Chapter 7 Ylvana: Stranger danger

Chapter 7 Ylvana: Stranger Danger

I slip in the icy mud and hit the ground hard. I want to cry, but I know I can't stop, even though my ankles are sore form the ropes that bound me, and my mind is racing with terrifying thoughts. Cold rain and earth-shaking thunder makes everything more difficult. I want to get as far away from that camp as I can, but I have no idea where we are going. The only comfort I have is knowing Pine are Luna are with me.

We reach the summit of a hill, and the trail gets rocky. I stand on the edge of a cliff, and squint through the darkness and rain to try and see where I am. I spot the dim outlines of mountains in the distance. My heart sinks lower into despair. The Hvitrfjella mountains; one of the most wild places on the island.

Pine sums up our predicament fairly well; "Well . . . dang it. I told you, we should have stolen a horse before running off, " he says for the fortieth time.

Luna lands next to him and hits him in the head with her wing.

"Get it through your head, Pine! It's too dangerous, we are not going back," she hoots.

She is mad enough already without Pine driving her crazy. Water droplets cling to her feathers all over; she hates getting wet.

"Better than going through there by foot," Pine mutters.

Unfortunately, Pine is right. The mountains are a vast, tangled system of forest, rivers, valleys, and cliffs. There is a reason few ever ventured here.

"So does anyone have a plan?" Pine yells as more thunder cracks.

A bolt of lightning flashes, making me jump. I am tired, scared, hungry, and completely lost. Of course I don't have a plan.

"We have to find shelter. We'll figure this out in the morning," I say.

"Luna," Pine says, "Why don't you fly back home and get some help, and we'll wait here." 

"There's no way I'm flying in this storm! Besides, I'm not leaving you two out here."

I walk along a rock wall while they bicker. Spruce tree's pop out of every possible location to grow, making the trail tight against the rocks. I am about to turn back around, when I spot a cave.

"Guy's! Over here!" I shout to Luna and Pine.

As we walk in, relief replaces my fears. The rocks shelter us from the whipping winds and stinging rain. My fur is dripping wet, making little puddles at my paws, but at least I can't get any wetter.

"We can rest here for the night," I tell the others. "Hopefully the rain will stop in the morning, and we'll figure something out then."

I curl up against the rocks. Everything is cold and hard, but I can't complain. Pine curls up next to me to share more warmth. Luna tucks her beak under her wing, and falls asleep.

I am the last one awake. The pounding of the rain and wind make me uneasy. Sometimes a peddle would suddenly be knocked down from the cave walls. It would snap against the rock floor, and I'd jump. I try to calm myself. The thunder and lightning are not going to break the cave walls down. The Fenrir Warriors will not find you here. You're safe.

Miraculously, I manage to fall asleep. It is a huge mistake.

The dreams come with a vengeance. They kept playing scene from tonight. I was forced to watch myself get kidnapped over again, and then get tied to a tree as Fenrir stands over me. I try to force myself awake, but I have no control. I relived the terror and fear all over again.

Then, the dreams shift into something that was not a memory. I see Fenrir, still at the camp. He had an ugly scar down the side of his face. Luna must have given that to him. He was talking to someone else. I can only here whispers of voices. All I could see of the other person was light reflecting off jet black hair. Suddenly, the mystery boy disappears before Fenrir.

My dream changes to a scene on the southern shore. I'm standing on the grey rocks, dressed in full leather armor and holding a long-sword. Fenrir stands in front of me, also holding a sword. His blade is black, and covered in a powder I recognize as Coal Dust. One little cut from that sword would send the deadly poison into my veins. But Fenrir and I start fighting anyway. Where did I learn how to sword fight? And where did I get that armor?

We battle viciously across the beach. I can here the metal of the blades clashing, and boots crunch the rocks. I seem to be doing alright, until her chips my armor. The blade must have made contact with my skin, because I go down. I cry out in agony as I clutch my stomach--where the sword had got me. My vision blurs. I can feel the red hot poison slowly suffocate me. Someone runs up to me--a young boy, maybe Chris. He leans over me and asks me if I'm okay, but I can't answer. I drop onto the ground, and wake up.

The storm was still going, more fierce than before. My heart beats rapidly. From either the storm, my dream, or both. Luna and Pine where still sleeping peacefully. They were lucky they had no dreams like mine. What scared me wasn't the dream itself, but the fact that somehow, it will come true.

The wind wafts in, carrying a strange new scent. My hackles rise. It smells like me; a wolf, only different.

"Pine, Luna!" I whisper. They stir a little. "I think there is someone out there."

Luna lifts her head, and blinks. Her black eyes look around the cave. When she looks out the cave mouth, her feathers puff up, and she takes a step back.

I whip my head around to look, but my eyes are still groggy from sleep. I only see him when the lightning strikes.

The sudden light shimmers off his black fur. He looked huge and powerful. When the lightning disappeared, he seemed to melt into the night. I could only seen the dim outline of his body, and the shine of his eyes.

I wait for him to make a move. But he only stares at us curiously.

"If this is your cave, we'll leave," I finally say, backing up.

Pine finally wakes up. "Hey Ana, what's going--" he sees the black wolf, "holy smokes!" Pine leaps up and hides behind me.

The wolf smiles at me. "It isn't my cave. I was just passing through when I spotted it. Would you mind letting me stay here to get out of the rain?"

The wolf sounds friendly enough, and he did look miserable drenched with rain. But I was in no trusting mood.

"You can have it. We need to get going, anyway," I say.

"I'm not going to just send someone out into the storm," the wolf says, stepping forwards. I step back. "I'm sure we can share this place for one night."

"No, really," I say. "I'm being hunted. It's best if we keep moving. We've had our rest."

"Uh, Ana? Couldn't we just stay--"

Before Pine finishes, Luna cuffs him off by hitting him with her wing.

"I know," the wolf says calmly. "You don't have to worry about them. They aren't following you."

A low growl creeps up my throat. My muscles tense, preparing for a fight.

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm just that smart," the wolf says.

I stare at him.

"Kidding. I was passing by the camp when I saw you tied to the tree."

It is unsettling to know this wolf has seen me. He knows I am a shifter, and I have escaped the Crows. He knows I am vulnerable. The only reason I don't leave is because he is blocking the way.

"I can understand why you're not eager to trust a stranger. I guess-" he turns away into the rain, "you need this place more than I do. I can brave a little bitter cold and wind."

I watch him leave, and I start to feel calm.

"Ana." Luna looks at me like a mother scolding her child.

"He offered to leave," I say. "The last thing we need is to hang around a wolf we may or may not be able to trust."

"Ylvana," Luna says again. "The Fenrir warriors aren't anywhere around here. Plus, this is a wolf. You should keep you guard up, but there is no reason to send him out into the storm."

I sigh, and look back at the entrance. The wolf is slowly walking away. His ears and tail droop. He is obviously playing the poor-wanderer trick to win me over with pity. He can't be working with the Fenrir Warriors. He is just a wolf looking for a place to spend the night.

"Alright, fine! We can share for the night," I say.

The wolf wags his tail and walks in.

"Thank you! I promise I will not kill you in your sleep," he says.

"Good to know," I mumble.

He shakes his fur, sending water spraying everywhere. Then, he takes a place in the back of the cave.

"Do you live out here or something?" Pine asks the wolf.

The wolf yawns, "Sort of. I've been traveling along these mountains for a while."

"Don't you have a pack?" Luna asks.

I curl back up against the wall and listen to them talk.

"That's why I'm traveling. They were killed by Fenrir Warriors. I've been a lone wolf for a while."

When he mentions the Fenrir Warriors, my ears perk up. At least we have a common enemy.

"I decided to travel to the Solveig clan, on the other side of these mountains. I was planning on taking the week's trip around, but you provide me with an opportunity."

I look up at him, suspiciously. "What kind of opportunity?"

"If we travel together, we can go right through the mountains. It'll make both of our journeys shorter."

"How do you know which way I'm headed?" I ask.

"I think it's obvious you want to make it back to civilization." The wolf looks out the cave. "It would be east--straight through the mountains. Problem is, if you don't know what you're doing, you can get turned around easier than you realize."

"What makes you think I don't know what I'm doing?" I snap. "How are we suppose to trust that you know more?"

"I don't know everything, I could get turned around too. But I've been out here longer, and know my way around better. Together, we have a better chance of making it through. When we get to the other side, you'll go your way, and I'll head for the Solveig pack."

I narrow my eyes. "Sharing a cave for one night in one thing, but traveling together is another."

The wolf shrugs. "Being alone in this place is more dangerous than being with me. Not only will we be safer, but we'll get through quicker," the wolf says.

I know all about the dangers of the Hvitrfjella mountains, and as much as I hate to admit it, the wolf has a point. I won't stand a chance out there alone. What choice do I have?

"If the Crow's find me, you'll be in danger too," I warn him.

"Then we better leave early in the mourning." The wolf rests his head on his paws.

Pine curls up besides me.

"We really appreciate the offer," Pine says to the wolf, "Do you have a name?"

"It's Jay, like Blue Jay," he grins.

"Ah, that's so cool! Why didn't you two ever give me a good nickname?" Pine whines. 

"We did," I say. 

"Idiot does not count," Pine retorts. 

Luna rolls her eyes. "Well, Jay, the fox is Pine. My name is Luna, and-" Luna hops on my back- "This is Ylvana."

"Ylvana," Jay laughs, "what kind of name is that for a human?"

I narrow my eyes. "What kind of a name is Jay for a wolf?"

Jay laughs. "Fair enough," he lays his head on his paws, "Good night."

"Good night," Luna says.

When the cave goes quiet, it seems like the sounds of the storm grow louder. The rocks hold fast against the rain and wind, but the whole cave quivers when thunder booms. Every time I finally get settled down, a lightning bolt shocks me awake. Oh well. Who needs sleep?

Reviews

[DRAGO]

awesome. can I make a prediction

[DRAGO]

and, can You tell me how you make your chapters so long

[A.L.Exley]

Sure. I kind of map out a plan of all the things I want to happen in my story. There's so much I want to write about the characters and the kingdom. I know they aren't too long, but I am cutting some of the chapters in half, like the first chapter. Just so the adventures of the book are separated into chapters.

[DRAGO]

Hmmm. And what if its still short?

[DRAGO]

was that shure to the prediction

[A.L.Exley]

Yeah, you can make a prediction. When my chapters were short, sometimes I'd add them together, or create new events, or maybe add more dialogue. But I also made sure that whatever I added contributed to the story in some way, like character development, or plot, or explanation of something.

[DRAGO]

This is briliant.

[A.L.Exley]

Thanks you!

[DRAGO]

okay so I predict the wolf is from the badguys. They become friends, and he betrays her, then goes to her side, or considers it. Also, mayby both sides are curupt, and they must find a middle ground and leave both groups to do the right thing

[A.L.Exley]

Very good prediction! I will not give anything away, but I'm glad you can get a sense of the characters and the story like this!

[DRAGO]

Yes, well, some of my favorite books follow a similar plot to the one mentioned above. Mayby it is the wholy grail plot of writers. And thank you for giving nothing away

[DRAGO]

actually, my story line is similar

[A.L.Exley]

lol, your welcome.

[DRAGO]

so when I said they might be similar, it was because I thought it might be the story line. I almost hope I am wrong though. Your story would not only be awesome, it would be an awesome surprise

[A.L.Exley]

Yeah, I am trying to make my story as unique as possible.

[DRAGO]

and it has dragons that can become human, but alot more of them