There was barely any light, the stars peeking through the foliage above, the last bluish hue of twilight fading into moonlight. The darkness within the woods was ominous, and Rem didn't trust it.
Nia moved quickly, muttering under her breath, “Please don’t be mad, Ronan. Oh, I knew I shouldn’t have stopped for food...” Nia spoke louder, “We’re getting closer, Rem. Should come across the Warden yard in any minute.”
“It’s alright, Nia. I’ll tell him I refused to leave until I ate something. It was nice that you got me something to eat.”
“I’d usually tell you not to, but I’d really appreciate it,” Nia said, her voice saturated in nerves.
“Got to look out for each other here,” Rem said.
Rem never let her gaze linger too long in one spot, always keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of someone approaching. Rem couldn't tell if the approaching full moon was brighter than normal, or if her vision was adjusting as another part of the change. Either way, the world didn't seem as dark as it normally did. Leaves danced across the trail as the wind picked up. She hoped for a storm; she always loved storms, especially in the fall—
Nia shot an arm out in front of Rem, the blue fabric of the shifter-wolf’s shirt close enough that Rem could smell her friend’s scent on it.
"What is it?" Rem asked with a hushed voice.
A strong gust of wind blew, and Rem stiffened as she had never smelled so muchvarietyin the wind before. There were leaves, dirt, Nia, and something else. She looked around, wondering what it was. Nia lowered her arm. Rem couldn't see or hear anything. Was it an animal? It had such a distinct smell, and yet she had nothing to compare it to.
Then it dawned on her. What she was smelling was ascent. She half smiled at the novelty of it. Outside of everything that was happening to her, there was a beauty in becoming more than human.
Should I try it? I've seen the shifters do it.
Rem sniffed in Nia's direction, but it didn't warrant anything. She instantly felt silly and knew that even in the dark anyone could see her blushing.
The wind continued to blow, and she couldn't shake the strong smell that it carried. Nia took cautious steps as she sniffed the air. She froze in a slightly crouched position when the cracking of twigs suggested they weren’t alone. It grew louder and closer with each step, followed with a loudcrackof limbs.
Nothing small made those sounds.
Rem glanced in every direction, breathing heavily. On one side of the trail, the mountain climbed upward, and on the other, it gently rolled down. The creature moving towards them came from below, whatever it was.
Then Rem heard it: a low rumble from the woods. Her eyes desperately scanned the trees until she saw a giant, dark mass, the beast slowly walking onto the trail.
First, she noticed the pointed ears which jutted out to the side, and then she saw the orange eyes.
She knew those eyes.
It was a warg, the creatures that the sovereigns rode on. The goddess created the shifters in this beast’s image, or so the Elders had told her. The witches always told humans if they ever saw a warg, to pray to every deity that ever existed. Wargs were nothing but raw power and nature, obeying only the moon.
"Careful..." Nia said with a shaky voice.
"What do we do?" Rem asked, her voice cracking with adrenaline.
"I don't know. I've never seen one this close. They rarely come towards anyone if they are wild. Maybe it’s connected to you?"
Rem stared at the mysterious, large beast. Its eyes bore directly into hers. A cold sweat washed through her. Nia spoke to it in Icelandic, her voice raspier than normal.
It ignored Nia; Rem looked it over. It was as tall as a horse, but much thicker. It had an unkempt, thick mane, a snout shorter than a wolf's with a blocky head. The rippling muscles in its body were terrifying to witness, its power so blatant and mocking.
Then… It happened in seconds.
Nia doubled in size as dark brown fur encased her, the sound of her joints and bones cracking and growing, her body turning into a wolf whose head came to Rem's shoulders. Nia was abouthalfthe size of the warg, and much leaner.
Then she howled, the smoothness of the high pitch echoing throughout the woods.
Nia growled and slowly walked in front of Rem to block her from the beast, her head down low and tail tucked between her legs. Rem looked at Nia's fur, feeling like Nia shouldn’t risk her life for Rem. Nia was not a fighter—far from it.
And yet, she stood between Rem and a warg.
Blood drained from Rem’s face as the beast growled so low that it reverberated in her chest, the orange eyes almost glowing in the dark.
