Anika | A Wolf Tale

THREE

T H R E E


-THE FALL-

I was surprised that the threads in the plush carpet of my room had not yet been run thin. The sight of the wolf the night before had more than unnerved me, and I paced the length of the room for the remainder of the evening. Perhaps it had something to do with the attack yesterday morning. The one that I knew caused bruises to bloom down my back and up my arms.

Perhaps I let the creature occupy my mind in its place.

But a wolf? In the Capital? It all felt like some looming omen.

That morning I awoke to find a dull green gown folded on the settee, along with a pair of heels with hideous buckles on them. However I soon learned the sight of the shoes themselves was nothing compared to the pinching pain they caused my feet. Still, I found myself pacing my room, though they threw off my balance terribly.

A rap came at my door followed by a rather friendly, "Good morning, my lady. I am here to escort you to the assembly."

Taron.

Practically racing for the door, I threw it open. "Sir Morrok! Come in."

He cocked his head, raising a mud-brown brow in my direction. "Is something the matter, Lady Green?"

I hobbled to the balcony door, a cautious Taron at my heels.

"Last night, I saw something out there," I said, jabbing a finger to the tree line, dappled with early morning sunlight. "I think- I think it was a wolf."

When I turned to Taron, his eyes were fixed in a squint out the window. "Are you sure it wasn't a dog?" he questioned. "Wolves are not native to the area, especially in the Capital."

"That's what I thought. But I know what I saw."

Taron's lips pressed into a line. When he shook his head, his shaggy brown hair swayed. "Lady Anika, I think yesterday was a long day for you-"

"I know what I saw," I repeated.

He sucked in a breath, his chest expanding. For a moment he surveyed me, his eyes passing over my face as if to find a crack in my resolve. Finally, he said, "Alright, then. I can look into the matter if it comforts you. But I can assure you, no wolves are in the area. And if they were, they are of no threat to you."

I sighed, my feet already aching from the horrid shoes. "I know it shouldn't bother me, but it seemed to be staring straight at me. Like it was looking for something."

All of the sudden, realization hit me like a stone. My eyes widened, and I swung my head up to meet Taron's gaze.

"My apologies, Sir Morrok," I breathed. "I must sound insane. This is incredibly improper of me-"

"There is no need to apologize, my lady." He offered me a sideways grin. "And please, call me Taron."

With a wink, he was striding back toward my open bedroom door.

Inwardly, I was banging my head against a wall. One day. It had been one day in this place and I was already on the brink of a breakdown. Taron probably thought I belonged in an asylum as opposed to a castle.

"I would advise that we move quickly. Lady Nadya is already in the Grand Hall with the others. They will be beginning soon," he called.

I fought back a string of curses, learned from my ladies maid back home, as I realized the time. How could I have been so engrossed to not see the time?

With one last glance at the empty tree line, I was making my way out the door and toward the Grand Hall.

As we walked, Taron went on about the various different rooms and features of the palace, pointing out small details as we passed. I felt myself entranced in his stories. Where the guards we passed by were stoic, standing at attention with little to no expression on their faces, Taron had a certain air of casual indifference. It made me want to trust him. Which I supposed was a good thing to have in a place such as the palace; a person to talk to.