The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Twelve · · · Ophryn (.3)

On their way to the Harbor of Thonits, Ryn learned what it really meant to be the father of Ossian. Anything Ryn commanded, Ossian did it. Ossian would also attack anything that would potentially hurt Ryn or something that already did hurt him.

For example, Ryn tripped over a little branch that was hidden by fallen leaves. When Ossian saw him fall into the bushes, the little wolfa bounded into the air and attacked the stick. Ossian tore it to shreds until all was left was a few splinters of wood.

Mell laughed and patted Ossian on the head as she went to help Ryn up. "That's nice security you got there."

Ryn creased his eyebrows together as he rubbed the dirt off of his pants. "I don't know," he said giving a questioning look. "I'm scared he'll attack me."

Mell rolled her eyes at him as she started moving forward. "I doubt that. Your Ossian's father now. He'd do anything to...."

"...protect me," Ryn finished. "I know, I know."

Ryn took a glance at the pup. Ossian was jumping in between bushes trying to catch what looked like a butterfly. All of a sudden, Ossian stopped and growled. The little wolfa then crawled forward, his hind end in the air, and pounced. Ossian flew right over Ryn's shoulder, his warm, fluffy fur barely brushing Ryn's ear. A barked erupted from Ossian's mouth as he caught a huge insect that was about to land on Ryn's shoulder. That time Ryn was happy Ossian was there. Ryn hated bugs, mostly because they didn't have any in the underwater halls of Pent.

"Thank you Ossian," Ryn said as he ran to catch up with Mell who had kept walking.

"I'll admit," she started to say, "that was pretty scary. At first, I thought he was coming for you."

Ryn massaged his forehead. "Me too, but then he wasn't and I was happy."

"Good," said Mell. "Is there anything else Ossian can do but protect you?"

Ryn shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Let's try....sit!" Ryn called over his shoulder without looking back.

When Ryn didn't hear the padding of Ossian's he grabbed Mell's arm for her to stop. They both turned around to see Ossian many zas away. The little pup was whining for Ryn to come back or at least break him out his spell.

Ryn the whispered in Mell's ear, "Tell him no whine. I want to see what he does."

Mell cleared her throat and ordered, "No whine!"

Ossian didn't comply. He kept whining even louder than before. It was starting to get on Ryn's nerves.

"Alright," Ryn said. "My turn now. No whine!"

Right away, Ossian stopped whining, though Ryn could still see the little pup pouting.

"Come," Ryn commanded. Happy with what looked like relief, Ossian stuck his tongue out and bounced over to Ryn.

That was new. Before he came Ossian's father, Ryn always had to coax Ossian to do something. It was a relief he didn't have to do that anymore, but that didn't help Mell. She would still have to persuade Ossian to do what they wanted to.

They kept trudging on underneath the heat with Ossian on their heels. Ryn could just feel it. They were close to the harbor.

···

Ryn crouched under huge shrubs that hid him from the Pent soldiers. He could almost touch the harbor's cold, thick glass surface. Underneath this glass surface, Ryn could see the waves as they stood still. Divers, like the ones Ryn could see under the glass, were cleaning it, getting rid of the salty, green grim. The glass was beautiful and it reminded Ryn of the dome in his home city, Dunlarish. So did the smell of the fresh breeze of sea salt.