Soren

Chapter Four

Peeling her eyes open the first thing she registered was the warmth and comfort she felt despite her aching body. Spreading her fingers, she felt the soft fabric of the sheets beneath her and the unfamiliar bounce of a mattress. Sitting up and ignoring the groans of protest from her sore muscles, she scanned her eyes around the dimly lit room.

She was indoors for the first time in what felt like forever and she already missed the sweet caresses of the wind and the gentle brushes of branches against her arms. Gone was the comforting smell of nature, of the trees and the grass and the crisp fresh air. The large window to her left provided her with a brilliant view of the forest outside, the moon illuminating the room to the best of its ability. Slipping out from between the silky sheets she crossed the room to the window. Hands against the glass she pushed to see if it would open and only managed a slight crack that let a minimal amount of air in. Still, a little taste of outside was better than none at all and she breathed in as deep as she could to clear her head and get her thoughts in order.

The room she was in was large, with a warm cabin type feel to it. With two soft leather chairs in the corner and a large fur blanket over the bed, it gave off a woodsy feel that eased the tension in her heart. The walls were painted a warm light brown and the bed had posts made of twisting wood stretching all the way up to the ceiling. Whoever's room this was had done their best to make it feel as if you were outdoors despite being trapped between four walls and a suffocating ceiling.

Being inside felt bizarre and unfamiliar. When she had first been left to her own devices in the forest all she had longed for had been the comfort that a home provided, but now she found her peace in the gentle sounds of the forest and the wildlife. Here, indoors no one could help her, her nature protectors had no dominion in this strange and new place.

Feeling ill at ease from the silence that permeated the space, she took inventory of anything nearby that could be used as a weapon. Looking around her heart almost exploded at the sight of her bow resting on a small coffee table in the corner of the room. Not only was it there and in relatively good condition, but her quiver sat next to it, three arrows sitting calmly within. Not allowing herself to question why her captors would allow her a weapon, she set her mind on escape.

The room had three heavy wood doors. The first led her into a vast walk-in closet, only half filled with men's clothes. The second, was a bathroom that she opted to not step foot in, and finally the last was a door to the hall. Cracking it open she glanced out into a large hall, swinging it open all the way she was grateful when it did so quietly, not making any loud squeaks or groans. Her sliver of relief was crushed, however, when she spotted the curled-up form of the brown wolf just outside the threshold of the door.

Its chest was rising and falling slowly, its head rested gently on its front paws. She could not bring herself to fear the beast when it looked so tranquil and almost cute while sleeping. Staring at its sleeping figure she could not help but wonder, was it trying to stop her from leaving? Or keeping others from getting in?

Heart pounding in her chest she grabbed hold of the door frame with her free hand and stepped gingerly over the heap of fur on the floor. Beyond thankful for whoever had constructed the house, she managed to get into the hall without even a creak of a floorboard. Now that she had free reign, she roamed the halls trying to find a door that led outside. Looking around she confirmed what she had thought, she was in a wood cabin, that blended as seamlessly into the forest as it could, and she could not help but think that if she ever had to live indoors, this was how she would want it to look.

Finally finding a flight of stairs she looked over the wooden railing of the second floor and saw double doors that she had no doubt would lead outside. Gripping the railing that matched the twisted wood design of the bedposts, she glanced behind her. If it hadn't of been for her grip on the railing, she surely would have fallen down the stairs at the sight of the chocolate brown wolf behind her. Maintaining eye contact with it she was glad it did not growl or bare its teeth. She was grateful for its silence as it kept her more at ease.

Watching the wolf sit back on its hind legs, she could not help but picture it curled up and sleeping. Gone was the feeling of absolute terror that she was used to feeling in its presence. Now the wolf's chocolate eyes gave her feelings of warmth and comfort, as if they understood her. She felt tears coming to her eyes at the feeling of acceptance that the wolf's gaze gave her, she felt like she could drown in the richness of its warm brown irises forever.

Hearing a branch hit a window downstairs, their staring match came to an end. The wolf might've given her comfort, but she would not forget their first two encounters. Knowing you should never leave your back open to a predator, she did it anyway. Her intuition was telling her that the wolf would not hurt her, that maybe it couldn't even if it wanted to. She descended the stairs at a steady pace, somehow no longer nervous or anxious at the prospect of the wolf watching her every move.

Opening the door, she was not prepared for the cold blast of wind that hit her head on. It was only then that she noticed her lack of clothing. Covered only by a pair of boxers and a long sleeve blue shirt she was not protected against the harsh fall conditions. Looking down at her feet they were bare, knowing she wouldn't make it all the way back to her camp on bare feet, she snagged a pair of men's hiking boots that were sat next to the door. Slipping them on her feet they were much too big, but she was not willing to stick around and wait for someone to stop her from leaving. Stepping outside into the cool air she braced herself against the chill and started on her way back home.

With only the winds and the trees to guide her, she began her trek through the forest. Wrapping her hands around herself and hugging her torso she tried to keep her heat from escaping. Shivering the further she got from the house she focused all her attention on the path in front of her, anxiously awaiting the little warmth her small shelter would bring.

Unaware of her surroundings, she didn't hear the soft tread of paws following close behind her. The brown wolf simply watched her as she went, sticking close by in case she was to fall, or something were to threaten her life. Seeing her small figure so hunched with her hands shoved into her armpits, the wolf's heart fell. Closing the distance between them he rubbed up against her side, trying to provide at least some small semblance of warmth.

Not able to bring herself to be surprised, she removed her hands from her armpits and placed them on the wolf's back, deep within its fur. With the wolf next to her radiating heat she found herself walking faster and with more conviction, she could make it, no matter how far.

Slowly but surely both wolf and girl made their way side by side through the forest. Gone was any sense of fear or apprehension, now the only thing the girl could feel towards the wolf was gratitude and appreciation for the care he was showing her. Not long after they had left the warmth and comfort of the cabin, the sun started to set behind the trees, she did not know how long she had been asleep, but in her world night and day were the only things that mattered. She had thrown away the very human concept of a clock long ago.

As night fell her steps started to falter and she could barely hold herself up any longer. With the majority of her weight held up by the large wolf by her side, the only thing that kept her going was sheer determination. Soon, however, her legs gave out as her feet tripped over one another. Now kneeling on the ground, the wolf gave out a high-pitched whine, his eyes begging her to stop and rest.

Too tired to protest, the girl stood back up and made her way to the closest tree. Lying down she curled up into a tight ball, only this time the wolf curled up beside her, almost engulfing her with its large frame. Gone were any thoughts of the cool breeze and her small home that waited for her. The only thing she could focus on as she closed her eyes, was how safe she felt with the large beast next to her, and how she felt she could trust him with her life. It had been a long time since she had felt this protected and this at home, but before she could think too hard about it, her breathing evened out and she began to sleep.

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