The Shadows of Erisdar 1 of 3 [COMPLETE]

Chapter 8

Alex left the house that night after Darryl had gone to bed. She didn't take any of her things just yet, she would have to go out every night to find out how they had gotten into the valley, but she suspected it was either towards the thicker forest to the east or there was a road in the mountains nearby. But one thing was clear; she would have to be patient or else she'd be caught.

Alex revelled in the feeling of the forest around her. She ran and leapt about, releasing all her pent-up frustration. It was wonderful. She sensed many different creatures around her. More than she had sensed back home and a few, in particular, she had never sensed before.

Curious, she moved towards one. She stalked quietly through the trees as she neared the creature. Peeking through the bushes she saw it. It looked like a fox, but not like she had ever seen before. It had large ears tipped with long strands of hair and its tail was longer than the average fox. Its coat was a beautiful chocolate brown lightening to tan on its legs and tail and the tips of its ears.

Alex gasped softly as it moved into the moonlight. Its coat glittered a beautiful, soft golden colour. Alex crouched down lower, her boots scraping the soil. As soon as she had made a sound it perked its ears and its coat darkened until blending in with the background, no longer shining, as it flattened against the ground and she gasped louder this time, causing it to bolt away.

After that night Alex continued sneaking out after dark, only to return two hours to dawn. She explored the surrounding areas. She mailed Darcy an update on her situation and as soon as she found a way out she would let her know before leaving.

Alex was sketching on the living room couch, wondering about her family and how everyone at Boronduin was doing. She thought of her situation with Darryl and Percy. She still did not know if they would ever let her out of this house on her own. They had taken her for a drive around the territory a few times. She hadn't seen many houses, mostly just forest scenery and fields filled with livestock. They explained that they grew their own fresh produce and raised the livestock for meat. That way they didn't have to go out of the valley often, only to sell silver and gems collected from the two mines, which was their biggest income.

She Pondered on maybe staying here a while longer to see if things would improve even more. If she could live here, in her own home where she was free to do as she pleased then it wouldn't be so bad. She could eventually make friends with the pack and she would be hidden away from anyone out looking for her. She could be safe here.

As she sketched on the couch with these thoughts running through her mind, she felt her stomach twist and a faint mix of emotions bloomed in her chest. She felt sorrow, frustration and anger but the feelings felt surreal and they became more intense by the moment. Alex merely wrote it off as anxiety.

The front door suddenly opened and slammed shut, making Alex jump. Darryl angrily stomped into his office with a bunch of papers that he threw down on the desk before charging upstairs. Anger and frustration coated his aura and it rolled off him in waves. She tried entering his mind to see what had made him so angry, but she was too inexperienced and he seemed completely sealed off.

She went into his office and looked at the papers. There were photographs of cattle, sheep and goats, young and old, lying on the ground with their heads laid back against their sides. She sat down and studied the papers. There were notes about symptoms and 'time till death' written on the back of the photos. The other papers were filled with research on plants that cause weakness in animals."

"What are you doing?" Darryl asked from the doorway behind her.

She shrieked as she jumped in her seat. His hair was wet and he was wearing different clothes. "What are these?" she asked indicating the papers.