2

Through the rows of spruce tree trunks, Torak glimpsed the camp. It seemed that there was no one causing harm to Renn. Torak quickened his pace while Wolf sped past him to aid her. Stooping, he went into the shelter. Renn wasn't screaming any more but by her facial expression, Torak could she was in pain. He grasped her shoulder,

"Renn!" He shouted at her. She did not reply, he shook her until lowly her eye lids began to flicker open. With a cry she sat up, sweat pouring from her brow.

"What is he?" She wept into Torak's shoulder. Torak didn't understand what she was talking about but he kept quiet, soothing her by putting his arm round her.

Renn had finally stopped crying as the fear slowly passed. She couldn't remember all of the vision but she remembered parts of it. She had never been so scared by a dream before and it felt bizarre that she had still been lamenting past day meal.

Torak came to sit beside her on the log, his eyes were calm and comforting.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

"A little," said Renn truthfully. She knew that he was going to ask and it was not long before he did.

"What did you see?"

Renn tried to explain that she could not remember but it came out in some kind of mutter.

"Don't you remember anything?" said Torak impatiently.

"I-", Renn started. "I saw a cave, not a normal one but something far more sinister. Then there was a man, an innocent one. He was being dragged in front of a large altar. Then there was a being, not quite human. Like something that the world spirit never meant to make. He was-". Renn stopped again as she had no word for it.

"Renn," Torak called her name. She realised she had been staring at a spruce tree for some time.

"I don't know," Renn said simply, staring into Torak's eyes. They were bright green with curiosity. She didn't want any harm to come to Torak but if what she thought her vision was about was true, harm was unavoidable.

Wolf could tell that the pack sister was scared, yet he didn't know why. He paced around a small bush pondering about her. He saw Talltailless emerge from the reindeer shelter, he bounded up to him. Talltailess scratched Wolf's scruff and Wolf licked his muzzle. Wolf tilted his head,

"Why is the pack sister scared?" Talltailless put on a thinking emotion.

"The other gave her fear." Wolf didn't like the other sometimes, sometimes he saw bad things and sometimes good, but most of the time he was disappointed to wake up without his first pack and without his two not-breath cubs. However he was still happy to be with his new pack, this is what he called them as they hardly ever separated. He loved his new pack, Talltailless for his kindness and his tracking and hunting that sometimes Wolf could not even do. The pack sister, for her sickness killing and her claw that flies far. Darkfur and his cub because they mattered to him and he mattered to them, he loved them like he loved Talltailless. But it was something beyond love. If they went missing, he felt pain or if they were happy, so was he. It was life bond. And that was why he was still happy when he woke from the other.

For night meal Torak and Renn had the last bits of dried dear meat with crushed lingon berries and a liquid sauce made from Sader tree bark and wood litchin. Torak thought it tasted very nice but he could tell that Renn had lost her appetite. Although she proved signs of contentment, she was still quiet and discreet. He stared at Renn and finally brought himself to say something.

"Renn, you know you can tell me anything." She looked up from her oak bowl, and breathed in. "I won't think you peculiar or-"

"I know Torak," she cut in. "I try to but sometimes I just want to protect you!"

"From what?" he shouted with a slight sense of anger.

"I don't know," she said plainly.

Torak felt touched that Renn really cared about him, he knew how much he cared about her but he too had kept his secrets. He moved over next to her and placed his hand on her back. She rested her head on his shoulder and they sat watching the sun set in the new forest.

The man was shoved to the floor by the faceless beings. He got to his knees but was held there. From out of the darkness came a hiss of pleasure and a tall cloaked figure, in his bone white hand he held out a knife so dark the blade as nearly invisible. A smile was pulled across that evil being's face as the knife was plunged into the man's chest, he screeched with agony but still looked up into that face. The knife was pulled out and thrust back in. At this point the man's head flopped but his arms were held by the demon men, while the evil being drew out his heart and held it up.

Torak woke screaming and shouting, "Finn-Kedin!"