Ring of Storms [1]

39.

Yil

The mere fact that I happened to be a being of flesh and blood guaranteed that throughout my lifetime, emotions were sure to become ever-present determinants of my state of being. Their spectrum was so far out that an influx of them was sure to set my heart racing and mind reeling from the impact. Obviously, not all feelings were gloom-ridden, however, some feelings just never seemed to veer into any side of the spectrum, be it positive or negative.

You just didn't know how to feel about them.

Confusion /kənˈfjuːʒ(ə)n/: uncertainty about a particular situation, just happened to be one of these feelings. Its ability to place the mind into a vortex of an uncertain whirlwind was unmatched. Thereby, leading to the triggering of the minds defence mechanism which was employed in an attempt at reconciling its muddled-up state. Consequently, leading to the formation of conspiracy theories and possible answers.

This was exactly how I felt as I watched Dina move around the kitchen, cheerfully, to make breakfast, chatting up everyone with her characteristic breezy and fun nature. Only now she actually remembered us again.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," she turned around from mixing a simmering pot of oatmeal to assure Zena, Lloyd, and I with a smile.

"Yeah sure. Take your time," Lloyd replied with an equally warm smile.

At this point she was the only one apart from Roy who could still converse with Dina comfortably. Zena and I were still bewildered by Dina's change of attitude yesterday, especially considering the fact that she had refused, vehemently, to ride with Kiba, Zena or I. Instead she had ridden with Roy and we with Lloyd. The fear that shone in her eyes was bone chilling and haunting, almost as if she had thought that we'd really harm her.

"Lloyd you'd better start explaining this weird situation," Zena whispered, fiercely, once Dina had turned back towards the gas cooker.

"Yeah. Why did she act like that yesterday?" I probed, equally interested in the probable reason behind her drastic change of behaviour.

"I told you Alpha Aryn would tell you once he gets back. It's not my place," she whispered back with an apologetic expression.

"That bull of an excuse worked yesterday. It's not going to fly today, I'm afraid," Zena shot down her reply with a deadpan look.

I agreed with her wholeheartedly. We deserved the right to know what had triggered Dina's temporary memory loss and the way Roy and Lloyd were being so tight lipped on the matter, pointed to the fact that this wasn't the first time such had happened.

"We at least need to know what triggered her response. What if it happens again when you or Roy aren't there with us?" I reasoned. "Imagine if Roy hadn't been there when she acted like that, what would you have had us do?" I questioned.

Lloyd fidgeted slightly on the high-rise stool from being under our close scrutiny and after a soft sigh, spoke up.

"Dina's a regressing lycanthrope," Zena and I looked at each other in unison then we faced Lloyd with arched eyebrows.

"Are you making that up?" Zena snorted with derision but registering Lloyd's serious expression once more, the smirk fell off her face, rapidly. "What's that?" She asked, tentatively.

"Well, in present times the wolf gene has been..." Lloyd started but was soon cut off by Dina.

"Not trying to point any fingers but I've heard the whispers, going around," she commented with a frown.

Zena, Lloyd, and I snapped our necks in her direction at the sound of her voice like deers caught in a headlight.

"That's certainly not what we were doing," Lloyd denied, waving her hands wildly.