Something watching us that I couldn’t see or hear.
Dude, where are the freaking Winchester Brothers when you need them?
“It’s nothing we have to worry about.” Alec had turned around, noticing that I had stopped and was spinning like a maniac trying to find something that apparently wasn’t there.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been following us since this morning. We are strangers in this land and he watches us to make sure we don’t do anything he doesn’t want.”
“You know, I really hate it when you talk in code.” More than that, I hated not knowing what he was saying, feeling so ignorant and incompetent.
He shook his head, as if he was just as frustrated as I was.
“Fenris. He is one of the oldest Nemophilist. He is the leader of the wolves in Ardennes,” he explained. When he noticed that I still didn’t fully understand, he continued on. “Let’s keep walking. Stopping here like this will unnerve him, plus it will only cost us precious time. I’ll explain as we go.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to waste any time.
“Ok. So what’s following us?”
“The Wolves of Ardennes are fierce. They are like wolves in the Mortal Realm, but larger and smarter. They are capable of logical thought, feeling and action. They are protectors of Ardennes.”
I nodded, showing that I was following along. We continued down the trail as he talked.
“A nemophilist is an ancient protector of the woods. Almost anything that lives in Ardennes can become one, usually after something bad happens, like their whole family is killed or something.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. They are very lonely and sad and care only for Ardennes. There are several around Ardennes. If they think you are out to harm Ardennes, they kill you. They are fiercely magical and dangerous. It doesn’t matter to them the reasoning behind why you might be doing something, if it infringes on the land, they kill you.”
“And you’re okay with that following us?” I asked, because I was so not okay with that following us. “Shouldn’t we do something about it?”
“It would take a lot to kill him. This nemophilist is Fenris, the leader of the Wolves of Ardennes. He is very strong and very powerful. You would not survive.”
Wow. Blunt.
“Great, so let’s not piss him off, and we’ll be okay?” I had to make sure I didn’t have to watch my back.
“Yes. As long as we don’t bother the land or him, we’ll be fine.”
I walked next to him, hoping he was right. I mean, I really wouldn’t survive if an ancient leader of a pack of wolves wanted to kill me. Especially since I hadn’t even seen him.
Alec looked down at me, his fingers just brushing my arm. “I will not let anything happen to you.” His eyes looked liquid in that moment, the green swimming around his dark pupil. “Don’t let him worry you. I thought about asking for his audience hoping we could assure him we are no foes, but I worried seeing him would upset you. And there are risks associated with speaking with him. He may ask things of us.”
“I don’t know, not seeing him and only thinking something was out there was pretty freaky.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “What kind of things?”
“He may want us to prove we are no enemy of Ardennes. I can’t really say what that may entail.”
I sighed. On the one hand, it would be scary as hell to see an ancient, apparently talking, wolf. Especially if he wanted us to do something. But it was also pretty terrifying to know he was following us, and he currently had no proof that we were not enemies. Because what if we did something, and it was only accidental that it upset the land somehow…? I didn’t know the customs of the land, and what was or was not allowed.
“I think it may be smarter to talk to him, to make sure he knows we don’t wanna harm the forest,” I told him finally.
He nodded, stopped, and turned around. He knelt down on one knee and withdrew his sword, laying it
Dude, where are the freaking Winchester Brothers when you need them?
“It’s nothing we have to worry about.” Alec had turned around, noticing that I had stopped and was spinning like a maniac trying to find something that apparently wasn’t there.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been following us since this morning. We are strangers in this land and he watches us to make sure we don’t do anything he doesn’t want.”
“You know, I really hate it when you talk in code.” More than that, I hated not knowing what he was saying, feeling so ignorant and incompetent.
He shook his head, as if he was just as frustrated as I was.
“Fenris. He is one of the oldest Nemophilist. He is the leader of the wolves in Ardennes,” he explained. When he noticed that I still didn’t fully understand, he continued on. “Let’s keep walking. Stopping here like this will unnerve him, plus it will only cost us precious time. I’ll explain as we go.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to waste any time.
“Ok. So what’s following us?”
“The Wolves of Ardennes are fierce. They are like wolves in the Mortal Realm, but larger and smarter. They are capable of logical thought, feeling and action. They are protectors of Ardennes.”
I nodded, showing that I was following along. We continued down the trail as he talked.
“A nemophilist is an ancient protector of the woods. Almost anything that lives in Ardennes can become one, usually after something bad happens, like their whole family is killed or something.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. They are very lonely and sad and care only for Ardennes. There are several around Ardennes. If they think you are out to harm Ardennes, they kill you. They are fiercely magical and dangerous. It doesn’t matter to them the reasoning behind why you might be doing something, if it infringes on the land, they kill you.”
“And you’re okay with that following us?” I asked, because I was so not okay with that following us. “Shouldn’t we do something about it?”
“It would take a lot to kill him. This nemophilist is Fenris, the leader of the Wolves of Ardennes. He is very strong and very powerful. You would not survive.”
Wow. Blunt.
“Great, so let’s not piss him off, and we’ll be okay?” I had to make sure I didn’t have to watch my back.
“Yes. As long as we don’t bother the land or him, we’ll be fine.”
I walked next to him, hoping he was right. I mean, I really wouldn’t survive if an ancient leader of a pack of wolves wanted to kill me. Especially since I hadn’t even seen him.
Alec looked down at me, his fingers just brushing my arm. “I will not let anything happen to you.” His eyes looked liquid in that moment, the green swimming around his dark pupil. “Don’t let him worry you. I thought about asking for his audience hoping we could assure him we are no foes, but I worried seeing him would upset you. And there are risks associated with speaking with him. He may ask things of us.”
“I don’t know, not seeing him and only thinking something was out there was pretty freaky.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “What kind of things?”
“He may want us to prove we are no enemy of Ardennes. I can’t really say what that may entail.”
I sighed. On the one hand, it would be scary as hell to see an ancient, apparently talking, wolf. Especially if he wanted us to do something. But it was also pretty terrifying to know he was following us, and he currently had no proof that we were not enemies. Because what if we did something, and it was only accidental that it upset the land somehow…? I didn’t know the customs of the land, and what was or was not allowed.
“I think it may be smarter to talk to him, to make sure he knows we don’t wanna harm the forest,” I told him finally.
He nodded, stopped, and turned around. He knelt down on one knee and withdrew his sword, laying it
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