literature

Edge Part 56: Nomads

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The full moon was less than two days away. It wasn't even like I could try to forget- Every time I looked at Elliot, he seemed on edge. If I moved too quickly or even spoke too loudly, he would jump. Another thing he would do was apologize even when he had done nothing wrong. That coupled with the long, drawn out sigh he gave every few minutes was enough to drive me mad.
    "I won't let anything happen," I said as I sat on his couch, watching him starring at the TV. He just seemed to be looking through it, though, the images on the screen reflecting blankly in his eyes. He turned his attention to Gideon as he ran down the hall with arm fulls of pencils and papers. Dante walked slowly behind him, bending constantly to pick up the tools Gideon had dropped and the papers that the breeze from the open windows blew out of his hands. All the while, I could hear Angel's low growling from in her room, her nappy head peaking out to glare at us before she disappeared again. I knew Elliot's hand was gripping mine, the sleeve of my black jacket falling over my hand in the same way his blue sweater did. But his touch was so light I hardly felt it.
   "Maybe you just shouldn't see me that day- What's one day away?" Elliot asked, looking at me.
   "You forget," Dante said, dropping his handful of colored pencils next to Gideon as he found a place on the floor to draw, "the full moon doesn't only effect us. Cirrus and his family will be feeling it too. If there were ever a night where Cirrus would be looking for Abel, it would be then."
Elliot groaned, his grip on my hand tightening.
   "Don't worry," Dante added, looking to Elliot as he straightened. "I'll be here to make sure nothing happens. I won't let you two out of my sights."
   "But doesn't the moon effect you too?" I asked.
   "It does, but being as old as I am, it's easier to resist it's sway."
   "So there isn't anything you have to worry about," I said, smiling up at Elliot. "It was only one time, and it only happened because Dante wasn't watching and I didn't do anything to stop it. Now that we fixed both of those problems, nothing can happen."
   "I guess you're right," he said, a bit of a smile on his face. As a gust came in from the window and his hair blew into his face, his expression changed. His head shot up towards the window, his back stiffening.
   "Dante," he growled low, his head moving in his direction. As I looked, I noticed that Dante's back was stiff, too. Even Gideon looked curiously at the door, despite the fact that no one was there.
   "I smell them too," Dante said, his eyes narrowing.
   "Cirrus?" I gasped, looking nervously at Elliot.
   "No," He said slowly. "Someone else..."
   "We should greet them," Dante said, but I couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic. Either way, Elliot got up quickly as Dante walked to the door and I followed.
   "Maybe you should stay," Elliot said, lowering his brow.
   "You know that's not going to happen," I said simply. He didn't bother to protest.
   Dante went outside first, going down the steps and stopping there, looking out towards the road. As Elliot and I came up behind him, he continued on and we followed. As I followed Elliot and Dante's gaze, I could just barely make out three figures walking our way. They just looked like a group of kids hanging out, but from the way Elliot and Dante's eyes never strayed an inch away from them, I knew that I must have been wrong.
  It wasn't until they were almost right in front of us that I noticed there were actually four people. In front of group was a girl who could have just barely past as thirteen, a brown coat buttoned to her knees. She smiled up at us with green, squinting eyes, two short pigtails in her wheat-colored hair. Behind her, a long-faced, taller man stood, his dull blonde hair cut so short it was almost non-existent. Despite the fact that his clothes were limited to a plain white shirt and jeans, there was a small girl in his arms that looked like she had been dresses to sit in an elaborate display case at a toy shop.
   Her long chocolate-colored hair was pin-straight, her bangs coming down to just above her wide, brown eyes, their color so rich they almost looked orange. Her fluffed dress was blue and white, ornate designs of royal-blue roses and lacy frills covering it. Even her stockings were spotless, her small black shoes shined. She wasn't a baby, obviously, but she was so tiny that I couldn't help but wonder how old she was- She was so small that she sat weightlessly in the crook of the tall man's arms, her hands gripping his shirt- but at the same time, she looked like she could be at least a three year old by her thin neck, arms and legs.
   I must have been starring at her too much, because she turned her head into the man's chest and he flashed his pointed teeth at me, making me look to the woman who stood beside him. She was plain- thin with long brown hair and wearing nearly the same thing as the man next to her. But it wasn't until I was looking at her that I noticed something the two of them shared- Thick silver collars were tight on their necks, a bell dangling from each.
   "Forgive us if we've intruded," the girl in front said suddenly, bowing her head down slightly and moving one hand behind her back before looking up at Dante again. "But might you be the wolves who occupy this territory?" She spoke with all the manors of an educated adult, but her voice seemed light and strained.
   "We are not, I'm afraid," Dante said, moving his hand behind his back as well. I didn't know what the gesture meant, if anything, but it didn't seem to do anything. "We occupy this area under the grace of another pack... But might we finish this conversation inside? Human eyes tend to wander in this area."
   "Most certainly," The girl said, her smile making her squint so much that her eyes looked nearly black.
  I didn't like them at all. I didn't even like how polite Dante was being with them... The politeness they seemed to demand from the way the girl spoke an acted, but I followed Dante as he lead them inside. Elliot came up quickly behind me, his palms on my shoulders as if he were about to toss me out of the way of some blow.
      Inside, I noticed that Gideon and his things were gone. I turned to look at the group as the lean woman closed the door behind them.
    "Pardon my rudeness," the girl said slowly after criticizing the house with her eyes, her voice annoying and almost shrill in my ears. "My name is Katrina. Theses are my associates, Merlone, Adina, and Claire," she said, motioning to the man, the child, and the woman all in turn with their names.
   "And I'm Dante. And this is my family, Abel and Elliot-" he motioned to us- "And I've advised the rest to keep away until business here is done. Because, I'm afraid, I don't trust you."
   "Understandable," Katrina said, giving a twitching smile. "You live with humans I see... Like humans as well. Their stink is thick in the air." She glanced at me, making me shutter. Elliot stepped in front of me, lowering his head more to her eye level. "Does the master of this land live the same?" She asked, ignoring Elliot as she looked back to Dante.
   "He doesn't," Dante said, a hint of agitation in his voice.
   "Where might we find him, then? We, too, would like to stay in this area, if only until the next moon passes," Katrina said, all too business like.
   "I wouldn't suggest trying to find him, but even if I did, I wouldn't know where to look. If you do want to speak to him, though, I would just wait in the woods... He will find you eventually, if not his son."
   "Very good," Katrina purred. "Thank you." Dante just nodded, watching the group as the girl lead them out the door. The woman- Claire- Glanced at me with empty eyes, muttering something I didn't catch before she closed the door too-slowly behind her. Dante went to the window, staying there long after I'm sure they were gone.
   "What was that about?" I finally asked as Dante and Elliot relaxed. Elliot gave a heavy sigh, falling onto the couch, and I joined him there.
   "Just traveling wolves," he muttered, running his hand over his face.
   "Most likely then need a place to stay before the next full moon. Wolves shouldn't wander at such times... Odd bunch indeed," Dante added.
   "You can say that again," I said, thinking. "What was up with them? The two with the collars hardly said a word, and that girl talked like she owned the place."
   "Well, the two in the back were her pets," Elliot said, still resting as if he had run a marathon, "and I don't know what the deal was with that little girl..."
   "Pets?" I asked, my interest peaked. "Like Raff?"
   "Yeah," Elliot confirmed. "Except their owner obviously doesn't trust them- Making them wear those damned collars instead of earrings."
   "What's the difference?"
   "With the earrings, a wolf can still turn into a wolf whenever they want, but with the collars... Well, if they turn without they're owner removing them, weather they do it on purpose or lose control, they're as good as dead. Those things aren't just going to snap off. They'll choke them to death, or decapitate them depending on how big the wolf is, I guess."
   "Oh, wow," I said, both intrigued and disgusted by the idea at the same time.
   "You think Lazarus will let them stay?" Elliot asked, sitting up to look over at Dante who leaned against the counter, seeming to be pondering to himself.
   "I don't believe he will," Dante said in a slow, unsure way, "but it's none of our business." He didn't say anything more, but I waited as he disappeared down the hall and went back to his room. After a while, realizing he wasn't coming back, I felt curious.
   "What's up with him?" I asked Elliot quietly, not sure if Dante could hear.
   "I really don't know," Elliot said, shrugging. "He's probably just uneasy... We don't get many nomadic wolves through this way. Especially not ones like those. Either that or he's just wishing he had asked that Katrina girl more questions. I mean, she's obviously turned from a human. And at such a young age, too. I was even a bit fascinated."
   "I don't like them at all," I said, leaning into Elliot.
   "They obviously live a life similar to Lazarus'. Not like us," Elliot said, putting his arm around my shoulders. "But don't worry. We don't have any treaty with them. If they put one hand on you, I won't hesitate to-"
   "You don't have to do that," I said, not wanting to take comfort in the idea that Elliot would become a murderer just to keep me safe. "That reminds me... I should probably go and see if Raff is alright." It felt odd saying that out loud in front of Elliot, but he told me he was alright with it and I trusted his word. As I got up, Elliot did to.
   "Mind if I come?" He asked.
   "I... don't know if that's a good idea," I said, hesitating. I wouldn't have minded, but the last time Elliot seen Rafael, he had tried to stab his eye out.
   "I told you that I was okay with it. I won't hurt him. I won't even go near him if you don't want me to," Elliot said, trying to convince me. "You won't even know I'm there."
   "Then why do you even want to come? It's because you don't trust him, right?" I accused. I wasn't an idiot. I knew why he really wanted to come.
    "No," Elliot said, shrugging at me. "You're always telling me that I don't know this boy and that's why I don't like him. But if I come with you, than I can hate him and you can't tell me that it's because I don't know him."
     He smiled at that, but I frowned, glaring angrily at him. "Relax," he added, putting his hands on my shoulders and shaking me slightly, still holding his smile. "I was just joking. He's your friend- I can't change that, so I might as well get to know him, right?"
    "I guess," I said, still frowning at his last comment.
    "Won't even know I'm there," Elliot said again, whispering into my ear as he faced me towards the door.

I let Elliot drive me out to the woods. He even managed to keep from looking anything but pleased to be going. I had a feeling that at least part of it was forced, but he never strayed far enough from his uppity attitude to give me a reason to doubt him. Even as he stopped the car and we started walking, he kept a bit of a smile, though by then it was a twitching, fleeting attempt at not seeming bothered by the fact that he was practically delivering me to a person he didn't think he could trust. I just gripped at his hand when I thought that he was getting nervous, though I don't know if it made things better or worse.
   As we entered Rafael's side of the lake, I was relieved to see him lying on the bank, the ends of his fingers dipping into the cool water. Despite the fact that it seemed like one of the coolest days yet, making me grip my jacket tighter, he had no shirt on- Only the black pants I had given him. I felt Elliot's hand tighten reflexively around mine as I lead him around the lake. Rafael was asleep, I noticed, but I had assumed that since he didn't jump away despite the fact I had Elliot with me.
   I pulled my hand away from Elliot's leaning down to see how deep Rafael's sleep was. I couldn't really tell, but the blacks under his eyes seemed much darker than I had seen them in a long time, making me wonder if this was the first time he was sleeping since I last saw him.
   "So, what now?" Elliot asked, crossing his arms and looking curiously down at Rafael. "Do we wake him up?"
   "I usually don't," I said, feeling embarrassed that I was about to make Elliot wait god knows how long for Rafael to wake up. "He doesn't get much sleep, so when he does manage I don't wake him up."
   Elliot rolled his eyes, plopping down on the ground easily without even uncrossing his arms. I moved back to my usual spot under the tree, debating weather to wake Rafael or not.
   "I think you should wake him up," Elliot said, tilting his head down at him as if he were answering my thoughts.
   "You're not listening- He doesn't get to sleep much."
   "He looks tired every time I see him. He probably looks tired every time you see him, too. What's the difference if he loses an hour or so of sleep talking to you?"
   "Don't make me wake him up," I sighed, regretting that I had brought Elliot. I brought my knees up, burying my head in my crossed arms and waiting patiently as I always did. After a while, I didn't even notice Elliot next to me.
   "Is he sick," Elliot asked in a sudden whisper. I looked up to found him crouching next to Rafael. his head tilting from side to side as he looked him over.
   "Why?" I asked, not sure if it was an honest concern or if there was some insulting pun coming next.
   "I don't know," Elliot said, shrugging as he looked up at me. "He's looks so tired. And he looks even skinnier without a shirt on. Is he always like that?"
   "Always," I confirmed, resting my chin on my knees. I just watched Elliot as he continued to look Rafael over. I couldn't help but wonder exactly why he was doing it. There was so many reasons, I decided to stop thinking about it.
   "That's sad. Even a wolf with the senses of an ant should have herd us or smelled us and woken up by now," Elliot said, looking up at me again.
  As if he had herd what we were saying, Rafael shuffled slightly. He groaned as he pushed himself up, falling over slightly and bumping into Elliot. His eyes weren't even open yet, but as he titled his head up and seen Elliot, he gasped. He jumped sideways and away from him, nearly falling into the water. His chest heaved as he stumbled to his feet, finally noticing me.
   "He isn't going to do anything," I said quickly. Rafael looked back at Elliot, but his stance didn't relax until Elliot backed up, letting himself fall at the base of a tree a few feet away. After a minute, Rafael finally came over, sitting in front of me with crossed legs. "How did things go with Cirrus?" I asked before he could make any joke at Elliot.
   "Fine I guess," he said, shrugging. "He wasn't very mad at me. He missed me more than I would have liked, but at least he didn't lock me up," he said, smiling.
   "Dante ever lock you up, Elliot?" I joked, looking over to him sitting away from us. He just shrugged. I made attempt after attempt to include him in my conversation with Rafael, but no matter how many times I tried he just didn't seem interested. He would give me one word answers. Sometimes I even noted him lying to keep his answers from taking more than one breath to complete.
    After a while, I just gave up, letting Rafael's discreet joke telling distract me. And, to my surprise, he didn't even try to screw with Elliot the was he had done with Dante. It was a relief, but at the same time it made me wonder if Rafael found Elliot more dangerous than Dante.
   "Abel, can I talk to you for a second?" I herd Elliot say quietly as I laughed at one of Rafael's jokes. I turned to him, nodding.
   "Be right back," I muttered, getting up as Elliot did and walking with him. He didn't look good, I noticed as I glanced up at him. In a way, he looked almost like he was going to throw up.
   "Sick?" I asked as he stopped near where we came in. "Do you need to leave?"
   "No," he said, shaking his head. He licked at his lip nervously, glancing back at Rafael before looking at me again. "I don't like this," was all he said.
   "What do you mean? You said that you were okay with Raff being my friend. Your here, aren't you? Cirrus isn't going to come out of the woods and eat me, and you said yourself that Raff even looked sickly. You could probably kick his-"
   "It's not that," he said, stuffing his hands nervously into his pockets.
   "Then what is it?"
   "Abel, it's just- I mean... How close are you to him?"
   "He's probably my best friend," I said, shrugging. It wasn't until the instant after I said it that I realized what Elliot was implying. "Why would you think that?" I said in one breath, feeling almost sick.
   "I should have seen it as soon as I found him in your room," Elliot said, laughing in a sad, hysterical way."
   "Stop!" I almost shouted, fighting the urge to put my hands over my ears. "It isn't like that!"
   "The way he makes you smile and laugh and how you always want to be around him and-"
  I reached up quickly, pulling his lips down to mine. I didn't even care wheather he kissed back or not- I just wanted him to stop what he was saying, even if it was only for a minute. To my surprise, his lips parted and he grabbed at the back of my hair, kissing me back. I couldn't even enjoy it, though. There was a desperate tension in the way he kissed me; a sudden clumsiness in him I had never seen before.
   "Please believe me," I begged, managing to slid my mouth away from his enough to speak.
   "I want to," he said, pulling me against him tighter, "but even if it's true right now, for how much longer? When was the last time I made you laugh like he did? Made you smile like that?"
   "Every time I see you," I said, clutching at his shirt. My heart pounded with the desperation of getting him to believe me. "I'll prove it to you," I said, pulling away from him and grabbing at his wrist. I led him back to Rafael, to his dismay.
   "I thought you two were going to go all out for a second there," Rafael said, shaking his head.
   "Elliot thinks I'm cheating on him with you," I said quickly before I could change my mind about being so honest. Rafael's face sunk a second before his smile came back ten fold. His eyes watered as he burst into a teary laughter. I looked back at Elliot, but I wasn't sure if he was angry, embarrassed, or just annoyed. Either way, it seemed Rafael's rabid laughter had dispelled some of his fears.
   "Sorry, but I don't even go that way," Rafael finally said, wiping tears from his eyes.
   "You aren't gay?" I said, unable to keep from sounding surprised.
   "Oh, so sorry to disappoint you," he said sarcastically, standing up.
   "But what about Cirrus?"
   "What about him?" Rafael said, tilting his head.
   "Aren't you two... I mean, you make it seem like..."
   "Cirrus is my master," Rafael said, the laugh gone from his voice. "He can think what he thinks and do what he does, but that's all he is to me."
   Before I could even imply more, a terrible, ripping sound ran through me, making my blood run cold. As the distant sound turned into a dull echo, my body shook. There was a short pause as Rafael's back siffened, jaw clanching.
   "I have to go!" He spat quickly, running in the direction of the noise without even a goodbye. I looked back to Elliot, his eyes wide.
   "What was that!" I said, trying to get his attention.
   "I don't know," he said, shaking his head, "but it sounds like someone's dying... We need to go," he said, grabbing at my arm.
   "But what about Raff?"
   "We can't chase him" Elliot said, pulling me along.
  As he lead me quickly and silently back the car, I tried to play the terrible  scream through my head again and again, but it had long since faded from my memory. I was even more distracted as Elliot's cell phone went off. He quickly reached into his back pocket, flicking it open and bringing it to his ear without skipping a beat.
   "What's wrong?" He asked morbidly. "... I see?... " there was a terrible, long pause before clicked the phone closed, returning it to it's place.
   "What is it?" I asked, almost afraid to know.
   "It's not good," Elliot said, glancing back at me. "We need to get home. Now."
Yay! A new chapter!!! lol. Well, I was suposed to have school tomorrow, but I got the most amazing phone call- school can't be opened till monday because we failed inspection!!! *sad yay* my school is so ghetto. lol. Well anyway, it gave me some free time to type Edge! woo!!!
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Kaji900's avatar
O.O that dosn't sound good