Followed by Hansuke, I enter a chamber, the ceiling covered in intricate designs and a glorious fire burning in the corner. Snuggled in a blanket of wool and cushions billowing around her, was Wanderer. Her face was peaceful and silent. She turns at our arrival, and upon seeing us, she scrambles from her position on the ground. Pillows tumbling in every direction, she pads over to me and half buries me in a quilty hug. Her face still looks a bit tired, but other wise she is fine, and she pads back to earlier space and sits down.
A number of other men arrive, and 3 women. The wooden floor in the centre of the room seems to flip over by some form of contraption, and from the under part of the floor, is a large round table with chairs seemingly glued to the floor. Once everyone is seated, Hansuke stands up and claps, and a group of wolf youkai women walk in carrying glasses of sparkling mountain water. Once they have served everyone a cup and leave out the large brass door of the chamber, Hansuke begins to speak, the seriousness and wisdom in his face from when I first glimpsed him reappearing.
"Most of you would have seen the destruction of this land. This meeting is being called to discuss how to evacuate the humans from the village of the base of the mountain. They have requested our help." I bolt up at once, glad that my chair was glued to the floor, or else it would have been sent flying backwards.
"Those wretched, selfish people aren't worth saving! They banished Wander for a curse she received at birth, and imprisoned her parents there till their deaths! They don't deserve it!" I am shocked at the spiteful words, but I am glad to get the weight of them off my chest. Everyone smiles, but I don't look at Wanderer.
"I'm pretty sure you've wanted to say that for a long time, right Ashiato?" Says a woman from the farther side of the table. Everyone agrees and Hansuke continues.
"Bear in mind what Ashiato has said. We are also, whilst we are there, going to investigate this "being" that cursed Wanderer. We shall be questioning the villagers." He then turned to me, and says even more gravely.
"Ashiato, you will not be joining them. I have a feeling your tongue is going to get the better of you." My face flamed red, but I knew he was right. I'd probably bear my fangs, or at the least slice their arm off if they so much as mentioned anything ill of Wanderer. There is a sudden movement from next to the fire. Everyone turns to see Wanderer, slowly standing. The 3 women immediately walk to her. I recognise them as the women who took Wanderer from my back when we came. With their best clothes and jewellery on now, I hadn't recognised them.
They lead Wanderer to the extra chair at the table and help Wanderer into it. She looks around at us, chin set firm.
"I want to go. I wish to see if there are any belongings of my family salvageable. They may be all I have left of them." She looks at us all, like saying "No" isn't an option. I open my mouth, then close it. She was probably getting sick of me trying to protect her. Hansuke looks hard at her.
"They may kill you if they recognise you, or find out we are harbouring you. Knowing them, they'll place the blame on you for this destruction without hesitation." He sets his hands on the table and examines his knuckles. Then he looks up at an anticipating Wanderer.
"You can go. On one condition: you have nothing to do with investigations and stay limited to your house. And that Ashiato accompanies you, and he must also agree to not let you out of his sight and to also not interfere in the investigations." He looks at the at the two of us. Wanderer looks like she is going to protest, so I quickly agree.
"I will sir, I'll make sure she is alright." Wanderer sullenly nods. The meeting is called off, and me and Wanderer are escorted our rooms, which are right next to each other inside of Hansukes mansion. Once the escort was out of sight, Wanderer hissed to me.
"You don't have to look after me you know. I can look after myself." I look at her, surprised.
"Noway! I promised! Plus, you need me. You couldn't fight off a feral cat with those wounds, plus you are still weak from the fever." I am about to retire to my room, when Wanderer snaps, her voice cranky and harsh.
"You just love it, don't you? Protecting me like an eagle protecting a kitten." I waged a battle against ignoring her and continuing the battle and retorting. But after a while with Wanderer, I have learnt to keep my temper.
"I was instructed, and I vowed to protect you. I am not breaking that promise. I refuse to listen to you." I open my room door with a unnecessarily loud bang, and I'm am about to close my door behind me, when she snarls at me,
"You are getting on my nerves. Always protecting me, as if I like it. I-I hate you..." I stop, half way from closing the door. There is silence on the other side too, but I wonder to myself if the silence has once again wriggled back into my heart, like it was before I met Wanderer. Then I hear sobs.
"N-no please Ashiato... I-I didn't mean-"
"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't." The spite in my voice found its way there, but I felt the need to hurt Wanderer like she had hurt me just now. She is quiet, but I can still smell her there, and her tears. My heart feels torn apart, for reasons I wouldn't know, but my constant will to go out there and make up with her are overpowered by a short,
"Good Night." And a slam of the door.
YOU ARE READING
Way of the Wolf
FantasyMy name is Ashiato. I am half a wolf youkai. I was convicted of the crime of having a human mother, for being born. This is the Way of the Wolf.
