The Scared and The Scarred

Chapter 1

The Scared and the Scarred

Days like this my steps were slow. I took in all the sights around me, and breathed in the smell of the thick forest deeper than usual. My feet were bare, sinking into the soft dirt and grass path I was walking. Every so often I would stop, picking a brightly colored wildflower or two, weaving them into the circle of vines I had twisted together to fit my head perfectly.

My mind was empty of all the thoughts that normally swirled about, allowing a peaceful calm to settle over me. There was no one in this part of the woods who could see me, judge me. I was free.

I smiled as I saw a mother deer with her newborn fawn. Their heads snapped in my direction as they caught my smell in the air. I crouched to the ground and stretched my hand out towards them. Slowly, they came nearer. My smile grew.

This was my Gift, Nature. I was the only one in my pack with the Gift of Nature, and I found it to be my favorite of all, but not because I was born with it.

Every wolf was born with a Gift, its to help us protect this world. There are Nature, like me, who have special connection with the earth and animals, Social, who have are very convincing, smart, and respected, Health, good with medicine and healing, and Warrior, the protectors and fighters. We all love our gifts, though at times, some envy others abilities. My gift was special to me because the Nature gift was rarely given, and the most beautiful. The ability to make plants and flowers grow at will, to have all animals be at peace with your presence was simply amazing.

I sat with the mother and the fawn for an hour before finally realizing it was beginning to grow darker, the shadows of the tall pines around me painting the ground a darker hue. I was in no rush, however, my enhanced eye sight would help me navigate the forest were the sun to finally vanish.

By the time I made it back, it was pitch black out. My house was beautiful, a three story log home with a large porch and lots of windows. A swing hung on the porch, where I spent most my time in the summer and fall reading. I ran inside, greeted by the smell of homemade chicken and dumplings. I walked into the kitchen smiling, and took a seat at the bar behind my dad who was to busy cooking to even notice me walk in.

"Hey!" I yelled.

He jumped, sending the bowlful of soup in his hands flying into the air. The soup splattered across the tiled floor and I couldn't help but laugh hysterically at his shocked expression as he looked down on the mess he had made.

"Your cleaning this up, Celia." He said sending me a playful glare.

"No way, your the clumsy one who cant hold their soup." I teased back. He laughed and I smiled at him. He didn't laugh much anymore, ever since mom passed away. I didn't blame him though, they say losing a mate is the most painful thing any wolf can go through, and a lot of the ones left behind don't even make it.

My mom was wonderful, she too, had the Gift of Nature. She had eyes exactly like mine, blue in the middle and green on the outside, earth and sky. I got my black hair from my dad though, hers was a soft light brown I always envied. She would always show me different ways to help things with my Gift, teach me how to use it, the beauty of it. She was so kind, always had a soft smile on her face and helped everyone she could. When I was 13, the Silver Claw pack attacked ours. They wanted it for territory and to gain more power, but when they found they were outnumbered, the went for something that would wound the pack more than killing a hundred warriors. The Luna and the Beta mate.