Soren

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The next day she could not bring herself to leave the comfort of her camp. Having not slept at all the night before, she could still not seem to come to terms with the events of the previous day. Her mind had spent every moment since the wolf encounter trying to figure out an explanation for what was different about these wolves. They behaved almost as if they had been domesticated, and yet for some reason her brain refused to accept the explanation that the beasts would submit to a human. Nothing about them screamed domesticated, rather they seemed like the epitome of danger, with towering forms and sharp pointed teeth. No, these wolves could not be domesticated. They had to be a unique species, unknown to her, that chose to hide their existence in the darkest depths of the forest. It was the only thing she could think of, the only possible explanation for what she had seen and experienced the past couple weeks.

Looking over at the deer skin she was currently drying and prepping for clothing, she could not help but flash back to the eyes of the wolf as they stared her down, getting closer and closer. Not one prone to fear, having grown up the way she had, those eyes brought upon an immediate visceral reaction from her body. They were the eyes of a highly intelligent being, one that had spared her life despite her aggression towards it.

Needing to move and expend some energy, she grabbed a skin and went to refill it at the river. Exiting her camp, she slung her bow over her shoulder, the skin held loosely in her grasp. She wasn't worried as she wasn't going far, and the wolves never got this close to her little home. The walk to the river's edge was relatively short, but she still had to weave in and out of the trees and step carefully at points where the dirt gave way and she could fall in.

Finally at a point where she could bend down and get her fill of crystal water, she breathed in deep. The air was crisp and refreshing and she enjoyed the faint warmth of the sun as it shone through the trees and onto her face. Looking up and towards the sky she sent a little prayer to mother nature, thanking it for all its wonders before taking a sip of what she had come for. Despite the circumstances that had led to her abandonment in the forest, she was grateful for everything the earth had provided for her, knowing that someone out there was looking out for her, guiding her senses and keeping her safe.

Capping her water, she stood from her crouched position, she was not quite ready to return to the stuffy cave with its dim lighting and smell of deer meat. Nevertheless, she knew she had to, any more time spent outside was risky, she did not wish to encounter any more wolves any time soon. Turning her back to the rushing water of the river she stepped towards the path home, only to stop at the sound of growls.

"Danger!"screamed the winds, but it was too late, there was no stopping what was about to happen.

From either side of her came two light grey wolves slinking out from the treeline. Instinct forced her to drop the skin that had previously been in her hand in order to reach for her bow. The skin rolled away from her and stopped its path at the foot of the wolf on her right, they were closer than she thought. Smoothly and with practiced grace she pulled the bow from over her head and in the blink of an eye had it nocked and ready to fire. She aimed at the wolf on the right even as her senses were screaming at her not to take her eyes of the one to her left.

Having observed the wolves from afar for quite some time, she knew they were loyal creatures, and was counting on the fact that the one would not make a move if it risked the life of another. What she wasn't expecting however, was the large black wolf that would emerge before her, bigger than any of the other wolves she had seen so far. The black wolf oozed dominance from every pore, and upon its arrival the two grey wolves moved to flank him.