The
wind blew through the moonlit night. I walked quickly along the shadow
trees, making my careful way towards what would soon be my home. I
clambered up the dark hill, panting as I came to the top. I stopped and
surveyed the world around me. The moon shed little light, but it was
enough all the same for me to see. I watched the distance houses as the
candle lights slowly diminished and fell into sleeping darkness. The
only noise was of the wind as it rustled the autumn leaves. I brushed a
colorful leaf from off my shoulder, watching as it was carried away by
the wind.
With
a low sigh I turned around, facing the heap of stones that stood in the
circle of trees. These were the Carrier’s Stones, said to have been
piled there by the ancient people of our land as a symbol of peace and
harmony. Now, it was only a sign of the hatred of the people in the
villages below. There was rumor that many of society's outcasts lived in
these rocks. Since I was discovered, I had been moving quietly from
village to village, but my identity seemed to be well known in all the
villages of Skirum, leaving me to run when I was seen by many of the
village people, who pursued me with swords and axes.
Pushing
the vast memories from my mind, I walked carefully towards the
Carrier’s Stones. I was alert, aware that if the rumors were true, that I
could be in grave danger, and yet I did not fear the creatures that
lived here. I was one of them now, and I didn’t fear that they wouldn’t
be able to tell. It was easy to tell who the Barafu’s were, given our
skin was marked with the symbol of our kind. I walked tentatively
forwards, ever aware of the silence that hung in the moving air.
I
heard nothing as I approached the stone, searching the darkness with my
eyes. I saw nothing in the shadows of the rock, yet I had a feeling
that more that one pair of eyes was watching me. I turned slowly in a
circle, searching the ghostly trees for signs. A branch on a tall, red
leafed tree looked weighted down compared to the companion branches. I
stared intensely at the spot, knowing someone was there, but choosing to
ignore them. I wasn’t there to cause a fight, I was there to find
shelter, and the one they called Bayfire. I continued my observations,
looking for signs of others, but I saw none. I turned back towards the
stones and suddenly, the silhouette of a man stood on the top rock. The
moon stood behind him, casting an almost heavenly glow about him. He
looked down at me, and I looked carefully up at him.
I
heard the sound even before the man was on top of me. I dodged left and
watched as the giant of a man landed where I had been standing. He
turned and looked at me with wry yellow eyes that reflected in the
moon’s light. The lycanthrope’s eyes pierced me to the bone, but I did
not move, I did not surrender as he tried to make me think. I knew the
power of creatures like him, I knew how to avoid their influence. I
blinked and the man was suddenly in front of me. His massive hands
grabbed my arms and heaved me into the air. His muscles rippled
throughout his body, but I didn’t look away from his eyes. I didn’t dare
look away from his eyes because I knew the consequences. He held me in
the air as if I was a rag doll, letting me dangle freely feet from the
ground. I didn’t fight, didn’t take my eyes of him.
“Now now now, what do we have here here here?” A high pitched voice asked from below me.
With
a low growl, the man tossed me to the ground. My eyes never left his
wry eyes as I fell onto my back on the ground. The man stalked toward
me, growling low and dangerous. Standing at his feet, half hunched over,
was a small man, who smiled wickedly at me with sharp pointed teeth. I
scooted backwards, trying to get out from under the man’s feet as he
moved closer. I hit a curved rock, feeling it press against my back,
preventing me from moving further. I kept my eyes on the man, my own
challenge vibrating towards him.
“Tride,”
a deep voice said. The man stopped where he was, a foot from me,
growling down at me like the part creature he was. I didn’t take my eyes
off of his. I saw the shadow moving out of the corner of my eye and
then the voice spoke again: “You know where you tread?”
“Yes,” I returned quietly, too quietly for any human to hear, but these men weren’t all human.
“Why are you here?”
“I seek Bayfire,” I said, my voice hardly a whisper.
“You
you you look for Bayfire Bayfire Bayfire?” The high pitched voice came
from the half man who half hopped, half walked towards me. I knew
instantly what he was, an Iman. Half human, half Imp, a powerful
creature.
“I
am he,” the man said, coming closer. I watched the shadow move towards
me. He put an arm on his friend, and Tride looked away. Freed from his
yellow eyes, I turned towards the shadow. He was a muscular man, his
build was smaller than the lycanthrope that stood next to him, but still
twice the size of the Iman that stood close to me. I glared into the
Iman’s eyes. We were natural enemies, Imans and Barafus. Imans commanded
the power of fire, and Barafus the power of ice.
“Who are you?” Bayfire asked.
“That is of no matter.”
“Why do you come here?”
“I seek shelter with you.”
“Why?
What are you that you can’t find shelter anywhere else?” I didn’t
answer, I just reached my bare hand up towards Bayfire, showing him my
palm and the mark of my people that was on it. It was a diamond, in the
center, a four pointed star with four squiggly lines coming from the
star. Bayfire studied my hand in silence, bending to see it closer. And
then, he straightened.
“I
see. Where are your people?” Bayfire asked. I closed my fist and pulled
my hand back into me, hoping the awful Iman had not seen. Life was
miserable enough, I didn’t need to add the fiery hatred of that
creature.
“I
know not, it has been many, many winters since I have seen them,” I
replied watching Bayfire carefully. His eyes were a dimmer yellow than
Tride’s, but they were the eyes of a lycanthrope all the same.
Lycanthropes were not known for their loyalty to outsiders, especially
to those that could pose a threat. They were most likely to kill before
asking questions, which left me to watch them more carefully than that
clumsy Iman. A look was exchanged between the lycanthropes and it was as
if they were making a silent agreement. I felt the cold boiling inside
me, ready to be used if an attack came. A nod was shared between the two
lycanthropes and then Bayfire turned to me.
“If
you agree to be part of our pack, then we welcome your stay,” Bayfire
said, extending a powerful hand to me. I watched his face in the
moonlight for signs of malevolence, but there were none. I took the
lycanthrope’s hand, and with no effort from my side, he lifted me to my
feet. Standing on my feet, inches from the tall and mighty lycanthrope, I
looked at the three creatures that stood in front of me. Bayfire was
looking at me with the same search for malevolence that I had shown him.
Tride stared at me sharply from over Bayfire’s shoulder, but looked
away when he matched my eyes. The Iman had hopped to Bayfire’s side,
looking up at him with anger and astonishment.
“No
no no! The the the Barafu cannot stay stay stay! Tricky tricky tricky
her is is is. Her her her be slippery slippery slippery! No no no trust
the icy beast beast beast!”
“Quiet HalfSmoke,” Bayfire said firmly, not looking at the half sized man that was at his side, glaring from me to Bayfire.
“No no no! I I I not stay if her be here here here!”
“You
are welcome to fend on your own.” The Iman fell quiet immediately. He
looked up at Bayfire with contempt and then turned with burning, blazing
glare on me. I returned his harsh look with an icy challenge of my own.
“If you are to stay, we must know what to call you,” Bayfire said, as if nothing had been said.
“Patara,” I said quietly.
“We welcome you, Patara.”
