Mate
In the tent of my master, a chief among chiefs, Atarah looked upon me with interest.
He has dark skin with a shaven head and face. Silver piercings show in his ears and nose. While his left profile is painted with a blue design. Blue swirls and streaks cover the side of his shaven head, face, and trail down to his fingers.
Atarah looks at us Wolves carefully, as we're forced to kneel. "Beasts that can take the flesh of humans..." He thinks out loud and studies us. "They appear human, but I've only heard the growls and moans of beasts. Not one has conversed with the tongue... Whatever magic conceals your true forms will not tolerated. Slay them and be done. This mockery must end today."
"My chief, these are the Wolves of Alden..." Atarah's guard bows. "The big one is their Alpha." He singles out my brother, Leor. Who growls viciously, jerking as the guard demonstrated with a blade what happens when we're cut. "Each time their flesh is cut, it... seals again... So we captured them."
"This is the work of darkness..." Atarah says as he witness Leor's flesh heal. "He will surely bring darkness wherever he goes..." Atarah grows superstitious looking between us both.
"Behead him." He suddenly orders. "Put the beast out of his misery." Atarah signals with his hand for the guards to take Leor.
I spring up from my knelt position, standing between the guards and my brother. However, Leor steps past me and confronts all of them.
"I am Alpha Leor of Alden." He announces with a heavy snarl in his voice. Startling all of them as the mortals had presumed us to be illiterate and wild. Incapable of speech.
"Try and slay if you wish. I will remember you all. The Wolves of Alden wait for me... Should you manage to slay me at all, they will devour the woodlands."
I stood by, waiting as Atarah and his men considered Leor's warning.
In the end, Atarah chose caution.
"Summon the Nine... so... so that they will bear witness... Put away these beasts and give them no meat." He orders.
"Yes, Chief" the guards obey and urge us out of the tent.
Like animals, Leor and I are shoved into separate cages. A pair of cages with bars thick enough to hold bears.
I shove the door with my body while the guards try to lock it. Managing to knock the fool down as the iron door smacks him. Karma hitting me back as another guard hits me over the head. Something solid and metallic collides with my skull. A shovel I think.
From the floor of the cage, I open my eyes to see the guard had an iron club.
He slams the door, locking it from top to bottom. Both guards disappear somewhere beyond a grove.
"You really do have a thick skull." Leor grins as I sit up and yank on my collar.
"Rest yourself, brother." Leor says. "Preserve your strength. These mortals wish to see us weak... We will go home to Alden once the chief comes to his senses. I do not wish to have mortal blood on my hands..."
I slump down in humiliation. (They’ve chained us like animals and tossed us in cages. Leor is too forgiving.)
"Look. It's them." A whisper draws our gazes, and we tilt our heads up.
Above, there is a great community of people. They walk along rope bridges that lead to small houses. Each house occupies a tree. Built into them, I marvel at the sight having seen it for the first time.
Golden light touches the leafy tops of the mighty trees. Gold kissing their thick branches and every green leaf and vine. Rays of gold peak through the shade and dance over the grassy forest floor. Many vines dangle from the rope bridges. Concealing them, so it appeared as if the intersecting bridges were green webs. Connected to many occupied trees.
A sight to behold. Tribal homes built into the sturdy bosom of mighty trees.
"Do you think they can speak? Or do they bark and howl?" One of the tiny mortals, a child, thinks out loud.
"Ruff." Leor barks in deep voice. A hearty laugh coming later, when the children scream and run into their tree home to hide.
"Impressive..." Leor says as he looks to each of the tribal homes. "Tribes of men have built a sanctuary close to the heavens... Giant Sequoias... You'll never see anything like this in Alden..."
"Here they are..." A young voice echoes from beyond the grove. Where nine souls emerge and look upon us with interest.
Men and women wearing white, bearing strange scepters. Their faces painted with similar blue designs. Like Atarah, the chief of the tribe.
Though, I'm barely able to focus when a new scent drifts in the air. The most alluring scent of cherry wine and warm vanilla captures me. I turn my head towards it. Yet, there's only forest.
I mindlessly inhale it. Feeling my heart beat loudly in my chest. All I want to do is run after it like a fool. Though, the cage prevents that from happening.
"Can they really speak?" One of them draws near us. She's tall, with a head of brown locks and with flawless dark skin. Blue markings show, but they are different. Mixed with colors of violet, scarlet and pear.
With eyes of amber color, she studies us well. Pacing back and forth to our separate cages.
"I am Jade" she speaks, stopping in front of Leor. "Ninth Keeper of the Sacred Land. Daughter of Spring, and Guardian of men... Speak, dark one of Alden." She orders Leor, who nears the door of his iron cage.
Leor looked upon her, then at the eight other keepers. "Atarah sent you? I thought he was Chief..."
"Atarah is Chief." Jade confirms. "He has summoned us to bear witness... Who is your master, Dark One, and why has he made you into flesh?" She questions.
"I am my own master." Leor answers. "I am born flesh, like you."
"Born?" Jade wonders, the other keepers sharing looks as well.
"That's not possible..." She shakes her head.
"By the throne of Alden, it is..." Leor says.
Jade regroups with the others. Whispers are traded back and forth. The Nine unaware our ears captured every word.
Two of the keepers wanted to cast us out. Saying we were "unclean" and that our darkness would consume the woodland. While others wanted to study or force us to serve them.
Swirls of cherry wine and warm vanilla hit me again. Nearly knocking me to the floor. I lift my gaze, more desperate to find the source. Until my eyes catch a glimpse of a cloaked figure.
A woman.
She lingers shyly near the grove. I'm unable to look away when she lowers her hood. Revealing a head of long white hair.
