Annelise felt torn now. She didn't like this strange woman ordering her about. Yet, the woman's audacity towards the Alpha, Council, and other broke another quirky smile to her face. Everyone else in the pack seemed content to follow with no dissent. They tripped over themselves like rats clamoring for scraps of favor in hopes of being given a position of power.
"He's not even that strong." Annelise kicked a dead branch out of her way. The older female grunted and paused her steps.
"Oi, then, Proud Annelise. Shall you take a run at our weak chief then?"
Annelise stayed silent and sighed. Here we go. "I don't mean me. I'm still a kid. Maybe one day when I'm fully grown..." her voice trailed off. She was aware of the limitations, but someone had to do something.
"When you are fully grown? But why wait. He is a weak man after all. Might as well nip him in the knees before another comes along."
Annelise raised an eyebrow at the female's dry humor. Nipping at another's knees was hardly proper combat etiquette. But her words had truth to them. The younger female titled her neck as they regained their pace. Someone strong needed to rise up and lead the pack. A True Alpha.
Yes, show him what strength is.
The old woman continued forward humming to herself occasionally. Annelise followed, glancing behind and around whenever the Voice made itself known,. bBut Annelise had already come to a logical conclusion. She had suffered a psychotic break.
Unfortunately, such behavior wasn't rare. She was Lycan after all. Often called the pinnacle of the Moon Mother's creation, the gift of being both man and beast was a perilous one. First humans had hunted them; there the occasional war and in fighting; gaining one's wolf; Mating, all of which had been known to cause a break in a Lycan's psyche. They soon lost understanding of what was moral, even ignored Alpha order—-thus, they had to be put down.
Annelise shivered. She may have a habit of being a little unrulier compared to her age mates, but she knew when it was time to behave, usually. The girl shook her head refocused her gaze ahead.
Worrying about the fate of others long gone is hardly worth it.
Annelise became tense and nearly tripped over a raised tree root. She had let her guard down that the Voice startled her. She looked to the old woman who still ambled ahead without a backwards look. Annelise was certain that the Voice was only heard in her own ears.
"So, I am crazy, then."
"For wanting to challenge him?"
The woman's voice brought the forest back into a clear focus. Annelise looked up into her face. But the girl detected no ridicule or disbelief in the woman's eyes. They stood for a lengthy moment before Annelise realized an answer was expected.
"Do you think I could actually win?" Annelise lowered her voice trying to keep a hopeful tone at bay.
"No." Annelise waited. "I think you and I both know that there is no point in that. Someday soon; you could have the power to bring the Alpha to his knees ," the old woman shrugged secretly. "Life is filled with surprises. Ah, speaking of."
The woman surely trudged ahead before stopping in front of a large fallen tree. Her pale wrinkled hands pressed firmly, angling away from her torso. Annelise tilted her head back and exhaled.
The tree looked to be of a dense wood. Though it is certain a great force once pushed the tree passed its strength, no other effect of ware could be seen. Vines and ivy crawled over its mass, anchoring onto the dead bark. Annelise was sure that even if she and the old woman were to ram the tree with full strength and force, the tree would do little more than groan.
Yet Annelise stayed silent. Experience taught her that adult in her pack had the unfortunate habit of being hard of hearing, so Annelise wouldn't waste her breath. She'll see soon enough. Still…
Annelise walked over to the old woman and sighed. She knew it was pointless but, "Do you need help?"
The woman shook her head and grunted. "Just catching my breath. We can keep going now."
Annelise looked back up the width of the tree and clicked her tongue. "Go where? Climb up the tree?'
"Pah! Do I look like I have the legs to climb? No, we're going there." In a matter of fact tone, the woman motioned her walking stick to her left. Annelise tilter her head. The great deal of vines hung low to the forest floor. The woman then parted to looser vines away, which revealed a narrow path into a dark patch of the forest. Annelise walked forward and breathed in the dense scent that whiffed from the hidden opening. Stepping forward, Annelise could feel the difference in the air alone. Now of year, the forest was usually a bit dry with frequent breezes. But as Annelise stepped into the dark, secret path, the air was still and moist. She also felt a buzz that wasn't there before. She continued ahead. Her fear was silent, instead she was curious. She was certain that not many others knew about this space. The way was over grown with a thick study moss. Nothing to trip over, but proof that not many feet traveled this path.
Annelise walked further trying to take in her surroundings. But the sun was blocked by the dense overhang of leaves and tree branches. Annelise felt like she was in a different world. She inhaled but couldn't place the smells that greeted her. The air was different than anything she had known before. Annelise began to squint when a shallow light began to form in front of her. Certain that they had reached the end of the secret path, she rushed eager to be in the sunlight again. Her feet slipped and to swayed over slick rocks and rubbery roots. The light before her drew up sharply that Annelise almost fell head first. A good foot of space is all that separated her body from edifice that Annelise could see was glowing. Her jacket stretched away from her. Annelise felt herself further tugged backwards. Her feet grounded firmly into the forest floor and she delicately came to a more vertical position.
Annelise shot a look behind her and sheepishly grinned. "Whoops."
The old woman still held her hood firmly and she emitted a gentle growl. "Perhaps this would be late, but do watch your step. We would have a great deal of explanation to give if you were to hurt yourself. And I cannot carry you back."
Annelise swallowed and wondered how the old woman had caught up to her, let alone had enough strength to prevent Annelise from falling. As Annelise mused on her previous predicament, the old woman began to bustle about. Annelise cursed herself for being so clumsy. She had been too focused on what she thought she would see that she paid no attention to where she was. More than that, Annelise had not even paid close enough attention to the old woman's figure. Her walking companion was not just old. Old for her kind meant a few grey hair and firmer line within one's face. But wrinkles were a human trait, at least as far as 70 years. But the woman was more than old. Wrinkles covered her hands, wrists and face. Not to mention her head was fully grey. And she limped.
Small tins of clay against clay brought Annelise back. Once again, she was too focused on the wrong things. She hadn't even noticed that should bag the woman carried. From it the woman had already dress two bowls, a small bottle and what seemed to be wrapped herbs. Annelise had to smell that last one for her yes had still not adjusted. She looked over the glowing structure again. It struck her as strange that it could give light but now illuminate the area around it.
"How's your head?'
"It good." Annelise rubbed her brow automatically without thinking of the woman's word. Ion truth her head had not ached for some time. Was it just when they began their walk, did it stop at the tree? Annelise tilted her head and reconsidered that she'd run ahead to the glowing thing because she didn't have the burden of her migraine anymore. Once confirming that to herself, Annelise asked her next query,
"What gave you the idea there was something a matter?'
"You've been having splitting pain for a few weeks now. That and the pain from the last meeting are connected."
Annelise was taken aback. "How do you know- "
"You'll find I know a great many things child. Not all of which needs to be known by you but. Why didn't you tell your mother about your pain?"
Annelise fell silent. She hadn't expected that question. Why hadn't she spoken to Myrtle about the aches? Annelise scoffed at the thought. It hadn't occurred to her to do so. But Myrtle knew very little outside of her basket weaving. Annelise shook her hand and gripped the fabric of her pants. "She's not my mother." Was all she whispered
Annelise drew closer to the woman and stood over the women as mixing sound filled the air. "How do you know so much about me? Why aren't you like the other older pack members? Who are you?"
The old woman huffed and continued her mixing. "I have hardly the time to be like other people. Being and doing as others wants is a waste of my time. Yours, too."
The woman crushed a substance into one bowl and used her finger to mix in the rest of her ingredients. "As for introductions, let this be a lesson to you. Never follow a person into the woods, no matter how familiar they seem to you. Really. Remember that Annelise."
The woman reached one gnarled hand out towards the glowing object. Annelise was off pout by the object. It made the woman's hand look like a giant claw. The woman scratched at the glowing structure catching bits of it under her nails. The woman inspected the collation for a moment before scraping the bits into the mixture she had before her.
The substance took on a slight glowing property and a faint smell of sulfur filled the damp air. Annelise wrinkled her nose and searched for cleaner air, but the scent hung low and close.
"What are you making?"
"Tea, of course."
"That's tea??"
The woman chuckled and pour the contents of her bottle into the bowl as well, causing it to bubble. "Silly child, no. But there's no point in me telling you useless thing. Whether you know that name isn't going to change the taste as it goes down your throat."
Annelise sighed, and then thought over the woman's words. "there is no way I'm drink that stinky potion."
"Do you want the headaches to come back?"
Annelise inched away and shook her head. "I'm certain corpses have yet to feel a headache."
"You have read too many fables. I won't lie. This is going to taste awful. But it won't kill you>"
Annelise recalled her earlier warning, "And the meeting?"
"Drink, Annelise."
"And what about taking food from strangers? I still don't know your name."
The woman sighed and pushed the bowl out within Annelise's reach. You may call me Becky."
Annelise nodded and took the bowl. The smell of sulfur and the slight glow did not give her confidence in surviving the encounter. A small twinge in the back of her head recalled her migraines. Medicine rarely tasted good as it went down. And if the taste of medicine was related to the severity of the illness, Annelise was certain her migraine would need a stinky and horrid tasting solution. Firmly, Annelise gripped the outside of the bowl with her left hand. She then pinched her nose with her forefinger and thumb. If the humans were right, this would help. Closing her eyes, she dropped her jaw and poured in the content aiming to swallow in one gulp