Silva's knuckles were white as she slid off a crouched Shila. The ride was terrifying for the young girl, her human mother had never allowed her to ride the horses, saying that only the men doing the hunting could. Shila was worried that she had scared her pup, but after she slid off her back with red cheeks and wind blown hair, she slumped to the ground and laughed with joy. Shilas ears twisted, happily surprised that her pup had enjoyed that.
Silva quieted down with a content smile on her face, the sun was high in the sky. Shila nudged her leg with her snout, 'come my moon, we must get you claws.'.
Silva stood up and followed closely behind, where will I get claws from?', she inspected her nails, short and dirty.
Just then they walked into a clearing hidden by tall fern like plants with beautiful fiery flowers on stalks, some were as tall as Silva while others were so close to the ground there was not a sliver of air between the flower and the dirt. The thick flower stalks and leaves made it impossible to see what was on the other side. There was a ring of bare dirt and leaves giving the plants a wide berth. The next plants to grow were metres away and still they looked weak and small. Silva crosses the dirt perimeter, the beautiful flowers putting her under a trance like state.
Touch us. Touch us. Touch us.
They seemed to say in union. Like thousands of small voices whispering, weaving a spell to lure in their viewer.
A small widow of smoke likes out from underneath the nearest flower as she approached, seeming to wrap around the base of the flower. As Silva continued to the enchanting flowers, the smoke increased with every step, as did the urgency of the whisper on her mind.
The smoke smelt sweet, almost furthering the need to touch the hypnotising flowers. The smoke covered the base of the flowers completely now. Silva was reaching out, Shila staying where she was. Knowing that her pup was safe but must learn this lesson on her own. It would do no good to shelter her from the real world as her human parents had done. Shila was prepared to make her pup learn, learn and grow as an individual and not rely on anyone else to lick her wounds after every fall.
Silva's fingers brushed the long flower petals, and immediately a white-hot burning pain licked up her hand and arm, she tried to pull back. Sweat started to cover her body, but still she couldn't seem to draw her hand backwards. The pain increased to an unbearable point. And she felt that she would die if she couldn't retreat her hand from the now ugly petals. It was at the peak of her pain that the smoke gushed upwards, making the flowers snap shut and all their long leaves wrap around their own stalk. Silva's pain instantly stopped, but the ache of her tensed muscles warned her that the pain was real and never to go near them again. Now that the abundant foliage was standing at attention, she could see through the green stalks, a small cottage sat in the centre, seeming oblivious to the danger it is in with these deadly plants surrounding it. Shila marches forward, ears alert but her posture relaxed. She paused mid step to sniff some of the smoke that had yet to dissipate.
'How is this new concoction working for you Annabeth?' Silva became alert at this foreign name, hurrying to stand behind Shila, grasping onto the fur at Shila's ankle for comfort in this new place.
A tall, middle aged woman marched proudly out from the deadly plants. Her floor length skirt brushing the fort underneath her. She stopped and cocked a hip, "Yes Shila, the new concoction is almost perfect", she threw a wild curl over her shoulder, "Although it could use some improvement, maybe my next batch will have honey in it." She remarked thoughtfully.
Anabeth had yet to notice the small child cowering behind her wolf friend. Silva was scared, the fire had left her body but her muscles ache from clenching so hard.
"What brings you here old friend?" Anabeth enquired, her hip cocked to the side, her simple dress swished at the movement, leaves rustled together under the hem.
"I need something from you Anabeth"
"Hmm?"
Shila took a step to the side, Silva rushes to stay behind her but Anabeth has already seen the small child. She stiffened. "What is that child doing here Shila?", Her voice has taken a hard edge as she took a few steps forward.
"This is my pup"
"That pup is a human child Shila, you cannot just claim her!"
Shila's ears twitched in agitation, her very soul recognised the child as her pup, the moon herself has bathed her pup in her pure light. Shila growled, a low sound that somehow comforted Silva.
"How dare you insinuate I stole her, the moon herself gifted her to me. Look at her hair, hear how she understands us. You know that no normal person can hear us!"
Anabeth turned harshly, her fists clenched.
"Come." And with that, the pair followed her through the wall of flowers.
