I draw figure eights in the water with my feet while I’m deep in thought. If Damon is telling the truth about werewolves, why is there going to be a war? Villages have been told stories that aren’t true! Would the war still happen if humans knew wolves are kind? Will I have to help defend Moon Crest Valley? What happens to all the innocent people like Vivian and her children?
A very broad, bulky man with black, dirty, scruffy hair appears in front of the trees. He is bigger than Damon, at least half a foot taller. He has brown eyes and doesn’t look very friendly. I stand up, face him, focus and summon fireballs in my hands.
‘You’re definitely the Forest Princess with those flames and those violet eyes,’ he says with a husky voice.
‘Don’t come any closer, or I will hurt you!’ I yell.
‘No need to yell. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to talk,’ he says, sitting down on a rock near the waterfall
I close my hands, extinguishing the flames.
‘Who are you? What do you want?’ I ask.
‘I am Sir Hugo, Knight of West Wallow.’ Sir Hugo sits down again on the rock.
‘What do you want?’ I ask as I close my hands to extinguish the flames in my hands.
‘You’ve become well known in West Wallow. At first, I didn’t believe the stories. A forest princess of beauty and power? Yet here you are, in the forest, definitely beautiful and powerful. You were going to set me on fire,’ he says, smirking.
‘And?’ I say, awaiting more information. He grins and crosses his arms.
‘King Fenris would like very much to meet you and offer you lodgings at his castle, to keep you safe during the war and from the werewolves,’ he informs me.
With my brow furrowed, and my arms crossed, I ask. ‘Why would I want to meet a king who starves his people? And why would I need protection from the wolves? The werewolves are the innocent ones here,’ I say.
Sir Hugo pauses, plants his hands on his knees, and inhales steadily.
‘King Fenris is a fair and great ruler, and he isn’t starving his people. He is protecting them by saving them from the wolves. They will wipe kill all humans if they win this war,’ he says.
‘That’s not true! They want to live peacefully, and they don’t like killing anyone unless they absolutely have to,’ I say.
‘You know this how? Have you met any werewolves?’ He argues.
‘Actually, I have. I’ve met Alpha King Damon,’ I say proudly. Sir Hugo’s mouth falls open.
‘You’ve met Alpha King Damon?’ He asks. I smile and fold my arms across my chest.
‘Yes, and he isn’t how the stories paint him to be. He is sweet and kind and gentle and…’ I feel myself blushing slightly, thinking of him—Sir Hugo bursts into laughter.
‘Don’t tell me you have a crush on him? If it’s the Alpha King Damon I’m thinking of, I can tell you right now, kitten, he is putting on a façade and manipulating you so he can use your powers in this war. When he has won the war and wiped us out, he will forget about you or may even just kill you. He is just fooling you so that he can control you and use your powers to defeat King Fenris!’ Sir Hugo concludes, hurting me deeply.
I look at the ground so he can’t see how much he has hurt me.
Damon wouldn’t lie to me. He wouldn’t pretend to be kind to me, would he? Does he really only want me for my powers? I haven’t met any other werewolves to know. But he does know I’m a primal sprite.
Confused, I realise it’s quite possible Damon could be fooling me. Maybe werewolves really are ruthless creatures.
‘I don’t want to believe you,’ I say. Sir Hugo smirks and walks over to me.
‘You can believe what you want, kitten. King Fenris has ordered I find you, and you are to lodge at his castle,’ he says.
‘Well, you can thank King Fenris for his offer, but I’ll be fine right here,’ I say. Sir Hugo grins.
‘I was hoping my sweet charm would persuade you to let me escort you back to King Fenris.’
‘Sorry, but you lack the sweet charm. Better luck next time.’
My response angers him, but I stand my ground because I don’t fear him. ‘Alpha King Damon will be back here any minute, so I suggest you leave before he returns. Or before I set you on fire,’ I shout.
He doesn’t flinch and glares at me with his arms folded across his chest. Sir Hugo grabs my wrist and snaps a thick, heavy iron cuff around it.
‘Let go! What are you doing?’ I yell, quickly casting a flame in each hand. The iron cuff burns my skin. I cry out in pain and close my cuffed hand to extinguish the flame. Clunk. Another iron cuff attached to the first
one by a chain is snapped onto my other wrist.
The only way I won’t burn myself is to refrain from using my powers.
‘Take these off me!’ I scream. Sir Hugo smirks at me.
‘Every time you try to use your powers, the iron cuffs will burn you. Iron is a sprite’s weakness,’ he says.
Ember runs toward Sir Hugo and bites down hard on his ankle.
‘You little-’ He yells, picks Ember up, and throws him a fair distance.
Before I can see if Ember is okay, Sir Hugo scoops me up, drapes me over his shoulder, and walks away from the cave.
‘Stop! What are you doing!? Where are you taking me?’ I demand, kicking and screaming and punching his back until I feel a sharp, unexpected sting on my backside.
I wince in pain from the slap.
‘Be quiet, it’s a long trek back, and I don’t want to hear you carry on like a feral cat!’
My eyes well with tears, and I try to summon any of the elements to use against me, but my wrists begin to burn in harnessing the energy. I cry in defeat while draped over Sir Hugo’s shoulder. We approach a large thoroughbred with the glossiest, jet, black mane. He is beautiful, too beautiful to be owned by this big smelly brute. Sir Hugo flings me over the front of the horse, in front of the brown leather saddle, and hoists himself up behind me on the horse.
‘I’d rather walk, please,’ I say quietly, sobbing.
‘Well, I’d like to get to West Wallow Castle within the week and not a month,’ he snaps.
‘Well, I’d rather walk and get there in a month than sit this close to a smelly, disgusting, repulsive old brute!’
‘Too bad, kitten.’ He says, reaching for the reins, gives the horse a nudge with his heel, and flicks the reins, telling the horse to move.
New tears appear when I think of Damon and how he will find an empty cave when he returns with Beta Troy and his companion. What if he thinks I’ve run away again? And what if Sir Hugo is telling the truth, and he was lying to me? I’m hurt and confused.
Alpha King Damon
Troy and I are mutually happy to see each other, and we pat each other on the back and laugh because we’re in good humour and good company.
Zayden trails a couple of metres behind Troy and is a little reserved, given all he has been through.
‘You must be Zayden,’ I say, crouching down to his eye level and putting my hand out to shake his. Zayden kneels lower still, on the ground in front of me.
‘Alpha King Damon. It’s a real honour to meet you,’ he says with a beaming smile.
‘Most people just call me Alpha Damon. You can too if you like,’ I say, smiling at him—Zayden nods and smiles.
‘I can’t wait to meet our Luna! Let’s go,’ Troy says excitedly.
We arrive back at the waterfall, and there is no sign of her.
‘She must be resting inside the cave,’ I tell them, and they follow me into the cave. They’re in awe of the thousands of glow worms inside. We reach the small room with her bed and the tree stump table and stools, and she isn’t there.
‘How strange. Maybe she has gone to pick some fruit?’ I wonder aloud. We leave the cave and go to the plum tree, which has remained unchanged since I last walked past it. I start to worry, and Troy is also concerned.
‘I don’t understand. She was right here, by the waterfall. I told her I wouldn’t be long,’
‘Alpha… you don’t think she’s run away, again, do you?’.
‘No, no, she wouldn’t. She wasn’t scared, and she was looking forward to meeting you both. There isn’t a reason she would leave me again, wait! Do you smell that?’ I ask.
Troy sniffs the air in the direction I’m sniffing in and walks forward, still catching a waft of something.
‘Human,’ he says. ‘One in desperate need of a bath at that!’
‘Shit! I don’t understand. She would have used her powers if she was in danger. Unless she might have gone willingly?’ I suggest.
The bush beside us rustles, and Troy, Zayden and I let out a growl, ready to shift into wolf form if we need to.
‘Ember!’ I yell as he pokes his head out from the greenery. Ember limps toward me with a sore back leg.
‘You’re hurt. What happened, you poor thing? Where is Maia?’
I pick him up and hold him in my arms, cuddling him. Wriggling, he indicates he wants to be put down on the ground. He limps a small distance before lifting a front paw and pointing in a certain direction. Troy and I undress.
‘Troy, we might be able to catch them in wolf form! Zayden, hop on Troy’s back, and hold our clothes,’ I tell them both, throwing my clothes and boots to Zayden, who catches everything, and bundles our boots inside the clothes for safekeeping.
We run as fast as we can, following Maia’s scent.
