As she flew past she quickly glanced back in case she had been seen, but it seemed that the snow and wind had saved her. The dark hooded person still looked down at the frozen river and appeared to be deep in thought. Somehow Sula regretted she had not been seen. She didn’t know why; perhaps because she had been travelling alone now for so long. Even wild animals gathered with their own kind for the winter and had sought warmth and comfort in dens and caves. Never before had she felt this lonely. She usually followed their pattern and even embraced being alone in the natural world with all the elements, the smells, the sounds, her friends the animals and the trees. It was only when she started to think about who she really was that she felt mournful and lonely amongst others who were not of her kind.
Her kind…where were they? Was she truly all alone then? It certainly looked that way after all those years of searching in vain. The Search had taken her around the globe; everywhere and nowhere. She was always on the move. Never staying anywhere long enough to make friends. In fact Sula had not even been in one place long enough to be able to see the scenery in all seasons.
The wind was her only true friend; it held whispers, echoes from another world, like those of long lost generations before her. She could sometimes hear the wind talking to her; helping her, as before.
Sula glimpsed back at the person on the ice, while still flying low above the river against the wind and snow, recovering and regaining her balance. She tried to remember what it was like to be human.
A dull pain struck her hard on the shoulder and before she realised it, she fell and landed face down on the hard snow covered ice.
Turning herself over; she rubbed her aching right shoulder and looked at the obstacle above her that she had flown into. It was a wooden bridge.
***
‘I’m lucky to only have a sore shoulder!’ she grunted and still shaken she stumbled to her knees, checking herself; making a valiant effort to control her emotions. She removed the heavy pack from her back. It had been a long time since she had fallen like this, losing the Mindmode. Way back when she’d first learnt to fly, as a child, she had had trouble concentrating and maintaining the Mindmode the first couple of times after her first MindMerge with a snow goose. But since then she had not fallen and the ability had become mastered.
I must be getting old, she thought ruefully and quickly glanced at the dark shape who walked towards her.
Large thick snowflakes whirled towards her as well so she couldn’t see much, but enough to know it was a man and that he had discovered her. He headed in her direction, faster than she liked.
As he got closer, she saw he had an axe in one of his hands and she started panicking and made sure her hood was covering her head. Her heart thumped in her throat and her body broke out in a cold sweat. She concentrated on the wolf, jamming her eyes shut; thinking only about its sharp teeth, fast feet and claws at the ready.
Ignoring the throngs of pain radiating from her shoulder she started to chant softly, ‘Your heart, my heart, your beat, my beat,’ and she felt the heart of the wolf drumming in her chest; thump-thump, thump-thump. ‘Your breath, my breath, your spirit, my spirit, your mind, my mind…’ But her fear, that old feeling of raw panic so deep, so real, tugged at her so strongly, confusing her mind… broke her Mindmode.
‘I have to run now, Spirits protect me!’ she mumbled. It was all she could do.
Why Sula, why? A little voice answered and confused her so much that she couldn’t move. Frozen…
Chapter 2 Fish
There is nothing in the world as quiet and pure as snow, swirling slowly through the air like a silent dance, silencing steps, gently hushing voices speaking too loudly. There is nothing in the world that can soothe like snow.
Sula looked up from her thoughts to find that amid the falling snowflakes a brown-cloaked man with bright blue curious eyes observed her.
‘Hello there,’ he said in a low, but youthful voice. The young man freed his face from his hood using his woollen mittens. Unlike her hood, which covered only the top of her head, forehead and ears, his had almost covered his complete face apart from his sparkling blue eyes. She could never have worn something like that, for she needed all her senses to maintain control of the goose inside of her when she flew.
The hood no doubt aimed to cover his delicate flawless skin and to keep him warm. Snowflakes immediately melted on his rosy cheeks and nose.
‘Are you alright?’ he asked, concerned, and held out his hand to her.
Ignoring him her eyes flashed to the axe in his other hand.
‘Where did you come from all of a sudden, the sky?’ He jerked his head up jokingly and chuckled. His laughter sounded warm and friendly and although Sula felt a little frightened at first, she realised she needn't fear this young human.
Sula, still on her knees, looked from his face down to his axe and wondered why he carried it in the first place. But she remembered humans always had weapons, because they had no claws or teeth with which to defend themselves, like her. Nevertheless, she hated weapons, although she had always known it was not the weapon she had to fear; that didn’t hurt or kill anyone, but the person using it.
She ignored his extended hand, and rose to her feet, whilst not losing eye contact with the armed stranger.
‘I saw the smoke and…fell,’ and she pointed up at the snow covered bridge. ‘From there.’ Her voice sounded deep and rough through not using it. It had been months since she last spoke to anyone.
The young man raised one eyebrow. ‘From the bridge?’ He looked briefly at the wooden construction a few feet away; which didn’t show any tracks from what he could see, although they could have been covered up by fresh snow by now. Gazing back at her his expression showed concern.
‘I’m sorry about that. We usually try to keep the bridge clear but it’s no use in this weather. Not many people use it anyway. Did you slip, was it icy? Were you on your way to Rosinhill?’
Sula started to brush the snow from her heavy cloak and trousers, without much luck; being wool, it only stuck more.
‘Sort of,’ she grunted at her valiant attempt and only then noticed the frozen waterfall at the other side of the frozen river. It was quite beautiful.
He watched her with concern, cocking his head, like a cat.
‘Did you hurt yourself?’ he asked worriedly.
‘I’m all right,’ she murmured quickly, sounding annoyed at all his overwhelming questioning, trying to avoid his examining but compassionate eyes. She couldn’t help but notice them, although she tried to avoid looking at him by continuing to brush the snow off.
He sniffed through his elegant nose and narrowed his eyes against the cold wind offering a gloved hand to her again.
‘My name is Felix, I live in the village nearby.’ He waited patiently for her to respond, with his hand still outstretched to her, but she didn’t. She also ignored his gesture completely and looked around for a place to take off from again, hauling her rucksack onto her back, fastening the straps.
‘So…what about you, Miss?’ he started shyly. ‘I have never seen you around here before. He had a funny lilt to his voice; an accent she had never heard before, she noticed herself thinking.
She made him feel a little uncomfortable. He had lowered his hand by now and embraced himself against the cold wind, waiting.
‘It would have been better if you hadn’t seen me at all,’ she retorted quickly and started to walk away towards the bridge adding ‘Farewell!’
‘No, wait, please!’ He trotted after her with snow crunching underneath his feet. She stopped and her glare darted thoughtfully towards his axe. He followed her eyes and smiled sheepishly, ‘You are afraid of me because I’m carrying an axe, huh?’
She sighed and for a fleeting moment their eyes met. It wasn’t fear he saw in her moss coloured narrowed eyes, but something else; distrust and annoyance. But also something Felix could not fully grasp. Loathing? But if so, why?
‘Well, you are probably w
ondering what I am doing with it anyway,’ he tried to lighten her mood, ignoring her rude attitude.
‘Not really,’ she felt like saying, but refrained.
‘No, I haven’t chopped down a tree, just the ice,’ he looked at her for a reaction. ‘Sounds silly, huh?’
‘What was the plan, to make an ice sculpture?’ she remarked sarcastically.
His eyes shone even brighter now; an inner light as bright as a star.
‘You are very funny Miss, but I’m not that skilful.’
‘Well, whatever you are doing, I wish you luck,’ she mumbled and she continued to walk away. Felix just stared at her perplexed.
Sula only walked about ten steps when she began to feel slightly guilty. He wasn’t any threat to her and he had treated her with respect and kindness so far; something she wasn’t normally accustomed to. Most people were not to be trusted; she had learnt her lesson well over the years.
When she glanced back, she saw him standing where she had left him; staring disappointedly at her. He had a sad look about him. It made her feel mournful and culpable. Her other curse, besides the search: compassion.
‘Oh, all right!’ she cursed under her breath and after a short moment walked back. Just a brief introduction and I will be on my way again. I don’t want to attract unwanted attention. Act normal, act human.
‘My name is Sula,’ she said briskly while she briefly looked at him in the eye. ‘I am just a passing traveller. Hello and fare thee well.’ Her tone of voice still wasn’t exactly pleasant, but at least she had said something.
So she is a traveller. Felix was always interested in news from other parts of the world not to mention new tales. His sister was the true adventurer in their family and she always came back with some amazing stories.
He smiled gratefully at her.
‘In this kind of weather? Well, pleased to meet you, Miss Sula the traveller. But do be more careful crossing bridges next time, especially in wintertime.’
His genuine concern was heart warming but she tried to ignore it. She did her best to smile, tugging uneasily at the straps of her rucksack, but it wasn’t a friendly smile as it never reached her eyes. It made him feel miserable. What had happened to this woman to cause her to act like this? And what had he ever done to her to deserve this attitude? Not that it was his business but still...
She saw him thinking and opening his mouth so she quickly tried to distract his thoughts and prevent him asking any more questions. This boy was full of curiosity!
‘So, what were you doing with that axe?’ He on the other hand had made her curious enough to ask. Felix tried to hide his gratitude and moved closer to the river and gestured.
‘I was trying to make a hole in the ice… to fish,’ Felix tried to sound casual. More strands of blond hair blew from underneath his hood in the growing blizzard. Sula was distracted by the simple beauty of this, but she regained her firm composure in an instant.
‘Show me your effort.’ It sounded more like a demand, but Felix seemed not to care. He had her attention, something she would not give to everyone, he guessed. She was probably a loner, like him.
***
Carefully they crossed the ice, for it snowed heavily now with thicker flakes whirling around them, making it harder to see. Sula followed Felix a few paces behind. He halted at almost the exact spot where he had been standing when she had nearly flown into him and knelt down to remove the fresh snow.
‘You won’t find any fish here,’ she announced with only one quick look at the white cracks, like scars, on the black ice.
Felix looked a little shocked at her. ‘Why not?’ he asked.
A cold breeze blew past them. Sula stared to the South and Felix could hardly hear her voice when she said, ‘They’ve gone…to the warmer waters.’
He looked surprised at her and arched one eyebrow.
‘How do you know that?’
‘I just do. Besides, I can’t hear them,’ she stated matter-of-factly and looked rather plainly at him, having forgotten for a moment he wouldn’t, being human.
‘You can’t…what?’ His voice died in the next cold breeze and he shivered; whether it was from a sudden thrill of excitement or the cold or perhaps both, was unclear.
‘I mean...just listen. There’s nothing there,’ she said annoyed at him. He was only human and she had to forgive him for his lower senses but somehow she couldn’t. A little voice inside of her did warn her not to talk about these things for it might endanger her. She had, in fact, already said too much.
Felix looked in astonishment at her and then down at the ice. She knew something he didn't, even though he had been living here all of his life? True, he wasn’t a fisherman and didn’t know a thing about fish or their migration pattern, but still. He chewed on his bottom lip.
After a short while, he grinned uncomfortably at her, just when she was beginning to look around cautiously.
‘Well, it’s getting dark and I still haven’t caught any fish and now you’re telling me that there are none, huh?’ he exclaimed.
‘Are you that desperate?’
He grinned at her choice of words. ‘Yeah, I am actually. I have almost run out of food. The whole village has the same problem,’ and he rubbed his shoulders and arms; they hurt from his fruitless attempt.
‘This early in wintertime?’
Sula’s lips were red and warm, unlike her eyes. Felix stared at her mouth. The winter solstice had just passed, so the sun was slowly on his way up in the skies again, making the days slightly longer with every sunrise. However winter was far from over and the worst of the snowstorms had yet to come.
‘I’m afraid so, Miss Sula. To be honest, I don’t think we’ll make it with the supply we have left.’ He sounded sad but not because he wanted her sympathy, but just because he was being honest. He turned himself completely towards her and cocked his head again. Yes, a cat with bright keen blue eyes. One that whirled around your legs and wanted to be stroked. In need of attention, not wanting her to stop stroking him or for her to leave.
Sula even wondered a little bemused when he would start to purr. She would have laughed at that under different circumstances; if it hadn’t been for their conversation about hunger in his village.
A hungry cat, then, she concluded.
‘Do you have a place to stay the night, Miss?’
She wished he would stop calling her that.
‘Not really,’ she heard herself responding, a little too quickly for her own liking. He shrugged his shoulders and blinked his eyes against the snow.
‘We don’t have an inn but you’re more than welcome to stay at my place. I have plenty of wood to keep the fire going, fresh water and some potato soup. Enough for a traveller such as yourself.’
‘I don’t know-’ she started to say.
‘It is perfectly alright you know. I can see that you are used to travelling but even you will freeze to death in this kind of weather,’ Felix interrupted her.
You’d be surprised, boy.
Sula looked uncertain towards the North in the direction of the Balla mountain range and the prospect of a cold damp cave. She found herself doubting her strength. She was sure she was going to make it tonight; if she hurried. But haste was dangerous in wintertime and when already exhausted. Upon arrival she would make a fire in the cave with the pile of wood she had gathered last year. The cave would be warm and comfortable enough with her thick cloak as a blanket and it was going to be even better if she used her Mindskills. She could easily go in Polar bear-mode to save herself from hypothermia.
But did she really have to lie on a hard damp surface again? It would be much better to relax and restore her humanoid body right now and top up her energy levels without using any animal skills.
How she longed for a soft warm clean bed and maybe some company would do her good after all. Sula started to feel confused, for she hardly ever stayed in human villages; only when she really needed to look for clues and information and always in dis
guise. It was risky and the chance of discovery was high and perilous. Ultimately, this man and his people were humans; her sworn enemy.
She felt like the wolf, always hunted and driven away like her kind: the comyenti with their shifting eyes, pointy ears, unusual traits and unique abilities.
“Follow your heart,” her mother would have said but had she not also told her to avoid large groups of people, in fact any people, so what was she to do?
Looking into the young man’s sapphire eyes, the choice was quickly made and she decided to go with her mother’s favourite sentence and finally nodded at Felix who patted her gently on her painful shoulder. She flinched and recoiled, both from pain and the sudden touch.
‘Are you hurt?’
‘I’ll live,’ she replied sharply.
‘You’re a tough lass, Miss Sula.’ His tone of voice had sounded genuine. She had trouble believing it still. ‘Come. It’s this way.’
She followed him across the river, through the dense woodland until they reached a clearing. That’s when the first houses came in sight and Sula held her breath.
***
‘You don’t have much luggage, huh?’ Felix noticed pointing at her small rucksack.
Sula replied nonchalantly, ‘This is all I need. If you travelled like me, you would learn how little one can make do with and be satisfied.’
She noticed him pause a little as if he was thinking about her words. He turned round to look at her.
‘Are you…?’
She met his bright curious eyes, ‘What?’ she asked a little annoyed.
‘Satisfied,’ he repeated a little louder, thinking she hadn’t heard him above the growing wind. But of course she had, her hearing was excellent; even when not making use of her special abilities.
Sula made a tight face and carried on walking.
‘Sorry, I had no right to ask, forgive me, Miss Sula,’ he spoke walking beside her with his axe over one shoulder, sensing her annoyance.
The Comyenti Series Book Bundle, Volume 1 and 2 (Epic Romantic Supernatural Fantasy) Page 2