Wolf's Echo (My Winter Wolf, #2)

by Arizona Tape

  Danny pushed a mug in my hands, the little clouds of steam a welcome greeting. I nipped from the hot tea, the heat quickly spreading through my system and warming up my insides. She nudged at the horizon and pointed. "Look. The clouds have gone."

  "Synsabad," Ash whispered.

  "The city of gold," Darren smiled, sipping his own tea. "And our next stop."

  "It’s real? I thought you were joking yesterday." I peered into the distance, the peaks of the rooftops were definitely not a myth.

  "I-It's real, but p-people have a hard time f-finding it again."

  "It's a self-sufficient city. The only people leaving are travellers and they're usually disoriented after the Aladwin Forest." Darren brushed a hand through his hair as he pointed his knife at the city. “But I’m coming for you.”

  “Not another vendetta, right?” I sighed, exhausted by the endless squabbles the gang seemed to have. So much conflict. Chesca, Coyotes, now someone in this mythical city?

  “Don’t listen to him.” Regan interfered and pulled Darren’s arm down.

  “That m-melon vendor didn’t know a-any better,” JP chirped in, shaking his head bemusedly.

  “Wait... Melon vendor?”

  “Someone threw a melon at Darren. He pissed himself.” Aspen laughed. He slapped his friend on the back, ignoring the scowls from Darren. I studied his features, surprised by how relaxed he seemed today. There wasn’t a fleck of darkness swimming in his eyes and that made me happy. It was doing him good not to be wearing the amulet.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Darren huffed, shoving his comrades away and pouting by the fire. I leant into Ashleigh’s embrace, the light-hearted tone of the morning a welcome change. It was good to know that between all the the destruction and the danger, there were still moments of brightness, flickers of hope. That after all this was over, maybe we could all settle into a normal life, a regular life.

  “So we’re going to Synsabad?” Chesca quipped in, a grin darting along her lips.

  “We are going. You are staying right here,” Aspen hissed. I reached out to him, but caught myself before I touched his arm. I shouldn’t be soothing him, not like that. Not in front of Ashleigh.

  “Aspen. Can we go one morning without bickering?” Danny scolded, shooting me a wink. I smiled gratefully, mouthing a thank you to my friend. That was what she was, what they all were. Friends.

  “Fine.” Aspen growled, but he contained himself. Chesca chuckled, as if she didn’t actually care and I really believed she didn’t. She wasn’t too bothered about the threats he made and she never had been.

  “Let’s just get moving.” Regan grabbed his bag from the floor and swung it over his shoulder with an ease that made my aching back jealous.

  With the necessary rattling and clattering, we broke the camp down. Part of me was sad to leave the forest behind, I’d been looking at these trees for my whole life. The sway of the trees, the lone caws of the birds, the whispers between the leaves. Despite my dislike for the actual forest, leaving it behind was still difficult. Like leaving behind something familiar, something trusted. It wasn’t until Darren and Aspen peed into the smouldering ashes that I happily turned around and faced Synsabad.

  I curled my fingers around the amulet, the voices whispering louder as I touched the necklace. I pushed the darkness back, far back and gritted my teeth. One step closer to the East, one step closer to the Winter Stone. Although I wasn’t as eager as before to get to the Stone. Not after my first experience with my wolf, with the darkness that came with it. Maybe it was for the best that the Winter Stone was stolen.

  No, bad Akira. It wasn’t up to me to decide that kind of stuff. Being The Winter Wolf was still a big honour and I’d bring glory to my family.

  I glanced at the redhead chattering away with Ashleigh, the broody Aspen loitering behind them, Danny’s three men.. The love they had for each other was abundant and clear, the respect they showed each other, the care, the support they provided. Ever since I met them, the word family had started to mean something very different than what it used to be. There was no contempt, no envious stares, no abuse or violence towards me. They didn’t cut me off when I spoke, they didn’t mock my existence or laugh at my misfortune.

  Calling my parents and siblings family was an insult to what my friends had become to me. And maybe, maybe it would be better for everyone if I didn’t return with the Winter Stone after all...

  Chapter 13. The Golden City

  The distinct smell of a busy city greeted my senses before I stepped through the gates of the wall. I’d only been inside of a city once when Father tried to repent for the black eye he gave me. He talked to one vendor before he had enough and dragged me back home. I only was in the city for a moment, but I still remembered the distinct scent. The sour stench of stale piss, the yeast of overripe fruit rotting in the gutters, and the sweat of old men. Delightful.

  “Smells just like home,” Darren laughed.

  “You lived in a city?” I couldn’t imagine the free and nature-loving Darren living between walls, but all of my friends were a bit mysterious.

  “Lived? Hah, he ruled the city,” Aspen chipped in, ruffling through Darren’s wild hair.

  “I didn’t rule the city, I was just a Prince,” Darren muttered in protest, shoving the other man away.

  “Prince?” I stared at the young man, thinking back to our nightly conversation. I turned to Ashleigh. “For real?”

  My mate nodded. “Yes, Prince Darren.”

  “Crown Prince Darren,” Danny chipped in, the smile in her voice clear she was teasing her man.

  “He w-was almost King t-too,” JP added with pride in his voice.

  “Almost? What happened?”

  “That’s a story for another time,” Darren interjected. “Look, we’re here. The Golden City.”

  I followed his gaze and wasn’t disappointed by the diversion. The highest towers of the castle were visible even from outside the walls and the sun cast beautiful patterns against the walls. There was no question why they named it the Golden City, not with the metallic decorations and golden hues everywhere.

  “Breathtaking, don’t you think?” Ashleigh muttered, her breath fanning over my ear. I nodded, still in disbelief that I’d actually get to go inside.

  “Just don’t take too deep of a breath,” Aspen joked, pinching his nose shut. I couldn’t blame the man, the stench was really overwhelming.

  “Actually, that’s exactly how to combat it. Just take in one deep breath and you won’t even smell the dead cat next to your feet,” Darren instructed. I looked down and jumped at the sight of the mangled animal. The abundance of flies buzzing around the half-rotten carcass was revolting enough without the vomiting man in the background. If this was how all cities were, maybe I should be glad I only visited once. Some of my excitement died down as I stepped over the decaying cat and the idea of breathing in all the disgustingness wasn’t very appealing.

  “Like so.” Darren took a deep breath, his chest heaving as he drew in the foul air. “Much better.”

  “Are you sure?” I shot him a doubtful glance.

  He nodded. “I learned this trick from one of my palace guards. Try it.”

  “Okay then?” I inhaled as deeply as I could, the scents of the city rushing through my system. Shit, vomit, rotting fruit, trash, anything that a busy city had to offer. It burned my nose as it stabbed my senses with their appalling scent. Violently, I dry-heaved in disgust and my stomach turned in response. That was easily one of the worst things I ever smelled.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Regan smiled. He slapped my back in amusement and nodded at the guards chuckling at my expense.

  “Fuck this.” I fought against another gag and ignored the laughter of my friends. Despite the revolting breath of air and the torture on my nose, I had to give Darren credit. It actually worked. The loud and overwhelming smell was reduced to a faint whisper of disgust. Absolutely vile, but tolerable.

  �
��So where are we going?” I ran after Regan and glared at the guards as I crossed the threshold of the city.

  “T-There’s an inn that i-is run by a f-friend.” JP revealed a small piece of parchment from his pocket and despite him showing it to me, I didn’t understand any of the crosses or drawings on it.

  “We’ll get a better deal on food if we’re accompanied by a local,” Danny explained, the love and adoration for JP blatantly clear in her voice. It must be nice to have someone so doting and supportive, someone that didn't waver or cower, that didn't run or hide. I wanted to be that person for Ashleigh, but was I capable of being like that? What was my purpose, my value to her life? Did I make it better or was my simple presence just tearing her family apart?

  "Watch out!" Chesca's voice trumpeted in my ear as she shoved me to the side.

  "Hey!" I shouted as I tumbled to the dirty ground. The pebbles and grint dug into my palms as my backbone hit the stone floor. "What giv—"

  Before I could finish my sentence, the stall next to me crumbled into pieces. Shingles of wood and beams crashed into the street, a flood of various nuts and grains washing into the dust, right onto the spot I was previously standing on. If Chesca hadn't pushed me out of the way, that would've fallen onto me. "Fuck."

  "Are you okay?" Ash plucked me from the floor, the worry strewn in her voice.

  "Yeah, I am. Thanks, Chesca."

  The Puma shrugged, a lot more gracious than I expected her to be. She dusted herself off and picked some of the nuts from the floor. "Think we'll get a good deal on this?"

  Ashleigh curled herself around me, her arms protectively shielding me from any other dangers. I wanted to tell her that wasn't necessary, but it was nice being so close to her. I rested my cheek against her chest, listening to the soft beating of her heart. From the corners of my eyes, I watched Darren haggle with the owner of the ruined stall about his goods. The man seemed grateful he still got to sell some of his ware, even if his stall was ruined. I caught a glint of the devastation in his eyes and a sharp pang shot through my chest. "Argh!"

  "What's going on? Did you hit your head?" Ashleigh asked, concern swirling in her words. She pushed my chin up to stare in my eyes. Her oceans were filled with so much compassion, it was almost spilling out.

  "I'm fine." I ignored the pain and the voice that it accompanied. I couldn't make out any words, but the intentions were clear. The pain in the merchant's eyes awoke something deep inside of me, something the amulet reacted to. It drew the despair and chaos to the surface where it manifested into hurt. But I wouldn't let it get the better of me.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes. All better," I lied. From behind Ashleigh, I found Aspen staring at me. Despite his silence, his eyes spoke for him. There was a recognition in them, a pity, a sadness that wasn't like anything from before. He smiled and yet, it made him look even more tortured than without.

  I touched the amulet, wishing for the power to stay inside. I willed the voices to return to their confinement and broke the hold it had over me. The world rushed back to me and I embraced it in relief.

  "Look at what we got!" Darren cheered, holding up two massive bags of various nuts and dried goods. "All the nuts!"

  "You're nuts," Danny coed lovingly. She kissed his proud face and erased any remains of the sad man I spoke to last night. She was helping him, in so many ways. And what was I doing for Ashleigh?

  I looked up at the beautiful raven-haired woman, studying the hidden emotions in her eyes. Not many people probably noticed the jaded darkness in them, but I did. She was carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders, struggling with burdens of her own. And I wanted to help, I did. I just didn't know how or where to start.

  I never learned how to take care of anyone but myself, but things were different now. I'd just have to ask Danny and her men some more advice on how to do— I smiled at the sight of the redhead giggling against Darren's chest. On how to do that.

  "T-The inn isn't t-too far away," JP stuttered, holding up his piece of map. The instructions on there didn't make any sense, but he seemed confident on where to go and I wasn't about to contradict him. Cities were foreign to me and I never got the hang of map reading. Meeting my new comrades was a blessing. They all seemed to possess their own set of skills that made them such an effective group. I just wasn’t sure what I was bringing to the table. Not much, but I wanted to change that. I was going to become useful instead of being the helpless girl.

  I lost myself in my thoughts as I followed JP through the small streets winding away from the busy market place. The scents of piss and sweat faded with every stone we passed. Good. I wasn’t particularly enticed by the loud and rousey market.

  Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. I lost count of how many streets we crossed. Even the highest tower of the Golden Castle had disappeared between the roofs and clouds. JP halted in front of the tiniest house and pushed the map back into his pocket. “W-We’re here!”

  “Are you sure?” I studied the place. “It’s so small.”

  The doors burst open and a dark man sprung from the inn. He was a lot taller than I’d expect from someone working in such a tiny place, but the fat and blood stains on his apron didn’t lie. If he wasn’t the cook here, I’d eat my boot. “JP! You’re here!”

  “Rick! How did y-you know I was c-coming?” JP embraced the dark-skinned man and patted him on the back like only men did.

  “Aha, the birds told me you were passing through, my dear friend!” His smile was so genuine, it wasn’t hard to believe the two were good friends.

  “Ashleigh! You’ve returned!” A slender figure flew past me and into my mate’s arms. My wolf growled protectively and I snickered silently. So my wolf did care about our woman. Busted.

  Despite the small victory, I had to agree with her. I didn’t enjoy watching that girl hang around Ashleigh’s neck. Looked like JP wasn’t the only one coming with surprises.

  I glared at the woman, annoyed at how beautiful she was. Her beaded eyes, the smirk that I could believe was a permanent feature on her face, or the ruby lips suspiciously close to Ashleigh’s. I kicked up some dust and turned my back, purposefully not focusing on their exchange. Instead, I turned to away from them and to JP introducing everyone.

  “T-This is D-Darren, he’s a n-new friend.”

  “Darren, any friend of Jean-Pierre is my friend.”

  “Jean-Pierre?” I echoed, staring horrified at JP. That was his full name? No wonder he went by JP.

  “D-Don’t ask,” he smiled. “R-Rick, this is A-Akira. She’s a f-friend of A-Ash.”

  “I see. I’m Rick, the owner of the Humble Pig and that over there is my daughter, Rosanna. You’re most welcome, Alira.”

  “Akira,” I corrected him, biting my tongue as I didn’t want to sound snobbish.

  “I beg your pardon. Akira.” He bowed slightly, but I caught a sarcastic glint in his eyes. I didn’t like this man and I liked his daughter even less.

  “Come inside, my friends. You must be tired and hungry!”

  I wished I had the luxury to refuse his invitation, but JP was so happy to see him and the rest didn’t seem to have any qualms. Ashleigh wasn’t even waiting for me to follow her inside. With Rosanna’s arm around her, she disappeared into the inn. I wanted to protest and throw a tantrum, but the rumbling in my stomach and the exhaustion in my legs convinced me to follow the group inside, as much as I already hated the whole establishment.

  A whiff of wood passed me and Aspen brushed against my arm. “Don’t trust him,” he hissed. His words so fleeting, I almost thought I imagined them. I caught Aspen’s eye just as he entered the Humble Pig. No. I didn’t imagine it.

  Chapter 14. Humble Pig

  The Humble Pig stretched a lot deeper than I expected from the outside. Part of the inn disappeared into what looked like an old tunnel and made the common room a lot more spacious. A decorative boar hung dead centre above the hearth, decorated with golden twigs. The inn was cluttered with a lifetime of
stuff, but it made it rather cosy and housey. An inkwell with porcupine quills, a pouch with hand cut dice, three stray buttons, ... The list of trinkets went on and on and part of me really wanted to rummage through it, but I had a feeling the owner wouldn’t appreciate that.

  Rick slapped JP and Regan on their back. “Friends! What will you have? It’s on the house.”

  “W-What are y-you roasting in the b-back?” JP licked his lips as he sat down on the wooden table. The scent of grilled meat and ale was inviting enough for me to follow and crawl unto the bench. From the corners of my eyes, I watched Ashleigh giggle away with Rosanna but I made it a point not to intrude or make a scene. I wasn’t going to be that girl. I just needed to trust that her wolf would always call for me. For her first mate.

  Oh fuck. What if that girl was her second mate? Was she trying to pull an Aspen on me?

  Woah... Was this what I’d been putting Ashleigh through? A constant jealousy where all she could do was hope I’d return? Was that what every relationship was like?

  I caught Danny chuckling against Regan’s chest and bit the bitterness away. No, what Ash and I had, was barely a relationship. We were still dancing around each other, too shy and afraid to make a proper move. To seal the mating bond. And it had been my fault.

  A tankard was slammed down in front of me and Rick grinned at me, his teeth just a bit too crooked for my liking. His golden tooth certainly didn’t make me like him more.

  “Have a drink, Alira!”

  “It’s Akira,” I growled under my breath, too grateful for the meal to actually make a jaded comment.

  “Don’t mind him,” Aspen muttered as he took a swig from his mug. Greedily, he gulped down the rest of the ale, the liquid pearling down his throat. I swished my own beer around, the foam bubbling pleasantly on top. I wasn’t used to alcohol, but I’d had it before. The drink prickled my tongue and throat not unpleasantly, the taste surprisingly floral and light. Even if I didn’t like Rick, he had some decent ale. The slab of roasted pig he dumped on my plate was an even more welcome sight. Hungrily, I dove into the meat, the juices exploding in my mouth in a symphony of rosemary and thyme. Damn, that was delicious and so succulent it melted like butter. I’d never had something this soft and flavourful, not with my family giving me the toughest cuts. Whoever he was, this Rick knew how to handle his meat and I was a lot more grateful to JP for bringing us here.