that it was a shame that my brothers spooked horses. If this day were any indicator, we had much more like this in front of us until we reached the realm of Narcisa and Baird.

We sat around the campfire as I prepared a simple stew, and I pulled off my boots to flex my toes in the heat of the fire and sat back to relax. The vast field of stars above us glittered in the random gaps between the trees. I closed my eyes and smiled as I listened to all of the nightlife in the forest. Night is when the world comes alive.

I picked out various insects buzzing and chirping, the sounds of owls on the hunt. The scratching and digging sounds of mice and other small animals. I sighed at the wonder of nature then reluctantly opened my eyes.

I dished us up, and we spent the next hour or so just talking about our views of life and love. Hey, we may smell like a wet bear all the time, but us Inanov's are deeper than most people would give us credit for.”

The night started getting chilly, and my brothers went behind some brush to change into their bear forms, and they lumbered to the fire and laid down. I snuggled in between them all, basking in the intense heat of their bodies and the warmth of their fur. I was safe, cocooned in my little nest, surrounded by my brothers... and I dreamed.

That was our life the next couple weeks. We covered less distance on days my brothers decided to stay in bear form to do some hunting to keep us fed. It wasn't because the hunt delayed us, it is that I was the pack mule when they did that, and had to carry all of our gear and weapons.

I paused and wiped the sweat from my brow on the arm of my tunic and narrowed one eye at Little Bear, who's grunts and growls sounded as though he were singing a familiar jaunty tune as we went along. I shook my head at him and threatened when I caught my breath, “I swear that I am going to make saddle bags fit for a bear on the first chance I get.”

He chuffed out a snickering laugh the best he could. I rolled my eyes, holding back the grin that was threatening to spread on my face and I reached over and grabbed a handful of fur on his ruff and pulled myself up onto his back.

He grumbled, and I shook my head. “Complaining will do you no good Little Bear. Come now, our brothers are getting ahead of us.” I resisted the urge to thump his sides with my feet like I would urge on a horse. Humorous it would be, but he's not above rearing up and spilling me off onto the ground behind him.

He hung his head like a scolded toddler and picked up the pace. As I rested my aching muscles, I wondered why I hadn't thought of this sooner. They always encouraged me to ride them when we patrolled our village so that we could cover more ground quickly.

When we stopped for a late lunch, at a river where Andrei and I showed our brothers the proper way to fish for trout. He just waded in and caught a couple with snaps of his jaws, and I stood close with a stick I had sharpened into a spear. I speared two of my own while our brothers, who looked like giant wet dogs with their fur slicked back and soaking wet got nothing but paws full of water.

When we returned to our improvised camp. I chuckled at them and threw the pack with their clothes behind a rock, knowing they would cheat and change back to their human forms instead of having to suffer from wet fur until the sun dried them out.

When they emerged with less fur and on two legs, I tossed the spear with our catch strung out on it toward Vlad and gave him a toothy grin. He moaned, and I said without empathy, “You know the rule, I caught it, you prepare it. Contrary to popular belief, just because I am a woman doesn't make me the cook and housekeeper.”

Pavel snickered, and I turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. “And you, funny boy, fetch some water from the river for him and help prepare lunch. Andrei and I will just sit back by the rocks here and relax.”

My big brother grinned at them too and said, “Da.” He sat with his back against the rocks, and I sat leaning my back against his broad shoulder.

I enjoyed playing with the lazy louts like this at times. Truth be told, I actually like taking care of my brothers since they work hard every day.

As we watched our siblings banter as they prepared us a meal, Andrei asked as he started whittling a piece of driftwood. “Little Kat, do you ever think about settling down? I mean having a family of your own? Children?”

I cocked my head and looked back at him. He seemed wistful. I hid a warm smile. He was thinking of the butcher's daughter again, Cordelia. Her family had recently settled in Chernivtsi, she always lit up whenever Andrei was around.

My three brothers fought over her affections, but Andrei kept her eye. He was amazed at the girl, that she didn't seem to care that he was a monster. I often chastised my brothers when they thought themselves monsters.

He had just recently started courting her with her parent's blessing. She was a small and feminine thing, but with a wicked sense of humor and the tongue of a lumberjack when she was out earshot from her parents.

I had to smile and said, “She's good for you Big Bear. I like how she makes you smile.” I knew he felt some sense of responsibility to take care of us so he felt guilty about these feelings he was having. He knew I could take care of our brothers, and I only wanted to see him happy.

I bit my tongue as I smiled and asked, “You think you'd have cubs or babies?”

He bopped my head playfully with his fist.

I leaned into him then said with a more thoughtful tone, “I have never really thought much about it. I feel like I have three overgrown children as it is.”

He rocked us with his shoulder as he grinned.

Then I looked at my hands and the callouses from the hard work I did around the cottage and all the weapons handling I did. They weren't the dainty hands of a maiden like Cordelia or Gabriela. I shrugged. “I have really never seen myself as settling down. As you know... my taste in ummm... partners is more like my brothers have. So I may never find one to accept that in me.”

He frowned slightly and countered, “Gabriela seems to not notice that you are a woman. Or she does notice it I should say.”

I snorted. “She is above my station. And besides, what would I do with a fragile little bride such as her? I'd fear snapping her in two in our bed. Nyet, I will be joyful just making sure my brothers find themselves happy in life.”

He chuckled and turned to engulf me in a bear hug, kissing the top of my head. “We were blessed the day you came into our lives tiny kotenok. No man could pray to have a better little sister.” He smirked. “Even if she smells like a bear.”

I smiled and started drilling my knuckles into his side into his ticklish spot. He chuckled and released his hug, scrabbling to escaping my onslaught. We both looked up, stomach's growling as Little Bear announced from the fire, “Lunch is ready.”

We stood and started over. I glanced up at Andrei as he scowled at the horizon. I followed his gaze and then realized what had him bothered. The moon hadn't started tracking in the sky yet. I counted days in my head from when we started our quest and nodded at him. The moon would not rise until the sun set tonight. It was to be a Wolf Moon.

I looked at my other brothers who were nodding in understanding. It would be an early dinner tonight as we found an open space where I could be easily defended. We ignored that line of thinking and sat down to have fish steaks and flatbread, joking and laughing with each other like a family with no burdens.

We made haste that afternoon until we came upon a great stone overhang. It would do, giving natural defense at my back and we pitched camp. I made us a quick meal with what meager supplies we had left. We would have to hunt again soon, and trade the meat in a village for more supplies. Andrei had a few of his carvings to trade which he had made during our quest. And I could make us some coin in a tavern in games pitting my strength against the men there.

We weren't half way through our meal, keeping an eye on the sun as it dipped low on the horizon when we heard a woman's enraged scream drifting on on the wind, accompanied by the sounds of swordplay.

I was on my feet running in the direction of the screams of defiance, drawing my blade. Pavel was calling after me to wait. I had crested a rise a hundred yards off when I heard the first bellows of my Kodiaks behind me.

I saw through a break in the trees, a young woman and man surrounded by ten raiders in leathers marked with Narcisa's brand. I had to blink at the woman as she parried a blade with a small dagger and spun backward in a blur to knock the blade out of the man's hand with the frying pan she wielded in her other hand.

She spun back again as another thrust came in at her from behind. The tip of the sword struck the flat of the frying pan and the man with her made some intricate sweeping motion with the whip he held, and it wrapped around the raider's neck and the boy yanked and sent the man spinning to the ground.

The woman screamed a challenge, her dagger pointing toward one man, and her frying pan at another. I instinctively leaned into Little Bear as my brothers joined me on the rise. They paused as well to take in the odd tableau below as the young couple held off the group of marauders handily.

I was knocked out of my amazement when I saw the sun extinguish itself over the peaks behind the combatants. I hissed, “Yob!” And I started charging down the hillside through the trees, my brothers sounding like rolling thunder as they charged along behind with bellowing roars as they crashed through the underbrush.

My blood chilled as I heard answering howls not far off. My eyes shot to the Wolf Moon on the horizon. “Yob!”

The men had backed off from the couple to face us, keeping their attention split between two enemies. Two men pulled nets out of their packs. My eyes narrowed, they were prepared. This was another raiding party being sent toward our village.