In quick succession after Aloutte was guided away from us, Amira, Ersa, and Orlan were called down to greet the Axe, the Hammer, and the Scythe, the Alpha King's deadliest knights of the Wild Hunt. The Scythe got to the King first, a beautiful she wolf with pale blond hair, small but imposing in her black leathers, dark cloak, and the long handled scythe clutched in her grip.
She identified Orlan as her mate, and unlike her male counterparts, she did not growl with rage when my friend rejected her claim. Out of all the soldiers, she was the only one respected by my clan, for though she killed and fought without mercy, never was her blade coated in the blood of innocents. Perhaps what was by far more comforting about her, was the way she smiled at the prospect of fighting to claim him as her mate.
A challenge she accepted by holding out her scarred hand, and letting Orlan shake it without her taking the opportunity to drag him into the ranks of wolfen soldiers. Amira and Ersa were not so lucky, the Hammer, burly and tall, nearly dragged Ersa away the minute he saw her, but relented to the challenge when she whispered something in his ear that made him go still as death. The Axe, loomed over Amira, his harsh honeyed eyes turning crimson when she as well wished to challenge him for her freedom. All while ignoring the blatant curled snarls of disgust, aimed at the wolf fur cloak she still bore upon her shoulders.
When all was said and done, Ezra was the sole one among the Marked to not be claimed. As such, the Alpha King agreed to let him return to our village. So long as my friend and our people, did not interfere during the duration of the challenge. With deft efficiency, the rest of my fellow Marked, prepared ourselves for the trial ahead.
The Alpha King appointed one of the his priestesses to oversee the proceedings. His soldiers meanwhile made their camp, pitching tents, lighting fires, tending to the animals, and sharpening their blades. We did the same, refining our silver tipped blades away from prying eyes, and hiding them within our cloaks. Any weapons we had that would slow us down, we gave to Ezra. Who then bid us a tearless, if sorrowful, farewell and vanished into the dense shadows of the forest.
Once his form faded from sight, we all assembled back at the edge of the river. The rushing current relentless, froth of ice chilled water crashing against stones, a ribbon of a dark abyss faintly illuminated by the moon shining faintly between thick clouds and dense branches.
My bare feet ache with cold, weariness from my previous restless night of sleep, slowly begins enchroaching upon my mind like a heavy fog. As always, I dig my nails into the soft skin of my palms, eliciting sharp pain that focuses my mind. Focuses my gaze upon the Wild Hunt's camp, a mingling of chaos and organization, humming with the sound of clanging metal, shouting voices, animals noises, and the ever present tamping of boots upon the forest floor.
My fellow Marked watch with the same impassive assessment as I. Watching the Alpha King converse with a she-wolf arrayed in a robe of purest white. Her hair pale as the moon, her healthy skin nearly translucent in the light of the crackling campfires. Strands of gray river rocks and shards of pale blue glass, encircle her throat like a crude necklace.
The chill wind blowing dow from the Old Mountain, ruffles our shadowy cloaks and winds through the ranks of the wolfen soldiers. I force my face to remain impassive, even as the creatures huddle close to the crackling flames, eliciting my mouth into trying to form a malicious smile.
For all their weapons, power, and bodily strength the wolves of the Silver City are used to battle fields in the mild air of fall and spring. Not like my clan, nestled in the unrelenting tide of cold that even in summer we cannot escape from. However, it is a price that my people have payed for generations, just to have a small amount of control upon their lives. No matter how arduous or dangerous they may be.
With the wind fluttering the branches overhead, a hush falls upon us all as the pale priestess heads over to the river's edge, stopping just before the hem of her fine robe can be soiled by the muddied bank. "Our Great Alpha agrees to the challenge to prove the worthiness of his claim and that of our noble warriors," she begins, praising the Alpha King as if he were a being of reverent piety. "However, there are stipulations that must be honored and rules for both opposing sides."
"One, if a human mate is found and brought back to the camp before the first ray of dawn, they are claimed and cannot return to their former life. Two, any human mate that does stay unclaimed after dawn must swear an oath of undying loyalty to the Alpha King. Three, for the morality of fairness, wolf mates must remain in human form and no human mate shall attempt to kill any wolf mate. These are the conditions that we have found crucial for this unusual occurrence."
The priestess levels her nearly colorless eyes upon me, like mirrors reflecting my gaunt like form. Her expression unreadable, all except for the traces of lifelong wisdom glowing within her gaze. "The Marked accept the conditions," Orlan utters, dipping his head in respect towards the she-wolf. "We are grateful to be given such consideration," Ersa adds, mimicking Orlan's posture with the reverence that is due any being of knowledge and wisdom.
"It is an honor My Lady," I drawl, following along with my companions in giving this wolf the respect that many among her kind will never deserve. Amira and Celeste follow suite, bowing their heads before the she-wolf, who to my surprise returns the gesture with all the grace and elegance that only a priestess can possess.
"The honor is mine, Your Highness," she utters, her hand dipping into the folds of her robe, producing a small hourglass of silver and gold. "Now go, all of you. For once the sands of this hourglass run out, then the ones who bear claim upon you, are free to roam and bring you back."
Our reply is a silent one, calm and collected we throw our hoods over our heads and masks. Never looking back as we climb up the incline of rocks, roots, and boulders into the expansive embrace of the Endless Forest. One by one, we separate, each of us going off into the forest's depths. Our life long knowledge of the ways of the wood, our survival amongst the elements, will play a role in how long we last with those beasts hunting for us. Aided by keen sight and smell, given endless strength, stamina, and protection that will make it all the harder for us to last until the dawn.
YOU ARE READING
Forest of Lies
WerewolfA thousand years past, the world was run by humankind. But it changed, when countries became embroiled in a war that gave the werewolves the opportunity, to recreate the earth in their own image. Now humans are the lowest on the food chain, little m...
