What Lies Beneath His Pelt?

CHAPTER 7: THE FOREIGNER

It took three days for her to wake up and when she did, her body was sore. She expected to awaken in her home but she was surprised to find herself staring up into a cave ceiling.

Only torches lined the walls and it provided her light.

She stood up and the fur pelts she laid on brushed against her almost naked body. Only a simple linen covered her breasts and her womanhood.

Panic settled as the thought of being naked in someone else's bed without marriage made her feel like she was impure or that she betrayed her husband (although she didn't plan on marrying...yet). She gathered up the wolf pelt and wrapped it around her body. She thought of calling out to whoever owned the cave.

Echoes were the only thing that greeted her. She was alone.

"Ghigau? Are you awake?" The familiar voice of the Shaman, Kimi, came through. She burst out crying.

"Kimi, yes I am." She sniffed as she met the elderly woman halfway when she realized that she wasn't alone.

A tall and muscular young man was beside the Shaman and he carried a woven basket.

His curly black hair was messy and he was shirtless.

He only had fur pelts held up with some rope covering his lower regions. He wore moccasins with fur.

"Ghigau! Your husband is the only man who can see your naked skin!" The Shaman scolded. She placed the woven basket she also carried on a built-in shelf near the door.

Ghigau's face turned red as she backed away towards the inner chamber where she woke up. It took a whole minute for the Shaman to reach her.

"I apologize, Kimi. I didn't know."

"It's alright, my dear. We didn't know you'd awaken today. Nahuel always accompanied me for thirty cycles to the forest to gather ingredients after all." Her voice echoed around the cave and Ghigau was relieved.

"Nahuel...is he your apprentice? I apologize, I don't know much about you since you live away from the community."

"No, no, he is my grandson. He lives with his mother on the other side of the forest. That is the reason why you do not see him as much."

Ghigau simply nodded. She watched as Kimi pulled out clothes from a bigger basket at the foot of the bed.

"These clothes used to be mine in my youth. Your parents decided to keep you here while they look for the creature and slay it. It is obvious that it came to you intending to marry you as it waited for your coming-of-age ceremony."

"Why would it want me? I doubt a creature as monstrous as that desire to be a Chieftain's husband."

"My dear Ghigau, you possess healing abilities and magic that no one can live up to. As you know, once you marry, you will share that energy and they will do whatever it takes to get it from you."

Kimi grinned as she said her statement and Ghigau raised an eyebrow but did not ask about it.

"I see. Since I'll be here for a long time, does that mean I can start my apprenticeship right now?"

"No. You will rest today. Tomorrow, you can go with Nahuel and gather pine cones. It will not be difficult as the storm that hit two days ago shook most of them from the trees."

The next day, Ghigau woke up early and found Nahuel returning from the forest. His fur pelt was drenched and his moccasins were muddy. His hair and skin glistened with water. He looked troubled.

"Isn't it too early to go for a swim?" She shouted and Nahuel's eyes widened when he saw her, but he smiled.

"Well, it was an unexpected swim…" he exclaimed, loud enough for her to hear as he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Don't tell me...you were out on a…" she looked at the sky and saw the beginnings of sunrise and she continued, "...a very early walk and you were crossing a log but since it was dark, you miscalculated and slipped into the water, right?"

"Right. I should have brought light with me."

"Uh-huh. Don't lie to me. That's one of my excuses! So why are you wet?" She continued as she left the cave and stood in front of him.

Nahuel rolled his eyes but grinned. "Fine, I was trying to hunt, but well…"

"Trying to? Why, aren't you a hunter?" She asked as she leaned closer. He took a step back, uncomfortable with the distance.

"N-no. I have a disability, that's why I can't hunt but I try to."

"What disability?"

Instead of answering, he walked a few paces and she noticed the limp he had.

"I had a childhood injury, that's why I limp. It gets loud when I move, so it will scare the deer."

"I see. As for me, I am partially deaf, that's why it would be difficult to keep quiet as well."

From that day on, they became close and, in a short time, they already knew each other like the back of their hands. When the day for him to return to his village came, Ghigau was in tears.

"I'll come to visit your village, please. I don't think I can bear without you." She proclaimed as she helped him pack some food for his trip.

"I can't bear without you as well. If you want to visit, let me know so I can fetch you. However, do not travel during the full moon, please. It is dangerous, especially if the creature who took you during the full moon is still out there." He said as he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Yes. Of course. Please be safe as well." She replied as she placed a hand on his cheek.

He rested his hand on her hand as well and closed his eyes.

Ghigau suddenly felt warm and she could feel her heart as it skipped a beat.

"Ghigau." He spoke, his voice low. When he opened his eyes to gaze at hers, it was filled with longing and certainty.

"Nahuel," Ghigau replied as she leaned closer and Nahuel intertwined their fingers together.

"I will see you in the next cycle after this. Please wait for me." He mused as he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

Ghigau turned red as she nodded and kissed his forehead.

"Please come back soon."

Days passed and Ghigau went on with her apprentice duties but Kimi noticed that she wasn't as enthusiastic as when Nahuel was with them. She tried talking to Ghigau about it, but Ghigau always plastered a smile and said that she was okay. The Shaman gave up asking.

A day after the full moon, Ghigau was out by the river fishing for food when she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw Nayati making his way towards her. She noticed that he was limping too.

"Ghigau, aren't you a blessing to see." He greeted her loudly. Ghigau chuckled.

"Hello, Nayati! How is the village doing? Did my father find the beast?" At the mention of her father, Nayati's face fell. He averted his gaze from her. Ghigau took notice of this.

"Nayati. What is happening?" She asked. She felt panic rise to her chest.

"The Chieftain...he had fallen ill. I thought Kimi told you?"

"What? Since when? And how?"

"Yesterday. We found the beast and as we were about to attack, we felt ill all of a sudden. Your father fought against the illness and went for the beast but before he could hurt it, he was bitten. The beast left after that."

"Why didn't Kimi tell me? That's my father!" She shouted angrily. Nayati took a step back.

"Because I did not want you to worry. Your spiritual energy is strongest when you are happy and it weakens when you are sad or worried. I noticed that when Nahuel was here and when he wasn't," Kimi's voice came from above. They saw her standing above the slope, a woven basket on her arm and a solemn expression on her face.

"What? Who cares about my spiritual energy? I need to see my father!" She demanded.

Kimi sighed but nodded. They hurriedly went to the tent. When she saw her father on the bed, she couldn't help but cry. He was as thin as the scarecrow they kept on their fields and his hair wasn't as thick as before. His leg was bandaged and when they saw her, he couldn't even muster a small smile as it required too much energy.

"Father, what happened?" She asked as she approached. She noticed that on his skin were white spots.

"They had a run-in with the creature yesterday and it bit your father. His health began declining overnight. Kimi tried to heal him but her spiritual energy wasn't enough." Her mother sobbed.

Ghigau embraced them. She winced when she felt how cold her father's skin was. She sobbed harder.

"No. No, please, let me try. Please, Kimi." She begged as she looked at the elderly woman.

Kimi took a few seconds before she nodded and Ghigau immediately got up.

"Do you have the ingredients?" She asked as she made her way towards the woven basket Kimi carried earlier. She was surprised when the Shaman blocked it.

"The ingredients are not here, my dear. They are by the bed. This is empty." The elderly woman's tone was calm, yes, but she refused to meet the girl's gaze.

Ghigau nodded and went back to the bedside. She would ask Kimi about it later.

She asked if others were inflicted and when they told her it was just the Chieftain, she prepared for the ritual.

They removed the bandages on Denali's leg and the smell of burning flesh infiltrated her nostrils. She tried to compose herself as she looked at the blackened bite mark that covered her father's entire leg. The skin that surrounded it turned blue and angry sores were evident. She took a deep breath and began the ritual.

It took half a day before they saw any significant change. Just seeing the sores lessen and Chieftain Denali being able to tell jokes again made Ghigau content.

She wanted to continue but she knew her limit and decided to call it a day. She went out of the tent to get some fresh air when she noticed a lone figure standing off the side of the site.

Everyone was so busy doing their chores that they failed to notice it and, without meaning to, she walked towards the figure.

The figure noticed the movement and they moved closer towards the light. The panic was replaced by relief when Ghigau saw that it was Nahuel.

She called him. He grinned before he turned around and ran towards the forest. Ghigau debated whether to chase after him or not but she missed him and all logic and reasoning were thrown to the wind. She ran after him.

"Nahuel! Where are we going?" She shouted. He turned to face her.

"I found a waterhole near the cave, come on!"

"Wait, Nahuel!" She shouted. He stopped and waited for her.

"Huh, what happened? Your stamina ran out? You were faster than me before!"

"Shut up! I just finished healing my father, okay? I'm still replenishing." She said as she stood beside him. He wrapped a hand around her waist to steady her.

"What? Why what happened?" He asked as he helped her sit in one of the fallen trees in the area. As she settled in, she noticed that they were already in the thickest part of the forest.

Fear enveloped her as she realized that they had already passed the cave. The full moon rose on the horizon.

"Nahuel. We need to go. The beast might come." She whispered. She stood up shakily as her fatigue took over.

"Can you walk? I'm sorry, I took you here."

"Oh, you should be sorry. You were the one who told me not to come to the forest during the full moon but you led me here!"

"I apologize. I got excited because I arrived early. I was hoping you were in the cave and I wanted to see you but you weren't there and I waited. I got tired so I decided to explore and that's when the-" he wasn't able to continue what he was going to say because we heard a twig snap somewhere. It was accompanied by a growl.

"Hide, Ghigau. I'll see what it was." And before she could protest, he left.

She immediately climbed a tree and with difficulty. Another growl came and that caused her adrenaline to shoot up.

Rested safely by the trees, she waited.

She didn't know how long she was there but it felt like hours before she saw a figure making its way towards the clearing. The familiar limp was enough for her to recognize who it was. She began descending.

"There you are, Nahuel!" Ghigau mused as the tall and muscular figure stepped out into the clearing. She noticed that something was off about him, specifically the fact that he now wore a pelt. The energy around him was dark and ominous, feral, as if he was a predator.

As she waited for his approach, the memory of her father's bite wound resurfaced and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. The hairs at the back of her neck prickled and she became cautious.

"Nahuel?" She called out, but he did not reply. He just took in every inch of her body with his eyes. Uneasiness wrapped around her.

The forest was blanketed by thick silence and it was only illuminated by the full moon. The forest that used to be her haven was eerie now, unfamiliar.

"Ghigau. Remember when I told you not to come into the forest during the full moon?" Nahuel said, his tone dangerously low, his words ending in a growl. Even if he had a grin on his face, it didn't quite reach his eyes and a shiver ran down her spine.

"Again with the blame! Weren't you the one who led me here? Why didn't you heed your warning?" She shouted. Nahuel took a step closer and she noticed the feral look on his face.

"What are you afraid of again, Ghigau?" He purred and Ghigau stood straighter. However, before she could say another word, she found herself pressed against a tree. How she got there was beyond her comprehension.

"I am not afraid of anything. You should know that!"

“Are you certain that you aren’t afraid, Ghigau?” Nahuel grinned wider as he rested both hands against the tree, effectively caging her in.

"What are you doing?" She asked, suddenly aware of his glowing emerald eyes.

"Claiming what's mine," he mused as he used his long, pointed nails to cut through the thick fabric she wore. Realization hit her almost immediately.

"You-you're the one who took me before! And the one who bit my father! Why?"

"You are a powerful woman, Ghigau, the kind of woman that men would want to have ruling beside them. I always wanted you, Ghigau, ever since I saw you when you were by the river. I asked your father for your hand but he refused as I was...what were his exact words?" He started as he leaned closer and continued, "...' a poor and pathetic lame son of a woodcutter that can never protect my daughter…'"

"My father would never say that! He is a respectable man!" She spat back as she positioned her knee between his legs.

"Oh? So when he stole our food and the weapons we created, was that respectable? You have to reevaluate your values if that's the case."

She stopped as she remembered when they were first displaced from their lands. They had nothing on them, no food, no shelter. As the week progressed, she remembered how she saw her father as he carried sacks of grain and meat and some blankets. Whenever she asked where they got it, her father would tell her it was a gift.

"How…" she asked. His grin grew wider.

"Like what you believe, so do we. You're not the only one who can harness energy from your surroundings."

She acted on impulse. She used her head to hit him on his jaw. When he stepped back, she wiggled her way out.

The wind swirled around them but all she could hear was the loud rushing of blood in her ears. He crouched as he adjusted his stance and a shadow passed through his face. He gave an inhuman growl and intricate indigo lines began to form on his skin. She prepared her dagger.

*****

Thank you so much for the support and patience! You can see chapter arts from the story on my i********:, artbyellysse, or my Deviantart, reza-delavega. Do not forget to leave a comment if you want!