The King's Remorse

The Legend of the Wolf and the Dove

 "Alright. I think we'll stop here for the night." Dove comes to a stop next to a beech tree, and I climb up to the lowest branch. I sit down on it, my legs swinging back and forth as I take note of my surroundings. Phoenix jumps up onto one of the lower branches, though it's one on the opposite side and a bit higher than mine, and the bark beneath his paws begins to darken.

"Phoenix, tone down the fire. You're burning the branch."

"Fine. Ky, you find the food. I'll make the fire. Dove? How abo-." Phoenix is cut off by my brother.

"Wolf and I can find something to eat. We need to get more water anyways. You two can make the fire, and whatever you need to do. We'll meet up in an hour."

"That works perfectly," says Phoenix, though his tone is still one of utter grumpiness.

"Wolf? Ready?" Dove looks over to me.

"Yep!" I hop down, following him as we leave Ky and Phoenix behind.

"Where are we going?" I ask after a few minutes of meandering through the forest.

"Somewhere where there's water."

"Is there a river nearby?"

"Can you shift into your wolf? See if you can sense moving water." I nod, willing myself to burn. But I don't. I can't get the heat of the fire burning myself until I explode. I can't even get a spark.

"I-I can't," I say slowly, frowning.

"Go back to King Garonda XIV's castle when I was about to get shot," Dove offers.

"How are you saying that so casually?"

"I knew you'd shift before I was shot. Replay that scene. Draw upon that anger."

I take a deep breath as I close my eyes. My mind's eye goes back to King Garonda XIV lounging on the Amethyst Throne, a leg thrown over one of the arms. Me and Dove forced to our knees at the foot of the Amethyst Throne. Screech stepping back from my brother as Snappy pulls out an arrow and nocks it in his bow. Snappy pulling back the drawstring.

There's the spark.

I'm consumed in fire, and I explode. My fingers curl into my palms as fur bursts from my skin. My fingernails and teeth lengthen into claws and fangs. Bones snap as they reform into my canine skeleton, and I drop down to all fours.

"There you go, Wolf. Use that scene whenever you need to shift." Dove smiles. I nod. I turn my attention to finding a water source. What am I looking for, though? Or am I listening for water, or perhaps trying to smell it?

"Did you find anything?" Dove asks after a few minutes of me wandering around, though I stay close by. I shake my head. What do I look for? What are the signs of water? What does it smell like? I-I... I've no clue what to, like, try to find. I know it's water, but still.

"You can't find it?" I nod in reply.

"You hear the birds chirping?" Another nod.

"Listen past those, outwards into the forest. Block out those sounds. Listen for the trickle of water. The sound of water over rocks. Perhaps the crashing of a waterfall, or the dripping droplets of water in a slow-moving stream. The splash of an animal leaping into the water. Or even an animal lapping at the stream. Can you hear it?"

I close my eyes, imagining my senses spreading outwards in search of water. The chirping birds fade away as I catch hold of the slightest sound of a stream. I tighten my grip, and focus my attention. Where is it? Without letting it go, I start off in the direction of the water. Dove follows close behind. When I pick up speed, he races beside me, the backpack thumping against his back.