Falling To Pieces

Chapter 1 - Ashes

I woke to the sound of heavy feet crunching on snow. My muscles tensed , had they come back for me?

I squeezed my eyes tight shut and hoped the person out there wouldn't come any closer, sadly luck was not on my side. They came closer and closer until they were at the mouth of the small den. I held my breath subconsciously as black boots came into view and a face appeared at the entrance of the den.

'You can come out nobody is going to hurt you.' Said a calm masculine voice, I couldn't see their face very well but I knew deep down exactly what they would look like. Moments passed, I don't know how long but it must have been a while before he gave an annoyed huff and disappeared only to say to somebody 'She's not going to come out.' 

There was a mumbled reply and then their footsteps faded away until I could no longer hear them. Birdsong instantly lightened the forest gloomy silence, I slowly moved to the snow dusted entrance of my den and peered out. Inhaling deeply I could smell fresh pine needles, wolves and smoke.

My eyes repeatedly swept the area before I cautiously moved out towards the embers of a small fire, the hunters must have made it.. I sniffed at the air again to find no trace of humans, just wolves. I wondered further into the forest, with each step I took the smell of wolves became stronger.

My instincts would have been screaming at me to get out of there but I felt a pull so strong that if I didn't carry on my heart would jump out from my chest. It didn't hurt, more of a tingling sensation. The trees became thinner and animal hide tents littered the clearing before me. The snow was thicker from lack of trees and smoke from a couple of fading fires floated up to the cloud-heavy sky. 

I stood stock-still as somebody brushed the over aside from one of the tents and stepped out. He was tall and muscular, it scared me but I felt I couldn't move an inch even if I wanted to. He flashed his straight white teeth at me then crouched down. 'Finally you make an appearance.'

His long tanned arm reached forward and grabbed me by the scruff of the neck. Like a mother would her pup, it didn't hurt but it seemed odd to do it to an adult wolf. He took me into the tent he had come from, it was warm in there with fur mats covering the bottom of it. It had a few homemade things in it to make it more homely but other than that it was pretty bare. He pulled out a fur mat out from a small pile and gently placed me on there.

His head turned to the entrance where a small but firm looking woman came in with a pot of steaming water. She looked at me then at the man in front of me. 'So this is the rogue you were talking about.' She said in an almost excited tone. He smiled at her then nodded.

He approached her and whispered in her ear before placing a light kiss to her forehead. He left, I could hear him talking to somebody outside before I turned my attention to the woman.

'I need you to shift, so we can find out who you are.' She smiled reassuringly before walking over to a pile of clothes made of tanned hides. She lifted on up and mumbled to herself and dropped it next to me. 'I'll turn round so then you can change once you have shifted.' and she did just that. 

I took a deep breath, I knew they were going to kill me. There was no point in trying to run from these wolves they would catch up with me in no time. I closed my eyes and felt the familiar hot shiver run up my spine before I opened them again. I looked down at me tanned hands as I grabbed the strange textured clothing before lifting it over my head. The material hung loosely on my shoulders and stopped a few inches before my knees.

I cleared my throat to get the woman's attention. She beamed at me before bringing me into a hug. 'My name is Cana, you don't need to fear me when I don't intend to hurt you. Ignore Mohegan he's just grumpy because he has had breakfast.' I nodded hesitantly. 'What is your name my dear?'

I shook my head. 'I don't know..' She frowned.

'How do you not know your own name.' She placed a hand on my shoulder in a soothing manner.

'I can't remember anything.'

She gasped before calling Mohegan telling him something was urgent.