It was raining heavily, and Renee was drenched. Her mistress would not allow her to sit in on her meeting with the huntsman, so she was sitting by the gates, waiting. It didn't take very long. Twenty minutes for him to get in, and then out of the castle. She morphed back into Nymphan form when she saw him leave the castle, running after him as he strode through the gates, heading towards the woods.
"What did she want?" she asked him.
"Nothing," he said. "A small favor."
"How small?" she asked. He stopped.
"I'd rather not say," he said.
"She asked you to kill someone, didn't she?" Renee said.
He hesitated, and then nodded, walking again.
"Are you going to?" she asked.
"She said she would outlaw the hunting of wolves in her realm. And that she would enforce it," he said.
"Did you make her swear to it?" she asked. He nodded.
They walked in silence for a while, the rain falling less heavily through the trees than outside of the forest.
He stopped suddenly, and she walked on for a few more steps before turning to look at him.
"How did she get your Name?" he asked.
"We made a deal," she said.
"Tell me."
She would never have told anyone else. But she trusted him. She wanted him to know.
"I am a Nymphan-wolf shifter," she said. "My mother was dying. In return for my Name, my mistress cast a spell, binding Mother to a wooden wand made from Mother's own tree. Mother carries it with her, and she lives."
"You saved your mother's life at the cost of your own?" he asked.
"I am still alive," she said.
He shook his head. "You're a Wolven Shifter. You should be free. It's not living if you have to do everything your told without question."
They were silent for a few minutes.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
He looked startled. "Why would you want to know that?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I'm curious."
He chuckled. "Rornek," he said.
"Rornek," she repeated.
He put a finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone," he said.
She nodded solemnly. "Not a soul," she said.
"What about you?" he asked. "My name?" she asked. He nodded.
"Renee," she said, and she was happier then than she'd ever been in her entire life.
"What did she want?" she asked him.
"Nothing," he said. "A small favor."
"How small?" she asked. He stopped.
"I'd rather not say," he said.
"She asked you to kill someone, didn't she?" Renee said.
He hesitated, and then nodded, walking again.
"Are you going to?" she asked.
"She said she would outlaw the hunting of wolves in her realm. And that she would enforce it," he said.
"Did you make her swear to it?" she asked. He nodded.
They walked in silence for a while, the rain falling less heavily through the trees than outside of the forest.
He stopped suddenly, and she walked on for a few more steps before turning to look at him.
"How did she get your Name?" he asked.
"We made a deal," she said.
"Tell me."
She would never have told anyone else. But she trusted him. She wanted him to know.
"I am a Nymphan-wolf shifter," she said. "My mother was dying. In return for my Name, my mistress cast a spell, binding Mother to a wooden wand made from Mother's own tree. Mother carries it with her, and she lives."
"You saved your mother's life at the cost of your own?" he asked.
"I am still alive," she said.
He shook his head. "You're a Wolven Shifter. You should be free. It's not living if you have to do everything your told without question."
They were silent for a few minutes.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
He looked startled. "Why would you want to know that?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I'm curious."
He chuckled. "Rornek," he said.
"Rornek," she repeated.
He put a finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone," he said.
She nodded solemnly. "Not a soul," she said.
"What about you?" he asked. "My name?" she asked. He nodded.
"Renee," she said, and she was happier then than she'd ever been in her entire life.