Wolven Knot

Thirteen

Ressi POV

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There were lights dancing in front of me, shots of colour that exploded and imploded, they were beautiful, almost ethereal and unreal in their beauty and grace. I was awake, but I was asleep. I was caught somewhere where I felt like an outsider, but I knew I belonged. Each tendril of light carried something far more powerful than any weapon, and more destructive than hate. Memories. I didn't know how I knew, or why I knew, but I just knew that they were memories, his, memories. They carried so much emotion, so much pain and love that I almost felt that the black the light danced in was suffocating. Something whizzed in front of my eyes and I followed it uncontrollably, without thought to another part of this dark place, where suddenly I was falling, going down, down, down until I snapped straight, only I wasn't me, I was a bystander seeing life through his eyes.

I was, he, was standing in a clearing, there was drums, the sound of pounding music, people in a circle dancing, laughs, ale and long skirts were flying in joy as the world around him twirled. He stood completely mesmerized by the sight. He was young, just a little boy as he watched on. The bonfire that the folk danced around radiated heat that fought the chill in his bones even as a middle aged man walked over to him, 2 cups of ale in his hands as he stumbled over to him, his father. His father passed him the ale, nearly tripping as his son steadied him, my hand-, his, hand reaching for the ale, laughing as he took a large gulp. A steady fire trailing down his throat as that too, fought the chill in his bones. His father began to speak to him, words spoken in Gaelic, but I could understand them perfectly as he joked with his father, who caught his mother by the waist as she twirled to the next dance partner in the circle, leaving one joyful man to dance by himself laughing to the next rotation as his father twirled his mother around, sloshing the ale as her red long curls curled around his fathers shoulders as he reached down for a long kiss that mad him cover his eyes until his parents broke apart, his father tipping his head back, his eyes lighting to a illuminate blue and howled, and soon, both mother, son and pack were howling together, all with the same glowing blue eyes, all rejoicing. . . . .

I fell back to the black landscape, the tendril of light gone as I turned to see my surrounding, no longer in the forest, but back in the fathomless black pit with sparks of light. I watched as another light twirl, beckoning me to follow as it rotated upwards, teasing me and I fell for the bait, chasing after it, the light the only source of light, I really had no choice but to follow it or wander blindly through the black and hope to stumble unto something. Once again I fell, and this time the fall was smoother as I slipped behind his eyes this time. He was older, his hands scar-less, around 17 - 20 years old now.

He over watched the boundary, heart thumping boredom, mind focused on one thing, and that wasn't guarding. Suddenly there she was, her eyes glowing a bright green, near neon, her wolf a slightly red-y coat with blonde streaks running through it as she twisted through the trees, beckoning him to follow, to chase and without a thought and as mindless as a youngster he followed, shifting into his own wolf as he chased her, her flowery sweet scent invading his mind and all thought of leaving his post was gone. He chased her through the trees, nipping at her heels playfully until finally he over took her, making her skid to a stop and they both shifted, naked as could be, mates. I felt uneasy and unprivileged to watch there intimate moment, as they talked and promised and talked about there future, laying side by side on the warm night, forgetting about their lives, only that they were mates, and together.  But something was uneasy that coursed through him, and I found the trigger of that thought. He was blue eyed, and she was green.

I once again found myself blind as I left his memory. Something in me dreaded the next light that tried to tease me to follow, but in my gut there was something turning, and instead of following it, I turned and ran, not wanting to fall into the next memory, not wanting to know what this dreading feeling was. I looked behind me to see the light gone as I slowed to a stop. Only to have the light, a twisted colour of red, dripping messily on the floor like blood, not flowing like a light, but dull and slow like a misplaced organ, this time the fall was hard.

He stood in front of his parents, jaw and fists clenched as he shook his head at his father who looked both angered, disgusted and sorrowful and his mother who had her head turned, tears crystals in her eyes as she refused to meet her sons gaze of disbelief and refusal. "No, no, no, no, no" he was breathing sharply but all his father did was nod. "You pay for the consequence of your actions Lael, we are Talmhach, she is Jessfol, you knew nothing good would lead from this". He shook his head again in disbelief. "No" he said one last time as he shifted quickly and turned, sprinting to the other territory, his mothers cry trailing lost and forgotten behind him as fear bubbled though him and he felt it. He felt her, his mate. He felt her losing herself as he ran faster and faster and faster. This couldn't be happening, this can't happen. The emotion he was feeling lead to me knowing that this was the dreading moment, and I wanted to hide myself from it but I couldn't. All I could do was watch. He passed the territory, everything feeling wrong around him as he heard her wolf cry and the bond lessened and that's when panic finally set in. Then he saw her, surrounded by lycans of her own pack as one by one they attacked her. She had been sentenced to death, and she was barely alive. A wolf tore into her withers and she completely collapsed as he let out a final howl to her she lifted her weak head to him, eyes meeting as he continued to run. Eyes locking onto hers and they both knew what was happening and in desperation as he sent every peaceful, loving and happy memory and thought to her, watching her eyes slid close in peace and joy from the memories of them together as she relaxed as he watched her, unaware and caught in the memories of them as the lycan trailed up behind her, teeth latching around her throat and with a final crunch and snap, she fell limp. That was when everything froze, his dread, his every fear had become a reality. He broke, he felt himself become lost the bond gone and he barreled past the lycans heading straight for her, his legs failing him as he crumbled down, crashing into the dirt beside her un-moving body, his muzzle trailing against hers, unresponsive as he nudged her repeatedly, willing it all to be a dream but knowing it wasn't. The lycans of her pack didn't bother to attack him, this was his punishment, living life on without her. Lost and alone. He still continued to move her, his wolf body cradling beside hers trying to keep her warm as his head laid beside her, whimpers and cries leaving him as he stared at her face. Relaxed, completely peaceful, her face still lost in the memory he had sent her of them together, happy and alive. And he broke, his body completely crying as he curled beside her, resting his head over her neck, muzzles touching, her blood stained body staining his, and he lapped the blood clean off her muzzle, still crying and shielding her body with his and night settled, the pain not leaving, never leaving. And so he stayed, next to her, until her knew nothing no more.

I fell painfully. Tears in my eyes and pain fresh in me as I scrambled on the floor, sobs raking my body as I shook my head. I didn't need to see that, to feel what he went through, I was broken from it, and he was still here, completely functioning. I opened my eyes to see myself back in the concrete room with him, tears on my cheeks as he held me to his chest, body still as I turned my head up to him to see something that broke me down again and made me want to kill each lycan and ease his pain, to bring his mate back.

Tears stained his face too.