Raven's DarkNess | ✔

Chapter Nine

"Come, let's go for a walk," Tinley announced and my neck snapped to the side to look at her. "I can't imagine how angsty you must feel having not shifted in days. So come,"

In this pack, they shift a lot, especially at night. That was the only other noise I ever heard besides the happy kids - howling. Especially at night. Apart from those two sounds, it was dead silence in this house and it freaked me out.

I stood up to go with Tinley.

"Do you want to shift?" she asked me. I shook my head.

"No. Maybe some other day," I said.

"Hmm. You're probably from a pack that doesn't shift often then because I don't know a lot of wolves that can go days without letting out their wolves," she thought out loud and suddenly, I regretted telling her that I didn't want to shift.

"It's not that," I start, attempting to correct her perception. "I want to shift but I just still feel a bit weak and I think that shifting would take a toll on me,"

She squeezes my shoulder to comfort me. "You're right. You need to recover fully first before you attempt the shift. But I think fresh air would still do you good so come,"

She takes the second lamp off the table and hands it over to me. I take it. When we are about to leave the room, she reminds me to take my shawl so I pick up the long white shawl and place it over my shoulders. My tunic and lose pants are also white and then she points at the black mary jane shoes by the door. I slip them on, the stockings preventing contact with the skin on my foot.

The hallway was long. There were several doors on either side that lined the hallway in what seemed like a maze of endlessness and I stuck close to Tinley. There were no candles lighting this hallway either. All that was seen was the moon's glory. I was tempted many times to ask Tinley if they knew what electricity was but always decided against it. The last thing I need is to help them narrow down my possible packs.

When we made it to the stairs, there was a ray of light shining from the lower floor.

"Is every one asleep?" I asked Tinley as I walked down the stairs with her. The staircase was grand and filled most of what I assumed was the front room. Even the staircases in mansions in my pack were never this grand. This one felt like it would eat me up whole and I walked down it somewhat wary as I clasped onto my shawl as if it would offer me some sort of protection.

My shawl almost fell off.

"No," Tinley answered finally as she led me to one of the biggest kitchens I ever laid eyes on. It had a huge ass table in the centre that I'm sure could seat at least twenty people on one side.

"But it's so quiet," I noted as she again led me out through what I assumed was the back door. Everywhere was so dark. If I didn't have this kerosene lamp in my hands then I would be in pitch darkness. Not that I wasn't trained to work in the dark. I was but it's a preference of mine.

"Most people aren't at home," Tinley said as she opened the door. "They usually shift at this time and also, even if they were, we prefer to speak in our minds. I think you must have noticed this by now,"

"I did but I didn't understand it because I can't do it," I answered and we both made our way outside.

When we got outside, fresh air greeted me, lifting my clothes in the air ever so slightly and my short hair moved graciously with it as did my shawl, falling off my neck but I caught it before it could touch the floor. I caught it fast, too fast and I stood there hoping Tinley didn't notice that I just used my Assassin reflexes. She closed the door while I fixed my shawl.