The blizzard outside the cave had gone silent with the deepening snow covering the small mouth of the cave. You were thankful the inside was spacious enough for you to stand at full height. The smell of animals came from the soil beneath you, many animals must have used this cave only to leave due to the small opening that would have trapped larger ones. Using the fire to as light you observed your map carefully. Making sure to keep your eye on the fox on the other side. You had massed the first of two mountains along the path near the cliffs, that at least you could see through the blizzard. There was one other to cross and you were probably under it now. Only a short way to Arya, a day and a half's walk most likely.
After you finished reading it you began to make food. The anthro looked famished as well as exhausted. You were worried of what he may intend when he wakes, but an instinct also told you there was little to fear. He was no fighter, at least not by regular means. Anima was probably his only way of defense and you had seen what came to be if he tried it's use. All you brought were a few carrots that thankfully would not rot soon from the cold, bread, potatoes and meat to boil or roast. You were not sure what to make for him. You've known some anthro clans and tribes that don't eat meat considering it their brethren. You were not sure of the Aryans.
You just hoped that he did eat meat as you decided to make a small stew. If he did have a problem then bread may have sufficed along with some of the carrots. You began cutting the carrots with your hunting knife, looking up to the anthro who turned and whined in his sleep. Even with your work and bandages, heavy and fast motions would open the wounds back. But he never moved for too long and the turns would shift back into place slowly. You had just noticed your muscles tensing when he moved, you sighed relaxing as you got back to cutting.
After about an hour, the stew was almost done and tasted somewhat well. That's when you noticed him shifting behind the fire. His moans grew louder, even distorting into words. They sound like human speech. And the mumbling was growing louder, "elder...I ca...no...bu...Mother...El...eld...Elder!!!" He jut upward his eyes epening wide then suddenly wincing in pain as his teeth grit and he faced down holding his bandages.
"Stop moving," you spoke abruptly while moving around the fire to him. His sight shot up at you, the look of a frightened beast caught in a trap. You spoke as calmly as you could, "listen. I'm not here to hurt you or what you may have thought when we met earlier."
"Gah...who...who are you?" his voice, although filled with pain, was calm and young. If you had to guess, he was around seventeen years of age.
"I'm a watchman from the southern checkpoint. The city was attacked this morning by human assailants, I was coming to Arya as a messenger of what happened. On the way we met, you attempted to attack me but fell."
"How do I know...*gasp*...you're not lying human...gahhh..!" he gave an anguished stare into you.
You grabbed your satchel and pulled out the letter, "This was given to me by the head of the guardsman's daughter before after he died to write it."
"Let me see it..." his breaths and gasps had calmed somewhat.
"I thought anthros could not read human writing except for those related to their leaders that were taught?"
"I am, I'm the village elder's nephew," he held out his hand that trembled. You didn't find it hard to believe after a moment of thought, his outfit and jewelry gave it away that he was not just a normal anthro. Only those of the water tribes wore as extravagant outfits for the villagers as you've heard.
You opened the wrapping and handed him the folded paper. It was covered in blood spots and the writing was hurriedly made. Before he read the man sniffed at the parchment, then he gave a pained look, "no...captain Gerek..."
"You knew the captain? I knew he had gone to Arya often as was his duty but..."
"Yes...he...visited often..." he was trembling more and tears were starting to form in his eyes, "if...if it weren't for him I'd...I'd hate humans..." He wiped his eyes and sniffed a little before preceding to read. You were surprised to see a soft spot after the instance earlier. He had a gentle and just soul, but you did not speak outwardly of it.
As he read his eyes narrowed and his mouth trembled in anger, "black cloaks...shiastu belik..."
"You've seen the black cloaked men before?!" you lowered yourself near him in sudden concern.
"Those Shiastu are the ones who attacked my people! Gah!" he gasped in pain from straining himself.
You held his back, "please, calm down. Tell me what happened."
"Gahhh...they came before the sun rose...our homes were engulfed in flames when we left the elder's house. Our best ani were trying to push them back with our Anima. But they used machines...covered in metal...our power of water and ice was no match being that our ani were so few. In the end my mother told me to go South to see Gerek and ask your people for help...forgive em for attacking you. I thought you were one of those Shiastu."
"It's fine, I can understand that with the limited sight at the time you had and my wearing the cloak I would have looked like them. What happened to you that got you injured?"
"While leaving, my mother and I were attacked. She is our priestess of the Animus of Arya..." he carefully reached around his head piece and took off one of the ornaments. It was a shimmering blue jewel. The largest of the ones on his head piece.
"That stone is an Animus?"
"Yes, the power of our ancestors lies within these stones. Only people of ani pure blood can learn power from it. Anthros, as humans call us are divided between the pure blood and those without. We pure as you know are called the ani. All of us can learn power from Animus, but ani can learn true power from them. My mother was in charge of keeping the Aryan Animus safe. But when we separated she gave it to me, knowing that if it was the Animus they came for then...they would go after her..." he placed it back into his hair piece. The shimmer had caught your eye and you watched until concern took you.
"Then what happened to your mother?"
"...she fled North...to tell our clan leaders of what has befallen our tribe...I know she is safe, no one can defeat her with weapons...but..."
You put your hand on his shoulder, "I know she is fine. Your mother did not obtain priestess rank from doing nothing but being of pure blood."
He stared at your hand and touched it, holding it, "thank you for your kind words...human...wait, I never told you my name did I?"
"No, I guess you didn't, haha!"
"Vanura Arya. But please don't call me my full name. It's embarrassing, so call me Vanu."
You held out your hand with a smile, "it's nice to meet you Vanu."
Instead of shaking it though, he pulled you into an embrace. "Haha, I know your customs are to shake the hands of compatriots. But here we call you friends when your welcome into our lands, Vearn..."
"Vaern?"
"It means 'friend' in our language..." his stomach churned and gurgled as he fell silent.
"Oh here, I made soup. It has meat in it though, so sorry if you..."
"Oh no, it's fine. We eat meat as long as it's not ours hahaha!" he laughed heartily through a cough.
"Well, good thing I don't hunt foxes," you both gave each other a solemn look before bursting out into laughter. He ate a little respectfully but seemed to know there was no need to be too courteous. He had a good helping and as you ate he said, "by the way thank you for saving me Vaern. I could not heal the wounds in the condition I was."
"No, it's fine. I couldn't just leave you out there to die, whether or not you were my enemy."
"You're a good human Vaern."
"Taking a liking to calling that huh? As for the good human part I only do as Gerek taught us. And my own beliefs as well."
"The question is now, what should we do. Those men in black cloaks may still be there, And from your letter, may even be at your home as well."
It was a good question and you both needed a descent solution.
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