The Secret of Her Forest

by Meemie

It's been five years since Brendan returned to Kells. The abbey is booming in population and everyone is looking ahead to the future. However, as time marches on, Aisling refuses to walk with it. She grows more protective of her forest everyday as the villagers expand their territory into her territory. As the war between the abbey and Aisling rages on, her past reveals itself.

3. Chapter 3: Cries of the Night

Chapter 3

Cries of the Night

I thunder through the dense woods, my four legs crashing against the forest floor. It is night, so I cannot see the path in front of me very clearly. However, not a single twig is snapped. I've run through each path so many times, I have memorized every step in the forest. I've had decades to commit them all to memory. I don't need to see in order to run as silent as a ghost in the forest. A small whisper of the occasional growl or snarl come from behind me. They are from a pack of wolves with fur as dark as the night that engulfs them. They're not after me, though. They're following me, their wolf leader.

My run slows to a trot and the rest of my pack does the same. I creep up against the thick bushes, covered in ruby red thorns. There are small spaces in between the branches that an orange glow bleed through. Beyond the bushes is a small group of people, surrounding the fire. A cloth tent behind them casts shadows into the woods. There is a man organizing supplies in his bag. His wife tends to the fire close by his side. There are two sons that play with a few dead twigs on the ground, counting them and recounting the amount that each child has. The fire in the middle sends flames high into the sky, breathing a thick smoke into the branches above. My wolf pack gathers around all sides of the clearing. The wolf across from me gives a nod saying they are in position. I snarl and the rest of the pack advances.

They advance slowly and calm like a predator ready to pounce. The family notices right away and their eyes grow wide. All of them stand up at once and the boys run into the mother's arms seeking comfort. The man then comforts the mother. I watch from the cover of the forest as the pack slowly advances. The father's eyes search for an opening, some escape, some glimmer of hope. He finds it and his finger shoots upward, gesturing to the wide gap in the formation formed by the wolves. The family warily eyes the wolves and dashes for the woods. The mother holds the hands of both the children as they try to keep their footing with their tiny legs. I watch their retreating backs vanish into the forest, leaving behind their tent, supplies, and roaring fire.

The pack of wolves stop, waiting patiently for my command. I give off a short bark and three of the wolves pursue the family. They know not to hurt them. Just to drive them away. In fact, their entire escape was planned. I made sure there was a way for them to get away, conveniently placed in the direction of Kells. They're probably travelers that want to settle in the abbey. They're just going to get there a bit sooner than expected and, unfortunately, without their belongings.

I emerge from the bushes into the clearing, howling as I do so. The rest of the pack retreat into the woods, their job completed. I approach the blaze with a curtain of mist following my every step. The white wisps fall in sheets down onto the fire. The fire suffocates from the moist air, growing smaller and smaller until nothing more than an ember is left. In one swift motion, I stamp on the flame, extinguishing the last of the orange light. The smoke runs thin and almost vanishes completely.

I keep my foot on the charred wood, staring downwards and letting my tail droop. It feels like I don't have the energy to lift my head. When I saw the children run to their mom, it hurt me to see them. The mother hugged them so tightly, so lovingly. It made me feel alone. When was the last time I felt that? It was literally centuries ago. I've been alone for so long and I haven't really felt companionship until a few years ago, when I met the one person that I could call my friend. In the light of recent events, I'm starting to lose him, too.

Somehow, I find the energy to look up. Even though there is no more fire, the stars in the sky make the night almost as clear as day. The moon is especially brilliant tonight. However, the leaves that were once green above are pitch dark. They were hurt by the thick smoke. I hang my head again and turn to leave the clearing, letting the comfort of the forest engulf me within it's shadows.