My Darkening Ember

Chapter Nineteen

It was majestic in all its might. Half my height, and could probably kill me with its jaws once it wrapped them around my neck. They always talked about the snow lions but the wolves were the ones to fear. Sightings were rare and it was usually because anyone who ever met one, was killed, torn apart by the pack and eaten until there was nothing left. I had never seen an animal so beautiful yet so deadly.

The fur was white as snow but stained red. Its legs shivered and it almost staggered towards me. And then my eyes caught it. An anther, gouged into the neck, so big it wrapped around its throat. The mighty beast collapsed in front of the fire unable to cope with the blood dripping out.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The wolf had entered the cave, ignoring my weak presence, with an antler, presumably from a large deer, stuck in its throat. It lay there on the cold ground shivering, its eyes barely open, dying from the exhaust.

I clutched the dagger so hard my knuckles turned white and my body shook from fear. But the beast didn't move, its eyes beheld me just once before closing them.

Its chest was dilating with the heavy breaths it took every few seconds. It was a large animal, much larger than the dogs at home but the face still resembled that of a domesticated canine.

I watched it carefully, trying not to make any sound that would agitate it. The flames were all that was between me and the lethal animal. It blocked the entrance so there was no way of getting out and even then, a wolf was a pack animal, the rest of its flock might be waiting outside, wanting to tear me to pieces.

I waited and waited for the animal to find the strength to rip me open and end my life but nothing happened. It just slept, with the bleeding slowing every minute. The wolf would die like that and I wondered if I should let it.

I hadn't lowered the dagger as I tried approaching, My footsteps were loud but it didn't move. I lowered myself down to its level, holding the blade in front of me. It was so close I could touch it. That powerful white pelt that had probably installed fear in hundreds of men, was within reach.

Put it out of its misery, it's suffering

Kill it, before it kills you.

I clutched the dagger harder, as I looked for the heart. The spot would be just beneath its front leg. It was laying on the side, and the light danced around us. I had to do it fast.

Stab it now, in the heart, swiftly.

It would hurt and the animal could get startled and attack me. I had to be precise. My eyes drifted back to its face and caught the wolves. Its eyes had opened, gazing upon me with the silver in hand, yet it did nothing. Somehow I felt it wouldn't attack if I killed it. Maybe it wanted me to. One move, a wince and it would be over. It would be over.

The antler was deeply buried in the side of its neck and it looked like it hadn't pierced any significant vessels. But the animal was so exhausted, it must have been wounded and walking around with the antler for days.

I relaxed my hand, the dagger dropping to the ground, and my hands carefully stalked forward.

The wolf watched me wrap my hands around the bone.

Counting in my head began as my anxiety started rumbling through my body, trying in vain to stop me. I took a breath and pulled.

I fell back as the antler released its grasp. Without looking, I grabbed the blade, scrambling to the end of the cave as the wolf whined and got on its legs, only to collapse again. Heavy breaths followed and the wound was visible now. It looked bad, but the bleeding started to subside.