Hungry Heart - Book #4 - Ch. 2

Chapter One 

Chapter Two – Secret Path

“Autumn is here,” Duril said as he opened his palm and a pallid leaf landed gently on it.

Varg patted his shoulder. “Indeed. The nights are getting chillier with each passing day. If you’re cold, you’re always welcome to sleep in my fur.”

“Only on the nights Toru is hunting,” Duril replied with a smile.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Varg assured him and smiled, as well. “He’d be ready to ruffle my coat if I dared to monopolize you, even if only for a moment. You are truly his favorite.”

Duril blushed, making Varg’s smile widen. Things were always like that with the healer. As many proofs of Toru’s affection as he received, he could still get flustered, and it was part of what made him who he was. Varg was grateful for each and every one of his companions, and they were all special to him in their own way.

“Here he comes. I’ll leave the two of you alone while I catch up with Claw and see how long it will be until we get to The Quiet Woods.”

He knew the road, as they were just traveling back the same way they had walked to arrive at Scercendusa, but he needed a small pretend reason to spend more time with the bearshifter. As much as Claw had told them that he intended to continue his road with them, Varg needed to make sure that there wouldn’t be too many regrets once they were on the road again, and leaving the bear’s place of birth behind.

So, he shifted into his wolf and sniffed the air. He could tell where Claw was even if he was blindfolded and thrown into a hole in the ground, and he suspected that it had a lot to do with what he felt toward the seasoned bear, and less with his keen nose that could catch so many things, telling the weather and finding prey as the need arose.

He veered from the main path and sank into the thick woods. With a little luck, he’d catch Claw with his muzzle full of honey or some forest fruits still hanging from the branches of their bushes.

Therefore, he was quite surprised to find Claw sitting by the side of a small rivulet, watching the water move gently by, lost in thought. “Claw,” he called to him before getting any closer so he didn’t startle him.

“Don’t worry, puppy,” Claw said in the same sonorous voice that made it easy to pick out from a thousand others. “I smelled you since you left the main road, all bent on coming for me.”

“I wasn’t coming for you. I was just walking around,” Varg protested, wanting to tease the bearshifter back just a little.

Claw laughed. “Come by my side. Let me pet your heavy coat a little.”

Varg didn’t protest at that and lay on his belly, stretching out his front paws and yawning as he took a place by Claw’s right. The bear’s heavy hand began stroking him between the ears. If he were Toru, he would purr in pleasure by now. As things were, he just lay his muzzle on his outstretched paws and closed his eyes.

“Seasons change,” Claw started talking. “I don’t know what it is about fall and falling leaves, but they make me remember so many things. When I wake up to the smell of rain, and there’s so much quiet, my mind mellows, but my thoughts are clear.”

“I didn’t peg you for someone who would let his soul fall prey to the attack of poetry,” Varg said and laughed softly.

“It happens very rarely, so I’d tell you to enjoy it while you can,” Claw replied in kind. “It’s not for the sake of poetry that I’m saying these things, puppy. No, my mind unravels and I discover things that I thought lost or hidden.”

“That is interesting,” Varg agreed and lifted his nose, sniffing the air. He could tell many things from it, but secret thoughts, as Claw had just said, weren’t revealed to him in any manner.

“It is something only shifters who have lived for hundreds of years can do,” Claw replied to his unspoken question.

“Ah, so this is the moment when you tell me that you’re so, so old,” Varg teased his friend. “I won’t be carrying you on my back, if that was a hint about how things would be between us from here on out.”

“Banish the thought,” Claw said with a laugh. He continued to scratch Varg between the ears. “You see, my friend, I am the kind that would rather die on his feet than be indebted to someone.”

“The solitary life of a bear? Is this what you’re trying to tell me about?” Varg asked. “But your lot at The Quiet Woods seems to be not solitary at all.” Since that was the topic he intended to talk about, it seemed like a good idea to bring it up before they reached Claw’s old tribe.

“Indeed. The bears there like companionship, and I do, too. Only, maybe, not as much as they do. During this time, I feel a deep desire to walk the woods alone.”

Varg’s heart faltered for a moment. Was this a way for Claw to tell him that they would have to part ways for a while.

Claw continued while his hand never tired, busy caressing Varg’s back now. “It was for that reason that I also sought the path of adventure, away from my kin. They didn’t understand why I did that. I can’t say that I am able to explain it too well myself. It is in autumn that this feeling inside my heart grows stronger, so strong that it won’t let me be.”

“Do you want to be alone for a time?” Varg asked directly. If that was something the solitary bear inside Claw needed to do, he had no other choice than to listen to it.

“It is quite a strange thing. I am seeking my solitude and peace of mind so that I can reach those deep, secret places my mind keeps to itself most of the time. But, with you here, nothing changes. I am not disturbed.”

“Ah, you must care about me,” Varg joked.

“I do,” Claw admitted. “And you’re closer to me than anyone has ever been in my entire life. Isn’t it a wonderful thing?”

“I agree. But what about those secret places your mind wants to take you? Do you only imagine them? Is there a way for you to touch them in the world that surrounds us?”

“Yes. And this time around, puppy, I won’t be alone. I’m taking you with me.”

“Right now? Shouldn’t we let Duril and Toru know first?”

“I already spoke to Duril. I told him that I would need to have you with me to search for a secret path. So he knows, and he will tell Toru. They will continue on the main road to The Quiet Woods. Once we finish our quest, we will go back to them. You know my nose. I will be able to pick them up from anywhere in the entire world.”

“I wasn’t worried.” Varg was impressed. He hadn’t realized that he would become a part of Claw’s life in ways no one before had been. “And don’t forget about my nose, either.”

“Ha! Like it could match mine.”

Ah, so Claw didn’t mind playing a little. Varg put his nose up and said, “I smell wet leaves, and bees returning with the last bits of pollen on their feet, and quite far from here, there’s a rabbit hole. The mom is out hunting, and the little ones are hungry.”

Claw bit one of his ears playfully. “Those are all part of the world surrounding us, which we can touch, and taste, and smell. But what about the world beyond this one? Can you tell me anything about it?”

Varg remained silent. “I’m not a mystical creature, the way you are, it seems.”

“Take heart.” Claw hugged him briefly. “Not many are, and sometimes I don’t know if it isn’t a curse rather than a blessing to have it. Here you have it, puppy. Maybe I want you to walk the secret path with me because I’m afraid of what I might discover at its end.”

“The mighty Claw, afraid?” Varg laughed and shifted into his human. He straddled Claw’s lap and stared him in the eyes. “I’m coming with you. And you should know that I feel honored. Whatever might wait for us at the end of this secret path you’re talking about, we will take it head on. No matter how afraid you are.”

Claw laughed. “I’m glad that you are prepared, then.” He slapped Varg’s thighs playfully. “Let’s walk down that path, then.”

“Where is it?” Varg asked.

Claw put his head close to his and pointed by stretching his arm. “Do you see that glimmer? Out there?”

Varg squinted and stared as hard as he could, but the shadows of the forest all seemed to blend together instead of offering him a clearer image of his surroundings. His eyes weren’t as good as they had been during his younger years. That didn’t mean that he would stop trying, though.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t see it. I’ll guide you. Now, up on our feet and let us explore this new mystery unfolding in front of us.”

Varg was about to get up when a small glint caught his eyes. “I saw something!” he exclaimed.

“Then you’re a lot more astute than I was when it first happened to me,” Claw concluded.

There was indeed, a path. Varg followed Claw as they walked toward the glimmering pathway opening through the forest for no others but them.

***

Toru jumped on Duril’s back, taking him by surprise. The healer pretended to buckle under his weight and complained, which made Toru snicker and only wrap himself tighter around his lover’s body.

“Are you going to make me walk like this?” Duril asked plaintively.

“I wouldn’t mind. Then I’d be as close to you as I like.”

“All right. Well, that means that I should get used to it.” Duril took a step, wobbled, and then another.

Toru drew a long tongue over Duril’s cheek until he made him giggle, and then turned back to his human form and started walking by the healer’s side. “Where are the others? Aren’t they coming to dinner?”

“Dinner is still a few good hours away,” Duril said.

“I thought of making a fresh start,” Toru replied and laughed. “Claw and Varg are such big eaters. They always make me scared that I might not get enough meat for myself.”

Duril flicked a playful finger over Toru’s ear. “That has never happened, has it? But for tonight, and for a few more days, you don’t have to worry about any competition of that kind on their part. Claw told me that he needs Varg for a small quest of his own. They won’t be with us for a while.”

Toru felt deflated because he hadn’t been told anything. “And why didn’t Claw say anything yesterday?”

“Because he didn’t know it himself yesterday.”

Toru couldn’t help his curiosity. “What is this quest about?”

“Claw wouldn’t tell me too clearly. From time to time, without prior notice, he gains the gift of insight. When it happens, he needs to walk deep into the forest and find the answers to the questions appearing in his mind.”

“Is Claw magical?” Toru asked.

“Mystical might be the right word, although I’m not very much aware of such things myself. He must have been touched by something beyond our immediate comprehension when he was young. Or maybe he was born this way,” Duril explained. “Whatever it is, he says that he cannot ignore this calling when it happens. Usually, he goes alone, but this time, he said that he would like to have Varg with him if we could spare him.”

“We can,” Toru said with importance. “Varg is his best friend now, isn’t he? And his favorite lover.”

“That is true,” Duril agreed. “I believe that is also the reason why Claw wanted him to come along. I believe that they will come back with many important things to tell us, once their quest is over.”

“I’m curious about it,” Toru admitted. “So many things have happened, and I saw worlds that are beyond this one. And I want to talk to Claw more about The Scarlet Peaks. He knows so much, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s quite a wise bear.”

“Will I ever be a wise tiger?” Toru questioned.

“Once you’re older,” Duril suggested. “I don’t believe that young people can become wise overnight. It’s not some shortage of skill or a flaw you possess, Toru. And not even Varg, who’s older than both of us, can say he matches Claw as far as wisdom is concerned.”

Toru decided that he was satisfied with that explanation. “When will they come back? Do we need to camp? Or should we continue our journey toward The Quiet Woods?”

“No, we don’t have to camp. Claw told me that he would be able to sniff us out from the other side of the world, so we can just keep walking. Unless you want to rest some more.”

“Not at all,” Toru assured him. “We should be on our way and rest only when needed.”

“I agree. This leg of our journey is the most familiar. We might expect more challenges to befall us later. Climbing a mountain is no easy feat.”

“I know. I walked through the mountains sometimes before coming to Whitekeep,” Toru said, “but it was never anything as high up as these peaks are. They are the highest in Eawirith, Claw told me.”

“And it will be something for us to conquer and explore them. Do you think the same?”

Toru could barely keep in his enthusiasm. He was all for a new challenge. “I cannot wait to get there. I’m very curious to see if it’s hotter at the top than in summer, or the coldest we’ve ever seen.”

“Why would it be hot?” Duril asked. “The higher you go, the colder it gets. That is what I know.”

Toru nodded thoughtfully. “Varg thinks the same. But we have already witnessed many things that weren’t how they were supposed to be, haven’t we?”

“I can only say that you are right. Then, that might be a reason for us to climb the mountains with renewed strength whenever we feel that the cold is getting to us. If there’s nice warm weather waiting for us at the top, we can only be more motivated to arrive there.”

“You are not making fun of me right now, are you?” Toru asked, wrinkling his nose.

Duril chuckled. “Maybe a little. But, in all honesty, Toru, I do believe that anything is possible. There are still so many things in this world that we don’t know and we have yet to learn. You may be completely right about what you believe possible in regard to The Scarlet Peaks. And then, the joke would be on us, those who didn’t believe you when you asked us about the place being as hot as in summer. Therefore, I admit that the possibility exists.”

Toru was satisfied. Duril didn’t think he was silly to believe such things possible. “How long until dinner?”

“A few hours. Are you hungry?”

Toru patted his belly. “Maybe a little.”

Duril smiled and searched his bag. He offered Toru a small piece of steak rolled in a leaf. He held it and when Toru reached for it, he warned, “Promise me you’ll eat the green part, as well.”

Toru nodded enthusiastically and stretched his hand out, palm wide open. “Promise.”

***

Varg looked down, at how the ground changed. On one side it was dark and earthy, covered here and there by dying plants, while on the other, it glittered like gold. “Can anyone else see this?” he asked Claw.

“Not that I know of,” the bearshifter replied. “And there is no one else around but us.”

Varg pondered and waited at the border between the two worlds. The feeling from before, when he had rushed into the water to bring Toru to the surface, of something ominous watching from afar, came in full force. “Claw,” he asked, “do you feel that there’s something amiss?”

“We’re about to set foot on a secret path that we have no idea where it leads. What do you think?” Claw joked.

“Maybe you’re right,” Varg replied after a short moment of hesitation. Indeed, that had to be it. After throwing another look around, for signs of anything that might confirm his heightened state of suspicion and deciding that there was nothing there, he walked to Claw’s side. The bearshifter was waiting for him to join him. “Let us see where the path takes us,” he said with confidence.

Behind them, the forest stirred, but Varg was already on the other side, and that soft, quiet sound rising behind them must have been nothing but his imagination.

***

For a while, they walked through a forest not much different from the one they had just left behind them. The path under their feet continued to glitter gold and, here and there, butterflies dashed through the air, their wings dipped in honey. Varg observed everything around them with keen eyes. The Quiet Woods were magical in their own way, but this one was different. The place of Claw’s birth still existed in the same world as the other places and things they knew, but this one, according to his companion, was not like that.

He didn’t ask whether they had a long way ahead of them, as it was likely that Claw didn’t know that, either. Therefore, he saved his breath.

At one point, all of a sudden, Claw stopped abruptly, making him crash against him, since his eyes had been draw sideways to another coven of butterflies playing in the air.

“What? What is it?” he whispered. He didn’t know if the nature of the situation required him to be as quiet as a mouse or not, but Claw’s tense shoulders told him that wariness was highly recommended.

“I don’t know. But listen.”

Varg obeyed. There was not a single sound, not even something as soft as the fluttering of butterfly wings. “Quiet,” he agreed. “Too much quiet.”

A shriek cut through the air and they both crouched at the same time, covering their heads. Something fell in dozens of pieces, covering the ground. Varg looked around, and those things, pieces, whatever they were, trembled and rose on tiny feet. He growled and the creatures spread out, making an empty circle around them.

“What are these things?” he asked out loud.

“We are your guide,” a tiny voice came from one of the balls of darkness on the ground.

Varg relaxed his fighting stance but only a very little. Claw was the one to speak next. “Our guide to where? And why did you rain upon our heads in this horrifying manner?”

“We needed you to drop all pretense and show us who you are,” the same tiny voice replied.

Varg wanted to catch Claw’s arm as the bearshifter stretched out his hand and something like a ball of clay climbed on it. The bearshifter, however, seemed to know what he was doing. He brought his hand close to his eyes, and Varg peeked at the thing over his friend’s shoulder. He pulled back for a moment, as the ball of clay opened a pair of big eyes, located right in its middle. It was a bit silly to be scared by a thing like that, and he scolded himself over it if only briefly.

“What do you see?” Claw asked. “Now that you can get a good look at us.”

The big eyes of the clay ball blinked. They were very similar to a dog’s eyes, and the resemblance made Varg wonder.

“I can see that you have come in good faith.”

“We could have told you that without raining your little turds on us,” Varg commented.

“I beg your pardon?” the tiny creature sounded outraged, but its small voice made it difficult to take seriously.

“I apologize,” he said swiftly.

“What are you looking for?” the creature asked, ignoring Varg’s apology.

“We are looking for what lays at the end of this secret path,” Claw explained. “We were called here.”

“Very well. Then you must be here to see the oracle,” the creature concluded with importance. “We will lead you to her.”

Varg shrugged when Claw looked at him. “We must be here exactly for that,” he admitted. Since Claw didn’t know what to expect, either, it was safe to assume that they needed to play along with whatever the strange inhabitants of this world had to tell them.

“Take us there,” Claw demanded. “If it isn’t too much to ask,” he added courteously, most probably to repair some of the damage delivered to the fragile ego of their tiny guide.

The clay ball rolled to the ground and began moving fast in front of them, while the rest of the creatures followed. “Come, then. She must be waiting for you.”

***

“Do you think Claw and Varg are having fun on their quest?”

Duril caressed Toru’s head gently. “That is not something I can tell,” he admitted.

“I think it’s always fun to face a new challenge,” Toru explained. “When we’re just walking and walking, it becomes quite boring, doesn’t it?”

“That is what it takes to get to where adventures happen,” Duril pointed out.

“I suppose so. Still, I think they are having fun.”

“And we aren’t?” Duril teased his playful lover and dropped his hand to sneak it lower on the tiger’s belly.

Toru took the cue right away. He straightened up and hugged Duril tightly. “Do you know how happy I am that you are here?”

“It doesn’t hurt if you want to tell me.”

Toru let his tongue do the talking instead of his mouth as he kissed Duril gently. It was so easy to succumb to that embrace, whenever it happened. Duril felt as if he was melting as Toru pressed him onto his back, removing his clothes slowly.

At times, when he had been young and believed that no one would ever love an ugly half-human like him, he had allowed himself to dream of being held like this. He had been so acutely and painfully aware that it would never happen. And yet, there he was, naked under a handsome young man, a hero, a playful brawler, and he was being loved in a manner that was much wilder than all his fantasies.

Toru wasted little time and rained kisses on his face as he moved inside Duril, giving him the full length of his member. It felt unbearable at first, not because of any pain, but because it was such a sudden pleasure, all the time. It took his body some moments to adjust and become familiar with it once more.

For as large and strong as he was, Toru surely knew how to be gentle as he handled their lovemaking. Duril opened his legs wider to help him, and Toru raised them up and kissed one knee and then the other. It was also such a beautiful sight to stare into those golden eyes, lit up with fire, and enjoy their warmth.

“I love you so much, Duril,” Toru said with that mix of wonder and excitement he always used when saying those words.

“I love you, too,” Duril replied and caressed Toru’s lips.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Such simple words. And Toru didn’t say things like Duril was beautiful only to him. No, he was sure that the entire world should see Duril the same as he did. He was ready to fight anyone about it, and that assurance, that declaration of feelings made Duril turn into nothing but a puddle of pleasure for Toru to use as he saw fit.

The young tiger was also very vigorous. He made both their bodies shake as he pushed himself into Duril’s body again and again, making each move count. They were as good as one person, even better, moving to the same rhythm and enjoying the same love they shared.

Above them, the stars flickered. What a wonderful time to be alive and be loved and be made love to like he was now. Duril closed his eyes and pulled Toru close, holding on to him until he sensed that he couldn’t get any higher and his body released itself. Toru moved for a bit longer, kissing his ear and whispering words of love, but then, he couldn’t keep it in any more, either.

Duril lay on his back, with Toru by his side, as they looked at the stars. “Histories of old,” he started, “say that the way the sky is arranged, with all these stars, has something to do with what happens down here, on Eawirith.”

“You know so many things,” Toru said with admiration. “Since Claw and Varg aren’t here to make fun of me, can you teach me the letters some more?”

“They don’t make fun of you. They won’t. I mean, if I give them my famous deadly glare--”

Toru guffawed. “What glare? A fly wouldn’t be impressed by that, Duril.”

“Ah, you didn’t just say that,” Duril said with an outraged gasp. “I’m sure I can at least impress a fly.”

Toru laughed some more, like the little scoundrel he was. “You’re just too kind and gentle. That’s your only fault.”

“I only have one hand, but I can tickle you,” Duril warned.

“I can live with that. I love everything you want to do to me, even if it’s tickling.”

Duril was much in the mood to test that and curled his fingers into a hook and quickly sank them into Toru’s flank, taking him by surprise.

“Ouch! That isn’t tickling!” Toru protested.

“You said that you love everything I want to do to you,” Duril said innocently.

“All right. Then, I should just endure it.”

Toru put on a stoic face and pursed his lips. Duril laughed and nudged him playfully. “Now, tell me, after what we have just done, do you still believe that Claw and Varg are having more fun than we are?”

“No. But they might be having a different kind of fun.”

“That’s true.”

Duril lay on his back again and returned his eyes to the stars. Toru rolled on one side and snuggled close.

***

“Do you know what else I find rather peculiar?” Varg whispered to Claw. “By how much time has passed, it should be night by now.”

“You can whisper all you want, master wolf,” the tiny creature said, raising its voice, “but we can hear not only what you say, but also your thoughts.”

“That is frightening,” Varg said.

“I know you don’t mean that,” the creature pointed out. “Just because we’re so small, you think that we cannot hurt you.”

“That’s not entirely true. I’ve seen enough in my life to know that you can be vicious and evil. Are you?”

The direct question seemed to give the creature a bit of a reason to ponder over its answer. “No, we’re not,” it said primly.

“Then my mind is at ease. Forgive me for teasing you. You just gave me a bit of a fright.”

“We see. You have no reason to be frightened. The oracle might tell you things that you won’t find that pleasant, however.”

“What kind of things does the oracle tell?” Varg asked.

“Only the truth,” the creature assured him.

That was a good thing to know. He traded a glance with Claw. The bearshifter seemed to be in agreement with him.

“We’re here,” the creature announced.

Varg and Claw stopped. At first, it seemed like nothing new was there, but all it took was for them to blink once and the moment they opened their eyes, right in front of them, as if summoned by magic, stood a tall chair and, in it, a very old woman with a large hump on her back sat perched like an owl.

Her garments were black, and pointy shoes peeked from underneath her skirts, and a large cap hid most of her white hair. Still, tufts of it escaped here and there, lending her wrinkled face a most probably unintended amusing aspect. She clucked her tongue, and it was easy to see that there were no teeth left inside her mouth and that things must have been like that for a long time.

“Well?” she asked in a hoarse voice. “You’re visitors. Why did you come here?”

“To search for answers,” Claw offered right away.

“What are the questions?” the oracle asked patiently. Her eyes were like quicksilver, dashing to and fro as if she wanted to see everyone and everything at the same time.

“We don’t know,” Claw said simply.

“Bah! Are you here to waste my time? I’m a powerful oracle.” She raised one spindly arm into the air. The garments didn’t conceal anything, and Varg had to declare himself impressed by the oracle’s ability to exist with almost no meat on her bones to speak of.

“Since you are so powerful,” Varg began in his most tactful manner, “then you must know for sure why we are here, and even better than anything we could tell you. All we know is that we sensed a calling to this place.”

That appeared to appease the oracle, at least for the moment. She mumbled something under her breath, and Varg caught only a few words, such as impious, heathens, and the like. Whether those were some of the things she believed about them or not, he couldn’t tell.

“Well,” she eventually said. “Your lot is bent on traveling to The Scarlet Peaks. Don’t go there.”

The categorical manner of her speech gave Varg pause. He, again, exchanged a look with Claw.

“Why shouldn’t we go there?” Claw asked. “We must find the hermit.”

“Are you deaf, heathen?” The oracle caught one of the little creatures that had accompanied them there, squished it in her bony hand and then threw it on the ground. To Varg’s relief, the creature returned to its ball-like shape and rolled away. “You are not to go there.”

TBC

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