The first tinges orange and warmth of the sunrise seeped through the lids of my eyes and tickled my nose.
"Wake up, Kile. It's best we tread on early, the sunrise from where we're going is god damned beautiful." Blinking my eyes open, I found I was gravely mistaken; it had not been sunlight, but a torch gerrick held far to close to my face.
Not long after waking myself entirely with a cold splash of water, I stiffened at the realization that this was the last of our supply and I knew not where to acquire more. I feigned innocence returning the now empty skin pouch to the bag of supplies sirona was meant to carry. From my lips escaped a sigh of relief that none had noticed.
Several hours deep into the wood with but thick foliage in our path, and anything but haste in our pace, "Permission to speak," and all but kaulder to disrupt our silent pursuit.
"Declined," I declared grumbling, readjusting the strap that wound rather tight around my chest.
Perhaps there was this that wound tight around his head that constrict his ears to hear, for not long did come his inevitable complaint. "We've tread along of so far now; dare I say my calves desire to relieve themselves from the constraints of my knees. How much farther north, Herrick ?"
"We've entered the last quarter mile to our destination. The trees have loosen and a path has cleared." Gerrick answered swiftly.
The rustle of leaves and the gentle breeze of wind was all that had been audible before labored breaths filtered through my ears. I spun about and saw that sirona had fallen far behind, she must be thirsty. She may have gotten enough rest through the night to awaken, but not enough water, to tread on.
And what little water left had I used with the disregard that I had a comrade in need of it more so than I.
But not far was where I intend to be.
Decided, I halted completely and called out to Gerrick who had quickly turned his head from far up front. "Do you know of a stream near here ?"
"There is one not so far, but it'll be a damn waste to have everyone turn around.
"I'll go with her." he proposed.
From my lips almost slipped past a declaration of disagreement when Kaulder butted in. "The forest has cleared. I presume where you intended to lead us no longer of that far a distance, Gerrick ?"
"That, it ain't," and he sauntered back from where he stood, past hercen, nearing sirona. "Continue north, when the smell of ocean hits ya, follow that and you'll find the boulder by the cliff. We'll be sure to catch up," he finished and we then parted ways.
Not long were we by the clearing of the cliff: the sun peeking over the horizon, casting light over the cliff and a silhouette in midst of it.
Kaulder ambled toward it, "What an obnoxiously large rock !" Of how he exclaimed could one believe him astounded, "Although, it abstains one's view of sunrise." What indecision !
Although I preferred the colors painted around the sun's set, this sunrise was undoubtedly lovely. though there be truth to his statement, It had been the man himself the abstraction that plagued my sight, and it unnerved me so that I thought him not.
He was as beautiful as he was dangerous,
And dangerous was he not.
A wolf emerging from behind the large rock had awaken me from such thoughts. For my sword weighed heavy on my hip and Kaulder unarmed, I dropped my bag and swept forward, placing myself in between kaulder and the animal.
It growled menacingly. Perhaps its young was concealed near, displaying such aggressive territorial behavior suggested that there was some thing dear they wished to keep to themselves; but neither whines nor whimpers of pups had been audible.
Though being the person in front of the creature, had I perhaps not appeal to it to be its immediate target; for past me did it lunge and sank its teeth to the scrawny silver haired man's calf.
Kaulder bit out a strangled scream, his knees crumbled to the ground.
Even in shallow breaths, he managed to choke out in jest: "My body seems to have developed a habit of becoming a shield for yours; you recall when my arm was it that was almost severed in place of your neck?"
I ignored him and turned to the wolf, and it, likewise turned to me.
Placing distance between my left and right foot and knees alike, all the while bracing my forearm and wrists for the weight to lift my sword did I find the creature's eyes almost human; it followed my movement, but itself unmoving.
What its intent dawned me at the recognition of how its lithe body prepared to pounce.
I shifted all my weight to my left leg, twisting my ankle to allow myself to appear as if I was leaning toward the left side of my body, just enough for it to realize what little activity I had made. The tip of my blade now pointed upwards, my left knee bent adjacent to my right leg that was evidently extended straight.
And as I had thought, it was quick to lung toward my left leg, baring open its jaws with intent to clamp over my calf, where all strength it thought I focused.
With eyes set on my left leg, it pushed forward from its hind legs. I yanked myself backward, braced my shoulders and heaved the wide expanse of my blade. Landing a strike to its side, I shoved the animal of quite a distance.
I thought my strike had threw the animal off balance, but for what little a creature did such strong force do little to affect it so for it lunged again: more aggression exerted in its growls and anger lacing its canines.
I evaded its attack with kicking my feet back, it startled the creature that no flesh found itself in between its teeth one more. While the creature froze in confusion, I propelled my foot forward, but not before digging the tip of my boot to the ground and kicked the dust it accumulated into its eyes.
The animal whimpered and before it could attempt to pounce again, I recoiled my leg and hurled a kick toward its stomach. A whine escaped its snout from where it landed beneath the shadow of the boulder.
I retracted my sights from the creature and sought kaulder.
From the wood emerged Gerrick and Sirona. Sirona, with the littlest satchel that carried the vials and pouches of water, rushed to where Kaulder slumped on the ground clutching his thigh to hold pressure over his bitten calf.
Assuring that Kaulder was healed from Sirona's tears didI return my gaze to the boulder to glean over the body of the wolf, but all that was to be found was a young woman with a bruising cheek, bloodshot eyes and a matted grey fur cloak over her shoulders, not the grey wolf.
