Sabina awoke to feel a cool draft of air sweep through the tunnel into the den and she sneezed. The smell of herbs and vampire permeated the air causing her to sneeze a few more times and eyes water.
She shifted and the vampire awoke as he looked up at her fearfully. He looked down at where he laid and went pale, as he seemed to realize he was sleeping next to the enemy. He quickly moved away and Sabina slowly stood and shook out the dirt that had landed upon her while she slept.
She slowly looked back up the tunnel to see the light had penetrated the darkness of the den before she had awakened. She sighed again. She could return to the pack this morning and chance the vampire being found or return this vampire to his people.
She thought for a moment she could go back down the mountain range and drop him off there but there would be a chance she would be killed without a second thought…
She shook her head when suddenly she remembered the small village next to the ocean. It was a village created for the vampires who tried their chance in crossing the mountains to escape the Empire.
The only reason the village lasted as long as it did was due to the fact it was on the borders of the Dune Clan and the No Wolf Zone. The Dune Clans were a groups of small wolves that would trade for supplies from the vampires and the No Wolf Zone was just another place where rogues resided.
It was a difficult path but if the vampire rode her back he would be at the village in a day. Sabina looked back at the vampire and sighed again, should she?
The path would be faster if she went through the No Wolf Zone however it was a slim chance for just herself, to have a vampire on her back would be forgoing even a chance of making it. So instead she would just have to cross over the Petra clan territory before traveling in the ravine between the No Wolf Zone and the Dune Clan. It would be perilous but it would be easy so long as the vampire behaved.
The vampire who had been strapping his cape back to his armor stopped when he suddenly felt her gaze. He looked up warily to see she was staring at him and he jumped. He gulped and said something in his vampire tongue and Sabina sighed again. He could hardly be calm in her presence right now.
No, he would just have to walk.
Sabina looked away from the vampire to the den tunnel and narrowed her eyes. If she didn't send the vampire away there would a chance for him to be found or worse him finding the pack. No, she needed to take this vampire far away, so far that he did not have a chance to come back.
She transformed into her human form and cleared her throat in the hopes that she could explain her plan. The vampire's eyes went wide and his cheeks blushed as he turned away.
Sabina sighed forget explaining it, it might just be easier leading him to the village. She looked at him for a moment before she said "Come."
She didn't even glance over her shoulder to see if the vampire followed as she transformed into a wolf. She shook herself before she made her way up the tunnel, into the white world around the rock formation. She sat down in the snow as she waited for the vampire to come out of the den.
There was a long silence as she waited but not too long later the vampire crawled stiffly out of the den. Once outside and standing Sabina shifted once more into her human form.
"Follow." said Sabina as she watched the young vampire look at her fearfully. She sighed before she turned once more into a wolf and walked towards the forest leaving the vampire to trail after her.
After she made it to the edge of the clearing in the opposite direction of the clan she stopped and looked over her shoulder. The vampire was limping slowly towards her but he only made half the distance she had crossed in seconds. He was grunting in pain and Sabina sighed. It would be far more easier to carry him but she was sure he wouldn't feel safe on her back.
After all she wasn't a tamed horse. In the vampire's eyes she was sure he was convinced she was nothing more than a feral animal, and to be truthful she was. Beneath her flesh and meat she was a wolf down to the bones . Though feral was rather harsh word to place her under, she knew she would never convince this vampire otherwise.
Sabina waited till the vampire caught up panting before she once again began to walk into the trees, leaving the vampire to walk after her. She could hear it mumbling and grunting behind her but she didn't stop till she heard the vampire call out to her.
She looked back over her shoulder again to see the vampire was several paces away panting. She sighed maybe a day would not be enough to take this vampire to its people. Should she just kill it?
She looked at the vampire for a long moment contemplating her last thought when she saw fear cross the vampire's face. She shook her head before looking back to the path before her. No, she was doing well for the last twenty years she wasn't going to fail now.
She turned away from the path and walked back to the vampire who stood there gasping for breath as he warily glared at her. She lowered herself to the snow next to him and sighed hoping he understood to get on her back but much to her disappointment the vampire just stood there dumbly. The vampire began to mumble with a sarcastic tone as it slide down next to the tree to rest but Sabina growled.
The vampire immediately jumped back to its feet with his back against the tree as he shouted at her. Sabina sighed if only she knew how to communicate with this vampire then taking it back to it's people would be far easier.
She slowly shifted her weight against the vampire pinning its legs against the tree. She knew it would be painful but the vampire would eventually have to put one leg over her back.
The vampire screeched out in pain as he tried yanking at her fur to push her away, but to no avail she was far too heavy. Sabina sighed and the vampire spat at her as it seemed to curse her for cruelly pinning his legs to the tree. But Sabina rationalized this was far easier than trying to communicate with her limited knowledge of vampire tongue.
Several seconds passed of the vampire cursing and spitting when he finally jerked his leg out and put it over her back. Sabina immediately stood and the vampire screamed as it grabbed a hold of her white fur and practically could have choked her with it's grip as it hugged her neck.
She stood there for a long moment waiting for the beating heart of the vampire to slow when she felt the vampire sit up slowly. She sighed as she heard it mumble something and she slowly began to walk along the trail that only she could see.
She felt the light tug on her fur where the vampire clutched bunches of it in his hands. She sighed again this was going to be a long day.
The vampire sorely massaged his legs atop the wolf as it walked, he glared mercilessly. This wolf had nearly crushed his legs and all for him to get on it's back, because he was taking too long to catch up.
Well… then again he was rather thankful he was riding its back, walking had just been painful and weary for him. He sighed why would this wolf save him?
He bit his lip and laid down on it's back allowing the hips of the wolf lift his head to and fro, and to his surprise it was almost pulling him to begin sleeping when he shook his head.
He had to stay awake!
He sat up quickly to which the wolf stopped and glared at him. He smiled apologetically "Sorry."
The wolf sighed and once again began to walk along the trail quietly, almost making no sound save the small crunch as she compacted the snow. He carefully leaned back and laid upon her back once again.
Why had this wolf saved him? It didn't know who he was back home, after all it was a wolf secluded from the drama of his family. Right?
Unless it was on his brother's side….
He glanced at the wolf whose gaze remained upon the path before her, but he just chuckled to himself. What was he thinking, a wolf saving him because of who he was in the capital? What a joke!
The wolf flicked her ear back in his direction, causing the vampire to once more fall silent. If that was not the reason then why did she save him?
Even if it was for food he wouldn't be on its back let alone given magical medicine. He sighed maybe it was just saving him because it wanted to?
But that answer was too unlikely that he almost scoffed at himself for even entertaining the idea. There is not a soul in this world that would take time out of their day to save a person, let alone an enemy.
Perhaps he was foolish in thinking there would be no trade for saving his life. Even if there was a trade in the future he didn't mind, so long as he could escape from that prison like empire.
Suddenly the wolf stopped and the vampire sat up to see they had come upon a sight he never thought he would see. They stood upon the top of a cliff that allowed him to look to the horizon and see two climates separated by a large ravine. To the left of the ravine was sand dunes that rolled off into the distance, while onto the right of the ravine was a black mountain range that was colored by red leaved trees and yellow grass. Both were barren of life and he gasped.
"Where are we?" He glanced at the wolf who looked at the beautiful landscape before them through squinted eyes.
What could it possibly be thinking? he wondered.
Suddenly the wolf laid down and the vampire sat there comfortably not wishing to move, but the wolf growled and he quickly jumped off it's back.
The wolf watched him for a moment before looking to the sky above them, causing him to glance up too. The sun was just barely before mid day and for some odd reason he felt she was on a time limit.
"Do you have to be somewhere?" He asked sarcastically but the wolf only glanced at him before turning its gaze back to the ravine.
"Um why did you save me?" He asked but once again he was ignored as the wolf didn't even side glance him but seemed to be contemplating on the ravine.
He sighed "So much for trying to talk."
The wolf sighed and turned into a silver white hair naked beauty and he felt his cheeks grow hot. He had never seen a naked woman before but now that he had seen one he couldn't help but blush, even though she wasn't even the same species. Wait wouldn't that mean he was crushing on a dog?
He cringed at the thought when suddenly the woman said "We go. Quiet. Safe."
He blinked several times when he said "Are we going into the ravine?"
The woman blinked several times as well when he looked at the powder like dirt beneath him. He smiled and took a stick as he drew two squiggly lines which divided a drawing that semi looked like dunes and the other mountains.
"Ravine." He pointed between the two lines and then pointed at the ravine.
The woman watched his fingers and nodded as she said with a struggle "Ravine."
He smiled to himself as he pointed at her and himself as he said "We." He made a walking motion with his hand "Go to." He then pointed at the squiggly lines "Ravine."
The woman nodded and he sighed in relief, They were communicating!
He put his finger to his lips and said "Quiet" he then hugged himself and said "is safe."
The wolf nodded and went to stand but he quickly touched her arm and she growled. He recoiled back but she remained sitting waiting, for a moment there he had forgotten she was a wild animal.
He cleared his voice and pointed to himself "Asher."
She cocked her head and an eyebrow raised as of to say "and I care why?"
She stood and morphed once more into a wolf and laid down waiting for him to step onto her back again. He hobbled up beside her and put his leg over her back to which she slowly stood up this time. Once he was comfortable she began to walk along the edge of the cliff looking for a way down.
Once they descended the cliff there was a long stretch of flat land, and before long he leaned back onto the wolf's back drifting off to sleep.
Suddenly Asher woke up as he felt air rushing by his face, he quickly opened his eyes to see black dirt rushing towards him. He screamed just as he covered his face and hit the ground with a painful thud.
Asher groaned in pain as he sat up slowly as he looked around to find himself enclosed between two tall cliff faces. He was within the ravine.
He punched the ground about to shout in protest when a large canine teeth snapped at his face.
Asher quickly jumped back as he finally saw that he was surrounded by six wolves. They were gaunt but none the less they were larger than himself and he was in no condition to run. He looked around for any sign of the white wolf when he glanced up and he laughed.
There on the cliff edge he could see the white wolf was leaning over the edge above him with cold eyes.
So this was why the white wolf saved him, and it was to feed him to these starved wolves! He slowly got to his knees and crouching backing away.
"Good wolves.." Asher said it in a low tone as he took each step back when suddenly the leading brown wolf leapt at him.
Why? Why did he have to be betrayed now?
It was such a struggle to escape the Empire, his family and now he was going to die in the jaws of a wolf.
How unfair life was.