The blackened sky was turning blue as the sun peaked over the snow kept mountain tops that hummed with the coldest breath of winter. The pine trees seemed to shake as another rough wind swirled the powdered ground into a flurry of snow before resting against the frozen earth again.
It was winter, time for all the Lera to hide or sleep in cozy dens below the heather. Even the greatest of the animals slept against the chill in the outside world.
In a cozy den hid below a large outcrop of rock, a cliff face, carved by the elements over hundreds of years. The den was shallow, large cracks continued up the grey stone as if Fenrris himself took claw to it, here two wolf cubs rested with their father and mother.
"Rosaj! Rosaj no!" A small grey wolf with a splotch of white covering her left eye danced away before her brother could bat at her. She was dancing on her paws, gently tugging at his stubby tail before avoiding his incoming claw.
"Mother! Make her stop!" The small male cried, his darker pelt was rippling with annoyance but also compassion to his den mate.
"Yarrow, let Rosaj play she gives no harm, yes?" Yarrow's father Riperd growled out, he was looking out the den, increasingly getting more and more frustrated. The Vengerid had forced the little family to move; run from the lands they marked their own to the hidden world of the east.
Yarrow pouted and Rosaj laughed, her little bells of laughter bringing warmth to the cool cave, Fawn looked down to her cubs, smiling in praise, savoring the new life she had brought.
"The area here is safe Riperd, let us rest and hunt, stay for another dawn under Larka's blessing." Fawn coaxed, the pups decided to stop playing, awaiting the answer. Riperd sighed but gave a curt nod, with joy the two pups bounded out and pounced on the white ground, sending up swirls of white.
"Stay here, I shall hunt for the little Tor bears to give." Riperd growled out before trotting away, his bushy tail sweeping the ground, covering his tracks. Fawn rested in the entrance, grooming her right paw, cleaning a small cut received from a bramble along the path days ago.
"Come Yarrow! Let us play!" Rosaj cried in joy pouncing again, diving into the mounds before disappearing from sight, then rising as a great white shape of giggling glee. Yarrow seemed uncertain; he inherited his father worries in times like this, as Rosaj was carefree.
"I don't know…." He said sweeping his head side to side, scouting his surroundings.
"Are you Sikla Yarrow? Where is your inner Dragger?" With a growl at the insult Yarrow pounced, a sharp breeze, sounding like the great eagles cry a storm of ice blocked the view of the area.
Rosaj yelped jumping away from the noise, her paws scrabbled against a small lip of rock before skidding down a short distance onto an uncovered rock face. A dark shadow on the snow blacked the sun from above. Fearful Rosaj looked up, a dark outline glared back.
Rosaj had heard stories of the night, the darkness of hate and fury combined in a single creature, or a pelt so dark all warmth or love would drift away like a Varg's cry.
"W-who are you?" She stuttered backing away from the large Dragga, it snorted and looked her up and down, color still not noticeable.
"You not see me Dragga? I am a Kerl, loner of these parts, what Sikla would allow there pup to wander in these lands?" The voice spoke back, almost monotone but a small hint of bitterness there also. Rosaj gasped, nothing was more fearful than a Kerl, loners with nothing to live for but fights. This Dragga could be out for blood.
"I-i-" Rosaj had no answer but backed away, the shape did not pursuit.
"Who are you Drappa?" He said, small hint of longing reaching in the folds of the almost whisper. The storm of snow settled, and the sky cleared, the wolf brought peace.
"I-I am hardly D-Drappa"She was still speechless, worried. "Do you bring that of Larka's blessing?" She yelped out, a small hint of sadness crept into the forms eyes, golden eyes. He bowed his head in small respect and spoke the way his eyes shone, saddened.
"I bring Larka's Blessing." He said with a small shiver.
"I am Rosaj, my family fled from the southern plains below the Citadel under the midday's noon."
The form nodded, understanding the lands she spoke of.
"Who are you?" She said tilting her head to one side, he stepped out of the suns beam to show his true color, it did not shift.
Glowing yellow eyes stared back under a pelt as black as death. He was covered in thick fur and lean muscles hidden under the thin fat under his skin from good hunting.
"I am Fell." Rosaj gasped and backed away, yelping all had heard stories of him, a great beast, one of night who ate young pups in exchange of becoming a loner, all shall fear him.
Fell shook his head to the side as he sat down, feeling no threat from the small cub, as Rosaj shivered out a single word Fell looked away into the distance.
"W-WolfB-bane." Fell looked away into the distance, as if seeing something that was not seen by Varg.
"I am no Wolfbane; there never was a Wolfbane, only our deepest fears and hatred." He spat out bitterly, swiping his coal black paw at the snow, letting it fly into a naked oak tree, it trembled at his touch.
"What is there of love and hope if there is no Hate and fear, tell me Rosaj, what did I do in this world to get the fear spoken upon my name?" He growled out, sitting again, Rosaj was petrified, a god, no devil sat before her.
"You are darkness." She whispered out and he swung his head back and laughed into the sky, at the world itself.
"Darkness is the nature of the wolves themselves Drappa. Tell me this, in times like this dawn of fear and hate of Man; what is your alley, the Darkness or the Light?"
He turned and started walking away, Rosaj gathered her courage, this devil, no this Varg was wise, and the deepest wolf she ever met,
"Wait, Fell. I wish to learn more." She called, it seemed her voice vanished onto the wind, but yet the lack form froze, stilled as if he himself became one with the rock beneath his paws. His strong neck swung and yellow eyes stared into blue sharply.
"Never ask for knowledge. For what we do not know can become our greatest weapon." He snarled about to turn, Rosaj stepped forward.
"Let Tor and Fenris watch over you Fell." She called as he started to move, once again he stiffened. The swirls of the skies seemed to reflect Fell's anger in the single statement. Harsh winds seemed to rise as he turned around, shackles raised high on his neck.
"You bid me well as I am darkness? A murderer haunted by the gift that cost my sister her life!" He snarled, looking like he came from the Red meadow itself. Suddenly the full feel of winter hurt worse than usual.
Fell noticed the pup shiver and he looked down upon the wolf.
"Why dare you speak upon me Varg, to insult? To set me as a loner?" He spat again, Rosaj thought quickly, thinking for all the stories she had been told.
"The power of the sight comes not of hate or love, but the energy of those around you." She said quickly, a few words she was told passed down by her mother who had spoken to a fortune teller long ago when they were plentiful among the southern land. Fell looked up, a hint of something in his eye.
"My mother Palla used to say that, to me and my dear Sister Larka." He said again, looking into the distance, or maybe the white shroud blanketing the earth.
"Larka shall run along the Wolf trail as a god, Fenris and Tor shall run alongside her themselves, to be honored in legend." Rosaj approached Fell warningly, Fell knew she was near and let her continue closer.
"Let all honor the name of Larka, and one day they will honor the name Fell too." She said licking his head in a act of respect.
"Fell, the great Dragga who carried the truth of man across the world as a hero." She said almost in a whisper, Fell looked up gratefully; the pups' words really hit him hard.
"Rosaj!" Fawn cried from above the small bluff. Rosaj looked up and Fell rose to his feet.
"I must leave; the helpers are in need of me. I shall remember you Rosaj Wisemind." Fell said, his body rippling in muscle as he lifted up off the ground.
"Fell," Fell turned back to look over his shoulder as Rosaj called his name.
"Your alley is the light, just as Larka's was." With her words, it seemed Mother Nature herself reached up as the swirls of comforting wind rose again, they settled and Rosaj blinked. There was no bluff or cliff face, more importantly, there was no Fell. Not even a few tracks, nothing. As if the Helpers themselves swooped down and flapped there mighty wings to cover the earth again.
"Rosaj! There you are! Father caught a deer! A full grown one!" Yarrow ran up and tilted his head looking in Rosaj's direction.
"What is it?" He asked, seeing none, Rosaj turned shaking her head, trotting to the kill Father had made.
Fawn watched in glee as Yarrow ate, yet Rosaj didn't eat nearly as much, a small chunk, enough for an ill Sikla.
"What is wrong Rosaj?" Riperd asked still scouting the mountain sides all around. Rosaj finally knew who he was looking for.
"I saw a Kerl today, when you were gone." She said softly, Fawn and Riperd suddenly looked very worried, checking her for wounds.
"I am not hurt…..he gave me Larka's blessing, he was kind, but then he left. I liked him, he was wise and strong." She said looking into the distance, as if Fell was standing on one of the slopes.
"Then why must you not eat?" Fawn asked puzzled, Rosaj rose.
"Because the Kerl was as black as night."
Fawn and Riperd's eyes grew to the size of the shinning moon, but before even a sharp cry of anger could be heard, a loud howl echoed over the valley. A howl of knowledge, as if a great question had been answered. The four wolves turned to look to the west.
A great black wolf stood on the highest slopes, he finished howling, and looked down, seemingly to look at Rosaj, no, Rosaj's spirit. He gave a curt nod before vanishing beyond the slopes.
"The Kerl was Fell."
Sorry about the ending, i always am bad with those. I tried to keep Fell in character, he's hard to wriute when he's in one of his moods.
I was doing a book repot for Fell and got into the mood, i know not many people have read these books but please reveiw, i dont care if you flame me, i just want a reveiw.