Eye of the Winter Wolf

Chapter 3

Marian flew through the forests her daughter loved so much, wondering what could possibly intrigue her to that degree. The leaves were orange and brown, dying, she realised, wondering how death could ever look so lovely. Mesmerised by the beauty of this place, she could see why Serafina adored this. Their experiences were different, though, Marian flew, Serafina ran. Marian looked down at the trees, while Serafina was engulfed within. 

There was a sudden gust of icy wind, unusually cold for autumn, she shuddered, then she realised it wasn't just wind. She heard running and panting. She listened attentively until whatever it was came into view.

First, she saw the swish of a powerful black tail, though it wasn't a horse's tail, it was like a shadow. She took the risk of flying closer and realised what the creatures were: laquas. That explained the wind, the cold, laquas brought an aura of cold with them, sometimes sucking out the warmth in the summer. They were as she imagined, fast, black, and stunningly beautiful. They had slick black fur that faded into shadows at the tail and mane which were their only difference to horses in appearance.

The main reasons the people of Allius hated the laquas was because they fed off of death. The millennials of war and death made them strong, and practically invincible. They roamed the forests, killing, and feeding off their dead victims. The darker the shadow on a laqua's tail, the more they had fed.

One of the laquas spotted her, and before she could flap her wings to get away, the laqua flung a net of shadow at her. It had a cloyingly sweet flavour, it made her sick to the stomach. The shadows were tugging at her, beckoning, welcoming. She struggled against it, determined not to succumb at the hands of a laqua.

She fought, and fought, all she managed to do was tire herself out. She couldn't breathe, she could hardly move. Her feathers dulled, her wings turned limp, but her eyes were still bright, determined.

When she finally realised she had met her end, she thought of her daughter, she wasn't sorry for scolding her, there was no room in her heart to be sorry at that moment, she just had to be grateful. Then she thought of Sebastian, her husband, her mate. She thought of his blue eyes, his ginger hair, his rough, calloused hands. The most important people in her life, if she died, she would remember them, somehow, she would find a way.

She let out her last cry, a call for her mate, her child, but also a warning. She tried to convey as much as she could in that one sound, not to come after her, how much she loved them, how full her life was, and how her end was beautiful. She had lived, fully, not just survived the devastating wars, but truly lived, and she was satisfied.

Her eyes dulled with her feathers, giving in, knowing she couldn't fight any longer. Taking one last breath, she let go, truly let go, of everything, and died a bird, remembering how she enjoyed flying, how she enjoyed her freedom. 

~~~

Sebastian heard it, the cry of a falcon, in the distance, in the forests, and he ran for it. He knew Serafina heard it too, as he heard a panting wolf instantly by his side. She was faster than him, being much younger, her eyes bore into his, telling him he could not leave her behind.

That call held so much, how she had yielded, how much she loved them, how she needed them to understand. I do, he thought, I do. And with that he howled, Serafina joining him, sending Marian one last message, that they did, they loved her, and that they understood.

Marian's last wish was for them not to come after her, and he could not disobey that. He and Serafina stood shoulder to shoulder, staring at the forest in the distance, helpless. He would honour his mate's last wish, no matter how wretched it made him feel not to dash into the forest and seek her out.

He felt miserable, knowing he had just let his mate die. It sounded absolutely selfish, but it was her last wish, and if he went after her and died, Serafina would have come with, and he would not accept that. Sometimes, the only way to be truly selfless was to do something extremely selfish: saving his own life.

~~~

Oh gods, oh gods, Serafina thought, her mother, her mother. She could not believe it, she would not believe it, her mother told them not to come after her. Her call held no regret, no remorse, no, there was no room for that.

She crumpled on the ground, a mass of silvery grey fur, for once in her life, she felt truly helpless, no way of reversing this, no way of going back. Her mother was gone, gone.

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Okay, if someone actually reads this then THANK YOU! This is just past time for me and I hope you enjoy! 

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