Fate Bound

part 2 chpt 8

There was a strange breeze on her face. It felt hot and humid, and kept receding then coming back again, then receding again. And it stank. It was oddly familiar. Where was she? The last she …

 That creepy guy! Kyen sat straight up. Gods, how long had I been out?

The blood rushed to her head and her vision tunneled for a moment, leaving her in momentary blindness.  Something big and white swam in and out of her sight.

Wait, a dog? Kyen blinked, hard. And took in a sharp breath.

Not far off on her left sat a humungous wolf. Even on it haunches, it seemed to be about the size of a young polar bear, and the colour of one too. Its icy blue eyes seemed to grip her, to hold her in place. She barely registered that she seemed to be in a forest clearing, or that her bag was not on her but resting by her right leg. Kyen prayed fervently she looked very unappetizing. Nice Wolfie.

The wolf got up in one swift motion of powerful coiled muscles and paced towards her. Kyen tried to smother the fear she felt, hoping she exuded calm instead. From her experience, animals were very sensitive to human feelings. She kept the wolf in sight but averted her gaze, not wanting to inadvertently challenge it. A shadow loomed over her.

Plack. Something dropped to the soil and on her leg, causing her to flinch. It was a branch. Feeling slightly confounded, Kyen stared at it. It looked like an ordinary dark brown branch, as ordinary as any branch from a tree could get, and it had a palm-sized bunch of dark berries on it.

Oh.

Kyen looked at the berries, and then slowly craned her head up to the giant wolf still hovering over her. It tilted its head and gazed back steadily with one clear blue icy eye. It broke contact, to bend down and nudge the branch, closer to Kyen.

 At first she did not recognize the sound. It was familiar yet alien at the same time. Then Kyen started a weak chuckle, which soon grew into a laugh that bordered on hysterical. The giant wolf was whining. It was whining to get her to eat.

As her laughs dried out, Kyen reached out and plucked a berry. Indeed, she was starting to feel a little hungry. Another memory with James came to mind, when Kyen had been pestering him about his time spent trekking. When you encounter foreign food, the easiest way to test is to rub it on the sensitive skin of your lip. 

“And if your lip became like Jules’ did last week, you better stay away from it like he does peanut.”

 She broke the thin dark skin and gave it a tentative sniff. It didn’t have a smell. She rubbed a bit of juice on her bottom lip and waited.

Wolf apparently decided her caution was unnecessary and silly. He gave a low growl and sat his hindquarters down beside her. Or is it a she? On a sudden impulse, Kyen plucked a handful more and popped them into her mouth. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

They were undeniably sweet, as if they were the very origins of syrup. Without realizing, Kyen finished the whole bunch, and was soon sucking the remaining juice off sticky fingers. She turned a curious gaze on Wolf, who had remained sitting at the same spot while watching her eat. Kyen held out her hand, and found no change in its gaze or posture. Hardly believing her nerve, she leaned forward till her hand rested on its forehead. She gave it a little scratch behind the ears and it gave a rumble of pleasure. The little sound was a catalyst, and Kyen suddenly progressed into a full-fledged all-out petting. When she rubbed its stomach, it rolled over to give more access to its belly. Kyen burst out in unexpected laughter, this time much more genuine, and could not stop. Who knew wolves were so dog-like? She used the chance to verify its gender.

“Good boy.” She leaned close. “Thank you.”

A wry smile formed on her lips. It seemed like her life was filled with fearsome doggy guardian angels. First Darly, now Wolf. She gave the latter a fond rub. What would I do without you guys?

She had gone to pee in some bushes. It had been awkward, resisting the urge to jump at every sound. She entered the clearing once again to find it empty. Kyen could not stop the pang of loneliness that entered her heart. She knew wolves were solitary creatures, sticking to their own kind only, but she had hoped.

A gruff bark broke her reverie. “Wolf!” 

She forgot herself and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his scruff. She felt him twist and something wet bumped her cheek.

“Haha alright. I guess hugs are too much for your manliness huh?”

She heard a snort-like huff, and pulled back in surprise. Pale passive eyes met hers. Was she imagining the twinkle of humor in his eyes? Wolf merely stared, then turned around, only pausing once to look back at her and jerk his head in a ‘follow me’ motion before disappearing into the dense foliage. Swiping her bag off the ground, Kyen followed him into the unknown, thoughts buzzing. This place was too bizarre.

(so what do you think of Wolf? )