Chapter 5
-Pax-
I was on the floor. I don't know how I got there, but that was where I'd spent the majority of the day. Finn seemed to think that teaching me how to land a decent punch meant that he had the pleasure of throwing his fits at me whenever he could. I had dodged most of those punches; the real issue came when he caught my fist and threw me over his back. It made me lose track of where I was, which direction I was facing.
"Not bad for a pup," Finn observed from where he stood above me. "How old are you again? Thirteen?"
"Seventeen," I answered as I got back to my feet. "Not bad?" If he thought I was thirteen then surely his opinion had changed, and he had awfully bad judgement of ages.
"Meh." He was so close; I could feel his shoulders shrugging. "You've got patrol again tonight; we'll work on fighting as wolves tomorrow."
I felt the blood leave my face. If Finn noticed, he didn't say anything as he walked backwards, opening and shutting the door behind him. I wasn't a fan of fighting, never mind in wolf form. I can't even remember the last time I turned into my wolf. Most werewolves would be appalled by that fact, they would ask if I wanted to be a disgrace to the pack I was brought up in. If you didn't turn for a while, you would lose that form.
I would be severely agitated that they would figure out my plan. I was useless to Kian if I didn't have a wolf, there'd be no point in me living with a pack. I used to cling to my wolf for dear life when I was younger, for the same reason. As I grew older, I realised that was all they saw me as, they didn't see me as a person.
I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to tame the curls. It was getting to the irritating length which meant it ticked the back of my neck and ears. I'd have to ask Rosary to cut it again. It'd only been two months or so since my last hair cut.
I walked through the back door and the kitchen. Finn was sat at the table, scoffing down some food. I hurried out of there to avoid listening to the noises which were a result of that action. The only thing I know to compare it to would be a pig.
Daphne and Alder were in the living room, playing with the wooden cars that they'd brought from their previous house. Kian would be in his office as usual. Which left Cedar and Rosary, probably still in their bedroom.
I paused on the way to my room. There wasn't really much reason for me to be up there, I wasn't needed around the house. I turned one hundred and eighty degrees before heading towards the front door.
It was a little bit colder than yesterday. I wasn't shivering but the breeze was pleasant. It carried the smell of the forest nicely, whilst softening the glare of the sun. I took a few steps down the path and looked behind the biggest tree which outlined the house. I grasped the long stick which was resting there. I've used it for quite some time now.
It was strangely uniform in thickness and texture. It was smooth, save for a few holes here and there. It fit nicely in the palm of my hand; it didn't hurt to hold it for an extended amount of time. I couldn't tell which kind of tree it came from, but it was light and made a good sound when it hit things. It gathered some grooves and scratches along the surface of the bottom due to its use as a guide.
I walked along the same path as I had run down yesterday. I had to do this, to prove to myself that I can do it. I messed up yesterday, but that was without my guide. I'll be able to get there and back today.
The sound of water got louder and louder as I walked, as did the sound of footsteps. They were all exceedingly small creatures, the biggest being a rabbit. I had spent far too long studying the differences between animals' footsteps. I hadn't actually considered the dangers of it until I had run into a badger.
The smell of the air changed. I could never describe the smell of water; it was different depending on the source. The river water was fresh and invigorating. There was a hint of stone in the air, something else I couldn't describe.
I found my way to the bridge. I adored the little wooden bridge which crossed over the river. It never changed. I've been coming here since I was ten, the earliest age I remember trying to run away.
I sat myself down in the middle of the structure, my legs dangling over the edge. The bridge wasn't as sturdy as I'm sure it used to be, some of the wood having rotted away due to the water and age. Still, the handrails and the wood which secured them to the path of the bridge was smooth as ever.
I didn't know if anyone from the pack was aware of this spot. I had heard voices here a few times, but I didn't recognise them. Nobody had mentioned a bridge back in the packhouse, not one of this description anyway. The one which was most talked about could hardly be considered a bridge; it consisted of two planks of wood barely touching each other, It was terrible to cross, I'd only done it three times since I came here. It was easier to sit on the planks rather than attempt to balance on them and miss the joining piece of wood.
I sat on the bridge and listened to the sounds which surrounded me. I breathed in the fresh air and meditated for an hour or so. The sun was beginning to get irritating, but I didn't move. It had passed its hottest point whilst I was walking here.
I sighed and stood up, carefully manoeuvring around the rabbit which had decided to join me on the bridge. I started to walk back the way I came. There was really nothing of much interest in the forest, yet there were also many things you could get stuck on. It depended in your frame of mind, and today was a day where I was interested in nothing.
Alder was messing around in the front garden as I approached. His giggles were carefree, as they should be. His small feet thumped against the grass as he ran
"Pacs look!" The child demanded with glee. I turned my head in his direction and smiled lightly. I had already put my faithful friend back behind the tree for safe keeping. "It's a butterthly."
The cuteness of his voice melted my heart. I started to walk towards him. "It's a what?" I held my hand to my ear.
"A butterthly, it's very pretty," he told me seriously. "Do you have a butterthly in your ear and that's why you can't hear proply?"
I tilted my head to the side and softly whacked my left ear for dramatics. "I don't know, there might be." I crouched down to his height. "How would I know if there's a butterfly in my ear?"
He giggled at me once more, his hands resting on my shoulder. His hairs ticked the side of my face and his cool breath smelt like mint from the toothpaste he used. "I don't think you have a butterthly; it'd be big and fly away."
I didn't quite understand how he could mispronounce 'butterfly' and yet pronounce 'fly' perfectly well. I didn't want to make any judgments on Daphne's parenting, she did a lot for Alder, a simple speech slip-up would be rather low on the priority ladder. Yet, I knew Alder would understand if someone were to sit down with him.
"Say, would you fly if you could?" I faced the direction of his voice. I flinched backwards as air moved in front of me.
"Yeah!" Air started to steadily blow my way. I guessed he was flapping his arms around, the sound of fabric whooshing also supported the theory. "I'll fly like dis, all over the world." The sound of his footsteps started again as he ran away from me.
I stood up and shook my head. It made me happy to experience Alder's childishness. It made me feel like I was still new here, as it surprised me each time I saw it.
I bumped into Daphne as I walked through the door. "Sorry," I mumbled under my breath and rushed to my room. I didn't want to be scolded again for entertaining Alder. It'd been made abundantly clear that I wasn't meant to play with him.
I opened the attic window and rested my palms on the sill. Growls and grunts came through the window with the breeze. The pack was already training. I might've gotten the time a bit wrong.
I stretched my arms over my head and rolled my shoulders. I'd been walking for quite a while; I wasn't exactly behind on exercise. Particularly after this morning's training session, which I was starting to feel the aftermath of. I had overheard a conversation between Daphne and Alder which told me that skin turned black and blue when you were hurt. That made no sense to me, how could skin change colour like that?
I guessed that the training was in wolf form due to the sounds. I shivered slightly at the thought. I took my T-shirt off and laid it gently on the bed. I locked my door, even though I never got any visitors. The rest of my clothes join my shirt.
I stood in the middle of the room and closed my eyes. I breathed in and out slowly. Anyone else could do this within a few seconds, I was not one of those people. It had been weeks since I last did it, even then it was for a few seconds. I couldn't make myself completely ignore my wolf.
My bones shifting was extremely uncomfortable. It didn't hurt so to say, it would've made everything a lot clearer if it did. I didn't spend a lot of time in my wolf form when I was a child, apparently. It irritated me when I turned into a wolf because I lost sense of my surroundings. I could hear and smell better, even what I felt under my paws was more prominent.
I bent my head down and felt the fur on my arm with my head. As quick as I could, I shifted back and hurried to the clothes resting on the bed. My hands were shaking as I got my clothes back on. I rested on the bed for a few moments, then stood up once again. I needed a drink of water.
QUESTION OF THE DAYYY-
What's your favourite season?
I must admit that I love autumn because it gets colder, and it gets very pretty with all the reds and oranges. I can actually snuggle up with my dressing gown and blankets.