Werewolf On A Train

The Journey Begins

Alene didn't want to talk. Not now, and not to him. It was too early in the morning and she'd only just met him. Instead she stared out of the window. The city of Klief drifted by outside, although she barely saw it through the swirling snow.

She knew it was there though, knew it well. Four years she'd lived and studied there – learning the languages and studied the cultures most common among the tourists visiting Krufskva. She'd learned about group dynamics, conflict resolution, and other skills valuable when guiding groups of clueless foreigners through the mountains. Much good that had done her in the end.

Outside the window, the Cathedral of Telos drifted by, an imposing structure even under normal conditions, it looked downright ominous with the sheets of snow whipping around its spires and steeples. Then they were out on the bridge and the abyss opened up below the window.

Alene gasped for breath. She knew it was there, that it would come after the cathedral, but somehow it always took her by surprise. This was probably what flying was like, the land just disappearing below you. Sure, they were still on the bridge, but if you didn't put your head too close to the window you could almost fool yourself – it was just the wire poles at regular intervals that broke the illusion of flight. That, and the thunking of the wheels against the gaps in the rails.

On a clear day the view would be spectacular. At it's deepest point, the floor of the valley was over a mile below them. Today though, all she saw was the snow whipping by outside – below and above, a great white chaos.

She sighed and continued staring out into the storm. For a while yet she'd wait. If she was lucky, the elf would get off at the next stop and she wouldn't feel obliged to explain herself to him. It wasn't like she owed him her story. If anything, he owed her. It was his kin's fault she was as she was.

Therianthropy was a difficult condition as it was. Having an failed experiment as your animal aspect didn't make it any easier. A snarl tugged at her upper lip and she hurried to shrug and shake her head before it turned into an outright growl.

Alene took a deep breath. The elf probably didn't have anything to do with it. She shouldn't be blaming him. Chances were he was completely innocent of any wrongdoing or unethical genetical experimentation. She forced herself to smile in his direction, to show she wasn't hostile – that she wouldn't try and claw his heart out the first chance she got.

Elkandruvel had made himself comfortable over in the other corner of the coupe. He'd hung up his jacket on a peg by the door and lifted his suitcase up on top of the luggage shelf. He'd even managed to begin reading a book already.

When he noticed her motion, he looked up, flashed her a little smile and then returned his attention back to the book. Polite, at least. Alene stared out the window, swallowed and sighed. She'd give it a while. Then, once her ticket had been checked, she'd go to the bistro cart and get a coffee.

She could get a newspaper, or maybe some paperback if they had any. Her backpack was full enough as it was. She'd be gone a year – at least – no matter how much she enjoyed reading, if all she had was what she could carry, the books would have to be left behind.

Hopefully they'd have something for her to read. She really wasn't in the mood to talk – maybe later.

Outside the window the bridge ended and the train entered the tunnel on the other side.