Thursday, July 26, 2007

Chapter 7- Ambush
Celie, Xana, and Kay stalked across the edge of the forest, Xana leading the way. they were at the very tip of the forest. two more steps and they would be in the GrassRetches. a distant howl echoed and Kay involuntarily shivered "i wish we were back in the forest, helping prepare for the full moon festival instead." Celie was silent, but then she muttered "i wish Syne was with us... i wish i had been at the last gathering... then i would have found out for myself." Celie had just been told that Syne had been injured on one of her patrols on the other side of the forest. two wolves had attacked her when she got separated from the rest of the group. she had survived, but with a cast on one arm and the council didnt want her out patroling if the wolves decide to come back to finish their work. the trio trekked onward, Xana pausing now and then to check the sky. when the moon appeared they would have to go back into the forest for the festival. usually they would cover the entire outline of their half of the forest and then go back in to make sure nothing had snuck in unsuspected. as they walked on, Celie began feeling strange, it was like something was calling her toward the GrassRetches. a strange desire, an urge. Celie stopped and took a deep breath. and suddenly, as sudden as it had come, it was gone. a wind whistled eerily through the trees, and the grass bent to and fro with it. Kay quietly remarked that it looked like a wave. Celie dejectedly walked on. the settings of the nearly dark evening felt melancholy. suddenly Xana stopped. "did u hear that...?" "hear what?" Celie wanted to ask but b4 she could, a savage growl erupted from the bush next to her. Celie jumped and felt Xana stiffen next to her. a dark form crashed through the bush and flung itself onto Celie. it snarled and gave a gruff bark and at once several bushes around them shook and out pounded three other creatures. they threw themselves at Xana and Kay, and left Celie to deal with only the first animal. the beast now on top of Celie bared his teeth in a feral grin. Celie stared with horror, it almost seemed as if the wolf was smiling in satifacation, but that would be impossible. Celie lashed out and heavily connected with the side of the wolf's head, it fell off of her. in the dim light she could tell the wolf attacking her was large, its eyes narrowed with anger ...and something else... was it confusion? nevertheless it pounced and aimed for Celie's chest. Celie kicked a leg high and let it slam into the beast's underside --as it was still in mid pounce-- and rolled on to her side as the creature landed heavily on the ground. it glowered at her through silted eyes and raked its claws down her thigh. Celie blinked. the movement had happened almost all too fast for her to believe; the wolf was on a nearly different level of speed. the amazement had nearly stopped Celie from feeling the pain. she gritted her teeth and smashed a claw into the beast's back, digging it down as deep as she dared. the creature reared up angrily, its hackles raised. Celie let her claws silde from its grip. her thigh was lined with long lines of dripping blood, but it hurt less than it looked. the wolf bared its fangs and silted its eyes, but didnt attack. its glare penetrated Celie's eyes and then, suddenly, she felt a nudge in her head. she shuddered. it was like when eris-Kyra spoke with her mind. but this prescense was different, it was alienlike to Celie. but... it seemed impossible, but who else would be speaking with her at this time, in that way...? the wolf. the prescense whispered, cease the fight, for u are one of us... the moon is full Celie gasped. the moon was full, the festival! she spun around to see that Xana and Kay were still embrolied in the fight. but with one last slash, Xana forced her opponent back into the GrassRetches, where it bounded off into to night. Xana and Celie hurridly helped Kay before dashing off to the woods. on the way Xana asked Celie how did she realize that it was time, during the mist of the fight. "the wolf..." she stopped herself. had the wolf really had told her...or was it a trick of her brain? if so what had really told her? Xana snapped her head around to face Celie. "'the wolf?!' the wolf told u?" she exclaimed, unbelievingly. Celie muttered,"something like that i think." Xana spoke, a bit harshly, "wolves dont talk!" "it was.. in my mind. . . and..." Xana cut in,"they dont mind speak either! i think they have gone to your head." they reached the festival as Syne was about to show-off her own accomplishment on the platform, even with one arm. she brought out a small ball made of something like crystal. she shook it and little lines of sparkling color danced and twirled within it, looking as though they had been spun. next went Kay, shyly, who played a strange rhythm on a blue flute. the song flowed hauntingly from the flute and seemed to trail through the air and echo eeriely among the trees. "wow" Celie whispered, "i never knew she played so well on a flute." as Kay stepped down the handmade platform, Elix went up. she brushed back a wave of ebony black hair and held out a tablet which had been intricately carved with a stag, knee-high in the water of a pond with lily-pads floating nearby. pine trees hung low under an oxbow moon. though it had no color the image was striking and Celie felt envy start in her heart. in a couple minutes it would be her turn and she would pick up her item from a nearby stone table display. she glanced down and realized her thigh had already healed. as Celie watched the show drag on suspicion entered her head. she knew that she, Kay, and Xana had been ambushed and, she wondered, how had the wolves known they'd be there? as she stood there pondering, her claws became unshealthed and grew longer and curved a bit. her pupils narrowed. when Celie felt her claws lengthen, she looked down in horror and crept out into the forest and ran. Xana was too bored and sleepy from the continuous show to notice, and dozed off. soon Celie reached the GrassRetches, and the exact spot they had been attacked earlier. heedless of the boundary, Celie ran on into the GrassRetches but then her back began to hurt in a way that forced her to collapse on the dirt. the excruciating pain exploded in her back and ebbed its into her limbs. the pain nearly stopped Celie from feeling her arms lengthen and angle, and her feet shrink and become thicker. she opened her mouth in agony and felt her canine teeth grow sharper and longer. all her her teeth grew thicker and pointed. her already tapered ears shrunk and grew narrow on top of her new head. soon the elvon Celie was gone, and instead was a wolf in her place . .
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