AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I writhe my way through the hole, clambering onto my feet as I break off into a sprint into the heart of the forest.
* * *
I can’t helpbut think my heart belongs to the forest as I gaze around in wonder. The wind whispers delicate songs through the bushes while nearby rustling adds its own little harmony to it. All around me, the land stretches on in its everlasting beauty.
Towering trees sprawl high into the sky, carrying brown branches that seem to intertwine with those of other trees. Peppered upon them are luscious green leaves, home to several birds’ nests.
Among the treelines, I spot rabbits running from cover to cover, probably thinking I am a hunter of some sort. Eager to get a closer look at them, I slowly reach into my pocket where I have an apple stowed away.
I produce it, waving it at them in an invitation to join me for a snack. The enticement seems to work as they come just a bit closer.
The rabbits spectate from a safe distance as I carve it into smaller pieces. I throw a piece toward them, which they gladly accept before looking at me for more.
I continue to oblige until they are just an arm’s length away from me. I cautiously reach out to touch the closest one as I give him the last slice.
A sudden rustle comes from the bush behind us, scaring both me and the rabbits who hop away in an instant. For a moment, I’m frozen as fear anchors my feet to the ground. The bush rustles no more but I dare not to go investigate, opting instead to hastily move along without looking back.
Calmness returns to me once I am a considerable distance away, stopping to pick some berries off another bush. I pop one into my mouth, enjoying the burst of sweetness that coats my tongue and inner cheek.
Deciding it would make for a good juice, I put a few stems of them into my bag before continuing on. I feel a sense of freedom come over me, thinking it was damn worth it to sneak out here.
Why wait for permission to visit? I know the forest shan’t be going anywhere but who knows how long I’d be waiting at the gate like a fool? Them and their fucking lockdowns shouldn’t be able to affect me doing my work.
Right now, the only thing I want to do is lay down on the grass and look up at the sky through the tops of the trees. Alas, that’ll have to come another day, for I stand a better chance of getting home unnoticed if I’m not gone for too long.
Finally, I come to my favorite spot in the forest; what I consider to be my own little treasure cove by a small lake. All I need is found here, and so I waste no time in getting to work, gathering herbs and more berries.
I bring each one to my nose to indulge myself in their aromas, each one ranging from earthy to sweet to soft. As I stuff the last one into my bag, a nearby bush behind me makes the same rustling noise from earlier.
A chill crawls from the base of my spine all the way up to my neck as I slowly turn around. I grip my knife in my sweaty hand for reassurance, though I’m unsure of how much damage a relatively blunt knife will do against an animal.
From the trees beside the bush emerge not one, not two, but a pack of five wolves. Their snarl clutches the breath out of my lungs as I back up against a tree. Their coats are a dark brown tinged with pale white.
The nature lover in me can’t help but admire how beautiful they look but something tells me flattery won’t get me out of this one. The alpha approaches me, his coat fully black and looking mangy.
He growls, baring a full set of teeth at me. Hanging from between each tooth are stringy remnants of flesh from a previous kill. Deciding I don’t want to be next, I shakily point the knife at him which appears to only enrage him further.
Just my fucking luck.
3
HURIAN
Iwalk through the woods to clear my mind. I do this every so often when my thoughts begin to mix. It’s not easy for me to categorize different areas of my life in my mind, but nature helps sort through the weeds of them all.
Something about the warm air and rustling of leaves brings me calm. Feeling the ground underneath my feet reminds me that I’m connected to the world and that my thoughts can’t fly me away. Also, it’s nice to get away from the compound for a while, leaving the issues of clan politics and war strategies behind.
I look around and watch the leaves fly by me slowly like my thoughts are. I try not to hold onto thoughts too tightly but rather let them pass as they come and go.
This is a tactic Loki taught me when I first came to the Burning Sun Clan. He could see my distress when I spoke of a member of my clan killing Flora, the woman I thought I would be with for the rest of my life. To calm my anger and manage the rest of my emotions, he took me on a walk on this path, and any time I find myself overwhelmed, I always come back.
I’m looking at my feet, trying to focus on my steps, when I see red spots on the trail. At first, I think they are small piles of red sand; maybe a traveler dropped a bag of it while trekking to the nearby town. As I continue, I see more of them and realize it’s not sand-it’s blood, and there is a trail of it.
They are spaced out well, too. It seems that whatever was injured was either a large beast or sprinting. Based on the footprints in the dirt, I determine them to be human and conclude they must have been chased by something.
I squat and touch one of the droplets. The blood is fresh, and I begin listening intently for any sound that might lead me to the injured human. I don’t hear any screams, but instead, growls coming from the woods to my right-hand side.
I look in that direction and take off, knowing a pack of wolves has been sighted in this area recently. Loki announced it to us the other night, saying the animals had been pushed out of their traditional territory by another compound being built. They are searching our land for the food they so desperately need.
