“Tell no one, for you must be the one to do it.”
Sirrush had then leaned in, his warm breath on her shoulder, and her heart pounded in fearful anticipation to hear the prophecy. But what he said next stopped her heart.
“Kill the boy before he kills you.” He then laughed as if he found his own dire words a mere joke.
“What? What about the prophecy?” she said, whirling around to face him. She hadn’t expected to hear a warning. “Is that what you told Adhara?!”
He just winked at her, turned, and left.
After Orin’s confession, she had been unable to keep Sirrush’s secret any longer and confessed it to Mira, Lula, and Antares. Orin was the only one she did not tell. At first she thought Sirrush might swoop down, devour her, and pick his teeth with her sword for revealing his secret, but nothing happened. Except that Mira reprimanded her for not saying anything earlier, Lula almost dropped like a stone from the air, and Antares swatted Shawna with an admonishing paw. After dusting herself off from being knocked over, she bit back her hurt pride, and reminded them that if she had told them earlier, Orin would probably have been stabbed by Mira then turned into soleon poop; a fact to which Antares nodded, looking a little too unashamed at the thought. Sirrush had wanted her to kill Orin, and she hadn’t, nor had Orin killed her. But why had Adhara and Sirrush set her and Orin against one another? In the end they had both chosen their own paths, but she felt a vague unease nonetheless. There is more that I don’t understand, Orin had said. With that simple statement, she fully agreed.
She didn’t want to feel the pity and kinship she now felt for Orin, orphaned like her, lied to, used. He had wanted to kill her, had been raised to. What was her purpose then? Had she been raised to be a killer as well? She found herself thinking about what would be best for everyone else, but couldn’t come to any conclusions. Running away wasn’t the answer, she knew that now, but continuing the path she’d been forced onto didn’t feel right either. Shame and guilt festered beneath the tears that almost came when she thought about that night, that passionate kiss. Meaningless kiss, she told herself. He had only done that to try and win her trust. A kiss that would’ve meant her life.
More than anything, she especially didn’t want to feel the animosity swelling in her towards the woman who called herself her mother. How could someone, much less a parent, do such a thing to the both of them? How heartless and cruel was Adhara capable of being?
She’s not my mother. I have no mother. She angrily kicked at a rock, and stubbed her toe through the boot which made her even more angry. “F—”
Just then, Lula went rocketing past, a pack of pink wolves in close pursuit.
“No!” shouted Lula as she landed on a high tree branch. The wolves were growling and trying to jump at her. “Down! I didn’t do it on purpose.”
But the severely offended pack wasn’t going to forgive her so easily. Shawna walked over. The wolves were focused entirely on Lula who sat dangling her legs, teasing them.
“What’d you do?” asked Shawna.
“I only tried to change their fur back to normal. Remember, when I sprinkled them pink the first night, at the Howling Hall? Well, I tried,” she said to the grumbling wolves.
One of them snorted through its nose and the others snapped at her, still looking very vicious in their fully pink fur.
“Can’t you turn them back?”
“No,” moaned Lula. “I was never very good at reversal. I can only reverse my magic when I’m not being chased by wolves!”
They didn’t budge. Shawna thought it was a very good thing that Lula could fly.
“We’re leaving soon,” said a voice.
They both turned around to see Orin coming over to them, a leather pack on his back and carrying another. He stopped mid-step and stared at the pack of pink wolves. He didn’t seem to know what to say.
“Um,” he said, recovering and continuing over to hand the backpack to Shawna. “This is for you, and Mira wants us to come to the Howling Hall. Faolan and Zev are waiting for us.”
He was being entirely too pleasant. She noticed he kept pursing his lips, running his hand through his hair, and keeping his eyes averted from hers. She grabbed the pack, flicked an eyebrow up, and stalked off with her chin up.
The wolves looked disappointed at this news. They wouldn’t be able to snap at Lula with Faolan and Zev around. Orin, Shawna, and Lula set off towards the great hall, waving at people as they passed. When they reached the skull covered structure, Faolan, Zev, a few villagers, and wolves welcomed them, but the mood was tense. Antares looked the most troubled, considering he kept shocking anyone within five feet with his lashing tail.
“Ouch,” yelped Shawna when he accidently sent a streak of red lightning her way.
He twitched his whiskers as he battled with looking either embarrassed or indifferent. He settled on contemptuous, but ceased his tail thrashing.
“I’ll tell you the short version of what we were just discussing,” said Faolan. “There’s not much time. Zev and his pack say the beasts have been keeping beyond our borders because they have been amassing. They have now tripled in numbers. That many could overrun this village with ease, even with the great Golden Wolf.” Shawna started to say something, but Faolon talked over her. “They are less than a day away from here. However, if you all leave now, we’re hoping that you’ll draw them away.” He looked at Shawna.
She almost said, “Sorry,” but thought how dumb and pathetic that would sound. Sorry I’m the daughter of a powerful family and that monsters are coming to annihilate us all. My bad.
She must have looked very sorry, though, for Faolan said gently, “I don’t blame you. The wolves seem to know something about this whole—” He waved his hands dismissively. “Mess.” She tried to say something again, but he raised his hand. “I don’t want to know, and I don’t care what you believe. If there are dark forces after you for whatever reasons, then we will help you as much as we can. You must understand that you need to leave and quickly.”
“Of course,” said Lula, looking over her shoulder, ready to leave both anything dark or pink with fangs far behind them.
Faolan took out a small braided length of colored rope that jingled with shiny objects and carved stones. It was slightly burnt at one end. He handed it to Orin.
“Here. This was your father’s Blessing Rope.”
Antares gave a snort, suspiciously like a scoff, but Orin looked like he had just been handed a crown to the kingdom.
“Thank you, uncle.” He laced it to his belt.
“And this.” Faolan handed him one of their strong but intricate wolf-head axes which he also took graciously.
Lula was determinedly not looking at Orin as he strapped on his new weapon where the now blossoming sword had once hung.
“Well,” said Faolan, throwing out his hands. “I hate to push you on your journey for such dire reasons, but we really do feel blessed with your company nonetheless.” He smiled at Orin who smiled back. “Everything that is, is meant to be. Once this is all over, when your journey ends, know you are welcome back with open arms.”
“And teeth,” mumbled Lula, spying the pink wolves near the forest’s edge, still looking put-out.
Suddenly, a loud shrieking filled the air, and something small with wild hair bashed into Antares’ leg. No one was more surprised than Antares who almost jumped onto the Hall’s roof until he registered whom his assailant was. Mia was sobbing herself hoarse while latched onto his leg.
“No,” she hiccupped. “Ant-aewy cawn’t go. He makes night-fwights gone.”
Shawna had never seen such an expression of remorse on his fierce face before. She actually thought the big push over was going to cry. She stifled a giggle before he could hear her and slash her head off.
“Mia means her scary dreams,” said Faolan, grinning. “Come now.” He reached to detach her like a sticky bur. “He’ll be back. Antares has to go do something to make sure y
our nightmares and the monster in your trunk stay away forever, all right?”
Mia looked unconvinced, but she allowed herself to be pried away, and buried her face in her father’s shoulder. Antares’ jaw jutted out and his whiskers trembled violently.
There were many farewells, a lot of hand shaking, hugging, and more food pressed upon them before they were finally walking away from their new friends. The boy who had given her the boots and scabbard was looking sad to see her go, and she almost felt the same. He was nice. She smiled down at her non-pink boots. And kinda cute. Zev and some of his pack, excluding the pink wolves, had offered to lead them safely to the mountain pass where hopefully, somewhere on the other side, they would find the third guardian.
Antares finally lost it when Mia said as they walked away, “Bye-bye, Ant-aewy. When yoo come back yoo can pway wiv me ag’in.” She gave an uncoordinated wave from Parla’s arms.
Shawna swore she heard Antares whimper as he raced away ahead of them all. Just as their company turned the bend, the beautiful notes of the Calling Horns, mixed with howling wolves, followed them into the hills. The path through the mountains was rather nice, and Shawna decided to try and enjoy it instead of dreading what might lie ahead. Long green-stemmed grasses tickled their legs, while wild flowers flounced their petals and climbed up gnarled tree trunks. The air was so fresh and crisp with the onset of Autumn, painted with the scents of blooms, that it was hard to feel anything but peaceful.
Lula had been talking to Shawna about the fiasco with the pink wolves when Orin dropped into stride next to them.
“Will you ever forgive me?” he asked without pretense.
She wasn’t prepared for his candor and took a few minutes of gulping air like a caught fish before she answered, “I don’t know.”
She couldn’t stand the way his face was so pathetically drooping, so she sighed and added, “Orin, I—” She saw he was truly very worried about her answer. “I guess. Yeah, I guess I should. I mean, you didn’t know. How could you know.”
His whole body relaxed, and he smiled. She felt like she was suddenly going to fall into quicksand.
“Um, thanks,” he said awkwardly. They both looked at the rocky path for a bit, neither knowing what to say until he finally broke the silence. “It’s true, I had no idea. I was lied to all my life. Then when I met you, I couldn’t believe that you were the one that…that you were…you were so—” He paused. “But after really knowing you, I couldn’t believe what that woman said anymore. When I realized I lo—” He pressed his tongue into the back of his teeth like something was stuck there, and glanced around, before closing it. Shawna raised her eyebrows, but kept her eyes on the path.
Had he been about to say, ‘Love’?
She couldn’t believe she was hoping for him to say it. She hated, well…tolerated him. But if she hadn’t been able to trust him with her life, how could she trust him with her heart? Lula sniffed and looked at him like he was a troll. Shawna gave her a scathing look. Lula only rolled her eyes, wobbled her head while smooching at her sarcastically, then zoomed up ahead. Orin was still watching the ground as they walked.
“Ilikeyou,” he blurted out. “Very much.” She didn’t hide her shock as she whipped her head around to stare at him while he fumbled on. “I didn’t know, before I met you, how…beautiful or…or strong you would be. I really didn’t want to betray or hurt you after we…after I realized, after realizing…that.” He took a deep breath and gave a short laugh.
“Strong?” she said out loud, but really thinking, he said I was beautiful. She was bright red, and knew it, but didn’t care. “Thanks,” she said, like he had complimented her boots.
Head high, she quickened her pace to catch up with Mira and Lula. Orin looked taken-aback as he watched her leave. Antares had finally composed himself and was loping ahead with Zev. The rest of the wolves were rarely seen, silently blending into the foliage around them, and keeping watch for bears, or worse. Shawna shivered at the thought of one of those giant bears rampaging towards them like the one from Karuna’s realm. That wasn’t really a bear though, she reminded herself. That was Gavan.
Lula flew over.
“What now?” said Lula. “What did he say?”
“What?”
“You look like Antares when he doesn’t get to terrorize some poor defenseless animal.”
Shawna grinned, but didn’t answer.
“So if it’s not that traitor swooning over you with a rose in his mouth, then what is it?”
“He’s not swooning, and he’s not a traitor.”
“Oh, really. Though you practically lit his face on fire the other night. Are you going to answer my question or not?”
Shawna sighed. “I was thinking about her, about how much I hate her.” She ground her teeth, and Lula knew of whom she was talking about. “I just want to…” She gripped the hilt of her sword. “I don’t know. Never mind.”
But Lula also knew exactly what she wanted to do, and for the first time saw a glimpse of power in Shawna that frightened her.
The sun was just beginning to set, and hundreds of orange-pink blossoms were uncurling their petals, when the path began to rise steeply towards the clouds. The grassy hills had slowly given way to boulders and shale covered in lime colored lichen. The contrast of the green lichen and bright orange flowers bathed in sunset took Shawna’s breath away. Gray shale scraped and clacked together under their footsteps as they climbed upward. Antares and the wolves were waiting for them around a tumble of giant boulders.
Zev was the only one standing.
When she walked into view, he said into her mind, with a gruff commanding voice, “Halt guardian.”
She looked behind her then back at Zev. She thought maybe he was talking to Antares, but Antares was sitting right behind him, then she realized he meant her. She stopped in her tracks as a wind began to pick up, whipping her hair around. The other wolves and Antares backed away from the yellow wolf. Lula was clinging to Shawna’s belt, sitting on the sword hilt while the wind grew even more violent. Shawna stepped back, tripped on a rock, tried to shield her face from her tornado of hair, and felt Orin’s hand on her elbow. She glanced up, and he grinned at her, probably remembering the pink beard Lula had accidently given her the first time they’d met. She hoped he’d forgotten that.
Everyone was staring at Zev now. The wolf was gleaming ever more brightly in the dying light. As the last rays hit him, he seemed to glow bright as the sun itself, every point of hair a spear of radiance, as if he was pulling the light towards him. He began to grow, double, then triple in size. Zev towered as tall as Kryos, his fur blinding like spun gold, his amber eyes flecked with golden flakes. Shawna’s heart beat with excitement, not fear, for the first time. Zev was the third guardian. This meant they were now very close to the last realm. Adhara had only one more chance to change the course of things, and Shawna wasn’t going to allow her that chance.
“Ava,” He said, his voice raspy like the shale crumbling beneath his enormous paws. “My pack and I join yours in support. You and Orin truly are the last guardians we have been awaiting. Your nose is sharp, and your paws swift.” She unconsciously wrinkled her nose as he told her, “We will defend the mountain pass to give you time.”
The wolves looked so regal, so fierce and wild, that she did not fear for their lives, but she still felt a stab of guilt. Here she was putting others in danger again, whether it was their duty to defend and help her or not. She hoped the village would be all right, and thought she’d never forgive herself if anything happened to them. With that thought, her necklace flared again, growing warm on her chest. She looked down and saw that where the third black stone used to be another sapphire had morphed into existence, shining like the others. Zev threw his head back and shook the mountain with a thunderous howl. Every wolf joined in, then as one, Zev’s pack sprinted back down the mountainside, barking with excitement for the imminent battle.
His giant amber eyes lo
oked down at Shawna, and she felt swallowed entirely by them.
“Keep your nose to the scent of destiny, and your ears to the sound of danger,” he said before he too bounded away, gone in seconds with his long strides.
Lula flew up to Shawna. “You kind of look like a wolf now.” She giggled. “Scruffy.”
Shawna touched her hair that was sticking in all directions from the wind like she’d dipped her head in a vat of gel and blow dried it.
“Here,” said Lula. “I’ll fix it.”
“No!” she yelled, throwing her hands up in self defense. “No, thanks. I’ll do it. It’s fine.”
Lula looked hurt for a moment. “I wasn’t going to turn it pink again,” she muttered, flying over to sit between Mira’s ears.
Shawna climbed onto Mira’s back, and Orin followed, wrapping his arms around her waist. They took one last look behind them, then Mira cantered away, her hooves clattering like drumbeats on the loose shale.