The Power Of Cithrí - A Chaol Westfall Fanfiction

Part 3

Saskia looked to be built for the saddle, she eased right into it, tugged on the reins and had the young colt in order before we had even hit the road.
I rode at her side, Chaol sat in line with the head of my horse, continuously flicking looks over his shoulders checking for danger. I had asked him to not wear his uniform so he had chosen a black tunic with black trousers. He had such an exotic sense of style.
I leant over to Saskia as we gossiped over the study court ladies, food, horses and touching on our pasts. I told her all about my brother, and my baby niece. I showed her my dagger strapped to my waist, how I had used it to take revenge for my father's death. We rode with no destination other than the limit of being back before dark.

We rode into a valley, steep leaf covered slopes roling down into a long narrow track. Chaol seemed on his alert here, eyes scanning over every leaf, twig and rock. "What happened to the floor?" Saskia asked.
The grass had been turffed up, like a stompede had been through. The c - shaped hoof prints of fine shoes. "Horse." I frowned, it was a huge number of horses.
Chaol pulled his horse back to my side. "The king had a hunt yesterday with all his lords, Dorian says they did well."

A shadow, huge and pitch black grew acorss the path, the jagged tips of ears and snarled teeth almost seeming real. The horses shrieked, rearing up, Saskia fell off smashing into the mud below. Chaol was off his horse in a split second, grabbing the reins of mine, using his body weight to root the hrose to the spot as I threw myself off. All three horses galloped back the way we had come.
I helped Saskia to her feet, Chaol crouched with his sword drawn the shadow of the wolf moving away. "Chaol!" I hissed as he ran away, Saskia was brushing herself down, starting after the horses.
I ran after Chaol as he went up the steep hill, slipping in the leaves I struggled to gain on him. By the time I was at the top, Chaol had found the creature. It was a small tar black wolf pup, apart from its tail which looked like it had been dipped in milk. The wolf pup was emaciated, its rugged fur in huge matt clumps, ribs showing through the bald patches. It would be riddled with worms and fleas, other possible diseases, as it fell onto its side, yapping out for its mother. "Chaol!" I snapped grabbing his sword hand. He stared down at me, his hazel eyes like pools of sorrow. He sheathed his sword. "It won't make it, y/n."
I knelt an arms reach from the pup, Chaol tensed up, ready to protect me, but as I looked into the eyes of the wolf pup, I saw no intention of harm, only a cry for help. "Where is the mother?"
Chaol dipped his head. "Dorian said they caught a wolf yesterday, she was starving so they left her body in the woods but one of the lords had her skinned."
I ran my hand down the pups body. I could feel the fleas moving, wriggling under my hands, some daring to try my blood. I could feel every single bone, all the joints and the starved organs of the poor pup. Yet the skin was still silky smooth, the pup took a deep breath, energy coming to its eyes as it licked my arm, the tongue rough like bark. Its small teeth like arrow heads. "It's not fair is it?" I whispered, and unbuckled my cloak bundling the pup up, like a mother does to her child. Chaol groaned. "Y/n you cannot take it home."
I cradled the wolf, heading back to the pathway. "I will take care of her for the night, then return her in the morning."
Chaol muttered a curse. "As long as that is it! It cannot stay at the palace!"
I leant up and kissed him reassuringly. "I promise."
Saskia was waiting for us, only having managed to catch Chaol's horse - the more passive out of the three. "What have you got?" She queried, coming closer, tossing the reins at Chaol. She pulled back the cloak, her eyes illuminating with so many emotions I could barely register one - fear. "Y/n! That's a dire wolf."
I shrugged, I had never heard of a dire wolf, I had to emit I barely knew anything about wolves. "Is that a bad thing?"
Saskia nodded. "They are supposed to have been dead for thousands of years."
"Oh!" I frowned, the small pup yawning in my arms. I giggled down at it, earning a groan from Chaol. "What does that mean?"
Saskia started to lecture me on the wolves, how the lands she had once lived in used to be pestered by wolves, who would kill sheep, cattle and children. She spoke of the stories her village had spoken of, about wolves that could bring down a bear alone. Wolves who could kill whole family's in their sleep leaving only the clothing. "They would eat the bones too," she said from on top of the horse, Chaol and I walking, his hands holding firmly to the reins.
"They were said to have been incredibly loyal once bound to a master and that kings all over Erilea offered their millions just to have a dire wolf as their own."
"That's horrible!" I exclaimed the pup still asleep as we neared Rifthold. Chaol grumbled. "It will be a grey wolf that has strayed too far down the mountains."
"Then there is no harm in me caring her back to health." I said.
We entered the huge gates, the two other horses munching on the grass outside, completly oblivious to the fact they had been startled to death by a wolf shadow. Stableboys ran out and grabbed them, taking the one off Chaol. "Lady Saskia," he said turning to her. "It was nice to meet you, I would advise seeing a physician about your fall."
Saskai nodded, gave me a small grin saying she would be back later and left.
Chaol grabbed my elbow guiding me towards the stables. "We will find it an empty stall, it can stay there for the night, then I want it gone by dawn."
"We will see how she recovers." I said snuggling into him, trying to persuade him into letting it be longer. He was unable to stop his hands lying on my hips. "I'll see you tonight gorgeous, and please don't get too attached."
I grinned, kissing him, the pup between our bodys yawning as she fianlly woke up. "Thats what they said about you, and look how that went." I joked, moving into the stall.
Chaol huffed, gave me one last kiss and left to do his paperwork.

It didn't take long for the pup to get on her feet and start running around. It was the moment I brought it the kitchen meat scraps that she was up, snapping back the meat like an alligator might. I laughed at the wolf pup turned to me, wagging her small tail with the white tip.
Saskia came back the moment she was changed, complaining of her sore back, but also excited to spend time with the wolf. She had brought books, paper and pens with her, insisting it was a dire wolf, not a dark grey wolf. She drew drawings of the dire wolf, going on about how grand they had been in their eara, how men bowed down to them and children raced through the woods pretending to be a dire wolf pack. Saskia had turned to me, when the pup was testing out her teeth on the wooden wall. "She is a dire wolf y/n, you cannot miss this opportunity."
I looked at her, having already thought about that. "That won't be an issue." I said. "Chaol will extend the time for me."