Amory’s Rashness

Amory dressed in his less flashy clothes and in a tamer brown pants, woollen sweater and fur cloak. He called Tobias and told him that he would be out for a while. His person gave him a disbelieving look, "Your majesty, wh-where are you going? If I may ask?"

"You may not. Just tell anyone who asks for me that I am busy and do not wish to be disturbed." He answered and stepped out the door without waiting for any more of Tobias' questions.

Vanishing, he appeared in a moving carriage. "Holy hell! Amory!" He clasped his hand over Clark's mouth and disappeared out of the vehicle and into the woods they were passing. He dropped him into the snow and turned, preparing to appear back on the carriage. "Amory, what the hell are you thinking? You can't just—"

"Don't follow me." He said and then vanished and left his brother in the snow. This time he reappeared beside the driver and before the man could recognize him he kicked him off and grabbed the reins. He laughed at the exhilarating rush he felt. He had hardly ever acted so crazily before. He usually acted impulsively, but never so rashly.

He led the horses to the border of the wolf's den and leapt from it and hid in the shadows. The lone passenger soon exited from the carriage. Her heart beat so loudly he could hear her from his hiding place. His eyes followed her as she crept through the crunching snow. He followed her with his feet silently and his head snapped to the right when he heard a growl.

Their sentry detail was better than he had thought, he realized and frowned when he saw her stagger backwards and hit her head on a tree trunk. With thinned lips he waited for the sentry to return and when he did, Rune was with him.

It took everything in him to keep his dangerously thin control in check. They hauled Yavanna up and began leading her away. He calmed his breathing and trailed after them with silent steps. Within a few minutes they arrived at a few of the cabins that dwelt in the Outborn Pack.

He watched from behind the tree line as they walked through the buildings and to the one that was undoubtedly Rune's. He narrowed his eyes when he thought that that was most likely where Mirella was. His heart betrayed him and flipped in his chest.

Rune left Yavanna and the sentry outside and he waltzed indoors. He could see that the witch was shivering, her pale fingers clutching at her elbows to keep warm. With levelled breathing he crouched and waited for Rune to reveal himself again. He just needed to see if Mirella was truly there. He just… he needed to see it with his own eyes.

Then he would end his curse, along with his brothers' curse.

And when he did see it, his breath was knocked from his lungs. There she stood… her unrestrained brown locks flowing behind her as she yelled at the leader of the pack, her hand gesticulating furiously. Finally, they all went inside, save the sentry who trudged back to his duty.

Amory vanished and appeared on the front steps of Rune's cabin, his superior hearing picking up on their words before he could help it.

"Yavanna? It's alright, Rune won't hurt you. He's harmless really." He shook his head at Mirella's familiar, careless tone. A growl resounded at her last statement and he heard Yavanna's heart rate pick up. They were scaring her. "Oh, please, Rune. Hush. You're scaring my sister."

He listened as footsteps padded against the wooden floor and Mirella spoke again, "You haven't said a word. Are you feeling alright?" He could imagine the concern pinching her delicate features, "You…want to write? Why?"

He heard her gasp and could guess that she'd seen the wounds marring his wife's neck. After a palpable amount of time had passed, he heard Mirella whisper, her voice tinged with anger, "Who did this to you?" He heard nothing but silence. "Was it Amory? Don't tell me it was Amory. If it was Amory—"

"Mirella." Rune broke in.

"What? Do you see these, Rune? My sister can't talk—she's been strangled."

'Twice.' Amory thought with a grimace.

"I can see that. We have healers, we can help her—"

"She was crowned Queen, Rune. This is unacceptable." Her voice was frantic as she spoke and he soon heard heavy footsteps walking across the floor.

He could only imagine that Rune was embracing Mirella in some way, "It is unacceptable. But first let's get your sister comfortable, then we can discuss this." Rune began walking to the door and Amory vanished into the trees by the house. The dog walked a few steps before he stopped a few feet from his house. Amory watched curiously as his shoulders rose and fell with a sigh, "I know you're there, your majesty."

Amory narrowed his eyes at his mocking tone but obliged the animal and appeared before him. Before he could duck out of the way a punch was thrown to his face. But he was much faster than Rune, he always had been. And after stumbling for a second he moved behind Rune and locked his elbow around his neck, grasping his wrist to hold him in place.

Rune growled in his grasp but he had always been stronger than the animal and they both knew that Rune couldn't break the lock. However, Amory was caught off-guard by the alpha's words, "Is this…how you strangled…her?" He asked, his hand still pushing up on his arm, attempting to break his hold.

"As a matter of fact, it's not." Amory spat before he vanished and left the wolf wondering where he'd gone. He stared at the cabin from his perch and watched as Rune walked down the slope and to another cabin.

The wolf's words rooted in his chest and he couldn't shake the rattled feeling.