Chapter 9
The golden pink rays of the early morning sun were just beginning to break over the horizon as Ororo touched down right outside of the town much larger than the place she left. She had taken her time flying the relatively short distance, using the time to think of the best ways possible to get to the castle and track down the killer. Ororo believed she had come up with a plan that would allow her to complete her task, but it was also possible that she would see things differently after a well deserved rest.
Ororo walked through the town’s arched entrance way, quickly managing to pull her messy hair into a somewhat neat braid, letting it drape over her shoulder as she pulled the dark hood of her cloak over her head. She tried to ignore the curious looks of the few townspeople who were emerging from their homes to begin the day’s work. Ororo kept her sky colored eyes to the ground, hoping that she wasn’t the subject of the hushed male voices she heard amongst the murmurs. All she wanted to do was find an inn and get some sleep.
Glancing around her, she could only spot plain white stone and wooden buildings which she assumed were homes. Letting out a frustrated sigh she continued in the direction she thought would take her to the center of town.
Just as she was considering taking to the air to get an aerial view a heavy hand gently grasped her shoulder.
“Miss?” A quiet, deep voice asked in a thick accent Ororo didn’t recognize, as she turned, a bit startled, to see a tall young man standing there wearing what seemed to be a miner’s uniform identical to the ones worn by other men she had passed in the town. “Are you alright?” His bright blue eyes stared down at her, reflecting the concern apparent in his voice.
“I seem to be a little lost,” Ororo admitted, feeling only a little foolish for not taking the time to survey the town before landing.
“Ah,” The young man replied, a friendly smile appearing on his lips replacing the concerned frown. “Is this your first visit to the town?” Ororo nodded. “Da, it can be a little confusing at first. Come, I’ll take you to town square. It will be easier for you to find your way around there.”
“That is not necessary, really,” Ororo started. “Directions would suffice.”
“Nhyet,” He replied, gently gripping her upper arm and leading her down the street. “We can’t have you getting lost again, now can we?”
“I’m Ororo.”
“Piotr,” He said, shyly smiling down at her, letting go of her arm, “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Are we dere yet?” Remy asked for about the fifteenth time in the last hour, adjusting the strap on his shoulder.
“Kid, if ya ask me that one more time I swear I’ll come back there and kick yer ass,” Logan growled, clenching his fists.
“Aw, mon ami, you like Remy, really,” Remy laughed, ignoring the warning. “But when we goin’ get dere? We been walkin’ all night.”
Logan didn’t reply and kept walking through the trees as if Remy hadn’t said a word. Remy grew quiet, following Logan as he glanced around the forest that looked no different than the other parts of the forest to him. A bunch of tall trees and bushes that tore at his trousers.
To Logan, this section of forest was much different than his home. There were many more evergreen trees here and the air had a completely different scent. The terrain was a little rougher, rockier. He could hear the faint sound of orders being shouted. He knew they were in mining country.
With a sigh, Remy pulled off a leaf from a low hanging tree branch as he passed by it. Turning it over in his fingers, he studied it before charging the thin green leaf and throwing it over his shoulder. After the soft pop of the leaf exploding, Logan looked back at Remy, raising an eyebrow. Remy shrugged, raising his hands as if he had nothing to do with the sound. Shaking his head, Logan turned back to the trees, increasing his pace. Remy then grabbed a handful of leaves, charging them all and quickly throwing the glowing foliage above his head. Logan growled when the leaves exploded this time.
“Somethin’ wrong, Logan?” Remy asked, jogging a little to catch up. When Logan didn’t respond, Remy glanced around his surroundings, humming to himself. Since Logan was facing away from him, Remy was unable to see Logan’s jaw clench.
“Are we dere yet?”
“Kid, I’m warnin’ ya…”
“Do you know where we’re goin’?”
“Will ya just…”
“Is it past dem trees? It can’t be much farther. We been walkin’ fo’ever.”
“Can it.”
Remy grew quiet, twirling a twig between his fingers and watching the sun starting to peek between the tree branches. Logan sighed, enjoying the silence.
“Logan, are we dere yet?”
*snikt*
Remy’s eyes darted to the blood covered sharp bones sticking out of Logan’s left hand.
“Where’d you get dem?”
“Kid…”
“Didn’t dat hurt?”
“I thought thieves were supposed ta be quiet.”
“Dey come out of de other hand too?”
Logan retracted his claws and reached up to rub his temples as Remy continued to ask him questions. Soon, accompanied by the sound of exploding leaves, they reached the edge of town just as a group of men dressed in miner’s uniforms were walking underneath the town archway. With a nod, Logan continued past them, heading directly towards the town square, Remy trailing behind.
“Glad you finally decided to join me,” Jean said, crossing her arms over her chest as the man she had been waiting a few hours for walked through the doors of the abandoned church.
He shrugged, closing the door and shutting out the mid-afternoon sunlight, “I decided to stop and have a little fun on the way.” He chuckled as she rolled her eyes.
“John, what am I going to do with you?” Jean asked shaking her head.
He smirked, eyeing her corset-like bodice, “I can think of a few things, sweetheart.”
“I wish I could say I’m flattered, Johnny, but unfortunately for you I’m not,” Jean replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “And unlike you…”
“You have to trick men, well one certain man, into sleeping with you.” Jean blinked, caught a little off guard by his comment. “Oh yes, I know all about your boy toy, Summers.” John took a few steps toward her. “Can’t catch a willing man without your tricks, Jeannie?” He taunted.
Jean glared as he chuckled again. “You think I’m afraid of you, Sorceress?” He saw flames beginning to lick her fingers and her eyes glow red. “Whaddya gonna do? Burn me?”
She clenched her flame covered hands and smiled as John rose a few feet off the stone floor as if an invisible hand clutched his throat.
“You be a good boy and listen to me and I won’t kill you.”
John’s eyes flashed as he pulled the flames away from Jean’s hand, forcing them to form a tight circle around the sorceress. Smiling wide, he made them grow, laughing as Jean attempted to control them. She dropped him to the ground, putting her focus on the flames, managing to push them away from her, only to see John had created a small flock of fire birds to attack her.
Pursing her lips, Jean focused a mental blast directly at the manic Pyro. Grunting John grasped his head, falling back onto the floor. Jean smiled as the flames dissipated and slowly walked over to the now writhing man.
“Now, this is what I want you to do…”
“Come on, kid, it’s nearly dusk,” Logan said banging on the door to Remy’s room in the average sized inn. He heard some nonsense mumbling coming from beyond the door and he banged again. “Get the hell up! We gotta go!” Logan heard what sounded like a pillow hitting the door and he rolled his eyes. “I’m goin’ downstairs. Ya better be down there in fifteen minutes!”
Logan left the door, heading down to the small pub-like restaurant connected to the inn. It was dark and beginning to fill up with the miners who had finished their days work in the nearby mines. Logan took a seat at the only empty table furthest from the door. He glanced around the room, ordering a beer from the bubbly waitress who stood close and bent low to take his order, giving a clear view of her ample cleavage spilling out of her corset. He chuckled as she sent him a wink over her shoulder as she went to grab his drink.
After she brought him his beer and he paid, he blew the strong scent of her loud perfume out of his nose, taking a long swig of the room temperature drink. Logan sighed, leaning back into his chair, enjoying the humming murmur of the pub patrons. As he took another sip from his beer he caught a very out of place but equally familiar scent.
He tracked the source of the fresh scent almost exactly diagonal of him. She was sitting with one of the miners. He realized the streak of white he had seen was her hair, shocking white waves against the deep mahogany of her skin. Logan heard her laughter over the dull chatter of the crowd. He saw her leave the table a few minutes later and he stood following the scent of rain and flowers through the crowd, pushing his way through to the bar where she was standing.
She turned suddenly, nearly running right into him. Logan stared as her bright blue eyes blinked at him.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” She said, taking a step back. His eyes traced over her full lips as she spoke.
“Don’t worry about it, darlin’,” Logan sent her a grin. “No harm done.”
“Ororo.”
“What?”
She raised an eyebrow, “My name. It’s Ororo, not darlin’.”
“Logan.”
A/N: Continue?
