Chapter 2

I Wish It Were A Dream

It was a hot morning in a village near a mountain covered by a forest. In a large tent that resembles native American huts, a girl with grayish-white hair sleeps. She looks to be around ten years old. A woman with a soft tone wakes her up. The little girl slowly wakes up and looks at the woman.

The little girl focuses on the woman standing over her. The woman has white hair and fair skin. Her eyes are blue, and she is petite. She has fur clothes like native Americans. The woman also has some unique features: animal ears and a tail. The woman calls to the little girl.

"Adolpha, it's time to get up… come, sweetie, it's time to go…. your father is outside waiting."

Adolpha is the name of the little girl. She finally wakes and gets excited. Adolpha starts to get ready. She puts on her fur clothes and brushes her short hair. She, too, has blue eyes. A loud man's voice from outside calls them.

Adolpha looks at the woman, her mother, walking to another bed. She tells someone else to wake up. Adolpha hears a boy's voice say that he wants to sleep more. Her mother takes the blanket, and we see a boy with the same traits as them.

The boy looks for the blanket. Adolpha hears the man's voice call to them again.

"Adolpha, Ardolph, get up; we need to get going"!

Ardolph was Adolpha's brother. Ardolph wanted to sleep some more, but their mother insisted he get up. Adolpha, ready, runs to them and jumps on Ardolph. He wakes up screaming. Ardolph looks and sees Adolpha on top of him. He tells her to get off.

Their mother tells Ardolph to get up. Ardolph was older than Adolpha. He looks to be in his teens. He has a well-shaped body. He also has some scars. His mother asks about the previous day. Ardolph gets ready and tells her that practice was hard. She smiles and tells him to keep at it.

The finish and head out. The sun beams on them, and they cover their eyes. They adjust their vision and see a large muscular man standing before them. The man has long gray-black hair. His ears had a more distinct look. They resemble wolf ears. The man turns to the kids. He has brown eyes and scars on his body. He wore fur pants and shoes. He has some bands on his biceps.

This was their father. The kids run to him and hug him. Their father smiles at them. Other villagers pass and greet him.

"Good morning, chief Alarick."

Alarick, their father, was the chief of the village. Their village was known as the Gray Wolf Tribe. Their tribe resembles native American culture. Chief Alarick greeted his people back. His kids were proud of him. The villagers asked him where they were headed. Chief Alarick told them that they were going to camp by the river.

They wish the kids fun and left to do some duties. Chief Alarick picks up a bag with camping supplies. The children's mother comes out with a basket. They were ready and started to head out. The remaining villager's women, men, and children wave to them. They were also wolf-beast-men. The kids were playing and then began to fight. Ardolph was bigger and muscular, so he was winning. Adolpha was getting upset and annoyed. Ardolph laughs.

"Ardolph, stop it. I don't want to play anymore…. Dad, make him stop."

Alarick laughs and tells Adolpha if she is going to quit. He waves at her to come. She runs to him. Alarick whispers in her ear. Adolpha runs to Ardolph and pinches him. Ardolph gets mad and tries to get her back. Adolpha dodges, and Ardolph gets mad.

Alarick and his wife laugh. They make it to the entrance of the village. Warriors were protecting it. They greet chief Alarick. Chief Alarick asks them about any problems, and they say no. He then tells them his plans. They leave the village.

Ardolph picks up a stick and pretends it's a sword. Adolpha was running around looking at various things. They were happily walking to their destination. After some time, Adolpha was looking at some animals. She ran after a bunny. When she realized where she was, her parents and brother were gone.

Adolpha panics and screams for her parents.

"Mom, Dad, where are you? Ardolph, please help me"!

Adolpha begins to cry. She then hears a scream. This scares her, and she runs. She didn't know where she was heading, but the screaming frightened her. The screams become louder, and Adolpha trips and falls. Adolpha gets up and sees the village. Flames engulf it. Women and the children are screaming. Adolpha hears her dad telling people to run.

Adolpha feels someone grab her. She turns to see a shadowy figure hold her. It scares her, and Adolpha screams. She crouches and covers her ears. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was in a dark space. She hears Ardolph happily laughing, the chatter of her mother and father. Adolpha sees a white light.

Adolpha opens her eyes when the sound of a door opening is heard. Adolpha was in a dark room, lying on a bed. She gets up and looks at a doorway. A man walks in and greets her. It looked like the sun was barely rising. The man has a deep southern voice.

"Hello, my beautiful princess. How did you sleep"?

Adolpha said nothing. The sun was slowly revealing her. She was taller, and her hair was longer. Her hair was white like snow with no traces of gray. Adolpha was older, like in her teens. The sun reveals the man too. He was a tall and slim man. He was dark skin with brown eyes. The man has a small mustache which looks like he keeps clean.

The man wears a dark blue and purple finely made suit. He also wears a top hat that covers his hair. The man tells Adolpha to step closer. She moves towards him. She wears some plain worn-out clothes. The man calls for some maids that were outside. He then told them what to do.

"I want you to clean her and make her look pretty. We have guests arriving later today. This is the day I was waiting for. After seven years of moving and keeping her hidden, I finally get rid of some of the stress."

The maids begin to undress Adolpha. The man excuses himself and leaves. He walks to a large house and enters. Once inside, he has other servants and chefs working. He looks pleased and smiles.

"All my hard work to attain her. This will make me rich and move me up in the noble world. This auction must not fail today."

Outside a small building covered by an orchard, the maids wash Adolpha. Once they finish, they dress her in a beautiful blue dress. A collar with a black crystal was around her neck. The maids brush her hair and apply a little amount of make-up.

After the maids have finished, they leave Adolpha in the building that was a prison for her. There is a table, chair, and bed. The windows have iron bars. They go back to the house and report to the man. The man was ordering the servants. An older maid goes up to him.

"Lord Michael, we have finished preparing the young miss."

Lord Michael Ghana, a nobleman, was going to sell Adolpha in an auction. Lord Michael wanted to see Adolpha, so he went to the small cabin. He opens the door and sees her sitting on her chair. Lord Michael smiles in delight.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful…."

Lord Michael told the older maid to feed her while preparing for the auction. Tables were placed in the backyard and decorated. Lord Michael returned to the house and went upstairs. He went to a room, and it was his office. The room has several bookshelves and some paintings. It was well decorated.

Lord Michael went and sat at his desk. He takes some papers and looks at them. He reviewed documents for several hours while waiting for the event to start. A knock at the door made him stop what he was doing. The older maid, who happens to be the head maid, enters. She has a letter for him. Lord Michael takes it and looks at it. The seal of the king was on it. This made him nervous. Lord Michael tells the maid to leave. He opens the letter and reads it.

Lord Michael gets upset and slams the table.

"Why is this happening. A summons by the king! He couldn't….no, this said that other nobles have also been called. Could've someone ratted me out? If so, I need to make some plans. If I sell the girl today, then they'll have no proof. I will wait then."

Lord Michael got ready. It was getting late, and no one was showing up. This concerns him. The maids and chefs saw as Lord Michael began to get mad. Lord Michael goes to the front door and waits for guests. As it gets later, Lord Michael drinks to ease his frustration. He sees the light far in the distance.

Lord Michael cheers up a bit. He then sees a boat. Lord Michael goes to greet them. He gets disappointed when he sees two dirty men get off. They bow to Lord Michael and hand him some letters. Lord Michael opens one and reads it. He gets upset and opens another one. This letter upset him too, and he tore all of them.

Lord Michael walks back to the house. He goes and tells the servants to throw all the food away. He goes upstairs and locks himself in his office. Several minutes later, he comes out and gathers the servants. He explains that the auction is canceled.

Lord Michael has called all his servants to the backyard to deliver the news. He told them that he had some business in the capital. Lord Michael said that he would be leaving tomorrow. He calls the head maid. She steps forward. Lord Michael talks to her.

"During my absence, you are in charge. I am leaving some workers to keep this place clean for when I return. Keep an eye out, and don't let anyone come here. Keep in mind what would happen if my princess disappears."

The maid responds.

"Yes, Lord Michael, everything will be as you left it."

Lord Michael told the chefs to pack. He also picked the maids that would stay. The two dirty men were told to pick up some supplies. The men left the house. Lord Michael walks over to the cabin. He opens the door.

Adolpha was still sitting on her chair. Lord Michael calls her. Adolpha gets up and walks to him. Lord Michael grabs her hands. He stares at her with a smile. Adolpha looked to the side. Lord Michael speaks to her.

"Princess, you look beautiful, but unfortunately, you will have to spend more time with me. The auction is canceled. I have some business to attend to. Once that is done, we will continue. The head maid will take care of you, don't worry."

Adolpha said nothing. Lord Michael's smile disappeared, and he left. Adolpha turned around and took off the dress. She puts on her dirty clothes and wipes the make-up off. Adolpha drops on the bed and cries.

Lord Michael goes to the house and rests for the next day. The following morning Lord Michael ate breakfast, and some servants took out luggage. The two dirty men were bringing some supplies in. Lord Michael finishes and begins to head out.

The maids follow him to a dock. A boat with his luggage was waiting. Some servants were already on. Lord Michael gets on the ship. A servant begins to untie the rope. Lord Michael calls the two dirty men. They step forward. Lord Michael looks at them with a mean expression.

"Sam, Mike, clean yourselves off. You two will stay here to help bring whatever they need."

One of the men was tall and fat. He has short black hair and a thin mustache. This was Mike; he saluted Lord Michael. Mike told him that he would keep the place safe. Lord Michael rolls his eyes. The other man steps closer too.

This man was smaller and thinner. He also has black hair and a small mustache. His clothes were dirty and loose. This was Sam, and he, too, saluted Lord Michael. Lord Michael told Sam to keep an eye on Mike. Mike was shocked to hear that. Lord Michael's boat was departing. He looks at the men again.

"Don't fail me this time; if you do, then I won't have mercy."

Sam and Mike were scared. They saluted Lord Michael again. Mike told him that they would not screw up again. Sam nods his head. As the boat turned, Lord Michael told them something else. Sam and Mike couldn't hear. Lord Michael repeated it.

"I left Wolf here on the island, don't get in his way."

Sam and Mike look at each other. The maids were bowing to Lord Michael. Lord Michael looks at them as he leaves. The house he was in was built on an island. The island was pretty significant. It has an orchard surrounding it.

Lord Michael passes other smaller islands. They, too, have orchards. There were workers on the island. They see Lord Michael and wave to him. Lord Michael waves back. He then thinks about meeting the King.

"This could be a chance for me. If I play my cards right, I can climb higher as a noble. Anyone getting in my way will get eliminated. Some heads will roll."

Lord Michael laughs at the thought. Those people with him could feel his evil aura. They looked out at the islands and worried about what would happen. They reached land, and some carriages were waiting for them. Lord Michael gets into one alone. He leaves a town near the islands.

Back on the island, everyone has returned to the house. Sam and Mike take showers and change into something better. They sit on the couch and relax. The maids do some cleaning and feed Adolpha. It becomes late, and Mike and Sam are bored.

They laze in the living room drinking. Mike looks at Sam and wonders why Lord Michael gave them a second chance. Sam read a new paper while drinking. He looks over at Mike. He tells him about some things happening in the kingdom.

As it gets darker, the maids are eating dinner. Mike and Sam are fed, but they eat in the living room. After the maids are done, they wash the dishes and feed Adolpha. The head maid goes to talk to them. She tells them that they are forbidden to go upstairs.

Mike complains, but the head maid explains their situation. She tells them the girls will live upstairs while they two sleep downstairs. Sam understood, but Mike was upset. The head maid knew how Mike was looking at the girls.

After some arguing, Mike agrees. Mike goes into the kitchen to get some water. He sees a maid bringing in some dishes. Mike looks out a window and sees the cabin. Sam walks into the kitchen. He sees Mike looking outside.

"What are you staring at"?

Mike points at the cabin and asks Sam if he has seen Adolpha. Sam tells him that he has not seen her at all. Mike becomes curious and asks Sam if he wants to see her. Sam was not too sure, but Mike tried to convince him.

"Come on, what's the problem. We were told to guard the island. She is beautiful from what I heard."

Sam became scared. He told Mike that they were only there to help with supply runs. Mike kept pressuring him. Sam caves, and they go outside. They walk a few steps before Sam stops. Mike gets upset.

"Come, don't be afraid now. We are only going to go see her."

Sam looks around. He then asks about Wolf. Mike told him that it was alright. Mike continues to walk, and Sam runs to him. They reach the cabin and look at it. Mike looks for the window and wants to get a better look inside. Sam grabs Mike. Mike looks at Sam shaking.

"What is it? What's wrong"?

Sam points at a shadowy figure. The shadow moves and gets closer to them. Sam screams and runs back to the house. Mike tries to hold his own but gets scared and runs back to the house. The head maid was looking through a window upstairs. The shadowy figure leaves the area. Sam and Mike were back inside the house, breathing heavily. Some maids were putting things away and looking at them.

Sam smiles at the maids. Mike catches his breath and goes to the living room. Sam follows, and they sit. They didn't know what to do. Sam now wonders why Lord Michael choose them to stay. He asks Mike about it.

"Hey, Mike, do you think Lord Michaels trusts us"?

Mike looks at Sam. He reassures him that Lord Michaels has faith in them. Sam then brings up a job they messed up in. He reminds Mike about how mad Lord Michael was. Mike told Sam that the incident was not their fault. Sam becomes sad. Mike goes to the kitchen and finds a bottle of wine. He begins to drink again.

"They were slaves, to begin with. It wasn't my fault."

Mike goes back to the living room and drinks with Sam. It became late, and everyone was asleep. In the cabin, Adolpha looked through her window at the night sky. She wondered what her family was doing. Adolpha hears some noises and becomes scared. A large shadow passes by her window. Adolpha covers herself with a blanket. She uncovers her head and looks. After some time, she falls asleep.

The following day was like the previous one. In the morning, Adolpha eats breakfast. The maids wash her and then leave her. Adolpha sits in her chair or sleeps until noon. The maids come back and give her lunch. Adolpha sometimes does not finish her food.

Later Adolpha gets a rock she found and starts to draw on the walls. Her drawings weren't that great. They were pictures of her family and tribe. It became late, and they had just fed Adolpha dinner. The maids took her plates and left. Adolpha was sitting on her bed, looking at the sky.

The sun goes down, and the stars come out. Adolpha looks at them. She then hears the same noise from last night. Adolpha sees a shadow figure walk by again. She pretends to go to sleep. The shadow stops by the cabin and then walks away.

Adolpha goes to the window and looks. She sees the shadow go to the house and stare at it. It then moves out of view. Adolpha wonders what it is. She goes to sleep with that thought. The next day Adolpha wakes up to a strange sound. She gets up and looks out the window.

Adolpha sees someone breaking some sticks. They then head to what looks like a cage. Adolpha sees that they have ripped clothes and scars. The person turns around, and Adolpha sees he is a wolf beast-man like her. This person has long, messy brownish hair. His eyes were brown, and his face had scars. He showed no emotion.

Adolpha sees him go into a small cage with a worn-out mattress. Adolpha also notices a collar just like hers. The man looks at Adolpha and then closes his eyes. After Adolpha gets breakfast, she draws on the wall. Later that afternoon, the maids bring her lunch.

While they place her food, Adolpha looks at one of the maids. Adolpha softly speaks to them. She wants to know about the wolf beast-man. The maids said nothing. Adolpha became sad. One of them notices this. She then tells her about him.

The maid tells Adolpha that his name is Wolf. He was one of Lord Michaels's favorite slaves. The maid said that all prized slaves had a collar with a black crystal. Adolpha touches her collar. The maid told her that Wolf was guarding the island.

The maids left, and Adolpha went to the window. She looks at Wolf sleeping. Later the head maid brings him some scraps of food. At night after dinner, Adolpha waits for the stars to come out. She then hears the cage doors open. She goes to the window and sees.

Wolf stands up and stretches. He feels someone looking at him. Wolf ignores it and goes on his patrol. Adolpha looks at the stars and waits for Wolf to pass by. When she hears him, Adolpha pretends to fall asleep. Wolf sees into the cabin and then leaves. Adolpha gets up and sees him go to the house.

The following morning Adolpha wakes up and goes to the window. She sees Wolf break a branch and take it to his cell. She notices a stack of branches near him. Wolf looks in her direction. Adolpha hides from view; she then peeks to see what he is doing.

Wolf was in his cell sleeping. The maids come to feed her. Adolpha looked cheerful for a change. This slight change made her happy. Adolpha would take a peek at Wolf from time to time. Wolf was not bothered by it.

It was beginning to get cold; Fall was coming, and the year was 834. Sam and Mike made a mess in the living room almost every day. The maids clean after them. The head maid calls them because they need some supplies. She gives them a list, and they leave.

Mike and Sam go to the docks and get on a boat. They leave the island and head to the mainland. It took about 20 minutes to get there. Once there, they head to some shops and buy what's on the list. They then go to other stores and see what they have.

Mike and Sam often come to town, so the townsfolk know them. They greet Sam and Mike. At a stand, Mike talks to a woman. She sells fruit. Sam notices that Mike looks cleaner than usual. After some time, Mike returns to Sam sitting by a fountain.

Mike hands Sam a bag of fruit, and they head back to the docks. On their way, Mike stops by a messenger shop. This was like the post office. Mike picks up several letters. They then get on the boat and head back to the island.

They get to the island and head to see the head maid. Mike tells her that the supplies will be brought tomorrow. The head maid sees some bottles of wine on them. She excuses them. Mike and Sam go back to the living room.

The letters Mike got were from Lord Michael. He explains how he would stay in the capital for some time. Lord Michael also has some instructions about the orchards on the other islands. Lord Michael owns much of the area.

Time passes, and nothing changes. Mike visited the mainland more often. Sam stays on the island and helps the maids sometimes. Adolpha would watch Wolf go on patrol. One day Adolpha wakes up and sees a seashell on her window. She looks around to see who placed it there. Wolf was already in his cage.

The nights got colder, and the maids brought Adolpha some thicker blankets. Every morning, Adolpha gets a seashell or a flower placed on her window. It makes her happy. She decorates the cabin with it.

One day Sam is hanging clothes outside with the maids. The maids tell him that they hate Mike. Sam tries to convince them that he is a good guy. Mike was not there. He was on the mainland. Adolpha was given her lunch and ate it. She left her bread but hid it.

The maids noticed the change to the cabin but said nothing. Later that night, after dinner, Adolpha waits for Wolf to go on patrol. She sees him make his round. Adolpha wraps the bread in a piece of cloth and places it on the window.

Everyone was asleep, and a boat was pulling up to the dock. Mike was getting home late. He stumbles out of the boat and falls. He laughs about it. Mike walks back to the house; he is dizzy and has trouble walking in a straight line. Mike then feels a presence. He becomes scared and walks faster.

He hears some noises and sobers up a little. Mike runs to the house. He had a bag and dropped it. Wolf walks up to the bag and picks it up. A book falls, and Wolf looks at it. He takes it and walks to the house. Mike trips and falls near the door.

Mike was panicking and had trouble getting up. He hears someone getting closer. Mike turns around and sees a large person in front of him. Mike was about to scream but passed out. Wolf looks at Mike lying on the floor. Wolf picks him up and places him on the door. He leaves the bag but takes the book.

Wolf walks back to Adolpha's cabin and goes to the window. He places the book but notices something covered with a cloth. Next to it, there is a carving that says it's for him. Wolf takes it and sees its bread. Wolf leaves the book and walks away. He then hears a sweet-sounding voice whisper to him.

"Thank you."