House Of Fire

Chapter 2

The trail rapidly became steeper as she rode along. The horse's hooves occasionally stumbling on frozen clumps of mud left behind by the cloved hoof imprints of the cattle.

The wind howled between the leaves of the tall and majestic evergreens. This meant that only the slightest of snow was whipping through the canopies, and rather gently gliding to the world below.

Her horse snorted when a snowflake settled on her muzzle and stuck to the soft dark coat. The sound was muffled by the presence of the giants that intimidated every living creature moving amongst their roots.

The horse's coat began to steam with the physical exertion of scaling the steep incline.

The journey was tedious and slow. Every so often a sad howl pierced through the forest, the werewolves clearly enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of the first snow. Despite the howls closing in, Raven simply pulled her warm coat closer around her body, not giving a damn.

Crunching of snow alerted her a few minutes later, after reaching the covered summit, of the wolf's presence. Her horse twitched it's ear and proceeded to prance in a circle to face the predator.

From on top of the horse the wolf didn't look as big as usual. If simply reaching down to her stirrups' height she'd be able to pat his head. Although she doubted he'd ever let her. Her relationship with the Alpha wolf was strenuous at best. They tolerated each other as they were both predators of the forest.

She raised an eyebrow at the unusually large specimen and made to turn her horse back in ignorance, only to be halted by a threatening growl.

"Don't start your territorial bullshit with me. It ain't gonna work." Her voice was strained as worry for the cattle became more and more prominent in her blood. The itch in her shoulders was back and her mood swiftly dwindled down into a black hole. The uneasiness was making her nervous and an ominous feeling spread in her stomach.

The crunching of bones made her snap back to attention and focus her gaze on the now naked Alpha Male approaching her horse. Her eyes widened at his figure. He must be really stupid.

Almost immediately the man began to shiver in the freezing air. Taking pity on him she started to unzip her coat.

"Y-y-you c-can't cr-cross the b-boundary i-in th-this storm." He stuttered. His hands were clutching the reins now giving her the opportunity to swing her coat over his shoulders.

He stared at her. Sitting upon her dark horse in only jeans and a thin long sleeved sweatshirt, she must have looked insane to him. She didn't care though. It had been years since she had last truly felt the extreme cold. For now it seemed only chilly on her skin.

After placing her winter cloak around his shoulders he stopped shaking, slightly dipping his head in gratitude.

In an old voice that didn't suit his young appearance he commented mildly. "You astound me every time we meet Raven." His stutter now gone he focused his stern eyes on hers. "I must warn you, the pack is out hunting as well as the rogues and the other creatures of the night. The storm is providing the supernatural world with protection. We can hunt uninterrupted. You must understand the danger you're in."

This she had been worried about. Not for herself, for she had faced all kinds of opponents before, but for her brother and father.
They were left unprotected in her absence, with or without knowing her true form.

This train of thought intensified her anxiety. She turned her head back to the wolf.

"You wouldn't mind keeping an eye out would you?"

The alpha nodded timidly beside her steed, silent understanding shining in his eyes. It was a weird relationship that they shared. It was territorial and yet bordering on friendship.

The horse was becoming irritated by the pause in their journey and flicked it's ears back and forth. With a final nod Raven turned in the saddle. Encouraging her mare forwards she left the worried alpha looking after her. He cared for her, she knew. They had only met a couple of times before but had become something on the line of friends. There was nothing romantic between them, neither was attraction, at least on her side she knew there was none.

Approaching the thinning trees ahead she twisted around in her saddle to look at him one last time. His dark brown curls matched the bark on the trees around him. His body breathed calmly now fully adjusted to the cold.

A small smile graced her lips. He needed a mate, she decided. He was a goodhearted young man that deserved only the best girl by his side.

Still smiling, she emerged from the sheltering woods. It had taken her just over an hour to get here. The view was breathtaking, with the frozen grass glittering and the forest gloomy in the background. The small plateau spanned the ridge of the small range of hills. The Rocky's loomed in front of her. Their peaks impaled the sky but barely visible through the haze.

Her horse snorted again, a snowflake in her nostril causing the reaction.

A light cheerful laugh escaped her lips and she smiled. The cows weren't far now. They'd be on the other side of the ridge, seeking shelter from the gales of wind that were shooting over the flat land. This would be the toughest stretch for the cattle to over come.

Taking a deep breath Raven unfolded her wings. It had been a long time since she last did so she wasn't entirely used to the additional weight. Being too dangerous to do it before, she relished the feeling it gave her. The tight muscles stretched and pulled deliciously on her back.

They were featherlight and enormous. The itch that had been intensifying immediately ceased. The sharp, pointy tips fluttered at the sky. The gales only brushing them didn't make them catch.

Still safely on the mare's back she tucked them in around her to chase away the slight chill she could feel. From afar she knew it would look like a golden cloak. With a sigh she strained the feathers to turn around. It had taken countless nights to master the skill, but practice paid off. The action produced a startling contrast to the original. Golden before, now pitch black as the night. Now she wouldn't be seen. A grin played on the corners of her lips. Her excitement grew and she spurred the horse into the ferocious gale.