CastAways - Legends of Alledia

Chapter 12 - Runaway

The look he wore made me shudder.. Not because he was an evil wolf with a mindset for revenge... But because I saw more than that in his eyes for the first time.

He obviously hadn't wanted to show through as much as he did because he stood up awkwardly after his answer, walking towards the den entrance.

"I'm gonna go hunting. Don't leave this den, or I'll hunt you down. Just because I saved your ass, doesn't mean I won't keep you from spilling information to save your own hide from the village."

I didn't even get to answer before he walked out, the footsteps getting quieter and more distant before they faded.

I got up, looking outside. It was only lightly snowing now, and the fresh paw prints led out to the side and along the slope to another, denser patch of forest.

I couldn't stay... Even if I was scared, of Toxyn, or Stranger, or the other villagers, even if I had nowhere else to go, I refused to stay someone's little captive. No way in hell.

I don't care if this wolf wasn't all bad... I didn't trust him. Not enough to be a stupid den-pet. How long was he supposed to keep me prisoner for anyways? Until Strangers dead?

Not like I followed him home without so much as a disagreement.

No! Stop it. I can't think like that, I thought he was saving me! But still...

I knew he had killed some of the village hunters... I'd seen the destruction he'd caused, and the darkness in his eyes... I knew he was dangerous...

And I still followed him home..

The cold nipped at my feet as I stood at the entrance where the snow mixed with the dirt.

If I was going to leave, I had to leave soon. It would be dark soon and even colder... and I smelled more snow coming. I doubt even Toxyn, the cold-proof wolf would follow some girl through a blizzard...

But where would I go?

It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out when it counts. I just need to get away, find a cave, a hole, a hollow, something to outlast the snow. Once it dies down, I'll move to the next chance cover away from this place...

If I can find my way to the road far enough down away from the village, I can travel more easily and make my way to another home...

A voice nagged me at the back of my head.

How long would it be before I'd find another chance at being, normal? At being happy?

I grabbed my cloak, putting it on and I ran outside, running the opposite direction that the prints lead. Thank god this way led to the road and not away from civilization.

I ran as fast and as hard as my body could go. I didn't get far before the wind picked up, blowing a gust of snow in my face.

The snow picked up, and time was starting to stack against me. I couldn't head down to the valley until I was well past the village... But up here, I only had the gradual slope of the mountain, up and down, to tell where I was.

That wasn't much.

Something loud snapped behind me and I bolted for the closest cover.

Diving head-first into a snow hollow under some snow-heavy low branches of a pine tree.

I didn't hear anything else... I didn't see anything. Was it Toxyn? He couldn't have come back so soon from hunting, right?..

I peeked my head out, looking both ways. Nothing.