The Queen's Conquer

Chapter 4 : Two Months Too Long

Fernweh • [feirn-vay]
An ache for distant places; missing places you've never been.

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I'm only twenty or so minutes into my journey, but the feeling in my limbs left a long time ago. Delphine hasn't said a single thing—hasn't even indicated she's still alive within my conscience. And without her, my body grows weaker with every wavering pump of my heart.

I can barely see five feet in front of me now, the snowfall becoming excruciatingly furious with every step I take into these forsaken woods. But my blood continues to pump erratically, roaring in my ears to continue through the agony of it all.

I find an alternate route down the mountain, one that's more dangerous but worth the risk just to not be caught. The encounter I had with Max has forced my head to begin throbbing, angry at my ignorance. What was he not telling me? What was so lucrative that got him entangled in such a mess?

I'm weaving through the trees as quickly as I can, heading down a steep slope before the terrain begins to level out. I'm bare against the conditions of this wintery storm. I didn't have enough time to change or even search for adequate shoes. So I'm left in nothing but my leggings, tank top, and cardigan. Me against Mother Nature.

My breathing struggles to catch up with my heartbeats, the cold air stinging with every inhale. I've come to realize that some of my human attributes still reside within my body, even after my first shift. Such unfortunate circumstances can only come with pros and cons, after all. Mine was no different. But regardless, I persist. I move forward even with every ache of my legs.

Without a clear path of where I'm heading, I continue to create some sense of distance between me and the cabin. Anywhere away from there is better than whatever awaits me if I reencounter Max and his partner. There are no other structures around for miles—no other forms of shelter I can run to. I've already checked several times during Delphine and I's outings. I've memorized this land not remembering I would one day need to leave it for good.

I reach the base of the mountain and begin my manhunt for a place to keep hidden. Just until this blows over, just until I'm able to think through my options. But the landscape is mostly made up of trees, dead shrubs, and hefty rocks. Swearing under my breath, I trudge forward towards a promising direction, jumping over fallen trunks and swerving through the thicket.

I pass a variety of low-hanging ledges, inspecting each to see if there's enough space for me to take cover under one of them. But most are either too low or too shallow to create full coverage. The snow picks up even more, wind now whipping my long, light brown hair into my face.

I'm checking another short cavernous indent when a howl interrupts the silence of the forest as well as my peace of mind, echoing off of the trees. My heart thumps harder against my ribcage once the sound renders through my rambling thoughts, realizing it's not far from here. Glancing between the barely visible white landscape before me and the cramped under-hanging, I frustratingly run my hands through my knotted hair that now has a thin layer of snow covering it.

If I continue to search for a better option, I risk running into whatever wolf just made itself present—just initiated a hunt for me, I know now without a doubt. I'll be the perfect target.

Staring at the pathetic excuse for a place of shelter I'm crouched next to, I huff out a hot breath and shimmy my small frame underneath it. Though I'm grateful to finally shield myself from the snowfall, it still doesn't make up for the fact that I'm more exposed than I'd like to be from whoever's hunting me down.