The Blood in Our Veins

Chapter Seventeen - Maiden of the Pack

- One Year Later -

I sat at the base of our willow tree as yet another sad memory passed through my mind. This was it. The first anniversary of the day I murdered them all. Father, Mother, Tristan... I shook the thought from my mind. I had to pull through. For Lani. Kian, the white wolf, lay with her enormous head on my lap. I played my panflute softly, as the sun had not yet risen. My hair was braided, as it always was, with the thin green vines that hung from the weeping tree. The snowy curls had grown to the point that they brushed the forest floor. I wore a black dress that I had torn so that it would cut off just above my knees. The links of the chain that had once bound me had fallen off one by one, leaving only the thick cuffs on my wrists.

The massive wolf's ears perked up and it sprang to its feet. It looked to me expectantly and I understood what she wanted. It was time for a hunt. I stood and looked to Lani. She was curled up with a number of small, furry cubs. She would be fine. I flicked my braid like a whip, and curved blades about three centimeters long protruded from the sides, twelve of them in all. I swiped my hand over them and they slid back into hiding.

I nodded once, and together Kian and I sprinted into the trees. I caught sight of a large deer and ran after it. Our prey was fast, but not fast enough. Within moments the elegant creature lay in a pool of its own blood. Even in death its grace and beauty were apparent. All movement ceased. Birds stopped chirping. Winds stood still. The only sign of life was hushed voices not far ahead...

I slung the day's catch over Kian and sent her back to the pack. Creeping closer, I could hear horses' hooves moving slowly through the brush. I climbed into a tree and waited. Before long, three riders came into view. I began to wonder why they had bothered to venture this far into the valley. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight, making them easy to spot. They couldn't have been there for me. Could they?

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- RYON'S POV -

I fingered the necklace that my commander had given me. He had put it into my care so that the Maiden of the Pack would believe us when we told her where we came from. The stories that were told of her were extraordinary. It was said that she lived in this valley with none other than wolves. The pack she supposedly led was big enough to take down all of two hundred men. I had laid eyes on this myself. The entire pack was enormous, but there was no sign of the fabled girl. According to popular belief, she would command them by use of strange music, either panflute or voice.

Suddenly, the entire forest became silent. My companion, David, was shaking in his boots. Out of nowhere,  song erupted. It seemed to caress the air but also rule over the woods. The music seemed to come from all directions. I whirled around, trying to find the source. A flash of white in the leaves caught my eye. As I searched, I noticed a pair of amber eyes watching me from the high branches of a tree. I smiled genuinley and gestured for the girl to come down.

The eyes narrowed, but the music stopped and in a moment, a girl stood before us. She couldn't have been older than I was. The strange girl was more beautiful than any I had ever seen before. I couldn't help but stare. Thr girl smirked.

"When you're done gawking, I wouldn't mind some explanations." she said with arms crossed over her chest. I snapped out of the trance.

"I am Ryon. These idiots are David and Ethan." I said, gesturing to the men behind me. Ethan muttered something vile under his breath, but I ignored the comment. "Who are you exactly?"

The girl shrugged. "Even I don't know anymore." she stated simply. How does someone forget who they are? "Why do you journey this far into the valley?" I straightened.

"We were sent here to find someone known as the Maiden of the Pack." I explained.  She laughed.

"Well, you found her. Who sent you?" she asked curiously.

"Prince Tristan." I said truthfully. The smile dropped from her face. She hummed a simple four note tune. In seconds we were surrounded by snarling wolves. They bared their teeth and snapped their powerful jaws threateningly.

"You think you could fool me that easily?" she asked. I furrowed my brow in confusion. What was she talking about? She waved to us. "Bye." Then the hounds attacked.

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THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MY FRIEND MEGAN L.!! THANKS FOR BEING A FEW FRIES SHORT OF A HAPPY MEAL!! Hint to those of you who care enough to read my notes: Ryon plays an extremely important part in this story. See ya later!

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