Our Underlying Darkness

Red and White

She always liked the snow.

The fresh snow, the type that sits untouched on the evergreens in the early light of the morning. It alone can justly compare to her eyes. It was one of two things that brought her into the woods of Alaska.

Her cabin is quaint and dingy. The floors creak and the walls smell of smoke and timber. She loves it and wouldn't ask for more. Asleep on the couch in the living room, Kiora starts to stir at a subtle chill entering the room. She opens one eye and squints towards the large window across from her. The small rays of dawn shine through. Groaning, she swings her feet to the floor. Looking for the source of her awakening, her eyes land on the fireplace where a pile of soot sits. Peering to the corner she realizes she's out of wood and decides to set out for the day. She slides on some military boots, a black coat, and a bandana to keep her face warm. She pulls the dark mask over her nose and ties her hair high to the back of her head. Soon after she's out the door.

The fresh air hits her lightly. She's used to the chill and the rosy glow that constantly seems to encompass her nose and cheeks. The back of the blade of a tomahawk sits in the palm of her hand as she trudges through the woods. The nearest town is 10 miles away, so Kiora settles on chopping her own firewood. She doesn't mind, it takes up time, and ever since she was placed out here, she's had a lot to spare.

There is a serene feeling in the air. All that is heard is the slight rustling of trees and the occasional chirp of a bird. Where others would find it peaceful, Kiora loathes this quiet. She finds it unsettling, like when you hear quiet music in a horror movie, knowing there will be a jump scare.

A cardinal is spotted overhead. Kiora loves how the little red bird stands out against the pale landscape. Her pace quickens when she sees it, wanting to get a closer look. A couple more steps forward and she stops.

Someones here.

Her eyes dart to the left but her head stays forward. Seconds later, she's back to her normal pace. She knows this isn't one of the normal woodland animals, she wouldn't get as big a reading if it was. Animals don't have much worry, they're simple-minded and have little emotional pain. The reading she's getting now is much, much larger than a simple fret. Deers can feel great despair when hunted, small birds have much anxiety when flying for the first time, but this is bigger. This is human.

Kiora stops at a small white spruce tree. She's been walking for a good five minutes and her stalker's presence has only gotten stronger. She grabs her tomahawk by the handle and prepares the swing. The small ax is sharpened twice a day and fits in Kiora's hand like a puzzle piece.

She hits the tree once.

Her stalker draws in, trying to take advantage of her distraction, still thinking she's oblivious to his presence.

Twice.

Kiora's feet shift in a direction away from the tree. Her right foot steps forward and her grip on the ax tightens.

The third swing misses the tree entirely. Kiora pivots on her right foot and sends the tomahawk flying, blade first, through the air.

She hears a slice, then a whimper.

"Come out."

Silence. Moments later, a large paw comes into sight from behind the tall trees, then another, until an entire, full-grown, jet black wolf is standing just a couple meters away. His back leg is bleeding profusely, it doesn't ease Kiora's mind.

She scrunches her eyebrows together.

An animal? How is his darkness so big? 

Kiora has seen many grey wolves in this area. Maybe one or two timber wolves but this, this was something else entirely. Although the predator dwarfs both species, his eyes are what puts her off the most. A deep emerald green, emitting a glow. Anyone else might have believed it to be a trick of the light, but after everything Kiora's seen, she knows not to be so naive.

The wolf growls lowly, emitting a low hum that reaches Kioras ears like a warning beacon. Still, she takes a step forward.

"Shift back." Despite the slight muffle of her mask, her words are sharp, a demand.

The wolf's head perks up slightly. She knows he's a shapeshifter. Getting over his initial shock, he growls loudly and bares his teeth.

Kiora unconsciously grins below the thick material of the bandana. She takes off her coat and tosses it behind her.

"Then leave, or we're gonna have a problem."

The wolf is perplexed. How is this human so confident in the face of an animal such as him? When he chose her cabin he had no idea its owner was going to be such a pest to get rid of. Kiora and the wolf stare at each other. She crosses her arms and shifts her weight onto one leg, waiting for him to make a move.

Slowly, the wolf turns around and begins to walk away. Kiora nods her head once, approving the outcome. She turns to pick up her coat. Crouching down, she reaches to touch the soft material when her breath gets caught in her throat.

A sudden spike in darkness flows towards Kiora. She spins around to come face to canine teeth. Her arms act on their own, the wolf's teeth come down, and Kioras palms meet the roof of his mouth.

A strangled grunt comes from Kiora's mouth as her knees struggle not to buckle under the pressure. She's holding the jaw open of a predator whose weight triples her own.

The wolf bites down as she pushes up. He doesn't know who this woman is or how she is holding her own, but she has proven the be a real nuisance, an annoying one at that. He plants his paws in the ground and arches his back up so that he can bite down with full force. Kiora's not prepared for the overwhelming pressure, she falls to one knee. Her breathing quickens and her eyes begin to dart around the area, looking for something that can help. Her tomahawk is somewhere in the trees, but the wound it caused must still be searing against the cold air. Sacrificing her rooted position, she swings her dominant foot underneath the wolf and directly to the wound on its back right leg. Instead of falling back, the creature takes the hit and surges forward.

Kiora falls onto her back, the beast's jaws still in hand. She grits her teeth as the wolf begins to close its mouth, her elbows bending.

Shit.

His canines are just above her skull when she makes up her mind. Her breathing steadies and she focuses on her heartbeat. The wolf feels the change in demeanor but doesn't react in time.

Not too much force, don't kill him.

Pitch-black seeps into Kiora's snow-white eyes and in one moment, her elbows straighten and an agonizing snap fills the woods.

The wolf hits the ground seconds later, jaw hanging loosely in the skin on his chin. As unconsciousness sets in, the man shifts back into his human form. Kiora panics until she sees his chest rising and falling in a steady pattern.

A dark-haired, green-eyed Asgardian lies on the snowy dirt. Kiora recognizes him from the attack on New York immediately. She sighs.

A trail of red follows as she drags the unconscious man to her cabin. By the time they get back, a light sprinkle of white settles over her home. Kiora smiles.

She always liked the snow. It was one of two things that brought her into the woods of Alaska. The second?

She looks back at the sleeping man on her floor and a frown sets in.

Isolation.