This is yet another story that I am not going to pursue. Feel free to, just link back to me. I don't own anything.
"Come on, Kendra! If we're going to live here, I need to explore the woods. I've heard that there are wolves," I said to my cat. I had always had the ability to talk to animals. It was a gift or a curse, I'm not sure which.
My parents moved to Forks because of the wolf rumors. They were experts in wolf behavior, and the rumors were intriguing to them. I had been home schooled my entire life, all of my essays were about wolves, my room was covered in posters of wolves, my drawing supplies poured out endless pictures of wolves.
I had to be saddled with a cat who hated wolves. Well it wasn't exclusive to wolves, she hated any member of the canine family.
Kendra was part bobcat, part Maine Coon. She was a large cat with sharp claws and an even sharper tongue. Her brindled fur covered her except for the scar along her back where a pure bobcat had raked her. Her amber eyes sparkled with wry humor.
You know that I don't like wolves. But if you are stupid enough to go looking for trouble, I will go and protect you, silly human kit.
"Thank you so much," I said sarcastically, "I really don't know what I'd do without you. Come on, I want to see how the woods are different from the ones back east."
They're wet. That is all you need to know.
I sighed at Kendra's stubbornness and headed out the door. I flipped the shell on the mantle over, my way of telling my parent's that I would be gone for a while. I hoisted my backpack and went out into the damp forest, Kendra at my side.
We hiked for about two miles. I wasn't afraid of getting lost, I had an excellent sense of direction. Kendra stopped by a stream to take a drink. I took a swig from my water bottle and looked at the unusual moss on the stream bank.
"We don't have this back home," I commented. Kendra sniffed her disapproval of all things new. Cat's know to stick to their own territory. You don't belong in this cold, damp place. I want to go back to Vermont where autumn is dry and crackly, not sodden and wet.
"I know. As soon as Mom and Dad get to the bottom of these wolf rumors, we'll go home. I miss Vermont too."
Speaking of wolves, there's one in the bushes. He's staring at you.
I raised my eyes to the bushes by the stream. There was the biggest wolf I had ever seen. He was a russet brown with deep black eyes. Kendra waltzed right up to him. I gasped. "Please, I'm sorry that we're in your territory, we'll go now. Kendra, come here." The sight of my cat near that wolf on steroids was more then my heart could take.
Kendra sniffed the wolf. He didn't take his eyes from me as he bent his head toward her. I squeaked.
He smells different, Kendra said. He's got an overtone of human. Do you think he could be a pet?
Human? The wind was against me, I couldn't smell, but if he was that big and he smelled human I was in trouble. I reached for my venturesome cat. My balance on the slippery moss slipped and I fell over backwards into the stream.
It was deeper then I had expected, and very cold. I fought my way to the surface but my backpack dragged me down. I yelled and inhaled water.
Hot hands grasped my arms and shot me to the surface. I was dragged onto the bank. I choked, trying to get rid of the water in my lungs. A hand pounded me on the back. I was aware of yelling.
"Restrain that cat!"
"Find a blanket!"
"Embry, don't hit her so hard, she'll bruise!"
"If I don't, she'll die!"
I vomited the water that dragged me into darkness. I looked around me. I was surrounded by five copper skinned people. They all had black hair cut very short and black eyes. Eyes like the wolf had. There were four males and one female. I froze. Eyes like the wolf had? Shit. I grabbed Kendra and jumped into the tree. Kendra didn't fight me, having figured it out. I peered down at the werewolves, my heart thudding in alarm. The wind wasn't against me now, I could easily smell their musky scent.
"What are you doing? You nearly drowned! Get down here!" One of the males yelled.
"Not on your life, werewolf!" I snarled back. The group exchanged glances. "You honestly don't recognize my scent?" I asked.
"Should we?" demanded the female.
"Ah, how the treacherous so easily forget their treachery," I commented bitterly. "You allowed the white men to come and cut us down with their metals raped from our Mother. You used to treat us with respect, you've been brainwashed by them. Now there are so few of my kind. What are left have been driven into hiding. Like my family and I. How can you not remember us? Your brothers and sisters?"
"Who are you?" The male who had spoken before asked.
I smiled. "My pale face name is Lira. My name among my people is Syngth. It means little maple sapling."
"What are you?"
"I am Nymph, of course."