Hair of the Wolf (Atroxa & Frelance)

[Atroxa]

Lilura stood quietly behind the desk of the herb and remedy shop that her mother ran, pretending to be wiping down the counter, but really she was trying to listen carefully to the hushed conversation that was taking place behind the closed door near by. The shop was small and cluttered, the walls lined with shelves filled with every manner of ingredient one could possibly need for concoctions ranging from tea to potions that could make one immune to fire or even breath under water. Many of them could also cure a wide range of ailments, rashes, fevers, a broken bone, a balding head, just about anything you could think of. Like most Earth witches, her mother specialized in utilizing what the Earth provided as a part of her magic. Lilura had this talent as well, and had grown up walking the woods with her mother and father, learning about all the plants and rocks and animals and all the different things that they could do. Like if you took the mushrooms that grew after a long rain and sprinkled powdered deer antler over it and then said the right incantation, it made it so that if you ate that mushroom, you wouldn't be hungry for days.

This was what her coven did mostly, making potions and gather ingredients, watching over the forest. They were a relatively unambitious and friendly coven, with a good relationship with the town they used as their center. Unlike many witches, Lilura had grown up free of the fearful prejudices still leveled at most of her brothers and sisters in magic. The War of the Covens had been many centuries ago, but people still feared them, even with the pact in place and the Hunters keeping them in check, killing any witch or wizard who dared to break the laws that had been put in place. Such fears never crossed Lilura's mind, she lived a safe, comfortable life, nothing she nor her coven did was even remotely illegal.

Lately though, everyone seemed to be growing nervous, and no one would tell her why. Today, an elderly Water witch from the next town over came into the shop, and hurriedly ushered her mother into the back room, where they had been talking for some fifteen minutes. When they finally emerged, the counter of the main desk had never looked shinier, and Lilura quickly focused her eyes elsewhere, pretending like she hadn't been listening in on them.

“Thank you for the news Gale, I hope you have a safe journey,” Her mother was telling the other witch as they emerged, the two of them clasping their hands together, one over the other until all four hands were stacked, alternating between her mother's own rough, strong hands and the older witch's softer, pale hands. “May balance find you at the end of the day,” her mother added the customary farewell, the neutral one used with witches of a different coven and a different element.

The other witch nodded gravely, “You as well, Tierra,” the witch said before she turned to walk away, giving Lilura a tight, forced smile before heading towards the door.

The bell for the door chimed as the witch left and Lilura looked at her mother, “Mom, what's going on?”

Lilura and her mother looked a great deal alike, with the same long brown hair, her mothers pulled back in a bun while Lilura's was done up in loose braids, and both had the same round, pretty face. Tierra's was older and creased with lines, but she was still pretty. Lilura was only eighteen, on the cusp of becoming a woman, her parents had been talking for a year now about finding her a husband with another coven, as was the custom. She really didn't know what to think about that. It was expected of course, but the thought of getting married and leaving home made her nervous. Thankfully her parents weren't so old fashioned as to force her to marry a man she didn't want.

Tierra frowned at her daughter's question, and seemed to consider whether or not to tell her for a long moment, and finally let out a sigh. “There was a coven killed a few towns away,” Her mother told her.

“A coven? An entire coven?” Lilura's eyes went wide. Depending on the size of the town, a coven cold be anything from ten witches up, so the thought of an entire coven being killed was a bit mind boggling to her.

But her mother nodded solemnly, “Yes, there have been more and more witches and covens killed coming closer and closer to our own for some months now. I have been keeping a close ear out for news, and the danger is growing.”

Lilura frowned, “But who would kill an entire coven? Surely the Hunters-”

“It isn't the Hunters,” Tierra frowned, “It is some monster, neither man nor beast. I've heard stories of this happening before, bursts of activity where entire covens are wiped out by some evil creature. I didn't really believe them though until now...” She trailed off, frowning deeply. “Come, we're closing up the shop early today, I want to get home before night fall and I need to go and talk to Brynna and tell her this news.” Her mother moved to go and lock the door before they gathered their things to leave.

Brynna was the coven's leader, and as Lilura stood outside of her small home near the town center, she thought about this ill news, occasionally having to pause her thoughts to smile and nod at people who greeted her as they passed. She wondered if her own coven was in any danger... what they might do to protect themselves, if they would leave.

She didn't ask her mother any of these questions though as they walked through the well worn road through the woods to their small cabin home. Lilura could tell her mother was stressed enough without being asked questions she had no answers too.

The sun was beginning to set, it was felt like night time already beneath the trees, which blocked out the last of the dying light, and Lilura and her mother walked quickly, not speaking, wary and watchful of their surroundings.

 

[Evo Var]

Scrin rolled over and groaned as he opened his eyes that opened to see it was midday outside the cave he had claimed for the last month as he stalked his latest prey. It had become clear very fast that the people who called themselves hunters had become complacent and did not deserve the title. He had watched his brethren over the last two centuries as they policed the Covens but as more time past he saw the vigilance of the hunters decline until now the covens did as they pleased with no one checking on them unless they conducted their black magic in public. He let out a low growl that was completely out of character for any human.

He made his way out of the cave starting on all fours but as he left the cave and walked to the river only a few feet away he stood straight or as straight as he could while his wounds from the night before were still healing. Admitting to enjoying anything of the curse that had been inflicted upon him was not something he enjoyed doing but he had to admit that the speed at which his body healed and its durability had come in handy more often than not. Checking the height of the sun as he knelt on the rivers edge he knew he would need to leave soon if he had a chance of finding out the information he had extracted from on one the wizards had been true or if the man had just wanting him to end his life.

Once he had gotten himself clean he dressed in the hunters gear he had kept with him for so long. The hunters used armor specifically designed to protect them from magic. The leather and the plate armor that was hidden under the leathers surface had runes and inscriptions engraved into its surface to repel as many spells and curses as its makers could think up. The same amount of detail had been put into the pants and boots with the boots having extra plating on the outside to protect the inscriptions underneath from elements since they were usually the first things to go out of the three pieces. He slung a thin slightly curved blade over his shoulder and a longer broadsword over his shoulder before walking out of the cave again.

He realized quickly that there must have been a witch or wizard not part of the coven he had slaughtered in the down since he picked up that very specific scent of human magic on the road as he walked along the shoulder. Scrin thought about turning back and tracking this last witch down but just as he thought he would turn back he spotted a sign marking the town limits. Pushing all thoughts of delaying for one witch he walked the rest of the way into town before getting down to work and looking for his next targets. As more people noticed him walking the streets he just knew that they would be trying to figure out why he was caring weapons that most hunters were only trained to handle because of tradition and instead using more modern weapons to hunt down their prey.

It had not taken him long to find the coven leader at their home. Scrin had to fight against the animal rage to keep from walking inside and slaughtering anyone inside but even he would not make it far after attacking in daylight. So he found an alley and leaned against the rough stone wall of its side hidden more and more in its shadow as the sun sank lower in the sky while he watched the house. It was as he watched the house that he spotted her. He had not seen Tarena since she had lead him into the middle of a pack of werewolves that almost tore him to pieces. He barred his fangs at the two women even though they could not see him but as they got closer he saw the that neither of these women were his Tarena but he was certain that she was they ancestor. As they left the house later he watched them go then looked back at the house and ground his teeth for a few moments before leaving the alley to follow the women to the edge of town.

He fell back and made more of an effort to walk silently as they left town. Even in the leather armor he made no sound except a very quite crunch of stones under foot. He caught the scent of fresh cut wood and old ash on the wind and knew he had to make his move before they got back to their home if he was going to get his justice. He broke out into a full sprint for a few seconds as he closed the distance between him and the two women quickly before his animal instinct to over and the first crack of breaking bone could be heard followed quickly by an enraged scream as Scrin jumped leaving the armor to fall into a pile on the road as his body contort and shift in mid air only to crash to the ground a few seconds later in writhing mass. It took him only a few seconds to complete the shift and scramble to his paws as wolf.

Growling the large grey wolf that had been scrin took off again towards the women. He didn't even hesitate when they split up following closely after the younger of the two that looked so much like his Tarena.

 

[Atroxa]

Lilura and her mother walked quickly, it was strange really for her. She'd never felt afraid like this, of some faceless monster stalking the trees. The forest was familiar and safe for her, she'd never had any reason to fear it or anything that lived in it. She knew the animals could be dangerous if frightened or injured but she had been taught that as long as you respected them and kept your distance they wouldn't harm you. Being an Earth witch provided her more protection than the average human who wandered the wild. The animals could sense her magic and that she was an ally of the Earth, not some hunter or potential prey. So this fear, this wariness, was new to her, and she didn't like it.

Lilura glanced over her shoulder thinking she had head some one behind them. But she saw no one and looked back ahead, glancing at her mother, wanting to say something to her. She said nothing though. Her mind was full of questions and worries and like a child she wanted to seek some sort of comfort from her mother, but Lilura stopped herself. She was no longer a child. She was nearly an adult, she needed to grow up.

Then she heard foot steps, and they were too loud for her to just be imagining things this time, there really was some one behind them. Both Lilura and Tierra turned to see a man running towards them, and both felt something was wrong with him. It was confirmed when he let out a scream and there was the sound of breaking bone and a burst of magic as he leaped forward and became a wolf. Both witches stared, wide-eyed, he was a werewolf! Tierra grabbed Lilura's arm and shoved her daughter away from her, towards the trees. “Run Lilura!” She shouted at her.

Lilura stumbled a few feet and started to run but realized her mother wasn't following, “Mom! Come on!”

“I said go Lilura!” Tierra snarled at her daughter, turning to face the large wolf that was sprinting at them, “Run!” The witch raised her hands and Lilura turned, running into the trees. Earth witches had the weakest offensive magic, and Lilura was too young to be very practiced with it, her mother though was older and more powerful.

Tierra prepared to face the wolf, her magic starting to gather to her, “Come here you beast!” She shouted, taking a few steps towards him, trying to get his attention so Lilura could get away. Her daughter knew the forest, she knew where to go to hide and be safe. But her eyes went wide when the wolf ignored her and turned to chase after Lilura into the trees. “No!” Tierra screamed, hurling a small boulder with her magic after the wolf, trying to slow him down. She couldn't catch up to them, but her home was only a bit away, she'd be able to see if it weren't for the trees, her husband was there, and he was a fire wizard, if anyone could handle the werewolf it was him. So she took off down the road, running as fast as she could, beginning to scream for Isaac.

Lilura had picked up her skirts and started running, jumping over fallen trees and roots, she thought her mother fighting the wolf, so when she heard her mother scream she stopped to look back, terrified she was being attacked. Instead she saw the giant wolf running after her, not her mother, Lilura's brown eyes went wide and she turned, picking her skirts back up and running, running faster than she thought she could, her breathing labored and her limbs aching.

 

[Evo Var]

Scrin slowed down for just a few seconds when the small boulder slammed into his side causing him to stumble to the side for a few steps before he regained his balance. He paused for a few seconds as he looked over his shoulder and snarled at the his attacker. The temptation to turn on her and go for the witch's throat was powerful enough to make him take a step towards her before he heard Lilura make some noise in the bush and he remembered who he really wanted. As soon as he heard it his head snapped around and he tore off into the forest knowing he could catch the human.

His lips pulled back as he saw the fear in Lilura's eyes when she looked behind her. He slowed his pace and started circling around her and crawled under a fallen tree. He caught her scent on the wind before he saw her and had to work hard not to make any sound as he let her draw closer to him. He sprang out of under the tree opening his jaw as he went for her legs wanting to take her down. He wanted to have some fun with her before he ripped out her throat.

He knew he could take her down with the element of surprise on his side but he was not as confident he could pin her in this form. As he felt his paws slam into the girl he looked straight into her eyes and opened his jaw reflexively as he spoke to her even though his words could only be heard by her and he made no sound. "Stupid Witch, if I had wanted to kill you back at the road I would never have let you see me until I sunk my blade into your flesh." He was bluffing but she didn't know that and he was just trying to stun her long enough for him to make sure he could pin her. "I am very happy you ran. It means I get to toy with you just like your ancestor toyed with me before she tried to kill me." He paused only momentarily before adding. "Unlike her I will make sure you are dead before I kill the rest of your family."

 

[Atroxa]

Lilura looked behind her one last time, and didn't see the werewolf, starting to slow down. Had she lost him? Had he gone after her mother? She didn't know, but she knew her mother would know where to find her, they had their places. So she'd go to one of those and wait for her or one of the other witches there. She was still nervous though, every noise made her jump, for the first time in her life she was afraid of the forest. Night was descending and it was getting darker by the second.

She let out a scream as something erupted from the underbrush and leaped at her, knocking her back onto the leaf-littered ground. Lilura instinctively threw up her hands in an attempt to protect her face and neck, not that that would do much good against the werewolf. And she struggled to get away from him, kicking and trying to scramble away. But his paws slammed into her shoudlers, pinning her down and she was left trembling under him, panic shocking through her. Her own brown eyes stared wide and frightened into his. She could hear his words in her head, confused. “M-my ancestor? What does that have to do with me? I haven't done anything to you!” She told him desperately.

“Please, let me go, I haven't done anything wrong! My coven abides by the Pact, and I've never hurt anyone or anything in my life!” She begged, her eyes starting to shine with tears. She didn't want to die, and she didn't want her family to die. Lilura had never been more frightened in her life.

 

[Evo Var]

"The Pact?" He there was a low rumble in his chest as he laughed. "Your kind has never followed the pact. Your covens just got better at hiding it." His head snapped up as his attention was pulled away for a second. As he turned his attention back to her his claws pushed into her shoulders to stop her from wriggling so much under his weight. "My mine is dead because of Tarena, now I will make sure her line stops with you." His eyes went back and he took a step back from her resting his front paws on either side of her chest as he let out a low growl. He crouched down over her as he raised his head to scan the forest around them.

He seemed to relax after a few seconds and turned his attention back to Lilura and running his paw over her shoulder resting it next to her neck. "Don't worry I will make sure your family's death is long and painful." He watched her looking to see if she would except her death or panic and try to fight him off like so many of her kind had tried to do before.

 

[Atroxa]

“No! We're not hiding anything!” She told him desperately, “We abide by the Pact! I swear to you!” She was trembling violently, her hands pushing against his furred chest, though he was far too heavy for her to push off her. As he moved over her, preparing to kill her, she let out a soft sob. She thought about her parents and the rest of her coven, and this monster's promise to make them suffer before they died, for some imagined slight against him. They'd done nothing to him! She didn't even know who this Tarena was! There was little she could do against him, she had some command over the earth and the plants around them, but in her panicked state she could only just barely summon enough strength to perhaps throw a rock at him and that was about it.

Then something struck her mind and her brown eyes went wide, “Wait!” She gasped, “Wait! I can help you if you let me live!” Lilura told him desperately. “I-I have heard of a cure for this curse that is over you. I could help you find it and perform it!” It was only half a lie. She had heard rumors, but nothing substantial, nothing that she would have bothered mentioning if he were any other customer or patient that came seeking help with an ailment or curse. It was the best she had though. If she could just keep him from killing her, she could figure out some way to escape him later.

 

[Evo Var]

"Believe what you want but your kind never sticks to the pact." His control started to slip as he remembered all the witches he had hunted down in the last two centuries. As that control slipped his jaws opened and pulled back ready to strike. It was just as he was about to strike that she started speaking again but it was not until she said she heard of a cure that he froze. He listened to the rest of her offer with his teeth less than an inch from her neck and after a few seconds he let out a low growl of frustration. Pulling back he looked at her trying to decided if she was just lying to save herself. "You have three days to come up with something that will convince me that you are not lying." He took a few steps back from her until just the glint from his eyes could be seen before he spoke again. "Try to run and I will just hunt you down."

He turned and ran deeper into the dark until he was sure she would not be able to see him before he slowed and circled around to get close to where he had left her. He could not trust her and he knew that but the chance to get rid of his curse was not something he could pass up. He had given up hope that he might find a cure long ago or at least he had thought he had given up hope. As he crept as close to Lilura as he thought he could without being detected he wondered if he had just come to accept that he would be forever cursed and taken it as giving up hope.

 

[Atroxa]

Lilura's eyes were wide while she waited for him to either kill her or accept her offer, his large teeth merely an inch from her neck. When he pulled away she let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her hand lifted to rub her neck, aware of just how close she'd come to having him rip out her throat. She listened as he told her that she had three days to find something to prove that she wasn't lying. And that she would be stupid to try and run. She nodded earnestly, her eyes wide. “Yes, yes of course!” She whispered. And then he ran off. She just sat there for a few moments, feeling stunned. She'd come so close to being killed... but she was alive. For now. Now she had this task on her, to find a cure for the curse of the wolf.

Then she heard people coming, and some one calling her name. Lilura got to her feet quickly, looking in the direction she'd heard them. It was nearly dark and she could see torches. “I'm here!” She called, not going to them, she'd been taught to stay where she was when some one was looking for you. She didn't move until her mother was some twenty feet from her. The two women running the final stretch to one another, embracing in a tight hug. Her father was just behind her, grabbing them both in his strong arms and holding them.

Her coven gathered around her, all of them relieved to see her safe and unharmed, if a bit shaken up. They all went together back to her home, where she was given tea and a tonic to help her sleep, and as she lay in her bed, falling asleep, she could hear her parents and the others discussing what had happened and what they were going to do.

It wasn't until the next morning, when she finally woke and wandered out into their small sitting room, that Lilura had the moment to talk to her mother about the deal she had made with the werewolf. Her mother sat staring at her for a long moment, obviously disturbed, “Lilura... those are but rumors!” She whispered.

“What was I to do? He was going to kill me!” Lilura told her, running a hand over her pretty face.

Tierra let out a sigh and pulled her daughter to her in a hug, resting her chin on top of her head, “No, no you did the right thing.” She whispered to her, closing her eyes for a moment, trying not to think about how close her daughter had come to being killed. It had been bad enough last night, when she'd thought her daughter had merely managed to outrun the werewolf, knowing now what had really happened, she felt like crying.

“I'll help you, we'll search every book the coven has, there has to be something,” She said as she took Lilura by the shoulders and held her away from her a bit, lifting her brows and nodded in a resolute way.