A chill ran down her back as she slowly cracked her eyes. Sitting up she studied the area around her; a snow covered forest of darkness surrounding her. The cool wind howled as she took another look around, and catching a glimpse of a man in front of her. Standing up, she watched as his red eyes locked with hers. That when she noticed the body of a huge wolf to her left, turning her head to study it. When she returned her gaze to the man, he was only inches from her, and she clearly saw the silver wolf ears upon his head and the unreadable look on his face. He seemed calm, yet worried. Lifting her hand to touch him, he sighed, turning around and walking into the dark forest. She tried to call to him, but couldn't seem to make a noise, as if her voice had frozen within her. Suddenly, she heard the snow crunch around her as if a crowd of creatures were circling her. Looking around she saw beady red eyes and long snarls upon countless wolves mouths. She gasped as the silver and grey creatures began to tighten the circle around her. Her body stiff and her heart full of fear, she felt a hand grasp hers, noticing the arm reaching around her body. She looked over her shoulder to find the man once again, but his lips pulled back as if he were growling. She watched in awe as his angered and defensive face turned into a soft smile as he turned to look at her. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as the man brushed the hair away from her face and slowly leaned in to kiss her.
"Ouch! Careful of the bumps while I am trying to rest!"
Lawrence turned back to eye her with a smile on his face. "Sorry Holo, didn't see the bump at all." She pouted, crossing her arms and mumbling silently. "What was that?"
"I said you are a great merchant, but a lousy traveler."
"Well that makes two of us." Lawrence joked as Holo sat on the seat next to him, her tail in her lap and a comb in her hand. "Please tell me again why we have come to such a cold place." She shivered as a cold breeze settled upon her.
"Well," Lawrence began, "I thought we could make a little profit before we head back South. I could sell the wool I bought and most of the dry firewood to an inn or something. Maybe I could buy us some meat or something like that, since the town we are stopping at is more famous for it's juicy foods."
Holo's tail began to sway back and forth as she thought about what meat could lie ahead of them. She licked her lips slowly as her stomach began to growl. "Ugh! Why are human stomachs so needy?"
"The same reason why wolf stomachs are so needy." Lawrence teased her, causing her to look at him irritatedly. "Please tell me more, oh wise one." She snickered as they hit another bump. "Missed that one too."
After a while of riding down the road, Holo began to wonder to herself, catching the attention of Lawrence; "Is there something wrong?"
"May I ask of your opinion?" Holo asked with her hand on his shoulder. "Sure," he answered quickly, "what is it?"
"According to legend, my home was destroyed, correct? Well, I was wondering if...if you thought I still had a family."
He was caught off guard at her question, though he understood her thinking. "As I told you before, your home may not be destroyed," Lawrence reminded her, "but I'm not completely sure if you still have family, though I'm sure they are still alive. But I must remind you, I'm always here for you." Holo smiled at this, nudging Lawrence playfully as they both returned their gazes to the road ahead of them. Out of no where, a cloaked figure appeared. From what they could see, whoever it was was tall and had no shoes. They seemed to shiver as they walked through the snow. Slowly approaching the person, Lawrence slowed the horse to talk to them. "Hello, do you need a ride? I'm sure you must be sic-"
"I am fine, thanks." A male voice came from under the hood. The cloaked man lifted his head slightly to study the two of them. After studying Lawrence's appearance, his eyes fell upon Holo. He caught his breath, then turned his head farther, revealing two red eyes. He seemed to murmur something under his breath as he returned his eyes to the road ahead and began to walk slower.
"Look mister, I am giving you the chance to take a break from walking in the snow. Would you like to ride with us?" Lawrence pushed on as the man looked into the forest, not removing his gaze from it. "No, thank you though." Taking one last look at Holo, he turned into the woods and began to run into the darkness. Holo watched as he disappeared into the trees. "Can you believe the risks one would take?" Lawrence sighed as he sped the horse's passe. Holo looked at him oddly; "What do you mean?"
"Well, that guy could die out here in the freezing cold like that. I mean, I'm surprised he isn't already dead and buried by the snow by now."
"I don't understand what you mean, but he seemed a little... Familiar..." Holo watched the trees pass in the direction the man disappeared into the woods. Lawrence sighed as he watched her from the corner of his eye. "What do you mean familiar?" She shrugged her shoulders, and without another word she crawled back into the back of the wagon and curled up under the cloth shielding the merchandise from the falling snow.
After a while, Lawrence had stopped at a form of rest area to buy food for Holo, as she complained about being hungry. As he walked in, the blazing fire warmed his feeling less face as he approached a man behind the counter. "So," the man bellowed, "what can I do you for, traveler?"
"Some warm meat and the freshest refreshment you have." Lawrence leaned against the counter, the toes of his shoe pressing lightly against the ground. The man nodded, and began to fill a rather large pitcher full of warm beer. After setting down next to Lawrence, he pulled from a blazing oven a hunk of cooked meat. "Three silver coins, please." Lawrence nodded his head, giving the man the money. Before the man could walk off, Lawrence stopped him; "So could you tell me about the area before I continue off?"
The man shrugged, propping himself upon the counter as Lawrence had. "No much to tell. Silver fields of snow, trees rising high overhead, nothing special. But you must be careful of the rivalry of the land."
"Rivalry?" Lawrence asked as the man turned to eye him. "Yes, yes. A rivalry that dates back hundreds of years ago."
"Who is it that is fighting?"
The man looked at Lawrence, a serious look on his face; "Wolves."
Lawrence looked at him as if he had heard the man wrong. "Now I know what you think I am crazy, but hear me out." The man sat down in a chair next to Lawrence, motioning for him to sit as well. After he sat, the man sighed, pouring a mug of warm beer into both of their cups.
"The silver and grey wolves, the Silver-backs, and the brownish golden furred wolves, the Foxtrots. They have been fighting for years. Now, I know I am to believe in one god and one god only, but legend has it that their are gods living amongst the wolves on both sides. There are many legends about the gods and their wars with one another, but one seems to stick out most of all. You should probably listen in the case of if it were true,..."
Lawrence noticed how the man's face and body language was serious; that the man knew what he was talking about, as if he had seen it before. Lawrence eyed the door, then turned back to the man.
"...more than 200 years ago, there was one battle in particular that truly speaks to all that live her in this cold and bitter land. A Silver-backed god, the Prince of the Darkness, was roaming the forest in search of food when her came to a clearing; two Foxtrot across from him. He growled at the two, readying himself for the fight. The two Foxtrots stood bravely as they were brother and sister. The brother lunged at the Prince to protect his sister, but the Price caught him by the throat, swinging the brother with all his might into trees and the ground, snapping the creature's neck and dropping it next to him. The sister stood shock at her brother's death, lunging at the turned creature to only be caught by the neck in the Price's teeth, and forced onto the ground violently. Silence fell over the clearing as the Foxtrot lay bleeding and close to death. Before the Prince were to finish her off, he watched as her red eyes began to water, and she cried. As her eyes closed she shifted into her human-like form laying upon the ground. As legend goes the Prince shifted to his human form, realizing what he had done. He could see her chest moving, knowing she was still breathing, he took her upon his back and began to run South for almost years until he had decided she was far enough from danger. Laying her in a field of wheat to awaken from her rest. As he journeyed home, he made a promise that if she were to ever return, he would stop at nothing to make sure she was out of harms way."
"Wow, sounds familiar..." Holo crossed his mind as he began to link the puzzle together.
"Many believe the legend ends there," the man continued, "but it actually continues to where his father banished him from the Silver-back clan, leaving him forced to wander the roads in search of his long lost love. Whenever a traveler comes in to ask about a strange man walking along the road with nothing but a cloak, it is said that that is him walking the roads, though he only appears to travelers, not any of those who live here. But I do hang a picture painted by my great grandfather of the Silver-back carrying the Foxtrot through the cold land."
Pointing to a painting on the wall, Lawrence turned to observe it; it depicted a man with grey ears and tail carrying a brownish golden ears, hair, and tail on his back through a frozen clearing. Lawrence gasped as he studied the face upon the girl; "Holo..."