"You need anything else, hun?"
The question stirred me from my thoughts and I looked up to the woman puzzled. As if my brain had finally caught up, I quickly shook my head with a smile. "Ah, thank you," I muttered out as she began taking my empty dishes. She walked away and I felt myself relax. I let out a small sigh and started fumbling through the maps and tourist pamphlets. I was absolutely lost. I had no idea where she was going, other than some cottage in the middle of the woods. Which didn't help me either. I took another sip from my glass of water and just kept staring at the papers before me. As if the answer would just jump out at me.
I spent the remainder of the day yesterday at an inn, digging through these papers. I barely got a wink of sleep last night. I was worried about Abby and if I would be able to find her before she did something reckless. The inn owner suggested this little truck-stop diner for breakfast and said I might be able to get some more information. I found a few more maps, but nothing that could really help me.
"Say, Becky," a burly voice called from the other end of the diner's countertop, "What kind of pies ya got this mornin'?"
"I don't have any, Sean." He started to mumble out some upset, but she cut him off. "Don't you start. I had them in the oven and some woman came in here asking questions about Elevie's place. Got so caught up in all that ruckus, forgot they were in there. Burned up right nasty, they did."
"Who'd be looking for her place? Crows been dead for how many years now?"
I almost spilt what was left of my coffee as I tried to get up too quickly. The waitress came rushing over to me with a towel and asked if I was alright. I sputtered out a few nonsensical words, unable to get them out right as I fumbled with helping clean up a bit. I took in a quick breath and got myself together a little better.
"I'm sorry. Did you say "Crow"?"
The two of them exchanged puzzled looks before the brawny man nodded gruffly.
"That's right…" He started, still eyeing me up and down. "Elevie Crow lives out in the woods near Bjerrmark. Rumor has it she was chased out of town by the people years ago. They found out she was doing strange things to the pets at a clinic she worked at. Any animal that got brought in, usually died from unrelated causes. It's all rumor though."
"But there is a house out there?"
The man shrugged and went back to eating his breakfast.
"Please, I need to find it." I turned to the waitress as she filled my glass. "The woman you mentioned, did you tell her how to get there? I'm looking for her."
The waitress got this kind of gleam in her eye and she smiled softly.
"She must be important to you for you to be coming after her…" I nodded and she brushed out her apron in a flustered manner. "Some men," she cut her eyes to the other man at the counter, "know how a bit about romance." She looked back at me and let out a small sigh, shaking her head as she began fiddling with the coffee machine. "Oh, but, honey, the only one who knows how to get out there was Elevie's son. And he doesn't come around here anymore since his mama died."
"Do you know where I can find him, then?"
I looked between the two of them and they both shook their heads. I let out a sigh of defeat and then asked for the bill. Once I had it paid, I sat there and studied my mind. "Bjerrmark, huh," I mumbled to myself, staring at the mark on the map. I could probably manage that.
I went back to the inn and checked myself out. The inn owner told me about a bus that ran through Bjerrmark. He told me where the nearest stop was and the times it usually ran. I had about an hour until it would come through, so I made my way to a nearby store. It was one of those local places, like a general store. I knew the clothes I had were no match for the weather up here, so I got some that were better suited. I changed in their restroom and then picked up a few necessities. Things like bottled water or easy snacks.
When I came back out to the bus stop, there was a rather scrawny looking man with thick glasses sitting on the bench as well. As I approached him, he looked up and smiled a rather toothy grin. I nodded with an awkward smile and took a seat beside him. We waited there for the bus in silence. But, when the bus did pull up and we boarded, the man sat next to me. There were plenty of other seats, so I wasn't sure why he sat there, but it didn't bother me too much.
"Where are you heading?" His raspy voice caught me a little off guard as the bus began pulling from the station.
"I'm… Visiting a friend of mine… He's taking care of some things at his mother's old house."
It felt a little sickening to lie like that. But Elevie Crow did have a son and it was probably a better option than the truth. The truth was I was looking for an old woman's house in the middle of the woods to help my friend help a pack of wolves. He seemed to study my face for a moment and then let out a chuckle.
"I'm headed back home." He held up a bag of groceries and sat them back in his lap. "Names Tobias, but my friends call me T.C. Who's your friend? I might know his family."
Now, I felt like I had two options. I could make something up or I could see if, on the slim chance, he knew the Crows. I felt pressured as he watched me, waiting for an answer. For some reason, I went with the latter.
"He's one of the Crows? His mother was Elevie?"
T.C. just stared at me for a moment, his face void of any reaction. The sudden raspy chuckle that he made while he shook his head, made me jump a bit. He sat back in his seat and pulled his hat down over his eyes.
"Sure, I remember Elevie… I'll take you there when we reach Bjerrmark."
It was my turn to stare at him. My hattrick really worked? He didn't say another word and eventually fell asleep. I was a bit dumbfounded, to be honest. It seemed too easy in a sense. I looked out the window and watched as the landscape raced by. A new feeling of hope began to spark inside me.
The bus pulled up at Bjerrmark and I followed T.C. off. We got in a beat up old Chevy truck and started driving back to where he lived; since he needed to "drop off his groceries''. The entire ride was also in silence, neither of us attempting to break it. He pulled up next to a trailer home and told me to just wait in the truck. I watched as he went inside and then looked at the trees around me. I think that was the first time I had really grasped how strange all of this was to me; how different it was from home. Abby's voice faintly echoed in the back of my mind. It was her telling me her story and it was almost like the world she described had grown to life before my eyes.
I was jerked back to reality when T.C. opened the driver side door suddenly. He jumped up into the truck and pulled away before getting back on the road. We drove for quite a ways until we came up to a dirt trail. It didn't look like it was really big enough for cars or trucks, but T.C. drove onto it anyways. The drive was rough for a while, jumping and bucking as we drove on. I thought for sure my stomach was going to end up in my throat. I turned to look at T.C. and he looked unbothered by it all.
Just as the road seemed to get worse, T.C. brought the truck to a stop. I looked around and all I saw were trees and brush; not a trace of civilization to be seen. I went to ask, T.C., but he had already stepped out of the truck and started pulling a rifle from the back. He must have seen my eyes widen because he shook his head with a smile.
"Oh, don't you worry. This is just for protection. We're gonna have to walk from here and don't want any creatures to pick you off, yeah?"
I nodded slowly as he shut the door and came around the truck. I looked out the window one last time before swallowing hard and getting out as well. My senses were flooded with the smell of the woods and it took my breath away for a moment. T.C. gave a short nod and then started off, while I quickly got to my senses and hurried after him.
I found myself stumbling over tree roots and fighting off low branches. Meanwhile, T.C. moved easily, like it was natural for him. I will admit, I was also distracted by everything around me. Abby had described everything to me so vividly, I felt like I was in her stories myself. Not that I ever doubted her, but this was almost like a dream to be here now. The woods were amazing. T.C. would make a few remarks here and there; about the trees and weather. It was like he just saw this as some kind of nature hike.
I did notice that we hadn't really seen any of the wildlife, aside from a few birds. I thought back to Abby's story and remembered how she always said the woods were full of life. How could it be this silent now?
"Is it usually this quiet, T.C.?"
He paused briefly and I took this as an opportunity to take a water break myself. Now that we were still and not adding any noise, I realized how truly quiet it was. It felt a little unnerving.
"The critters have been scarce recently… Damn wolves have probably eaten everything."
"The wolves?"
T.C. nodded, motioning to his rifle and I felt an uneasy curl in my stomach.
"What'd you think this was for? Between them and the bears, we need all the protection we got."
My mind flashed to the thought of Abby's wolves; them running through the woods. Then, the thought of her with them. What if she really did find a way to go back somehow? What if we ran into her here? And T.C. shot her… The thought made me feel like I was going to hurl. T.C. started onward again and I shook the thought from my mind and followed after him. After it felt like we'd been walking for hours, T.C. stopped again and turned towards me.
"This is as far as I go." A small flick of fear ran through me. "You'll be fine. It's just a little ways ahead. Just follow the stream over this hill. You can't miss it."
I couldn't get the words out of my throat as I looked where he told me to go. I tried to protest, but when I turned back to him, T.C. was gone. I looked around for him for a moment, but I didn't hear footsteps or anything. I turned back to the hill and took a deep breath. I gathered what courage I could muster and headed up the hill. I had to do it… For Abby...
I found the stream just on the other side of the hill and followed it just as T.C. said. The trees seemed to grow darker and I looked up at the sky. It was all but blacked out by the canopy of the trees. The wind nipped at my face as it got cooler. I felt a sense of worry creeping into my mind, but the sight of the treeline breaking up ahead gave me some relief..
I pushed away some of the lower hanging branches and stepped into an open meadow. There in the middle was an old wooden cottage surrounded by a beautiful array of wildflowers. Vines draped from the roof, making it look like nature was trying to devour it whole. As I came closer, I noticed the door was hanging off the hinges with foliage ripped around it and thrown about.
While I was somewhat captivated by it, I heard a clatter from inside. My heart jumped in my chest and then I suddenly became aware of how frantically it was beating. Despite the fear, I couldn't force myself to run or hide. I slowly took off my pack and gently sat it outside the door. I peered inside and saw nothing, but darkness.It was dusty and so drastic in contrast from the color that surrounded it. Another crash. I stepped inside and the floorboards creaked and groaned with each step. Another crash. I couldn't tell which was louder, my heart or the noises from the darkness.I continued down a long, narrow hallway, stepping over the books that were strewn about.
Out of nowhere a book came flying out of the room at the end of the hall. I froze and watched as another book came flying out. I waited a moment and then came to the doorway. Inside were bookshelves knocked over and papers scattered everywhere. And there in the middle, long brown hair draped over a pair of sunken shoulders that shook and heaved with shaky breaths.
"Abby…"
She spun around at the sound of her name. Her wet, teary eyes widened with shock and in one complete instant, she threw herself at me. She buried her face in my shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably, and I held her tightly.
"I finally found this stupid place," she cried into my shirt, "And I've torn it apart, but- But it's not here!" I tried to calm her, but she continued on. "I have to find it! It's the only- The only-"
Her words were fighting to come out between sobs and she finally gave up. I continued to let her work her emotions out, just being there for her to lean on. I managed to help her up and we made our way back outside to the porch. I helped her side on the steps and pulled a bottle of water from my pack, handing it to her and encouraging her to drink. Soon, she had settled herself quite a bit and I sat beside her. We didn't speak for quite some time until I let out a small sigh.
"… Some kind of good-bye, Abby…"
"I'm sorry…," she whispered, brushing her hair behind her ear, "I've never been good with goodbyes… But I'm glad you got my note."
"Indeed, I did. I've just got one very big question." She turned to look at me and I smiled gently, "Since when do you call me Curtis?"
Her eyes lit up briefly, and I almost saw a smile on her lips, but it disappeared as quickly as it came..
"… Devon was here… The entire place smells like him…"
I turned to look back inside and now noticed the little tufts of white fur along the cottage floor.
"Have you seen him?"
"... No... And if I did... He would've tried to kill me..."
"Abby, Devon wouldn't-"
"The last time Devon saw me, I disappeared into this place." She cut me off and her body tensed up. "He only came in because I called for him. And when he saw me, I was human, again. He probably thought I was being attacked by the human he found. So, he was trying to protect me and chase me out of here…"
Abby and I sat there in silence. I knew there was little I could say. I was going to try to argue when we heard footsteps coming up from around the side of the cottage.
"Damn, wolf! I'll learn you to tear up my property!"
We both rose to our feet quickly as the steps came closer. A man a little older than me came around the corner with a shotgun in hand. I moved in front of Abby instinctively and we both held up our hands. When he saw us, he let the gun fall to his side and let out a sigh, running his free hand through his hair.
"Thought you were that damn wolf again," he muttered out before eyeing us suspiciously, "What're you two doing out here. This is private property, you know."
I began to speak, but Abby stepped up from behind me.
"I was told this was Elevie Crow's home?"
"Yes. She lived here. I'm her son, Isaiah."
Abby fell silent and seemed to be deep in thought. I placed my hand on her shoulder causing her to jump a bit. She looked at Isaiah and then took a step closer to him.
"This probably won't make any sense… But I'm looking for a book your mother used to have?"
"A book?"
He gave Abby an incredulous look and she looked like she was trying to find the right words.
"Did your mother ever do anything… Unusual?"
Abby and Isaiah both looked at me. The words had just slipped out on their own, really. Isaiah's eyes grew narrow and his free hand tightened into a fist, the other clenching around his gun.
"Are you referring to the rumors about our family? That my mother used "witchcraft"?"
"Are you sure they were just rumors?"
"Look, here." Isaiah stepped up to me and I felt a brief rush of fear. "My mother was chased out of town because of some superstitious nonsense. She wouldn't hurt a fly. You hear me? If you're here to dig up and dirty her name, you can just be on your way."
I think Abby and I both realized, in that moment, that Isaiah wouldn't be able to help us. I picked up my bag and began to apologize. Abby had been staring at the porch floor. She looked up at me and I could see the despair in her eyes. I nodded softly and we stepped off the porch. We only took a few steps before we heard faint giggling.
We turned around and I saw a young girl, no more than ten, kneeling in the grass. She was whispering to a weasel in her lap and had a small black and grey bird on her shoulder. When Isaiah saw the confusion and alert on our faces he stepped to the edge of the porch and let out a small growl. He walked over to her, standing between us.
"I told you to wait for me at the truck."
"But, dad, the little shrike told me-"
"Elevie, I told you. The animals can't-"
"Did you say… "Elevie"?"
Abby's trembling voice cut him off as she took a cautious step forward. Isaiah gave her a warning glare before looking down at his daughter, causing her to stop. The weasel in her lap made some sort of squeaking or barking noise and Elevie smiled gently with a nod. She sat it down in the grass before standing and brushing off her dress. The weasel stood still for a moment before scurrying off. Elevie looked at Abby and a small smile crossed her lips.
"You were supposed to stay in the truck."
"Yes, sir," she started, eyes flashing up at her father, "But I wanted to play with the shrike. Then, I found the little weasel and he helped me find some ginkgo and turmeric. I can make that po-"
"Elevie."
Her father's firm voice silenced her and her eyes looked back to me and Abby. The little bird was still perched on her shoulder, unphased by the people around them. It seemed to tweet something to Elevie because she nodded her head slightly. There was something unnerving about the way she watched us, but I couldn't quite place it.
"We're going home, now." Isaiah's voice startled me and caused me to look at him. "I suggest you leave before I need to call the authorities."
He took his daughter by the hand and began heading back for the woods on the other side. I heard Abby let out a defeated sigh. I told her we'd better go and she nodded slowly. We turned away and had just reached the edge of the woods when Elevie called out.
"Wait!"
Elevie pulled away from her father and came running up to Abby. Isaiah's eyes filled with shock as he watched. She motioned for Abby to come closer and Abby kneeled in the grass in front of her. Elevie took her hand and began looking deep in Abby's eyes. It was like they were mesmerized by one another, like Elevie was looking for something. Silence was all around us and a sudden rush of wind seemed to break it.
Elevie suddenly smiled and reached into a little brown satchel that was tossed over her shoulder. She pulled out a book with a bright red cover. Abby gasped slightly as Elevie placed it in her hands.
"I found this book in my grandmother's cabin. Grandad said it was Grandma's favorite. It's magic." Elevie pressed the book firmly in Abby's hands. "The weasel said he remembered you helping him a long time ago. And the shrike said you needed this. It's helped me a lot, so I don't think I need it anymore."
She didn't wait for Abby's response. She smiled up at me and then ran back to Isaiah. She took his hand gently and he stared down at her. He turned to give us a short nod and Elevie waved before they disappeared into the woods.
I looked down at Abby, who only stared at the book in her hands. Her fingers traced over the golden trim delicately, like if she were too rough it would fall apart.
"… Is this it?" Abby managed a nod and I looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "So, you can go back…"
As the words rolled off my lips, I felt that sadness again. The same as when I thought Abby had left me behind. I pushed that feeling away as we headed back onto the porch. Abby began searching through the pages for the text she needed and I watched as the Sun set. Luckily, I was able to find an oil lantern in the cottage with a bit of oil left. With its light, Abby kept searching. She paused suddenly and looked up at me.
"This is it!"
Before I could ask what to do next, a sudden snarl echoed through the empty meadow. I looked out into the darkness and saw the drastic shape of a white wolf sauntering toward us. His teeth were barred and his eyes were locked on the two of us, shifting between Abby and I. His skin seemed to drape from his skin and he looked malnourished.
Abby froze beside me. She knew it was him. And, in a sense, I did, too. His blue eyes seemed to flash with rage as he came closer into the light. Abby softly began to speak, her voice causing the wolf to snarl out again, flashing his teeth at us. I looked down to her and saw her reading the passage.
"A spirit freely Given, The magic Wolf Song, To aid Another, To Right a Wrong…"
He began to pick up his pace to almost a run. I called Abby's name, but she didn't stop. She yelled out the last words and the wolf was lunging for her.
"To take another Home, End another's Strife, To help Another, And guide another Life!"
Everything after that final word was a blur. I remembered reaching for Abby to pull her out of the way and seeing the flash of wolf's blue eyes as he almost landed upon her. A pure white light seemed to burst forth from the book, engulfing us all. It slowly faded away and I blinked my eyes, adjusting back to the light of the oil lamp.
I looked at Abby, but she wasn't there, at least not in the same sense. The white wolf stood with a brown wolf pinned beneath him. He was no longer growling, but seemed rather frozen over the wolf beneath him. He stared at her in shock and, when the brown wolf seemed to smile, a feeling of relief washed over me. Her golden eyes beamed up at the white wolf as she licked his muzzle. Abby managed to get to her feet and the two of them began whining and circling each other, seeming to happily embrace one another. I felt something begin to well up inside me. I wasn't sure what the feeling was, but it almost hurt.
My heart felt like it would explode. I couldn't contain the overwhelming joy that was bursting from every fiber of my being. Devon and I spoke at the same time, not really making much sense of each other as our voices seemed to blend into one. I just kept burying myself into his warmth and the sound of his voice in my ears again made me all the more excited. All the struggles I'd faced to get here and all the pain I felt from missing him seemed to melt away as I looked into his eyes. Finally, having him with me again.
And, then, I felt my whole world shatter around me.
The echoing gunshot rang through my ears and everything slowed around us. I saw Devon's face contorted with pain and heard him let out a harsh gasp. His body collapsed by my feet and my eyes widened with horror as I saw the hole in his side. His white fur began to grow red as blood spilled out from the wound and pooled on the porch beneath him. Tears began rolling from my eyes and seemed to burn my skin. I saw a figure approach and turned towards it with a snarl ripping from my throat.
An older man stood just on the edge of the lantern's light, but I saw him plain as day with my vision restored. He tossed the gun to the ground and I was about to lunge for him when Curtis stepped in front of me. My eyes flashed to him and then my eyes fell back on the man, burning with rage.
"T.C., what are you doing?" His voice seemed to ring out with anger as he yelled the question.
"Taking back a long overdue revenge," he said nonchalantly, letting the gun fall to the ground beside him.
His voice came out flat and husky.
"Revenge? What are-"
"My name is Tobias Crow." His words caused both of us to freeze and his narrowed eyes met mine. "You killed my Elevie, my wife. So, I've taken what you love most."
I went to lunge again and Curtis stopped me. My body wrecked with the rage building inside me. I forced myself around him and felt him try to grab me. I had to stop myself from instinctively turning to bite at him. My eyes met his and his eyes widened with alarm. I let the growl break from my throat before turning away and snarling at Tobias again.
"With that, I've made my peace." His body began to shrink against his bones like I had seen before. "I used what little bit of Elevie's magic I could to wait out my time. I had already gotten revenge against the rest of you vermin, but I had to wait for you. Her true killer. Knew you'd be back though." He held up a hand and it seemed to turn to dust in the faint wind that was beginning to grow around us. He let out a soft chuckle.
"Ran into your friend there," he nodded to Curtis, causing him to flinch, "When he told me he was looking for my Elevie, I had a feeling. My boy, Isaiah, had been waiting to get that wolf. Told him it was the one who killed his mother. He's been coming for years and never managed to get him. I knew he'd be coming earlier, asked to tag along. Then, my darling granddaughter, pure to a fault, heard from her shrike that you'd be here. Kept talking about you to that bird when they came back to the truck. I knew you'd be waiting for him. I just had to wait a bit longer."
By now, most of his left side had seemed to fade into dust. Curtis's body shook and then tensed up. I felt him lift his hand from my backside and without anything to hinder me, I ran for Tobias and launched myself at him.
"It's done."
With those final words, my body crashed into his. I went for his throat, but his body burst into a cloud of dust. It dissipated around me as I clumsily landed behind where he had stood. I let out a few more disgruntled growls and my body shook with rage. I wanted to kill him for what he had done, but I was denied that right. Curtis called my name and my head snapped up, eyes meeting his. He had a guilty look in his eyes. Had he really led that monster to us?
Before my mind could swim further with conflicted feelings toward him, I saw Devon still lying on the porch. I rushed past Curtis and stood over him.
"Devon…"
He didn't move. I felt my body collapse beneath me as I laid by his side. I rested my head onto his back and couldn't hold back the broken whines that tore through me. Tears overflowed from me. I finally got him back and he was gone from me again. The pain felt like it would be too much. I wanted to stay there with him, even if it meant I had to die, too.
I wasn't sure how much time had really passed, not that I cared. Suddenly, a golden white light began to shine down upon us. I pressed myself harder against him, shaking my head with denial. The whines were even louder and I tried desperately to hold onto him. All to no avail. His spirit slowly raised up from his body as I had seen many times before. Devon turned to me and brushed himself up against me, embracing me and I cried out pitifully.
"No… No… You can't leave me… I can't lose you again…"
"Abby… Everything's going to be ok… I promise…"
"No!"
The denial in that snarl rang through the air around us and then fell silent. There was so much pain burning inside me. I tried my best to hold it in, but it just hurt so much. All this time, all I ever wanted was to get back to him. How could I have fought so hard, just to have it ripped away from me all over again. The breeze swept around us like it was calling for him. Devon turned and glanced up at the moon. I turned to and saw the distant figures of Corbin and their mother. Devon lowered his head and nodded slowly, as if they had spoken to him. He turned away and took a step into the light.
"Devon, please…," I begged, trying to follow him.
"Abby," he growled, stopped to look back at me, "You have to stay. You have to be strong. The pack needs you."
"I can't be without you anymore!" I couldn't fight it anymore. Everything came spilling out of me. "Since that day, I only wanted to find you… To get back here… To the pack… To Benry and Kala… But you… More than anything… I just wanted to come back to you!" He was silent and I stared desperately in his eyes. "Devon… I can't go on without you… I won't."
"… I wanted you to come back, too, Abby…" His voice was quiet. "And you did… You came back. And, now, I know the pack will be okay… Because you can help them. I can go home. And I'll have every memory we shared… I'll never be without you again."
"… After all this… My fight… All of it was for nothing…"
My eyes fell to the ground and I closed them tight. I didn't want to watch him leave. I couldn't bear it. Suddenly, I felt his warmth against me again. He nuzzled into my neck before forcing my head back up again.
"I will always be with you… Watching over you… But, Abby, I have to go. You know that."
I stared deep into those blue eyes. A wave of defeat came crashing down on me. There was nothing I could do to keep him here. And it wasn't fair of me to ask him to stay, I knew that. He would stay here with me if he could. But it was out of his control, too. I gave him a soft nod before trying to bury my face into his spirit again.
He slowly stepped back into the beam and I saw Corbin smiling down at him, waiting for them to play like they used to… I let my head fall again and waited for it to be over. My heart breaking yet again.
***** A/N: If you like what you've read or are enjoying things so far, lemme know! I appreciate any feedback anybody wants to give! Thanks! *****