Saved By The Enemy?

Chapter 8 - Why?

CHAPTER 8 - WHY?

The early dark sky with its twinkling gold lights was all too soon replaced by hues of red and orange which in turn gave way to the light blue that now dominated. The condensed air from the night’s cold glittered in drops on wet grass as the sun shone, the forest full of unique music written and recited by its winged inhabitants. In a clearing two figures seemed untouched by the changes encompassing them. A small white wolf, her head resting on crossed paws with glassy emerald eyes that observed her surroundings in its entirety almost as if she beheld a secret visible only to her. Beside the young she-wolf sat a man in his late thirties or early forties the visible laugh lines on his face were overshadowed by the apparent sadness in his gentle eyes, his right hand lay inanimate on the wolf’s head and his left clutching at the grass and gravel as if it were his anchor to this world. A small breeze rustled through the clearing displacing a lock of short brown hair over his right eye with its matching hue. The man ignored it, completely oblivious, his hands forgotten in white fur and dirt. The morning air froze his breath as it passed his lips, a ball of small white fog forming just as its companions spread their own white wings and flew never to be seen again. Sitting on bent legs he made no motion of discomfort nor did he acknowledge the moisture of the hard ground as it seeped into the soft black material that was his jeans. His sole focus was the wolf before him.

        Fur protected Adelphia from the bitter bite of cold but did nothing to warm her heart. Emptiness. It was a feeling she had never felt but recognised instantly. She had no pack, no friends, no family, no mate, no one to miss her should she fade into nothingness like the frozen air at her own lips. The fact that she was the one to leave them all behind did nothing to diminish the ache that came from no physical source of injury and yet hurt just as strongly as the hundreds of cuts she had been forced to endure over the years. However those injuries were preferable to this agony, at least with physical pain she knew that once the wounds healed the pain would also take its leave but now she didn’t have that luxury, there were after all no wounds to heal and therefore no reassurance of relief. It wasn’t fair, why should she suffer when she had done nothing wrong? She left so she wouldn’t have to hurt and now here she was, worse off than before with no idea what to do next. She missed the past, a time when she was happy, even if things weren’t perfect.

         She peeked past the oak wood door her small fingers clutching at the hard material. Her brother was amazing, following her father’s instructions his six year old frame moved with agility and strength she could only dream of. She wasn’t meant to be here, watching her brother’s training was against her parents’ rules but she loved the swift flowing movements that her brother could perform. He trained outside in the front garden, father showing him how to fight barehanded while mother looked on.  They trained everyday regardless of the weather but today thankfully the sun shone with warmth. A sudden kick from their father propelled her twin to the ground and she couldn’t stifle a gasp of worry. Her mother’s pale eyes turned towards her, smiling a tight lipped smile and made a shooing motion telling her to go. With a sigh Adelphia closed the door and walked the barren hallway to her room. She hated mornings, always alone with only her pale lifeless dolls for company. She fell on her bed with a huff and lay there, her eyes mirroring the dolls’ blank stares. Time passed slowly until she heard a soft knock on her door and her mother stepped in. She was a beautiful woman, thin and tall with curves in just the right places, her brown hair a shimmering flame under the sun’s dancing rays.

“Sweetheart, you know you mustn’t watch your brother’s training. It just wouldn’t do for a young lady to witness such actions.”      

 Adelphia didn’t reply. She didn’t see why her mother could watch when she couldn’t. It wasn’t fair but she knew that raising a fuss wouldn’t change anything. Her mother touched her clasped hands and cheerfully continued unperturbed by her daughter’s silence.