The feast started, people ate, and drank, the chief or his son still has not shown up yet, but they will. The air has gotten thick and the music is load, but it was a good feast so far. A bong sounded, we all stood, and they were here. The chief first, he was big and a good man, he loved his people. Everyone blended in, except me, me with the red cloak. I stood out. I could not see the son; I did not want too, I wanted to see Aaron. Everyone rushed him telling him it was good to see him, and that they were glad he was back.
I watched from afar, I hate crowds; I like to be alone by the woods. I got up and went over to the open window looking out beyond the forest, it was quiet and dark the moon shining down on the streams, breathtaking. Though it was cold, I put the hood of my cloak up and breathed in the fresh air.
"Well it looks like I did not greet everyone?"
I turned looked real quick and turned away, the chiefs son. What was I going to say, I just hoped that he would forget me, or even better not notice me.
"What is your name?"
I was going to answer, but a couple of bumbling girls who followed him, wanting his attention answered for her. "Oh, she's no one special, just Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding Hood. Hey Red Riding Hood meet any beasts when you were by the woods lately. "
"Yes, I did, but it wasn't by the woods, I see the beasts standing in front of me, right now."
The son looked mad, like he actually cared that I was being talked to like that. And then he laughed when I made my come back, the girls looked mad when I said that but, they lost confidence in the next thing they were going to say when they heard him laugh, it was a nice laugh, I liked it. They left, fuming and whispering to each other to the other girls across the feasting table inside the opening if the field.
"Good one, but you should not let them talk to you like that."
I looked at him, really looked at him, tall, dark black hair, a slight tan, and he had muscles, a few scars, I think were from battles and training. He was limping, he must have fallen, but what really got me in the gut were his eyes, his beautiful green shining eyes, just like Aarons. I knew it was him it had to be, I would know those eyes anywhere.
"What big beautiful green eyes you have." I said that, like I did that day, it was a whisper and I don't even know if he heard it. What he said next confirmed that he did. He smiled at me and said.... "Thank you, what a beautiful red cloak you have on.... Destiny."
"I thought you did not know my name?"
"I guess I did know it, maybe I knew it all along."
"What's your name?"
"Destiny... I think we both know you already know it."
"Aaron?" My heart skipped a beat, it couldn't be.
"My one and only name."
"Aaron, you're my Aaron?" He was supposed to be a wolf, what was going on?
"Yes your Aaron, I will always be your Aaron, and you are my Destiny."
What he said, it made my stomach whirl and my heart beat fast, I blushed and he looked at me with those knowing eyes and smiled.
"How is this possible, your suppose to be a wolf, are you a demon...?"
I started to panic, he was my friend, but if he was a demon then he would kill me. Even if he was different I would like him, but a demon, no, no... I started to turn around and head for my mother but he grabbed my arm, not softly but it did not hurt.
"Please wait, I am not, Please believe me, I'm not a demon... calm down."
I was hysterical, but I did calm, even though I was scared I still felt close to him, his eyes looked sincere and warm.
"I can't explain exactly, I have been that way, for a long time for the years I was supposed to be over at the other Kingdom. I was born human, and I am the chief's son."
"What happened to you?"
"No... I will not tell you, you will get scared and run, maybe even tell people not that they would listen I mean who would listen to a person they already think is nuts about the Chief's son being a wolf."
"I won't get scared! How can you say that I would tell anyone... you're my friend no matter who or what you are, I will always be there."
The look he gave me sent thrills throughout my body. I blushed and looked away but he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the door.
"Let's walk, the drums are giving me a headache, and I really don't like people looking at us while we talk... or interrupting us."
I nodded and we walked out of the inside corridor where everyone was and just walked the moon was shining down, and I started to hum the melody I had sung earlier... "I have fell in love with one which that I cannot have, I sing to the moon and the rising sun..." I sang that line, I don't know why, I liked that part, it was sad, but mysterious. Aaron stopped walking and turned a very serious look on his face.
"What were you just singing?"
"Oh, um... just a song, I don't know where it came from, but I just started to sing it, it's lovely isn't it."
"Yea, can you sing it all for me?"
I sang it, trying to make it sound enchanting, the moon glowed overhead, and his green Eyes were shining bright like emeralds aflame. I think he was about to kiss me, and if it weren't for the chief who came looking for his son, I am sure he would have.
"An enchanting song for sure, but I am sure the sad part won't be so sad... 'just sing to the moon and the rising sun' I have to go and say goodbye to the guests will you wait for me, I still wish to talk to you more." He smiled and I blushed, the chief looked baffled that he would be even be talking with me, and that he has taken an interest in me. I kept wondering about what he said about singing to the moon and the rising sun. "Yes, of course Aaron."
We walked back in silence and I went over to my mother, a few girls my age snickered and a few sneered at me but I just walked, I was happy. My mother was talking to one of the elders of our villagers; you see our village has three elders, all of which witnessed my birth, and a chief. The chief is in charge but takes great care in the advice of the elders; they see things which are kind of creepy. They saw me and stopped talking, I went over to my mother and kissed her cheek, and the elder fell away into the crowd. "What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing of importance yet."
"Come on; please tell me, I am old enough to know things."
"We will discuss it when we get home."
I remembered what I came over to tell her.
"Oh, mother, I just remembered why I came over here... Aaron wants me to stay after the feast, when he has said farewell to all of the guests."
"Oh... well.... Do you want to stay?" A look of surprise came over her. I know she wants to know why he wants to talk to me, why he wants me to stay. Why I would want to stay with the chief's son. I don't blame her.
"Yes.... Yes I do."
"Oh, well, I guess since the Chief's son wants you to; you can... but be careful walking back home."
"I will... Thank you." I kissed her cheek one more time and I walked outside, it was too hot in the corridor and somehow I though the moon was calling me. I sat on a big rock and just relaxed, the stars were bright and the moon was electric. I started to sing, it was a hum, then a low voice then I was singing in my regular voice, my beautiful voice, it sounded different like it was enchanting and pulling the moons light to me.
I sang the melody that I have heard so much lately. I knew it was special, and so I sang to the moon, and my voice become more and more beautiful, my eyes were closed. When I opened them, there were a few people standing around looking at me in amazement some even gasped when I stopped. "Um... hello, I am sorry if I was annoying you, Why are you looking at me like that." My voice was still beautiful even though I stopped singing and it sounded like bells.
"Your voice was beautiful, and the song was strange and foreign, would you sing more?" One of the young women said to me, looking as if she really did want to hear me sing.
"Of course."
And I sang, they listened and I forgot they were there. To me it was just the music and the wind and moon; I even forgot I was the one singing. I finished singing the lullaby, I sang it over and over with my eyes closed picturing the words in my mind circling the moon and sun, and then Aaron, there was only him I could picture him and I thought he was real. I opened my eyes to see if anyone was still there. They were, they looked amazed but one, and that one was Aaron, he was standing in the middle with a smile, his eyes gleamed.
"I am sorry, to interrupt your little fest, but Destiny is preoccupied at the moment, thank you for coming to the feast, and I hope to see you soon."
The guests actually looked sad that I could not sing anymore, and that they could not listen. Is it possible that they really did like my voice, how did it change?
"Yes Chief's son, my lady you have a marvelous voice never have I heard such beauty come from within." I blushed, I guess I am the only one that calls him Aaron, you see it's custom for the chief's son to be called the chief's son, you say it real fast it sounds like one word, until he becomes chief himself only those who have permission from him can use his name, I guess I am allowed so far. But then he is not the chief's son to me, he's Aaron, the wolf I saved, the friend I always wanted, the guy who took my heart.
Yes I do think I like him more then I should, just like the song said. "Well, it looks like you have some admirers." What?? I looked over around him and a couple of young men stayed, I blushed. Something in his voice made me look away real quick, was that jealousy, No, no he could have anyone and why would he be jealous, they just like my voice. "Yea.... Well it's nothing they just like my voice, no one's ever paid this much attention to me before."
My voice was still high and beautiful like when I was singing, how was it possible that it changed. "Your voice is beautiful, and it's more than that, the voice made them notice you but they are interested in you now. People should have swarmed the streets to say hello, and to see you, to get a glimpse of your beauty, you should have had so much attention that you wished you did not have all that attention. They are so stupid to think you different, that's what makes you special." I did not know what to say, he was so kind, did he really think I was beautiful, did he really like me different.
"Thank you... I do wish I did have at least one friend when I was little, but I do not want people to hound me about this or that, I like to be alone and not be told to wear this or do that. I like being different, I don't want to be like them."
"Well I am sorry, the only good thing that came of it was you did not have any suitors; I would have been very upset if you had."
I blushed, what did he mean suitors?
"Um... I don't know what you mean."
"I think you do." His eyes gleamed. I have to change the subject.
"How are you a wolf this morning and then a man tonight?"
"Good question, and very distracting, but we will come back to this conversation."
"So..."
"Yes... well I come from a line of wolf descendents."
"Which means, what!?"
"Pushy aren't we, it means that I am a werewolf."
"What?"
"A werewolf."
"No you have to be joking... tell me you're joking?"
"Ah... No, I am not."
"But, wolves are despised in are village, how can the chief's son be a werewolf?"
"My father was one too."
"No, no... I don't believe you..." Picturing the jolly middle aged man, and his dark hair and beard, it was hard to imagine him being something that the town despised.
"It's true, In the old times, werewolves were good, it was the reason we became chief's, we could protect or village, here sit down this is going to be a long, long story." We sat, on a bench outside by the lake that was right in front of us. The air was cold, and fresh I did not know what I felt. Everything was a blur, a swirl in my eyes, I sat and listened.
"We are praised and admired, only the chief's family could become one, but greedy people who wanted the power themselves they contracted potions and spells, none worked, they talked to dark spirits, and worked with dark magic, finally they found a way to become. The chief was outraged, my great, great grandfather he fought the immature and made him an outcast and sent him to the woods, but he came back, when my great grandmother was born and howled to warn the people he was coming to take her to punish him for making him an outcast sending him to the woods never to be seen again. People feared us now, because people had gone missing, houses had been destroyed so the two brothers, one my great grandfather they fought and killed most of the followers of the dark one, but not him himself he is still out there, waiting. The people were scared, scared of us now, so we renounced our heritage, there is a spell you can do to stop yourself from being one, my great grandfathers did, my father did, I did, but it did not work on me, I still became one, and on my first turning, a year after I was born, a baby cried, I howled and people are scared of what will happen next."
"This is a long story, so whoever the child was the cried is going to be kidnapped by you, or the outcast wolf?"
"Well, it is not that easy, I won't of course but he heard the howl and the cry, he knows that the child is fated and bound to me by fate so he will try to destroy her, take away something important to me, like he did my grandmother. She did come back but she was never the same, and since then wolves have been hated and not a word has been spoken of it."
"Oh." So this child, probably a girl with my luck is bound to him, I can never have him. He is a half wolf who is the chief's son anyway, and he is bounded. Wow, did I fall for someone so complicated that I can't have. Just like the song. So I fell in love with one I cannot have. I pick now to be jealous.
"Isn't there something you want to ask?"
"Oh, umm no... wait, is this outcast a wolf or human or both?" He looked both disappointed, maybe I asked the wrong question and surprised like he did not expect me to say that.
"He is both, but more, evil pours out of him, he is a dark creature of the night. He is everywhere and everything, waiting for the right time to pounce."
"That is scary, my grandmother lives in the woods, she never saw anything that I know of."
"That is because, even he is scared of her, as the village is, you do know she is a witch right?"
"No she is not, she is my grandmamma and I love her."
"She is, and she protects you with that cloak." The cloak deep red moved in the wind and hung all the way to the ground, it glowed in the dark moonlight.
"I'm not scared of her, no one's ever said anything, and I have not seen her in years not since she gave me the cloak. She did say it would protect me."
"It did, it did well, and Of course you're not she loves you more than even her magic, you are precious to her and she would never hurt you. I don't understand how anyone could or would ever hurt you." I looked at him and his face looked serious, they did hurt me, they have. The whole village, the names they have for me, but I am used to it, and it does not bother me. Is my grandmamma really a witch? Why would he care?
"You have been hurt, I can see it. I have watched you all of your life, I know what they have done to you. I have gotten so angry at them for that."
"I don't know why, I mean I know you have your problems but no one knows about it. my life, I am sure I would have noticed, someone would have."
"I keep to the shadows, in the trees like most wolves, you are normally by the woods a good place to hide. No one noticed because they did not want to or they were not close enough to notice. You were the only one that was different, you would have rather been in the woods then by the edge, only the rule stopped you. You loved things that were different, almost never afraid of anything, I liked you from the very beginning and I wish I would have know you as a human."
The moon shone and was bright, it had a yellowish tint to it a harvest moon, it only comes once a year. He liked that I was different that I was not afraid. But I was, I was afraid he was going to leave, afraid of the girl that his destiny was entwined with.
"How is it your human now?"
"I become human every harvest moon, and stay human, unless I want to become a wolf, then at the end of the harvest moon I stay in the shape of my form, human or wolf for the rest of the year, but if I am human I turn every full moon. It's not how it goes but I am different, a curse put on me when I was born I guess."
"So you will be human for the month, the whole harvest moon?"
"Yes."
"I am glad, at least I have a little bit of time. But Why do you stay in your wolf form? Why not stay human?"
"I do, I watch as a wolf mostly, learning to control. But every once in awhile I will turn human and I will go to the kingdom I am supposed be at."
"Your father is okay with this?"
"My father is a great man, he worries, but he knows that I am even stronger than him, especially in my wolf form."
"He is a great man, I am glad he trusts you so much. Why not stay in the village when your human, I am sure everyone would love it and the women would swoon."
"I am staying this time, but I can't stay for very long in this village, how scared they are it's sickening, they have no courage."
"My grandmamma does."
"So do you."
We stopped talking, all was quiet, peaceful. The lake shimmered I thought this moment would last forever, I wanted it too. He was staying for a month, probably looking for this so called girl, but I will snatch him any time I can to just spend some time with him. Suddenly he said something that surprised me I almost fell out of my seat.
"You're like your Grandmamma, I feel it, you have her energy, only it's more powerful."
"What do you mean?"
"I think you're a witch"
"Wh...What...?"
"But your more powerful then she is."
"You go to far, I am not a witch, I could be killed for you saying that."
"It's only you and me here, and I won't let that happen, you will always be safe. It's alright if you have good intentions like your grandmamma."
"She would have been killed if she was."
"She lives in the forest, everyone is afraid of the forest, and if she is still alive which she is then people will tremble at seeing her, knowing she survived years in there."
"I used to go into the forest to see her."
"They are afraid, the village that you will get hurt but more or less they are afraid of you, how you are not afraid of the forest or the creatures there, how you are the granddaughter of a witch, that you can go into the woods for days to visit her and come back unharmed, as happy can be."
"How can you tell she is a witch, that I am one too?"
"Her aura and spirit they are different from regular humans, I smell it. You have a similar aura but it's stronger, it's so strong that I really can't stand to smell it for long, if I did not know you I would be afraid even though I am a wolf I would be terrified of what the smell was. It's addicting though, I want to smell it, and I do but not for long and after a time I want to smell it again." He turned my head and pulled louse strands of hair behind my ear and leaned close, to my neck and smelled, I froze and blushed and pulled away and smiled, but his green eyes looked hungry like a wolf stalking his prey, I was not afraid though, His eyes were beautiful.
"See, addicting, sometimes I can sit for hours just loving the smell of you, I am used to it now I can stay with you for years with just this smell and I would still love it."
"What makes you love it so much?"
"It's your smell, your aura; you smell like the wild, the different, and the strong, the free." I blushed, what he said was beautiful. He thought I was strong and free and different.
"And even though the girls of the town are out walking, working or just playing I can't smell the sun on them, I can you, the sun it's like a ball of light in you, I smell it on you, but I don't on anyone else."
"I like to be out in the sun, it's warm and bright. It brings life to the living."
"Just like a poet would say, that's what makes you different, everyone takes things for granted but you don't."
The moon was high, it was dark and quiet. I wonder what time it was, I should not worry mother with being gone.
"It is getting late Aaron I should be getting home, my mother is probably worrying about me. Goodbye..."
"Goodbye, expect me tomorrow, Oh and thank you."
"Thank you for what?"
"For saving my life."