Rogue Wolf

Chapter Twelve - To Hralviir

I was about to ask what exactly was going on, but Pavor immediately cut me off the moment I began to open my mouth to speak. His gruff, authoritative voice made it clear that he expected us to shut up and listen. Ceraron whipped around to face the bear, his fur bristling in alarm. My posture was far less stiff, since I knew Pavor had no intention of killing either of us. However, I knew full well he wasn't above a swift swipe of the paw if somebody failed to pay attention to him. He wasn't mean, but he was in no way gentle.

Lyna, on the other paw...hoof...whatever, seemed completely unconcerned. Her expression remained amused, but I could tell she was paying close attention to what her companion was saying. I had no idea who she was, but it was clear that she at least respected Pavor.

Even though I'd only known her for a very short time, I found myself glaring at her. Pavor's voice faded, and all I could focus on was the forelock spread across half of her face. Anger bubbled up, throbbing violently. The trees around me seemed to fade in and out of view, becoming ethereal.

She thinks she's better than me, doesn't she? Just look at that cocky grin. She thinks I'm some stupid pup, does she? Well, I'll show her...How dare she! I sho-

My thoughts were abruptly cut off by a faint stinging sensation. For several heartbeats, all I could feel was a distant, almost ethereal pain. It seemed like nothing to me. Like the feeling you get when you accidentally step on a slightly bumpy rock. It was more annoying than anything.

Distant as it was, I still had a great deal of trouble thinking straight. My thoughts slipped away from me. It was like trying to catch a particularly annoying fish in a particularly unpleasant river. Slipping just out of r-OUCH!

A sudden, unexpected impact brought me back to reality as Pavor's gigantic paw came down like a furry avalanche, smacking me unnecessarily hard on the back. The brute force of it sent me toppling forward with a startled yelp. I hit the dirt hard like a floppy, utterly undignified dead fish.

"What did I JUST SAY about paying attention, you flea-brained ghralka?" Pavor glared daggers, looking quite displeased.

I considered asking him what in the world a ghralka was, but I figured he wouldn't appreciate the interruption. Instead, I simply gave an awkward nod, righted myself, and gave him my full attention.

Apparently that was enough to unruffle his figurative feathers, and he let out a slightly less angry grumble. Ceraron had no intention of being on the receiving end of what he must have thought to be Pavor's indiscriminate rage, so he didn't make a sound. Lyna, however, seemed to be rather amused, which continued to annoy me. But I ignored her for the moment.

"As I was saying, we're heading towards Hralviir. I can tell that the two of you have never set paw outside of Gahdran." The grizzly paused, turning his harsh gaze towards Ceraron, who had immediately stiffened upon hearing the word Hralviir.

I didn't blame Ceraron. That word was enough to send a shiver down anybody's spine. Suddenly, the realization hit me. Was Pavor so enormous and intimidating because he in fact hailed from Hralviir? It would certainly explain a lot.

Speaking of explaining things, I should probably clarify what Gahdran and Hralviir are. They are the two different regions of Aurea. The key difference being that Hralviir is far, far more dangerous. Why? Because Hralviir has magic. And magic is deadly. That's all I knew about Hralviir, that beasts of immense size and strength lived there, beasts and monsters. Everybody knew that it was far safer in Gahdran.

So WHY would Pavor ever want to go to such a nightmarish place? The only possible explanation was that he was from Hralviir! That would also explain what felt so unmistakably off about Lyna. She must have been a beast from Hralviir.

More importantly, did Pavor really expect us to tag along with him? No way! I could see that Ceraron had come to the same conclusions, and his muscles were tense, ready to spring into action at any moment. We would both much rather run straight back into Root's territory than venture into Hralviir.

However, Pavor must have predicted how we'd react, and he was already placing a paw on Ceraron's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. The wolf tried to wriggle away from Pavor, but the grizzly simply lowered his paw, forcing Ceraron to sit.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You Gahdran folks clearly have heard some things about Hralviir. Trust me, though. It'll be fine." Pavor lifted his paw as Ceraron's fear subsided and continued speaking. "I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise, but due to recent events, I don't think it's safe for you two to hang around Gahdran anymore. I have an old friend who may be able to help you two deal with Ragged and his pack, because believe me when I say that they'll be back."

Ceraron glanced over his shoulder, at the home he'd been forced to leave behind, and the sister he probably wouldn't see again. His expression was sorrowful, but it quickly grew more determined. He had clearly made up his mind to go forward, no matter what. It struck me exactly how brave he was, far more so than me. Of course, I'd never let him know that.

I frowned, tilting my head. I really, really didn't feel like leaving, but I had to admit that Pavor had a point. Two lone wolves wouldn't last long, and Pavor was the only ally we had. He was likely the only thing keeping Caedes from attacking us, and if he moved on without us we'd be in trouble. But there was still this unpleasant feeling that I couldn't shake off. I felt cold all of a sudden, my left side chilled the the bone.

It was only when I glanced in that direction that I realized why. Lyna was standing there, staring at me. Well, I couldn't actually tell if she was looking at me, since her forelock was still concealing half of her face. Still, it felt like I was being stared down by nothingness, which is the only way I can think to describe how it felt. I felt cold and miserable, like a sad floppy dead fish.

Lyna turned her head to look at me with her other eye, and I could see that she was smiling. It was deeply unsettling in every possible way. And then she spoke, and her voice was different this time. Lighter, sweeter, happier.

"It's not like everybody seems to think. Hralviir, I mean. Everything has its ups and downs, you know? After all, Gahdran hasn't exactly been pleasant for you, has it?" She nodded ever so slightly, as if lost in thoughts of her own. "Who knows, maybe you'll find that you actually like it there. A new beginning of sorts."

That icy chill started to melt away, and my bristling fur settled down, no longer agitated by the strange creature's presence. She didn't seem all that bad, really. In fact, I didn't really know why I'd had such a problem with her. Still, I couldn't completely shake off my unease. There was something about her, something not quite right. I just couldn't figure it out.

Then, I noticed something I hadn't before. A peculiar marking on the side of her neck, which had been hidden beneath her mane. Her movement had shifted her mane, revealing a dark green pattern. For a moment, I felt like I recognized it. But then she shifted again, and it was hidden from view.

I knew something about her. I had definitely seen that marking before. But I'd only just met her.

So why did I feel like I knew her?

Whatever this mystery was, I had made up my mind to travel to Hralviir and face whatever awaited us there.

Looking back on it now, I would have been better off staying put. After all, we both know where this path ends.