Some short stories - may sometimes contain strong language!

***

Adair, with messy, tousled hair, and all in all quite disheveled: "RICKYYY -- I swear I'll send her to hell! That's abduction! What the heck should I do with such a vixen? She's bitchy, she's bullheaded, and she's stubborn!! She's after me every time she sees me in--"

"Adair - stop it", Ricky growled. "Don't you ever dare to insult my little darling!"

"LITTLE Darling!?! She's a monster! I can't get my wings in the air without being afraid she will be after me! It's finally enough! Next time I'll pluck her like a chicken!!"

Adair was furious. He hated her - he just hated this female nightmare. Okay, Ricky loved her, and he would like to be Ricky's friend - but he surely wouldn't go along with her - no way!

"Adair, you should be a little bit patient to the girl! It will be over soon - it's mating season for her!" Ricky grinned.

O_O ... "Mating ... season? MATING??? I don't want to mate with her! How should this even work? She's much bigger than I am in my eagle shape! I don't want to be killed of love!" Angrily, Adair shook his head and plucked the feathers from his hair. Above them, a big black shadow was circling. Loud shrill screams cut the air.

"She's calling you - don't you wanna join her?!" Ricky was all smiles. "You're cruel, Adair. She's all alone here - she's the only one of her big species at this island. And you could be a little bit kind to her! Then ... maybe ... I would even think about you and Eliz-"

Adair's face froze. "You never ever - you'll never ever make me betraying Elizabeth - and certainly not with an eagle!!"

***

Epilogue:

Ricky tried to hold back his laughter ... "My baby has a mating season..." Ricky whisteled and the eagle landed on his shoulder. Ricky scratched her under her chin, and she melted into the touch. "My little baby is feeling uneasy? Oh my little darling, it's gonna be soon over. I'm gonna find ya baby a mate and you will be able to relieve and won't be alone anymore while daddy can't be around you!"

XD

(Epilogue from AvalonTheQuin, Ricky belongs to Avalon.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once upon a time, at the training ground of the academy:

[Adair] "Angus, trust me, it's really no good idea trying to teach me ..."

Angus waved his hand, nonchalantly. "Ah, pah! You're not the first one who thought he couldn't handle weapons and, however, so far I managed to teach it to everyone! Believe me, you will have it in no time!"

[Adair] "... I dare to doubt this ..."

Some time later:

[Angus] "... okay, so no sword and daggers. And bow and arrow - we already tried it last time; away with it! But, the axe is something entirely else - you'll see! And with an axe ya can't shoot yarself into the foot! Ya have to swing it like this, and then ya let it go, and - that's it! Totally easy! Now, stand here; there's the dummy; now show me what ya learned! - No, I'll stand here; I have to see your technique!"

Adair aimed, swung the axe, and hit. Success!!!

"AAAAAAAAAAIIIHHHHHHHH!!! What the damned hell --- I told ya to strike the DUMMY!!!!!!!"

***

A little bit later, at Amaranth's infirmary. The healer shook his head.

[Amaranth] "Okay, I understand you were training ... but how can you have a training accident at THIS part of your body?!?"

A short glance from one to the other was enough for the two men to agree with each other.

"Oh Amaranth, it can happen all the time", Angus assured him, hoping that he sounded as cool as he should. "At your arm, at your foot, at your head, at your back ... A ricochet!!"

"Right! Just a damn ricochet! All the time!", Adair agreed.

Doubtfully Amaranth looked at the two men and then at the axe. *How by the gods can an axe have a ricochet?* he thought. "Okay Angus, I closed the wound with magic. But anyways, you will have to take care the next days when you are sitting down."

***

Epilogue from Avalon:

"Ouch..ouch...ouch..." - That was all that Angus said while walking and sitting. That wound on his bum was a real pain in the ass ... what an irony XD*

Angus: "So when do you want to learn how to shoot with the use of guns? ^^"

Diego: *looked at Angus then at Adair* "Bro ... better don't ..."

Angus: "Oh, shut it! That was a ricochet!"

Diego: "But how can an axe have a ricochet?!"

Angus: *shrugged* "I don't know ..."

*

Angus and Diego belong to AvalonTheQuin ^^

Amaranth belongs to PinkRobin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was one of those evenings at which Adair couldn't even say why he felt uneasy. Nothing special happened; it had been a day like many others - no, even better; he didn't have any quarrel with Ricky today. And yet ...

When did it begin?

In the morning during his lessons and his magic exercise with Deracante, and at midday, when he withdraw to shift back for a few hours, everything had been okay. Then, at afternoon ... What did he do? Oh yes, he met Angus who wanted to go hunting with Diego. He saw Neol from afar going towards the woods where she, how he knew, liked to take a walk when all the people of the academy were too much for her. He met Eliz and Effne, and, while Effne kept cave so Ricky didn't notice, he got even a little kiss from his beloved Ana'is. ^^

Then he saw Ricky talking with Andres, noticed a gaze from Ricky, heard a single spoken word, which he now couldn't even remember of - and this was just the moment when he thought there would be something he should know of ... something important ... and the sudden feeling of guilt, connected with Ricky.

Every time when such moments came to him - now and then they came like ghosts of the past tracking him - the intense wish to get Ricky's friendship came along with them, and yet he was quite sure his wish couldn't be fulfilled. And at those moments it wasn't just his love to Elizabeth that roused this wish in him.

Adair sighed. He took the kettle with the hot water and brew his tea. Then he went back into the living-room, to his beloved armchair before the fireplace where he used to sleep as a kid after Morituri found him.

Morituri ... he was gone for a few days; so he couldn't ask him for an advise. And because it was already night and he didn't want to wake up Amaranth who had been woken up too often because of him, he was alone with his feelings. Strange feelings of guilt and sadness.

Adair quietly sat on the armchair, tucked up his legs like he used to do back then, and watched the unsteady flickering flames while slowly sipping his hot tea.

*

Angus, Diego, Elizabeth, Deracante, Morituri and Ricky belong to AvalonTheQuin

Amaranth and Effne belong to PinkRobin

Neol belongs to Forgotten

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that Adair and Ricky reconciled, they got used to make every evening, like Adair always did alone, a walk together around the academy to make sure that everything was safe. And now and then those walks got a little bit adventurous and also funny.

So this was one of those evenings, and this time Adair had shifted just for fun into a wolf. Every time he shifted into an animal he also got, up to a certain point, the abilities of this animal. And it always was interesting for him to snoop around and to smell the scent of whatever being had passed by or whatever happened there. It was, as it would be for every dog or wolf, like reading a newspaper.

Ricky watched him, shaking his head. "You're so weird, you know?! You really have a huge bee under your bonnet!"

The wolf 'barked' at him, and Ricky could have sworn that he was laughing. When Adair snatched at him, Ricky boisterously picked up the joke. They tussled and laughed until they gasped for air. 

"Okay, enough now", Ricky said, still gasping, "we have to go on. Don't forget, you wanted to train with me later. And, believe me, today I'll make it damned hard for you!"

They didn't get far when they saw a stranger, visibly drunken, and therefore foolish enough to make trouble. That small dagger of him didn't bother Ricky very much ... and, after all, he had a guardian. It's not that he needed one, but, well ...

The wolf stood before him, made its fur stand up and growled dangerously.

"Hey Adair", Ricky shouted, almost offended, "What do you mean I am? I'm not a f**king damsel in distress who has to be protected by her knight!"

The wolf looked around, made a "woof", withdrew, and lay down comfortably, with his forelegs crossed, as if he would enjoy to watch the sunset.

"Ey trouble-seeker", Ricky growled, "my doggy may not have bitten you, but I surely will if you don't bail!"

"You wanna thrubblesh? ... I'll machhe you thrubblesh ... and yuur doggie will be my nexsst coat - dammed mutt!" the guy babbled with an effort. Though, he repented it soon: Ricky made no bones about it. Shortly after the guy lay in the grass and counted the stars he saw thanks to Ricky's help. 

The wolf enjoyed the sight for a moment, then he stood up and strolled leisurely over to the knocked-out guy. Then, like it would be the most naturally thing of the world, he slowly lifted his hind leg, and ....

Ricky chuckled, then laughed, and finallyshook with laughter.

"I never saw somebody being p*ssed so literally!!!"

***

XD

Now, a little bit strong language ... but I just had to write it! I hope I don't have to delete it ... ;)

Ricky and the #TheNightWatchers Academy belong to AvalonTheQuin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Questions and answers

Angry and frustrated Adair looked at the chess-board. How? How did Morituri manage to win every time?! Adair was careful, he learned hard, and he knew he got better in the last weeks - and yet, he couldn't defeat his father in this game. He growled quietly.

Amusedly, Morituri looked at his son. "I highly doubt that the board will give you an answer when you talk to him, Adair ..." ^^

Adair cast a glance on his father. "I'll find out one day, you know - I'll find out ..." He took a deep breath, thought for a moment, then he reached out for a figure--

Before he could grab it, somebody knocked at the entrance door of the castle. Both of them looked up. "Thus late? Who might ..."

They heard Edvard opening the door. A moment later, the butler came into the livingroom. "Master Adair, it's Ricky for you ..."

"I'm coming."

When Adair and Morituri entered the hall, Ricky advanced to them. "Adair, you should come - there's somebody who wants to talk to you."

Adair's eyes went wide. "To me? Well, so let him come ..."

"Not here," Ricky replied, "- outside the gates. And, we shouldn't let them get in."

Adair looked at his father, astonished, then both of them followed Ricky.

At the place before the gate and also at the roofs of some buildings, guardians stood by. Angus, Diego, Andres and some others also joined with weapons drawn and looked at Adair.

"So what's this about? And who the heck wants to talk with me here?"

"Adair, there are some shapeshifters outside ... and it's one of them who wants to talk to you", Lady Mertillia told him.

Adair's eyes went wide. "Shape-- Me??"

Morituri looked at him. "Why do they know you?"

O_O - "I have no clue ..."

"Boy, be careful," Morituri asked him. "You shouldn't go out ... it could be a trap."

"I know, father. But this wouldn't be like them. Shapeshifters don't hunt this way. And when they would want to hunt me, why should they first talk to me?"

Adair went to the gate. "What do you want from me? And who are you?" he asked the person outside, distrustful.

"I need to speak to you", he heard a rough, deep voice. "And you will learn who I am when you come out."

"What's this fuzz?" Ricky said impatiently. "Let's make them down - right now!"

"Calm down", Adair said to him. Thewn he asked the shapeshifter: "What should make me interested in speaking with you??"

[???] "The fact that I have some answers that you currently search for - and the fact that I knew your mother!"

Adair flinched and gasped for air. For a moment, he felt dizzy and grabbed for hold. Hurrily, Morituri came at his side. "Adair ..."

"I'm okay, father," Adair murmured. And to the stranger: "Who are you?!"

[???] "I will tell you when you come out."

Adair took a deep breath ...

"You can't really think of going out there, Adair?!", Morituri worriedly asked his son.

"I have to. I must know it."

"Then I'll come with you," Morituri determined.

"No, father - I can't focus on them and of any sign of danger when I know you are out there."

"He won't go alone, headmaster Morituri", Ricky assured him. "We will go with him."

After a moment of reflecting, Morituri nodded."But be careful - all of you."

Adair shifted into his real shape, then the gate was opened. Ricky, Angus, Andres, Diego and Lady Mertillia joined him when he went out, with weapons drawn and ready to fight if necessary.

"Here I am - and now? Who are you?" Adair asked.

Before him a shapeshifter stood, with dark purple skin and, like it was common for them, black scales and hair. He seemed not to be young anymore, and it seemed he was the leader of the horde behind him.

"You didn't come alone," the stranger said, looking at Adair's friends.

"Did you really expect I would come alone?" Adair asked. "There may be about seven shapeshifters here, and at the edge of the woods I sense more. I would be mad if I would trust you. Oh, by the way, there are more weapons pointed at you - but I think you already know this."

[???] "I didn't come here to fight against you. You should know some things."

Adair waited without a reply.

"So your main shape really changed", the shapeshifter continued when he saw that Adair had no tail anymore. "Interesting ... And you surely wondered how this happened?!"

"Why should this concern you?" Adair asked, pretending disinterest.

"Don't act as if you wouldn't want to know the reason", the stranger said. "But if you insist to go on with this game, so it shall be. You know, this is something very rare nowadays. There are not many shapeshifters anymore who changed their main shape. In fact, it didn't happen for decades of years."

The shapeshifter made a pause. "You've got interesting friends", he said. "Not the female human", he said, disparagingly waving at lady Mertillia (who was now close to kill him ...) .... But the two bloodbeasts - and the dragons. Did you know that we are related to these species?"

"Of course I knew - if this is what you want to tell me you've wasted your time", Adair replied. "But you said something about my mother - what do you mean by you know her?"

"I'm just about to come to this theme", the stranger answered. "It was her family line you got this ability from - changing your main form. It appears once in some decades. The last one who got this was your great-grandfather. It comes from our relationship to the dragons - there is a point at which the main shape changes from an earth-shapeshifter to an air-shapeshifter. The tail disappears, and you get wings. Nobody knows the trigger for it - it is too rare to study it. And at this area you seem to be the only shapeshifter who changed."

Adair tried to hide his confusion. How was it that this shapeshifter knew about this?

As if he read Adair's mind, the stranger said: "I know this because her family is also my family. I am Thorgon Fireclaw. Your mother was my daughter."

Shocked, Adair looked at him. He was - his GRANDFATHER???

"You see," Fireclaw added, "I am your family - literally."

For a moment, nobody said anything. Slowly, Adair came to his senses again.

"... my family? You really call yourself my FAMILY?" He got angry. "Oh yes, I have a family indeed - but they stand behind me! What I see here in front of me are murderers! If you are who you claim to be, I see a man who accepted that his own daughter was killed from her own pack!"

"It was necessary - she betrayed us," was Fireclaw's answer. "To mate with a strange species is betrayal for us. But we could accept what you are if you would be willing to join us to fight for us -- fight for your brothers and sisters. You could be very helpful for your people! You could help getting back what belongs to us! You are important for us with your abilities and your knowledge!"

Adair growled dangerously. "Important?!? For you? Do you really mean I would even think of joining your pack?" Adair hissed. "And you really dare to say you would accept what I am?!? YOU are not my people! Shapeshifters are nothing else than a horde of murderers - cowardly killers! You murdered my mother because she dared to love a man of another race, and you murdered my father who had never even thought about killing a shapeshifter. He was a researcher! They killed him merciless - and they would have killed me too if they got me! As a friend of mine would say: F*CK YOU!!!!"

The shapeshifter before him shook his head. "Sad ... very sad. Indeed a pity, for all of us." He made a sign to the others which accompanied him, then he said: "You know that we will meet again? Then we will stand on different sides. You better should join the winning side."

"And what gives you the certitude to be sure that you will be on that side?" Adair asked him.

"My mistress does. You and your friends can't defeat her. Be wise and join us."

For a moment, Adair just stood there and looked at him. "You know what?" he then said to the other shapeshifter. "You are right - the two of us stand on different sides. And I don't think this will ever change. As to the present - you're standing on our territory. You have the choice: hit the road, or be killed here and now. Choose - but choose wisely. I won't spare you just because you claim to be the father of my mother. Quite the contrary!"

Another glance at Adair, and the shapeshifter and his pack changed into wolves and ran away, towards the woods.

For a moment Adair looked after them. Then he shifted back into his elven form and followed the others inside the gates of the academy. Before he left, he said to lady Mertillia, with dead voice: "If somebody should ever meet them somewhere, and if it should be necessary to kill - don't spare him."

Then, without waiting for a reply, he went back into the castle.

Morituri sighed and followed Adair together with Angus. Both of them knew that this situation didn't leave him so emotionless as it seemed. They found him in the living room, sitting in the armchair in front of the fireplace, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. 

"Adair ...?" Morituri sat at the armrest and took his son into his arms, stroking his head. "I know, my boy ..."

Angus withdrew into the kitchen, on one hand to leave them a little bit time of their own, on the other to get some tea.

"Morituri, if he's really related to me ... I just can't see him as a kind of family. How can somebody be so cold towards his own daughter as he is? The more I know about my species, the more I wish I wouldn't be a shapeshifter. Father, I don't want to belong to this species - if there would be a way ... a way to be an elf ... to remove everything else ... so I would never again have a connection with them!"

Morituri sighed. "Well, if it would be possible ... and if you would do this ... I doubt it would change something, Adair. Outward ... your body ... might change ... but inward ... You can't change what's inside of you  - your feelings and your mind. And, maybe someday you would feel there would be something you need ... something which you may now be not aware of, but you would miss later very much. And there is also the fact that your mother was a shapeshifter, too. She was not like the others of your species. I know she would be proud of you, as I am proud of you, my dear boy. Don't look at how they are - look at how she was and how you are. - And there is another thing: belonging to a family does not essentially mean to have the same blood. He may have the same blood as you, but you can determine if he should be a part of your family. There is Angus who belongs to your family .. and Ricky, Andres, Amaranth and Elizabeth, and maybe even Mertillia, and so many others ... and I hope I do too in some way ... So see, you have a family - and nobody of them cares what you are."

Adair looked up to him. "You hope? You are the most important part of my family, father", he said quietly and hid his face on Morituri's chest.

Morituri smiled. 'He may be grown up now - but a piece of him will forever be the anxious little boy which clung at my leg the first time after I found him.^^'

~~~

Meanwhile Angus stood before the door. Just when he was about to enter the room he noticed that the two of them spoke with each other - and stopped for he didn't want to disturb. He waited a bit, then stepped back from the door to advance again, louder this time, and called "tea for three" from outside. "Now, laddies - I think everyone of us would need something hot to drink, aye?"

"Yes, indeed - thank you." Morituri took a sip, then he asked: "And now, Angus - shall we give Adair some lessons in chess so he gets at least a small chance to win now and then?"

"Aye - of course! So, wee brither, watch out and learn!", Angus said cheerfully. "Sit here at the table - you can't see nothing over there! By the way," he then said to Morituri, "ye know what? Tomorrow will be funny - I've heard that lady Mertillia challenged lady Lhoris once again to a wee chess-game ..."

Morituri's eyes went wide. ":-| Oh noooo ...", he moaned. "So I better should be very very busy tomorrow ... in my library ... or in my office ... with something that can't be delayed ..... for I won't ever be an adjudicator again when they are playing!!!"

*

 It's a #TheNightWatchers - fanstory

The Night Watchers, Morituri, Angus, Andres, Ricky, Lady Mertillia and Diego belong to @AvalonTheQuin.

Lady Lhoris belongs to OldSoulUser

Adair belongs to me :)

Ps: I gave Angus a scotch dialect (Avalon once mentioned he has this); so if you see words he says which seem wrong to you, they are words I found in the net on lists of scotch words.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angus' Worst Nightmare

It was one of those days which already begin weird and get worse as the time goes on. This day Angus had the strange feeling not to be in his right minds. … Or had it been the others who had gone mad? Wherever he went, people looked after him. If it were the girls who were looking after him … but no, the guys got wide eyes and were almost drooling … And even his brothers and friends behaved alarmingly stupid. “What the f*ck Ricky? What do you think you do here?!?” 

[Ricky] “Why, miss, welcome at the Night Watchers Academy! I would love to show you everything here if you want!”

[Angus] “Ricky, you idiot! Are ya nuts? How much did ya drink yesterday evening?!”

[Ricky] “My name’s Ricky, miss … oh, what a wonderful name you have! You know, your beautiful hair reminds me of somebody …”

[Angus] “Of course it reminds you of somebody, ya bampot – of me!”

And when Andres came, it got not at the least better … “Oh so you’re new here? Does he bother you, miss? Ricky, get your a** off here – you’re scaring the lady!”

[Angus] O_o “LADY?? Are you nuts?!?!?!”

But the worse was yet to come … slowly but surely all men seemed to join the stupidity. [Angus] “DIEGO, ye fool, stop flirting with me! And no, Andres, we won’t go out for dinner this evening! – Ricky, ya gype, get your hands off my a** or I’ll gie ye a big skelpit lug!! - Adel, ya shall help me and not drool on me!! – Great BOOBS? What boobs, ya bawheid? - No, Brynjar, if there are boobs they are mine, and ya’ll not cuddle them!!”

“WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?!? STOP IT NOW!!!” they suddenly heard a loud voice. When the others withdrew he saw … headmaster Morituri … who took his hand, gave him a gallant kiss on it, and said: “Pardon me, my love – I’m late” – and an adult(!) male Adair in a pink girl’s skirt, running at him and calling: “Maaamaaa!!!”

MAMA?? He looked at his … child … and then at himself … and saw one … or rather two beautiful body-parts he didn’t really expect, a figure every woman would be jealous of, and legs like he loved them at the girls … and he slightly got aware, somewhere in his mind, that he missed something … something important … “No”, he whispered, searched … indeed, there was no doubt, and no—“NO”, he said, louder, and then shouted “NOOOOOO!!!”

~~~

“Angus? Angus??? Wake up!”

Angus shot up, looking confused into Adair's face before him. He didn’t notice that behind Adair Morituri entered the room.

[Angus] “… Where am I … and what …”

[Adair] “You were dreaming … and you are in our living-room. You were a little bit tipsy yesterday evening and fell asleep here …”

By and by, his memory returned. He indeed drunk too much at the evening, but he surely hadn't been tipsy … he must have been totally plastered for he hadn’t the slightest idea how he got here into the castle. … And then that dream … ‘I hope it really was—‘, he thought and instantly got his hands at his chest. Angus took a deep breath. Nothing …

Adair looked at him, astonishedly. Angus gave him a short glance – no he didn’t wear a pink skirt …. Then a thought crossed his mind.

'MY— O_O' … He instantly made sure that everything was where it belonged. …. 'THANK THE GODS!!!'

Adair and Morituri looked at each other, now worried.

[Adair] “… Is everything alright, Angus?”

[Angus] “When you tell me now that I’m not your mother, then everything is alright!”

… ‘Mother?’ … “Well, you may be a papa bear sometimes, but you’re surely not my mother, Angus”, Adair answered. “This must have been quite a dream – it sounded like a fight. By the way, my friend – who is Agnes?”

~~~~~

                            (pic belongs to Avalon XD)

It's a #TheNightWatchers Fanstory

The Night Watchers, Angus/Agnes, Andres, Diego, Brynjar, Adel, Ricky and Headmaster Morituri belong to AvalonTheQuin

Adair belongs to me :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~