The legend of friendship: Never losing faith again

Chapter 6: Conversation with a Congressman

Several hours later...

Madeline Emerald left the cliff and walked through the woods, searching for Arvid. "Arvid?" She called out. "Where are you? Arvid? Where did he go...?" Madeline has been searching for so long, the sun is setting. She walked between two dead trees and saw Arvid's footprints, and his horse was close to the footprints. But, no Arvid. He must have went this way. Madeline thought. I have to get to him before Father kills him. She followed the trail of footprints while sniffing them. Arvid, I know you're still here, She thought, but, please trust me. I will not hurt you. I do not have a reason for hurting you... Madeline followed the trail of footprints for 1 hour, until she started getting cold. "Wh-Where...is...h-he?" She asked herself. "I can...not f-find him.... Is someone ov-ver th-there?" She saw Arvid, from a small distance, sitting on a rock, his back facing her. His head was down. Madeline walked towards him slowly. "You should not have come here!" Arvid suddenly said, hearing Madeline step on twigs. "I already said farewell, and I meant it when I left." "Please, Arvid! I am only here to protect you!" Madeline cried. "Protect me from what?" Arvid asked. "Yourself?" "No! No!" Madeline cried. "I want to protect you from your Father. The rule he conceived will surely kill you, so I do not want you to die." "Are you holding me hostage, wolf?" Arvid asked, not calling Madeline by her name. "If you are, leave me be! I will not allow myself to be held hostage by your kind!" "I would never hold anyone hostage, Arvid. It is not what God would want." Madeline said softly. Arvid's face turned overwhelmingly pale as he looked up. "Y-You know about God?" He asked, his voice sank to a fearful whisper. "Yes, I do, Arvid." Madeline said kindly. "He is our holy Lord. And, his son, Jesus, died on the cross, saving his people from sin." Arvid's face turned more pale. In fact, he felt noxious. "Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death." Madeline continued. "He did not focus on anything but saving..." "Enough. Enough." Arvid said anxiously, but trying sound calm. "I....I have heard enough! And, I will not hear anything anymore!" He felt a small amount of painful fear in his chest. Madeline felt horrified by Arvid's words. "Do you really mean that?!" She cried, a bit quiet, but fearful. "Why?!" "I...rather not speak about it." Arvid said with an anxious, but quiet voice. "It is okay, Arvid." Madeline said softly. "You can talk about it with..." "I SAID I RATHER NOT SPEAK ABOUT IT!!" Arvid suddenly shouted. "NOW, LEAVE ME BE!! YOUR KIND IS A NUISANCE TO MY KIND!! I CANNOT ALLOW MYSELF TO FACE EXECUTION, SO, I'M BEGGING YOU, please leave me be..." Arvid got up and walked over to his right. Arvid was out of Madeline's sight. Wh-What...?! Madeline thought. If I scared him, I...did not mean to.... I... Arvid.... Madeline walked over to Arvid's direction, shivering to death. "A-A-A-A-Arvid...! Wh-Wh-Where...are...y-y-y-you...?" She stammered, freezing. "P-P-P-Please....I...will...not h-hurt...y-y-y-you..." Madeline shivered deathly, but, suddenly, she found a small cave to her right. "P-Perhaps...I...I...should rest in...h-he-here unt...il it...warms up-p-p..." Shivering, she slowly walked into the small cave. It was the size of a master bedroom. The rocks were covered in puddles of water and mud. "It...is much more comfortable in here..." Madeline said, shivering a tiny bit. But suddenly, she saw Arvid Williams Sr. sitting on a rock near the end of the cave with his hands on his lap and his head down. "Arvid? Is that you?" Madeline said. Arvid quickly and frantically turned around. "You! Wh-Why are you following me?!" He cried anxiously. "I will not allow myself to be killed by a wolf or my own....Father. Please get out!" "I can see that you are really upset..." Madeline said. "But, please. I am not a killer. I am an Omega rather than an Alpha. I will not hurt you. Just trust me. Please!" "Why...?!" Arvid cried. "It is a crime to talk to wolves, and must not allow myself to get caught speaking to you! Leave me at once!" "I...I must not leave you here!" Madeline cried. "If I do, my Father will kill you!" Arvid looked up with fright. "What do you mean?!" He whispered under his breath. "Your Father is a wolf, is he? It is his instincts, so of course he will kill me!" Madeline sat down, preparing to tell Arvid something he won't wanna hear. "Our pack hates humans just as much as humans hate us. They are supportive of your Father's rule, so if you stay here alone, they will surely kill you." Arvid didn't say anything. He just stared at the rocky wall. "Arvid?" Madeline said. "Stop saying my name! It is making me infuriated!" Arvid cried, his hands clenching his hair, causing his hat to fall off. "And, leave. Me. BE!" "Please do not despair," Madeline said, "and, run from your own fear and distress. For God will always protect you and love you." Arvid slowly turned his head with a shocked expression. "God never leaves his children. He is always there for us, especially in dark times." Arvid turned his head back facing the rocky wall. "Go." He said under his breath. "I want to be alone. Please..." Madeline was shocked by Arvid's attitude towards her. He didn't feel any faith in himself or God. "Arvid...?! Why must you turn your back on someone who is trying to help you?!" Madeline cried. "Because you are a wolf!" Arvid snapped. "Wolves are not allowed to talk to humans and humans are not allowed to talk to wolves! It has been a rule since the middle of the war. And, I....." He was about to say something extremely important. But, he stopped talking. "Arvid? Is something wrong?" Madeline asked gently. "Are you okay?" "I...do not have faith anymore..." Arvid said despairingly. "My wife...my children...my Mother...my Father...they all died..." Madeline was horrified by those words. She never heard anyone say that at all. Never. "Arvid.... You lost your family?" She asked, feeling sadness for Arvid. "Yes...." Arvid sighed. "We were captured by the British 5 years ago... We have been enslaved and abused... I was able to escape, but my family could not... I did everything I could to save them... But, I was too late... They have already been killed by the British! I retreated back to America, but my family never, which ruined my life.... The unspeakable feeling of depression shot me in the head! I was unable to take care of myself, so I was taken in by a family friend. That friend.....was King Ridley Z. Williams III." Madeline felt overwhelmed by Arvid's words. "You have gone through a lot since the war.... I am sorry." She said. "It...is fine, wolf..." Arvid said, pulling out the necklace from his coat and looking down. "I always have something to remember them. This necklace keeps me going. It keeps me working. And, it keeps my memories. But...I would rather have them with me...." "Arvid... I know how you feel. I have been dealing with loss too. My Grandmother died from getting involved in a fight." Madeline said kindly. "But, she lives on in my memories.... And, that necklace must be important to you.... It makes me happy that you were able to find you're necklace in the woods." Arvid looked up and was horrified by what he just heard. "What did you say?" Arvid said fearfully under his breath. "How did you know that I found it in the woods?!" "I found it in the woods before you did, Arvid." Madeline said gently. "Then, I followed you and set it down because I thought it was yours. And, I was right." Arvid had an expression of fear and shock at the same time. He got up and walked towards Madeline. "Where did you get this?!" He asked quietly and anxiously, holding the Necklace in front of Madeline. "Answer me! Please! Where did you find this?!" Madeline spoke softly, "I found it in a different part of the woods. I thought it belonged to a human. It belonged to you." Arvid stood there motionless. What....was it doing in the woods...? He thought, filled with confusion. Then, he asked Madeline, "....What did you say your name was again?" "Madeline Emerald of the wolfpack from the woodland carven." Madeline said.