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5: Red Talons Strike I awoke to a fresh feeling, though my body was a bit stiff. The dew on the tent sides was fresh and wet, very real. I exited the tent, alert and awake. I searched for Fang, but the only trace of him was a pair of sneakers- who knows how he got nice new ones after a hundred years here- and a t-shirt. I supposed that he had gone out a ways to find his breakfast or something, but I must admit that I was worried. I sat down on the edge of the terrace, observing the ominous woods in daylight. It seemed that the magic had gone, and a new fear had taken its place. I was beginning to think of what beasts were conspiring to attack me, when Fang's slender body appeared in the midst, topless and shoeless, looking alert and even feral. He was very composed, though; he kept walking toward the rest stop, and I wanted to run down and talk to him, my instincts new better. As he approached, his eyes drew open further at the site of me. I guessed it was the morning hair I got on occasion, but he yelled over to me, "You're up earlier than I thought!" Had he been out doing something he didn't want me to know of? He strode up on to the porch, turning to get his missing clothes items. "Where were you?" I asked, trying my best not to sound nosy. He looked down at his rather tattered shirt that he held in his hands, which had been fine yesterday, and then back at me. I noticed that he had bloodstains around his mouth, and a bit on his chin. I didn't even let him reply. "My God, you're hurt!" I gasped, taking my own shirt and wiping away the blood. He backed away, trying to laugh. "No, I'm not hurt, it's nothing, really. I just- just went out to find some berries. They're quite good; I should have gotten you some, but I didn't think you'd be up until later-" I sighed in relief, after I did, so did Fang. He wiped the rest of the "blood" away with his tattered shirt and then slipped it on, followed by his partially soiled sneakers. The tension was thick in the silence as he stood there and pretended to double-check his shoelaces. "Well, we'd better get going. You only have two days left." I nodded, but it reminded me, "Fang, what will happen if I don't get out on time?" "Well, Juniper claims that those who can't make it out on time are cursed here forever, but she just does that to put the pressure on. After all, you can't just let trainees have all the time in the world to fulfill their duties." I giggled nervously, but the fear I had felt earlier nibbled at my gut less and less as we walked through the woods and talked casually. We passed the wooded, cave-like clearing again, going on through a different path. Fang seemed more tense now; he leapt up and pivoted around as a nearby bush rustled. I turned round, too, unable to shake the intuitive feeling that rested in my heart. Something growled deep within the bushes, shaking the very earth. "Get back," Fang said harshly, getting in a fighting stance. His eyes flared with that animal-esque ferocity again, and he growled deeply. I stood my ground, keeping my fists to my sides, ready to fight by his side. There was no way that I would play the damsel in distress. I had to change my cowardice, and now was the time to do it. In one flash, a giant, black creature sprung from the bushes and dwelt a mighty blow to Fang's chest. I didn't scream, but I quaked with fear and surprise, crying out as Fang hit the ground. Three more wolf-like creatures stepped from the surrounding shrubs, grinning sadistically. I stood there, unable to move, summoning my courage. Fang looked up at the leader in contempt, leaping back up. His eyes flared, his teeth bared fiercely. "Talon," he spat. Talon, the leader, chuckled in a hoarse, guttural voice. "Yes, Fang, you got something right for a change. Who do you think you are, trespassing on Red Talon territory? You think you're some kind of higher power, you disgusting miscreant of a Black Fury!" Fang spat at the ground by Talon's hindquarters, growling. "I'm as much of a fighter as you, Talon. Now get the hell out of here before I kill you." I watched in awe as Talon turned to me for a moment, glaring. "And who's the little witch? Another sacrifice, SilverFang? Another babe barbecue?!" The other wolves laughed in that horrible tone, making my wince. Fang flew in to a rage. "How dare you speak about her that way! I'll kill you!!!" He lunged at Talon, his body lurching forward in liquid movement, his eyes fully yellow, his skin a mess of matted, black fur. A swift tail grew, and his entire body became that of a gigantic, two-legged, humanesque wolf. Talon thrust his deadly claws in to Fang's gut, causing him to howl in pain. Fang stumbled to the floor, blood welling in his mouth. Talon laughed, raspy and evil, weighing Fang down from getting up with one enormous forepaw. "Now, SilverFang, you will no longer be a bother to us. You die." "NOOO!" I screamed, tears tracing paths down my cheeks. I couldn't just let him die like that; he was my friend. The pack all looked at me, including the bloodied Fang. I fired a blast at Talon, one like the blast that Juniper had shown me how to use. Talon hollered in anger and pain, glowering at me. Fang took advantage of the weakness and shoved Talon off of him, staggering to a fighting pose. My power was surging, ebbing away a bit, but still there. I felt golden, invincible. But that didn't matter. The heat of adrenaline overtook my brain. "Get out of here, Keara! Now!" Fang cried, turning back at me. His face was bruised, and blood trickled a steady course from him mouth. Two of his ribs were showing through his flesh. The tears were still hot on my skin. "No! I'm going to fight, too! I'm not leaving you!" I cried, powering up another golden attack. Talon recovered quickly, the smell of smoldering fur and flesh dank in the air. He ordered his men to grab me. I struggled and protested, but their grip was like an iron vise. I was trapped, useless to Fang-- a damsel in distress. "You'll pay for that, you little-" Talon snarled, saliva dripping sluggishly down his bloody chin. Fang lunged at Talon, howling eerily, plunging his pink teeth in to Talon's chest, ripping at bone, muscle and sinew. Talon screamed like an animal being slaughtered, his voice choked with blood, which flecked the ground and bushes. Fang slowly ripped out the wolf's heart, crushing it in his jaws with a sickening finality. I was sick and dizzy and afraid all at once, unable to comprehend what Fang had become, or what had just happened. Talon was dead, and the rest of the pack fled fearfully, devoid of a master, releasing me. I collapsed to a sitting position on the forest floor, gathering my wits. I gazed over towards Fang, who was clutching his side in pain. I realized that he needed rest more than I did, and I ran over to help him. "Fang, are you all right?" I asked, stupidly. It was rather obvious that he wasn't. He nodded, breathing hard. He kicked Talon's bloody corpse, spitting out his blood. "Yeah, it's fine. I can heal these in no time. And Talon's dead, so that's another good thing." I put my arms around him, helping him walk a little. He transformed in to a human again in my arms. The wounds had vanished, and I had wiped away the bloodstains on his face with my shirt, which I knew was going to be a lot bloodier by the end of the journey. "That was incredible, Fang," I said, trying not be too sick with the knowledge that he had just killed someone by becoming a big wolf and eating their heart. "But-" I remembered earlier that morning, when he had returned without a top or shoes, blood trickling down his chin, ''-Why didn't you tell me you're a werewolf?" He looked down at the ground, breaking away from me. "I didn't tell you because everyone who finds out is automatically terrified of me, and...I just didn't want you to be afraid of me." He looked in to my eyes then, innocent and kind, and I saw how mature he really was. "Fang, I could never be afraid of you. In fact, you're the only person I've ever felt safe with. Just promise that you won't keep secrets like that from me any more, okay?" "You're serious?" "Always." He laughed, lessening the drama that our friendship had just taken on. We kept on moving, and for a while I forgot that I was trying to get out of the Dark Woods. It just seemed that we were wandering about, with no reason at all, but I eventually remembered. ''So, what'll you do when you're out of here?" Fang asked, brushing back his dusty hair. I gazed in to the ancient sky, saddened. "I-I don't really know. I suppose I'll keep writing. Maybe I'll write about this whole, crazy adventure." It was then that I knew I never wanted to leave; this place was where I belonged. I still felt foreign to it in some ways, but something about it bound me there. It was too late, though; we'd already come this far. I didn't want to just give up, but I didn't want to part with this place, either...Or with Fang. Yes, I admit that I'd grown rather fond of him. He was so protective and funny, so innocent and charming. He was a wonderful friend. I looked over at him, wondering what he thought of me. "H-How did you heal so fast, Fang?" I asked. He chuckled, eyes glimmering again. "It's a power that both were-creatures and Earth Guardians possess. You should have it, too, but I don't know if you've developed your powers that far yet." "How could I find out if I have healing powers or not?" "Well, you could find a way to wound yourself, then hold your hand over the wound and it should heal. It's a bit risky the first time, though, because there's no way to know for sure if you've developed a healing power yet, and if you haven't, then you're stuck with a painful wound." He grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Wanna try it?" "Er, no thanks." We both laughed, the trees growing less dead as we continued. In fact, the black grass was less sparse, and the sky was bluer. No, it wasn't an exaggeration of how wonderful it felt to have a companion like Fang. For no apparent reason, Fang said, "Your heart's beating very fast. Are you still scared from that fight?" I shook my head, taken aback. "N-No, I'm just...Excited about getting back, I guess." I lied. Fang smiled. "How can you hear my heart beat, anyway?" "It's my wolf senses. I can hear most heartbeats, but only if they're doing anything abnormal. And I noticed that yours was going really fast." I blushed, wondering why he'd brought it up. "Really?'' "Oh, yeah; Like a track horse- If that's the expression you... Earth Guardians use." He turned to look at me, smiling that classic smile, the one I'd grown so used to in the past two days. Fang had been right; my heart was beating fast. I shook my head, knowing that it was a stupid idea that- Well, that I was falling for him. Utterly ridiculous. "Look, Chicquita, you're probably tired. There's a rest stop up ahead, and by tomorrow we should get to the portal that leads to Sharn." "Sharn?" I asked, bewildered. He nodded. "The portal only leads out of the Dark Woods, but from there you should be able to rent some kind of travel tent to get back to the Mortal realm." The sky grew darker, cloaked in mystery. The magic returned like colour to a frightened face. "Fang," I said, shaking a little. I don't know why. "What will happen to you?" His emerald eyes grew sad, and his lips fell from their position. "I'll say good-bye, and go back to helping other trainees out." I felt my heart beat even faster; Fang noticed it, too. "But- Will I ever see you again?" I whispered, my voice fading. I didn't know why, but it felt terrible to hear the answer. Fang turned away, his voice sounded funny, "No. That's just the way it is." I sighed, my stomach feeling queasy. I didn't want to have to say goodbye. Fang was my only friend, and...Well, he was almost more than that. I didn't want to let him know how I felt; it would only make it worse to say goodbye, so I just stood there, watching his back quiver ever so slightly as he turned back around. "There's the rest stop," he announced, pointing over to some yonder trees. Surely enough, I could see fires burning, controlled, in the distance. We both walked on in silence, casually. I personally think that neither of us wanted to think about good-byes. The rest stop was padded with blankets; another porch. I put on a fake personality to add some different atmosphere. "Don't tell me we're sleeping here," I said, smiling at Fang. He nodded his head and smiled. We both gathered blankets and made up our beds, all without talking. I longed for the same conversations we had had before; this silence didn't seem right on our last night together. However, I did have a lot to think about; I was seriously considering staying here, just buckling down and hoping that Fang wouldn't be mad at me for throwing away all the trouble we'd gone through. Somehow, I was assured by how peaceful Fang was, gazing up at the stars. I didn't think he'd get mad. It just wasn't his type of thing. I turned to him and said, "I don't see any stars I recognize." (It was, I found, a good conversation starter.) Laughing in his rather deep voice, he got up and walked over to where I lay. He lay down beside me, gazing up at the sky's glittering stretch. I saw his eyes fill with a gleam, one that comes with memory. "There's the Giant Wolf," he told me, pointing to the North. I saw it shining up in the heavens. "That's the Blood River," he said, pointing westward. "Over there is the Smiling Cat," pointing east. "And over there is Ruby," he paused, looking over at me. I had my eyes closed, drifting in to sleep, but I knew that he was watching. I felt him drape a blanket over me, sigh contentedly, and lay down to sleep.
