Wolf Child

IX

No one spoke a single word as the duo wandered through the forests, the leaves crackling beneath their feet and the heat and silence so annoying. They had left the village at dawn, and after a few hours stopping at rivers and lakes for water and berries, they had been continuously walking.

From afar forest nymphs, the 'Guardians' of the jungle as they knew it leaped around within the thick trees, but Ferhia paid them no attention, and whenever a breeze swayed a few leaves would be blown to the ground, but other than that complete silence took over. Both were on the same paths, but within their minds, they were thinking two different things.

Who are my parents? Ferhia thought. Maybe, one of the burnt bones she stepped upon during their short walk at her birth village was her parents, she did not know.

The pack is dead, Kilfer thought. Ferhia's curse had killed them-- he paused. He knew he must not let thoughts of that pass his mind even the slightest bit, for his connection to nature around him was close, and thinking these negative thoughts would only make Ferhia feel uneasy. It was the darkness at the swamps. Yes, it was, it was neither of their faults. He turned around, Ferhia was still in deep thought herself, totally oblivious to Kilfer's gaze.

Both were engrossed in their thoughts until they felt that the air was colder and misty did they pause to see where they were. The original cobblestone path had disappeared, and the green trees had turned to leafless bones, seemingly a ghastly apparition of a forest. If there was perchance a bird tweet, they would have heard it -- but there was none.

"Where are we?" Ferhia whispered, sensing the change in the atmosphere.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know," Came the short reply, and they took slow steps, and when they peered forward except for the mist and the shrouded view of the trees there was nothing else that she could see, until they made up the shape of a dark cave ahead, barely visible.

"What..." Ferhia whispered to herself, straining her neck to try to see further, but Kilfer padded forward, and Ferhia had no choice but to follow. Finally, they were in front of the cave, the opening was not very huge, the ceiling slightly taller then them and any of them could easily slip through it.

None of them spoke, for they knew well anything could happen anytime but they were no other paths for them, so they had to enter it. The cave widened as they went deeper. Besides their breathing and footsteps, there was no sound at all. The walls gradually shone slightly, Ferhia noticed, and small cracks in the stone shone light from within it, red light on one and blue light on another.

Then, the cave split into two sides, and they paused. Both sides led to a separate tunnel, and both did not seem pleasing to them.

"I think we should go back," Ferhia tapped on Kilfer's shoulder, but Kilfer shook his head, and continued to stare into the darkness where faint glows of blue and red lights spread out from the wall.

"No, I know this place," Kilfer spoke, his voice echoing around the tunnel, "I met it in a vision, I know it. The cave of dreams, it is called as I remember. It gives answers only once to a few once, leave it and you shall not get the answers, possibly your entire lifetime. I have a question I seek, and I am sure you do too, although I do not know what is it, I can feel it, sister. Let us part ways for now, meet me outside this cave when you are done, and this place is sacred, do not think about the Swamps or any damned place after we go past this place."

"But--" Ferhia frowned and wanted to protest, but was stopped by Kilfer.

"It is safe, trust me. The visions would never lie -- they never do."

Watching Kilfer leave, his silhouette getting fainter and fainter as he walked on, Ferhia felt a sense of loneliness. She was all alone now, looking into the other tunnel, the darkness seemed so glaring. But she had to, for the question she might not get the answer her entire life. Taking a deep breath, she hurried into the tunnel.

The entire cavern was filled with mirrors, spreading her reflection all around in a never-ending pattern. Her head hurt for all the mirrors that surrounded her, and she shut her eyes tight, focusing on herself. All the reflections seemed to have a life of their own, trying to tug her lifeforce away from her original body, and she was concentrating to keep her soul within herself.

"Tell me what you seek," A voice, light, and crystal clear echoed in her ears.

"My parents. Who are they?" Ferhia whispered to the voice, and the mirrors changed around her. On the mirror, two shadows appeared, and she took a few slow, deliberate steps forward.

Then, the two shadows fell into a heap of bones before she could reach them, and behind a cloaked figure stood, a knife in his hand. Ferhia could not feel her hands when she pounded on the mirror, but the assailant in the mirror revealed the face beneath the cloak -- and her face was beneath it.

"Your parents," The voice echoed in the hall, "They signed a bond with the darkest of spirits within the Swamps. It saved you from death -- but it came at a price: and it is their death. You killed them. You killed the pack. You are the murderer." The voice silenced itself, and the mirrors returned to their original positions. After that, Ferhia placed her hands lightly on the smooth mirror and knelt down, placing her face on the mirror. The hall remained silent, but at the place on the mirror her face rested on, it was slippery with her tears...

***

Kilfer was afraid.

Even though he had consoled Ferhia that nothing bad would happen, he was still worried as he slid further into the tunnel. Anyway, his visions were not always so straightforward -- he was sure that no physical harm can be inflicted, but about psychological harm, Kilfer did not know.

Then, he paused. What lay in front of him was swirling, boiling lava and the heat was totally unbearable for him. On the other side of the huge cave of lava the Alpha stood on the ledge.

"Tell me what you seek," The Alpha spoke in wolf tongue, but he supposed it might be a way the cave chose to speak to him.

"Who killed the pack?" Kilfer spoke, his voice echoing across the hall. Then, a shadow of a figure materialized from the walls, an axe gripped tightly in its hand, and it plunged the blade deep into the Alpha's throat. There was no noise as the wolf fell, and it faded into the darkness.

The shadow strode nearer, and then Kilfer could finally see the countenance of the shadowy figure.

It was Ferhia.