Alpha's Divine Commandments

chapter 5

Mothers always warned their babes not to walk far in the storm. For rain washes away your fears to claim you as theirs. Yet what if the fears never left as the rains poured, washing away what you once thought was fear, just to replace it with another.

We stood out front of the gates; the men beginning to untie the groggy girls from the wolves' backs. They seated them in a line together, kneeling in a row. One by one they unbound us. Shortly it came time for me. The same guard who hoisted me over his shoulder came forth. A small knife in his hand, cutting the leather straps, and untangling the ropes around my midsection. He slipped my feet from the leather pocket, unlocking the chain-mail piece from my thighs. Watching his every move, he looked up at me without a word. With my hands still bound, he carefully lifted me off the wolf's fur. Yet unlike the girls, he held me close. Waiting for the same woman to be helped from the carriage. Her crow perched upon her right shoulder. Watching her turn to face the gates, she rose her hand into the sky. The crows hopped from rock to rock eagerly, cawing with excitement. The crow flapping its wing hopped from her shoulder to settle on the woman's outstretched finger. She thrusts her hand up, and the crow takes to the sky. Before pointing towards one tower in the distance, the crow automatically flies in the direction. The others taking off to follow in a flock.

The ice stopped cracking, and the winds froze as if the silence was the elongated countdown. The men stood still. A trimmer below our feet built-up, the gates slowly opening outwards. The first glance inside blinded by a wave of mist flooding our way.

A man emerging from the foggy landscape ahead, growing in size the closer he came. With the unidentified presence exiting the gates, stopping in front of the woman. Nodding back and forth, appearing to communicate without words, he held out his hand. Quickly, she rests her palm upon his, being escorted back through the gates.

The rest of us are waiting, unsure of how to react or what to do. The guard holding me walks in front of the other girls, placing me down in the same position. As my knees felt a chill, I grabbed onto his hand, yanking to gain his attention. "Wait. What's going to happen to us?" I ask with a pleading look. He places his hand to mine, unraveling my grip, saying nothing. I yell this time, "I asked you a question. The least you could do is answer me." A palm hartal towards me. The stinging sensation spreading across my cheek. He slapped me. The guard glaring down at me with a snarl, "Speak when spoken to, woman." He turns his back and stands with the other guards.

From the gates, another four women approach, each holding coats lined with animal hides. Straightaway they walk to us, handing out the coats and helping us to our feet. Curling my fingers along the warm material as it is wrapped around my shoulders. "Come now, let us get you inside." One helps me up, walking me inside along with the others.

*~*~*

We enter a small village, twisting and turning corners along a stone path, never stopping. Hugging the coat, I use the hood to cover my face. People stop to stare. Like they haven't ever seen people from the other packs. "MAMA, who are they?" I turn, seeing a young boy tugging at his mothers' gown. "You'll learn when you're older" she picks the small pup up, walking back into a small cottage. This place didn't feel any different from the outside, the temperatures causing my breath to fog.

Hurrying along, the four women-led us up a hill away from the village. Dead trees littering the view, I kept my head low. What type of king would rule this sort of place? Everything was dying. No living trees, just dead shells. The snow kept falling, covering everything it touched. Back home the land was in full bloom, Spring came early. But here, I couldn't even feel the suns' gaze. From the corner of my eye, the same crow with a blue ribbon perched on a tree stump. Its black pupil following the group up the mound, that bird gives me the creeps.