Far Sighted Ch 9 Over the Edge

Chapter 9

Over the Edge

         I felt my legs begin to collapse beneath me, my knees crashing painfully into the stone floor of the cave.

         “What the-”

         I wasn’t ready to face Charles as he appeared, eyes wide and searching.

         What else could I do, but what I always did?  I ran.  Entering the main part of the cave in seconds, I tripped over one of the male wolfen in my haste to get outside.

         He swore and I was up and running again before anyone could ask what was wrong.  I ran past them all, my brothers and sisters--brothers and sisters I didn’t want and couldn’t accept.

         “Adanna?”  I heard Sir William’s questioning yell follow me out the cave.

         “Adanna!”  That was Charles, but I wouldn’t stop for either of them.

         “You fool!”  I wasn’t sure who Sir William was yelling at and I didn’t care.

         I ran blind, tears blurring my already fear filled eyes.  It couldn’t be true, it just couldn’t.  What had I done to deserve such a fate?  Had I angered God?

         I ran on, running from the tangled web of fate that pulled at me, running from those like me, running from myself.  If I ran fast enough maybe I could leave it all behind, maybe I would run off the face of the earth and into wonderful oblivion.

         My legs burned as I pushed myself ever faster and farther.  Breath came painfully in and out of my burning lungs.  The sobs escaping my throat made it difficult to breathe and soon I had to slow or risk passing out.  My mind was reeling with facts I couldn’t and wouldn’t accept.

         I stumbled to a nearby tree, having left the canyon far behind.  There was a hollow in the large trunk, large enough for me to crawl inside. 

         My limbs were trembling in a mixture of exhaustion and fear.  My breath came in gasps and I was unable to get it under control. 

         To make things worse, my head split with pain.  I pushed my palms against my temples to no avail.  Nothing stopped this pain.

         Everything began to change.  Sounds, sights, and smells assaulted my senses.  Pain radiated from my head, down my spine and to every inch of my body.  Spasms wracked my already rocking form.

         Sounds of approach sent me scrambling to the back of the hollow, as far from my pursuers as possible.

         “Adanna?”

         I knew it was Sir William, not only from his voice, but from the sound of his movements and his scent. 

         A hand appeared at the top of the opening, Sir William’s face appearing after.  His gaze looking in on me revealed pity. 

         I didn’t want his pity, his attention, or even him.  I wanted to be alone.  Was that so hard to understand?

         A growl escaped my lips.  I had changed.  I was now a wolf and every heightened sense screamed at me to flee.  If I couldn’t escape what I was then I at least wanted to escape them.

         “Adanna.”  His voice was gentle, coaxing as he stretched out a comforting hand.  Moving closer he made to enter the hollow with me.

         Panic made me snap out, catching his fingers between my razor sharp teeth.

         The warm, coppery taste of blood dribbled onto my tongue.  I was revolted at how good it tasted.  Cringing back, a whine on my lips, or whatever it was wolves had.

         Sir William wrapped one strong arm around my torso and pulled me out of my hollow.  I struggled to escape his grasp, but I didn’t dare bite him again, fearing the luring taste of fresh blood.  I whined, yelped, growled, and barked, but he wouldn’t relent.

         “Adanna, you need to change back.”

         My mind began to panic even more.  What if I couldn’t turn back?  What if I was trapped in this form for the rest of my life?

         “Adanna you have to come back.  Just remember what you did before.  Picture yourself in human form.  Want yourself into that form.”

         I did want to turn back and the only picture in my mind was what I had once been, what I had once looked like.  Why couldn’t I do it?  I really was going to remain like this forever.

         “You have to calm yourself Adanna.”

         I couldn’t.  He was asking the impossible.

         “It’s okay.  I’ll wait here with you.”  He held me firmly in place, knowing I would run if he released me.  His large hands stroked my fur.  It took almost an hour before this had any affect.  I stopped struggling and let his touch sooth my trembling muscles.

         I couldn’t say when the change happened, but I opened my eyes and found my head--my human head--resting in Sir William’s lap.  He continued his soothing motion of running his fingers through my hair.

         My eyes fought the weights that threatened to close them.

         They flew open when I heard the approach of another.  Sir William was calm but wary. 

         Charles stepped through the trees.  He didn’t slow before he stood before Sir William and I.  Without warning he reached down and wrenched me to my feet and started dragging me behind him.

         “I’ve had quite enough of this.  We’re going to have a nice long talk, you and I, and you’re going to act sensible.”

         I felt Sir William’s approach as he came around to face his brother, placing a restraining hand on his elder brother’s shoulder.  “Take your hands off her Charles.”  I had never seen such fire in his eyes directed toward anyone but an enemy.

         “Get out of my way little brother.  She‘s not some fragile flower, she‘s wolfen.  It‘s long time she start acting it.”

         They were both more serious than I had ever seen them.

         “You‘re not taking her, Charles.  You will not treat her this way.”

         “She’s my betrothed, not yours William.  I will do with her what I will.”

         There was no warning before Sir William’s fist struck Charles’ jaw.  Charles flew back, his hand releasing it’s hold on my arm.

         “She is not yours.”

         When Charles picked himself up off the ground he was in his wolf form.  Sir William followed suit and the two brothers fought.

         Blood was drawn.

         “Stop!  Stop it!”

         Both paused when they heard my screams.

         I fell to my knees, suddenly too weak to support myself.  Sir William strode over and licked my cheek.  Changing back to his human form he wrapped my drooping shoulders in his arms.

         “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.”

         Looking up I found Charles had retained his wolf form.  He took a moment, staring into my eyes.  When Sir William turned to look at his brother, Charles turned and left.

         “Charles.”  I didn’t want him hurt, I didn’t want them to hate each other.  He turned only for a moment before he disappeared from sight.

         Tears paraded down my cheeks and I didn’t try to stop them.

         The sun had long set and still I remained in the circle of Sir William’s protective arms, the tears continuing to flow.

         I finally asked the question I had wanted to for hours.  “Betrothed?”  I had thought all the secrets had been revealed when I learned they were wolfen.  How many more secrets were they concealing from me?  I lifted my eyes to meet his, only to find anger.

         “You weren’t supposed to know, at least not right now.  Adanna, how much do you know of our history?”

         I sniffed back more tears before answering.  “Father Michael and Sir Alden taught me all they knew.  I think I remember most of it.”

         His hands had returned to stroking my hair.  “Let me tell you a tale, a tale of the wolfen.  Not so long ago there lived an ambitious young wolfen with hair the color of fire and eyes of gold known as Dunstan.  He refused to accept his lot in life and strove for much more, for everything beyond his grasp.  He worked hard, laboring day and night to achieve his goals.  During this time, he met and fell in love with a young, beautiful wolfen female.  Karen, was her name.  They married.  Before long Dunstan had an opportunity to achieve his every dream and he took it.  As his power grew, so did his lust for that power, for greater power.”

         Sir William’s eyes looked blankly into the distance, emotionless.  “Before long he had the throne and began his conquest of the surrounding lands.  As his power and influence grew so did his cruelty.  In time his queen bore him a child, a daughter.  She fled, fearing for herself and her child.  Dunstan let Karen leave with his daughter, who never would have been able to inherit the throne, and married another.  Karen fled her husband’s kingdom.  She came to our king, King Connor and begged for his aid.  She told him all and, seeing her dilemma and seeing an opportunity, King Connor agreed to take her and her daughter into his house.  There was one condition:  her daughter, Sakira, would wed the king’s eldest son on her sixteenth birthday.”

         The puzzle was beginning to form a recognizable picture.  “Charles?”

         Sir William nodded solemnly, looking down at me with sorrowful eyes.  “Charles was to be your husband, and you were to be his queen.”  He took a steadying breath and continued.  “You’ve no doubt learned that King Connor was overthrown by the Barbarian King Dunstan.”

         I nodded, no words coming to my lips.

         “I remember that night like it was yesterday, though I was only a boy of nine.  Charles was almost a man that day.  His fifteenth birthday was in two weeks when the Barbarian King’s men attacked, killing our father and mother.  Charles and I were lucky to escape with our lives.  Sir Alden, the King’s Champion, smuggled us out amidst all the chaos.  You were left behind.  I thought you had been killed.  Once we were to safety Charles insisted on going back to search for you.  He found the castle in ruins and everyone dead or dying.  He returned to Sir Alden and me only to leave again, unwilling to accept your death.”

         A gentle smile warmed his face for a moment at the memory.  “He had grown very attached to you in the short time you lived at the palace.  You two were inseparable.  After a couple years of no word Sir Alden left me with a family and went to search for Charles and you on his own.  I followed him when I reached my fifteenth year.  Charles had found you rather quickly, but refused to leave you to send word to Sir Alden and I.  Sir Alden searched, joining other wandering knights trying to defend their already overthrown kingdom.  He was injured and that’s when he finally found the monastery and you.  They both had learned that Father Michael, our father‘s religious advisor and friend had rescued you from your father‘s men.”

         “Father Michael and Sir Alden knew?”

         “Yes.”

         I felt the change in Sir William’s voice as he began the end of his story.  “Sir Alden had taught me the ways of a knight, and I joined a group of rebel soldiers hoping my travels might bring me to either Sir Alden, my brother, or you.  We were ambushed in the hills by the Barbarian King’s men.  We fought to the last man.  I thought I would die that day, but Ares brought help and I found not only you and Sir Alden, but my brother.”

         He sighed as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

         “Sakira?  That’s my real name?”

         “It is your royal name.  A name you can never give to anyone.”

         “Because they would know I was the daughter of the Barbarian King.”  I let my head fall to Sir William’s shoulder. 

         Sir William lifted my chin with his fingers.  “Because they would know you were meant to be the future queen of this kingdom.”

         “So my true name will only bring peril.”

         “Adanna, you don’t realize the name you carry now is the name that has protected you throughout all these years and thus brought you happiness and joy.  Father’s daughter.  That’s what Father Michael named you.  He wanted you to feel like you had a place in this world.  He loved and raised you as his own.”

         “He’s the only father I have ever known, the only one I will ever know.”

         Sir William’s arms held me closer.  “And now you know it all.”

         I took a deep breath, knowing this changed everything.  I had a past and now I had a future, though I was unsure of what that future would be.

         “I have to talk to Charles.”

         I pulled back to gauge his reaction.

         “I know.”  He showed no more signs of anger, only apprehension.  What did he fear would happen?

         “How do I find him?”

         Guiding me to my feet, Sir William asked me to wait while he left to track Charles.   



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Far Sighted Ch 8 King's Canyon  (13+) Imagine what she would do if she found out she was wolfen as well. #1566366 by Far Sighted

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Far Sighted Ch 10: Betrothed  (13+) I belong to no one, not you and not him. #1576693 by Far Sighted