~ A Secret Spilled

The morning purples and gray started to peak over the treetop horizon. Silvia listened to the animals waking and the forest noises changing. The colors were so beautiful and the light sneaking into the foggy forest made it look enchanted.

Silvia rubbed her head. The place that the man had pulled out her hair hurt and the pain was only getting worse. She looked at Ember who was asleep on the other side of the fire. Should she tell him?

She shook her head and winced as a new headache started. No. Silvia felt it would be better to learn more about him first before going and asking for more help. He was still a stranger.

A stranger with a good heart. Not only did he help her but ever since they met he made sure to teach her how to survive. She looked at the sky. The morning started to turn orange and she could tell the sun would be up soon.

She stood up and her head went light. She stopped and had to find her balance holding her head as the world stopped spinning.

Maybe she should just tell him. She walked over to Ember, kneeled, and gently nudging his shoulder. He stirred and then opened his eyes.

"Hey, good morning!" He sat up, yawned, and looking around. "You get some rest now. I'll take Gray to the stream and get everything ready to go." Ember stood up and stretched.

Not wanting to do anything she nodded and watched as he checked the fire before going over to Gray. She wanted to tell him but the wall sat there. A wall that if she crossed would endanger them. She could just point it out but that just felt weird. She was frustrated with herself. Why, why couldn't she just show him. He could help.

Her eyes drooped and she laid down again. She pulled the dusk watch and the final watch that night. It was fair. Ember did so much. Took care of Gray set up camp. Lest she could do was take the first and third watch. Ember was serious about keeping them safe so he wanted someone awake at all times.

He had worked so hard to get this far. She just stumbled to get here. He would tell her stories as they rode. Stories about travelers' tall tales and she could gather enough from what he talked about and how his voice and emotions changed with every story. He tried to hide his heart but kept wearing it on his sleeve.

Clearly he had lost a lot but there was still a passion to do the right thing under the bad boy exterior. She liked that about him and wanted to become like him but how? When she spoke the pain haunted her and when she was kind she was hurt. A heartache would always take over.

Right now could be different but something held her back. She shifted from her side onto her back and looked up at the morning colored clouds. Wonder filled her and she hoped that what the stories that That One had told her and Ember had talked about were true. Get over the mountains and there would be more. Something more.

A stick snapped and she looked over to see Ember and Gray coming back threw the bushes to the hidden spot they chose for camping. Ember let Gray graze while he started to tack her up again. When He finished he packed up his blanket and hers which was actually the cowards but it was in the saddlebags so it was theirs now.

Ember stamped out the last of the coals and buried it once it looked out. She wondered how he could touch the hot coals with his bare feet without being burned. When she pointed it out he just shrugged.

"Alright let's go." He put his hand out and helped her up. Again she had a dizzy spell. She played it off though. Gray was eating again as Ember jumped up with ease. Silvia was jealous of his abilities and understanding of Gray.

She had to find a stone to stand on to get up behind him and Ember always knew how to keep Gray from moving as she slid on. The first time she had gotten on and ridden behind him she had grabbed him and held on for dear life but after a day of finding her balance she now only had to grab the saddle to feel good. Her legs rested right in front of the saddlebags and it was a little more comfortable than she thought it would be but after hours of just riding her butt hurt. She kinda wanted to get off and walk with the horse but didn't want to bother Ember.

Was today going to be the same?

Traveling was confusing. They traveled along paths that seemed like they hadn't been used in forever and once they got over one hill there was always another and the mountain didn't seem to be getting closer. Was this a distortion in reality?

The spruce trees never ended and rocks, bushes, and small cliffs were usual. It was very pretty though. If not for the scenery changing and showing the new things she thought she could have died of boredom.

About midday her headache took a turn for the worst. Silvia bit her lip and turned to focus on Embers back. She took a hand off the saddle and rubbed her head. The left side of the back of her head was completely free of hair and the feeling of scabbing over something that had been skinned was covering that spot. She stopped rubbing and looked at her hand. Blood. Not a lot but it still had her worried. She quickly wiped it off on her trousers and put her hand up to tap Ember. She had to show him. No more stalling.

As she tried to tap, Ember stopped Gray suddenly which made her face bump into his back. She sat up and looked at him with anger boiling beneath her surface. She was about to nudge him but noticed he had turned to her with his finger over his lip.

His eyes were intense and she knew he was desperately asking her to be quiet. Silvia nodded and started to slowly look around trying to hear or find what had made him stop.

Snap.

A stick snapped and she looked over her shoulder. There was something there and Gray was staring intently at it as the group watched. They were upwind from it so Gray could not smell it but it smelled them. It was down the hill far enough that trees and rocks covered it and it was big. She immediately pointed forward and tried to get Ember to make Gray go fast. It was their only hope but Ember still stared. She grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly and pointed forward.

But she was too late. The dire bear roared a hunting call and came at them crashing through the trees and coming into view. Gray took off and she wrapped her arms around Ember's waist to keep from falling off.

Silvia had seen bears before. They were adorable and about the size of a horse but she had also seen Dire bears and they were at least three times the size of their cousin. They were huge but also fast and very deadly.

What was she going to do? It was gaining on them! Should she play her trump card? No it would be too dangerous but…

The path turned and Gray ran up it then they were in a field. Her luck had never really changed. It was still as rotten as the wizards' economy. Black to the core with corrupt intentions.

Silvia looked at Ember and wished she could have traveled with him more. He was so kind, everything That One had been to her. Maybe even a friend.

She let go of his waist and tumbled over Gray's hind end. She hit the ground hard and her headache exploded into pure agony. She immediately bit her lip and turned to see the dire bear right over her, stopped and growling. It seemed to be judging whether it should just have a mouth full or keep chase.

Good it gave her time to turn. Her body screamed in resistance as she let the ice-cold feeling take over and the shift takes place. The dire bear had decided for the mouth full and used a giant paw to bat her.

A sad smile spread on her face. Poor thing.

The hit crashed into her other form and she went flying hitting the ground and sliding sending dirt flying but the pain was no longer there. Just the feeling of cold. Cold. Silvia stood up in her wolf form and looked at the bear as it screamed. The paw that it had hit her with had been frozen straight through and when the dire bear went to stand on it the sound of cracking ice filled the area.

It's screams filled the forest.

This was the power of an elemental werewolf. Silvia walked forward limping and feeling her body's agony. The Dire bear saw her and turned back the way it came running on three legs trying to getaway. Get far away from her.

Master would have not been pleased with her letting it live and the fear of the whip filled her. Her body went limp and fear filled her to the point that the pain of broken bones and bleeding wounds did not hurt.

He wanted her to kill. Such a small wolf was entertaining to watch as slaves, abused animals and so much more faced her just to be frozen and destroyed in front of a cheering crowd. This was her past and no matter what she was never going to relive that.

Laying there in the grass her wolf abilities start to take hold and she could feel her body healing. Any injuries she got in wolf form would heal fairly fast. She could feel broken ribs being mended slowly, scraps and cuts closing, but the killer headache she had stayed the same.

Day turned into dusk and she stayed right where she was. It took forever to finally feel all healed up and the sun was nearly gone by the time her body was healed. She stood and walked over to her clothing and picked it up with her wolf mouth. Her head still felt like it was going to explode but she went into the forest and found a nice spot surrounded by trees with branches full of needles so she could shift and change. Clearly no one was around but she still felt it important to change in a closed area.

Once she was dressed she went back out into the field and looked around. The very last of the light was almost gone as she inspected the small trench her body had made when thrown. One rainfall and it would be gone.

Although she knew Gray had run far, far away she found her hoof prints and started to follow them. Silvia wondered if Ember got Gray under control and if he would keep going for the night or stop for camp. She hoped he stopped for camp, and she hoped she could catch up. He was like her. Right?

Someone traveling to another country. Someone looking for something else. She continued to walk in the moonlight her vision blurring, her body tired and her relentless headache not giving up. But she had to find Ember. She had to find him.

Silvia stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground. The night was cold and she could feel her body start to shiver. She always shivered but no matter how cold it got she would never freeze.

She concentrated on a Moonlite rock in front of her as she tried to get up but black crept into her vision and soon she could no longer make out the rock on the path.