Chapter 1 – A wolf in the shadows
The cool spring air caressed her face, somehow calming and refreshing at the same time. Near white blond hair fell into obsidian black eyes and was brushed away absentmindedly. Her footsteps quickened as she glanced up at the sky. Dark grey clouds had covered the sun. She rounded the corner of the white stone wall she had been following, smiling as she saw her haven - small copse of trees; openly spaced at first but becoming more dense further back. The trees weren't very deep; there was another of the stone walls hidden not far in, this one not so white as the last, instead worn to a dirty grey from age.
Smile still upon her lips she took a step towards the trees just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Wincing as a droplet landed on her nose she hurried towards the shade, not exactly thrilling in the idea of being rained on again. Once temporarily protected from the downpour she made her way calmly to a tree near the very back of the small woodland. Standing before one of the larger trees she ran a hand gently over the bark. It's rough texture under her palm comforting her.
Suddenly she froze, the sound of what was surely a twig snapping behind her had the girl on the alert. She didn't stay frozen for long. A split second after the sound she scrambled up the tree in front of her. Quick as a flash she was out of sight, hidden in the protective cover of leaves. Keeping as still as possible the girl scanned the area around her tree. She saw nothing. Maybe it had been her imagination? Perhaps it was just some small animal. But something at the back of her mind wouldn't let her think that. Call it what you will; instinct, intuition. Whatever it was, it didn't let her relax from her tense position for the best part of an hour. Of course, she didn't own a watch so had no way of telling exactly how much time had passed. There had however been no further noises and so slowly the girl relaxed into a more comfortable position and gradually drifted off into a light sleep on her branch.
The dark grey wolf blinked his amber eyes slowly as the tense young girl visibly relaxed and sank into slumber. His head cocked to the side slightly in a puzzled way. It was an amusing gesture, looking to be more at home on a domesticated house mutt that this wolf with a strange intelligence glinting in its eyes. He stretched silently out from the crouch he had been forcing himself to hold for the last hour. It felt unnatural for his body to do so but he hadn't wanted to frighten the girl. Strange behaviour for a wolf one might think. Having satisfied himself with his stretch he slipped out of his cover of shadows. Approaching the girl's tree he sniffed the air curiously. Careful to disturb no more twigs or branches he lifted up onto his hind legs and rested the front ones against the bark, sniffing once more. Seemingly satisfied he softly dropped back down to all fours and loped gracefully away into the night.
Something in the back of her mind urged the girl to open her eyes. Quickly she did so; just in time to catch a flash of grey disappear behind the corner of the stone wall she had been following earlier. Inexplicably calm, she relaxed back into the tree and fell into a more restful sleep.