Chapter 1: Only Fools Rush In

CHAPTER 1:

The wind danced through the leaves on the trees making a rustling music as it went.  The white she-wolf’s snowy white fur joined the ensemble as the breeze teased it while she sat on the rock.  Her eyes closed as she sniffed the air for hints of anything exciting.  It was a perfect day for hunting and she’d hoped to find a rabbit or two that should be out grazing on a beautiful morning like this.  Instead, she caught the scent of something that didn’t frequent the forest. It wasn’t totally foreign, but it didn’t belong there.  Man.  The she-wolf’s ears perked and her blue eyes shot open. 

Down below the rock on which she sat came the hoofbeats of a large charger on which sat a very handsome man with dark hair and a clean-shaven face.  He was dressed in brown trousers with knee-high black boots. A white tunic and tan vest hugged his torso, buttoned down to a glistening belt. An uncomfortable tension crept up her neck. A crest on the button at his collar bore a lion wrapped by a dragon.  The symbol of the royal family ruling over the lands she freely roamed.  As he and his horse passed upwind of her, she watched completely still wondering where the rest of his group was.  He was man, not wolf, but she was accustomed to seeing them hunt together and never alone like this.  Especially not a prince. She eyed the golden ring on the young man’s finger.

Curious what he was doing alone, she decided to follow.  Sticking to the high ground, she walked softly on the ledge, careful to stay downwind and not spook his horse.  Had she been hunting in a pack, this horse would have been killed already as it was completely oblivious to her presence. She laughed inside.  It was good for him that she didn’t fancy eating horses… or men. Not even handsome ones.

The horse stilled.  She heard the prince question what was wrong with the horse when the horse began backing down the path they had just come.  The she-wolf lifted her black nose into the air and sniffed.  A pungent aroma combined with moss and fish met her nostrils sending an alarming rush of adrenaline coursing through her. Her pupils dilated and turned her icy blue eyes a shade of green.  Through the trees that the prince was about to ride emerged a large mass of brown fur. The bear stomped forward and parted its jaws, saliva dripping down its chin. Its voice rumbled up its chest and out its mouth in a bone chilling roar.

Thoughts quickly raced through her mind.  The wolf in her head was telling her run away and do it fast, but the human inside her fought to reason with the self-preserving wolf.  If this bear killed the prince, the entire royal army would be storming the forest on a hunt for the animal who killed a son of the king – and they’d slaughter any being that got in their way.  She had to save him if her forest would remain at peace. 

The large beast lunged toward the horse and rider. 

Against her lupine instincts, she dove off the ledge and in a swift rebound off the forest floor, flew at the bear’s throat. With strong jaws, she latched onto fur and flesh and hung on as the bear thrashed around and swung her body. 

The bear stumbled backward, unable to dislodge the wolf’s sharp fangs. Finally, she could contact the bear’s body with her back paws and set to kicking with her sharp claws, shredding the bear’s flesh.  The damage she could do was minimal, but she hoped it was enough to give the human a chance to retreat. The bear thrashed and writhed in pain.

Behind her, she heard a thwarp, thwarp and a series of arrows zipped past her head and into the bear’s shoulders, arm, and torso. 

Oh, stupid human!  Anger and frustration built in her chest replacing the fear she felt earlier.  If he wouldn’t leave, the bear would have to die or be chased off… if that was even possible.  Her jaw began to ache, and her teeth began to slip.

The bear thrashed once more, and she fell to forest floor.  Her body landed hard, and she bounced and rolled.  Once the bouncing ceased, she pushed herself out of the dirt and took a quick survey to find the prince and the bear.  The bear on all fours, again, lunging and swiping at the horse and rider, who continued to shoot countless arrows at the attacker.  She knew soon, though, his quiver would be empty and if he was as stubborn and prideful as she’d imagined, he’d revert to using his sword and he would die.

With a deep inhale, she lurched into a run. Pain shot through her shoulder. The bear must have scratched her with his claws. She pushed the pain aside and bounded off the forest floor and onto the back of the angry bear whose acrid smell plumed into her sensitive nose.  The poor animal must have been eating when this clueless man road up on it.  She landed between the bear’s shoulder blades and grabbed hard with her teeth again, clawing and kicking with all four paws.  The bear reared up on its hind legs giving the hunter a clear shot at its heart.  She wanted to cry for the poor creature, but wolves don’t shed tears. 

Thwarp, thwarp, the bow shot the arrows clean into the bear’s chest and the bear let out a loud roar, falling back to all fours.  The she-wolf thrashed her neck and tore at the bears flesh, trying to speed up the inevitable death, but the bear was relentless and began to roll.  She had no choice but to abandon her perch.  Once up again, the bear turned and retreated into the trees from whence it came. The wolf hoped the arrows had missed the creature’s heart.

Panting heavily, she turned to look at the prince who was dismounting his horse. He kept his eyes fixed on her.  He blurred as he walked toward her. She needed to escape. She turned to walk away, taking one single, slow step at a time. The pain in her side returned. Then the sharp smell of blood joined it. The trees in front of her seemed to dance and sway as she walked and she wondered where the beautiful music of the wind went. 

She stopped walking, not wanting to collapse in front of this man and become his next court jacket.  She looked down at the ground hoping to find her sense of balance, but instead noticed that one of her white paws had become completely red.  What a fool she’d been.  She should have just run when she’d had the chance.  The trees continued to blur and she knew that she needed to move quickly if she wanted to get away.  Quick and wobbly steps took her a few feet further when her body became cold.  Her legs crossed one over the other. She tripped.  A few feet more.  There was a bush just ahead, at least it looked like a bush.  She couldn’t tell anymore. 

Were those footsteps behind her?  She hoped not. 

The ground rushed at her face. A loud thud.  Her chest ached. Her vision could now only make vague shapes.  It was over.  He would take her and skin her.  If he only knew the truth.  Would he leave her there?  Would he save her?  Or would he mount her head on a pike?  She knew she would never find out now.  The darkness was closing in.  Only pins of light left.  She thought she felt hands under her and a soft voice mumbling in her ear.  Then all was gone.