Arya

Wrestling with something three times your size isn't one of the things I fantasized about.

It presses my hands down with its paws, snapping my makeshift spear in two halves.

The hunter doesn't even attempt to help me - he just sits there watching with a mouthful of meat.

I force myself to stare into the face of my oppressor - a Direwolf.

It lowers its snout to my face, sniffing me thoroughly.

I hold my breath, afraid to move even an inch.

Then, it growls, baring its teeth predatorily.

"Help." A strangled plea erupts from my lumpy throat.

Then, it steps away from me, close enough to still attack but far enough that it no longer poses an immediate threat.

It looks at the man at the fire.

Immediately, he falls on his knees, bowing with his face to the floor.

I watch the proceedings, wondering if he is one of the worshippers he mentioned.

The wolf turns back to me, inching a large paw forward.

I scuttle backward, gauging my chances at escape.

"The more you run, the more it will chase you. Just submit."

Does he mean that I should bow? Why would I want to do that?

I give in, survival overshadowing pride and values.

As soon as my head touches the ground, it howls into the night.

I dart a glance at the man in black. He just stares forward, into the shadows.

That's when I hear it - thundering hooves.

More wolves.

"Run!"

I ignore her. The hunter had advised me not to run.

"Are you going to heed the advice of some random man who has no care for your life? Arya, run now! You are a foreigner - they are going to kill you!"

Her tone is urgent, alarming even.

My instinct urges me to lean into her warning.

Slowly crawling to my feet under the wolf's watchful gaze, I start backing away without breaking eye contact.

"I need my demon form back, Fang." I whisper.

She chuckles grimly.

Then, whispering the worst curse word I know, I spin on my heels and dash into the woods.

For a moment, it's silent - nothing is coming behind me.

Then, I hear it.

I might not be as lucky as last time - there had been a cliff.

"I didn't take your demon form from you, darling. But, you know, that's not your only strength".

The last thing I want to use is my necromancy ability.

There's nothing to resurrect, no dead to control.

"You know it's of no use to me out here! Just help me!"

She laughs out loud.

"Why should I help you when you want to kill me? Even my love has its limits, darling."

A fallen log blocks the path in front of me.

Bracing myself, I jump over it.

But, my foot connects with one of the protruding branches, causing me to stumble.

I crash onto the ground covered with dead leaves and dry twigs.

The path slopes down, sending me rolling along its length.

In between spins, I catch sight of the wolf jumping over the log in one smooth leap.

It's getting closer. Much closer.

It howls again, eliciting other howls from its comrades.

And it's not alone.

I bump into a stump painfully. I scramble to my feet, picking up the pace as well as my injured side allows.

My dress is torn, exposing the skin of my abdomen.

Claw is going to pay for everything he is putting me through.

As I sprint through the dark forest, my hair gets caught on one of the branches.

I rip it off, losing a few strands in the process.

A thought blooms. I could climb the tree.

Turning back, I search for the wolf - it is still a good distance off. Slinging my arm over the branch, I pull myself up.

I repeat the strenuous process until I am sitting on the top branch - a good distance from the ground.

It speeds past the tree and I heave a sigh of relief. But, the relief is short-lived - it comes back.

It keeps sniffing the air until it looks up - at me.

Another wolf joins, fur black as the night. Their yellow-ish eyes glow in the dark, making them seem scarier than they actually are.

"Are you still alive?" Fang asks, laughter in her voice.

I don't respond. I'm too worn out to entertain her games.

Warm liquid trickles into my mouth. It tastes… metallic - blood. I'm bleeding internally - probably from when I bumped into the stump.

More wolves pool at the base of the tree, howling up into the crescent moon.

I can't remain up here forever - I'll have to get down at some point.

Something solid lands on my head and bounces off. I rub the sore spot, annoyed. The object falls into my lap - some kind of fruit.

I look up. There are many more where it came from.

I sniff at it. It seems edible.

I take a small bite. It's sweet and juicy. I've never had such before - or have I? My memories seem to be playing tricks on me.

Growls from below remind me that I'm not alone.

I pluck one and throw it down, aiming for one of the wolves. The fruit lands in between its eyes, but it just shakes its head.

The only thing I've succeeded in doing is agitating it.

"My poor baby. You've been hurt." Fang coos, making silly noises.

I roll my eyes.

She knows that I've been sent to kill her - that makes my mission even more impossible as it is.

I've always known Claw to be very meticulous - he never slips. It's very unlike him to send me on a mission with a zero percent success rate. If anything, the rate is negative.

After a while, I jerk awake. I had been dozing off.

Leaning forward, I peer down. There's nothing below.

Unconvinced, I lean even lower. There's no trace of the huge wolves that had been here previously, only scattered paw prints pressed into the wet soil.

I run a hand through my messed up hair, relief washing through me. Dirt and several debris fall out of my hair.

I think back to the time I was with the hunter. He claimed a wolf saved me, he even fed me and kept me warm - and all that for what? Just to let me die?

None of it adds up.

Oddly, the wolf didn't attack him.

The black wolf - was that him?

I rub my eyes from exhaustion. All this thinking is driving me insane.

Threads of dawn break through the dark sky above. After being in the dark for a while, seeing light as beautiful as this is weird.

Does this mean I slept through most of the night? I thought I just had a few winks of sleep.

"You sleep like a log. I was tempted to think you may have died."

Her voice is cold, killing any warmth her words may have offered.

"Go away!" I mutter.

I can almost feel her grinning.

"You ask the impossible."

I wipe my face with my hands, trying to eliminate all traces of sleep.

"Did you dream about me?" She asks.

I tilt my head.

"I actually did. And my favorite part was when I sunk my sword into your cold and unbleeding heart." I whisper, drawing every word out.

"You know how to wound me with your words, Arya. My heart is bleeding right now."

Where is she? I wonder. Is she still at the Blink? I remember she said she had to take care of some business - what kind of business?

"If you want to know, you could just ask me

Or better yet, lean into the bond and peek into my head - I know you'd love that."

I shudder in disgust.

"My own head is enough for me."

She chuckles softly.

The taste of blood still lingers in my mouth. I stare down at the side of my abdomen that suffered the hit. It's red and swollen with blood clots.

It looks bad. Very bad.

"Ooh! I can almost feel the pain."

"Leave me alone, Fang. If you say one more word, I'll cut my own head off."

"Oh? Would you now?" She mocks.

Knowing I actually won't, I just shrug.

I peel off the fabric that is now clinging to me like a second skin.

I'll need new clothes. And to get them, I'll need to find the nearest town… and some money.

Birds suddenly flutter overhead, startling me. I nearly slip off my perch on the tree, grasping the main trunk to steady myself.

"That doesn't count as suicide." She says.

I grit my teeth.

She hovers like a sore - you hate its presence, but you can't get rid of it.

I slide down the tree carefully, snaking my legs about its trunk.

My dress hooks on one of the branches, ripping along its seam.

Annoyed, I butt my head on the tree. The dress can't even withstand a little scrape!

Once my feet land on the ground, I rip off the torn edge.

Now, I have to find the nearest circle of civilization.

"I'll find you before you get there."

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