“Neither do we,” Gaea answered as she thought about it. “We live on our own because we like that. Despite how Gemma might be we are still solitary creatures. We like each other because we are each other. If that makes sense.” They were identical twins after all.

There was a hum on her lip for a moment. “So… The other facet of the information on my family. The Rose family is the matron family. My greatest Grandma was the very first Rosenite. It’s said that they were jealous of the creature they created so they cursed her to only have daughters. While the curse was strong through the years it has slipped allowing men to be born into our race.”

She listened for a good long time. “My mother had a counterpart in that world. She combined with herself here. Some of my siblings were from this DaeLuin. Six of them actually. They say the void ate DaeLuin but no one knows.” That was her extent of the knowledge for that place.

Thinking about the best way to answer his last question she just smiled. “Corydalis is one of my younger sisters. She is a shaman for the tribe there. All of my siblings are talented in some way. Corydalis’s father was the head shaman. He was powerful and enthralled by our mother. She saw the opportunity to have a strong child and strengthen her bloodline. So she took it. That’s how most of us were born… But Basse. Basselina’s father won a drinking match with my mother and had a night with her. Got pregnant with Basse but Basse is pretty strong.”

After a while, she wanted to hear more about Olvar though. “Is it… always just you by yourself? If I didn’t have Gemma I would be by myself… but it is weird thinking about not having her. She is a part of me. I’m sure she felt the wound on my leg. We do that you know… Feel each other’s pain… Know when the other is sad. We can speak without speaking. I don’t know what it’s like not to have that.”

–

Like they had said Laeto was a few days off from where they were. Once they were in the rainforest things seemed to calm down a bit more. Ojuk was hard to see as he was ahead with Gemma. It was hot and sticky so Gaea was sighing a lot. The need for water was on the right so they had stopped to fill the canteen up by a river.

“Ents,” Gemma said as she pointed. There were tall walking rattan ents that were walking down the river. “Aren’t they neat Olvar? Completely harmless but Daphne says they can be jerks.” Gemma was still up on Ojuk’s back as she took a drink from the canteen and passed it to Gaea who was taking a seat by the river. Her feet were dipping into the crisp water.

“This feels so good… I don’t know how Corydalis and Daphne do this… I can deal with Arri but this.” She made a face a bit and laughed. “I would have to be naked all the time.” Gemma nodded with her sister.

Checking their packs Gemma got out some new clothing. “These dresses are too hot and yours is ruined.” The twins were quick to help each other change into the lighter clothes and throw out the old ones. However, before they changed Gemma had an idea. “Why don’t we get baths? It would be cooler for us and probably feel good… and Olvar needs a bath.”

There was a light smirk on Gemma’s face as she looked at Olvar. “The current is weird in the river and I’m not strong enough to keep Gaea up while we bathe… Can you keep her up?” Gaea went red for a moment but said nothing. “It will only be for a little bit and besides it’s not like you’ll look at her or anything,” Gemma smirked at Olvar before she let Gaea go. Gaea gasped as her leg gave out and she started to fall.

Gemma appeared to be retrieving some soap from their pack.

Olvar gave a small nod at her explanation. He knew all too well about the oppression of curses, but if the Rose family curse had slipped over time, would his own? And what would be the outcome? Would the effect become less frequent, as it had in the Rosenites, or would it become unpredictable? The idea brought a shudder, but he chose not to dwell.

His attention was taken instead by Gaea’s surprising knowledge of DaeLuin, or rather, of its demise. He felt a hole open up in his belly, brow furrowing. The lycan’s gaze wandered elsewhere. From the sound of it, his brother was likely dead. He was the last of his family name. The duty was his to wear it proudly. The shifter stood a bit taller as Gaea continued her explanations. More family then. It seemed these twins had family in every corner of the land.

“For a long time it was just me, yes. Since I left home. I worked with mercenaries for a while, then tried to join a pack of other shifters. Neither worked out, and I only ended up making enemies in both instances. I decided that taking life as it came was the best option for me, but even that proved difficult. I was captured and held prisoner, but eventually the knight keeping me took me as a student…” He still wasn’t sure why. Simon had been given every chance to run him through, take his life, make the world safer from one more werewolf. But he hadn’t, even when Olvar pushed him to the edge running his mouth off. The lycan shook his head. Best not to dwell. “Now I have Ojuk, but he isn’t very good conversation. You get used to it.”

—

The rainforest was a much calmer travel for Olvar. Though his last experience in a rainforest had almost ended in the loss of his life, it felt good to be out of the relentless sun of the plains. Not to mention the natural cover that hid them from sight. He could see the outline of Ojuk ahead, but the faint dappling of his coat did wonders for his camouflage, and surely anyone passing by unawares would miss him. The warg was still traveling strong, carrying Gemma, Olvar’s armor, and now his overcoat. Insects couldn’t get through the tough leather to bite at him, but the muggy air was too much to bear with an unnecessary layer.

To rest his shoulder and his aching feet, he’d stopped by the river, setting Gaea carefully on the bank. He crouched, cupping water in his hands to drink while the girls shared from the canteen. Water dripped from his lips as he lifted his head, eyeing the passing ents. “Treefolk” as his mother would have said. “Nothing that big is totally harmless,” Olvar answered, then bent for another drink. Hearing the direction of the twins’ chatting, followed by the shuffling of clothing, he took his time quenching his thirst, eyes politely averted. They narrowed at the jab from Gemma.

He sat back on the bank, making a point of watching the ents with a huff. He rolled his eyes at the bubbly nymph’s teasing. “I’m sure you can hold her up, have confidence in yourself.” He stood. He might as well practice the knightly vows Simon intended to have him take. “I’m going to bathe further downriver,” he informed the pair, a plan that was interrupted before he could even take a step away. Gaea gasped, Olvar turned, and without thinking he threw hands out to catch her, one on her shoulder and one on her side. The man sighed, giving Gemma a pointed look before adjusting his grip to just her arms. “One moment then,” he murmured to Gaea, then eased her back down to the bank. If it was insisted upon, he would assist. To spare them from the water, the knight in training stripped out of his clothes, bundling them carefully and setting them back from the bank. He entered the water first, then offered a rough hand to Gaea. “I won’t drop you,” he promised, “unlike certain siblings you may have.”

It was somewhat unnerving to be without a weapon on hand in the company of others. Perhaps it was years of suspicion ingrained in him, or perhaps it was the mystery of what lived in the rainforest, just out of sight. It could even be that he was simply unaccustomed to having his life so obvious before near-strangers. Every scar in his skin carried a story, good or bad, and he wasn’t sure he was terribly fond of those stories seeing the light.

“Wash up quickly then,” he encouraged. Already the shifter was ready to move on.

There was a smirk on Gemma’s face as Olvar caught Gaea. So he did somewhat care. It had been a gamble for Gemma but she trotted off. “Come on Ojuk.” She tossed some oils and soap to Gaea before she and the warg were going together downstream. Ojuk pawed at the water before Gemma went on. Once Gemma was in Ojuk jumped into the water with her. “Good boy,” Gemma was heard saying.

“I know you won’t. Gemma is just being herself again.” She held the soaps and oils in her one hand as she took Olvar’s. Easing into the water she let out a hiss from the cold water hitting her wound. Gaea wasn’t shy as she looked Olvar over. It was more like a reaction to seeing his skin. It was normal for them being from Sularia.

He held her steady as she let her long hair out of the braids they were in. She got it soaked, washed it, and rinsed it. Looking back at Olvar she took a sigh. “Let me help you since your hands are full.” She cupped her hand and wet his hair down. She took the soap and ran it through his hair. “Sorry, these smell like flowers. They come from Sularia.” It wasn’t the manliest thing in the world. She set the oils down on a rock nearby and worked her fingers into his hair massaging gently like she had bathed others before, most likely Gemma.

Gently she washed the soap out avoiding his eyes with ease. Before long she was washing his body too but being careful of his privacy. “This is really common in Sularia.” She gave him a smile. “We have public baths but due to there being so few men we all would bathe together.” Her fingers would trace some of the scars he had out of habit but she would stop herself when she noticed. "Gemma and Ojuk sound like they are having fun. I don't even think she is bathing."

Olvar watched with a half-smirk as Gemma coaxed Ojuk into the water, the warg making an entrance that was far from graceful, but certainly effective. The warg was already completely soaked. It was a good thing the gear and saddle had been removed when they first stopped to rest.

As she entered the water, he noted her wound. Still tender, he was sure, but it wasn’t the angry red that indicated an infection was brewing, and that was enough reassurance for him to disregard it. Despite feeling her eyes on him, the lycan found he didn’t much mind, but kept his own gaze respectful of her privacy, as a gentleman would. He’d certainly come a long way in terms of manners. As she let her braids out, her hair covered some of her form, allowing him more comfortable eye contact when she spoke to him. “Help me?” he wondered, though only briefly. The nymph’s intentions were soon made obvious as she wet down his hair to wash it. “You don’t have to do that, Gaea, I would hope I could wash my own hair.”

But she persisted, and Olvar found himself letting her. It was a sort of relief to have someone taking care of him for a change. After so many escort or protection jobs, making sure that everything was perfect, totally controlled, it was a nice change to hand off the reins for a few minutes. Even as she rinsed the soap from his hair and moved on with her doting, he found himself slowly beginning to relax with thoughts of his family’s farm. Once again, something in his travels with Gemma and Gaea reminded him of home, but he couldn’t put his finger on what.

“Do the women always help the men like this in Sularia?” he asked with a smirk. He felt gentle fingers following the bumps and ridges of his scars, for once not minding. The shifter’s attention rose briefly to Ojuk and Gemma playing downstream. The warg had discovered that his front paws were wide enough to create a heavy “plunk” sound if he lifted them completely from the water, and he seemed quite amused by the find. “I hope they’re bathing. Ojuk is a mess,” he mused, turning his gaze back to Gaea. “I suppose I wasn’t far ahead of him though.”

Gaea smiled up at him and shook her head. “Nah, you are doing enough. I think it is a good treat for you to be taken care of.” That was the way she saw it as she washed his hair. Slowly she took the soap and washed the rest of him. Before long she was massaging the oils into his skin and she knew it would probably feel good. They smelled good too which would appease her sister.

“Always. We help each other. That’s the only way to survive in a place like Arri,” her voice was gentle as she answered him. Her lips formed a smirk as she returned it. “Your dirt washed off quite easily probably compared to Ojuk though…” She giggled lightly. “Gemma will get him clean I am sure.” She ran her hand down his chest for a minute before looking back up at Olvar.

“Hey, Olvar?” Gaea put her good foot on top of one of his to give her a little bit of a boost. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Her voice started to go quiet as she got a bit closer to him. Olvar was coming down to meet her when there was a sudden wave of water that hit them.

“AHOY!” Gemma was on top of Ojuk’s back, who was very clean by now. “I AM WAGING WAR ON YOU BOTH!” Ojuk made a nose at that remark and did another splash. Gemma slid off of his back and started to splash Gaea and Olvar more.

“Gemma!” Gaea blew strands of wet hair that was now plastered all over her face out just so she could spot her twin. “You are a right asshole.” Gaea started to splash back and she even did a few splashes at Ojuk though she was care of her leg.

The soothing oils helped him to relax, loosening up some of the tension he always carried with him. “Arri sounds nice,” he commented, then exhaled sharply in a little half-laugh. “Gemma will have to get through his fur first. He’s shedding this time of year.” He closed his eyes as she continued to wash him, the water cool around them, and the trees overhead bright with scattered birdsong. The ents paraded slowly by on their path a short distance away, completely disinterested in the matters of the strangers.

He held his breath as her touch traveled smoothly down his torso, eyes opening upon hearing his name. “That’s what I’m here for,” he answered in a low voice. Despite barely knowing Gaea, he felt himself leaning down to meet her, expecting the evident kiss, but instead receiving a startling wave of cool water across his back.

Olvar turned, hazel eyes falling on Gemma and Ojuk as the pair declared war. “You’d best be ready then!” the lycan called back with a grin. Hands half under the surface, he shoved forward, using his palms to send a wall of water at their “attackers”. He remained close to Gaea to support her leg, but always kept one hand free to splash back.

After almost an hour of playing in the river, Olvar noted the fading light. It grew dark much faster under the rainforest canopy. Opting to make camp now so they could dry off before night, he guided Gaea to the bank of the river to sit. Once she was settled, he pulled on his trousers to protect his legs from the undergrowth and started gathering kindling for a small fire. It didn’t take too long to get one going, and with the girls able to start drying off properly, he went on to figure out sleeping arrangements. After some debate, he finally set his good blanket out for the girls to sleep on. He would use his overcoat. The air here was warm enough even during the night that covers shouldn’t be needed.

The area around them was peaceful beside the distant laughs and pouncing of her sister and Ojuk. “Don’t underestimate Gemma and her determination. I’ve seen what she does.” Her voice was gentle and soft as they continued to listen to the nature around them. “She’s the stronger of the two of us even if she doesn’t act it.”

Gaea felt him hold his breath and for a moment she thought about stopping. What surprised her most was when he started to come down to her level for the kiss. The water, however, made her jump. There was a gasp that left her lips from the expectant cold water. Soon the moment was all but forgotten about as they engaged in an all-out water war with each other. There appeared to be two teams. Olvar and Gaea on one side with Gemma and Ojuk on the other.

Once nightfall was upon them the girls began to try and dry off as soon as possible. Olvar had put Gaea on the river bank which she was happy about. She wrung her hair out the best she could before Gemma helped her get dressed. The twins laid claim to his blanket brushing each other’s hair with combs before both laid down for the night.

Somehow during the night, Gemma had abandoned Gaea to sleep on Ojuk who more than welcomed her company. Gaea looked up with sleepy eyes as she shivered even in this heat. She merely missed her sister at that point. In a sleepy haze, she took the blanket over to Olvar and curled up with him. Two could play this game.

It was some time in the early morning when there was rustling around them. Gemma was one of the first ones to notice it as she popped a pink eye open. She patted Ojuk as a sign to remain calm. Spearmen came out of the tall bushes and pointed their spears at them. Gaea woke up in a haste and one tried to jab her back down. It was Gemma who threw out her hand. The spears around them exploded into flowers. “Enough, we’ve come a long way seeking Corydalis. You will take us to our sister.” Gemma spoke in the language of the tribe in a very commanding voice that was unlike her.

Some of the men whispered but bowed to them. They were allowed to gather their gear. Gemma stayed on top Ojuk and looked down at Gaea who was being carried by Olvar once more. “You scared them, Sis. Try not to do that.”

Gaea gave a pout. “I didn’t mean to I just sensed movement and I did it out of instinct.” She let out a sigh. Gemma gave a smile as they continued the long walk into the rainforest. It was night when they reached a village. On a hilltop like part of town was a raging bonfire that sparked with magic. There sat a woman with long red curls, curvaceous body, and glowing blue tribal paint over her flesh. The spearmen left the group there as the woman stood up.

The fire by her erupted in a series of colors before it finally settled on shades of red. A werewolf in full form was howling at the sky. A blue scarf appeared around the wolf and he seemed to calm. The fire let loose a scream with the howl. Corydalis had her pipe in hand it looked to be ivory with a golden dragon skull on the front of it. Smoke left the dragon’s nostrils on the pipe.

“Olvar Tyresus,” the woman spoke as she came closer. Gaea instinctively tried to move out of the way but she was still in Olvar’s arms at that point. “You will face something in the time coming. You will hurt someone you care about. You might not even be aware it will happen.” The woman’s coral eyes got close to his. “The flames have spoken this much about you wolfman. I would be careful.” She took her pipe and smacked Gaea on the bottom. “And how did this happen?”

Gaea squirmed a bit more until Olvar set her down. “The tap on my butt was not okay.” Gaea was blushing a bit. “Little sisters should be more respectful towards their older sisters,” Gaea said it in Gemma’s direction.

“You are only older by a few minutes,” Gemma said as a matter of fact as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Thank you for your prophecy little sister I am sure that Olvar will take it and learn from it,” Gaea spoke with about as much respect as she could for someone who just got smacked on her ass by a pipe. Corydalis was about five feet and seven inches tall which made her a bit taller than her elder sisters. “We were hoping for supplies for our trip to Vada. I need to make medicine as well.”

Corydalis appeared to mull the request over. “You are the second one this month to ask that request… I suppose for my darling older sister that I can afford more of our supplies.” Then Corydalis paused. “One more thing.” The fire exploded and showed a field of wildflowers on fire. “Your lives are in danger the moment you step foot out of this village. You are wanted. Hunted by those that desire you. It’s been fifty years Gaea Rose and you should have taken care of it by now.”

Gaea watched Corydalis for a few moments. “Please do not put my business in front of Olvar. I will stay on guard.” Her tone was serious but that was nothing out of the ordinary. “Do you have an alchemy set up that I can use?” Corydalis pointed up to her hunt. “Olvar please take me up there.” She seemed bitter now as the flames died down. “Gemma go get supplies with Ojuk. We’re only spending the night here.” Whatever Corydalis had meant got under Gaea’s skin as Olvar took her up to the shack.

“It is none of her god damn concern,” Gaea said frustrated as she grabbed herbs from the many baskets as she sat down at the table to work on potions. “And she certainly didn’t need to tell you anything about me.” She slammed the mortar and pedestal down. Finally, she had a deep set frown on her face. “I hate men sometimes and nosey sisters.”

While the girls finished cleaning each other up, Olvar settled down on his overcoat, double checking that his blades were nearby. Ojuk stretched and settled down not far from his feet, resting his head on bulky paws. One arm went behind the lycan’s head to act as a pillow. The other rested on his belly. At some point during the night, that arm ended up halfway between he and Gaea, who had snuggled up next to him in the absence of her sister. He slept soundly.

Not long before dawn, Olvar’s eyes flashed open. Their fire was down to a single plume of pitiful smoke, leaving them in darkness. Movement was all around them though, and though the canopy swallowed much of the light this early, he could see well enough to get an idea of what was around them. Humanoid figures. Armed. His hand crept toward his blades, but Gaea’s outburst caught their attention first. He snatched his seax knife as a spear thrust toward her, but strange magic beat him to the punch. Flowers? He looked to Gemma, who spoke in an odd tongue. Everything about this was wrong. Ojuk growled softly. His grip tightened on his knife.

After packing up and making a point to secure his weapons to his belt, he loaded the gear onto Ojuk, picked up Gaea, and they started off. It was a long trek, filled with distrustful glances. When finally they arrived at the village, the day was almost done. Olvar frowned as they approached the woman adorned in tribal paint, apparently some sort of shaman. He suspected her to be Corydalis.

In the flared of the fire, hazel eyes reflected a feral green shine, and something stirred deep in his belly upon seeing the image of the wolf screaming in the flames. The woman approached already knowing his name, and it only served to set him more on edge. The lycan lifted his chin proudly as she spoke. “Then be careful,” he answered simply. He had no need, nor desire, to heed the warning of a magical shaman.

He was reluctant to break eye contact, even as he carefully set Gaea down. His arm remained ready to help support her. While the twins worked out details for acquiring supplies, Olvar watched the fire. The image of the wolf was gone, but he’d known the shape clear as day. The warning was vague. Perhaps it was another wolf. After all, it had calmed in the flames. Never before had his more beastly half rested in such a way.

All at once, the bonfire roared to strength, brandishing another supposed prophecy. A burning field of flowers, petals hot in the air like ash. He frowned, eyes sliding over to Gaea. It would seem she hadn’t told him everything, nor had her sister when she offered him this job. If there was a larger threat at hand, he needed to know.

At her request, he picked up Gaea again, carrying her to the indicated hut to work. Ojuk had gone with Gemma to restock their supplies, leaving Olvar with the older twin. He let her grumble and work for a few minutes before finally speaking up. “Is there another threat I should be worried about?” he questioned, eyeing her with a frown. He knew something was going on that she had chosen not to mention. “And how often is she right? About what appears in the fire?” His thoughts were still catching on the howling wolf.

Gaea nudged him just a bit when he spoke with Corydalis. “Don’t worry Older Sister. A wolfman is a wolfman. I see pride in him.” Corydalis had a smile on her face and that’s all Gaea was willing to listen to before she asked Olvar to pick her up.

As she worked she slammed the mortar down again and looked up at Olvar. “It’s one in the same.” She started to work again. “The slavers that my sister told you about are the same thing that Corydalis is talking about.” Her voice was quiet but her anger was slipping away. “It wasn’t fifty years ago… It was a tad longer but we tend to speak in decades once you are our age.”

The blonde haired woman measured plants out and continued her work. “I was in the marketplace selling some flowers that we had gathered. I rather go alone without Gemma but it was one of those days. She had seen a cat in a tree and wanted to get it down.” There was a smile on her face. “And that’s when he bumped into me. This tall muscular man who when he looked at me saw me like a sunset.”

She took a deep breath in as she bit at her lip. “He… was charismatic and noble. Held the door for me. Gods everything dumb about love at first sight.” She stopped to look up at Olvar. “We were happy for a time him and I. But this story obviously doesn’t have a happy ending. He didn’t die he is very much alive.” She went back to work as she focused on the end of story. “We rarely take lovers Gemma and I… If we do they are one time things and we move on. It wasn’t like that with him… I went out of my way to find him one day and…” She stopped again for a moment as she got her thoughts together. “Found out he was the leader of the main slave trade that causes so many problems for my people.”

Gaea appeared very sad. “So I struck him and ended it. He filleted me down the side with an anger I’ve never known from him. I managed to get out because Gemma felt something was off. He’s been after me so he could own me ever since. I am his prize that got away. It’s also why I haven’t taken a lover in so long I suppose.” Which made her movements with Olvar more curious as she went back to work.

Once the concoction was done she poured it on her leg and steam started to come up. She winced a bit but took a sigh of relief as she stood up with Olvar’s help. After a few moments the skin sealed up and she looked pleased. “Now that is actual medicine. I’ll make some more for the trip just in case… but,” she looked up at Olvar and had a quiet voice once more, “that’s what happened. He’s probably either going to kill me or make me wish I was dead. It’s probably the second choice. Corydalis’s visions come true one way or another. Her visions are more like strings there are multiple ways it can happen but the end of them isn't always the end. It doesn't have to be bad what she shows you. It seems scary but at the end of your vision, your wolf was peaceful in a way. All I saw was burning for myself."

He didn’t flinch as the mortar and pestle were slammed back to the tabletop. She was angry. He expected anger. Quietly, he listened to her tale, feeling a small stir of jealousy in his gut, though it had no right to be there. He had no claim to Gaea, and hadn’t even been alive in the time when her story began. The lycan’s gaze was steady and measured as she met it. As she continued her work and her recollection, his twinge of envy tilted toward a protective anger. Whether from his role as escort or the ill-advised personal feelings he seemed to be developing, he felt an immediate need to deal with this stranger.

As her tale concluded, several questions fluttered through Olvar’s mind, but now didn’t seem the proper time for them. If anything, his mentor had managed to hone his ability to read people, and this was a painful memory for Gaea. Best not to make her dwell on it. He now knew the threat, and the persistence with which they were being hunted. The thought would certainly weigh on his mind.

His attention was stolen by the steam that curled up from her wound upon contact with the medicine, twisting through the air like a tendril of loose rope before dissipating. The wound stitched itself back together before his very eyes, and Gaea no longer needed his assistance to stand. “Damn…” He’d never had much use for medicines himself, what with his unusually fast rate of healing, but it couldn’t be denied that the half-nymph’s abilities were impressive. “Is that magic, or just the plants you used?”

“He’ll do neither,” Olvar assured her. “That’s what I’m here to prevent, and I fully intend to do so.” With Gaea steady once more, he allowed himself a moment to relax, leaning lightly against the table with arms crossed over his chest. “She never said that was my wolf in the fire. It could be anyone. I meet other werewolves all the time,” he lied easily. He avoided other werewolves all the time, but that did mean they were there to be avoided. “Besides, nothing is set in stone. I don’t trust magic for exactly that reason.”

The rest of the hour was spent gathering supplies and organizing them in such a way that Ojuk would not be stuck carrying them all. The weigh was divided evenly between he and his alpha. Luckily, most of what they took was only herbs and medicines, so the addition was barely noticeable. With Ojuk’s load secured and Olvar’s backpack full, the party of four bedded down in the village, ready to leave come dawn.

As soon as they left the village boundary, Olvar was on high alert. Corydalis had warned them of danger the instant they left on their journey, but he knew not where it waited. During their travels he would simply have to remain vigilant. For the girls’ sakes.