Rosalea was overwhelmed as she laid against the big wolf-like creature’s back. I had laid down, prepared to just die, she thought as she scrunched her eyes shut and felt the walking motions of the wolf beneath her. It was a little like a horse in the movements involving four legs, but also nothing like one. This wolf was more than twice the size of the biggest horse she had ever seen.
She was also white as snow with one blue eye and one brown. Like the stag that had dismissed Fen to the earth, she also was not ordinary. She had three tails, the fur along her neck was so thick, it fell down like a mane against her shoulder. There was a constant blue aura curling around her ears like a crown that even Rosalea’s magic-blind eyes could perceive.
After falling into the creek, Rosalea had grown cold. Even moving had not been able to stop the painful chill from spreading through every limb. By the time she had ended up where she was found by this mystic, she had felt she would just accept her fate and freeze. She still felt a little overwhelmed and confused about how she had ended up form that to literally getting cleaned up and carried about like this.
The fur she laid against reminded her of Fen’s even though it was the wrong color because it had the right texture and almost the right smell. They walked in silence, and the warmth and repetitive motion started to wear Rosalea down. She was exhausted, and she started drifting in and out of a dozing state. She was conscious somewhere of voices, but she could not wake up enough, and when the silent rocking returned, she just hung on as best as she could while slipping in and out of sleep. It felt a little like the rocking motion was going to go forever.
“All right, little one, we are here, wake up,” Rosalea felt a wet chill on her hand from the big wolf nosing her. She moaned, blinking as if that would dismiss exhaustion and the sensation that her brain felt overloaded with everything that had happened. As soon as she became more conscious, she felt the lack of Fen and pain pricked at her heart. She wished she was asleep again.
She willed her limbs to move, and she felt the shoulders she was laying over shift, and she was shrugged off. As if her arms and legs did not belong to her, she managed to land very awkwardly on her feet, just barely managing to stay upright. Her bones felt like they hurt and her muscles creaked as she straightened, looking around and realizing she was nearly surrounded by a pack of giant-sized wolves. Aside from Kaylar looking down at her, she had never felt so small in her life.
The snow-white wolf that had brought Rosalea here looked the pack all in the eyes, and then announced, “This is Rosalea. I have brought her here to live and work for some time. I shall now introduce each of you to her. First, Bazil.” The wolf stepped forward, he was nearly solid black. He bowed to her, he was the only wolf here as large as the white one that had brought her here. “He is my oldest son. His litter mate, Amalia, has not returned from the errand I sent her on. She is my second-in-command.” Unlike his mother who had extra tails and colors, light just seemed not to reach his dark coat. There was an aura of shadow around him and an intense glow to his yellow eyes made them extra eerie against his dark coat.
Bazil smiled, “I just don’t want the extra work,” he said with a grin at Rosalea. Rosalea felt like she was barely comprehending anything.
The white wolf moved on. “My second oldest son, Nakai.” This wolf was black and white, his markings beautifully symmetrical. He was one of the most beautiful wolves Rosalea had ever seen, white underbelly, white markings on his muzzle and over brows. His eyes were the palest gold, almost brown. Upon his back was what seemed to be literal wings, though they were folded against him at the moment.
“My aunt Mere,” the wolf was saying, going around the pack as they were gathered near them. This wolf looked very old, she had been mostly brown once, with some tan markings, but now the tan was nearly all gray and even the deep browns were fading. A green aura seemed to swirl around the grayed-out brown wolf, and there were horns near her ears that curled around them like a ram’s. She had a long tail that was extremely fluffy and almost out of place against her body of more normal hair. She had long whiskers that drooped, but seemed to be like animated tendrils against her face, moving in a way that was not quite right for a wolf’s face. She was missing an eye, but the other one glowed a watery pink.
The next wolf made Rosalea feel as if her heart had faltered. “Raisa,” the white wolf was saying, “My second oldest daughter…” She was almost Fen. She was much too large, but the shape of her body was very similar, and while a darker brown instead of tawny, very similar in markings. Near the center of her forehead, there was a spiral horn, and mist seemed to cling to all four of her feet, as if it was extra large tufts of water-animated fur. This wolf neither moved nor offered Rosalea acknowledgment. Her stare was very cold, her hackles standing up the smallest bit.
Rosalea was barely listening as Nekana introduced the wolf, the smallest of the pack. She was a little female, and her coat seemed equal parts brown and gray – as if it had yet to make its mind up about what color it desired… the guard coat was gray and the undercoat brown. She looked very normal, unlike the rest of the pack. “Miri, my youngest child. And, of course, I am Nekana, mother of this pack. Bazil, please find a place for Rosalea to be, she needs some rest. She has had a very long day.”
“All right, little one,” Bazil said, coming forward, “This way.”
Mutely, Rosalea followed, still trying to look at the one called Raisa. She watched, feeling a little perplexed, as grass grew up between two roots of a tree to form a thick carpet of it. Bazil nosed her over to it, which nearly tipped her over. She stood silently in the grass. Bazil shoved her with his nose, and she fell back despite herself. “Go to sleep. You are clearly half dead.”
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Rosalea was barely able to think as she turned on her side… Half dead and more than half empty, she thought, trying once more to pointlessly reach out for her lost Fen. Emptiness answered.
“Bazil… she is to be watched at all times,” Nekana was explaining as Rosalea closed her eyes. “She has lost her liana, and I do not want her doing anything regrettable.” Rosalea closed her eyes. Exhaustion pulled her into sleep like a comforting blanket.
When Rosalea woke, she was conscious of one thing immediately… Fen was really still gone. In her dreams, her brain had tried to play out the event of Fen being shot as a close call, but reality was… she was gone. It was horribly silent in a forest full of ancient trees. Without her magic, it was like all sound and light had gone out of the world. So, she sat up, and put her head in her hands, unwilling to look at anything. Why am I still alive?
She was sitting still, and she realized she could hear soft breathing not too far from her. She raised her head slowly, looking at the black and white wolf from yesterday. “Nakai?”
Her voice was hoarse and sticky. He nodded. She ran her hand through her hair, and come up with a black and white speckled feather. Was he blanketing me with his wings?
The grass beneath her was still soft and tightly woven, there were a pink series of flowers growing against one edge. It was completely out of place against the snow.
“Mother had this made for you; come get a drink,” he said, his voice low as if he was afraid to raise it at her. He gestured with his left wing to a stone that had a trickle of water coming from it. There was a rough stone bowl sitting on a small ledge, catching and now overflowing with water.
Rosalea was thirsty. She got up, feeling as if every limb was stiff and not fitted together well. Several joints popped. The stone was out of place. It was huge, larger than most houses, and the water that flowed through it was clean, but it made no logical sense to be flowing from this spot - there was no hill behind the stone to gather the water to feed the flow of the small stream that came from it.
There was a very large tree in the center of a clearing, and when she looked up, there was extensive branches that seemed woven together unnaturally. Hanging from these were strings of flowers, in almost all colors, and they seemed strong despite the dusting of snow.
The ground beneath her feet was stone, but covered in moss that had variations of blue, purple and green in it. The roots of the gigantic tree, or perhaps other trees that had been absorbed into it, made for different den options with the cover offered. A little out from beneath the tree was a series of dark slate stones, where the old wolf called Mere laid and sunbathed, near her paws, the littlest pup, Miri sprawled on her back and snored.
“Drink, please?” Nakai prompted again, tilting his head and looking so worried that she would move automatically forward and take the heavy bowl from its place and begin to drink. The water was icy, but almost sweet, and clear.
Her throat was on fire, and every drink she took made her realize how thirsty she was. The water hit her middle and felt like it spread through her, chilling her a little, but it was still relieving. She drank almost the whole bowl before replacing it on the ledge. It was slate colored, probably made of stone similar to what the wolves rested on in the sun.
Fen… thinking of her lost liana made her heart ache immediately. Her eyes burned, and she was afraid she was going to break down and cry again already. She took deep breaths, holding every part of herself tight until the feeling seemed to subside. Fen said the mystics made nature how they wanted, she finished the thought. It was the only thing to explain the oddness of the plants and stones around her.
Nekai seemed pleased she had something to drink, and he walked right next to her as she moved out to where the sunning rocks were. At the edge of them, there was a steep drop off, into a valley in the woods below. Far off from here, she could see the jagged cliffs that were near Miron, as well as the blackened land. From here, the cliff side looked even less natural.
“The humans in the town are afraid of mystics,” Rosalea observed, not sure if either Nekai or Mere would even answer her.
Mere yawned, “As they should be, none of us want them there. They keep fraternizing with dragons.”
Rosalea turned to look at Mere hopefully. She had been around many elderly people who had a lot to say to anyone who could find it within them to listen.
Mere only yawned again and stretched herself out more comfortably on the stone, and Rosalea felt disappointed.
The talking had woken the little one. Miri rolled to her feet and stretched, before coming to animated life. “Hi human! I have never been close to one of you before!” She announced, bounding over to Rosalea and sniffing all around her boots.
Nakai seemed pleased. “Miri, remember her name is Rosalea,” his tone was a lot more confident addressing his little sister. “Auntie Mere, if you could look after Rosalea, I am going to see if I can bring back something for her and Miri to eat.”
Rosalea did not know how she felt being lumped in with the puppy as someone that had to be looked after, but she did not have the energy to protest it. Besides, what can I do now? I have no bow, no supplies, no magic, and no liana.
Tears escaped her eyes without her permission, and Miri made a loud, “Aw!” sound that reminded Rosalea of Lio somehow. Maybe it was the childish voice. Maybe she had heard Lio make a similar noise.
“Here! You can play with me! Then you will feel better!”
She bounded over and got a stick she had been chewing on judging by the stripped bark and the bite marks. “I have been practicing pulling on things since I do not have magic yet! Practice with me!” she said, and offered Rosalea the least mangled bit of branch.
Rosalea smiled through her tears and gripped it. It was a little weird playing with a puppy that could talk like a person, but Miri made happy growls that warmed even Rosalea’s broken heart.