Chapter 8 WAITING FOR MY DEATH PART II
My eyes opened wide, sharp and red feeling all my pain wash away. I sat up, an extra pair of eyes and ears, and I was sure my vision was clearer than his.
I could hear a few animals but they were far ahead, none that were near to threaten us. You could see that he was not used to the forests, he was full on concentrating and as if laughing on our faces the trail got thinner and rugged. His speed slowed down, carefully threading while trying to be as fast as he could.
The night went on, thinking we would never get out of the forest but we did.
We broke through and just at the end of the forest my eyes took in the small stream making its way down. The goddess worked in mysterious ways.
My hand brushed on his fur with him quickly slowing down, understanding me. I slipped from the wolf, my sneakers touching the ground heavy with nothing but mud. I took them off along with my socks, walking to the stream. I washed them first them set them aside. My feet got in the stream only to hold the scream in, jumping around in nothing but pain; as if the water had swords piercing through my skin. Whuu, they were so cold. A snicker pulled from the wolf having me groan as I stared at him. I bent over, scooping some water and sending them his way not that my hands could carry much, my hands were so tiny along with my feet unlike all the werewolves I knew, they had large feet that left my mouth agape each time when I was young. The wolf shook its head as I sighed.
I tried washing my leggings while wearing them but it was no help at all so I took them off. I washed my leggings then pulled out my top and also washed it. My hair was also dirty so I let it out, washing it and by then I was blue. I jumped out of the water with my wet clothes, no idea what I was going to do since the morning was on us and it was so cold. I jumped all around with the wolf crossing the stream. I followed after, shaking and jumping behind him. I guess I would just walk around half naked not that it was an issue, wolves shifted in front of others, basically seeing everything on a woman and man’s body from such a young age.
We walked for a while only to stop. I looked forward then back sensing that we were in pack land. The wolf walked around, surely looking for a pair of clothes stashed somewhere. He went around the trees for some time as I jumped around over and over to get myself warm. I hoped we would not be attacked but him being a royal wolf sure got him access I hoped. It was time before a man walked out of the forest.
I took him up from his massive feet; I mean, I had seen feet before but those were surely too large. I bit my lip, looking away. He wore shorts that were squeezing the hell out of him. It was hard not to laugh, deciding to just look away before I got killed by laughing hard.
I felt something brushing me, having me turn where I was, finding a large t-shirt on the ground. I picked it up, smiling.
“Thank you.”
I pulled the t-shirt on, it being a dress. It smelled of nothing but tree bark, sure he had dug it out from one. He walked away again leaving me there. I decided to lay my clothes down then sat down with my legs crossed while twisting my hair to squeeze all the water out of it.
My head turned, the man back carrying wood which he placed down. He went away and I did not waste time. I wanted to be useful so I brought the wood and stacked it in a way that would have it efficiently burn. He came back with some bark; it was called fire bark. When you put something wet on it for sometime it burned. The man placed the bark on the wood then went to my leggings, picking them up and tearing them leaving my eyes wide open.
The gasp was heard, I loved those leggings.
He put them on the bark and all we had to do from there was wait.
The man sat down, staring at the wood as I stared at him. He was large, humongous. I was not one affected by their power but I knew he was a high-ranking wolf; I just did not know how high. Werewolves just knew if a person was higher ranked than them in their ruling system which was why all wolves bowed in the presence of the king not that they could help it.
I bit my tongue, opening my mouth to close it.
“He chose me, didn’t he?” I finally asked.
I was not stupid; the man was leading me somewhere. He had not killed me yet so the only option left was that the king picked me.
He did not say anything, did not even move. Just sat there.
“I am sorry to bother you but seems we will be travelling together. I don’t know how far the royal pack is, surely far. Can you please just help me understand some things before we get there. Why would the king pick me? I am literally no one, you saw all those girls there. They are wolves first of all, they are beautiful and just have the elegance of a queen.” I said out, my hands on my knees, my legs crossed under me. I had so many questions, it seriously made no sense at all.
Just in the moment the bark sparked and created a fire. The wood slowly picked up the flame and began burning.
The smoke filled the air, watching it dance in the grey eyes of the man. He was not old, he was young but don’t be deceived, werewolf years were complicated. He could be of any age from thirty to two hundred. They reached an age where they stopped growing and lived for hundreds of years with their physical bodies never changing. I wondered how my lifeline went. I could die just the next day. What if I did not live past a certain age; it could be thirty, it could be a hundred? I knew nothing of the creature I was.
The man suddenly stood up. He walked off with me left staring at him walk away. Where was he going?
“Sorry, where are you going?” I asked, looking all around. He could not just leave me. If patrol found me alone, they would kill me right there and then since I was not a wolf. The man did not answer, of course he did not. He just went on his way, the forest swallowing him until I could not see him.
I sighed, shaking my head with the fire bringing such heat it made me groan. I lay back, the fire so nice just bringing nothing but the exhaustion back.
I shifted to lay vertically to the fire, watching it crackle with my eyes daring to close on me but we were out where people could attack, I could not just sleep but I was so tired.
My body pushed up, seeing that the position I was in would have me asleep in a wink.
I sat up, my body rocking back and forth, much time having passed since the man left. I picked up my clothes, holding them to the fire one by one so they could get a fair amount of the heat. When tired I put down the clothing I was carrying just as I heard a pair of feet coming my way. My body froze but telling myself it was the man. I stared into the trees and after a few minutes saw him carrying a large container. I shifted, watching as he broke from the forest. He was wearing new clothes; a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. My eyes went wide, seeing his combed hair. He had taken a shower and just left me there. Ooohh wow, what a traitor. I thought we were in the struggle together and he was getting first class treatment. I internally scoffed and sulked.
He even smelt so good. What I would do for a bath. As much as I had washed my skin it was skill dirty at some point. The man placed the large bowl he was carrying and in it was nothing but food. He placed the bowl in front of him, picking up a whole leg and chewing. He ate away as I stared and after some time his eyes picked up to me suddenly realizing he had to share his meal. It did not sit well with him, groaning where he was. I could have laughed really, his face as if to murder me. He slowly picked up his bowl and held it out to me. I smiled at him, shifting to pick a few vegetables leaving the rest for him.
“I don’t really like a lot of food. I like fruits and vegetables. Thank you for the food” I said to him as he frowned. Food was not food for a werewolf if it did not have meat in it, a large portion of meat.
I chewed on the vegetables, them so good. When done I brushed the bits from my hands and sat up staring at the man who was really attacking the food with no mercy. He ate it fast, leaving nothing behind.
“So, how is the king like?” I asked, still not believing that the king chose me. Maybe he had not which was why the man was not responding to my questions.
“Is he sweet and kind? Is he friendly and likes laughing?” I asked wanting to pull a reaction from the man but he just ate away his food.
“He is probably gently and kind hearted,” I continued, trying to coax something out of the man but nothing.
“We will dance around the ball room and he will sweep me off my feet and dazzle me with …”
“He chose you because you are no one and have nothing.” The man suddenly said, placing his bowl down and turning to stare at me as I stared back at him. I had been looking for answers but his words came out cold striking me so deep.
“The place you are going has nothing but death over it. He picked you because you have nothing to lose and no one who cares as its likely nothing but death is waiting for you there.”