The Wolf and the Moon

2

"Declan, I don't want to leave here," she said. He rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Eula, we need you. I also can't wait to see the look on Chesterfields' face when he sees you," he chuckled.

"That's not a good enough reason," she replied knocking his hand away from her shoulder. 

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he asked. 

"Because I like the wild," she crouched before him almost looking like a wolf standing on its hind legs. 

"I promise I will return to the wild with you when this is done," he said and reached a shaky hand to her to rest it on the skin of her black wolf cloak.

"Look at Declan Harp making promises," she giggled to herself. 

"I keep them don't I?" he asked, she nodded. "Do we have a deal then?" She looked up to the ceiling of the cave, and the entrance watching the snowstorm outside. She sighed. Her silver necklaces rose and fell, they chinked as they made contact with each other. Her bone wolf tooth sat in the middle with pride, it was from the black beast that she wore over her tiny frame. 

"Yes," she offered her hand to him. His eyes roamed over the bracelets which lined her wrist and the wolf tattoos that stained her arms.  "We leave tomorrow, you're too weak still to move yet." He offered her a nod and laid back down onto the skins, she stood by her hot spring resting her feet in the warm water. Incense burning in the corner, she took deep breaths in consuming the gentle, soft, smoke. It helped Declan to sleep. As night fell she left the cave, and she threw her head back howling. All the wolves that were nearby heard her call, their ears pricked up and threw their heads back in response, within moments a pack of twelve wolves came bounding to her. The leader bowed before her. "Protect him." 

She walked through the thick snow, no tracks to be found until she was deep in the forest. She found fresh elk tracks and followed them down to the frozen lake. However, the ice was thin and splintered a great elk bull had fallen through and had been frozen deep in the water. "May gods guide your soul to the next world," she said as she caressed the elk antler pendant around her neck. She walked around the frozen lake, the snow had begun to cover it and it was almost hidden from sight. She gently dragged her fingers over the trunks of trees, hearing the voices of her ancestors and the voices of the forest. Her eyes glowed amongst the darkness of the night, they almost matched the yellowness of the early rising moon.

Eula walked slowly and stealthily, her eyes were glued to the ivory powder. No tracks for now. She was persistent in her search but still, nothing emerged from the maze of trees, before she froze she returned to the cave where she found six wolves outside and six wolves snuggled up to Declan keeping him warm. She smiled and joined them in slumber and found comfort in their warmth.