Chapter 6 Jay: watch out for owls with attitude

Chapter 6 Jay: watch out for owls with attitude

I lay on the rocks by the lake shore, and take in the serenity of the cool night. The soothing sound of crickets and frogs fill the air. For a moment, I don't think about my home the Sutherlands, this war, or my father's terrible plan.

"Hey, Jay!"

Of course, my peacefulness never lasts long.

Two warriors, only a few years younger than me, walk over to me, and I must resist the urge to jump into the lake.

The younger trainee's around here all wanted to hang around me because I am the King's son. The thing is, I'm not use to being included in things. In fact, I'm more like an outcast. My people are really touchy about anything Sølvefaske related, especially wolves. Being the Prince me the nothing; my power dooms me to a life of solitude; which I am starting to get use to.

Either these kids didn't get the news, or their desire to hang out with the heir of the Sutherlands was too great to resist.

"We're making s'mores, want one?" the boy asks me. A little bit of chocolate covers his lip.

I shake my head. "I'm not into chocolate," I lie. I've never tried chocolate, but I need an excuse.

"But it's a celebration!" the girl says, "Galen just told us they captured the princess!"

I glance up at the tree's behind me. Galen is in raven form, hopping excitedly between branches.

I bite back my rage. A young girl has been kidnapped. My father ordered her to be brought here safely, but still, she is probably terrified right now. These kids are celebrating it. But soon, one way or another, they'd learn that Warriors do not get reward from the acts they commit. It was all simply what had to be done for the sake of the kingdom. I've learned over the years just like everyone else to hold my tongue and just do it; even if I thought it was wrong.

I don't know why I stand up for Sølvefalske. Maybe it is my power, or the fact that I hate fighting. But it is these thoughts that make me question my father, and always get me into trouble. I can't afford to get into anymore trouble now that I am about to become a official Fenrir Warrior. If I blow this, I could be tried for treason, and even my father couldn't protect me.

Above us, there is the shrill sound of horses.

"They're back!" the kids exclaim, running to camp to meet the returning Warriors.

I watch them happily run, and feel sorry for them. They are excited to finally be a part of the heroic warriors that will save the Sutherland. They have no idea what being a Warrior really does to you; beat you down until you become no more than a tool for someone else's bidding.

The black pegai fly above me, and land in the camp. I really don't want to see another innocent person brought before my father's wrath, but I am curious. There are a lot of rumors about this girl; the Wolf Princess, she is called.

They say she has the power to shift into a wolf since birth; peculiar since the power normals comes from a potion. They say it's all because Skoll, the wolf of the sun, has chosen her as his hero to tip the balance of the war. Skoll is the Norse patron wolf of Sølvefalske, and his brother, Hati is the Sutherland's. Since Hati hasn't been in touch with us lately, Skoll's hero is our only chance at winning the war.

Lord Bjarke, my father's head guard, is the first to land. In his arms is the girl; tiny compared to him. Then again, everyone did; Bjarke was huge. The girl is still a little limp from the sleeping powder they had gave her, but she's starting to come-to and struggle. Barke lifts the girl off the Pegasus, and sets her on the ground, keeping his hand on her skinny arm. Her golden hair flares as she twists her body violently, but it's no match for Bjarke's vice-like grip. He brings her to a red wood tree, forces her down, and ties up her wrists.

The girl struggles violently, but she doesn't bother screaming for help. She knows it is no use. Even then, it takes a lot of bravery not to scream in the face of danger. I admired her for that. She stops struggling against the ropes, and surveys the camp with her blue eyes that glowed just like mine did. Instead of looking like a pitiful, helpless girl, she looks more like a cornered animal ready to attack.

She stares at the group of Warriors around the campfire with such hatred it makes me shiver. But the men are completely oblivious to her as they wait for my father to arrive.

She looks past the men to where the herd of black Pegai graze. I turn to see what she's looking at. From one of the saddle bags, I spot a flicker of movement. A second later, a red head with giant ears pops out. The girl's lips curl into a smile. The fox leaps out of the bag and sneaks around the edge of the firelight to where the girl is tied up and begins gnawing on the ropes.

My hand automatically grips the hilt of my sword. As a Fenrir Warrior, it is my responsibility to stop any attempts at escape. But I can't get myself to unsheathe my sword.

When the men around the fire go quiet, I know my father has arrived. I hear his heavy boots get closer, and catch his scent on the wind. As he strides through the crowd, the men bow their heads in respect. Firelight dances across his coal-black armor. His metal scabbard sways at his hip. He was without his crow-helmet, no doubt in order to get a good look at the girl. His hair and beard were turning grey, making his appearance more withered and dreadful. His dark eye's reflected no light. It was a merciless look he had perfected over the years. Despite the cold night, he was sleeveless. Of his muscular bicep was a tattoo: a black Crow's head within a circle. It matched the symbol on his warriors armor: the symbol of the Sutherlands.

Instead of cringing away, the girl stares my father down with the same cold look that he gave her.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Princess," my father says calmly.

"Princess?" The girl raises her eyebrow. A smug smile breaks across her face. "I hate to tell you this, but you have the wrong person. I am not Miria."

I have to hold back my laughter. My father just got shot down.

But Fenrir returns the smile, and squats in front of the girl so they are eye to eye.

"You, Princess Ylvana Mikkelson, daughter of Prince Aaron and Lady Gwen, are much more valuable to us then Albin's daughter," he speaks slowly, letting the words echo.

So Ylvana was her name. It fit her.

Ylvana's pale cheeks drop a shade. "What do you want with me?"

My father's smile widens at her fearful reaction.

"Do you really not know? I suppose all those years locked in Albin's castle has made you ignorance to your true potential."

"I don't know what you mean," she says, carefully.

My father waves a hand at her. "No need to play games with me, princess. We've been watching you for a long time. We've seen your powers. We know you are the hero of Skoll."

Ylvana rolls her eyes, like she had heard this story before. "I'm not the runestone guardian if that's what you mean. Yes, I can shift. That doesn't make me a hero. Skoll would have chosen someone much more qualified. If I really was a guardian, do you think your Crow's could have taken me so easily?"

My father laughs. "Why Albin had made such an idiotic decision in not having you trained, I don't know."

"At least we can agree on something," Ylvana smirks.

"I am well aware of how your people see my kingdom. I must ask you to look beyond the things they say, and see us for what we really are."

"You kidnapped me and tied me to a tree. Your Crows have been terrorizing the island all my life. Don't tell me not to judge you!" Ylvana growls. If was an inhuman growl, that had a close resemblance to a wolf's snarl. She had spat the word Crows as if it was a swear word.

"We are simply a desperate kingdom on the loosing side of a desperate war. In fact both kingdom are on the loosing side. If this goes on, both kingdoms will be broken. That's where you come in; you can end this war."

Ylvana looks at him suspiciously. "In your favor."

Fenrir shrugs. "There is a darker side of your kingdom you have yet to see. It takes two to have a war. In reality, they are as dark as us. We simply don't bother hiding it. Perhaps if we we told you about it, it would change your mind. Not only that, but we can help you harness your powers. Isn't that what you've always wanted? To know about yourself, and the kingdom: things your own family has kept you?"

Ylvana glares at him. "Something tells me you won't do such a nice thing for nothing."

"All you have to do is help us find the Runestone. You may not know how to use that power yet, but we can help you. Find the Runestone, and we will tell you everything you want to know. After words, we'll leave your family in peace, and you can go back to your cabin, just like you always wanted."

Ylvana is silent. For a moment, I'm afraid she actually believes my father. Then, her blue eyes begin to glow.

"Even if I were the Runestone guardian, I would never betray my kingdom like that. No deal."

Then, several things happen at once; the fox hiding behind the tree chews through the ropes, Ylvana shifts into a wolf and runs, and a barn owl swoops down out of nowhere and attacks my father's face. My father shouts in surprise, his face is obscured by a flurry on tan feathers. None of the other warriors could help him: they were all focused on Ylvana.

Ylvana runs quickly in wolf form, but she eventually gets surrounded my a fair number of Warriors. One man lunges for Ylvana, grabbing her tail in an attempt to stop her. She whirls around and sinks her fangs into his hand. He screams in an unnaturally high pitched voice. He lets go of her tail. Ylvana and the fox disappear into the woods. The owl flies after them, and the camp goes quiet.

The warriors huddle together, casting nervous glances at my father, who stands still for a solid couple of minutes, staring into the forest. He finally turns and walks into his tent.

Father had spent long hours carefully planning this kid-napping. His warriors kept a close eye on the village and the forest for any sign of the hero. When King Albin forced the wife and daughter of Lord Aaron Mikkleson to live in the castle, my father took a peculiar interest in them. He had known Aaron as Prince Aaron McNeil, brother of  the king, and one of the most heroic and valiant warriors of the time. If his daughter had inherited these traits, she would be the perfect choice as a hero of Skoll.

The day came where she had left the castle alone. Not only did my father's warriors have the perfect opportunity to snatch her, they had seen her shift; confirming she really was the Wolf Princess. I doubted the girl would betray her kingdom so easily, but I did not expect her to escape. Now, all my father's hard work had been for nothing.

Everyone back home was counting on their king to do something for them. Many opposed the war, but they knew they needed protection from the Wolves; their attacks on our kingdom never ceased to end. The Sutherlands had always been at a disadvantaged against Sølvefalske: we had less resources, a smaller kingdom, and our army got repeatedly beaten by the Wolves. Sølvefalske was weakening too, but my father was right; if the war went on like this, both kingdoms would fall, and there'd be no winners. We needed to win the war soon. Loosing the wolf princess may be a deadly mistake to all of us. I can only imagine the pressure it put my dad under.

I walk into our tent, and see my father sitting at the table, holding a rag to his face. When he sees me, he puts the rag down, revealing a ragged scar the barn owl had slashed into his face. It ran from his eye down his cheek to his chin, and was still bleeding.

"I think we could have handled that better, don't you?" He grumbles at me.

I set my scabbard down on the table. "We just underestimated her. But it's not completely hopeless, we can find her again."

I hate saying that after watching the girl's amazing escape, but my father looks so worn down that I have to try and cheer him up.

Father rests his head in his hands and sighs. I find I can't help but stare at his scar.

Then, he turns to me with an odd smile. "Perhaps this failure has presented us with an opportunity."

I didn't like the way he said that. "What do you mean?"

He leans back in his chair and crosses his legs. "You are right when you say we can track down the girl easily. But I must stay here and lead the camp and start sending warriors to search for the Runestone."

"I thought we couldn't find them without Skoll's guardian?" I say.

"It won't be easy, but we can. The important thing is that Ylvana does not actually become a guardian and keeps us from finding the stones. We don't exactly need her at the camp, but we need her out of the way. That will be your job."

It takes all I have to hide my disappointment. That girl has just done the impossible: she escaped my father and a whole band of his warriors against all odds. I am not afraid of her (maybe a little bit), but I don't want to be responsible for stopping her.

"You want me to kill her?" I say, miserably.

"That would be the easiest choice, but perhaps she is still too valuable. Find her, gain her trust. Learn whatever you can about her. And above all, do not let her get back to the castle. When you get back, you will be a Fenrir Warrior. That is your quest, should you choose to accept it."

"I don't seem to have any other choice," I mumble. Father gives a curt nod, and stands up.

"I'll let the camp know about the quest them. That wolf might finally come in handy. Nevertheless, gear up; one can never be too prepared." He walks out of the tent.

I slowly get up, and start changing my clothes. Up until now, father has seen my ability to shift as a nuisance, like an extra limb without purpose. It certainly felt like my power gave me nothing but trouble at times. No matter what I did, how hard I worked, or how obedient I was, the Warriors never saw me as one of their own. They are too blind with hatred of the Wolves.

It's not like I can help it; I don't even know why it happened. All Fenrir warriors in history shifted into ravens and Crows when they took the potion, because they are our kingdom's symbol. I was the exception. I remember the look on my father's face the day I drank the potion and turned into a wolf; it was the first day I saw real fear and sadness in his eyes. Afterwords, he ignored my condition. Tonight is the first time he ever referenced my power as a possible strength.

Outside, my father's voice boomed over the crowd of warriors who have gathered to listen. "Tonight, we have failed."(thanks Captain Obvious)"But this is not over. For too long, our kingdom has suffered under the oppression of Sølvfalske. We will not give up now. Ylvana has refused to join us, so we must find the runestones ourselves. Luckily she is completely ignorant of her power now. But we must not give her the chance to learn it. Doing so would make it nearly impossible for us to obtain the runestones. Tonight, my son will pursue the princess, learning her secretes, and clearing the way for us to search for the Runestones. Success in his quest will earn him his Helm, and he will be one of us!"

I am surprised by the amount of enthusiasm from the crowd. People applaud and cheer for me. It makes me feel a little bit better, but I still dread this quest.

I put on a fresh shirt, and start gearing up in black leather amor. I hate the color black--too many things were black back home; the burnt forest, the black stones of the shores, the obsidian rocks that made the castle walls. It was just so lifeless and dull. Why couldn't our armor be green or blue? The color of fresh grass and clear streams.

A voice calls from outside the tent. "Jay, you in there? It's me, Galen."

"Yeah, come on in," I tell him.

Galen comes in dressed in full armor. His black Crows Helm is tucked under his arm. It is pure shiny black (like everything else around here) with a pointed nose bridge that resembled a bird's beak. They are only given once a trainee had succeeded in a quest, and becomes a Warrior. Galen has already earned his helmet when he took part in a battle with some Wolves and won.

"You're father just told us about your quest." He holds up his Helm. "We'll have a matching pair, soon."

Galen was my age, and one of the only people who sort of likes me and acts friendly to me. We are not close friends--more like partners. Still, we helped each other out.

"Yeah, well, after seeing what that girl can do, I not so excited," I say.

Galen waves his hand at me. "Oh please! You're one of the best fighters I've ever seen. Plus, being a wolf, she'll never suspect anything."

Galen must think I'm worried about the girl beating me. He is wrong; I know I ca neat the girl. That is what makes my stomach churn.

I grab my scabbard from the table and loop the belt around my waist.

"Look, I just came by to wish you good luck." Galen holds out his hand to me, and I shake it.

"Thank you," I reply.

Lord Bjarke sticks his head in the tent.

"Boy, are ya ready? You're fathers waiting for you!" He says.

I follow him outside. As we walk, Bjarke pats my shoulder.

"I know you'll go out there and make us proud! You've got what it takes, and some extra. Here, I was going wait till after you completed your quest, but you could use it now."

He hands me a brand new, polished, black obsidian dagger. I still didn't care much for black, but the knife was beautiful; it glittered like night itself. Swords were the traditional weapon of the Fenrir Warriors, but Bjarke knew my favorite weapon was a knife. It was perfectly balanced, and fit snugly in my hand.

"Thank you Bjarke, but wouldn't you rather give it to your daughter? She's going to start training soon, right?" I say.

"Oh, she prefers using an axe. I didn't want you to run off with just any old blade." He gives me another pat on the back. "May the gods be on your side!"

"Thanks Bjarke," I say.

I turn my back on the camp, and go meet my father waiting by the edge of the forest. He stares at the trees, with a kind of challenge in his eyes.

"I won't be able to help you. The Warriors will keep a look out for the girl, but you must do this on your own." He turns to me. "This may be your only chance, son. If you fail, I can no longer protect you."

Thanks for the encouragement, dad.

"When do I begin?" I say, quietly,

He waves a hand towards the trees, "Now."

I shift into a black wolf, and race off into the forest just icy rain was beginning to poor.

Reviews

[DRAGO]

Im going to stop reading the book because I don't want to mis chapter 5. Let me know when it is published

[DRAGO]

and, publishing this would be great. I like reading paper alot more than a screen

[DRAGO]

Again awesome. I love how you are no unshure of each sides integrety. I don't know if you ment for this, but there is a faunt and color change on the last sentence.

[A.L.Exley]

Yeah the font kind of changed itself when I posted it. I do a little bit of head hopping because i feel that it is the best way to tell the story. I have not published it yet, but that its very cool how you want to read it! I am still editing some chapter, so chapter 3 up might change. This is the basic idea of the story, so it won't change that much, just some details.

[DRAGO]

I like changing perspectives to.

[DRAGO]

Im serius about buying it, if I chose classics this would be one. I think this is in my top ten favorite books

[DRAGO]

My faunt changed to, very anoying

[A.L.Exley]

thank you. It's probably a little far from being published, but that is a possibility.

[DRAGO]

your welcome