Beasts of The North

Chapter Eight

I was sleeping rather uncomfortably in my bed. I wondered why it smelled so much like grass and dirt when the memories from before came flooding back. I peeled my eyes open slowly almost terrified of what to expect. Once I noticed there wasn't anyone nearby I sat up and scanned the area around me. I was unconscious through out the night and it was daylight once again. I didn't feel like I had any injuries other than a low burning that was constant in my throat. I looked around for Hemanth but couldn't find him. I cursed aloud. This was ridiculous and I had no idea how to comprehend what had just happened. I moved to stand to get a better view of the area but as I did my hand touched a small folded piece of paper that lay near my side. The outside of it read "My Luna" and I immediately knew that this was from Hemanth. I gripped the edges of the note and unfolded it to read.

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Luna Giselle,

I am deeply sorry for what I did to you. This was a poor way to handle the situation but with the threat of this war looming over our heads our pack cannot afford to lose it's Luna. Your over confidence in your safety will never be overcome during training sessions within the guarded walls of our inner territory. I am making this choice and trusting you and your instincts. I chose to incapacitate you so that I could leave you here alone. You are now stranded in this forest with no knowledge of how to return, how to survive, or how to defend yourself. While I believe you to be safe from any of Alpha Lowell's pack members this far within our lands that does not mean that you should not still be wary of other beasts within our woods. You will have to rely on your instincts to keep you safe until I come for you, or you can use them to bring you home to us. I am faith that your inner wolf will guide you. I regret what I had to do to you and I understand if you choose not to forgive me, but I have your overall best interests in mind, my Luna. This crash course will set you on the right path. Your people will not look up to a Luna who has no faith in herself. They need one who knows that she can handle anything that comes her way even when she has no one to rely on but herself. I pray to the moon that I find your forgiveness, in time. I only do what I think is best for you.

Hemanth

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"You have got to be kidding me."

I spoke out loud and then remembered that there wasn't anyone around to hear me. I was completely alone. I let out a string of expletives and cursed Hemanth's name once, okay more than once. How the hell does he expect me to survive out here? I was really kicking myself for not paying attention on the way up here but I'm it wouldn't have done any good. I couldn't tell the difference between any of the trees. I'm sure he was counting on my absentmindedness and lack of wilderness knowledge however. I took a deep breath in an attempt to try and determine which direction Hemanth had left in and then I realized I had never paid attention to his scent. I had never paid attention to anyone's scent. I was too busy moping around and not even remotely worrying about anything. As angry as I was at him for what he did in some stupid way he was right, and I hated that. I was too comfortable and comfortable gets you killed. He certainly chose the most ridiculous way to handle the problem though. I suppose with limited tools and no time to prepare that was the best choice. I preferred it to being knocked out by head injury, which could have left a bit more damage.

I had a sudden thought and grabbed the note, hoping that it would still hold some of his scent. My hopes were dashed when I only smelled myself. I must have rolled over onto it sometime in the night and my sleeping form squashed any of his scent and replaced it with my own. I reread the note in an attempt to better understand what exactly I'm supposed to do. I didn't want to just sit around and wait here for him to collect me because that seemed counterproductive, but the alternative was to find my way home. There was no way I was just going to happen upon the pack and I would get horribly lost attempting to do so. There were many different directions I could head in and I still had to survive in the meantime. My eyes froze and lingered on the word instincts. This was something that I would need my wolf for. My sense may be decent in human form but there was no way that I could defend myself properly that way. I would need my wolf to fight back. Hemanth's original plan was to train me in wolf form before deciding to strand me in the middle of the woods alone so I figured that shifting would be my best bet to survival as well as finding my way home. I was definitely going to be giving him more than a few pieces of my mind when I got back, if I got back.