The Lord ✔️

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Nocturnal Escapade, Killer Voices

Andromeda looked around, and noticed, rather quickly, that it was night, nearly midnight. Darkness took the world from the light of the day, and it spread the stars and the moon across the night sky. Andromeda did not have time to admire it, however, since the scent of the Guards was wafting close.
She woofed down the meat eagerly. She knew how to eat fast—she had gotten practice from all the times there were limits to how long she could take to eat, because they had royal ceremonies to attend. Hunter had practice too. Somehow, she owed Queen Cora, her mother, for teaching her the art of nocturnal escapades. Maybe.
It was too late. Well, almost. Andromeda could see the Guards in the distance, and a flurry of panic crept through her. "Let's go, Hunter," she said worriedly. To her relief, Hunter did not argue, but instead, he followed her.
They walked stealthily around the Guards, until one saw them, and said, "trespassers! Get them!"
Andromeda was relieved when he'd seen them as trespassers, and not who they actually were. She knew that if they knew that it was Hunter and herself, they'd immediately tell Queen Cora, who would be livid, and Carol would make fun of them, harass them, for the rest of their lives.

***

Carol, Hunter and Andromeda's sister, was waiting for them when they got back. Andromeda had made sure to wipe any traces of blood from her face; that way, nobody could find out they had been secretly hunting, yet Carol seemed so aware, and it put Andromeda on her guard—luckily, though, Carol hadn't noticed any strange smell.
"Where were you?!" she screeched.
Hunter tilted is head towards her, seeming innocent, but she didn't buy into it. Instead, she looked meaningfully at Andromeda, who didn't say a word. Her face was a sign of growing frustration that Andromeda found hysterical. She knew Carol didn't like not knowing something, especially when both Andromeda and Hunter knew that something.
"We marked the inside borders," said Hunter. Andromeda nodded. Carol narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious, but didn't say anything. She just sniffed haughtily.
"You didn't really mark borders, did you?" she whispered to Andromeda. "Hunter might be a good liar, but nothing ever gets past me, not even the mother's cover ups for that wolf she's hiding in the area somewhere. It's so obvious—I don't know how some wolves don't get that she's not telling the truth: she seems so convincing—but nothing gets pass me." She seemed to rant, then gave a wry smile.
Andromeda closed her eyes, heart pounding. She began to edge away from her sister. Why did she have to sound so maliciously creepy? When her eyes opened again, Carol and Hunter were both gone. They were nowhere in sight. Andromeda, taking a chance, took off. She didn't want to stay there.
She had managed to find herself away from everyone, in a dark corner of Findrut. Panting, Andromeda sat down. She tried her hardest to set her mind to ease, to forget about Carol and Cora—but something else popped up.
She knew where she had once seen that strange relic. She knew what it meant. She remembered it, but it was from so long ago, she found it hard to bring it back up in her mind, to recall it. Closing her eyes once more and concentrating, Andromeda painted a picture in her mind. One from almost four years before.
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Andromeda stopped, staring at the relic in wonder. It was a mixture of white and gold, in the shape of a snowflake. It shimmered, it shone, and it seemed like there was some strange magic that was radiating off of it. Then, as she turned around slightly, she picked up familiar voices that were close.
"You can't just leave the relic there," a male voice said. He sounded young, as young as Andromeda was. "Someone's going to spot it, mother. I thought you were smarter than this!" Andromeda knew which relic he was talking about.
"I am your mother," a female voice hissed. She sounded quite familiar.  "You will do as you are told!" Andromeda gulped—the voice was nearby. She made sure that her breathing was quiet—if the two wolves that were nearby heard her, she knew they wouldn't spare her. She would die.
The female voice spoke again. "And if they do spot it, they'll just wonder for a while. Nobody will know it is the sacred, secret relic of the Lord, Amandi." Andromeda could almost hear her smile.
"They might," Amandi, the male, said, persisting. "Not everyone's dumb, mother. Have some common sense." The female growled, and Andromeda knew she was disagreeing.
Now, it was the Amandi's turn to growl, but it came out louder, and more fierce than before. "If you do not help, I will rescue your second-worst enemy."
The female sighed, and she began to walk towards Andromeda, who could hear her paw-steps. Amandi followed suit, low growls still escaping from his throat.
Her breath caught in her throat, Andromeda ran, startled by how terrified she felt.