Part II
Chapter Two
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The forest was peaceful this time of year. It was cold, yes, but those blessed with a thick, warm coat heeded neither the temperature nor the deep snow. In fact, at that moment, one of those lucky few was enjoying the climate, lounging in a bright patch of golden sun streaming through the branches. Dark, almost black fur soaked in the warmth. Long guard hairs rustled in the light breeze.
A wet nosed twitched as the form stirred from its doze, taking in the strong scent of pine and crisp snow. The wolf raised its head and lazily stood, stretching. It yawned.
This wolf was a dark, dark brown overall, black to some eyes, with silvery markings about the face, ruff, chest, and back, fainter on other areas of the body. Black and silver guard hairs sprang up around the neck and tail, giving a rather spiky appearance. Short, silver claws grew out of wide, thickly padded feet, built for travel over snow. Distinctive golden, glowing eyes completed its appearance.
An ear twitched and the wolf cocked its head, staring down into the undergrowth. A rabbit, unawares, hopped out, gnawing on a twig. The wolf considered it for a moment. A sitting rabbit was no fun. So it gave a low bark, startling the rabbit into action.
The wolf lunged forward as its prey took off in a panic, zigzagging around the trees. A wide grin split the wolf's face as it pursued its quarry, taking every breakneck turn in stride. Soon they burst out of the grove, reaching open land, favoring the wide gait of the wolf. As it closed, the rabbit made a last, frantic attempt at avoiding certain doom, and plunged into a small stand of bushes.
To its relief it was ignored. The wolf, not hungry, continued onwards, reveling in the open freedom and the crisp mountain air. It galloped up the mountainside, bounding over small rises. It plunged joyfully into a snowdrift, spraying sparkling snow into the air, and, unfaltering, loped to the top of a long hill. There it paused in the shade of a few firs, breathing deeply, but not in the least winded.
The wolf's ears flicked back and forth and its nose twitched, unraveling the hidden story of the world. A quick mind sifted through the onslaught of information, picking out the pertinent details.
A second rabbit lay petrified beneath the boughs of the small fir, behind and to the left. The wolf's ears and nose provided this information, and it – she – could taste its fear. The four trees concealed no less than five old bird nests…no doubt they had been quarreled over all spring. The tiny vibrations of a family of field mice below were felt through her paws, and she resisted the urge to leap and pounce, scattering them. And much higher, up the mountain, she knew which snowfields were safe, and which were unstable, from the creaks and shifts deep within.
In her examination of her surroundings, a faint scent, borne over the mountain on a delicate waft of air, nearly escaped her. But not quite. It smelled of wolf, and of ancient things, savage wilderness, and of wrath, and of some things she could not place…but she knew the scent. The familiar trace brought with it a jumble of memories…disjointed thoughts and impressions. A hunt, the clash of steel, running, and…a promise? To another wolf?
Realization slowly dawned, and Kaze placed the scent with the great werewolf…daiwolf that they had been pursuing. They had fought it, she recalled, and it had evaded them. She and it had made the plunge off the cliff, both apparently surviving. After that…a strange, surreal vision. And then…
She did not know how she came to be here, did not know how long it had been between then and now. As if from a distant dream, she remembered hearing the song of wind and freedom, feeling the boundless energy of a wild, untamed spirit, soaring with a fierce joy in life. As these memories started to overtake her again, she turned her back on a feeling that seemed to call her to the daiwolf, as it had many others like her. She sniffed with disdain. She could not be controlled in such a manner; her destiny was her own.
Just as she was about to forsake that place and the chained souls beyond the mountain, she caught another scent. This one was more familiar to her and brought with it images of spiky black hair, warm blue eyes, and an easy, friendly smile. Izaak!
He had been there too, hadn't he? Of course! It all came flooding back in a rush. And now he was there, the two scents mingling, originating from the same place over the mountain. Which meant that he had gone to take on the daiwolf by himself. Alone.
Idiot! She couldn't allow that! He'd go and get himself killed.
Kaze leapt down the hill, following the scents to their source, deep into the mountains. She felt an awful sense of urgency, and pressed herself to greater speed. Lengthening her stride, she felt her pace increasing, driving her legs ever faster.
Gradually, a change occurred, though she didn't notice. She kept to all fours, but appeared somewhat different from a wolf, larger perhaps, with sharper ears, more strongly muscled arms, and a longer body that arced with each stride, springing her forward. Wind whipped past her as she blurred over the mountains toward her destination.
* * * * *
It took the better part of the day, even at her incredible speed, for Kaze to near the location of interest, and the sun had begun to sink to the horizon, lengthening shadows. Once again she had entered a wooded area, the trees sparsely planted here, as they existed much higher in the mountains. She could tell by the scent that she was close; the smell of countless other werewolves also permeated the area. She frowned. They smelled…more tame? Was that the word she was looking for? Wild still, and fierce…but less of…something…than the daiwolf had.
So focused on her thoughts was she, that she didn't notice a second creature's presence until it had nearly drawn even with her. She jumped to the side, startled, even as she continued running on her chosen course, through flickering light and shadow. She glanced once at it; did a double-take. Yep, it was another werewolf, solid slate gray in color, with brown eyes. He was traveling on two legs, gauru-style, instead of four as she was, and she realized she must have slowed down some when she became lost in her thoughts, otherwise he could not have caught up with her.
She examined him from the corner of her eye. He was not moving to attack. Her brow wrinkled in confusion, or would have if she were human, unsure as to his intentions.
Her hesitation must have showed, however. He glanced at her curiously. Greetings, pack-mate, he hailed, as he matched her pace. You are used to a life of solitude, as are the rest of us.
Again, words without words, just as in her dream. She frowned inwardly, trying to puzzle it out, even as another part of her bristled at the insolent assumption that she could be called "pack-mate." She was free and independent, did not need or want the burden of some…pack. How dare he? She didn't even know the guy. Her lip curled in derision, unveiling pearly white canines.
He seemed to read her mind. Take it easy, friend. We are all we can count on in this world. We live so scattered apart that mutual alliances are almost impossible to come by, and valuable when found. He looked forward to their shared path. Is that not why you are here? The legend is true, after all! A gathering of werewolves.
She regarded him warily.
He continued, oblivious, a spark of intense…something alighting within his eyes. An end to our suffering, to our isolation, to our relentless, cruel persecution. Can you not feel it? he exclaimed, with mounting passion. The call, tugging at our hearts, minds, our very essence.
She considered. Indeed, she did feel something, but it was not so very strong to her, as it seemed to be to this one. And she regarded it with distaste. Her life was her own, and the very thought of something tugging her in any certain direction caused her to resist it, if only to prove that she could.
We will sweep through the lands with such freedom! Nothing shall stand in our way.
Kaze tried to recall if Izaak had ever explained how these previous raids he had talked about had ended. She didn't know, but the very fact that these happenings were relegated to legend, and that very few knew of them, left her doubtful as to their lasting success.
You have misgivings. Either you have been away so long that the solitude is engrained deeply in your heart, or you have not been with us long enough and do not yet know what the agony of extended separation from your former human race is like. He turned to her. Tell me, is the grief still fresh in you mind? The pain of knowing you cannot ever rejoin your friends, your family? Do you still mourn for the loss of the life you once had?
Umm…no. She had carefully been trying not to think about it actually, to focus on the task at hand as Izaak would want and expect her to. But now that this werewolf had mentioned it, all her fears came flooding to the forefront of her mind.
What would Izaak do, once he saw her? She clearly remembered the tale of his hometown, and what the werewolves had done. She had tried to read his feelings at the time…he hadn't expressed a hatred for werewolves, but perhaps he was just keeping his emotions in check. Would he turn his back on her, once he saw what she had become? Would he choose to remain cold and indifferent? Or, would he fire upon her in anger and hatred? Kaze felt distinctly that she had deeply betrayed him by becoming this monster, and she nearly despaired.
The werewolf at her side felt her roiling emotions. Ah, I see.
Yeah right. You don't even know the half of it. Jerk.
But take heart! You will be welcomed into a new family, I feel it. We all will! Tell me, what will you do when we finally reach him, the one who calls? When we join together at last, and begin our dance of freedom!
What. An. Idiot. Blind, ignorant, stupid, turning his back on all that he once knew…could he not see what he was doing? Destroying the very homes and lives he once loved and yearned for?
Kaze knew exactly what she would do. Destroy them all, these mad, hopeless beings, once human, but no longer. Rip them apart, scatter them into the winds. A great anger rose within her. She'd plow a path straight through to their marvelous leader, the Fallen One…how appropriate, she sneered…and rip out his heart for all that he had done, for being the cause of her own anguish…
Too late, the wolf read her murderous intent, though she quickly tried to squash those feelings. He turned surprised eyes upon her. Then they narrowed. His expression became a snarl, baring sharp teeth, and he raised black claws, planning to bring them down into her neck and back.
Quickly she turned into the larger form, rage fueling her speed, and made a half-leap upwards towards his exposed throat. She called for more power, and, as strength flowed into her veins, she unknowingly transformed again. The sudden surge of both her powerful back legs and an increase in size brought her teeth to his throat. In a split second he was caught in a vise-like grip; she gave her head a quick jerk, something snapped…and he went limp.
Kaze immediately released him. Their momentum had carried them forwards, down a steep, nearly vertical hill. She pivoted, mid-leap, to face him as his body fell away, feet breaking hard into the ground when she landed. The body tumbled down a short ways before trees arrested its fall.
She now regarded him, emotionlessly. Instinct told her that he wasn't dead yet; werewolves could take an insane amount of damage. But she had lost interest in the fight now that he was immobile, and chose to leave him be.
She cocked her head, recognizing that the form she now had was the same as the other werewolf's. What had Izaak called this? Guaru Form? She examined her hands to find that they were human-like, with long silver claws, and she now stood upright, balanced by her tail. Interesting.
Her musings were cut short, however, when she became aware of sounds floating on the wind. She turned to look down the hill through the trees.
The ground flattened out, the trees ended, and there, on thin, snow-covered dirt, at the edge of a cliff, was a town. Though mountain peaks rose in the distance behind it, it seemed perched at the very tip of the world.
It was very old and appeared to be abandoned. Many of the wooden structures were supported, at least in part, by stone blocks for extra stability. But, even so, Kaze was amazed that it had lasted as well as it did in the harsh conditions here on the mountain. Indeed, the flat ground was almost bare of snow, evidence of strong winds blowing through unhindered. Hard, frozen dirt was laid bare in some spots. It seemed to be more of an outpost than a full town, with the buildings arranged in a rough circle around a clearing, which contained the smashed remains of what Kaze thought to be a wooden water tower, as well as a tower of logs stacked in a square. This was clearly meant to be something lit on fire, but for what purpose? Signal flames, perhaps?
Nearer the cliff, behind and to the left of the town center, from Kaze's point of view, stood a large, stone church, whose roof seemed to have collapsed. A small bell tower (now with no bell) rose above wide, double doors, which were broken and hung down from their hinges.
To the right of the church, and just beyond it, Kaze spied a bridge. Narrow, and constructed entirely of stone, it arced grandly over the abyss, catching the sinking sun, to the mountain on the other side. She stared for a moment in wonder. Why had such a thing been built? How had it been built? She judged it to be over a mile in length.
Her attention turned back to the town when a flash of movement caught her eye. Werewolves. Three of them, with perhaps more hidden out of sight within the buildings. A growl rose up inside her throat. Her ears stood at attention, and she lowered her head, staring at them intently.
It was time to hunt.
* * * * *
to be continued…
