You Are Made of Iron

Chapter VI pt. 7

Zeilla, in her half blank state where it was difficult to even form a coherent thought felt Skersha actually doing what Maeron had commended and put herself in Zeillas shoes. And in that moment Zeilla realized that Skersha didn't actually hate her, the wolf did not enjoy causing her pain. Hurting her was Skersha's way of getting back at the world, the world that had taken away her pups, and then her life. She was just as trapped as Zeilla was, maybe even more. The girl had run away before, while all she had accomplished was discovering how to control Zeilla for short amounts of time. She couldn't even control Zeilla for longer than a few minutes!
​The next thing she knew Skersha was in human form and holding her by the neck, strangling her. "I was just about to forgive you girl!" she shrieked, "And then you go and read my mind! You really must love pain!" the last sentence was accented by a tightening of the hands around her throat.
​Zeilla tried to yell out, "Please stop! It was an accident!" but it turned out as "Kirrk ock icky!" and that was as far as she got. She thrashed around clawing at Skersha's hands and trying to kick Skersha as well but all that happened was the pressure in her head built. Spots appeared in front of her eyes and tears flowed freely. Zeilla couldn't breathe!  After what seemed like an eternity and Zeilla was sure that she was about to pass out, the wolf finally released her grip on Zeilla and the girl dropped to the ground. Then she fainted.

​Maeron turned to face the wolf now human, and for the maybe the second time in her long life Skersha felt apprehension, but she swallowed it down and kept her face straight.
​"Happy now are you?" Maeron scowled, "I needed to talk to her! If you cannot control yourself without controlling her, then you have a problem with me."
​"What if I do?"
​"Then you are messing with the wrong person, Skersha."
​"Fine! Whatever you wish, sir." she said jeeringly drawing the last word out as if it were an insult. "I wanted her not to tell you about me, and she did. Then I punished her. So I am done here." And true to her word; she vanished.
​Maeron looked down at the girl, when she was awake before he had thought that her expression looked broken. But now he realized that it was all an act. She may have been the strongest person he knew, with the exception of his wife. Even lying down, unconscious she looked stubborn. The girl was constantly refusing to give in, to admit defeat when it may have meant less pain. But Skersha, if not as stubborn was twice as persistent, she would drop a subject one day then get back on Zeillas case the very next day. That's not saying that she was unlike Zeilla. As he said earlier, the two could be twins, if Skersha wasn't a wolf.
​Zeilla was stirring by now. It had only been a minute or so, but he hadn't expected her to be out for long anyway.

​The first thing that Zeilla heard was a movement. The first thing she saw was blackness. The first thing she felt were the still forming bruises on her neck. She wished that she could stay in this moment, Skersha and Maeron would never notice her consciousness, her body would stay peacefully numb and she would never have to work again. Sadly, her wish was not to be, as Skersha –while she was not physically there the wolf could always read her mind– was not fooled.
​"You'd better get up girl. Or do you want yet another accident?" Skersha sneered.
​Zeilla twitched; she didn't expect Skersha's voice and now the two of them most likely knew that she was awake.
​Well, I really had better get up now, she thought. Zeilla sat up and propped her upper body on both of her arms. A groan escaped from her mouth as she tried to open her eyes and immediately shut them to block out the bright light.
​"Ugg, what is that?" she groaned, "It's blinding me." The light wasn't the sun; it had already been setting by the time she fainted. And anyway she was fairly sure that whatever it was, it was not natural.
​"It's a Glow Light." Maeron explained. He stood up from his crouching position where he had been pointing the thing in her face. "I got it from a wizard with a rather redundant naming process on top of one of the Hearkan Mountains. Long story short, it's very expensive and I would rather you did not touch it." Maeron walked to the carriage and gave a short explanation to the driver, a short sandy haired man. Zeilla blinked, what was all that about? She had never heard of the 'Hearkan Mountains.' And she suspected that he just made that up. He called out to her, "Well girl, aren't you coming?" Zeilla scrambled to her feet and got in the carriage seat next to him.
​After that the two did not speak again. And half way through the trip Zeilla drifted into sleep.