Awakening the Wolf (2 page)

“Are you ready?” her mother asked. The calmness had returned to her voice.

“Yes.”

“Then follow me.”

She walked behind Lelana, her white dress trailing along the ground. The cloak she normally wore lay on the bed, and she felt naked without it. The material was nothing special, but when gliding on the currents in human form it made her feel more as though she were in her feathers and her wings were guiding her. The ritual did not call for it. So she walked out of the house, counted her steps, prayed her heart would not burst from her chest, and tried to keep even breaths. The night air was cool where it touched her skin. A light draft blew by, tempting her to leave all of the pomp and circumstance behind and escape her responsibilities. However, tonight was the one night she had to find some way to fit in. To show the flock she truly was one of them.

The gong echoed in the night when they crossed over the large branches that led to the center oak. The tree was thousands of years old, so big around that it was nearly impossible to judge its girth. It was the center of their cultural life, where all meetings and rituals where held. Some said it was the Mother tree, giving birth to the forest around it. All Illiana knew was that whenever she stepped onto the landing, the flow of the tree burst into her with a great rush of energy. It seemed she could touch the life spirit of the tree, but no one else seemed to have the same experience. That was nothing new. The full moon illuminated the sky above, and torches encircled the platform they were on, well out of the way of any wayward branches, casting shadows across the landing large enough to house the entire flock. The elder members and the priests made their aeries within the upper tiers of the magnificent oak.

Tonight four other members were to be initiated into the flock along with her. Illiana’s gaze roved over the familiar faces, and in each one she saw fear and anticipation. When they looked at her, one sneered, another studied his feet, and the third one stared right through her. The fourth one, Belik, the son of one of the priests, flashed her a small, almost undetectable, smile. She grinned back, surprised that he even acknowledged her. It was a new development. Maybe because she was finally being accepted, her status among them would change. Her heart felt like it leaped into her throat at the thought of what was coming next. In the center of the communal site was a large pit. Inside the cavity, the blush of orange coals illuminated the iron cauldron. It threw off so much heat, she could feel it beating against her skin like the gentle push of a butterfly wing. Nestled inside the coals were four metal rods, each one glowing cherry red. Those were what was going to be used to welcome her into the flock, to be counted among them so that she could be a productive member. All of the Corvi experienced the branding. Her mother bore her mark proudly upon her breast.

A priest sounded the large silver gong for the third and final time, signaling it was time to begin. The moon was at its zenith. It was time for the spirits to look down upon them and witness their commencement. The others gathered around the fire pit, leaving a space for her. She tried to quiet her rapidly beating heart, but it would not be silenced. A priest stood before the cauldron and stared directly at her; his blue eyes seemed to bore into her soul, trying to force her to come into the circle. All eyes were on her to join them, and she finally caved in and took her place.

The priest raised his arms to the sky and addressed the flock. “Tonight we gather to welcome these youngsters into the great Corvus flock. They stand at the brink of adulthood, with their wings ready to take flight into the world. We ask the spirits to bless them and have the wind guide them on their life’s journey.” The priest lowered his arms and took one of the brands. “Initiates, step forward.”

The first initiate stood before the high priest, who took the brand and pressed it against her flesh. A whimper spilled from the other girl’s lips at first that turned into a full screech. The other woman next to her snickered, probably thinking she would be able to withstand the pain and show the flock she was stronger than the others. The scent of charred flesh saturated the air and stung her nose. The first girl stepped across to join the flock on wobbly legs. When she turned to face the rest of them, her pale skin seemed to be a light shade of green. Then the girl who had stared right through Illiana went up for the branding and passed out once her brand was barely lifted from her flesh. The third one, a son of one of the blacksmiths, stood with his chest puffed out. He made no sound when he strolled across the platform to join the others. Other clergy members were tending to the girl who had fainted. Belik glanced at Illiana and flashed a nervous smile her way. She tried to smile back, but her lips would not turn up. Her gaze was locked on the red-hot coals. The longer she stared at orange gems, the more she could feel the energy of the fire blazing along her skin. It whispered to her the way the currents of the air did. Sometimes she wondered if it were possible for her to control the fire element as well. Illiana had tried. Sometimes it seemed to speak to her, but its language was not one she could comprehend.

Belik squeezed his hands into fists, and the scent of burned flesh filled her nose. Her fear of the pain nearly seized her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to calm herself. In the back of her mind, something stirred. It was the darker, more animalistic presence that always arose when she was stressed. That slice of her being was normal and nothing she could ever explain to her mother. Plus, it always gave her comfort. Each time she connected with the part, it got closer to making itself known to her. All she had to do was wait for it to show itself.

A current of air wrapped around her, reminding her she was one of the flock. It gave her the courage to open her eyes and take her place before the fire pit. The otherness within her mind remained more prominent than before, but she welcomed the strength it imparted to her. Illiana stood before the priest and let that resolve bolster her as the priest held the brand before her. His blue eyes stared into hers, waiting to see if she was going to back down. She gave him a slight nod, staring at the glowing metal in the shape of a bird. She clenched her hands and pressed her nails into the meat of her palms. The scorching agony was not something she prepared for. Once the brand connected with her flesh, her brain blacked out and a howl erupted from the darkness. It seemed she would collapse, but the image of a black wolf flashed before her eyes. It was gone before she could understand it. A gasp left her throat when the cleric removed the brand. Her legs were shaky, but they carried her across the pavilion. The howl she had heard was coming from below them on the ground where the wolves were. It was a call she knew all too well. It was a summons for her alone.

Her mother embraced her. “Welcome to the flock, my daughter.”

Illiana gave her a nervous smile. Relief washed over her. The others were all being accepted as one of the flock. Everyone was happy they were now officially one of them. However, when her mother released her, the only one who greeted her was her aunt. She wanted to say something, but the ecclesiastic began again. Illiana turned back toward him.

“The spirits have witnessed and welcomed you into the flock. Let the winds of destiny lift your wings to deliver wisdom and compassion to your lives. Let them be counted among us for now and all time.” The priest motioned for the gong to be hit once more. The sound penetrated the night, indicating the completion of the ceremony.

Illiana was free to do as she pleased. Flute music erupted around them. An eerie melody wove through the trees such that even the leaves seemed to join in the tune the musicians played. Others from the flock drifted off to revel in their own way. A great feast had been set up on the other side of the landing where some of the ravens gathered. The pain lingered where her brand was, but it was fading. She touched it lightly, and the hurt flared up again.

“H-hi, Illiana.”

Illiana glanced behind her and saw Belik waiting to talk to her. His dark hair brushed his shoulders. He was taller than she, by almost a foot. Like all the males in the flock, he was wiry and well muscled.

“Hi, Belik. How are you?”

“I’m well. Thanks. That was intense. I thought it might be worse.” He smiled and wrung his hands into his white robe.

Her mother touched her shoulder and leaned into her. “Go ahead, honey. We can celebrate later. Go with your new friend.”

Illiana glanced between Belik and her mother. Her aunt leaned against a twisted oak branch with an impatient look on her face. She assumed it was because Coret desired to speak with her. Belik was anticipating talking with her. Her mind reeled over what he wanted with her when he had never shown her any interest before. Maybe it was all in the spirit of joining the flock and he finally wanted to get to know her. Maybe it was a trick. That was nothing new. She had suffered many degradations in the past from members of her flock because of her differences. She opened her mouth to say something when another howl reverberated through the woods, urging her to join him.

Without another thought, Illiana raced to the railing and jumped over. Once she did, the air rushed around her, cushioning her fall from the branches above, letting her glide down to the forest floor. As the wind aided her landing, she glanced up and saw her mother staring down at her. The unamused expression told Illiana she would rather have had her stay, but, then again, her mother never liked her running off and hanging with the werewolves. In Lelana’s mind, the two species should never mix. Illiana argued that because their two clans were nearly joined at the hip, living off one another, trading with one another, when others had friends among them, then why could she not have friends among them. Her best friend Christopher, is the son of the leader of werewolves, and it didn’t matter what anyone said. She was not going to be giving him up.

* * * *

Belik watched Illiana jump over the railing to join the wolf below. She was beautiful in her defiance, and he would give anything to talk to her. He glanced at Lelana, Illiana’s mother, and saw the disgusted look on her face.

“Typical. Just typical. I never should’ve expected anything else,” the flock leader muttered.

“Well, what do you expect when you don’t tell her the truth? She’s a full member of the flock now, and you need to tell her,” Coret said.

“I don’t need to tell her anything. And I suggest you stay out of it. You weren’t there when—”

Belik glanced from Lelana to Coret, the high priestess of the Corvus flock. He had always been a little intimidated by the cleric and the leader of the flock. But now, as one of the flock, some of that pressure fell away. He took a deep breath and approached the women. “Umm . . . excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt, but do you know when Illiana will be back?”

Coret smiled and patted his shoulder. “You’re Stefon’s son, Belik, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Do you know when your niece might return?”

Lelana snickered. “No one knows when my daughter will return. She makes up her own rules. I wouldn’t bother waiting around for her.” She turned and walked off, and he was left alone with the priestess.

“Don’t mind my sister. Illiana and she don’t see eye to eye on many things. One of them being her friendship with the wolves. Are you interested in my niece?”

The question caught him off guard. He had not expected to speak to Coret, but to Illiana herself. All these years growing up beside her, he had gazed at her longing to speak to her. However, his father had forbade him to ever fraternize with the leader’s daughter. Belik never understood why his father or the others in the flock scorned her. To him she was a gem among the other ravens. Her beauty was beyond all others. The other women in the flock all appeared the same. Whenever he saw her, it stirred his desire. Now that he was part of the flock, his father could not reprimand him any longer or keep him away from Illiana.

“I-I would like to get to know her.”

She studied him for a long while before she responded. “If you’re just going to hurt her like some of the other young men who said they wanted to court her, I will make sure you account for it.”

He shook his head. “N-no. I don’t want to hurt her in any way. I’ve always wanted to get to know her but haven’t been able to.”

“Good. If you do pursue something with her, how do you feel about the wolves?”

“I haven’t really thought about it. They have always been there.”

“Illiana’s best friend is the son of the alpha wolf. I doubt she’s going to give him up just for a relationship. Can you deal with that?”

Belik shrugged. He knew Illiana spent a lot of time with the wolves, but he did not think much about it. It was widely known that Illiana had no friends among the flock so that she went elsewhere. Many times he wondered what it would be like to join her among them. Even though the wolves were the ones they traded with and his father had acquaintances among them, Belik had never mingled with them. He preferred to be among the branches and soaring through the sky.

“I can’t say, ma’am. I would have to get to know her more before I can truly make any statements about the wolves and Illiana’s relationship with her friend.”

Coret nodded. “At least you’re honest. That’s a good trait. I see potential for you. Try Illiana later. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you.”

The other woman walked off and went to be with the members of the flock. Belik stared over the banister and heard the faint howls of the wolves. What did Illiana see in them? It did not matter if she would be gone for a few more hours. He had time. For now he walked away and went to join the others. His father the priest had made sure all the food was prepared and set out correctly. Because Belik was being initiated he could not have a more hands-on part within the ceremony. He joined his father and picked at one of the rice cakes. His father clapped him on the back.

“I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“How does it feel to be part of the flock?”