Falling Feathers Book I - Rogue Without Fear

Chapter XII

>>> Soren Hawethorne <<<
The full moon was tonight. It was starting to get dark, the sunset was pink and orange on the horizon.  I was walking from Antony's farm up to my inn, with me was a small basket of eggs.  Every once in a while Antony let me take some of his harvest or a couple of eggs, some small things that he could spare to give for free.  For the most part, that's how everyone here was.  As I walked, I couldn't help but let Autumn slip into my thoughts once again.  I thought of her change of dress. She didn't wear her usual green dress. Instead she had started wearing a white blouse, a brown leather vest, some brown pants, and brown boots. What had prompted her change of garb? I could not deny that she did look good in the new clothes. Not only where they clean, but the blouse and leather pants gave her a different look. The dress looked more feminine, I told myself.
By the time I'd finished thinking about her, I was nearly at the inn.  I saw the door open, and Autumn stepped out.  She was hard to see in the dark, but I recognized her cloak and her figure.  She looked around nervously, and saw me.  She hesitated for a moment, probably debating which way she wanted to walk.  After a few moments, she turned away from me and began walking to the gate.  I called after her.
"Autumn!"  She stopped walking, and turned around.  I caught up with her, and smiled pleasantly.
    "Oh, it's just you." She sighed with relief.
"You aren't going out somewhere this late at night, are you?"  I asked.
"Yes, I am.  I was just going to head out for a walk,"  She replied shortly, then smiled nervously.
"Where are you going?"  I pressed on.  She looked around, then to the sky.  Is she in a rush?  Why would she be in a rush if all she's doing is walking?
"Just around the woods, to calm my nerves a bit."  She murmured.
"Going with anyone?"  She hesitated, and looked me over, observed the basket of eggs, then sighed.
"No, but I really must go, it's getting late and I don't want it to be too dark while I'm out," she spoke hastily.
"Ah yes, I suppose that is true."  I paused, and thought.  "It's the full moon tonight, isn't it?"  A chilling breeze danced through.  She shivered.
"Yes, it is the full moon.  Are you cold?  I'm freezing."  She looked around the street once more, this time as if she was finding something to use as an excuse or reason to get away.  I knew by then that something wasn't right.  A walk on the full moon, and she was in a rush to get away?  I couldn't think of any good reason for her to want to get out so fast except for her being a werewolf.  That's crazy.  She's human just like you.  A part of me wanted to believe that.  A part of me felt that something was wrong.  Then, I began to wonder.  Suppose for a moment she is a werewolf, I told myself.  Do you want her transforming in town?  The havoc she could wreak, not to mention my shock at seeing a werewolf, let alone my friend transform.
"Soren?  I'm sorry, but I really should be going."  Autumn interrupted my thoughts.  I nodded blankly, my stomach turning over at the thought of her being a werewolf. She turned and walked briskly towards the back of the inn. What is she doing going back there, I wondered for a moment. As I watched her walk away, I became lost in my mindless thoughts.

>>> Autumn Rose <<<
I'm running out of time, I have to get away, I reminded myself. My skin started tingling, and while I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, I knew it couldn't have meant something good.
"Soren? I'm sorry, but I really should be going." I rushed. He seemed to be looking over my shoulder. I couldn't quite tell where or what he was looking at. He nodded, still staring into the distance. I hastily turned and walked back behind the inn. As quickly as I could, I opened the trap door and flew down the ladder. When I was near enough to the ground, I let go. The wind rushed as it blew past my ears. With a soft thud, I hit the ground. I saw Felix standing in front of the door. His face was solemn and emotionless. As I approached, he nudged the door open. In front of me stood the stranger. He wasted no time.
    "Good, it's almost time, a matter of minutes now.  Your first change will be a bit rough.  It'll be painful."  The stranger began explaining.  Everything is painful.  It's painful to become a werewolf, painful to be marked, and now it's going to be painful during my first transformation? I grumbled to myself.  "I don't quite know how to explain it.  It's not a feeling you can explain.  It'll be like something you've never felt before.  You'll feel wild, and violent.  You won't really be able to control it. You can only transform at the full moon. But for now, don't worry about any of this.  I suggest you just try and be as calm as you can.  It doesn't hurt as much if you're calm." He started walking me towards the center of the room.
    "What if I get into the town?"  I inquired, worry causing my tone to waver.  The stranger chuckled.
    "It'll be hard for you to do.  As the wolf, you can't climb up a ladder.  The only other way out is a labyrinth of tunnels. They were designed by us werewolves when we first came to Shepherd's Rest, and made this town. As a human, you can navigate the labyrinth if you know your way around.  As a wolf, you'll get lost.  Only a few times have wolves gotten out the labyrinth, and when they did, it was so they could get into the woods and hunt.  The woods call to us, you've felt it.  Something about these woods summons us all. We believe it's because of the wolf inside.  A wolf doesn't belong in a town, among humans.  A wolf belongs in the woods, where he can hunt and kill."  The stranger explained.  He waved a hand in a dismissing manner.  "That's enough of that.  I'll leave you now, and I'll find my way into the woods.  For tonight you probably want to stay here with the rest of them.  It'll be more comforting for a new wolf to be among it's pack."
A burning sensation growing in my body.  I wanted to do something, to occupy myself.  There was nothing I could do.  I could only wait.
I walked to my room, and proceeded to sit on my bed. I looked around the room.  I studied the rocks, the different crevices and peaks, then my mind began to wonder how much longer I would wait, and what it would be like.  It was minutes away, the stranger had said.  The minutes felt like hours.
    At long last, I felt something.  My skin felt like it was tearing.  I looked at my arms, but all I could see was the sleeves.  I half expected myself to start bleeding.  I sat down on the bed, and bit my lip as to not to scream out.  I fell down on my stomach, and used my hands to hold myself up.  The pain was almost unbearable.  Tears were forming in my eyes, my lip began to bleed from me biting it so hard.  Then, I felt something new.  I felt fur growing on my arms and legs.  My ears became pointed, my senses began growing stronger.  I could hear wolves howling from inside the tunnels, and others howling just in the lair.  It was deafening, they sounded so close as their howls echoed in my head.  They were all too loud.  I tried covering my ears, but I found I couldn't.  I had no hands, I had paws.  The fur was everywhere now, I could feel it.  My clothes were gone.  They were part of my human self, and my human self wasn't here.  My eyesight began changing.  Everything was dark, then blindingly bright.  I closed my eyes, and all was dark again.
When I opened them, everything was fine.  I was the wolf, and I was hungry.  I howled to the rocks, and burst into the lair.  I ran into the tunnels, where I stayed for the rest of that night.

>>> Chase Ashfield <<<
My paws pounded the ground softly. The musty smell of the trees filled my nose, calming my nerves. I raced through the woods, and leaped over a log. The wind through my fur was exhilarating. I felt wild and free. Suddenly, I heard a bird call. Despite my savage instincts, I still recognized the sound. It was Lux. I heard her feet land on the ground. I turned around, a low growl beginning in my throat. She hushed me, and approached. Her face was one of concern and remorse.
"Chase," she whispered. My ears twitched. I recognised my name, but dismissed it completely. "I'm sorry," she went on. "I'm so sorry." I knew she was upset, but that fact didn't register to me at the time. Nothing did. "I didn't mean to attack you, but I had to. You know how it is, when they look up to you. You have an example to set." She looked around, and ran her hand through her hair.  "And it wasn't like our love was going to get far, you and I both know that.  It's forbidden."  She sighed.  "I know you won't remember any of this, you probably don't even recognize me."  Lux began to pace.  "I still love you, Chase.  I still want to help you. I want to be with you.  We just can't, I can't.  The codes.  The damn codes!"  She fell silent, deep in thought.  "After all, now with that Autumn girl, I'm sure you'll fall in love with her anyway," Lux snivelled.  "You'll forget me won't you?  You'll forget what we had.  What we should still have."  I could feel her jealousy and hatred.  She turned to me, and looked me over.  "No matter what happens, you know I need the key," she went on, her tone calmer now.  "I can't let Danny have it.  You have to kill him, it's the only way.  We both know he'll stop at nothing to get it."  Lux came to me.  I didn't growl this time, I sat down.  In a slow soothing motion, she pet my head, running her hand in between my ears and down my neck to my shoulders.  "I can be desperate too.  I'll do anything to keep the key away from Danny.  Even if it means killing -" She stopped herself, and began to weep.  I nuzzled her shoulder and licked her cheek.  She sobbed into my fur.  When she was done, she rubbed her nose and carried on talking.  "I'll keep it away from him," she repeated.  "No matter the cost," she added looking at me solemnly.
"I have to go now," she murmured.  She kissed my head, and stood up.  In an whirl of smoke she disappeared, and a black raven beat the air silently in front of me.  Its harsh cry pierced the air, then it flew away.  I was left alone in the woods.  I let out a soft whine, then ran through the woods once more.