Wolf

Chapter 4

~Sam~

I saddled two horses. I knew that Ben would want to come. I also knew that the maids around the stable, the stable hands, would want to saddle the horse. Though I insisted on doing it myself, arguing until I got my way. They eventually gave in and let me saddle my horse, Shiver, a bay mare, and another bay stallion, Wire. They both stood calmly as I tacked them. They were the horses that I rode last night to the forrest, and they are the horses that I always use. Shiver is my mare, her father and mother were my parents horses, so they figured that I should have their foal. I love Shiver, for she is the prettiest horse that I could have ever hoped for.

I walked back into the palace to find Ben. Both the horses were tacked and ready when we were. I grabbed an apple on the way. I found Ben in the library where I always found him on days like today. Like me, he liked to write diaries about his life. I don't know why, he just did. I sometimes let him read my moon diary, though he never liked what he read. Now he doesn't read them and they aren't that bad, and I also have that wolf.

"Ready for a ride?" I asked Ben. He looked up at me, startled. He hadn't seen me since last night, and I was beggining to think that he was avoiding me. But I don't know why he would be. I mean, he is my best friend and also the person who is meant to look after me.

"Where to?" He asked, getting up from his desk in the library. He looked at me with his blue eyes asking. I just walked towards the door. I didn't say anything till we were at the stables away from all the other people, the peering eyes and the listening ears.

"We are going to look for a wolf." I told him. He just looked at me as though I was crazy. Though I guess that I was. Maybe looking for a wolf in human form is a bad idea. I shook my head. No. I had to do this. I grabbed my bow and arrow off the wall, though. Just in case I needed it. I probubly won't, though.

"What? Are you out of your mind? If you saw a wolf last night, then it has a right not to be found. Don't you think that it would want to be left alone?" Ben whispered angrily. I had never heard him raise his voice to me and not adress me as 'my prince'. Though I must admit that it was better than when he did say my name.

"Look. I saw a girl. She disapeared into the bushes, but a wolf leapt out and kept running. It was really weird." I said. I looked at my horse instead of Ben. He just shook his head, but lead Wire out to the mounting area. He was still shaking his head as he mounted the stallion and walked him forward so that I could mount Shiver. I laughed and jumped onto the back of my mare. She walked forward to Wire as we trotted through the gate of the field. Some horses looked up, acknolodging our presence, but most just continued to graze silently. I cantered Shiver through. I kept glancing at the trees, looking for the black wolf.

I heard an animal scatter. I looked to see a bird flutter high off the ground, due to an animals presence. I looked to the ground bellow the bird. Sure enough, a large black wolf lay watching the horses in the paddock. I instantly recognised her as the wolf I saw last night. I slowed to a trot so that she would frighten and run away from us.

Ben saw the wolf and his face paled. I knew that he didn't want us to get killed, though I just wanted to see the wolf and figure out some things. I knew that she wouldn't want to be found, though, as she was never found in the hunts. But that could mean that she was born last year, right?

~Aala~

I looked at the horses. They were aproaching at a trot. I watched wearily, not really bothering to care at the fact that they were coming closer to the forrest. I leaned my head into my paws as I just watched the horses trotting. The mare had a beautiful gait, her trot so soft that it was as though she could be ridden in walk faster, though she was trying. I saw the stallion holding his head proud as he looked at the mare, trying to get her attention.

I looked to see the riders. I recognised them instantly. It was the Prince and his friend from the previous night. I let a low growl escape my lips as I jumped to my feet. More birds scattered at the sudden movement, though I couldn't have cared less. The men were coming towards me, and they had a bow and arrow across his arm.

I took a step into the forrest. The men began to pick up the pace on their horses. I knew that they were going to kill me then. I turned and ran away from them. I could hear their horses eating the ground, galloping to catch me. I couldn't hear anything apart from their hooves and my heartbeat. I stuttered as I lost my footing on a rock, and stole a look behind. The horses were gaining on me. I growled as I gathered my feet and plundered on.

The trees were growing denser, and I knew that the horses wouldn't be able to gallop in this area. I slowed down and panted, trying to catch my breath. I looked around but couldn't see the men, so I stopped. I flopped to the ground beside a tree, trying to relax. I didn't bother looking around, even though I knew how dangerous that would be for me. I couldn't tell if they were still coming, all that mattered was that my heart was beating like a drum.

I closed my eyes and listened to the birds as I drifted between consiousness. I know that a real wolf would have kept going, though I'm not a full wolf. I'm still a girl on the inside, so it was only fair that I couldn't do all the things that wolves could do.

~Sam~

I wasn't about to lose the wolf. As soon as she realised that we were trotting to her, she took a step back. I cantered forward, Shiver eagerly leaning into the chase. Wire gladly followed with Ben still looking pale. I laughed as I cantered through the bush. The wolf took off. She didn't look back as she rushed through the trees. I carefully manuvered Shiver so that she wouldn't hurt herself on any of the spikes on the ground, or get a stone in her shoe.

The wolf eventually went so far deep into the forrest that I had to slow down my horse. She obeyed calmly, and I heard her breathing return to normal from the chase. I walked a different way, hoping to catch the wolf as she went out the other side of the forrest.

I dismounted Shiver and tied her reins loosly to a tree. She nibbled on the grass below the tree base. Ben looked at me questioningly. I nodded, not really telling him all that much, though it was enough for him to get off his horse and tie him to a tree near Shiver.

I walked carefully through the thick forrest, trying to listen to the sounds of the wolf. I couldn't see her anywhere, though that didn't mean that she wasn't anywhere. I moved a branch out of the way, which was about to hit me in the face. I grumbled softly as it hit Ben in the face as it swung back to its normal position.

I continued searching until I heard something. It was a strange mixture of panting and growling. I followed the sound to a tree. As I walked around the base, I saw the wolf. Close enough that she would be able to see us, yet she didn't seem to notice. I tried not to make a sound. She was leaning against a fallen tree, recovering her breath. I could tell that my horses and the chase had given her a fright.

I smiled dimly as her stomach rose and fell to her breathing. I could tell that she wasn't aware of our presence, and I liked that. She lay on the ground for multiple minutes before Ben looked at me. He wanted to know what I was planning on doing.

To tell the truth, I didn't even know what I planned on doing. All I knew was that it involved finding things out about the wolf.