This is dedicated to my friend LeKnowingUnicorn (his name on Wattpad) and his new-found love! CONGRATULATIONS! Please don't hate me D':
Anyways enjoy, please note there is a violent scene with descriptive features, don't read if you can't stomach it.
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Bitter winds screamed in my face, clawing at my throat with cruel talons that scraped it raw. My eyes stung in the blizzard, despite me trying to shade them with my bleeding pads. My ivory fur was lightly sprinkled with icy diamonds that rested stubbornly upon my thick coat; refusing to be swept off even with a violent shake. The pathetic bag I carried in my jaws was frozen stiff, and my neck ached from carrying it for hours on end. My legs were weak, but I had made a decision in my mind to make it to Stonefall before sun rise. I plundered on, not once daring to glance back towards the city that desperately beckoned me back.
The sky was a crystal clear blue, perhaps a shade too bright, and adorned with swirling grey clouds that growled ominously; threatened to release a blizzard from its stone-cold prison. Me and Autumn were both in our human forms, though Toboe was in his wolf form. He had explained that it was more comfortable that way, and he could bypass it because he was only a pup, not an unorthodox size compared to the few rogue dogs that wandered the neighbourhood.
Autumn was clutching her stomach, her wrinkled brow face betraying her elatedness. We had all stuffed ourselves with food before we left, considering we probably wouldn't be eating for awhile. Autumn and I shared the same reservations about this problem, but Toboe was unfazed, relieved even. When we were back at the pub, he never seemed to eat much, only nibbling at meagre portions every three or four days. It puzzled me slightly, and caused me to ponder about the pup's background, and where he could have possibly come from.
I couldn't work it out.
Toboe's personality was made up of various jigsaw pieces, pieces that didn't seem to fit together quite yet. He was so adorably naive, yet he showed flashes of wisdom far beyond his years. And although he should have been utterly clueless in this city –having claimed he had only arrived here a few weeks ago for the first time- but he was almost as well-rounded as a local. He knew every stall, and often stopped to chat with shopkeepers as though they were life-long friends, the shopkeepers, of course, were utterly clueless. This act was most commonly followed by a sheepish grin and a "Gomen, you look like someone I know..." or something similar. He was so young, and yet...
"Summer!" A sharp call of my name shattered the webbed illusion of clues I had assembled, and regrettably, lost all progress on Toboe's jigsaw. I loved games, and I had a feeling this was to be yet a minor puzzle in a larger game, one not controlled by those who walked beside me, rather by the one we were following.
"Anou...Summer?" I looked down with mild surprise to find Toboe nervously grinning at me, his head cocked to one side in a cute manner.
"Hmmm?" I relied nonchalantly, wanted to seem interested while occupying my own thoughts.
"Autumn wants you to hurry up or she'll..." Toboe trailed off and his gaze drifted to spot behind me.
"She'll what?" Toboe ducked and I realised my mistake before the words finished forming in my mouth. A hard, compacted snowball hit me full in the face.
"Bulls-eye!" I slipped on the sleek ice, falling ungraciously on my backside with a crunch. Toboe immediately bent down, his wide golden eyes brimming with worry.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I stood up, glaring at my sister before grabbing a large handful of the snow near my feet. "But she won't be!" My sister started to run, still laughing outrageously. But the snow was at least knee-height, and she kept stumbling, laughing too hard to gain proper balance. I was gaining on her, and I changed swiftly into wolf form; dropping my snow but propelling forwards a few crucial feet. Now I'm close enough! I thought triumphantly. I leaped on a small, jutting rock, transforming to my human form. My sister put her hands on her temples, pulling faces.
"3, 2, 1!"
My sister fell to the floor, a thin stream of red spurting from her chest. I dropped the snow as a lead weight crashed on my mind, shattering everything.
"Autumn!"I screamed, leaping from the slippery rock and crashing towards her. Grief dropped like a cold stone in the pit of my stomach. She can't be gone! We were going to Paradise, together! In my haste I forgot to check my surroundings, forgot who had shot the cursed bullet, forgot to worry for my own life.
"Summer wait!" I heard Toboe choke out a warning to me and I stopped instinctively. Another bullet buried itself in the soft, new fallen snow a whiskers breadth away from my eye. I glanced up, following its trajectory.
He stood, his rifle resting on one shoulder and aimed it at my head. He had grabbed Toboe round the neck and head-locked him, rendering him immobile; almost choking him completely, seconds away from potentially crushing his windpipe. He wore a tattered brown cloak and a low resting hat. He wasn't young, and had shaggy, untamed grey hair and harsh slate grey eyes that glimmered like a predator that'd caught his prey.
"Who are you?!" I growled, my rage rising.
"Your worst enemy...wolf." He grinned manically, and aimed the gun for my head. "Goodnight." He pulled the trigger.
I tensed, knowing my freezing breathes would no longer crystallise in the air for much longer. But the pain never came, my breathing continued. When I opened my eyes I saw a huge white wolf wrestling with the old man, his razor jaws clamped around the rifle. The man was raging, fighting with all his might, but the wolf was stronger. He jumped back, wrenching the gun from the old man's hands; leaving the vulnerable human lying in the snow, his eyes still burning with hatred. The wolf transformed into a young man, and pointed the gun at the man's head.
"No! Don't kill him!" I yelled, startling the boy. As he glanced at me the old man saw his chance and leapt for him. But the boy swung a high kick aimed for his face, making the man fly a few feet away, crashing against a pine tree with a sickening thud. I struggled through the snow, desperate to reach the man. When I reached him I could see his breath freezing in the air, and I could hear the steady thump-thump of his ageing heart.
"What are you doing?" I saw the boy scowling quizzically at me, his mouth pulled down in a frown.
"I- uh...I was seeing if he was okay."
"He's a human." The boy stated simply.
"So?"
"You shouldn't care for humans. Don't get attached or you will end up being hurt."
"You can't tell me what to do." I replied childishly, becoming defensive at his accusation.
"No. I can't." He turned his back to me. "But the humans cannot be trusted. They hate our kind, and I've lived through the hatred many times. The only place for us is Paradise."
"What do you mean? You've lived through what?" I said, confused. How old was he exactly? 'Lived through', what had he experienced? He turned his head, staring at me with an unwavering gaze. He had calculating icy blue eyes that seemed to see right through me, making me shiver subconsciously.
"You should see if your sister is okay." He turned away and began to walk away, easily striding through the snow.
"Wait!" He paused, but didn't turn around. A gelid wind swept viciously across the flat land, chilling me to the bone and ruffling my hair. I shivered violently, but the boy just stood there, as though the wind never existed.
"Kiba?" Toboe had pulled himself to his feet and was staring incredulously at the white wolf. The boy turned round, a faint smile ghosting his impassive features.
"Hey Toboe. How's the search going?"
"I haven't seen anyone else yet." Toboe sighed. "Have you?"
"Up till now, no one."
"So what are you doing here?"
"I heard there were wolves in this city, so I decided to travel here. Seems like I found you though."
"Well... we're searching for another wolf actually." Kiba's ears pricked up. "She ran off, and we think she's heading for Stonefall."
"Wait, Toboe, do you know this wolf? I thought you said you'd lived in the city all your life! How could you have possible met him?" I was so confused; nothing seemed to be making sense!
"Summer," I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, sis."
"Autumn?! You're okay!" I embraced her, feeling a pang of guilt that I hadn't gone to see if she was okay immediately. I didn't want to confirm if she was... dead. "Thank the skies you're okay!"
"You'll kill me if you don't let me breathe!" Summer gasped. I released her instantly, not wanting to aggravate her injury. That reminded me.
"Autumn, where's the bullet?" A flash of realisation crossed her face and she gingerly pointed to a point just below her collarbone. "Autumn! We've got to get it out or you'll be poisoned!"
"But I can't really feel it, why does it matter?" I suspected it was the shock that made her uncoordinated to the pain. I knew lead poisoning was inevitable if I left the bullet embedded in her skin, but how was I supposed to get it out?
"Just trust me."
"I do." Autumn reassured me with an open smile, and I couldn't help but feel sad at her cluelessness. It was going to hurt, a lot. I didn't think I could cause my beloved sister so much agony. There was also the fact that she was the one who had been studying for a medical degree... she was more qualified to perform the operation but I knew it was impossible.
"You can't do it here." It was Kiba.
"What?!" I exclaimed, incredulous at the thought of risking the poisoning.
"One: That old man's not going to unconscious for much longer. Two: There's a blizzard on the way."
"A blizzard?" Toboe asked fearfully. Kiba was silent. I was getting the feeling that Kiba wasn't really the talkative type.
"So what do we do genius?" Autumn panted, and I hoped the shock wasn't wearing off so soon. I knew shock could be deadly in some cases, but it also prevented the full extent of the pain. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't get rid of the bullet in a blizzard, and Autumn was just going to have to endure it. The bleeding was not an issue, at least, not yet.
"We go back to the cave, and we wait."
"Cave? Kiba, you found a cave!" Toboe exclaimed, relief shining in his eyes.
"Where is it? We need to go, now!" Summer grunted in pain, clenching her teeth and clutching the wound. I bit my tongue to avoid spitting insults at the others, especially Kiba. I felt like it was his fault, but really, it wasn't. I just wanted to blame someone so I wouldn't feel guilty about letting her get hurt.
"Kiba?" The white wolf was trotting away, leaving a wide gouge in the snow. Toboe following without hesitation, and it made me wonder how well they actually knew each other. I was looking forward to the explanation. I offered Autumn a hand, but she shook her head and I could see a determined glint in her clear sky-blue eyes. She trudged ahead, leaving me to pad on behind her.
The blizzard raged outside, desperately battering the edges of the cave, screaming in rage in its effort to get to us. Toboe was huddled in a corner, casting nervous glances toward Summer and me. I was slumped against the eroded back wall, breathing heavily and clawing at my wound subconsciously. Summer sat beside me silently, motionless except to apply pressure to the wound or encourage me everything was okay. Kiba was stood near the mouth, his faraway blue gaze fixed on the furious grey sky.
There was something about the aloof white wolf that was... tempting. He was fairly handsome, and had head of rough brown hair. His manner was quite mysterious, and he didn't say much. A dark grey jacket and ripped jeans only accentuated the fact he was feral, uncontrollable and unpredictable. I was wary of him, but also interested. I hoped he wouldn't be so cold to me as long as he was here.
"Hey... Summer? Is she- is she okay?" Toboe stuttered nervously.
"I'm fine Toboe, don't worry ab-" I grunted in pain as another wave of agony seized me. Summer clutched my free hand, her eyes threatening to spill over with salty streams. I could tell my injury was causing as much agony to her as it was to me. I knew she could barely watch as I writhed uncontrollably, but she was helpless. She had no tools, no antiseptic or numbing cream, nothing that would make the operation go smoothly. I could practically smell the anxious anger radiating from her pelt.
"She'll be fine, won't she?" Toboe fretted, turning to Kiba. "Kiba? What are you looking at?"
"The snow."
"Why? What's so interesting about the snow?! My sister is in agony and you're watching the snow?" She growled, her anger spilling over in a tide of helpless rage. Kiba didn't react, just turned his head a fraction so I could see into his icy blue eyes. My sister didn't flinch.
"Hey, hey! Summer calm down, I can practically see the steam coming from your ears!" I gasped jokingly, hoping there was a pleading look in my glazed blue focus. She snapped back to reality with a jerk and realised she needed to stay calm, despite the situation.
"Sorry." She muttered, and I felt guilt rising like bitter bile in my throat. I didn't know why. Kiba gave a slight nod, and turning back to the dulcifying attitude of the storm. A few graceful snowflakes fluttered into the cave, landing elegantly on the jagged, coal-blackened rock at our feet. I felt a faint smile tug at my lips, but an overwhelming sadness still dragged at my heart. Silence followed my sister's hesitant apology, the bone-chilling winds becoming quieter and quieter until they faded completely.
"We should go." Kiba announced, striding over to where I was staring intently at the opposite wall with half-closed eyes. In one swift movement he swung me gently into the air, carrying me bridal-style out of the cave. I felt a wave of heat rise to my face, and I was glad Toboe and Summer were trailing behind; and I tried to avoid catching the eye of the white wolf. After what seemed like hours I felt sleep turning my eyelids to lead. The soft swaying of Kiba's walk was strangely soothing, and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness.
A large battered sign swung miserably above my head, creaking in the swirling winds of the blizzard. The town looked bleak and deserted, benches and market stalls abandoned in the panicked rush to shelter from the storm. Although the initial ferociousness was subsiding, it still growled defiantly around me. Taking advantage of the wreckage, I fumbled through the stalls until I found a large black and purple backpack, some thick grey gloves and a large bluey-purple coat. I pulled the coat on hastily, instantly shutting out the worst of the winds, the gloves providing the first heat my hands had felt in hours. I unzipped the bag, emptying the plastic packaging onto the floor. There was no time to worry about littering now. The storm would be over soon, and so would the opportunity for free food. Making my way carefully over to one of the stalls, I found several baskets of slightly cold bread. I picked out the best, stowing them in my bag.
The scent of fresh meat made my head snap up instinctively, and picking my way through the rubble, I found battered shop metres away. The sign said Marksman and Sons, but it didn't make any sense to me. I found a cracked counter piled high with large cuts of meat, and my mouth watered involuntarily. I reached out to grab the food, but hesitated inches away. I didn't want bloody, soggy bread or the bottom of my bag to get damp. It seemed like forever before I found a pile of plastic bags trapped underneath a pile of books, and only a few seemed to be ripped. I began packing until I heard a shrill shriek behind me.
"Thief! Thief!" I spun around instantly to see a young girl pointing an accusing finger at me. I realised with a jolt that I could no longer hear the storm outside. I could see the pale faces of frightened villagers gathering around the shop. There aren't many people considering it's a village, I pondered. There was about a dozen, half of them younger than me; but I brushed this aside as I noticed their expressions. A sick feeling of dread enveloped me as I saw the grim determination on the faces of the villagers; these people weren't going to let me get away unscathed. I gulped, trying not to flicker into my wolf form and streak away. I couldn't see any disguised wolves in the crowd, so that most likely meant these villagers were as clueless as the rest of the humans about the existence of wolves.
"Wait! I- I can explain! I was-" My plea was cut short as a stone struck my shin, and I felt the split skin well instantly with warm blood. I gritted my teeth and began to limp backwards, raising my hands in defeat. "You can have everything back! I promise I won't take anything, I won't ever come back!"
"No, you won't take anything." A wizened old man stepped forwards, a psychotic smile plastered on his face. "And you will never need to come back, because you will never leave."
"What do you mean?!" I asked, alarmed. A glint of metal caught my eye, and I noticed that every person had a knife or gun tucked in their belts. The child who had caught me earlier smirked and picked up another stone.
"This is gonna be fun." She giggled, tossing the jagged stone from one hand to the other.
"You're crazy!" I yelled; panic surging over me like a wave. "Let me go! You can have everything back, just leave me alone!"
"But where's the fun in that?" The girl asked innocently, her wide blue eyes shining with anticipation. She smirked devilishly. "Children like to have fun you know."
"You wouldn't dare, you little brat." I snarled, feeling the thin thread snap inside my brain. I felt rage and darkness consume me like ravenous predator. The girl's eyes sparked and became pools of hatred.
"Brat?! How dare you! You're as good as dead, thief!"
She lunged at me and I leaned to the left, avoiding applying pressure to my bloodied shin. She foresaw my dodge, and as she flew past she struck out with a fist and clouted my temple. The force felled me onto one knee, droplets of blood darkening on the worn concrete. The blow was unexpected, but it shouldn't have been that strong, I thought angrily. I staggered to my feet, my vision blurry and the world spinning slightly. I scowled at the girl, and she raised her fist, my blood dripping from the metal plates that covered her knuckles.
"I didn't know we were playing dirty." I implied nonchalantly.
"You can't even beat a little girl like me?" She mocked. Her face darkened. "How pathetic."
"Oh?" It wasn't me who replied casually, at least, that's what I like to believe. I screamed inside my own head, trapped in a cage of swirling madness. Don't do it! Don't kill her! I had lost control, lost to the bloodlust, lost to my insanity.
"Die!" The girl lunged forward powerfully, extending her thorn-sharp blade for a finishing blow. I crouched, springing metres into the air. The girl skidded to a halt with shock, right underneath me. Move! Move out of the way! She couldn't hear me. Helplessness gripped me and I begged for her soul to be guided safely to wherever she needed to be.
I fell like a stone, landing precisely on the top of her head and forcing her to the ground. Her head hit the concrete, her skull shattering instantly. I stepped away, watching as the grey sludge seeped into the cracks.
"Such a waste." I yawned, kicking the lifeless corpse. It rolled away, leaving a bloody stain and dull, sickly grey lumps seeping from the open side of her head. One wide blue eye stared blankly from a seat of concrete, and I splattered it under my foot. I turned to the bandit villagers, beckoning with an outstretched hand. Everyone backed away, dropping their weapons. I took one step forward and they fled like frightened rabbits, scattering in all directions. Once they were out of sight, I felt pain in my chest, searing like a burning flame. I fell to the ground, my breathing becoming shallow and beads of sweat forming on my head. My muscles seized up, and I felt my bones ache unbearably. Unable to contain the agony I raised my head and screamed. The pain subsided and I felt a bone-weary tiredness grip me. I crawled into a small hollow underneath a rock and curled into a tight ball, motionless except for shivering in an uncomfortable cold-sweat. I finally slipped into my dreams, hoping that when I awoke the madness would have gone.