Forest of Ashes

Chapter Nine (Rough)

"This him?" Will said, doubtfully eyeing up the bear.

Bree nodded, looking at Owen with a crafty smile, "His name is Will Shore. Came from Sanus."

She knows. She knew from the very beginning.

He could feel his heart beating in his chest, but for once the familiar fire didn't rise up inside him. The coin, it made me like that. Without it, I'm back to normal. He corrected himself. Halfback to normal. There was still the new body he had to get rid of.

Owen could see the forest, it was less than a mile away. Trees bristled in the wind, blanketing acres of land. Perfect cover. He could just runoff. It was risky though, he didn't know if they would shoot. So far, they had protected him, but he didn't have the coin anymore.

He had no use for them.

Will stepped closer to Owen, a fist-width distance now between them. He looked up at the animal as if it wasn't three times the weight of him. Owen knew that he could probably swipe him away like a fly. It might provoke everyone to attack him. And he was drastically outnumbered.

"Will Shore, huh?" The real Will gave him a conceited smile.

Owen looked him straight in the eye. He was desperate to look away, but he knew that it would show his guilt. He needed to stand his ground. Marie would do the same.

This man was once close to his sister. The people of Sanus were wary of him, as he came from Siccum when he was a little boy with his family. Just like Marie, he was singled out when training to be a Royal Guard: he was called blasphemous, as people from his home country were said to be bearers of magic. And in Sanus, only the gods can have the powers for such things.

So, the immigrant and the girl banded together. They were friends, inseparable until Will went missing. The last time he was seen was in the palace; he was overseeing a hearing between the King of Sanus and a neighbouring city. That night, he was gone. For a month, Marie searched for him day and night.

Eventually, she stopped, mourning him like the rest of his family.

Will Shore had changed. Whenever Owen saw him at home, he was always smiling, ruffling Owen's hair in passing. Now, Will looked at him with a stern face. His features looked like a rock, making Owen guess that he hadn't laughed since he went missing five years ago.

Owen kept his attention on the crossbow Will was holding. It was pointed down at the ground, but it was so close to him that he could feel the wood of the bow brushing his fur. One move and Will could skewer him like a lump of meat.

A loud squawk got everyone's attention. The eagle that Bree had talked to was circling above them, slowly moving down to the ground. Will stepped back and raised his hand, letting the bird rest on his arm. With its wings outstretched, the animal was roughly half the height of a human. Will managed to hold it without a grimace.

In its long talons was a necklace, one which Owen recognised immediately. Unfortunately, Will seemed to notice it as well.

Will's fingers pried the locket of the eagle. He looked at Owen, eyes boring into him, lips parted slightly.

That's mine. Irritation bubbled in Owen's stomach, overtaking the feeling of fright and anxiety that seemed to always accompany him. For a split second, he didn't care if he died. He just wanted it back.

He took his moment. He grabbed the necklace, swiping at Will in the process. The eagle shrieked, opening its wings to fly up in the air.

Will held his hand to his chest, lips pressed together to hold in any cries of pain. Both Owen and the bird had left deep gashes in his skin: the bird had done it from surprise while he had done it while trying to get his necklace back. Owen held the item in his large paws, gripping tightly so he wouldn't lose it again.

Out of habit, he thanked the gods for giving something so special back to him. He stopped halfway when he realised what he was doing. The gods had made him a dead man walking. What do I have to thank them for? I should be cursing them, not giving them gratitude.

"Owen, you really need to watch out for those claws. They don't half hurt."

Will's words made the bear freeze. Next to them, Bree was watching the whole encounter, a small smile playing on her lips. She was enjoying this.

"I helped Marie steal that locket from the Pastor." Once his Grandmother was deemed a traitor and executed, all her belongings were given to the Pastor as forgiveness. Marie had to steal her Grandmother's jewellery back to give her brother the necklace. Owen always wondered how she did it.

Will stepped forward, his face unreadable. Owen moved away, his back hitting a tent. He tripped over something, most likely the pegs which held the shelter up, and fell over. The whole tent collapsed, fabric billowing up in the air and falling lightly on the animal.

Scratching away the material, he roughly pushed the tent off him. When he saw the daylight, he also saw Wills head looking down over him, laughing. "Nothing has changed, has it, Butterfingers?"

Will's whole demeanour changed in a split second. His rock hard expression softened as he smiled at the bear.

Owen cringed at that nickname. While he wasn't the most elegant person around, he didn't consider himself to be a total klutz. Will was the only one to call Owen that, and it was first given to him when he accidentally dropped a whole batch of dough during their first encounter.

Looking over, he saw Bree trying to hold back her laughter. She bit her lip, a few sniggers escaping. Owen wondered why she didn't just laugh. What is she so afraid of?

He tried to get up, his new body making it hard. Rolling over, he managed to use both his hands and feet to go on all fours before getting up on hind legs again. He supposed he looked like a newborn lamb, gangly and undignified.

"When did he change?" Will frowned slightly, but not in anger. It looked vaguely liked concern. Owen blinked. No. I must be wrong.

Bree composed herself, keeping her face straight. "This morning. We barely escaped the Mortem-" Owen wanted to add, and Lailah, but he knew there was no point, "-he was the only one to change."

At the sound of The Mortem, Will's knuckles whitened around his crossbow. Turning away, he took a few steps into the clearing, facing the dense forest. "Was she injured?"

Bree scoffed, "We were lucky to get out of there alive."

Will turned around, face grave.

"Lailah was hurt." Seeing his face come alight with hope, she rolled her eyes, "Minor injuries. Nothing to get excited about."

The eagle let out a loud cry. Its wings flapped in the air, creating a light breeze, ruffling the fur on Owens skin. Its yellow beak opened and it let out another shriek, it's beady black eyes looking from the bear, to Will and to Bree in a circle.

Will pointed its crossbow at the bird, "If you don't shut up, I'll make you shut up."

The bird moved closer so that it was inches from the weapon. It looked like it was saying, try me.

Narrowing his eyes, Will hovered his finger over the trigger. Owen wondered if he would actually do it. Wasn't this bird one of them? Wasn't there a person in there?

A loud, booming voice made Will put down the crossbow and stand to attention.