The Night Rider

Chapter 22

Noa fortunately notices it too and pulls back from the kiss. Our eyes go to the door which opens just at that moment, Chea pokes her sleepy head through the doorway. I look slightly shocked at Noa who is looking at his mother with swollen lips, messy hair and a shocked expression. I quickly straighten my shirt before Chea looks in our direction.

She rubs her eyes sleepily before they fall on us. Her tired look changes to surprised. 'Let me show you how to make tea'. I look at Noa in surprise but then understand his attempt at changing the focus. 'Please,' I play along. He walks over to the sink and grabs a pan from the cooker.

'Are you both awake?' Chea continues her way towards us. I look at Noa obliquely out of the corner of my eye. His gaze is as if nothing has ever happened. I am surprised at his attitude, after the incident just now. 'Yes, Rafiki walked across the room and it woke me up', Noa answers his mother's question. A single assenting 'mmm' leaves my lips.

In the meantime, he has put a pan on the fire, in which water is slowly brought to the boil. 'I just wanted to go to the toilet, good luck with the tea'. Noa and I nod as Chea walks to the toilet. I blow out an unnoticed held breath and look at Noa with a raised eyebrow. 'What?', he asks with a grin, which he doesn't even try to hide. Meanwhile, he pours the boiling water into a teapot.

'You're not going to say anything about it?' He starts laughing at my question. 'What would I have to say something about?' He looks at me with a sanctimonious look, which makes me feel anger bubbling up. I throw my arms in the air in response and turn around. I walk towards the front door, not wanting to go back to the bedroom.

Without giving Noa another look, I pull open the wooden door and walk into the dark forest. The only light in the forest is the moon. The small shadows of the leaves make the forest show its dark side. You can hardly see what is lying in the grass, you only hear rustling along the trees and bushes.

Out of irritation, I walk further into the forest without a goal. I am too irritated to think clearly, to think realistically. I get further and further away from the cottage, until I start to lose my way. The idea that Reviri could appear at any moment and that I would find my way back, makes me move further and further into the forest without any worries. I clench my fists and curse life for the umpteenth time. Why is my life not as simple as for others?

My life consists of searching for a way to stay alive, hiding and being locked up. Sometimes I wonder if I can call it a life. Barely sleeping, suffering and everyone making a fuss is not something that makes me feel happy. The only times I feel alive are when I can feel the wind in my hair and look down through the clouds.

The soft rustling that suddenly turns into rapid footsteps takes me out of my thoughts. I stand still and try to see between the dark trees where the sound is coming from. The small amount of light in the dark forest is not enough to create a clear image. Nerves start to rise in my body as soon as I see that the leaves are not green, but almost black. My heart seems to stop when a deep cry echoes through the black forest.

I take a step back in shock and feel goose bumps spreading over my skin. I try to see where the sound came from. Without ever having seen a wolf, I can say that this was definitely a wolf.

Wolves are unpredictable, sneaky and strong. Then there is the division between werewolves and wolves; one can take human form and the other cannot.
The werewolves are not known in our history as the most friendly and easy creatures. Many wars have been fought between creatures and werewolves. In the dark forest, where I can barely see the trees, being able to see a black wolf is impossible. My hand slides to the stone in which Reviri is locked up, ready to release him at any moment.

Out of nowhere I end up with my back against the grass. My heart stops for a second, before I look into the red eyes of a black wolf. I hold my breath, hoping that the wolf will not hurt me. He bares his teeth, while a growling sound leaves his mouth. The wolf has its paws on my shoulders. The wolf is strong, you can feel his grip.

The black fur is barely visible in this light. I would like to defend myself, to attack him, but I know that would only make the situation worse. My best option is to hope he lets me go, hope he doesn't hurt or kill me. I turn my head, the wolf's breath stinking of his latest prey. For a few seconds I think that a hellish pain of devouring awaits me, but nothing is further from the truth.

The wolf gets off my shoulders. The next time I set my eyes on the wolf, the wolf has made way for a woman. The slightly red-haired woman is dressed in trousers full of pockets and arms. Her top fits snugly around her body, both in a military green colour. Her green eyes are fixed on me and look at me with an inquisitive gaze.

You look like someone from a distant past'. The woman does not ask who I am, she only notes that I look recognisable. I am still lying in the grass. I push myself up with my hands so that I can look at her sitting down. 'What are you doing on my property?', the emphasis is clearly on my. My heartbeat is still in my throat, knowing that the woman is more dangerous than she seems now.

'Lost,' is my only answer. It's not even a lie, just very cliché. 'Mmm', only comes out of her mouth. She starts walking around me, observing me completely. 'What's your name?', she asks, standing behind me. I don't dare turn my head and keep looking straight at the tree in front of me. 'Nina', I lie. The next moment, a knife is pressed against my throat.

My hair is grabbed and holds my head back. 'You're lying'. She whispers the words in my ear, in the most imposing way imaginable. I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling the sharp knife just barely cutting into my skin. My blood races through my veins and my heart is almost in my throat. She pushes the knife harder, making me feel a sharp pain against my throat.

Automatically, my hand slips to the knife to take it away. I am interrupted by the woman gripping my wrist tightly. Her grip around the knife weakens as she twists my wrist. The black veins are now in her direction. Although I cannot see her face, I know she is looking at them. Her thumb slides slowly across the black lines while the knife still lies along my throat.

'Ravelium,' the woman mutters. She mentions the curse I carry, as if she knows it well. She lowers the knife, allowing me to breathe again. She holds my wrist as she walks around me. She kneels down in front of me and looks deep into my eyes. 'Nuri'. For the umpteenth time, my heart stops for a moment at hearing my mother's name. She mumbles the name, as if she doesn't understand it.

I am silent and have not said anything since I lied about my name. I just look at her. Her eyes glide along the grass until they pierce mine. She looks deeply at me. 'Rafiki, isn't it?'. I am confused at hearing my name. I don't know if I should answer now. Lying just didn't get me very far and I don't expect silence to get me out of this situation either.

I nod in response. The woman's expression softens and changes to one of surprise, glancing over me as if searching for something recognisable. She stands up and pulls me by the hand. She lets go of my wrist and straightens her clothes. I never expected to see you again, especially not like this. The woman talks as if I know her, as if she knows me. I still say nothing and wait. Her eyes glide over my body again.

'The last time I saw you, you were a few weeks old. I must say you are more like your mother than I thought at the time'. Who this woman is is not clear to me from her story, only that she knows me and especially my mother. 'Let me introduce myself, I am Malia. I am an old friend of your mother,' she introduces herself. Her mouth forms a friendly smile.

'Please excuse me for the treatment I received just now. I was just trying to protect my territory'. She apologises but my suspicion does not go away. I don't forget that she just had a knife to my throat. 'It is not wise to be alone in these woods at this hour, let me give you shelter and food for the rest of the night'.