User blog:Mauller/Absolution 003

Absolution, Chapter:003


To be depressed is to worry about the past. To be anxious is to worry about the future. If you wish to find true happiness, learn to live within the moment. – Tsu Zang, Great scholar of Tsopan. 500BL  ***** The long purple grass surprised me with how comfortable it was. It was a clear Night and the stars were on full display in their silent wonder. But the elbow that continued to dig into my ribs did not allow me to enjoy the moment. ‘I can’t see it! How can there be shapes in the sky? It is illogical. I don’t see a cat.’ She was waving her hand in the air and kicking her legs again.

‘Really? I told you before, you have to use your imagination. You don’t see lines like in the books.’ I poked her in the side which sent her into a fit of giggles. Her tantrums were cute in a way so I put up with them, even when she was being stubborn. ‘Just look harder, see? Just there.’ I took her hand and outlined the constellation above.

‘What are you doing?’ She yanked her hand away. When I looked at her, she started glaring at me. ‘Did I give you permission to touch me?’ She folded her arms then looked away. ‘Pervert…’

‘Hey! I only touched your hand… erm… and poked your side…’ With a huff she rolled over and turned her back to me. ‘I… sorry.’ Her body started shaking and I could hear her snorting. ‘Hey! Are you alright!’ I went to grab her shoulder but hesitated. She turned to face me again, her pink eyes sparkling as she grinned. We both burst into laughter in the end till she hit me in the stomach.

‘Just remember, I am a girl so I am a delicate flower.’ I couldn’t look at her, I turned away and started grumbling under my breath. She was more like a feral cat than anything. ‘Take that back! I am a delicate! Beautiful! Flower! And I should be treated as such, you scruffy urchin.’ Oh sod.

I looked back at her, she was kneeling behind me with her hands clawed. The moon was behind her and the wind was billowing her hair. She looked like a vengeful goddess of death.

‘Even cats look pretty from a distance… ahh! Get off me!’ My attempt to calm her down failed as she dived on top of me. We ended up rolling around in the grass. Or rather she was trying to claw me while I attempted to stop her. ‘Okay! I am sorry! You are the most beautiful and delicate flower in the Land!’

‘And you better believe it.’ With a final knee to my stomach, she rolled me onto my back then sat on my stomach. ‘See! Who is the best? I am the best. And you better believe it.’ She put her hands on her hips and grinned, but it only set us off laughing. She fell backwards and ended up laying on top of me. ‘Hey… what is this?’ Her hand lifted something from my side that reflected the red of the moon.

‘I erm…’ I squirmed underneath her. She looked back and removed her hair from of my face. She was holding the one thing I wanted to hide from her.

She held the object at arm’s length while she rubbed her chin. ‘Why do you have such a pretty looking knife?’  ***** My back was killing me. The pain was so intense that my muscles clenched, causing me to double over backwards. It seemed as though the trees had broken my fall as I was lying on a pile of broken branches. Although my sight was blurred and my eyes were watering, I was sure I saw the outline of a person on the ledge above. But it soon vanished when I blinked.

‘Ah! Shit! Now what?’ It seemed as though the wolves had not given up. Their howls continued to fill the night air. When the spasms had passed I managed to roll over onto my front.

‘The river.’ Ahead of me I could see the bank, it was not far, at least within running distance.

I looked to my side when I heard snarling and the sound of crunching snow. A black wolf was racing towards me with its teeth bared. My right hand gave way when I pushed off the floor to run. All I could do was raise my arm to protect myself. ‘Ahh! Get off!’ The wolf bit into my arm and started pulling. It was stronger than I expected since it dragged me sideways with ease.

‘Get off me!’ I felt helpless as it tugged me towards the depths of the forest. The wolf continued to growl as its golden eyes stared into my own. It seemed more intelligent than I first thought. Every time I tried to regain my balance it stopped then yanked my arm. Causing me to collapse again.

The wind started blowing a gale. The remaining leaves began to fall and dance among the trees. I could hear a second wolf barrelling towards me. Its eyes piercing me as it ran. I thought it was all over when the second wolf lunged forwards.

‘Get ready to run!’ The wolf disappeared into the trees when a dark shape collided with it. ‘Head for the river! I will meet you downstream at the bridge!’ The voice sounded familiar. The wolf pulling my arm let go then jumped at my saviour. A golden streak twirled in the moonlight, sending the wolf flying overhead.

‘Goldie!’ I felt dumbfounded. She had found me after I survived falling from a backbreaking height. Not that I was ungrateful, her tracking skills amazed me. As I continued watching, more wolves appeared and started attacking her. I broke out of my stupor when she shouted for me to run.

I pushed off the ground and darted for the river. As much as I wanted to help her I felt unable, I had dropped my axe before I ran. My hand and back were also burning and making it difficult to stand. When I arrived at the riverbank I saw a bridge upstream. I assumed it was upriver due to the turbulent flow of the water.

‘Why did this have to happen? I Wake up without knowing who I am, and now this.’ The howls were growing more distant by the second, I was hoping that Goldie had chased them off. It was hard going as the snow on the riverbank had turned to slush. But when I made it to the bridge I felt that all hope had been lost.

Standing halfway along its length was the white wolf, her blue eyes locked onto me as I slowed to a stop. I was already a quarter of the way along its length. But it seemed as though I had fallen into another trap when I looked back. Two brown wolves were approaching the bridge from behind. Their movements were slow and sure footed as though they had already won.

‘Erm… Nice wolf…’ Going back would be worse than forwards. So I approached the white wolf with my hands in front of myself. ‘I don’t mean any harm… I just want to get to other side.’ Her eyes narrowed and she took a step forwards. A deep growl started coming from her when she bared her teeth again. ‘This isn’t going to work is it?’ The low howl and scratching of wood from behind soon alerted me to the approaching assailants.

The only thing I could do was run forwards.

The bridge was old and I had to avoid rotten planks as I made my way across its length. The wolf had no trouble as it bounded between planks. When we finally met I side stepped, but her agility was greater than i expected.

My footing gave way when a board along the bridges edge broke. And the wolf clamping its jaw onto my arm put me further off balance. I tried to steady myself but the combination of unfortunate events sent me falling towards the guardrail.

I screamed from the pain in my ankle and arm. With The way the wolf twisted it sent our combined weight to the side. The sound of broken timbers reached my ears and I felt the handrail give way.

My body felt weightless until the ice cold water took my breath away.

I gasped for air once I broke the surface. The current was strong and the bridge was disappearing into the distance. I could see an occasional mass of white further downstream. But I was more concerned with staying afloat to worry. The freezing water did not help, I could feel it leaching the strength from my body.

I kept spinning as I went. It was difficult to stay afloat without worrying about the direction I was facing. But I stopped once something large struck me in the back. The force of the water kept me pressed against it. My fingers felt the rough surface of stone which helped me relax.

I had to laugh. ‘At least someone is looking out for me.’ My body was growing numb so I had to act quickly.

Something gripped my shoulder and started pulling me up the rock. When I turned to look, all I could see was a white furred outline against the moon. I thought it was a person until I caught a glimpse of two pointed ears. ‘W… Wolf!’ It tugged hard and almost lifted me clear of the river. But in my attempt to get away the wolf lost its grip and I rolled back into the water.

The current swept me along the moment I sunk into the rivers depths. When I surfaced again I was sure I heard a woman shouting. But everything went black when my head struck a rock in the oncoming rapids.

I gasped for air and coughed up the water I had ingested. The river seemed calmer wherever I was. The scenery was the same as where I left. Trees on either bank. It appeared that I had drifted to the shore at some point. But I did not have the strength to lift my head or move my body.

My sight was growing worse and I could feel myself drifting off. Something drew my attention at the last moment before I passed out again. I was certain that female voices were approaching me along the riverbank.  ***** My chest heaved and I sat upright. Foreign sights and smells bombarded me from all directions. It appeared that I was lying in bed within a small room. I grabbed my chest and continued to gasp for air, my lungs felt like they were on fire. But the feeling began to fade as I further woke.

‘Where am I?’

The damp bed sheets peeled away from my back as I sat upright. I looked about to find a clue to my location but I soon realised I was only wearing my underwear. It appeared that whoever put me here had placed a clean set of cloths on the dresser. And left a filled washbasin next to them.

‘Why does this keep happening to me?’ With a sigh I got out of bed and prepared myself for the day. The sun was still rising so I could not have been asleep for long. But after what happened in the previous town, I was a little doubtful of my assumption.

It felt wrong to leave the bed messy so I removed the linen and folded it. I went to the window and what I saw outside surprised me. Rows of trees stretched as far as I could see. Each of them clear of snow and ripe with fruit. My peculiar botanical knowledge had no understanding about why the trees were budding. ‘That is strange, are they blue?’

They looked as though they were heavy with apples. Yet my memories said it was an impossibility. The orchard was all I could see at the back of the building. ‘I don’t have time for this, I need to find out where I am.’

Outside the room the hallway was empty and the doors to other rooms were all closed. At the end of the hall was a stairwell, so I went downstairs to find myself in a well-furnished living area. The décor was telling me farming family. The assortment of ornaments and tools that hung on the walls were a large clue. But it was obvious that I was on a farm once I went to the window.

‘Well look at that.’ Busy would be an understatement from what I could see. People were performing various tasks outside while wearing winter wool's or furs. Some appeared to be wearing feathered coats. ‘That is odd, it almost looks as though the feathers…’

‘So you are awake then?’ I jumped and turned to see a middle aged man standing in a doorway at the far end of the room. ‘You alright there lad? Look like ya seen a ghost.’ He frowned while inspecting me, taking a few moments to look at my hands and left foot. ‘That’s odd. I could swear the girls said your ankle was dislocated.’

My entire body felt sore, I felt more confused when he walked over and grabbed my right hand. It was covered in bandages when I woke, but I removed them before I washed. ‘This is very odd, I tended this myself. I had to set three fingers yet they seem fine.’ He looked up at me and narrowed his eyes. ‘Girls did tell me… never mind, idle prattle.’

‘Excuse me? But, where am I?’ He finished manipulating my fingers then rubbed his chin. It reminded that Kimiko was going to say something about my hand. I should ask her about that. ‘The last thing I remember was hitting my head on a rock. Then lying on a river bank.’

‘Well you are on farm. Geoff’s farm and I am Geoff.’ He reached towards me with his hand so the palm was facing sideways. It felt a little awkward since He stood there for a moment before putting it down. ‘Not good enough to shake my hand lad? And after I put you up for night after the girls begged and all.’

‘What do you mean by shake and girls?’

‘Don’t ya know what I mean by a hand shake?’ I shook my head and took a step back when Geoff slapped his own forehead. ‘Did you bump your head that hard lad? The girls said you kept saying things in your sleep. Something about finding some girl.’

‘Kim!’ Why was I standing around prattling? I needed to find my companions. ‘The wolves! I hope she is alright. The wolves were persistent.’ Geoff cleared his throat, it was only then I realised I was holding onto his shoulders. ‘Oh… sorry, I didn’t mean to.’

The farmer smiled then started looking out of the window. ‘So, a pack of wolves after you lad? Are you certain they wolves and not dogs?’ I nodded, Geoff started talking under his breath till he sighed and looked at me again.

‘Well that is not good. I will need to tell the lads, the wolves will be after them if they get the chance. Better come with me, I will fill you in on the way.’ He went to the door and put on the large winter jacket that was hanging from it. ‘Well come on lad.’ He gestured to one of the various coats that lined the wall next to the entrance.

From the time spent trading with Kim, I gained a quick understanding of various clothing. The jackets were all women’s and made from wool. So I picked the least decorative and put it on. It was warm and comfortable. But I kept getting overpowered by an odd feeling at times. It felt as though I would doze off if I closed my eyes for too long. I had to shake my head and concentrate to stop myself falling asleep. ‘Just one more thing. There was a white wolf that froze the ground where she stepped.’

I never thought eyebrows could furrow as much as Geoff’s did. ‘My friend said something about Fenrir.’ Geoff covered his mouth while rubbing his chin. ‘It was like she had a vendetta against me. She appeared wherever I ran. She was also the reason I ended up in the river.’ Geoff hunched forwards and started snorting. ‘Are you alright?’

He threw back his head and started laughing. ‘A Fenrir lad?! You must have hit your head harder than I expected.’ He continued chortling for a time, increasing in volume when I rubbed my forehead. ‘Don’t looks so confused lad. They are only a myth, a story told to children to stop them staying out in the snow till late. It must have been clear-ice breaking when the beast walked on it.’

The word slipped from my tongue as though it was natural to say. So why did it feel that way if they don’t exist? Is there more wrong with me than just my memory loss?

‘So, Fenrir don’t exist?’ I looked at Geoff and he nodded. ‘I guess my mind is playing tricks on me.’ But the look she had in her eyes was gnawing at me. Just remembering her icy stare brought a chill. I just hoped that Kim and Goldie were okay. ‘Oh and… my name is …Martin.’

It was the first time I had used the name yet it felt right. Was it my real name in the end?

I held up my hand in the way Geoff did. He raised an eyebrow then grabbed it with his own. ‘Nice to meet you lad. You just looked like death for a moment, you sure everything is alright?’ He lost some of his hardness when he smiled. I nodded and said I was worried for my companions. ‘Then let’s head out, if you are going to stay here then I best put you to work to earn your keep.’

A familiar sinking feeling pulled on my stomach. And His eyes started twinkling like those of a certain girl I knew.

Why does this keep happening?  ***** The white wolf sat in a clearing within the forest. Her fur was still sodden and clinging to her body. She was tending to her paw. Blood was still flowing from the cut she received when the bridge broke. But it was not the worst of her worries, her prey escaped and she would need to act fast to recapture it. Unless she wanted to face the consequences.

The crackling of snow perked her ear. It brought her attention to one of the pack approaching her. It was their new leader. The large grey wolf approached at a slow pace with her tail in the air, the sign of her dominance.

The grey stopped a body’s length from the white and sat. Her golden eyes peering into the white-wolfs blue eyes.

She knew she had wronged when she took charge of the hunt. But she had to show the others that she was capable, even though she had failed again. So in deference to her leader and in apology, the white wolf lowered her head.

The grey narrowed her eyes then howled. Other wolves began to appear from the trees around the white. Encircling her in their trap.

She stood and kept her head low, whimpering to the grey while her tail lay low. But she yipped and jolted when one of the pack had bit her hind. The rest had begun to growl as they blocked her escape. She never looked away from their leader as others nipped at her body.

Her plea to their new leader continued as the other dealt with her. Although they grew up together the grey turned her back and walked away.

The white continued to whimper as she turned and looked to her sisters. The elders remained in the tree line with the young. And a few others she had grown with accompanied them. The members of the pack who surrounded her comprised of those a few years older than her.

She knew it was inevitable now, the white sat and cried. Her long and sorrow filled howl filled the sky with its unique and long wail. The wolves that circled her hesitated for a moment.

But they soon attacked when the whites call ended.  ***** Geoff turned towards the mountains and scratched his head. ‘Well that is strange, I have never heard a howl like that before… and wolves never call during the day.’ We were walking towards the barn that was a short distance from the farm house. It was a large thing with many windows up its side. Two large doors hung from the front of the building while smaller ones lined its side.

‘What if that is the pack that was chasing me? Maybe they have caught my scent?’ The farmer turned to face me, he had been explaining how the farm worked as we walked. He said they were apple farmers by trade but they sold an assortment of other produce. The majority being wool, eggs and milk. But he said they also made a nice amount of cider on the side if I wanted to try some.

‘It could be lad, but that last howl. I have only heard it a few times before… but never mind, I will tell the lads.’ His eyes kept darting about as he rubbed his chin. I could only think that something troubled him. ‘Yes, I will tell the lads. So let’s get you to work then lad. You can never have enough hands on a farm this large and you turned up at the right time. I have been needing someone to help tend to the girls.’

We continued to walk to the large building as numerous people went about their business. What surprised me the most was the number of young women that were working on the farm. I felt rather uncomfortable when they kept looking at me and talking amongst themselves. The thing that made it worse was how cute they looked wrapped up in their winter furs and wool. And the large fluffy hats they were wearing brought your attention to their faces.

It was hard to look away from the girls that had a large amount of cleavage on show. Till I noticed them giggling at least. I had to shake my head when and image of kimiko appeared in all her frontal glory. It snapped me back to what Geoff was talking about; something about shearing wool.

‘So you want me to remove their wool?’ The farmer nodded and patted me on the back. We had arrived at the large barn, he guided me inside as he continued his talk.

‘Aye lad, but before any of that I best introduce you to me own girls. They were the ones that found you after all and I am sure they would love to know that you be well.’ As we walked down the corridor I noticed name plates on the doors that we passed. ‘This is where the girls stay on the farm, my two are just ahead helping get lunch ready.’

A large open doorway was at the end of the corridor. The smell of food coming from it was intoxicating since I never ate the previous night. No doubt Kim would have the last laugh about that.

‘So how long do you want me to work? I need to find my companions.’ The room beyond was capacious and filled with tables. At one end was an opening that lead into the kitchen. And each corner of the room had a doorway that went elsewhere.

‘Just a day or two will do. Although if you wanted to stay for some coin, I could do with an extra pair of hands. I will also send word to the nearby towns if you give me a description of your friends.’ He smiled and kept pushing me along. I started to hear giggles and voices ahead. ‘That would be them now, daft beggars better not be playing again. Will be lunch time soon you see and people work on their stomachs.’

The giggling broke into screams and laughter. An eventual clattering of metal sent Geoff into a long sigh. ‘So, do you want me to help them?’ He looked at me and nodded.

‘Aye, now let’s introduce you to my…’ With the way he rolled his eyes it seemed obvious that he wanted someone to help them. ‘My pride and joy… even if those two can both be a handful.’ He opened the kitchen door and motioned for me to enter. I had to cover my mouth when I saw them.

They were both lying under a pile of kitchenware on the floor, covered in flour from head to toe.

‘Daddy!’ The two girls launched themselves at Geoff and began hugging him. They looked identical. The only way I could tell them apart was by the bows decorating the horns on their hats. ‘What brings you here?’, ‘We were working hard! Promise!’ It seemed odd, they sounded identical. Only their mannerisms distinguished them.

As I looked at them more, I saw the most peculiar thing. Hung on the back of their woollen jackets was a sheep’s tail. But it was raised in the air and wagging in an enthusiastic manner. ‘It seems a little hot in here to wear all that wool…’ I only realised I was talking when Geoff and the girls looked at me.

The girl with the blue ribbons tilted her head. ‘What do you mean wear?’ she huffed and narrowed her eyes as she stared at me.

The girl with the pink ribbons frowned and hugged Geoff harder. ‘Who is he daddy? I have not seen him before.’ She sounded quiet and reserved when she spoke.

‘Don’t be silly girls, this is the young man you found yesterday. He might be more presentable but it is still him.’ The girls looked at Geoff, then to each other, before looking back to me again. Both of their eye brows furrowed as they inspected me.

The girl with the pink ribbons pointed at me. ‘Why is he wearing my favourite coat?’

‘Burnt biscuits! It is him!’ The girl with the blue horns jumped then hid behind Geoff. She started looking over his shoulder while glaring at me.

‘Don’t be rude girls, he is here to help you both. So be nice to him.’ The girls started whining and whimpering. ‘No girls, he is here to help you so no complaints. And I though you would like to see him after you helped him.’

‘I did… but he’s wearing my coat…’ The girl with pink ribbons held Geoff’s arm tighter. ‘Did he smell it?’ I jumped at what she said, Not that I did it on purpose but the coat did smell nice.

‘He has perverted little eyes… I bet he did. We don’t need help daddy or someone watching over us, I won’t stand for this.’ The girl with blue ribbons kept hiding behind Geoff and stamped her boot on the floor. It made odd little click as though the heel was solid.

‘Now girls, stop being rude. I need to go and sort a problem. I will be back to check on you later. So be nice to the lad, he has had a rough night.’ The girls started complaining again but Geoff held them both by the shoulder and pushed them towards me. ‘No buts or there will only be spanked ones.’

Both of the girls turned to him at the same time. ‘Daddy! We aren’t little girls anymore!’ They started pouting at Geoff but soon broke into laughter. Geoff gave both of them a kiss on the cheek and a pet on the head. He said he would check on me soon and that the girls would look after me before he left.

They waved to Geoff as he left. But they both turned their backs to me and started whispering once he was gone. It worried me more when they looked at me while grinning. So I thought I would defuse the situation before they could start their plan.

‘Just one thing girls, you never said why you are wearing all that wool. And your horns look nice, how do the cute tails on your jackets wag like that?’ they both tilted their heads and their eyebrows furrowed.

The girl with the blue ribbons frowned then started feeling the wool around her waist. ‘You mean this? It’s not part of a jacket, it grows from me.’

The girl with the pink ribbons blushed then hid behind her sister. ‘He said our horns and tails are cute…’ When the other girl realised what I said her face matched her sisters.

‘What do you mean it grows from your body? So it’s not a jacket?’ The girls shook their heads in unison then held their horns.

‘No… we are were-sheep, the wool grows from our bodies. The same as our horns and tails, they are all real.’ The girl with the blue ribbons looked back at her sister. The girl with pink ribbons turned a deeper shade of crimson and hid behind her sister.

It became obvious the wool was not a part of their clothing the more I looked at them. A large amount grew around their waist and hung to their knees. It was like they were wearing a fluffy skirt bellow their tops. And what looked like shaggy arm and leg warmers were in fact growing from their bodies.

Their ringlet hair completed the image with the two small horns that peaked out of their woollen locks. The situation felt ridiculous as their blouses were also made from wool.

‘So the wool is growing from your bodies?’ They nodded. ‘And you both are sheep girls with real horns and tails?’ They nodded again.

Okay, I get it now. I am still asleep on the riverbank while dreaming.

‘You aren’t dreaming.’ The girl with blue ribbons huffed then walked towards me. She slapped me hard enough to make my cheek throb. ‘See, you are awake you buffoon.’ The girl with pink ribbons snorted then started giggling which set her sister off. Both of them looked at each other then grinned at me with a familiar twinkle in their eyes.

I sighed and went over what they said. When things dropped into place there was only one thing I could say.

‘What?!’  ***** The white wolf limped through the forest. Her fur was matted with blood and one of her eyes was swollen shut. But she carried on regardless, she had to survive. While walking down river she caught a familiar scent on the wind. Her nose dropped to the ground and she carried on walking. Further down the bank she found a disturbed patch of ground.

The scent was still strong and the trail led towards the open plains. She had found what she was looking for. This particular smell was the only thing remaining that had meaning to her.

This time her prey would not escape.

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