Often Hushed

Chapter Five

Shiiiiiit... so who are these newer wolves? Get geared for a nice chapter of somewhat Introductions :]

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CHAPTER FIVE

I trundled down the path at a slow jog, trying to keep my leg from touching the ground for as long as I could. The smells of civilization grew more prominent as I moved forward along the meandering dirt trail. I could tell when I got closer to the town that the boy had mentioned. The path grew wider and the trees, thinner. Finally, I entered the clearing of a town. A cluster of storefronts and homes were scattered across the looping streets. 

I looked around, immediately spotting the low-slung log-cabin that was stuck behind the massive "Town Hall" sign. I nearly took a step back. The odor of Pack assaulted my nose and made me flinch. Their scent was sour and heavy, but most of all, inviting. Powerful. This was a group of wolves that was not used to contenders, and the quiet peace of the town only seemed to enunciate that.  

The sun glowered in the sky from behind wisps of white. Salty sweat beaded on my hairline in the heat, which I wiped away with the back of my hand.  

I trudged down sidewalks, still limping. It must be late in the afternoon, but I couldn't see anybody about. The adults must all still be working at their jobs, and the kids, if there are any, waiting for them. 

I passed two sullen motels that appeared in need of a newer coat of paint, but didn't seem too dingy. I finally located a larger resort that looked adequate, and nudged through the door. Crusted blood smeared off of my hand onto the door handle, and I flexed my fingers. The man at the counter snapped up his head to stare at me curiously, alerted by a bell that was suspended over the door. He seemed not to be too alarmed with the blood, like he'd been expecting me, but I tried to keep my mangled leg and the patches of red out of sight.

He was an older man with sandy hair and a stout beard to match. He grinned shyly, and once I reached the vicinity of the counter he muttered, "That'll be $78 for a one-night-stay, miss." 

I fished a 100 dollar bill out of my backpack with one hand, not moving my eyes from his. I handed the bill to him, and he gave me a key without another word. With a mild amount of trial and error, I don't really need the directions that he hadn’t offered.

I found the room, number 129, by climbing the stairs next to the receptionist’s desk and turning to my right. I jammed the key into the lock with a little difficulty, but was able to open the door before collapsing onto the bed.

I groaned and pulled my pants leg up again. The swelling appeared to have gone down, but there's still a lot of blood. I sighed. 

"You've still got far to go 'fore you can really relax, Ness." I reprimanded myself timidly, trying to draw from an inner strength that I was not sure I possessed. Shoving off of the somewhat scratchy mattress, I rubbed my eyes and cranked on the hot water in the shower a few steps away. It pounded ruthlessly against the stained plastic of the floor. 

Almost a minute later, I got in and let the steam sink into my lungs, cleansing my now-rogue stench and the mess of blood and dirt that had plagued my body. I scraped my nails down my legs, trying to disguise the tears in my eyes as ones caused by pain.

I eased the knob off and took a step out, shivering on the mat. Drying my leg gently with a threadbare towel and carefully wrapping it with my improvised gauze (ripped strips from the hotel sheet); I threw my hair up into a wet ponytail. The clean clothes that I'd scavenged from the train sat on the bathroom counter. I ignored them for the most part. Nudity has never bothered a wolf.