FSE

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I woke with a jolt, even though I kept my eyes firmly shut for fear of what I may see I didn't scream or cry aloud I just lay on my back breathing heavily. "A dream..." I gasp "A nightmare." for with all my mind, body and soul I wished that saying it aloud would make it true, that all could be as it was...regardless of my mistakes.

But it was not to be. Shivering from the sum of cold, fear and searing pain I opened my eyes, I hoped naively to see the thatched ceiling of my own home...but expected to see the cliff I fell from In my frenzied attempt to escape. I saw nought but darkness...no, moon or stars. It took a few seconds for me to realise what this meant, I was Inside...for a moment I felt myself let out the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding before sucking it back in with a gasp as I realised the ceiling above me was not of thatch...but of stone.

"Awake at last, I see." I knew that voice! I gasped once again as I saw the eyes, those amber eyes. I immediately scrambled back from the wolf, only to have it step closer. I tried to lift my self from the ground so I could run. The next few seconds were the most painful of my life, as I tried to lean my left arm on the floor It collapsed beneath me. Searing pain shot through my arm as well as the entire upper half of my back and my ribcage. A fell back to the floor convulsing In agony, Every spasm caused fresh pain to jolt through my body, every jolt of pain caused another spasm...endless pain. Screaming and oblivious to the world I felt a solid mass land on my chest and clamp my arms to the ground and hold me in place, The wolf, I thought, but I didn't care any more...I just wanted the pain to end, one way...or another. but death never came for me, with my eyes clenched shut I endured through the pain untill my screams died down and the spasms stopped. as I lay still taking shaky breaths, too scared to move for fear of another attack, I began to regain my senses. I remembered the wolf, I could feel it pressing firmly on my shoulders, I opened my eyes and inspected my...I didn't know what he was, friend?...foe?

He seemed smaller than when I first saw him...he was still at least a head taller than me but nowhere near as big as he'd appeared last night. He was covered in a thick coat of grey, white and black fur, He had a wolf-like tail and head. And of course bright amber eyes. It was at this point that I realised I was thinking of him as 'he' rather than 'it'. He stared down at me with amber eyes that betrayed his concern and pity, we stared at eachother for a few more seconds before he seemed content that the pain was over. Getting up slowly so as not to bump my shoulder, "Stay still." he warned before walking off, a suggestion I was happy to follow. I heard him rummaging through some things and wondered what he was doing although I didn't dare raise my head to check. At last he returned and set down few items before kneeling at my side. He lifed my head and placed a bundle underneath with my head supported as such I could finally study my surroundings.

I was lying on a thick fur mattress, a few feet in front of me was a roaring fire (which, from the smell and lack of smoke I deduced was peat). Surrounding me was a granite cave, the cold, dark stone seemed strangely welcoming in the soft glow and flickering of the fire. After about a minute, the wolf returned with a small bag. As he knelt next to me he pulled out some cloth, clay jars and various other items. he gingery, so gingerly lifted me into a seated positon leaning against him, he then proceeded to study my injuries. Once he had studied my shoulder bringing much discomfort to me, he looked me solemly in the eyes and said "You're shoulder's dislocated" As i heard this, I let out a groan and let my head rest on his arm. "I can fix it, but it's going to hurt...a lot. Is that okay?" I looked into his eyes again, and for the first time I saw that he really didn't want to hurt me, so I sighed and nodded in acceptance.

"Okay" He rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stick wrapped in leather, which he then placed in my mouth. "Bite this, and try to hold still. I'll try my best to keep this as painless as possible." He menouvered me so that i was sitting in his lap with my back against his chest, then placed one arm over my chest to hold me still and the other gripped my injured arm tightly.

We stayed like that for what seemed to be minutes but what I know now to be only seconds, I tried to prepare myself mentally for the pain that would surely follow. CRACK! All of a sudden, the pain in my arm increased tenfold, I bit down and tried my best to pull away from the wolf, who now held me firmly to his chest with both arms. gradually the pain faded, it still hurt but in much duller, more tolerable way. My spasms finished, I let out the breath I didn't realise I'd been holding and slumped back againt the wolf. As sleep began to overtake me once more, I felt the wolf nuzzling the back of my neck and laying me down on the bed.

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I woke slowly this time, my eyes fluttered open to see the same surroundings as last night, only now daylight poured in through an opening I didn't see last night.

As I rose into a sitting position I noticed that all of the smaller cuts a had previously were cleaned and bandaged. I was now grateful to my 'captor'? I decided then to settle for 'friend'. i picked myself up off the ground with a bit of groaning. I glanced around the cave looking for any signs of him, I saw a small opening letting in some light and made my way towards it; stumbling slightly from the stiffness and lack of light. as I excited the mouth of the cave, squinting from the sunlight.

"Hello" I heard, I turned towards the origin of the greeting and saw him. He was sitting watching a small stone pot a fire, resting on his haunches. Probably so he could jump up if I started to run.

"Uh...Hello" I replied hesitantly. I knew I was safe, but it didn't ease the shock of seeing such a creature in daylight.

"Are you going to try and run again, because it didn't end so well last time?" He asked quite sincerely.

"I think I've done enough running. Don't you?" I replied as I sat down on a log.

"Truer words have never been spoken" said the wolf; as he sat down next to me, confident I would stay. "What's you're name then?"

"Braell." I answered without hesitation, no harm in telling him my name.

"And your family name?" Asked the wolf.

"Argenson, but we don't really take much heed on Family names. Those are for nobles."

"Ah, so you're from Silverwood!" The wolf exclaimed. I was confused at first, then I remembered that 'Argenson' comes from the ancient word for silver, we were an old family but never very rich.

"Yes...why?" I asked, wondering why he was so excited.

"No reason!" The wolf said, I could tell that he was lying but decided to let it be.

"You've been out for two days," The wolf exclaimed, quickly changing the subject "You must be starving. Here I made some broth." He handed a crude stone bowl of broth and a small wooden spoon. I WAS starving, so I quickly took a mouthful of the hot broth. It was delicious, Im not sure if it was acually fantastic, or just my hunger. But to this day, I've yet to taste anything finer. We ate the rest of the meal in silence, when we were done he said.

"Put you're bowl and spoon over there, I'll wash them later." I complied and then sat down next to him.

"You never told me your name" I said to him.

"No I didn't." He spun on the log and looked into my eyes. "You have a choice to make."

I was confused, He saw this and said "You strayed from the Beaten Path" He said accusingly, I nodded in response "You tried to return to path but it was gone, correct?" I nodded once more.

"Then you have a choice. I can show you the way back to the path, you can return to your family and see them one more time," I smiled at this.

"But you will cast out of Silverwood. You will be branded as a wanderer, and wander you shall. You will never again feel the company of another person." I was shocked, I had heard the stories of wanderers. But I have never heard them like this before.

"Shopkeepers will be forbidden to sell you goods, townsfolk will be forbidden to give you food or shelter. You will die alone and far from your friends and family" He continued "OR..." he stopped and looked me in the eye again.

"Or..." I prompted, ready for anything that could save me from such a fate.

"Or you could stay here with me. you will never see your family again, but you will never be alone. You will live."

I couldn't speak, I didn't know what to do. What could I do? If I returned I would die, If I stayed I would live. But what kind of life could I live, knowing that I abandoned them.

I made my decision. I knew that I may regret it But it's the present that matters, not the future.

I looked up and gave the wolf my answer.

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To be continued.