Soren

Chapter Six

Before she knew it, they had fallen into a routine. Working side by side, they prepared for the cold months. She would spend the mornings collecting fire wood and fashioning herself new skins, while he went out and hunted, bringing in more meat than she could have herself. At night she would make a fire and they would eat in comfortable silence beneath the stars.

Their routine provided her comfort and felt almost domestic. The days blended together as fall blended away into winter until finally, they were bearing the brunt of the wind and the snow. Night fell faster in the winter months and so the two of them spent most if not all of their time indoors.

Most of the time they spent all their waking hours in complete silence, only the swish of her clothes and the padding of paws to be heard. However, some nights they would lay, him on his stomach, head resting on his paws and her on her back, staring at the stars that blanketed the night sky. Staring at the stars would make her think of her time back home, and she would absentmindedly begin tales of her childhood. Regaling the wolf with soft spoken stories of running around in the mud and playing with neighbourhood children. She told of her parents and how they had sacrificed her to the elements when times got harder than they were able to handle.

He was a great listener, her wolf, and she discovered that she had missed interacting with someone other than the winds and the trees, someone who would listen to her reminiscing about the good old days. She hadn't even realized how much had been lacking from her meager existence before her wolf had come into the picture. She could hardly recall what it felt like to wake up alone and spend her days in absolute solitude, and she certainly forgot what it felt like to be fearful of the four-legged beast that she now lived with.

In all their time together, part of her expected to wake up one day to find him gone, to be suddenly thrust back into her life alone, but it never happened. He was the one constant in her life, and while her past had made her unwilling to trust, he slowly broke her barriers down one by one, until she was left vulnerable. Her wolf knew everything about her, all her late-night rambles had revealed to him just exactly who she was beneath the layers of ice she showed to the world. She only prayed that he not betray her trust, that he did not turn out to be a disappointment just like her father.

Days upon days spent together rolled into one, until suddenly the days started getting longer. The cool air had begun to lose some of its biting nature, the worst of winter was gone. Sitting against the wall she was weaving her hands through her wolf's fur as he purred in contentment. This had become a moment they both treasured, him getting groomed and loved, while she would become overcome with a sense of calm and peace.

Their relaxation was cut short however, when her wolf stood up abruptly, his ears twitching in anticipation of whatever was approaching. Gathering her bow in her hands she followed him outside. Nocking an arrow she pulled the string back, aiming towards the trees where her companion was staring intently.

Out of the brush came a familiar man, she could not recall how she knew him, but knew in the back of her mind that they had met once before.

"Ah, Wild One, I see James hasn't tamed you one bit." The black-haired man stepped forwards confidently, not concerned at the low growl that rumbled from between her wolf's clenched teeth,

"Sorry, James," he nodded down towards her protector, who had not moved from his defensive stance before her, "I did not mean to offend, it was a joke old friend, nothing more."

Huffing, her wolf, James, sat back and stared up at the man questioningly.

"It's time to return, the pack needs you. You've been gone far longer than I had originally thought."