Guardian of Elements

Chapter 45 - Cold night, cold hearts

Kate was waiting again, hidden near the house's small garden. Her blue fur wasn't offering much camouflage, but that was the least of her worries. The Sun had disappeared behind the horizon already. Why, just why couldn't that stubborn girl listen to her? They should've been back in the den by now.

Finally, the door opened, and the golden-haired girl came out. Kate hissed at her to lure her to her hiding spot and revealed herself.

"Where have you been? I told you to not prolong anything." She moved to go, but Arneia stayed where she was.

"Kate, I'm staying here for the night."

Kate looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

"I'll be staying with my parents this night. There's still something I need to do here, for Eriana."

"But she ordered me to bring you back!"

"The Sun is already gone, and temperature is dropping rapidly anyway. It would be dangerous to go now."

"That's why I wanted to go immediately!" Kate wasn't very happy. Stupid precocious girl, she thought.

"Kate, please, just let me stay here. Those people, they think that Eriana isn't who she really is. They even worship her. I'm not moving here, I will return, in time, but for now, I must stay to make things right. Tell Eri to go to that ridge where we split up this afternoon and howl when she'll want to meet me, I'll come there."

"Fine then," said Kate, upset, and ran away from the village.

Humans. Animals were happy with food, water, a place to live and a family. Humans were much more complicated, much weirder. Arneia spent her youth with the Guardian of Minds. She raised her, she looked after her. And now, she'd just abandon her? For what? Two people that left her to die? Or for her true family? For her true home? Eriana was more of a mother to her and the den had been her home for seven years.

But. Tawarthion was like her father. He raised her, and she was eternally grateful to him. But still, she wanted to know who her true father was. Where was he, why had he never shown up. Maybe he was dead, like her mother.

No, if that was true, he'd show up by her side as a spirit in Lerinth's domain. She should've asked Andúril, while she was there. But she would return there, to speak with her again. She was going to find her father.

She realized that she could understand Arneia just fine. In this matter, they were indeed very much alike. But she'd never abandon Tawarthion for her true father. He was gone, hidden somewhere while the Guardian of Nature was taking care of her. Whoever, wherever he was, he'd better have a good reason to hide from her.

Kate was running uphill, back towards the den. Chill of the wind was biting her silky fur and the only thing that was keeping her from freezing was her haste. Eriana wasn't joking. The night was as cold as the coldest winter night in her forest, and it snowed there very rarely. But she was running out of breath. She had to stop.

She lay down and curled up. Grass was covered in hoarfrost and when she lay on it, it melted and made her fur wet, making her shake and gnash her teeth. She had to warm herself. She conjured a wide flame in front of her and tried to move it as close to her as possible. She closed her eyes and concentrated only on the warmth of the red flames, trying to pull it towards her, to cover herself in it as in a blanket. She was lying there, with the only source of light and heat next to her.

Heat. That was it! She didn't have to ignite fire, heating cold air around her would be enough. She did it once, when she jumped down from that ent's hand. Kate opened her eyes and stood up. She imagined many small flames, burning in the air around her, like before. It worked. That chill was no longer present. The warm air shell she had made around her body felt like a hot blanket, pressing against her skin. Finally, she wasn't cold anymore.