Hair of Gold: Just Right (Urban Fairytales Book 6) by Erik Schubach Read Free Book Online Page B

They all looked away, looking far too innocent for one-ton killing machines. I said cheerily, “That's what I thought.”
    They all lowered back down to all fours, and we surveyed the carnage around us. Shutters began opening in the buildings around us, candle and lantern light streaming out as the villagers came out to thank us for stopping yet another wave of raiders that the vrajitoare Narcisa and her son had been sending to terrorize our village the past few weeks.
    We helped move the dead as I wondered what was going on. Was this the price Narcisa was exacting for Iosif's pledge? Was his death not enough for the vrajitoare? Now she would have men come terrorize, and plunder the village of his progeny?
    The last couple of raids, they have tried to capture my brothers. What could the woman possibly want from them? To torture them for their father's morality? Whatever game she and her son were playing, had cost our village three lives so far and most of the grain they needed to survive the upcoming winter.
    With the blacksmith I helped carry off one of the raider's bodies, I decided that it was time. We needed to hunt the vrajitoare down in her own lair and put an end to all of this senseless violence. I would talk with my brothers about it on the morrow.
    Little Bear nudged my side and looked up at me expectantly, I blinked innocently, and he bellowed at me. I chuckled at him and said, “Fine you blubbering baby, here.” I picked up my discarded pack near the well in the village center and pulled out a tunic and trousers and threw them in his face. They fell to the ground, and he huffed, smiled, then took them in his jaws and went behind the livery to change. My other brothers were comfortable staying bears. I knew it was because of their over protective nature, even though they knew I could take care of myself.
    The villagers congratulated Pavel, shaking his hand and giving thanks when he returned to my side. He loomed over me, his eyes scanning the dark. Even he was always protecting me. He knew what I was thinking, and he scrunched his fingers together squinting one eye as he said, “Tiny kotenok.”
    I snorted. I was easily a hand taller than the tallest maiden in Chernivtsi, yet to my overly large brothers, I was still that tiny kitten they had rescued from a tree all those years ago, in another life. I went to backhand his gut, which he easily avoided, knowing it was coming.
    We saw to the village and checked on the people before we headed back up the road toward our cottage on the rise. I was exhausted, and Andrei lumbered up next to me. I smiled my thanks at him. “Thank you, brother.”
    I snarled my hand in the fur on his shoulder and pulled myself up to ride him the rest of the way home. I smiled at the thought. Home. It was my home wasn't it?
    I thumped Andrei's shoulder in appreciation then looked between my brothers and said with a voice cold as ice, “This has to stop. Between the raiders and the Wolf Moons, we are always battling. Let us speak on the morrow about ending the threat of Narcisa and her son, one way or another.”
    This got guttural grunts of agreement and Little Bear nodded and said with equal frost in his voice, “Da.”

Chapter 7 – Quest
    The next day was a flurry of activity. We all agreed to a course of action, we would hunt down the vrajitoare and her kin to make them pay for the deaths in the village and the terror they have visited upon those we claim as our own, the people we protect.
    We gathered supplies and went down into Chernivtsi to tell the townsfolk what we were going to do.
    I spoke with Gabriela about watching over my livestock, who readily agreed with a blush. Little Bear always teases me, that the buxom maiden was sweet on me. If only. She outclassed me and didn't smell like bear all the time, only of gardenias. It was for the best really, she was not a sturdy sort, and I'd fear accidentally snapping her like a twig if we did court.
    Vladimir made sure the village