Alina Nivar: The Moonstone

IX: The Nagwal

When she finished cutting her hair, Alina looked at her reflection in the crystalline water. Her brown hair was now short, purposely uneven, and slightly touching her shoulders. She felt relieved when she stood up, like if she were now lighter than before. She put the dagger back in its sheath and turned her back to the river, intending to head to where Arien was, but as soon as she took a step she heard a splash behind her.

She turned around to see a squirrel in the center of the river, helplessly trying to get out. Before she could react something else jumped to the water with another splash. It was a girl with black hair and green clothes, maybe blue. Alina hid behind a tree, watching. The girl quickly swam to where the little rodent was, wich calmed down instantly as she held it in her arms. And then... She turned into a wolf. It happened so fast, Alina couldn't describe how it happened. The girl (wolf?) swam back to the shore and left it carefully in the ground, after what she shook her whole body to dry herself.

Alina had learned about nagwals before, but living in Ethelia, a human kingdom, she had yet to see one... Until now. Trying to see better, she stepped on a branch that cracked with a high, loud noise. The wolf's ears turned to her.

Alina quickly hid behind the tree. "Don't see me, don't see me, don't..."

"Oh, hello there," she heard a voice next to her say. She looked to the side, and —oh, surprise!— the girl was there, a smile on her face as if it were a perfectly normal meeting. 

Now Alina could see the girl well. The girl had black hair tied up in a braid and honey skin. She was wearing grey linen pants and a green cotton voile blouse, both wet, dirty and slightly too big for her.

"Uhm... Hello." Alina decided it would be better to answer than to stay silent, or run away.

"I'm Kita, who are you?"

"...Alina. Alina Nivar."

"Nice to meet you, Alina. I rarely see anyone around this place, what are you doing here?"

"Well—"

"Hey, um, am I missing something?" A voice behind Alina interrupted her. She turned around to see Arien standing there with a surprised face.

"Oh, hey. I'm Kita." She smiled to Arien too.

"I have several questions," he said.

"Go ahead," Alina answered.

"Why do you have short hair?"

"It's more practical."

"Who's her?"

"Her name is Kita, she just said that."

"Why is she wet?"

"She was swimming. Is that all?"

"No, but alright, I'll keep asking later."

Kita shrugged.

"It's ok. But you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"We're traveling. Sightseeing. It's a great time of the year for tourism," Arien said. Alina elbowed him.

"If that was true you wouldn't be here, for you'd be more informed about this place. For the third and last time, what are you two doing alone in the most infamous part of the forest?"

"The most infamous part of the forest?" Arien looked confused.

"You really don't know? There are a lot of tales and stuff about this place. Most of them aren't true though, except... Well, nothing. The point is you wouldn't to be here if you were just traveling. So tell me the reason you're here."