by Melinda Hyde
With that in mind, I threw the door wide, and I scurried out into the fading moonlight. I stopped briefly to survey the clearing in search of any hidden threats, but the night kept her secrets to herself. The only sounds to be heard was the wind riffling through the tall grass, and the distant hooting of an owl.
With growing confidence, I jogged on bare feet to the foreboding darkness of Lenora’s cavern. As I neared, I treaded with caution. If her barrier was still in place, running into it would be like running into a wall of stone, but it soon became apparent that it was gone. The dread that I felt inside intensified, but I forced myself keep going.
The inside of the cave was dark and still. Dampness hung heavy, fogging the air, and the dank stench of mildew assaulted my senses. There were beds of straw piled along all the walls, but there didn’t appear to be any living inhabitants. I crept further into the cavern, but still, there was no sign of Lenora or her creatures. It appeared as if they had left, just as she had promised they would.
I grappled with a sudden flash of regret. When Lenora had said she was leaving, I hadn’t fully given credit to her words. I realized bleakly that I should have taken her up on her offer. Now, I was alone. I didn’t have my husband or my sister. Lance stirred, and I shushed him lightly, backing out of the darkness.
I looked to the sky on my way back to the empty cabin. It would soon be day, and I had made a decision. When the sun rose high in the morning sky, Lance and I would be moving along. There was nothing left for us in the abandoned clearing. Everyone I loved had abandoned me, and to remain there would have been a constant reminder of what I had lost.
Inside the cabin, I fed Lance and eased him down to sleep. I stroked his fuzzy head, then padded over to my wooden chest. There was a burlap sack inside. I took it out and began stuffing our belongings inside. I took only our essentials. I didn’t want to weigh the hoses down. I didn’t know how long—or how far, our journey would be. So, I decided that whenever we got to where we were going, I would find a way to replace the other items.
I placed to sack by the door, and I waited for the sun to rise. Once it did, I took Lance in one arm, and the sack in the other, then stepped out into the sun’s blinding rays. It was a beautiful day. The birds flitted around lazily, chirping their cheery song, and butterflies floated on the breezy drafts of wind.
It was a good day for traveling, I assured myself, making a trek for the barn. The horses stirred when we entered, and I placed Lance down on a soft mound of hay, as I tacked Orin’s stallion and our old mare. I tied our sack of belongings to the mare’s saddle, then draped a loop of fabric over my shoulder, creating a sling for Lance.
Lance was busily gnawing his gums against his chubby knuckles and kicking his legs in the air. I lifted him from the hay, and he cooed, as I nestled him into the bottom of the sling. Next, I looped the mare’s reins over the stallion’s saddle horn, and I swung myself up, careful not to injure my babe.
The stallion pranced uneasily, but he didn’t bolt. It had been quite some time since he had been ridden. I leaned forward, rubbing my hand over his sleek, muscular neck, whispering soft, encouraging words. His ears flicked at the sound of my voice, as he calmed. Once I was confident that he had settled down, I urged him into a gentle trot, until we came to the center of the clearing.
I pulled back on the reins, peering around. At first, my eyes settled on the portion of the forest that we had often frequented. It was familiar. I knew it well; it led to the village. The villagers would never accept us, though. I knew that. Besides, if I went in that direction, I stood a chance of crossing paths with Orin, and I didn’t want to chance bumping into him.
It would be too painful to watch him walk away from us again. It would be unbearable. So, I wheeled my mount around, looking off into the uncharted woodland behind Lenora’s cave. I didn’t have a clue where it led, but I figured if I travelled long enough, I would eventually find a town or village.
With my mind made, I spurred the stallion into motion. At the edge of the trees, he and the mare skittered nervously, pawing the ground with their hooves. I kept a firm grip on the reins, while urging him on. He reluctantly obeyed, stepping into shady shadows of the outcropping.
The horses’ hooves clopped, making a muffled sound, as they moved across the pine needles that covered the forest floor. The sound was soothing, and I eased into the rhythm of the stallion’s movements. Small rivulets of sunlight filtered through the bright green leaves above, creating a magical feel to the shadowy atmosphere.
I was becoming more confident in my decision, as we eased along. Out in the woods, with no particular destination in mind, I felt free. It was a feeling that I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
The tinkling of water moving over rocks caught my attention, and I steered my mount around. Lance was beginning to stir, and I suspected the horses could use a drink. The stallion fidgeted excitedly as we approached the tinkling stream. I reined him in and slid down from the saddle. I looped his reins over the branch of a nearby tree, smiling as the two horses dipped their whiskery muzzles into the water.
The stream gleaming in front of me was beautiful and clear. The water glided gracefully over the grainy, grey stones beneath its surface. There was a grassy patch along its edge. It was thick and robust, and it beckoned me to come and rest in its cool softness.
I only made it several paces before something came lumbering, in earthshaking strides, behind me, through the shrubs and twigs. The horses went crazy. They reared, tearing away from stream. The branch I had tied them to snapped. It made a loud, pronounced crack, and they were gone, flying blindly into the forest.
I didn’t have time to be concerned about my loss of transportation. I wheeled around, tightening my grip around Lance, to find an angry, brown bear hurdling towards us. His lips were slightly parted, and his large paws beat against the ground. A silent scream gurgled up in the back of my throat, but I attempted to remain clam. I sent out waves of calming energy, but my gifts failed me.
Fear and shock raced through my blood. I had always had an affinity for nature—for animals. That particular bear didn’t seem to care about that, though. I though quick, unsure of what I should do. I couldn’t safely use my magic with Lance in my arms for fear of harming him, and I knew that running would be futile.
As the bear barreled on, I did the only thing I could think to do. I dropped to the ground, shielding my helpless infant with my body. Lance immediately began to wail in response to my sudden movements, and I looked down into his tiny, squelched up face, tracing every detail in my mind.
I knew, with gut-wrenching certainty, that it was going to be the last time I saw my son. The bear was going to shred me apart, leaving Lance alone and at the mercy of the forest. I closed my eyes regretting my hasty decision to leave the cabin.
The bear’s paws thumped closer, and I could feel the wash of his dank, hot breath spilling over my face. My muscles clenched, preparing for the agony that was sure to come.
18.Rabid
Orin
When I had finished talking with the village healer, I strolled out, onto her shabby front porch. The activity in the dust packed streets had somewhat calmed. Most likely because it was nearing lunch time, I thought to myself, as my belly rumbled a growl. I shrugged and started down the steps. It was time for me to go home. It was time to make amends with my wayward wife.
The few people who still insisted on lingered about sent me nasty glares as I moved past them, but I just smiled and waved, which made them snatch their disproving eyes away. It was hard to believe that, not so long ago, I had been considered a catch in the village. How the times had changed. The thought filled me with bitterness.
Once I broke through the lush, leafy screen of growth that shielded the inner-forest from view, I unleashed the beast who dwelled within me. He tore away from the tight, mental leash that I had tethered him to, shredding through my frail, human skin.
The shift no longer pained me. It felt amazing to she
d the confines of my mortal frame. I found the form of a man was becoming increasingly stifling and uncomfortable. I liked the way my pelt shifted over my tight, refined muscles. Humans were disadvantaged, and they didn’t even know it.
Hundreds of scents, that had been hidden from me moments earlier, filtered through my senses. I lifted my muzzle into the breeze, reading the messages that they carried through the trees. There was nothing amiss, but I hadn’t expected there to be—not in the bright light of day.
I shook the pleasantness of my observations aside, and on deft, soundless paws, I started to trot for home. The sooner Leonia and I put aside what had happened, the better. She would forgive me—she always did. I couldn’t deny that the woman loved me. If not for the devil dwelling within her veins, we would have made quite a pair.
I slipped through the tall grass of the clearing, and I gazed around. My sights fixed on the cabin, wondering if my men were inside. I bristled. Despite all that Leonia had done, the thought of her alone, in close confines, with my warriors sparked a trace of jealousy inside me.
I forced the beast back and allowed myself to shift back into a man. I didn’t have any clothes stashed away. I had used them all. So, I strode shamelessly, in all my nude glory, to the sturdy door. I rapped on the solid, roughened planks, but no sound came from within. My vision darkened with anger, and I knocked again, this time rattling the frame. Still, utter silence resounded from the other side.
Growing impatient, I snatched the handle, braced myself for impact, and I forced my shoulder into the wooden barrier. If the woman thought the door, though solid enough, could impede my entry, she had another thing coming. The door flew inward with surprising ease, leaving me sprawled awkwardly on the dirty floor. I hefted myself up, growing furious.
I snatched my eyes around the innards of the main room, quickly realizing that it was empty. Confusion muddled my mind, taking place of my anger. The cabin door was always locked. I couldn’t recall a time that Leonia had left the latch undone. I glanced to the bedroom, and I was suddenly seized by apprehension.
I jogged through the bedroom door, and skidded to an abrupt halt, gazing disbelievingly around the room. It was empty; there wasn’t a soul to be found. The blankets atop the bed were piled in a heap, and the crib, where my son should have been, was bare.
I brushed my fingers through my unkept hair, backing away. I rushed through the rest of the house. When my search came up empty, I raced outside and into the barn. Just like the house had been, the barn lay barren. Both of the horses were gone, and their stall door hung ajar.
I frowned, pulling my brows together in thought. It was clear that Leonia must have taken the horses, but I couldn’t imagine where she might have gone, and she had taken Lance with her. A nagging suspicion badgered at the corners of my mind, until it became a fully coherent understanding. Leonia had taken my son and left, and she wasn’t planning on coming back.
The shift ripped through me, and I sniffed at the mingling of smells that floated in the mucky air, until I had pinpointed Leonia’s flowery scent. I sniffed several times, then followed the trail to the center of the clearing. I cocked my head at the unexpected direction she had chosen. The scent led into the far woods—a part of the forest that even I hadn’t yet explored.
I growled inwardly at the extent of her foolishness. I needed to find her before nightfall. Lenora and her creatures had disappeared, but there was no telling if, or when, they would return.
I swiftly flew into action, loping into the shady forest. It looked much the same as the portion that led to the village, but it was quite bit rockier. Leonia’s scent was strong, but I couldn’t tell how long it had been since she had passed through. For all I knew, she might have been hours ahead of me—especially since she was travelling by horseback.
I had been moving along for some time, becoming increasingly frustrated, when my ears pricked up at the sound of hooves storming across the leafy floor. I tilted my head, wondering why Leonia was jogging the horses so hard.
The sound came closer, rumbling the ground, as the two horses burst through the bushes. I had to leap to the side to avoid being trampled by the panicked animals, but I was relieved to find that Leonia and Lance weren’t astride either of the lumbering beasts.
The relief was short lived. As I stuck my maw into the light, drafty breeze, I stiffened, and an intense sense of terror consumed me. Leonia was just up ahead. Her scent was weighty on the breeze, but she and Lance weren’t alone. Mingled in with their familiar scents was another smell. It was wild and woodsy, with a faint musk that I recognized, right away.
I darted off at full speed, following the winding trail. I came out by a small stream and froze. Leonia was trembling in wide-eyed horror. She was at the edge of the tranquil water, watching an enormous, brown bear racing towards her. The bear’s eyes were as hard as stone, and his intentions were brutally clear. Leonia didn’t stand a chance. Every stride the bear took closed the gap between them, making the fat-clad muscles on his flanks roll.
Leonia dropped to the ground, throwing her body overtop Lance in a weak attempt to shield him from the attack. My stomach dropped. However well intended the gesture was, it wasn’t going to be enough. The bear would maim them both, until they were unrecognizable, and the life drained from their limbs.
The mental image of my son being torn apart by the bear shook me from state of shock. The burly beast was rapidly closing in on them. He was practically breathing down the back of Leonia’s spine.
With a loud, furious hiss, I sprang in springy bounds to my wife’s side. I crashed into the bulking form of the bear, with my sharp claws fully extended, batting him away from my family. The bear was a formidable opponent—one that, under ordinary circumstances, I would have given plenty of girth.
I managed to force him back several paces, before the bulking brute reared up on his powerful hind legs. He towered over me, and I crouched low to the ground. My snout was wrinkled back, exposing my deadly incisors, and my tail twitched, as I steadied myself for war.
Instinct urged me to take flight, but I knew that if I did, the bear would finish what he came to do. He swiped at me with his razor-tipped claws. I shimmed to the side in a feeble attempt to dodge the blow, but I wasn’t fast enough. He clipped me hard on the shoulder, flaying the top layer of my hide askew. I yowled in anguish at the intense pain that slammed into my shoulder bone.
Before I could recover my senses, the bear slammed into me again, knocking me the ground. He came down on top of me, pinning me in the crunchy leaves. The rocks beneath bit into the muscles that ran the length of my back. I kicked my hind claws into his underbelly, desperate to throw him off of me, but his fur was far too dense. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I was about to die if I didn’t find a way to free myself.
The bear roared in pain, rearing away from me, and I staggered to bring my feet under me. Once I had caught my bearings, I glanced up to find that the animal’s back was to me. His claws waved recklessly in the space around him, and he was being pummeled, from all sides, by lightning quick flashes of black. My warriors. They had come after me, I noted, with a feeling of respite.
The bear bawled loudly under the ferocity of the attack, and it spurred me to join in the battle. I sprang high in the air, coming down on the beast’s broad back. I curled my hind claws into the blubbery flesh around his spine, while taking a deep-bedded grip on his shoulders. His paws wheeled wildly at his sides, but I held tight. I brought my head up beside his, and I drove my teeth into the side of his windpipe, shredding through the soft skin that protected his jugular.
The bear went mad, fighting for his life, and I sprang away from his insane frenzy. My men had also backed away, and we continued to observe, as the bear went back on his mighty haunches. A heavy glaze slid across his eyes, and he toppled over on his side, flailing in the rocky debris. His fight was short lived, though. Within a matter of mere minutes, he lay still, staring off through sightless eyes.
> Everything went still. The only sound was the occasional, distant sound of birds calling that mingled with Lance’s cries. I sniffed at the edges of my wound, flaring my nostrils. I had noticed it right away, but I hadn’t had time to evaluate it. The bear had, had a strange, peculiar scent that wafted from him. It was sickeningly sweet, with strong, bitter undercurrents. It was enough to cause my head to pound and nausea to set in.
The wound in my shoulder was superficial, despite its ghastly appearance. The blood had already begun to clot, matting my fur, but the pain hadn’t abated. Instead, it had continued to intensify. There was a burning sensation in the center of the wound, and it was moving deeper, through my muscles and veins. It was a sharp, powerful burning, that was almost enough to drive me mad, and that’s when the realization dawned on me.
The bear had been rabid. That’s why it had attacked the way it had—the reason it had faced us and fought, despite being so badly out numbered. I groaned, as another wave of pain assaulted me. I wasn’t concerned about going mad. I was immune to such diseases. I wasn’t immune to the agony of my blood burning the virus from my system, though.
My men studied me uncertainly. I was sure they had picked up on the wretched scent, as well. Then, one by one, they plopped lazily onto the forest floor to wait. I shifted my attention to Leonia. She wasn’t lying face down in the leaves anymore. She was sitting up with her knees tucked under her body. Lance was nestled in her arms, and she cradled him close to her chest, trying to calm his shrill cries.
Her eyes were on mine. They were large and round. Her pink lips were slightly parted, and I could feel the anxiousness rolling from her stiffened form. I padded toward her, and she sucked in a sudden breath, clutching our son tighter.
There was no mistaking the fact that she was fearful of me. And she should have been, I thought darkly. I had caught her trying to take our son and leave, and she had almost gotten them both killed. Fire blazed in the pit of my stomach, but I forced the flame in check.