Ashes Of The Night (on hold)

Chapter 9

The weariness was beginning to trickle out of my blood as Nightshade and Kai formulated a plan. We were going to have to break into one of the most heavily guarded cities in all of Toten. We would need supplies of food, sleeping-gear and a vehicle if we could get our hands on one. The packing was tedious and in the back of my mind, fear gnawed my insides. 

Nightshade strode towards the doorway and said, "I have something to collect in town, I'll be back soon."

He directed a pointed look at me. 

If anything goes wrong, tell me, then run. Promise me you'll run. 

I nodded ever so slightly and without another word, his hulking frame slipped out the door. Kai stopped fiddling with the buckle of a knap-sack and raised a questioning eye-brow. I tried to ignore his curiosity, and focused on gathering supplies. It was too quite in this little house, so I spoke to break the silence. 

"How did you meet Nightshade in the first place?" I asked, boosting myself onto the the kitchen counter, with a lot of protest from my shoulder. 

Kai looked up, then continued wrapping a loaf of bread in thin cloth. 

"I was ten years old the first time I met him. My dad and I lived in a cottage not to far from here. It was winter and the fire was down to embers. He sent me out to get firewood and I was far from the cottage when I saw him. He was sickly, skinny and savaging looking. He was the first wolf I'd ever seen, and I almost wet myself," he paused and laughed ever so slightly, "He looked hungry and I would have been an easy kill. But he didn't look at me like I was prey, instead he tugged on the sleeve of my jumper (sweater) and put me on the path home."

Kai paused again, furrowing his eye brows, deep in thought. 

"He turned up again when I was fourteen. My father was going to make me chose whether to stay with my family and become..." Kai trailed off and looked a me solemnly. 

"Become a hunter or leave them forever. I rejected my fathers wishes and got kicked out of his house. Then I came here. Nightshade was on my doorstep, he showed me the difference between wolf and faelan. I owed him my life so he stayed for a while. Days turned into weeks, then months. The loneliness of being without a pack was driving him insane. He left after two winters and I hadn't seen him again until now."

I nodded, taking everything in slowly. No wonder Nighshade had been snappy the first time I'd met him, he had been alone for so long. Separation from my pack now was hard, even though I had another wolf here. I couldn't image the pain of complete isolation. 

My ears prickled instinctively as an engine roared outside. Kai pulled the handgun out from where he had stored it, and loaded it with a terrifying click. Somehow, the presence of this had managed to make me almost pull my lips up into a snarl, as I would have if I were still me. He ushered me behind the counter and whispered, "Stay down." 

I didn't know what dangers laid beyond the door. Cars meant people, and people meant hunters. The door flew open, slamming against the brickwork of the wall. It made the floor shudder on impact. 

"Kaius Jager?" a gruff voice asked. 

I felt the air fill with heavy tension. Adding to that, Kai's heart rate sped up, almost doubling. 

"Who's asking?" Kai replied, attempting to keep his cool demeanour.

The gun landed on the table with a soft thud, as if trying to remain casual about the loaded firearm in his hand. 

"The Imperial Council. There has been reports of wolves around Sabriel. Considering that it is not far from here, I am required to ask if you have seen anything regarding to them. Tracks? Sightings? Anything is helpful," the voice said, almost pleasantly. 

"Wolves?" Kai scoffed and then snorted, "They've been dead for centuries. None of those vial creatures around here." 

I heard footsteps and Kai tensed. I knew whoever it was beyond the counter was not on my side in this battle. They more than likely wanted my fur on a wall. The footsteps came closer and I quietly breathed in. 

I could smell him now, this Imperial Council representative. His odour reeked of corruption and death. I looked up, just as his fingers curled over the counter top. 

Nightshade

"Excuse me, Sir," Kai exclaimed, "Do you have any right wandering through my house like this?"

And with that one comment, Kai had given me away. Now the representative knew there was something behind the counter that Kai didn't want him to see. I heard the faint scrapping of metal on the table.

The gun.

I covered my ears, expecting to hear a gunshot. But none came. Instead an almighty 'thwack' rang throughout the house. I peaked out from where I was hiding. Kai wiped the blood off the end of his gun with his sleeve. I looked down at the man, who lay unconscious in an awkward position. 

"He's not dead, Silvah," Kai said, bright eyes boring into mine, "He'll just have a mighty headache and be slightly pissed off when he wakes up." 

Just as I was about to get up, Nightshade burst through the back door. One of his hands curled around my waist and pulled me off the floor. He pulled me to him, my back pressed against his chest. His lunges were heaving, meaning he had run from wherever he had been to my aid. 

Seeing Kai holding the bloodied gun and the man unconscious on the floor only made him even more tense.  

"Are you okay?" Nightshade asked hurriedly, panic lacing his tone. 

"Fine," I replied. 

"You might be okay for now, but not for long," Kai muttered. 

Still not letting go of me, Nightshade growled,"Who was he?"

Kai shoved his gun in the satchel he had been packing and said, "He was a representative of the Imperial Council. And he was looking for wolves."

Nightshades grasp on me only tightened as our true form was mentioned. 

"We need to leave," Kai announced, "Right now." 

And for once, Nightshade agreed. We packed all we needed into the representatives vehicle. Kai slipped into the drivers seat and Nightshade into the passengers. I buckled myself into the back just as the motor started. Kai sped down a dirt road towards a mountain ranges. 

Lulled to sleep by the lack of noise, I rested. 

Only when I was almost slipping into the dream world, did the gunshots start.