Rising (Revised & Edited)

Chapter 5

I remember when I was in the river how terrified I was. When I hit that final rock. I'd never felt terror like that. It filled my chest, my lungs, my mind. There was nothing I could do about it. Scar and Tyler said that I had died, I didn't want to believe them. Deep down I knew it was true. That moment with Tyler, it wasn't a dream. It was real. Watching as he cried, those tears falling from his blue eyes, getting soaked up by his dark grey fur. Hearing his voice as if from thousands of miles away, following it until I saw him, looking into those blue eyes as I dipped my head to him, grateful to be back where I belonged. That look in his eyes...he had seen me. The idea sent shivers down my spine. He had seen my soul.

"When our kind die, they don't always die for good. Most of the time they stay on the Otherside while their body heals any mortal wounds, which takes a while. There's two parts of the afterlife, the Otherside, which is the vale between our world and the other part of the afterlife- Nevermore. Nevermore is where the souls of the dead go if they don't get stuck in the vale, you were in the vale but for a short enough time you weren't found by some of the more malevolent souls in there. Not just our kinds' souls go there, lots of human souls can go there, or just evil souls from ancient times before us," Scar explained. "Any supernatural being that can come back from the dead also lingers there, in the same situation as you. From Nevermore, any souls that don't belong with Detchris are then carried to the proper afterlife. Everyone has their place, their own deity they worship, even those that don't worship anything still get taken to where they should be," he had continued.

He looked at the split in my head while I digested the new information. My body had healed it most of the way while I was dead. Tyler was sleeping, I had seen him curled up near the entrance of the Alpha's den, waiting. How long will he wait? He walked me back here, he knows I'm fine, that I'm safe. Yet still he waits...I wondered as I watched his sleeping form, his side rising and falling, a light snore sounding.

Maverick had been sent to an isolated part of the territory for three weeks as punishment. I'm sure he would be fine, it's just that the mountains where he was sent to were scarce pickings for him, I knew because he ate like a hog. Good riddance, for now.

"Follow me Angel, Tyler! Wake up!" Scar said loudly as I poked Tyler's shoulder with my paw.

He jumped awake, gods he was a light sleeper. "Come on son, you and Angel need to meet your mentor, One-Eye," Scar told him. He blinked slowly, his expression showed how little interest he had in staying awake, but he rose to his paws anyway, stretching his legs as cracks and pops sounded.

My ears perked up at One-Eyes name, she was the oldest shapeshifter in the pack. She was called One-Eye because as her name indicated she only had one eye as her other one was scarred and blind. No one knows what happened to it, where she really came from, she just appeared at the pack's border a long time ago and keeps to herself, it was an honor and a rarity to be trained by her. Her wisdom was respected greatly, even by the other two pack leaders. I wonder what she'll be like. What about you, Dagree? What do you think? You don't seem shocked or excited by this news...

#

Scar left us at One-Eye's den. It was close to the main part of the territory where most of the pack lived yet even closer to the mountains, Maverick, luckily was very far away from here.

My mind kept creating images in my head of what One-Eye might look like. Did she have green or blue eyes? What color was her fur? Was she in the shape of a wolf? What did her voice sound like? When she finally stepped out of her den, however, I was taken aback.

She was stunning, she had the same dark grey fur as Tyler only it was long and shaggy like mine. The left side of her face was scarred from her brow to the bottom of her cheek. Her left eye, the one the scar ran through, was a clouded, silver color, it was her blind eye. I looked at her other eye, it was a dark green, almost black color and as she turned her eye towards me it caught the sun and looked like a bright emerald.

She observed us like we observed her. Tyler was circling around to her blind side, staring intently at the scars. One-Eye looked offended by it, growling at him. At the sound Tyler whined, stepping back into her line of view. When she looked at me her eye dilated.

"So, the Alpha and the Omega. It's not polite to stare you know," she said as she turned her left eye to Tyler, who sat up straighter, confidently.

"I wasn't staring, I was studying your scars. That could've been healed better, I can see what the original wound looked like and can tell just how deep it was. Your face, if it had been healed better, wouldn't be so scared. Perhaps your eye could have even been saved," Tyler said as he looked her in the eye. Wow, he can tell by looking at it? How long has he been at this? What has he seen?

"Ah, a healer I see. And what about you, young Alpha, what do you see in me?" One-Eye asked as she shifted her gaze to me. Tyler looked at me curiously waiting to see what I would say. What do I see? I asked myself, taking in her appearance. Her stance, her muscled, sleek body. The scars, the gleam in her eye. You lived your life fighting. This isn't really you, sitting in this cave all day. Telling stories and giving council. You killed. You lead. You avenged. What brought you here, I wonder? What makes someone go from that to playing diplomat and wise-woman?

"I see a wise, strong warrior. Perhaps you're not a warrior anymore, but you once were. You can easily pick up that mantle again. Your muscles, you keep yourself in shape, always ready. You are underestimated by many who don't know you and you are self-conscious about yourself. You know more than you think you know and are the first person someone would go to for advice and knowledge," I said. As I was talking I had slowly started circling her as I added to my earlier assessment while I talked.

"Very intuitive this one, let me see those claws," she said. I lifted my paw and she studied my claws, "And your eyes..." She said.

I looked her in the eye, she got remarkably close. "Tell me, have you ever had your eyes change color?" she asked with amusement in her eye.

A mixture of fear and surprise crawled up my spine and I slowly crouched down. How do you know? I've never smelled you, never seen you or heard of you near me. I don't like this. You shouldn't know these things...why am I so scared lately? I'm not a rabbit, I'm brave, like father was! I can't be cowering simply because she knows something about me! It's not like it's a hidden thing!

"How did you know?" I growled, forcing myself out of my crouch.

"I know who your mother was. I often met with her, and I know you are an Oakenson because of this. He is a Degree, can tell by those captivating eyes," she said as she tilted her head in Tyler's direction.

"My eyes only changed color once that I know of, when I was dying I had an out of body experience they were yellow, I was terrified," I said as my anger ebbed and fear filled me, consumed me. She knew mother? But mother and father...they always made us stay away from others like us until I had no choice, I had nobody. Was mother the same way? Did she have nobody? Was that why she was always afraid?

"Yellow- fear, and as I just saw red for anger," she told me.

"Why are my eyes doing this?!" I asked, scared.

"Calm down, young one, come with me. You, Tyler, and I have some things to discuss. I personally requested you two for reasons I don't care to and can't explain now, but trust me when I say this, you two are important for the pack's survival in the future," One-Eye said as she nudged us into her dark den.

"Go with her, she has answers," that voice rumbled, stirring as if from a deep slumber. If he said to, then I would, he hasn't ever been wrong, even if I couldn't understand why he was there or bring myself to speak of him. I couldn't be like mother, I needed someone. And One-eye was here.