The Wolf Witch

Chapter 2: Kill The Witch

I struggled from the pool and shook myself dry in its dim light. He saw, my mind raced, he knows. The black cloak and book of magic were all I had now. All I'll need, I hope. I wouldn't have time to go back home. I didn't have a home to go back to.

My bare feet struggled on the rocky ground as I raced out of the cave and towards the night. A wolf would be more sure-footed. Rael was far ahead of me. A wolf would be faster. I misstepped... and fell deeper into the cave on a slide of loose gravel. A wolf wouldn't have fallen.

Even with my wolf eyes, I was blind down here. There was a sliver of gray far above, but all else was black. I waited a moment for my eyes to adjust... another moment... another... it was no use. My eyes began to water, and suddenly I was crying. Was I going to die down here? Alone and afraid, a fitting end for a creature such as myself.

"No," I whispered hoarsely. "I will not die like this." A voice in the back of my head wanted to know what reason I had to live, but I pushed it away for the moment. A good question... for another time.

There was a way out, there had to be. I dropped the book of magic and felt for the rock wall in front of me, looking up towards the gray. In the darkness, it seemed so bright above. I felt along the wall, searching... searching... there! My hand gripped something, hoping it was stable. I tried again, and succeeded with a second handhold. My muscles strained in my arms, but I pulled myself up until I found footing too. Slowly I made my way up the wall.

I slipped suddenly, and fell all the way back down to the ground. The rocks scratched my bare skin as I fell and hit the cave floor. I laid for a second, ready to accept my fate, but I couldn't die like this. That decision was made, so I got up and tried again.

On the third try, I made it to the top... but I wasn't ready. There was loose gravel up there, nothing to grip, so I fell again. The fourth try yielded nothing again, but I made it up again on the fifth. This time, I was ready for the gravel. I dug deep into it, swinging my elbow over the edge to improve my grip. My leg swung over the side, and the rest of my body followed. I had made it... for now, at least.

I allowed myself a moment to rest before carrying on. The gravel was loose and treacherous, but I didn't fall again. I crawled on my hands and knees until the cave floor became somewhat solid again. The dim light of the pool illuminated my beaten body as I rose to my full height. On weakened legs, I stumbled on towards salvation.

If I can catch him... it might be futile, but I had to hope. Rael might not have reached Jaaran yet... hopefully. I started to run... or as close to running as I could get in my weakened state. I had to catch him before it was too late.

I might have been futile, but I had to hope. Rael was a good person, he just couldn't see the truth. I had to make him see the truth. If only...

But I was too late. At the cave's exit, I found him, but he was not alone. The dying moons showed the truth. Rael was there... and so was Jaaran, and a few others too. In my lover's face, I saw guilt and apology. In my brother's... he was angry, yet satisfied to finally have caught me. There was no love between us.

"Sora," my brother declared. "You have been accused of witchcraft. How do you answer this?" I knew that he would punish me whether or not I was guilty, the question was only for show,

"I..." I have to. "I am innocent of these accusations." There was no way around the lie, but I still hated to tell it.

Jaaran looked to Rael, expecting him to deny me. My lover was silent, refusing even to meet my eyes. He hates this almost as much as I do, I realized.