Chapter 8: Fearless *Asher*
Dozing off into the darkness, I watched the men bundle up into their tents and talk amongst themselves while drinking steamy liquids. As soon as all the lights were out, the shadows still, their breathing heavy and obnoxious, I crept on my belly, shuffling my feet quietly in the dirt over to the tied-up girl. She was startled as she turned around seeing my dark figure lurk towards her with piercing eyes. I put my ears back gently, posing in a docile manner that I was not going to harm her. The form of my body was against the tent, and I was hoping my shadow would not deceive me. I began to tear my teeth into the rope that clung to her wrists, but when I bit down it was cold and hard. They were metal chains that were clasped around her frail wrists. She looked at me with sad eyes, but gave me a small, thankful smile for trying. I looked at her with determination in my eyes and crawled over to the charred-out fire. The smell was beyond disgusting, but I searched hard for something hard and unbreakable.
A large, cracked axe head stood at the edge, still steaming with heat. I gripped it in my teeth and quickly shuffled back over to the girl. The axe head was burning my mouth, but I did not drop it until I got to her chains. I let the axe head rest on the metal of her chains away from her skin and let it heat the metal of the chains. When the chains began to glow a very slight red, I changed.
Picking up the heated axe head with my human hands, wincing at the heat I aimed and slammed the head into the reddening of the chains. They broke, and I dropped the axe head with burning hands. Sudden noises began to arise from the tents, and I froze as I heard voices whispering. A sleepy voice shouted from the tent I was right outside of, and then I saw a man burst out of the entrance.
I grabbed the girl by the shoulders and pushed her in front of me back into the woods. "Run! Don't you dare wait for me!" I screamed at her. Men began to bustle out of their tents, grabbing anything that could be harmful to me. I quickly transformed back into my stronger form and lunged myself at a man that swung a sword at me. Grasping his wrist between my teeth, sinking them in. I then released his bone as I felt pain rush in through the side of my head. I swiped my claws at a man that hit me with a large hammer, slashing his throat. I could smell the blood that began pooling the ground; the scent of the blood over running my senses. I backed away slowly as men began to surround me. I stared at them with so much anger in my eyes; anger I did not even know I had. One of the men a few feet behind the rest began to shoot arrows at me, but had poor aim.
A man in front of me ready to swing his sword stopped and stared straight into my eyes. I bared my teeth and tightened my ears back into a ferocious growl. My vocals began to rumble and then it just came out like a deep dark hidden secret left unknown, a long frightful roar so vicious, so full of anger. My eyes blurred crimson and I stared into the eyes of all those men looking back at me. Ready to kill me, wanting to kill me; as they stood there, frozen in terror. I turned around and sprinted off into the trees after the girl. No one followed, and no one yelled after me.
After I ran for a while, I stopped to catch my breath and take in the scent of the girl I had just freed. She was close by, and I could smell her weakness. I stalked towards the east a bit ahead of me. After walking a few steps, I saw her, lying on the ground breathing helplessly. "Why?" She said in a faint voice. I just stared at her. "You know I'm from the castle... Why would you, risk your life...to save me?" She had a tough time speaking and could not seem to get breath into her lungs fast enough. I shrugged and shoved my nose underneath of her stomach and rolled her onto my back. Then she just fainted from weakness. I could still feel her breathing, but faintly.
Heading back to the rogue village with this girl on my back; I shuffled things through my mind about what I was going to say to my people when I got there. Why I have a half dead girl from the castle. Maybe I should just take her back to the castle, leave her somewhere near it. I did not know what would be better. All I knew was that I was becoming exhausted from the extra limp weight on my back. I have not had anything to eat nor drink the past day and I had injuries from fighting the few men I did. My shoulder had blood dripping down the side, seeping into my fur. I decided to walk towards the river in a diagonal direction.
By the time I reached the river I gently slid the girl's body from my back, onto a soft plushy grass patch. Then I collapsed by the edge of the water and lapped my tongue into it; instantly the water soothed my dry mouth, and I felt a sudden rush of energy surge into my body as I drank. As I lapped from the river, I angled my ears toward the girl's body as I heard rustling in the leaves. I turned around to see if she was conscious and she was sitting up looking back at me. She crawled slowly towards the river, and then cupped her hands dipping them in the water and drinking very thirstily.
She then looked up at me, "Why did you risk your life to save me?" Her voice was a bit stronger now, but still faint. I could tell her energy was coming back and she would live. I stayed in my feral form, and I shrugged once more. I nodded my head in the direction of the castle and looked back at her. She sighed and honestly said, "In the condition I am in, the journey is too far for me right now. Eventually, I will be well enough to head back to my own home; for now, you should head towards yours. You have done enough for me, and I thank you for your bravery in saving me. I will be fine now." She gave a small smile of gratitude and drank more water from the river.
I bowed my head and stalked off towards the direction of my own village. I was exhausted by just walking ten feet from the river. I sighed, looked at a patch of grass underneath a tall bush and huddled underneath it. I rested my muzzle on my paws and curled my tail in front of me. It took a while for me to fall asleep, but soon I began to drift off into a quiet slumber.