Chapter Four

This blue light emanated from the ends of her hair to her scalp, from her finger tips to her toes, glowing like the moon itself, she shined.  Dim at first, until she shined brighter than the stars.  So bright the wolf had to shield its eyes from her.  It began to feel a warming sensation all around its skin and fur.  The warm feeling began to intensify until it began to burn.  The wolf looked at itself to make sure it was not on fire.  The wolf was glowing!  The blue hue now engulfed it and was pulsating in waves.  The wolf felt this being’s presence inside of it!  It could feel her heart beat and the blood flowing through her veins.  The fear she felt of being alone out here in the Dark Forest.  How she had survived for so long out here alone without a pack, the wolf could not believe.

The wolf was beginning to fill with energy, feeling completely healed and looked down at its wounds.  They were gone! What had happened?  Did this being heal it?  It would have healed itself within 24 hours, but she healed him completely within minutes. Her breathing was steady and slow.  It could smell her hot breath and licked it's lips.  The wolf was surprised by it’s impulse to lick the top of her head gently so as not to wake her.  It wanted to know what she tasted like.  It closed it eyes and took her in.  Her flavor dancing on its taste buds.  She was still covered in mud, but it could only taste freshly baked bread pulled from the oven, exactly as she smelled.  It let out a groan and shut its eyes.  Who, or better yet what, was this creature?  This creature, now having a taste, had intoxicated it and placed it under a spell.  It must have more.  It must find out more about who she was and where she came from.  How did she come to be alone in this unforgiving forest and how did she survive for so long? Where was her pack or her people?

The light now receded as she began to rub her eyes and turn over, exposing her neck.  The wolf placed it’s long snout close to her throat and sniffed, rolling its eyes in pleasure.  Just a taste, it thought.  Again, licking its lips, it brought out its long tongue to taste her delicate neck, lapping her gently.  Mmm, she moaned and nestled her head further into the beast’s chest.  The blue hue had almost completely extinguished, leaving only her hair faintly glowing.  The wolf laid back in ecstasy.  What was this incantation?  Why was this tiny being making it feel so..so alive and rabidly euphoric?  What was this beautiful creature that had the power to heal wounds?

As the wolf laid in it’s blissful state, all of a sudden the branches were ripped from atop of them.  Both the wolf and the girl jumped up in terror.  Raaaawr!  The monster swung its enormous claws at the two and they jumped back as it caught the girls shirt, leaving a deep scratch across her stomach and her leg with it’s other claw.  Ahhh!  She yelled in pain and grasped her wounds.  Upon seeing her hurt, the wolf growled in anger and lunged at the monster, ripping its head clean off.  Green blood gushed to the floor as the monster quickly began to disintegrate into the ground.  The wolf looked back at the girl.  She was on the ground holding her wounded leg.

Raaawr…raaawr!  They heard the cries in the distance, there were more coming.  One was no match for the wolf, but it could not handle a herd of them alone.  It needed to get them to safety.  It looked back at the girl and bowed down.

“Get on,” it growled at her.  His voice was masculine, deep, and hoarse.  Awestruck, she sat paralyzed, not believing what she had just heard.  “Hurry,” the wolf pleaded, looking back towards the monsters that grew nearer.  Stay here and die or go with the beast she had just seen slay the monster in an instant?  Looking towards the danger closing in on them, she quickly mounted him and they sprinted across the river.  Touching the wolf, she began to feel the same sensation she had felt earlier.  Tingling sparks that traveled throughout her entire body, reaching her core and the smell of mint filling her lungs.  She could feel his heart beating and his blood rushing to reach every vessel of his body.  Like an electro current, she was drawn closer to the wolf, until she was hugging him, her face buried in his knotted fur and she felt as if they had merged into one existence.  She could feel the wolf’s panic to get them to safety, to get her to safety.  The rage of anger at seeing the monster draw blood from her temple.

The wind was whipping her face like a thousand slashes.  She wanted to see where the wolf was going, but her face felt numb from the pain.  She had no choice but to duck down low and hold on for dear life.  She couldn’t see squat, but they now began to dash through the air and she could hear the sounds of rocks crashing, assuming they were now on Mount Selene.  The wolf was wise, she thought, as the monsters would not dare try to climb it.  Maneuvering through the terrain of the forest, they could travel  20 miles an hour, but they lacked the ability to climb mountains.  They had enormous claws growing from the ends of their hands, at least 10 inches long.  They were perfect for ripping flesh to shreds, but they could not grip the crevices of the mountain.  Their legs likewise had claws growing from their feet.  In the forest, these dug into the ground, giving them the ability to thrust themselves forward.  They could not pierce the mountain and would easily lose balance, thus falling to their death.

The wolf looked behind him, no longer were they being chased.  He scanned the mountain for a place to rest.  Eyeing a cave towards the mountain’s peak, he made his way towards it.  When they reached it, he bowed down to let his passenger off.  She had been gripping the wolf’s matted fur with all her might, fearing she would be bucked and thrown to her death.  Her eyes had been sealed shut to protect them from the fierce wind, but when she felt the wolf lean forward and stiffen, she had to pry them open and look at where she was.  It was cold, but calm.  The sun had began to rise behind the mountain, leaving them in a shadow.  She took a deep breath, releasing the beast’s fur and jumping to the ground while swiftly grabbing her dagger and holding it in front of her at the ready.  Her heart was pounding, not knowing what was about to unfold.