Chapter 102
I found the thing that was holding him in place and took out my knife. I went to work, trying to remove the thick piece of material that was wrapped around his leg, but the harder I tried to remove the object, the tighter it seemed to wrap around his leg.
The Shifter kicked out violently toward me, and the water around me shook with his roar of pain.
I was able to dodge at the last second before he was able to hit me, but I had run out of air and went back to the surface to get a breath of fresh air before I tried to do something else to get him freed.
"I thought you were supposed to be helping me and not hurting me," the Shifter all but growled out when I went up for air. "What was that about?"
"I am trying to help you, but I do not know what is holding you nor how to set you free just yet. Cutting the thing did not work because it started to grow tighter around your leg. That doesn't mean you can kick me."
The Shifter growled and rolled his eyes. "Find something else to help set my foot free," he said, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl, pressing my lips into a thin line.
"Gee, why didn't I think of that?" I asked sarcastically, earning another growl from the male shifter. "I am going to try something else, but I need you to close your eyes. I don't need you watching me do this."
Rowa seemed to know what it was that I wanted to do and whined. She laid her ears against the back of her head, and a look of doubt flashed through her eyes, which I ignored.
"And what is it that you want to do to me?" the shifter asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Nothing for you to know about," I said and shrugged. "Now, close your eyes."
"And why should I?" the shifter asked.
"Do you want to stay caught?"
The Shifter grumbled something under his breath that I didn't hear but did what I told him to do and closed his eyes.
Please, let this work, I silently prayed while I took a deep breath and released it with a soft whoosh. "Cover for me, Ro," I said to my wolf before I took another deep breath and swam to the left leg that was caught.
I silently prayed that no one would catch me using magic, but I had no other choice because I had no idea how to get him free if using a dagger only made the thing go tighter around his leg.
I stuffed the dagger back into its sheath before I grabbed the thing, grateful that it didn't start to wrap around me like a part of me thought it would.
I closed my eyes and focused on my powers, sending a prayer to the Great that I would be able to do this and won't get in trouble for doing it because I had no idea what else I could try to free him.
My hands started to glow gold, and the thing that was wrapped around the Shifter's leg instantly let go and disappeared into the ground without much of a fight.
Oh, thank the Great.
The Shifter started to swim back to shore once his leg was free, and I followed suit without much of a problem.
He was on his back when I made it to the land, and his eyes were closed. He didn't look to be breathing that well, but that might be because he was exhausted.
I walked over to where I had put my boots and socks and pulled them on before I grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows.
The Shifter finally stirred and groaned out his frustration before he opened his eyes and looked around, stopping when he looked at me. "So are you going to hunt me now?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line. "I don't eat the flesh of a Shifter," I said coldly. "You are safe for now."
He grunted and closed his eyes again, looking away from me. "Now, how are you able to understand me?" he asked. "You said it is because of your tribe. What tribe are you talking about?"
"The Hargen Tribe," I replied and shrugged.
The shifter stilled and looked at me again. "Prove it," he said, and I raised an eyebrow in question because I had no idea how he wanted me to prove it. "Or are you just saying that because you don't want to give me the real reason why you understand me?"
"How do you want me to prove it to you?" I asked and cocked my head to the side while I studied him. "I am a part of the Hargen Tribe."
"What is your name?"
"Marini," I replied. "Marini Oswald."
The Shifter raised an eyebrow in question, and recognition flashed through his eyes. "Oswald?" he asked. "Did you say Oswald?"
I nodded in confirmation. "I did," I replied.
"Are you related to Merist Oswald?" he asked.
I grabbed my bow tighter in my hand while my heart ached and became filled with pain and sadness at the mention of my father. "I am," I confirmed. "No, I do not have any proof that I am his daughter except for my word."
"Hmph." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me while he looked me up and down before he looked me in the eyes. "I am called Argorn," he said.
"It's nice to meet you, Argorn," I said and curtsied. "I wish we were able to meet in different circumstances."
Argorn grunted and shrugged. "Do you have proof that you are a part of the Hargen Tribe?" he asked again.
"I have the stone," I said and shrugged, biting back a small grimace. "I do not know if that will be proof enough to you, but I am telling the truth. I am the third oldest child from Merist Oswald with the other two dying before they reached adulthood."
"Show me the stone."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line but did what I was told to do and showed the stone that marked me as part of the Hargen Tribe and was my protection.
Argorn bowed his head and cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Daughter of the Hargen Tribe," he said. "I had no idea that you were actually a part of that tribe."
"That's fine," I said and shrugged, biting back a small grimace. "Now, how were you caught in the middle of the lake? What happened that you couldn't have escaped on your own?"
"It was a spell that had something come from the ground and wrap around my leg," Argorn replied. "I had pissed someone off, and that was the punishment that they had given me."
"What did you piss off?" I asked and grabbed my bow tighter in my hand. "And are they still here?"
"He pissed off me, and yes, I am still here, and I do not like it when my prey gets loose from their punishment, and his punishment was death."