Collar the Wild

Chapter 13 - Exploration

As Ember steps out of his bedroom, the door to the master's study opens and Hess steps out, looking very cheerful and fiddling with his upgraded collar.

"Oh hey, I guess you may as well go next." He suggests jovially, and walks around the landing to the top of the stairs.

"Wait, what happens? It doesn't hurt right?"

Hess tuts and rolls his eyes. "No dummy, replacing your collar doesn't hurt." He jeers and saunters down the stairs, likely to regain control over his unmonitored kitchen.

Ember steps over to the office door and knocks gingerly. He is entreated entrance almost immediately and opens the door.

"Oh, Ember." Alek says, looking up from a complicated contraption with a heavy lever. "I have something special planned for you, so I'd prefer to see you last. Please go and send in one of the other two, thank you."

"Oh ... er, yes ... master." Ember turns and hurries out of the door, always feeling a strong sense of oppression in that room from such an authoritative presence. Despite the casual tone, Ember feels like he's addressing his father, constantly worried he'd put a word wrong and be punished.

The door clicks shut and he hears someone coming up the stairs. Looking over the balcony he sees Voigt walking very determinedly, as though he would be running if he felt like he was allowed. He swings around the top of the banister and comes to a standstill immediately on seeing Ember.

"Ah! You aren't in the study." He puffs.

"No ... I was dismissed. Said he wanted to see me last." Ember explains, looking at the older wolf curiously. "What's the fuss about?"

"Uh ..." Voigt shifts uneasily and sighs, leaning on the banister. "I'll be frank, because I think I owe you that much. I didn't trust you to be alone with the master when he takes your collar off."

Ember feels his insides drop a foot lower, along with his expression, while his gaze stays locked to the stern green eyes.

"You thought I was going to attack him." He says slowly and Voigt confirms with a guilty nod.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I've known you for less than a day and I just wanted to be there to supervise more than anything." The grey wolf explains, holding up his hands defensively. "When that collar comes off, a lot of the influence diminishes and you could act irrationally." He sighs and drops his arms in a light shrug. "Please try to understand my side of it, I'm just trying to protect the master."

Ember exercises the muscles around his mouth as he tries to be empathetic. He was known to be violent only yesterday and his emotional state has been very fragile all today. He looks away as he slowly comes to realise that the wolf is just wanting to safeguard the human from someone just recently exposed as an ex-cult member.

"I ... understand." He mutters, saddened that he's still considered a threat, but ultimately agreeable that he would do the same thing in Voigt's position.

"Thank you, Ember. For what it's worth, if the master dismisses my concerns, I will gladly leave. Not because I'm told to, but because I trust his judgement. And if he tells me that my presence is not needed, then I would believe it." Voigt closes the gap between them slightly as he talks.

"Thanks, Voigt." Ember says finally. "If it means anything at all ... I hope I don't get violent too."

"That gives me more confidence that my actions were indeed misguided." Voigt smiles and gently pats the black wolf's arm. "I shouldn't keep the master waiting, I'd better go in."

Ember nods and moves to the side to let him pass and turns at the banister. Voigt smiles apologetically his way before entering the study. "He's right, I wouldn't trust me either." The black wolf breathes quietly and starts descending the stairs.