Hellfire

Chapter 1 - Ash

The howl cut off, the last of the echoes reaching us shortly after. It seemed as if even the forest held its breath, casting silence for a whole two seconds before Dimitri laughed.

"See! It came from so far away! We're fine." he grinned. The smug bastard was so ridiculously wrong that I couldn't form the words to explain why. Fortunately, Kane could.

"Idiot! Do you not know why wolves howl? It is to speak with the rest of its pack! The damned wolf is probably gathering reinforcements." Kane snapped, unconsciously pulling his axe from the sheath strapped to his back.

"You don't know that, Bonestrike." Dimitri grew defensive, hand falling on his sword in preparation for a fight.

"I told you not to call me that!" Kane snarled, gripping his axe with both hands now. I could see his knuckles turning white with force.

"Woah, woah, woah! Put that away, Kane. And don't look at me like that, Dimitri. He's right, wolves howl for a reason. There's no use in fighting about it. We just have to make it out of the forest or we won't stand a chance." I jumped between them, sighing as they nearly got into another fight. If that happened, I wasn't sure I could stop Kane from killing Dimitri. The latter only lived last time by sheer luck and my interference.

"Listen to the woman." Kane huffed, not sheathing his axe but shifting to hold it with one hand. It was a wonder that he could. I had tried lifting it before and could barely manage it. It was so heavy! Then again, Kane was twice my size and his bicep was the diameter of my head.

I shot him a stern look, but let it go. Instead, I took the lead in sprinting for the clearing that had to be just ahead of us. The two men followed me, shoving through the thick underbrush. We couldn't beat wolves at their own game, but we had a chance if they weren't given the advantage of the forest.

Making it onto the snow first, I let out a gasp. It was as if my energy had been immediately sucked away. I shuddered, the chill of the snow around my legs being the source of the drainage. Spinning around, I had to make sure that the others were okay. Dimitri slipped out of the trees before Kane, sliding a little in his polished boots.

"Be safe, Ash." Kane murmured quietly so Dimitri wouldn't hear. I blushed, looking at the forest once more. I felt as if Kane and I were growing much closer but it was impossible to tell. He would keep his distance, and then say things such as that. I couldn't figure out what he thought of me. Alas, thinking of all that was for another time.

"I'll try." I said under my breath, the cold making my body ache despite the thick furs and dragon pelt I was wearing. The sun provided no warmth at all, and I wanted to cry with frustration. My plan would work against the wolves, but it put me in a perilous situation.

Before I could point this out, another howl sounded off much closer, and several picked it up. The sound was eerie not only because of the closeness but because of the sheer size of the pack. I wondered fleetingly if we could hold them off until I saw Kane's face. He was grinning, and the familiar bloodlust showed in his eyes. His love of battle frightened me, but it was useful in times like this. I watched him tap his chest, and with a shimmer of red light his black armor and horned helmet sheathed his body. The helmet was the most intimidating part, for the horns curled upward above his head. The man was already tall, and an added foot of height made him seem a larger threat.

Dimitri pulled his sword quickly from its sheath, the metal sliding on metal grating on my ears for a moment. He and Kane shared a look before taking fighting stances. I huffed, scanning the forest as best I could while trying to concentrate on my powers.

A slight feeling of warmth radiated across my skin as a small flame trickled down my arm, and into my palm. It died out quickly. It was no use. I wasn't warm enough to generate any fire that would be practical. Shit. I pulled out the dagger I kept on me for emergencies such as this.