Shadow of the Wolf

Chapter One

One year ago

The sun moved across the sky, its rays cascading down like ribbons of orange-gold, spreading a cocoon across the land. Its warmth eased the tension from the raven’s back; his absolute stillness on the tree branch barely noticeable by humans. Sharp eyes ever watchful, Raithe’s gaze roamed the hillside, always mindful of the concealed cave and the abomination held within. For the last few centuries, his family had been given the task of keeping watch over the cave and the danger it held; to alert the elders should anything change its present state. The evil hidden inside was so powerful; no human could know of its existence, for fear of it being released.

Shaking his feathered head, Raithe thought back on the stories handed down from one generation to another, growing in length, as each father parted his knowledge on to his son, in case he was chosen next. He knew there were only about twenty different families who were selected, allowed to know the truth of the danger held hidden deep inside the cave. From the time he’d hit his twentieth summer it had been made clear he was next, his younger brother spared the fate of solitude. His was a task that left the watcher alone for the rest of his life, a quest so important, that the watcher was denied a family of his own. It was for this reason that the families shared the duty, alternating the burden of the watch. Looking across the grassland, the wind seemed to increase in velocity, the field of green swayed with the tempo it produced. There was an almost mesmerizing quality to it, so that at first, the shadowy figure might have gone unseen; until a small crack of a twig alerted Raithe to the presence of another.

Turning his midnight black head toward the sound, the raven’s gaze took in the small form of a female moving quickly through the brush, her feet barely making tracks upon the ground. Surprise coursed through the raven’s body at the sight of the woman moving through the field, her presence a complete mystery to him. How had she gotten here?

The raven was confident that the cave was unknown to the human world; it had been deliberately removed from their history. Could she be lost? Questions drummed chaotically through his mind. So erratic were his thoughts, that he barely caught her slight figure move toward the entrance of the cave, her eyes darting around to see if any others were near. Could she have sensed his presence or worse could the man hidden inside have called out to her? Raithe knew he had shrouded his body from those not of his kind but he could not be sure of the strength of the man inside.

Before he could attempt to shift and call out, the woman’s figure slipped quickly into the cave, her footsteps still ringing on the wind. Frantic to know what she’d found, Raithe took to flight, his feathers taking on an iridescent shine in the sunlight. Circling high above the hole at the top of the deep cavern below, Raithe listened; yet all that he could discern was the woman walking through the hallways and her voice calling out into the darkness. Could it have brought her here? The mere possibility caused his heart to race hard, the force so strong he felt that it would surely burst through his chest.

Down below in the deep darkness a chanting began; low and melodious, filling the air until it felt thick enough to cut. Fear coursed through his veins. Raithe turned and flew away from the opening. He wanted to leave the area but a sound from behind caused him to pause. Turning his head, he caught movement above the hole. His vision adjusted just in time to see hundreds of bats burst through the opening and out into the daylight sky. He knew this didn’t bode well. If the bats left their dark refuge this early and risk the pain of sunlight, something had to have spooked them. Turning his gaze back to the tree, Raithe returned to his perch. He wanted to venture closer but knew it was not safe. For now, he hoped that what was unfolding below was not as he feared.

Evening crept in as the sunlight descended back behind the mountains. Shadows drew back the remaining orange hues from view, beckoning on the night. Above him, the full moon began to cast silver strands of light across the field. Raithe paced back and forth on his perch, praying to the gods that all was well. He knew if the moment came and the evil released, he would have to fly quickly to his village and warn the elders of the situation. The sounds had not lessened over the hours, gaining instead by each breath, in tempo and tone. He wanted to ignore the noises but found he could not. His mind felt numb with each syllable. Raithe stretched his wings ready to take flight when silence fell across the land. The thickness in the air increased with each breath; invading the surrounding area near the cave, choking the life out of anything and everyone close by.