Beautiful Darkness

➵Darkness, Chaos, and Mental Instability

A distinct and feral growling jolts me from my spot against the tree. The once burning firelight has dimmed into nothing but glowing ashes. I glance around at our camp and all the members. Nobody has stirred or awaken.

My boots rustle as I quietly pick myself up from the ground. I brush off the broken pieces of leaves that settled against the fabric of my clothes. The growling is fainter but with my hearing I know it is nearby. The forest is darker than ever, making it difficult to see the outline of my hands. I let out a shivering breath at the dropping temperature. Branch by branch, tree by tree, the noise draws closer.

Before long I am in front of the source, staring into the endless eyes of a large wolf. With one look it's obvious that it is a child of the moon. When it looks at me I sense no threatening behavior. I don't think it is here to hurt me. Its eyes are crystal blue laced with an abundant brokenness.

"You aren't going to hurt me." I say as a statement rather than a question as I take a step closer. The muscles along its legs twitch with the anxiety that my proximity brings. With a strong jaw and large frame it gives a single nod. My feet inch closer with a need to make sure the wolf is okay.

"I can only imagine how long you've been out here, in this place of wickedness." I break the boundary between us as my delicate hands touch the top of its head. I slowly move down the fur of its head, as if to pet it. The wolf leans into the touch. I then notice its back leg. I'm not exactly sure how I initially missed it, but the wolf's weight is completely off of its left hind leg. Blood is everywhere as it pours out of the fresh wound. I can hear its ragged breathing.

"You're going to be okay." I whisper as I go to examine the leg. A warning growl loudly echoes throughout the midnight forest. Its darkness is momentarily forgotten.

"I can't help you if you continue to stubbornly growl at me." I let out an exasperated sigh. Just as I make contact with the limb the growling turns ferocious and deadly- only it is not directed at me.

"What the hell are you doing?" Roman's sleep-filled and tight voice breaks the silence. I can't contain my eyes from rolling.

"What does it look like? It's injured." I motion to the leg. Roman gives me an unreadable look that pierces through me. He seems temporarily lost in the situation. The menacing snarling of the wolf brings him back more alert than ever. He unsheathes his sword in a defensive positon.

"Are you okay?" His face is dark with concern.

"Put your sword away. He won't hurt anyone." I stand between Roman and the wolf. It tries to look past me but I won't allow it.

"He won't hurt us." I tell it with complete honesty. After a long look the wolf must believe me. It whines from the pain of the wound while giving a weak attempt to mask it as a growl.

Roman watches me in fascination as I quickly search the area around us. I grab two thick sticks and a few stones laying around. Further examination tells that the wolf will need the wound splinted in order for it to heal correctly and in less time. Wasting no time, I do just that. I easily rip off some of the fabric from my pants and wrap it around the leg and the sticks, embedding the stones to keep it in place. With a final look, I determine that is as good as it is going to get.

"I can't help with the pain. That's the best I can do. It should heal completely in the next two days." I communicate like I am talking to a human being. I feel Roman's eyes behind me.

"Are you a child of the moon?" I ask delicately. Some wolfs go rogue and prefer to forget that aspect of their lives. It nods.

"Female?" It shakes its head. Male.