Shadows of wolves

Chapter 13

Arl Karen Elkin

There is something about that black wolf in the end cell. I expected her to attack but not in the planned way she did. I frowned, I had to use a lot of my 'skills' on her, maybe I should just kill her and the boy. For now I would let them live, she could be worth the trouble.

It had been two Weeks and she had still not broken to my will. I had taken memories from her and made the memory of the boy stronger, but not even that had much effect. I knew she was letting me order her, she was in control, for now. I could not keep her like that for long and I wished to use her viciousness. How I could do that eluded me.

A thought started to form. I needed the king dead and out of the way so I can take the throne that is rightfully mine! I could used that blasted wolf to kill him, and she would obey to protect the boy. The more I thought the more appealing it became. The wolf would need to have a purpose to kill the king, that would be easy enough. First I had to arrange the king to come hunt in the Elk forest that was for kilometers ride from the castle. It would all seem like an accident and his healer wouldn't be able to reach him in time.

I would be handed the throne and it was less messy than my other... options. Being the king's last living relative had it's perks. It was to bad that he insisted to resist my abilities. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy killing him.

The capitol was a days light riding from here, mean he could be here on the Morrow. I called for the messenger to be woken and got a scribe to write my invitation to the king. I made sure he added that it was an opportunity for us to come closer together as cousins. Just as I signed off the message and sealed it with wax, the messenger came in, bowing. He could not hide his tiredness, it was still an hour before the sun rose. I cuffed him before sending him off with the letter. Now it was time to visit the wolf and give her reason to hate the king over everything else in the world, lucky I had already made a puppet that she hated and made him as much like the king as I could.

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Shadow

It was excruciatingly hard to do as the Arl's trainer ordered. I had grown to hate everything in this world and out had been only a week. All of Karen's men would strike me when the chance arose. Some had recently lost the first joint of their fingers.

I was losing a grip on sanity. Many plans of escape had run through my mind, but they were half baked ideas with fatal flaws in them. I had considered attacking the man who trained me, Karen told me his name was 'Eric', but the Arl called him by other names in a language I didn't understand. He looked finer in clothing and status in amongst their people, which was confusing as to why he let the Arl dominate him. I shoved this thoughts away, they were pointless. Eric was attempting to shape me the way his Arl wished, but he was not very successful, even with his whip.

The trainer spoke in an almost forgotten language call Hitara. It was one of four languages the Arl had forced into my brain. The voices that had echoed in my head and even snaked into my dreams, had stopped two days after his first visit, he had started that they were a side effect of placing them in my brain.

I still had the urge to attack him but I couldn't risk Ash's life on an act like that. It was strange that I could remember him in clear detail and yet I could hardly remember Thunder and the rest of the pack. I couldn't recall my sister's name anymore. I sensed the Arl's hand in this.

Pure hatred fill me and I felt my fur bristle. He had taken my freedom, a person I held dear and was bending me to him will, did he not yet have enough? He couldn't be satisfied with that so now he was taking my memories, my sense of being. The reason I could remember Ash so clearly is so Karen can use him against me.

My thoughts were interrupted by the booming sound of someone approaching down the hall outside my cell. I could hear small whimpering sounds from the cells as he passed them. The Arl had returned and by the sound of his steps, something was happening.

"Up wolf!" The trainer yelled into the room, making the sound echo in my cell. I stood up, saturating straight into his blue eyes, challenging him. His looks didn't match his voice and attitude. His face held the same softness as Ash's had and the first time I set eyes on this man, it had deceived me. I soon learnt after he use the metal tipped whip on me.

"Your friend was caught deserting, the price for desertion is death. So as a last kindness I brought him here to be executed, you will be the last thing of this life he will see. Kind aren't I?" My heart stopped and the world started to fall apart beneath me. Two guards walked in dragging their captive.

Hair as dark as soot, eyes like amber, and an unmistakable face that had once been so kind and friendly. His eyes no longer glowed with life, they were dull and uncaring. Ash's face had hardened and had cuts covering every inch. He couldn't stand on his own and when the guards let him go he feel straight to his hands and knees, struggling to just stay like that.

My heart sunk to see him like this. I ran to the end of my heavy chai, trying to get to him to show I was there. I felt more for him than mere friendship. I knew he was my mate and if he died by sometimes hand, than I would venture to the ends of the earth, even go to *Harthale's lair if I had to! I was so close to him that if he moved forward in the slightest I would be able to touch him. His eyes locked into mind, a small light had returned.

"Now you will watch him die and you will be helpless," I snarled at the train and he just smiled back before lifting a broad sword high into the air above Ash. "I am sorry I failed you Shadow," Ash said just before the sword started it's arc downwards. I couldn't look away. As the sword hit it's mark, I felt my heart get wrenched out. Sadness mingled with hate.

He would be avenged.