The Darkness Within

04 - The Wolf-people

Ciara did not give her fear of people time to stop her from entering the clearing of wolf-people, trudging through the snow. She didn't bother attempting to be quiet as she walked. The boy's life was more important.

For some reason, the guards she knew were posted around the clearing didn't stop her, and she was able to walk right into the clearing. As soon as she was within sight, one of the adult females rushed to her, tears streaming down the female's face, sobs escaping her as she ran.

"Clay!" the female sobbed as she saw the wounds and bloody fur on the boy still in his wolf form.

The female, presumably Clay's mother, reached out for the boy, coming too close to Ciara's personal space. Ciara responded with a growl, warning the female to back up and out of her personal space. She wasn't sure where the animalistic behavior came from, perhaps her extended time in the forest, but the action was effective and made Clay's mother back up, although it did nothing to stop her cries of despair.

A few more of the wolf-people approached: one guard she recognized from her time watching, one couple, and one female. All of them sported the same deeply-concerned look, although they were not in sobs like the mother. She turned to the female that approached, her better composure prompting Ciara to speak to her.

"Doctor," was all that she was able to manage thanks to her hardly-used voice, but the woman nodded anyways and turned towards the large five-story building in the center of the clearing.

As they walked, more people came out to see the boy, some faces bearing tears, but all holding the same sorrowful look. She did notice the parents of the boy's two female playmates hide the children from view, not wanting them to see the boy's condition.

The guard that had approached earlier followed them, as well as the boy's mother, but everyone else seemed frozen in shock.

They walked quickly through the packed snow and into the building. She didn't take the time to survey the interior, as she was quickly rushed down a hallway and through a door. After entering, she noticed it was like a small hospital, and she felt a pang of sadness because it reminded her of her mother.

She was pulled out of her memories by the doctor and nurse she had seen before. They too attempted to approach her, and she again let out a growl that she didn't know she could make. The two women averted their eyes from her, taking a step back.

"Set him down here, please," the doctor said, motioning to a hospital-like bed in a brightly-lit side patent room.

She did as she was ordered, gently placing the wounded boy on the bed. He whined pitifully and Ciara gently ran a hand down his head in response before stepping back and letting the doctor and nurse work. They gave her a nervous glance before setting to work.

The child's mother was still crying but had been told to stay outside the room. The doctors removed the furs she had wrapped around the boy and Ciara heard a sharp intake of breath before they frantically placed gauze over the wound to stop the bleeding.

"How did this happen?" the doctor asked her as she stood in the room watching them.

"Mountain lion," was all she said, throat and sore from disuse.

"And the broken legs?" the nurse asked, her tone extremely concerned.

"He fell from a cliff," she said. Her voice was hurting and she really was done talking to people. It was starting to bring up bad memories and her fight or flight instinct was beginning to kick in at her internal panic.

Get out get out get out, was a constant chant in her head. She turned and left the room, happy to notice that Tala was wearily following at her heels. She passed by the boy's mother, now accompanied by her male counterpart, both of them in tears. When she got to the door that led out of the small hospital, the guard blocked her way, almost touching her.