The Beast Within

Chapter 2a- Awakening of the wolf

Something was touching me, brushing along my fur. I didn't think that would hurt so much, but it did. Why did it hurt? What was going on? I felt my head slip as I struggled to move, to get up, to do something.The struggle to open my eyes had me panicing. Why can't I open my eyes?! I knew there was danger, I knew it. I was not where I was supposed to be. I was not in the snow. I felt stiff, I smelled herbs and alcohol. Was it the hunter from the forest? Was it the man who showed up? My ears twitched as I felt the fingers vanish and a soft breeze when whoever was petting my pelt left. The door clicked and footsteps faded.

I continued to struggle.I had to get up. I had to defend myself if the need arose. I needed to open my eyes and figure out just what was in store for me.* Come on.*  I thought as I struggled to get my balance. I was apperantly on some sort of bed, making it incredibly hard to balance on three feet. With a growl of impatience, I looked bleary eyed at the white linens on the bed as my feet tangled in the sheets. I took them into my teeth, smelling foreign sents as they invaded my nose and heard a very pleasant ripping sound as the fabrics tore away to reveal cotton and hay.I nosed that around a bit, trying to find some solid wood to get some proper footing. With a sneeze, I fell face first into it and had to shuffle back awkwardly, hearing more ripping in the sheets from my back claws as they caught on the fabric even more.

I flopped around a bit, flinging a lot of the stuff over the sides and onto the floor before I fell out of the stupid bed myself. I landed with a yelp, but the pain helped to clear the last bit of drowsiness away. I shook my head, trying to help it along, only for my muzzle to hit the side of a table. I yelped again as I wiggled my poor nose. I scampered backwards again, only to hit a wall. *What kind of torture was this?!* I went to walk forward a bit, but found myself soon slipping around the cold stone floor when one of my feet landed on some cotton. I knocked over the very table that had throttled my poor nose and felt something hit the top of my head pretty hard.*Whoa!* I mentally yelped as I continued to skid with a bit of a twirl, I found myself next to another wall in a kind of corner, where I promptly curled the best I could into a ball.

What kind of cage was this?! I managed to look around the room for an exit. The place was damaged quite a bit, bits of cotton tickling my paws and sticking to my nose. I sneezed a few times to clear the tickling little boogers out. My shoulder hurt to high heaven, I could barely move my front leg, but if I needed to, I would run and I would be fast. I knew evasive manuevers. I'd had to chase quite a few rabbits down. And deer were pretty hard to catch too when they could jump a five foot fence, stab you with their antlers, give you a good swift kick to the ribs. If I could evade those, I was pretty sure I could evade whatever it was that put me in here.

I found the door. It was old oak. Heavy and dusty, thick to the point it was useless to try to break it when I had full strength on my side. I nuzzled around the botton edge, trying to figure out just how the thing opened, when I heard footsteps coming this way. I hunkered down against the wall, welcoming the chill into my heated undercoat as I panted, waiting. I heard noises, like someone talking as they stopped just outside the door. I tensed myself up into a coil, ready to make a break for it. I had to, I knew I would not survive in this place.

The doorknob turned. I watched it like it was my prey. I wanted out of here and nothing would stop me. The door was pushed open slowly as though to taunt me. I bit in a growl. It would only alert them that I was awake. The key was surprise. I had to be silent. This had to work.

Finally, it was open enough to squeeze through. I jumped forward, knocking over some man who smelled familiar. I didn't stop to find out who he was or what he wanted, I leapt into the air and was off like an arrow shot into the sky. I stumbled a bit as I rounded a corner, skidded a bit into some armor, crashing into it with a yelp. I nipped at heels of couriers and chambermaids. I tore at cloaks of knights and council members. I caused as much chaos as possible to make it difficult for these humans to chase me through the corridors. I had to take every advantage I could get as I raced. I had to try to find the door. 

I growled in frustration as I entered what seemed to be a throne room. My shoulder was killing me. The pain was blinding. I don't think I could run anymore.I was terrified. I was alone. I was surrounded by stone and mortar and chairs and empty iron suits. This was not good. Not good at all.

Scents invaded my nose, one in particular stood out above the others as I was surrounded.  I growled and my white fur stood on end, making me appear larger than I was. I twisted my head around, trying to keep everyone in sight, but these people were like rabbits in the spring. They were everywhere. I snapped at a stick that got to close, breaking it in half as I pulled it out of the person's hands. I growled wildly, making a few of the people jump back a few feet.  I heard someone yelling, pushing his way into the forefront of the crowd.

I growled at his sudden appearance, it was the man from the woods. So this was all his fault?! I backed into a solid beam. I managed to flatten myself against it and the surrounding people had to readjust so that they were in my sight as much as I was in theirs. The man was dressed in simple clothes, a white open collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, brown breeches with a sword and hammer strapped around his waist. The only thing that signified he was wealthy was the King's insignia ring that flashed in the sunlight as he stepped a bit closer. I growled at him again, snapping at him. 

He held his hands up, as though he was saying "Ok Ok, I surrender," with his palms facing me.  I trembled as I looked at the people surrounding me. I was trapped. I had to get out. I had to run. I couldn't stay here. The walls were closing in, the people were angry and scared and pointing sharp things at me. I couldn't tell who was more afraid, me or them. However, one scent seemed to call to me. It was the man who was at fault. He smelled like clean linen on a line that you wanted to collect before the rain came down. His smell pricked into my nose like needles, much like when you breathed in when it was snowing. He was calm and relaxed, like he had everything under control. His bright eyes just stared into my own like they were trying to tell me something as he spoke softly to the man next to him.

Immediately, the weapons were gone and everyone took a step back, just leaving me and this man alone in a giant circle. He edged closer to me as I panted and my muscles struggled to stay upright, to stay strong and not show any weakness to these two leggers. A viscious snarl ripped through my teeth as I caught a flash of silver at the man's back. The man jerked back in surprise as I leapt into the air, soaring over his crouched form and landing behind him awkwardly on three legs. The body I landed on was terrified, the silver flashed away as he dropped it to the ground under my weight as we both collided with the stone floor. The bitter smell of urine brought a sense of satisfaction as the man's eyeballs focused on my large fangs that were mere inches from his face. How dare this human try to hurt the calm one!

I licked my chops as I snarled at him. He smelled of ripe humiliation and fear. Salty tears leaked from his eyes as I sank my claws into the fabric that enclosed his soft flesh every time he moved. He must be a rich man to have such nice soft clothes. What was he thinking? Why would anyone besides me want to cause the man from the woods any harm?