Options and Choices

Viola found herself waking from her dream in a strange place. It was white in every direction, she was only thing that stood out. The strangeness of it all made it rather easy to figure out that it was not real and simple was a dream. Lost in this strange dream world Viola began to think about what had happened over the last few days. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she failed to notice that she was not alone, moving in out of the white mist came a large black wolf. Quietly, as though not trying to disturb her the wolf simply walked around and sat in front of her.

"I'm sorry," A deep voice, full of pain and sorrow, filled the empty white void. "I could not protect you."

Viola quickly opened her eyes, trying to find the owner of the voice, but it was too late she was no longer in the dream. She had returned to the cabin, as had Morgana, who had returned to her space in front of the fire. Never the less, Viola looked around the cabin, searching for the owner of the voice, it had sounded like Odrins voice, but slightly more elegant, almost feminine. As she pushed herself up to get a better look around the room she let out a loud gasp of pain, drawing Morgana's attention, just like before. This time however Morgana simply smiled at her before returning to the what she had been doing previously. Despite the sharp pain that was still sitting in her side Viola decided that it was not good for her to just lie here and take advantage of the old woman's hospitality, but as soon as she moved the blanket in order to get out of the bed she made the choice that staying in the bed would be the best course of action. She was naked, her clothes left back at her house when she had transformed.

"Don't worry dear, I am sure with the adjustments that I am making this old dress of mine will fit you fine." Morgana sympathetic voice rang out, Viola noticed her indicating the brown fabric that was sitting on her lap.

"Thank you, I am sorry for all of the trouble that I have caused you." Viola slipped back under the blanket, not overly happy about exposing her naked body to the cold air of the cabin 

"It is rare that I meet another of your kind, especially in these dark days. So I will help you anyway that I can," Morgana stopped and turned to face Viola, the lines on her face exaggerated but the dancing flames of the open fire. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish dear, I am sure the others will not mind." 

"Others? You mean more like me?" Viola let her excitement slip through in her tone every so slightly, she had after all never met another person like her, not a living one anyway.

"I am afraid that only you and I are the same like that, no the others like Odrin and the rest are simply wolves."

"Then..." Morgana cut her off before she could even ask her question.

"We may look different, but to them we smell just like they do, to them we are the same." A smile appeared on the old womans face and she quickly stood up, holding the old brown dress out in front of herself giving it one last look over. "There we go, that should do it."

Without waiting for another word Morgana walked over to the Viola's bed and handed her the dress, before slightly nodding and exiting the cabin through the old battered wooden door again. Once more Viola was on her own. Viola felt the dress in her hands, despite looking old and as though it had been patched together it also felt incredibly warm. As quietly and slowly as she could, Viola peeled back the blanket and stepped out onto the cold wooden floor before slipping the dress over her head.The dress was simple, but had been fitted well. It followed Viola's smooth curves and left little to the imagination.The sleeves were shorter than she would have liked but it was warm enough in the cabin that it did not matter to much. 

After she was finished examining the dress Viola noticed the bandages around the bottom part of her left arm, they were clean as though they had been changed recently but she could not remember Morgana going near her arm, there was also no pain coming from the apparent injury. Tentatively she ran her fingers down the bandage before grabbing hold of the edge and slowly beginning to remove it. As the bandage unwound from around her arm it revealed nothing, her arm was as it had always been, there was no injury that she could see.

"Ah, I see that your arm has healed nicely." Viola heard the door close quietly and quickly turned to see Morgana standing in the doorway, a wooden bucket of water weighing her down.

"Here allow me." Viola moved over and took the bucket from the older woman without allowing the her to even think about arguing. Morgana gave her a firm stare, but Viola ignored it quite easily.

"Down by the fire then," Viola nodded, placing the wooden bucket where she had been told, next to the fire place. Morgana also moved beside the fire, sitting on the old wooden chair that she had been occupying every time Viola had awoken within the cabin. Without waiting for an invitation, Viola sat down on the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest and warping her arms around them.

"So, tell me young one, who was the kind soul that gave you this," Viola looked at Morgana, only to see her holding a small cloth with a silver coloured crossbow bolt sitting in the center. "Falsteel, it is poisons to our kind. Who ever it was they meant to kill you."

"I know." Viola whined as a short pain shot through her abdomen when she moved her legs. "It was a hunter named Krais. I should have known, I was careless."

"How would you be expected to know, you are so young I doubt that you have encountered a Hunter before you meet this Krais. It was an..."

"My father was a Hunter, I should have recognized the signs that he was aware of my true identity." Viola's voice was quiet, but Morgana let her speak, "Father taught me all of the Hunter tricks he knew, I should have seen it."

"Your father knew about your... condition?"

"Yes, and as much as it was his job to hunt our kind, he couldn't kill me, his only daughter." A small but sad smile crossed Morgana's face, "Instead he helped me. He taught me how to block the Wolf from my thoughts and conceal my presence."

"No matter how good your fathers intentions might have been, you are meant to interact with the Wolf, you are after all both bound to the same body." Morgana reached around the fire to where Viola was sitting and gently stroked the younger girls cheek with her old weathered hand. "You need to learn to communicate with your Wolf, learn to trust it. Together you can do much more than if you are always going against one another."

"What do you mean?" Viola asked, slight surprise gripping her body.

"I am guessing that your transformations are still painful?"  Viola nodded slightly in response, "If you trust your Wolf, and allow him to take over during the Moon Cycle, then it no longer hurts, but the Souls must accept one another. I can try and teach you if you are willing to learn."

"I... I..." Viola stuttered as she tried to search within her own mind for what she truly wanted, the human side of her screamed that it was madness, nothing but the deranged ramblings of an old women. However there was another thought that left her conflicted, a sliver of curiosity and doubt. "I am willing to try, but only try."

"Try is all we can do dear," Margana went silent for a moment, bringing her hand back on to her lap. Both woman sat there staring into the fire, silently thinking about what to say next. "There is another option, but I cannot recommend it."

"Please tell me, I wish to know all the paths that I can follow."

"There is a way to remove the Wolf's soul from your mind and body." Morgana's words were heavy and laden with sorrow.

"You mean a way to free me from this curse." Viola asked tentatively, trying not to raise her own hopes.

"Yes, but it is not something that you should consider likely, after all you would be giving up a part of your soul." Morgana's voice took a more stern tone as she said this, after she had spoken she turned back the fire, obviously no longer wishing to discuss the subject any further. But it had given Viola something to think about as she sat their staring at the dancing flames.