Fear The Fire

Chapter 12: Fearing Trust

"Where's the carriage? Where are our horses?" Erika jumped as Nixon began shouting. He began running around in panic, but he wasn't losing his mind. The carriage was indeed not where they'd left it.

Nixon sprang back into the woods and, not too far off, found the remnants of both their carriage. . . and their horses. The vehicle looked as if it had crashed, been struck by a hale storm and raided. Three of the tires had fallen or been ripped out and it had collapsed over its legs, cracked down the middle. A pool of fresh blood marked where the horses would've been had they still been tied to the carriage, but all around there were traces of blood and heavy hoove prints.

Erika and Nevane caught up with Nixon and froze with shock at the sigh. Erika's first instinct was to make a run for it; perhaps the predators were still around, but Nixon had a completely different idea, "Let's follow the blood, maybe the horses are still alive."

Nevane gripped Nixon's forearm as he made to advance, "This is Ravera's doing. A warning. We need to leave, I doubt we'll be welcome again soon."

Erika was failing to understand how the so-called Queen of The Pure, The Great Wolf, Her Majesty, could do something so despicable.

Before their eyes, the blood began fading. Nixon wriggled out of Nevane's grip and jumped into the shattered carriage. He managed to come away with two knives and one of the water containing leather pouches before the carriage itself began fading. Nevane urged her companions to evacuate the forest and in time they were back in the blinding heat.

For a while, there was silence. No one was sure how to react to their newest predicament. They were now lacking transport, shelter, food and water and God knows what else. Erika didn't dare look Nevane in the eye; she couldn't stand those eyes right now. This whole thing was getting a little too magical and paranormal for her, even with the events of the passed two days. Once again she thought to consider this a dream.

A rustling in the trees was what caught their attention after an uncertain amount of time in the deaf silence. Fearing attackers, Nixon drew out his knives with surprising agility and coordination. It had never occured to Erika, though thinking about it it was logical, that the villagers would be trained in combat, or at least self defense.

A small, fluffy creature leapt out of the shadows. Its fur was snowy-white and its eyes were dark brown and intelligent. It was a wolf cub, not even a full year old.

Nixon's knife arm wavered, but he wasn't prepared to let his guard down yet, "Who are you?" he demanded.

The cub cocked its head to the side. Just when Erika was about to laugh because wolves can't understand humans, the cub spoke in the same way Ravera had, though in a smaller, child-like voice, "I'm Ivory. I ran away from home so I could join your quest."

Nixon frowned, "Why would you do that? I suspect Her Heighness has prohibited such things, especially after her recent hostility with mortals."

"There have been whispers in The Meadow," the cub, Ivory, spoke silently, as if afraid of being heard, "Rumors, circling for weeks now, that someone like you would show up and restore peace in the lands."

"Someone like me?" Nixon uttered, bewildered, and finally lowered his weapon.

Ivory pierced Erika with her striking stare and whispered, "Someone like her."

Erika hadn't the wits to construct a sentence. Nixon and Nevane both turned back to glance at her, but she wouldn't look them in the eye.

"You should probably go home before the pack notices your absence," Nixon told the cub, "You could get into a lot of trouble."