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I had my bow in my hands and an arrow nocked [DD55] in case this mission went sideways. I trusted Ruby, but the other wolves were a different matter altogether. Unpredictable and ruthless, the rogues were a slippery quarry, but I was determined to figure this out so we could move on.
The letter from Rusalko to Einri and I wasn't far from my thoughts. I agonized over the words, trying to figure out what the meaning behind them was. Words were words, yes, but in this instance, they felt different, more.
Ruby and I crested a small hill with boulders jutting from the snow like swords through a chest. We crouched behind them to catch our breath and to listen. The area was quiet, which for the terrain and weather wasn’t alarming, but the trickle of water was.
My wolf was panting at my side, ears twitching every which way as he listened, sometimes cocking his head to either side. I took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm my breathing and erratic heartbeat. I needed to listen to my surroundings, but it sounded like my heart was pounding in my ears making the task impossible.
The trickle of water concerned me for two reasons. One, this was a frozen land where melting ice and snow was the easiest way to get the water we needed, and two if they crossed the stream or walked in it, their scents would be swept away. They were rogues of course, but they weren’t stupid. According to Einri their wolf side would be hounding them, their instincts just as crafty as a full blood wolf. They knew how to track, fight, and go unnoticed.
Ruby’s ears twitched as he turned to look at me, big brown eyes capturing mine in a gaze that seemed to somehow speak to me. I nodded, understanding what he was telling me. I grabbed another arrow and put it in my mouth, my teeth biting the wood so I could easily access it.
At my nod, Ruby darted around the boulders with me close on his heels. Near a stream stood three wolves who turned at our approach, their lips twisting into toothy snarls. Growls echoed through the area, sounding menacing, like an avalanche of rocks ready to rain down from the mountain above.
Ruby bounded forward, jumping and yipping as he tried to get the wolves to come closer. They did slowly at first, but the more annoying Ruby got, the more riled they became. I rolled the arrow in my mouth worrying that we’d stumbled upon a group that was far smarter than the men of my life realized.
The nearest wolf, covered in black and silver fur, snapped its teeth at Ruby while the other two leapt forward. My nocked arrow shot from my bow and sliced its way through a well-hidden rope. With a surprised yip, the wolf on the left was snapped up into a net that was waiting under the freshly fallen snow. I dropped the arrow from my mouth and caught it in my hand the next second. I nocked the arrow and fired without really aiming but it shot through the air and sliced through another rope, this time the net capturing the white and tan wolf on the right.
The black wolf snarled and lunged for Ruby so fast I didn’t have time to nock another arrow. Ruby jumped sideways and then spun, his teeth catching the charging wolf on the chest. The wolf whined loudly, jerking to the side and tearing skin as it pulled away. Blood dripped from the wound, the red contrasting against the white surroundings.
I quickly grabbed another arrow, nocked it, took aim, and fired. The net surged upward, catching the front half of the wolf but not enough to capture it.
A roar from the trees opposite us drew all of our attention as Will sprinted toward us, his eyes shifting colors as he ran. Ruby growled and ran to meet my cousin who was covering ground faster than ever before. Which left the black wolf and me.
Blood still dripped from the wound, but it was slowing, while drool ran down the black wolf’s fangs, its ice blue eyes watched me with unbridled violence. The wolf charged but I stood my ground. Its massive paws ate up the distance between us. I should have nocked an arrow, should have drawn my dagger but this situation reminded me of the one I’d experienced with Ruby. I needed to show this wolf that we were on equal ground, both of us just trying to survive.
I dropped my bow, clenching my hand into a fist, and swung at the charging wolf. My fist hit it in the chest beside the wound that Ruby had inflicted. The wolf was knocked sideways but recovered quickly, shaking its head and huffing as it stalked toward me again. I raised my hands ready to deal another blow when the wolf suddenly stopped, its eyes seeming to clear from the violent rage it had been trapped in. It looked around like it was seeing things for the first time.
“Easy.” I said, drawing its attention to me as I slowly let my hands drop to my sides. “It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you again.” Its blue eyes darted in the direction that Ruby had gone and I understood. “He won’t hurt you either.”
I took a step closer, hesitating before I took another. The last thing I wanted to do was spook the poor thing. Deciding against walking I instead crouched down so the wolf and I were eye level with each other.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I told it, holding out my hand.
The wolf eyed my hand like it wasn’t sure what to do. Ruby trotted back to my side, sitting down as I continued to speak to the black wolf in a soft even tone. Slowly, it cocked its head like it was starting to really listen to what I had to say. I smiled, encouragingly while Ruby panted beside me, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.
“That’s it. Come take a sniff.” I encourage the beast who tentatively took a step toward me. I beamed as the wolf drew closer, its mannerisms showing confusion.
It stopped about four feet from where I was crouched then it sat, blue eyes observing me with open curiosity but no fear.
“I love your coat.” I complimented, running my eyes over the black and silver fur that covered its body. “It’s probably not easy to blend in up here, huh?”
It looked at me before slowly shaking its head as if to say ‘no, it’s not’. I beamed at it, scarcely able to believe that this was working for the second time. Maybe there was something to all of this. If anything, I could help the rogue wolves access their humanity again and who knows, maybe they could learn to shift.
Footsteps sounded from behind us, but the black wolf didn’t react, which was a good sign. I turned looking over my shoulder as four men approached slowly. Einri led the way followed by Will, Little John, and Tuck. They watched the scene with astonishment,except for Einri who was smirking with self-satisfaction as he observed the scene.
“You did it,” Will whispered in awe, ignoring the frown I shot his way.
“You doubted me?” One of my eyebrows rose in question and I watched as he swallowed thickly.
“I didn’t but…the other part did.” He answered, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.
That explained why his eyes had been shifty when he’d been running toward us. His wolf had been in control. I glanced at Einri wondering what he made of the fact the wolf could take control of the human form just as easily. He looked thoughtful but not alarmed so I decided to let it go.
“She’s beautiful.” Einri stepped so he was right behind my crouched form.
“She?” I really needed to learn how to distinguish the two.
“Yes.” Einri smiled then crouched so he was on the same level as me and her. “Were her eyes always…”
