Eternity

Chapter 7

He narrowed his eyes in determination, and charged over through the warmer land of the East Winds pack. His legs pounded across the moor with an energy he had never felt before, fueled by fear for Aulay. He had to make sure she was alright. Soon, the dim firelight emitted from a single cave caught his eye, and, assuming this must be the camp, he dashed for it.

Slinking round the back and keeping to the shadows, he crept into the camp. His heart raced with fear and nervousness. He had a feeling that Aulay would be in the room from which the light was coming from. He didn't quite know how he knew... He just... felt it.

The odd cave was built into a cliffside that bordered the camp. Head low and tail down, he crept inside, which revealed to be a massive chamber decorated with assorted ceremonious and ritual objects such as scrolls and furs and such. He took in the scents of the cave, trying to pick out the familiar grass-and-wildflower scent of Aulay.

In his panicked rush, he paid little attention to the torches burning snugly in their sconces, illuminating the otherwise dark chamber. This was, however, to be his error, as his tail brushed against a low torch, knocking it out of it's sconce. The torch hit the stony ground with a woody clatter, and time seemed to slow down for Erlendur.

The flames licked at nearby furs, greedily consuming them in unimaginable time. Soon enough, the room was ablaze.

The smoke quickly began to clog his sense of smell. Other wolves which happened to be about the chamber dashed around in panic of the fire, trying in vain to put out the fire with the underground puddles before making a mad dash for the exit.

Despite this, he continued to search for Aulay amidst the flames. "Aulay!" he howled out for her. "Aulay!"

Then, much to his relief, he saw her lean figure evading the flames, heading towards her, silhouetted by the bright, vibrant fire. Yet, when her face became just barely visible, his heart sank for the third time that day. Her face expressed pure anger, mixed with the confusion that came with the one and only pained feeling of betrayal.

"You! You betrayed me!" She howled in rage at him, no longer seemingly bothered by the flames that licked threateningly at her pelt. "I trusted you!"

"I'm sorry!" He replied in vain, for at that moment, she bared her teeth and launched for him. He felt rooted to the place as the face so familiar came propelling towards him with malice ablaze in her eyes.

She attacked him without mercy or care, and he couldn't raise a paw to harm her, he simply couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her. All he could do was evade, backing himself into the flames.

The chamber was enclosing in flames now, and the passageway out was almost completely blocked off by the raging fires. Only at the last moment did she abandon him to leap through the closing gap to escape.

Erlendur stood stunned for a long moment, and only when the flames caught up and danced at his paws did his adrenaline see him through the passage. The fire chased him out, already catching on the grass and trees, turning the whole camp into a blazing inferno. Panicked wolves ran amok in every which way.

Despite this, his one thought was still of Aulay, despite her attack. "Aulay!" He called out once, twice, thrice before spotting her to help evacuate the Nursery. "Aulay, you must get out go here!"

She turned her head to him, fire reflecting in her eyes. "I don't want to see you here! Begone! I intend never to set eyes on you again! If I do, I will kill you!" She growled with a ferocity that finally hit him, striking deep into his core and splitting his heart.

He took a final glance at her before pelting off out of the camp, dodging and leaping the flames. The fire was starting to spread over the whole territory in an unchecked rage. Tears streamed down his face as he ran.

Had he, in hope of his own pack, just doomed another? He had just ruined the lives of a whole pack. Such destruction was irrecoverable.

But worst of all, the fact that he was to never see Aulay again... The split in his heart wanted to shatter. It was an effort not to let himself fall, to let himself be consumed by the fire that destroyed Aulay's home. It sounded like a fair price.

But he kept running.

He fleeted over the burning land, his eyes half closed from tears. His legs pumped harder than ever before. He ran from the destruction. Away from the pain. Away from Aulay, but most of all;

He was running from himself.