We were completely surrounded by the wolves. The large one directly across from us that first approached us let out one final howl before charging.
"Hold on tight" Rowen said as he spun around lifting me up as if I were nothing, the next thing I knew we had lept off the ground and landed in a tree. He set me down on a sturdy branch, and before I knew what had heppened he was gone.
I looked around frantically, gripping the tree trunk as hard as I could for stability. I moved the leaves that were blocking my veiw of the clearing. It was hard to make out what was happening, but i could hear an overabundance of growling and snarls echoing through the trees.
A bright flash of electrically charged purple light filled the air stemming from the ground. Once I pinpointed where it was coming from I could easily see what was causing it.
Rowen.
He was in the center of this burst of purple lightning, his arms stretched out in front of him targeting each wolf with his burst of electricity. Flash after flash the wolves numbers began to deminish, until there was only one left. The large one that had wanted to make an example out of us stood in the middle of the clearing opposite Rowen.
Rowen was breathing heavily, clearly running out of energy he struggled to stay upright. My heart skipped a beat once he had succumbed and collapsed to the ground.
Rowen was the first one I had met here who I could say felt like a friend, and he was going to die protecting me.
It was nearly dawn and as the wolf inched closer to Rowen a clawing feeling rose up in my chest, it felt like a monster who was trying to break free from a cage. It hungered for freedom and begged me to release it, and before I knew what had happened I found myself between Rowen and the wolf.
"Move, my quarrel is not with you" roared the gravely voice of the wolf.
"I can't let you hurt him!" I screamed, a power I didn't know existed within me filled my voice.
"Very well then, I will rip out your throat as well." his cry was the last thing I heard before I saw him charge.
Instictively I held my hands in front of me as if to somehow block the wolf. A white light began to stem from my palms surrounding Rowen and I in a large bubble.
The wolf stopped dead in his tracks before reaching us. He began to approach the bubble slowly, examining it carefully before coming face to face with me. His eyes were full of something as he looked at me, compassion? no not compassion, but pity.
"My time is up. Find me when the moon is yet again full, there is another way." the wolfs voice trailed off at the end as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The bubble dissapated and I let out a sigh of relief. I turned over my hands to find black scortch marks covering my palms, they burned like they had been smashed between and iron and it's board.
I could hear Rowen stirring behind me, I spun and knelt down next to him placing his head in my lap.
"What did you..? How did you..?" I could tell so many questions were running through his mind that he didn't know which ones to ask first.
I shushed him "Let's not worry about any of that now okay?" I said in the most comforting voice I could summon "Let's just worry about getting you back to the house, I'm sure they will know how to fix you up. Can you stand?"
He nodded in response to my question as I helped him get to his feet.
It was easier to see the way back to the house in the daylight, it felt like it took half the time to get back as it did to get out there.
"You know something Em?" he said smiling on the way back "You were pretty amazing out there, and I think I've made a decision."
"A decision about what?"
He stopped walking and grabbed my wrist to pull me toward him. I suddenly found myself locked in his arms pressed against his chest. Dispute the abruptness I was completely at ease.
"My future" he said. I could feel the vibrations of his words as he spoke, his tone was serious and calm. "I've decided that I won't run, I will compete against the others. I can't let them have you Emma."
