Inheritance Cycle 1. Prologue

**Alagaesia: Public History Book**

It is said that after the fall of the tyrant Galbatorix the different races of Alagaesia signed a truce. A truce that was supposed to unite the land so that once again it would prosper. But the dragons were too wild to tame, the Urgal too bloodthirsty to stop and the elves too scheming to trust.

King Orrin, of the house of Langfield, son of Larkin, at the time ruled the land called Surda and he was powerful and great and a man of science. He could see the differences between the races clearer and warned the leaders Nazuada, Arya and Eragon but they would not listen. King Orrin took it upon himself to clear the lands from the Urgal once they started attacking Surda's inner territory with the great weapons he had created, as he was a man of science. The dwarves stood with him and for years he was working for this cause and the leaders did not sense the change.

When the Urgals attacked more of the human cities, Nazuada fought back but Eragon and Arya united together still clinging on the hope that Urgals could be changed. The dragons fought alongside Eragon and Arya and for years the war ranged but with no clear winner. That was until Murtagh, another dragon master decided to join the forces of the humans and dwarves.

King Orrin, the leader of the rebellion drove the forces away from Surda by establishing a guild of magicians that made the advances of the Urgal, dragons and elves pointless. The battle was over with a clear winner. The Urgal population was almost extinct and so were the dwarves and only few dragons and elves remained. Murtagh was set the task to keep the dragons under bay. He would train humans who decided to bond with them so that they could learn to control them and no such events could be repeated.

King Oberin, son of King Orrin tried to make sure the dragons would not attack by binding himself to a dragon. But the dragon would not be tamed and almost cost the king's life by a sudden attack on him and his people. Whatever eggs left from the old days were destroyed and the last of the dragons were hunted down and slaughtered, as they deserved.

King Oberin was also a man of science and very capable and he rebuilt the empire that once was, making Surda part of the Alagaesia empire. To honour his father's memory he created schools in order for young children to learn the sciences and truth and prosper. He continued to have a Magician Guild so that they could hunt down whatever elves and traitors had managed to escape from the war but very few of those remained.

Farmers were given land to grow their food and sailors ships to sail the seas. Cities were built and the ruler of each had to be personally examined by the Magician Guild.

King Oberin was succeeded by his son and then later his grandson, Rofosck the Great, who has surpassed in years the kings before him. The land is ruled by him and only him and those who choose to oppose him and break the peace shall die.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sun fell on my face early in the morning and I woke instantly. I shrugged away from my night clothes and put the uniform for school, the same everyone in Foulan was supposed to wear. Our town was not that big and our school was even smaller but traditions had to be kept and a uniform for school was apparently something you had to wear.

The older girls complained but I did not. Why would I? My shirts when I counted them added up to four, my pants to three and my shoes to two. That was including my school uniform. I sighed and run down the stairs to where the small kitchen was. I cut one small piece of bread and dipped it into milk. The bread was stale but with the addition of milk it felt a lot softer and tasty in my mouth.

When I finished I run back to my room again, which was not a room but rather a small attic able to fit only me, my bed, my clothes and books. I grabbed the bag which I had forgotten and went to exit the house. On my way down I discovered a dark figure in the room. It looked like a pile of blankets but when it shifted I let out a tiny whimper. I knew what it was but I had to make sure. I gently nudged it with the tip of my shoe and it shifted, growling. I swallowed and run to the door only hoping that I hadn't woken it.

Once I got out of the house I looked up, half running half walking. The weather was cloudy today and small droplets of rain fell on my face washing the filth of the previous day and waking me up. I did not mind. I liked the rain. It made the ground soft and fertile for crops to grow; it washed away the dirt and sadness and made everything shine afterwards. And most importantly it made it difficult for people to follow you in the rain because running in the rain was not easy and most did not want to soil their clothes.

I was still stealing continuous glances behind my back just to make sure that no one was following me. On my way to the school I passed the bakery which had just taken out fresh loaves of bread and the smell of them was intoxicating. I wished I had some money to spend but the few pieces of coins I owned were left back home and I would not dear go back. I let out a sigh of relief when I reached the school because I knew that for a few hours I would be safe.

When I entered the classroom I realized I was late although I was sure I had woken up at the right time. Someone threw a ball of paper in my direction but I ignored it. I sat at my usual place at the end of the classroom. My chair had wet mud on it which I did not notice and now it was soiling my pants. I heard a few laughs from the other side of the room and I knew who had done this. Again I ignored them and tried to pay attention on the board in front of me instead. The teacher entered at this point and we turned our attention to her. She picked up chalk and started writing on the board, her hand steady and practiced the equations that appeared flawless.

I was always intrigued in the way a certain shape made a letter and then a lot of letters together would make a word. That word when you said it out loud meant something. But now the letters were turning into equations which only managed to intrigue me and something deep inside urged me to find a solution to them. I leaned over some sheets of paper and started writing. In the beginning I was merely copying what the teacher had written but then I added my own notes until I reached a solution. I felt pride swelling up inside me, ready to burst.

That was the first good feeling I had today.

One of the girls in the back peered over my shoulder and then gave me a shove. The force knocked me on the table and I felt air rushing out of my lungs. My heart began to race inside my chest and adrenaline filled my body.

"I know the answer!" the girl in the back shouted and the teacher nodded to her as she went to the board.

I tried not to look at her as she smugly wrote on the board the solution she had copied from me.

"And what would you do now if I added up this to the equation?" the teacher asked, interested.

The girl stared at her and this time I did look, only to see her mouth pop open. She shook her head and shot me a murderous glance which promised that I would pay for that later. As if that was my fault! But I didn't doubt I would.

The hours passed faster than I expected and no one bothered me as much as I expected. Surprisingly the girl who had copied the answer from me was standing with her friends far away and they were discussing something, laughing hysterically but they did not throw a glance at me. Maybe they had found something more interesting to do? I really hoped so but I doubted it.

I sighed and returned to my previous acts only to hear someone saying that I shit myself and pointing at my dirty pants. I turned to look only to see a group of boys this time, some of the wealthiest offspring of our community. They were all laughing apart from a ginger haired boy. I turned away and scribbled something on my notebook and tried to pretend they were not there, humming a bit as I did so.

The last lesson we had was history which didn't interest me as much as the others, but still I listened quietly, hoping that the time could go slower and dreading having to soon leave the school grounds.

"Our village is a small one but you would be surprised to hear that it contributed greatly to the empire's victory by sending food and other supplies to the warfront. As you all know Foulan is a very fertile land and so far even the poorest families have never starved during winter. That is not the same unfortunately for other places north, especially near the mountains where the ground is hard and nothing else apart from wild weeds grow which provide however food for goats. During winter the weeds will usually wither and then a big amount of the livestock will die. The capital's lands are more fertile but not as fertile as ours. That's why we are lucky to be staying in such a gifted place" the teacher said.

Someone in the back snorted. They did not think Foulan was gifted. Maybe they were right. No matter what the teacher said the place we lived in was far away from the capital and the other richest cities in the land where all the wealthy people stayed. We did not produce silk or wool to make clothes and our land had neither gems nor gold something that this community seemed to crave. Everyone thought that we deserved more attention, more castles, more houses but nothing exciting had ever happened here. We lived in peace and we had food. Wasn't that enough for them? Hadn't they heard what happened when people got too rich and too arrogant?

Probably not. I seemed to be one of the few people paying attention in the classroom.

"After the war the Emperor tried to fight those few outlaws that resisted but never managed entirely to extinguish the threat. They are still various attempts to his life but they all pay the price they deserve in the end. So far the emperor has managed to rule the land for more than 80 years in which everyone has prospered. The few magicians that are left work only for him and the most dangerous threat, the dragons are now extinct' the teacher continued and in the mention of dragons everyone's attention shifted to her.

No one had ever seen a dragon in our village but it was said that a hundred years ago they roamed the skies causing fear and havoc until our emperor had decided that it was fit to kill them all. As our history tells at first he had tried to reason with them but that had ended badly so he gave up and hunted them down, every last one of them.

The dark magicians had been aiding them to escape but the Emperor captured them and killed them all. Magicians had been posing a constant threat to the people as well, since sometimes they would summon the forces of nature against peasants for no other reason than spite. That too the Emperor had extinguished and their spells now were meant only for creation.

When I had been younger and first heard of magicians I had been enthralled and hoped that someday I could become one. To have the power to move rivers out of your way seemed ideal. Once, a magician had visited our village after the fall of the Rebellers and had examined the minds of our leaders to make sure we were not aiding them. When he had arrived everyone was so excited! I must have been six at the time and when I saw the dark robes and white faces I did not fear but rather welcomed him. Maybe that was my mistake because as I had approached him he had cast me away a few meters back by using no more than his mind.

The only thing I had wanted was to see his face, ask him questions and if he could, take me with him but the only thing he had said was that I was a demon's child.

Maybe that's when things started going badly for me. The man did not kill me or gave me a second glance for that matter but his words had forever marked my existence. Although I envied his power and craved it for myself I no longer wanted to become like him. Magicians were supposed to be wise and what he had done was not wise at all. I had never harmed anyone, had never done anything to deserve this and yet I was now a demons child. Why?

Because of my appearance.

It was unfair and yet I could do nothing to change it but to endure. I swallowed hard and tried to clear away the memories of that day. Ten years had passed since then and every one of them was worst that the one before. The only thing I could do was to keep going, hoping that one day things might change.

The bell rung signaling the end of the lesson and I picked my bag gently trying to prolong the minutes I stayed in the school. I willed time to move slower but it didn't, so in the end I gave up and walked out of the school's main entrance.

"Look! The demon's child itself! Are we too scary for you?" someone taunted behind me, girl or boy I could not tell, but ignored the comment the same way I had done all these years.

I heard laughs and shouts mingled with the sound of rain falling on the pavement. It clouded some of the noise and I was glad for that.

When I reached the corner to turn for my house I saw the group of girls who had been taunting me before. They were smiling and looked eagerly at me. The girl who had copied my answer, the leader I supposed, threw a ball of dirt at my direction. I moved away and the dirt hit the road instead. I turned back and decided to take the shorter way back to my home but when I did turn, a group of boys was waiting for me and threw a ball of dirt at my direction which hit me full on the face. I stumbled and fell on the ground in a puddle of water and mud. The rain kept falling.

I got up and realized that my knee hurt a bit but it wasn't anything serious. The cobbled street I was in did not offer many routes of escape. There were a few openings between shops and I guessed I could run in one of those and escape the children from school. Between the bakery and a tavern I could see a small passage big enough for one but not for two…

Another mud ball hit me on the shoulder and it stung much more than I had expected. My body's reaction was to fill my eyes with tears and make it even harder to see in the rain or think pf a plan for escape.

"Is the demon's child crying? I didn't know that demons could cry!" a girl said and giggled throwing another ball at my direction. It hit my shirt and I could feel the mud and the rain soaking through my clothes. It would take me more than a day to scrub all the dirt away.

Someone wouldn't be too happy about that. As that thought came into my mind I decided to run as I didn't have any other option. I went into the passage I had seen and the others didn't follow me. I was glad.

Suddenly though, as my vision was getting blurrier, I bumped into the ginger boy I had noticed this morning. I didn't say anything and tried to get away but he was stopping me. The passage was big enough for one.

"I am sorry I can't let you pass. She said to ambush you" he said.

I heard shouts and feet running towards my direction and I realized I was trapped. The children at school today hadn't given me much attention because they had been working on a plan to torture me.

I was frustrated but knowing I could do nothing to change it sunk down on my knees and patiently waited for them to come. Whatever they wanted to do to me I could take it, I thought but still tears swelled into my eyes.

The footsteps were coming closer.

"Go" I heard a voice say and I looked up to see the ginger boy out of my way and standing on the side of the wall. Maybe it was my tears that softened him or maybe just the thought of a person full of mud disgusted him but he had given me a way out.

I got up but didn't say thank you to him. I glared at him once, slightly perplexed and then I run.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

My steps took me back to my house where the rain was making small puddles around our field. I took a handful of grain and fed the goats, pigs and chickens and tried to protect the younger plants from the rain's force. The rest of the vegetables were big and strong enough to fend for them and would survive with ease the upcoming winter.

When it was finally time to go inside the house I shivered lightly. I dragged my legs to the door and hoped; yes I dared hope that the mood would be good. There was a paddle next to the door and I accidentally looked at my reflection but quickly turned my head the other way and entered the house.

It was surprisingly warm but I didn't fail to notice the stench of alcohol. Goosebumps rose on my flesh and I tried to be as soundless as possible but I didn't manage.

"Bring me a plate of food child" a voice growled from the living room. I swallowed hard and went to the kitchen only to find stale bread, milk and cheese. I bit my lip and cursed myself for not thinking beforehand and cooking something warm. I looked around desperately trying to find something I could cook but there were only some vegetables in the corner and they would take longer than I would want.

"Food. Now!" the voice said and I quickly put what food I could find on the plate.

When I entered the living room it smelled of dust, alcohol and dirt. The figure on the right had not moved since the morning which I took for a bad sign. I gently touched the plate on the table and went to go.

I should have known better.

The figure rose from the blankets, took the plate in its hands and sniffed it. Then he threw it at my face.

"I asked for something to eat! And that's not food child!" he shouted at me. I felt my blood pulsing faster and my hands slightly shivered.

"I can go cook something" I said in a small voice.

He seemed neither pleased nor angry with my answer.

"Quickly" he hissed and I run back to the kitchen to cook the vegetables. I lit the fire, placed the pan over it and put vegetables and some fat on it. I waited until they were slightly withered and shiny with oil to add the cheese. The cheese melted on top and then I put the remaining camps of bread underneath hoping he didn't see the difference.

I took the pan out of the fire and put the food on a plate and rushed back.

The figure has settled back near the blankets and I left gently the plate next to it. He got up, sniffed it and took a bite. Then he started devouring the plate.

I slipped away as silently as I could and went back to my room to take of my wet clothes and put dry ones instead. I tried to scrub away some of the dirt but knew that I would have to wait until morning when the rain stopped to go to the river and use soap as well. Since that was my only uniform I would have to wake even earlier than possible and wear the wet clothes to school until they dried on my skin.

I didn't like the prospect. I left the bag containing my books in a corner and fell on my bed. After a long day it felt surprisingly comfortable and warm and I shied. I could feel my stomach growling but it could wait. I briefly closed my eyes when I heard a shout.

My heart started racing again and I walked down the stairs.

"Cant u go down faster?" he asked and chuckled. My heart galloped inside my chest. That was not a good sign. I looked around only to see a bottle of wine next to him.

He was somewhat cleaner than before, I realized, and his oily blond hair was pushed back with lemon. He had changed his clothes before and the ones he was wearing before were on a pile next to the sofa.

"We will be having company today" he told me and smiled. Not a good sign either. His icy blue eyes shone.

Most of the women in the village thought he was handsome with his blonde hair and blue eyes and that made it easy for him to bring women home whenever he wished so. Some days though when he wasn't that lucky he would still bring home a whore, or worse he would come alone.

I always wanted to warn the women that he was evil and that he would hurt them but I could never find the courage to. Most of them would leave our house crying and spitting on the door, blaming me and calling me demon's child. Others would say nothing and some of them were so peculiar that they would even laugh with him and enjoy it.

But whenever they left his attention would always come back to me and that I dreaded.

"Why are you not smiling?" he asked me irritated as he saw my expression remaining the same.

I tried to smile but was unable to. That seemed to anger him all the more and he got up and came towards me.

"Smile my dear. It's a happy day" he said and gently touched my head while I could smell his breath which reeked of something dead. I tried to move away but he caught my arm in his. Then he twisted it behind my back and pain shot through me. I left out a whimper.

He spit at me.

"You are still not smiling. You are a demon's child" he said and brought a stick down on my arm hard. I felt bruises forming on my skin and I left out another cry as I tried desperately to move away from his grasp.

"I am your child!" I shouted back at him maybe the first time I had found the courage to.

He stopped the stick in mid-air and stared at me an amused expression on his face.

"You are not my child. You are a demon's child the same one your mother mated with and then had the courage to dump you on my door!" he shouted.

If I am indeed a demon's child then you are the demon I wanted to say to him but couldn't. He brought the stick down on my arm again and I recoiled but still it connected to my flesh.

I cried out loudly and bit my lip until I drew out blood.

"You are a demon here to punish me!" he shouted at me and hit me again until tears fell from my eyes. He hit me again then and I was sure I heard something crack. The pain was too much and I fell on the ground trying to protect myself.

I tried to form the words to say something but didn't. He had started hitting me when I had been only eight and because I hadn't fed the chickens properly. He had been drunk at the time I knew and I excused him for that. He had been slapping me sometimes as well if I forgot something but not as much.

In the beginning. After a while it had become a regular thing for him and he hit me more and more and each time harder and harder. I tried not to give him any reason to but even then he would hit me. I would beg from him to stop but when he wouldn't I would only try to endure.

In the first year the amount of times I said please must have been over a million but after than I swore never to tell him again. He could hit me as much as he wanted to, cause as many damages to my broken body but never would he break. The only thing I had left was my pride however small and distorted it was but he would not take that away.

I would always ask myself why, trying to understand why he would punish me for something I had not done yet found no answer. I asked myself why the children at school would taunt me and call me names but again found no answer.

I concluded only in the fact that the world was a cruel place and the humans in it where the cruelest of them all.

"Answer me you demon! Smile!" he shouted and my thoughts disappeared in the midst of a cloud.

Blood was pooling under my feet, its crimson color shining from the light of the fire. However there was no wound I could find.

He seemed to notice as well and he stopped.

"You are bleeding, ha?" he asked me but a tremor shook me because I could not understand. Suddenly I felt extremely weak and tired and my hands were shaking.

I tried to look over my body but it was covered only in bruises and a burning pain in my elbow but no wound, no scratch. The blood was near my legs and more of it was dripping.

"About time you bled, you little demon!" he shouted as if amused and went back to the living room to continue with his drinking.

I could not understand. He continued laughing as if something was funny. I hated him all the more for that. Without thinking twice about it I jumped from the floor and run out in the rain. My elbow throbbed and my body protested but I had no other choice. The rain fell on my face hard mingling with my tears and I run faster and faster having no idea where I was heading to. At some point I thought I reached a forest because I saw many trees and I kept running. Stories of wolves creeping in the forest came to my mind but I was not afraid of the wolves.

Why would I when there was a demon in my house?

I kept running and running as the day grew to an end and the sky started getting darker. My stomach was empty, my knees were shaking, my elbow hurt and there was blood in my legs but I kept on going until I found something that looked like a cave.

By that time I was exhausted and the day was coming to an end but I dared not turn around. I settled for the cave where I pressed myself against the rocks and put my arms around my knees and rocked gently hoping that this would mend my broken body.

There was a musky smell in the cave and I turned around to see a wolf staring at me.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My heart caught in my throat and I shivered.

The wolf kept its grey eyes on me and sniffed me, making no move to attack. Did he want to eat me? Maybe he wanted to feed its pups.

I wouldn't mind being food for the wolf. I would help him become taller and stronger and live through the winter instead of dying. It would be an honest death and maybe some part of me would forever live inside him and be a part of a pact.

How much I longed for that! To be accepted and loved, to be surrounded by creatures that cared for you and would be sad to let you go, creatures that did not care how you looked but what you were capable of and if it would contribute to the pact.

Would anyone miss me if I was gone? Would anyone search for me?

I doubted that.

If the wolf didn't eat me my life would continue being painful and sad but the life of the pups would change forever once they had tasted me. I swallowed and made my decision which was not an easy one but hoped that it would free me.

I extended my arm towards the wolf and lay on the ground making it even easier for it to kill me. The only thing I wished now was that it would end quickly.

I closed my eyes but felt warm breath on my fingertips and then moisture.

My eyes snapped open only to see the wolf licking my fingers. My mouth must have popped open but I quickly recovered.

Yet I left my hand where it was and saw the wolf coming closer and closer to me to nuzzle my hand. Warmth and comfort radiated from the wolf and I couldn't help myself but let it seep in me. I touched the wolf's face and its ears drew back. He came closer and he sat close to me where his fur was against my skin warming me. Its scent was musky and it reminded me of pines but it was an honest smell.

I hugged the wolf closer to me and it did not protest. His face was resting on my lap now and both of my hands were on it, scrubbing his fur. Images started popping in my head and suddenly I could smell and hear things that were close and far away touching a material which was wet and cold but still some warmth came from it.

I could hear the drop of rain falling on the ground and each one of them seemed like a thunder. I could smell blood from the person close to me but I did not want to eat it rather lick it away and make the pain disappear. Pine needles were clouding the space and when I opened my eyes I saw a human, a very white one that looked like snow. Even its hair was white. I gently got up on my four legs and tried to readjust my position only to sit better on the creature's lap as its finger were stroking my fur…

I opened my eyes again and I could see the wolf on my lap, with its eyes closed, sniffing happily. I looked down and saw my arms and fingers that had a color as white as snow. The wolf was grey instead and it was a strange comparison.

My heart seemed to beat louder.

What had just happened?

I could hear my stomach growling, my skin tingling from the welcome warmth and my elbow throbbing but I still caressed the wolf's head and images flashed in my mind again, this time of spirals and blues and calming thoughts while my senses were oversensitive and the odor of blood as clear as a calm lake.

I was hungry again and the smell of blood made me hungrier but I would not touch the creature opposite me. I saw images of a stony place where the smell of food was intoxicating and dark colored humans stood. It was close enough and it would feed my belly enough to keep me a week from hunting …

I snapped my eyes open again. Had that been me or the wolf? Where had the image come from? Never in my life had I been in that place before.

The wolf on my lap stretched and yawned. My stomach rambled. The wolf had been thinking of a monastery and indeed there would be food and warmth. But where was that? I can't remember ever hearing about it or even seeing it …

I still couldn't believe what I was experiencing. Probably my mind was too tired and exhausted and was making things up but it wouldn't hurt to try.

My hands gently pressed on the animal's head and I could feel myself inside the wolf. I could feel the wolf inside there as well but there was some space for me.

The wolf accepted my presence without objecting and I welcomed the easy flow of thoughts. The wolf was still thinking of food and I couldn't help but agree. I was careful to pay attention to the details and soon I had a clear idea of where the monastery was. I returned to my own self only to see the wolf rising as if expecting to leave soon. I got up as well and followed the wolf as it walked away from the cave. My legs hurt but the wolf wasn't going too fast, as if waiting for me. I put some of my weight on its back and it didn't protest.

I could not understand what was going on, how a wild wolf seemed so tamed, how I could be in the wolf's head…

The forest appeared the same as when I was in the wolf's head but with smaller details. Rain was still dripping and by now it was late afternoon. Yet I followed the wolf until we reached a river, crossed it and got to the other side where a few buildings stood.

The wolf had been right. The smell of food emitted from it and the promise of warmth was very inviting. The wolf walked to the door of the monastery where an old man opened it and casually touched the wolf's head.

"You again, hmm? Here for some food?" he asked gently and then he seemed to notice me.

My knees shook. The man gave a cry.

"Dear child are you okay? Come inside where it's nice and warm! Where did u get your wounds from?" he asked all at once and he came to where I was and took my hands. I tried to follow him but my legs gave way and he picked me up instead. He seemed a good man but I could trust him no more than the person who was supposed to be my father.

However he had given food to the wolf and maybe he could spare me something as well.

I was placed on some sort of bed where it was nice, warm and comfortable and I wanted to cry from the pleasure. An old woman sat next to me and my eyelids flattered from exhaustion. She started touching my bruises where it hurt the most but I let her. I had given up and no matter how they hurt me they would not break me.

She gently touched my elbow where it hurt quite a lot and despite my earlier thoughts I still gave a small cry. She seemed troubled and she put a white cloth somewhere and then something like a cream on my bruises.

For the blood on my legs she did nothing more than to cover it.

"What is it?" I couldn't help but ask but my voice was croaked.

"It's your monthly blood, dear" she said gently. I did not understand. Did she mean that from now on I would have to bleed once a month whenever he hurt me?

I shivered and she touched my head.

"You have a small fever" she said and brought some cold cloths. I recoiled.

"No, not cold. I am hungry" I said but still I did not beg. I would never beg.

The old woman brought a plate of something warm and gently pressed it to my lips. It was warm, watery and tasty and despite my exhaustion I couldn't help but eat it all. The food stopped the rumbling and made me feel warmer but still I shivered.

The woman looked concerned now and pressed the wet cloths on my brow. She spoke gently and quietly with the man I had seen before and I couldn't make out their words. I thrashed and my body quivered. I wanted to cry.

I had endured the beating, the taunting, the cold, the rain and yet here I was being helped by two people I had never met before. They didn't care about my appearance or if they did they hid it well. The woman, I realized, had white hair the same color as mine but whereas hers was a sign of old age mine was a sign of demon blood, if the magician was to be believed.

Another tremor shook me, harder than the one before and I felt as if I was on fire, a very unpleasant feeling. The fire was spreading everywhere in my body. It had begun from my head and still spreading. I could feel it at the tips of my fingers now and I hated it, I hated every part of it.

"Make it stop" I shouted at the old woman, not begged, asked. I closed my eyes willing the sensation to go away but it wouldn't.

"Drink this" she said and pressed a cup to my lips. Its taste was bitter and I wanted to retch the moment it touched my lips but still I kept drinking it until the very last drop reached my belly. Spasms now rocked through me and I had cramps in my stomach. Whatever it seemed she had given me it wasn't making things easier.

I cried out and felt tears under my eyes.

"It will be painful but it will be over much quicker that way" she promised and I had no other choice but to believe her.

I tried to leave the pain behind and curl into a corner of my mind as I often did when my body was being abused. It seemed to work because I no longer felt pain.

My senses once more were oversensitive and I could smell food nearby. Most of my hunger had been sated by what the man had given to me but I wanted more if I could get it. I walked around the house as the rain still fell on my fur and I shook it of annoyed. There was a glass somewhere and I tried to look inside for more food, sniffing. What came into my nose though was not food but the smell of blood and sickness and the sweet odor of the girl I had found in the forest. I peered inside and stared at the white haired girl who was moving on the bed.

That's when I realized that I was actually looking at myself and that my consciousness had somehow mingled with the wolf's. How easy it would be to forever be a wolf and live my human body behind. I would never again have to endure the beating and the taunting and I would live in the forest. I would always have company. The wolf's, whose body I occupied, and maybe some of its pack. We would hunt in the winter for food and if we didn't find some we would be hungry but still content and happy.

Hadn't I been pleased to be a part of the wolf before? It seemed my wish was coming true somehow.

But then I looked at the old woman's face, the concern, the fear and the way she was holding my hand as if her life depended on it. Before there would have been no one to grieve for me but now I realized there would. Even though I didn't know the woman and she did not know me I knew that she cared, something I found surprising.

No. I refused to give up. I still had a human body lying on the bed and no matter how broken, how ugly, how distorted it was, it was still my body and I would fight for it.

I allowed myself to stay inside the wolf a little more until most of the girl's tortures had ended and she seemed to be asleep. That's when I slipped away from the fur and into the human skin only to be surrounded by darkness.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It must have been late afternoon when I woke again. My hair was plastered to my head and covered with sweat but I was no longer burning and no longer in pain. I took a breath clear and loud and the woman sleeping next to me rose and smiled.

This time I noticed the details of her face that I hadn't the night before. She was old and plump, with wrinkles covering her face and neck. Her eyes were a warm brown color and when she smiled a lot of her teeth were missing. But that smile made my heart swell for some reason and I liked her all the more for it.

Not even once in my life had I said thank you. There had been no need to because I never felt like I owed someone. Besides no one had ever done something to help me. The man who I had seen the previous day was standing in a corner feeding the fire with dried wood.

"Thank you" I mumbled to them, almost embarrassed and my throat felt dry. They both nodded, acknowledging what I said and the woman brought a cup of water to my lips. The water was neither warm nor cold but it was refreshing and I drunk deep. I also had another portion of stew but this time it was thicker and I could taste pieces of meat apart from the various vegetables.

When I had finished my meal I tried to get up and the kindly man helped me to my feet. They were unsteady and I felt weak but I could at least walk. My elbow still throbbed but it would heal in a few weeks.

I realized that I was wearing a white dress instead of the clothes before and I guessed it belonged to the woman because it was too big for me. My clothes were standing near the fire to dry.

"I need to go back" I said to both of them and they seemed shocked.

"But child you are too weak to walk! Where is your house? We can take you there if there is any need" the woman said but thinking about what my father might do to them, I shook my head quickly.

"I am not too weak. I can walk. And my father will be sick with worry" I said but all those I doubted it. My father would be sick with worry when his dinner didn't come on time. The punishment I would get when I returned… I dreaded it.

And the longer I was away the longer my ordeal would last, I knew. The old couple must have seen that in my eyes because they shot worried glances at my bruises.

"You can stay here a few more days until you have completely healed. Also, it's almost dark and the forest is a dangerous place at night" the woman said but I shook my head.

I walked unsteadily to the door and saw my hands shaking but I hid them behind my back. I realized once again that I was not wearing my own clothes but changing into them in front of the couple was something I didn't know how to do. Instead I promised to come back and give her the dress but she shook her head.

"No, keep it. You will also have something stop your monthly blood" she said in a sweet tone.

This word again. What did it mean?

I wanted to ask her but I was too afraid to do so and I didn't want to stall any longer. I took my clothes in my arms and went to leave but then I looked back at the kindly old couple.

"I am Caelia" I told them and myself. So far there had been no need to use my name and everybody would call me child, or demon's child.

But I was someone, I had a name. A name my mother had given to me when she gave birth to me and I was going to keep it. I had to remember my name, my true name.

No one was going to strip me from that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I had tried to leave the wolf behind but it had followed me, like an obedient dog and in the end I had given up trying to shoe him away, enjoying its company in the dark forest and feeling safer with him at my side.

I realized that I had to give him a name. It was unfair that he was merely a wolf when he was so much more. And I knew that because I had entered his mind, I had seen its thoughts and desires and the liking he had taken to me.

"What shall I call you?" I wondered out loud and closed my eyes to breathe his smell. I was not sure yet if it was female or male so I had to find something that betrayed neither one. The scent of pine needles reached my nose and I quickly made up my mind.

"You are Needle. And I am Caelia" I said tasting my name and his in my mouth. It sounded almost …

Nice.

I allowed myself to smile and enter the wolf's mind. It was easier than I had expected and my senses seemed to awaken. I searched the wolf's mind and he/she seemed not to mind with the name. I was pleased and so retreated back to myself.

I was in a light mood and I didn't know if this was because the wolf's mind was so simple and happy and clouded by few worries or because I was still weak. Maybe it was even the kindly couple that had helped me.

When I reached the house it was almost dark and I managed to quickly feed the animals. They seemed happy to see me but they were wary of the wolf's presence. I touched the wolf's mind with my own only to see that his thoughts were those of blood and food and I tried to tell him not to kill them.

I didn't know if he listened to my mental voice but just to make sure I pictured a scene of warm bread, cheese and meat that I would give him if he was obedient.

The wolf turned around from the chicken, seeming uninterested.

Had he actually listened to me? I found it hard to believe. My newfound ability made me delirious. To have someone like me, accept me. To have some company …

"THERE YOU ARE!" I heard a voice and turned around to see him running down the stairs of the house. The rain had stopped but a few puddles remained and his right boot dipped into one of them. He cursed loud, pulled it up and continued storming after me.

No, I won't be afraid. No, I won't let you harm me, I thought to myself as my heart fluttered inside my chest like a caged bird.

In his hand he was holding a stick but I already knew what he was going to do with it.

"I was so sad when I didn't find my food on the plate. And the place inside is so filthy. The whore couldn't even go inside. You had to clean it. You demon!" he shouted and raised the stick.

I closed my eyes and hoped that it would end quickly.

Instead of feeling the rough wood against my skin I heard a growl and looked at Needle who was staring at him with her teeth bared, standing protectively in front of me.

He laughed and snorted.

"Is that your pet, demon? How fitting. An animal for an animal" he exclaimed laughing. He lifted the stick and went to hit the wolf but the wolf bit his hand instead and he let out a scream.

He took several steps back and he looked almost afraid. His fear and Needle's protectiveness gave me courage.

I took a step towards his direction and stared at his icy cold eyes. My heart jumped once inside my chest but I would not be afraid anymore. No.

"You will never hit me again" I said as calmly as I could and he stared perplexed. Then I walked towards the house with Needle following behind like a tame dog. But he/she was no dog. He was so much more than that. He was hope, he was happiness he was calmness.

I gave him whatever scraps of food there were left in the kitchen and took some for myself. There wasn't much food but the vegetables in the garden had grown and would soon need picking. I would sell them for some cheese, bread and meat tomorrow.

I climbed to my bed and Needle followed me while biting on a bone. My hands went through his soft fur until they rested on his head. I opened my mind to his and I felt his content with the food and warmth.

I promised him that we would have more food tomorrow and he seemed to recognize my voice. For that I was glad.

I fell asleep on top of his fur no longer a demon's child but a girl willing to live.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

In the morning I had no trouble waking up. I shifted from my place, took my bag, put on my school clothes and went down the stairs to the kitchen. Needle followed me yawning and its tail was swinging from side to side.

My father was nowhere to be seen as he had taken a liking in staying over one of his girl's houses. It made no difference to me. I poured milk in a cup and drunk deep. Whatever I didn't drink I gave to Needle and then paused, to take bread and put some honey on it. For Needle I kept half a steak from last night which he devoured quickly enough.

Six months had passed since I had met Needle and things seemed to be getting better everyday. With my father spending less money on drinks I had used the remaining to buy proper food, make some repairs to the house and plant crops for next year. All seemed peaceful and I was grateful.

Even at school, people would not bother me as much because Needle was with me constantly and like a body guard, if anyone or anything tried to harm me, he would attack. This, the children knew and stayed away. They still kept calling me demon's child especially now that I walked around with a wolf, but at least I was safe.

I allowed myself to smile as I passed the bakery and bought two biscuits. They were not very expensive and besides I could now afford it. I nibbled on one's edge, allowing myself to be momentarily lost in its sweetness and then put it back inside the bag for later.

In the classroom Needle could not enter, as the teachers would not allow it but he always waited for me outside and if something happened he was sure to come immediately to my rescue. Learning became easy and often I would hear teachers praising my knowledge and cleverness.

I was as close to happy as I could get. The day passed quickly as it often did and I exited the school grounds humming an unknown melody to myself while Needle was not far. My house was at the right but we turned left and entered the forest instead. There I put my bag on the side and run with Needle as he was barking and swinging his tail. The weather was cloudy but it hadn't rained for a day and the ground was hard, perfect for running.

The wind wiped at my face leaving my cheeks numb from the cold but I opened my arms in the air and asked for more. Instead of wind, Needle fell on my chest and we both started rolling down the valley where the grass was soft and slightly wet. Needle hopped in the air, then caught the smell of something and run towards it. I extended my mind to him warning him to be careful and come back. In his thoughts though were the pictures of another wolf and he wanted to check him out.

I got up and returned to my bag. A small strand of light fell on my face and I turned away. I didn't like the sun. My skin was too sensitive and the slightest connection would cause burns. And burns I did not like.

However the tall trees concealed most of the sun and I tried to avoid the rest. I was walking towards the house of the old couple when I caught a strange sensation in Needle's mind that made my cheeks flush.

All too soon I realized that Needle was female and the other wolf was male. And right now they were circling each other and landing playful bites. I, then, again remembered how Needle would bleed sometimes like me but I didn't think much about it at the time. The male caught Needle by her neck or rather Needle let him catch her and after that I closed my mind not wanting to intrude.

A strange sensation overcame me, one that I had never felt before. It must have been because of Needle's strong feelings but my skin was tingling and I could feel my breasts heavy against my skin. I knew so little of humans and with horror I realized that I didn't know enough. The time I had spent with Needle had taught me much more about animals, packs and humans that what the rest fifteen years of my life had. True, I often saw suckling babies or a pregnant woman or a man and wife kissing but I had never wondered, had never guessed…

One of Needle's thoughts clouded my own as the mating came to an end and she decided to return by my side. She sniffed the male before she left and I could feel in her mind that she intended to see him again or him, her.

Needle padded towards me with her tongue out and her fur slightly messy. I expected no less. I sighed and let her lead the way to the cottage as I was deep in thought about humans in general.

When we reached the cottage I heard the familiar noise of the old woman washing clothes and their goat eating grass. Her husband was on the other side of the cottage chopping wood.

I lightly touched the goat's head and felt her presence. Her thoughts were simpler than Needle's and she was very calm. I removed my hand from her head and thoughts and images became my own.

So far I was able to join my mind to other animals, but usually by only touching their heads. Needle was the only one that I didn't necessarily need to touch but still she needed to be in a close distance so that we could communicate.

The old woman heard and when she saw me she extended two hands towards my direction. I let myself slip in her arms and gave her the basket with eggs and cheese. She accepted it happily.

"Caelia! It's been a long time since you last visited us" she said in a sweet voice. I tried to remember when the last time had been and realized with shame that it had been more than a week.

I tried to explain myself but instead she shook her head and welcomed me in her house. I sat near the fire where it was warm and she offered me a cup of tea which I accepted. Needle had to wait outside the house but she was impatient.

The woman chatted to me about simple stuff and some of the preparations that she and her husband were making for the upcoming winter. She asked me how school was and I told her that everything was fine and tried to explain to her all the new things we had learnt. She seemed interested but after a while I could see in her expression that she was bored and I changed the subject.

"Needle is female" I blurted out. The old woman chuckled.

"How come you didn't know before?" she asked surprised.

I sighed angrily, tapping my foot on the ground.

"I was never sure. I didn't know for what to look exactly" I said confused. She must have seen in my expression that I was more puzzled than I sounded because she peeked outside the window where her husband was working and she closed it.

"Once you asked me why you bled and I told you that it was a normal thing and you should not be afraid. Now I understand that you need me to explain a bit more of that. From the moment a girl starts bleeding it means that she can have children if she wants. Every month she will bleed and if she mates with a man she can stay pregnant and have children" the kindly woman said.

And yet I had so many more questions than that. Needle was helpful and provided an image of her and the male wolf but I tried to think of something else.

"The blood comes from a certain place and if a man enters this place you will be afraid and maybe in pain for the first time. But then it will become something you enjoy and you want and there is nothing else to be afraid" she added.

I nodded although my cheeks were flushed for no apparent reason.

"What if … I don't want to mate with a man? What if I don't want children?" I blurted out unable to stop myself.

The old woman smiled.

"You might find a man you want to mate with or you may not. That depends on you. Also you might want to have children or you may not but you are still too young to consider having children. There might be a point when you will want to but it's still far away" she said and a pained look crossed her face.

"But if you ever mate with a man, know that there is a chance you might stay pregnant so be careful of the man you mate with" she said and rose her finger in the air swinging it from side to side.

"You mean… Needle could be pregnant?" I asked her and stared at the female wolf outside who was staring and licking her paws.

"She could be. If she is, she will have pups" the old woman said and smiled. "But then it might be wise to let her go into the wild for a time because a house is not a fit place for a wolf to give birth. The pups must get used to the wild if they want to survive"

I understood everything she told me but the prospect of losing Needle even for a little bit pained me. I had become selfish with her, I realized and felt guilty.

If she had pups I would let her go back to the wild and I would bring her food whenever I could. The prospect of small puppies running around my feet was surprisingly welcome.

My thoughts came to an end when the husband entered the house and took of his coat bringing feeding wood into the fire. We chatted about history and he was keen to know if anything interesting had happened in the city. I told him most of the things I knew, about the Emperor and his servants and how one of them was planning to visit us again in a month or so to approve of our village's leaders.

He seemed not to like what I told him and I stopped but he urged me on. The prospect of having another magician calling me demon's child wasn't a happy one and I agreed with his reaction.

When the sun was close to setting I told them I had to go and they hugged me tightly making me promise them that I would visit again.

That I intended to do, because no matter how much I denied it, I needed those people to guide me and give me the love that was never given to me. The old man was wise and had a peculiar sense of humor while the old woman was shy and sweet.

My house came into view as Needle padded after me, her thoughts returning to her encounter with the male wolf. To me she seemed even giddy. I couldn't help but smile.

But then I saw torches surrounding my house and I knew that something was wrong. Needle came closer to me and I hugged her tightly.

Loads of people were gathered around the house and were looking at me. My heart started beating faster knowing that something was going to happen. The leader of the pack stood holding a bright torch in her hand, the girl from my school, the one who had copied my answer and next to her stood my father.

I was confused.

"For months now you dear parade around the city with the beast next to you, thinking you are better than everyone else and causing problems. Well. I say no more to that demon's child" she shouted and raised her torch.

I blinked and stared at her because I couldn't grasp the meaning of whatever she was saying.

"You have kicked me out of my house when I was the one providing all the food because you wanted to house that beast. I had to instead sleep elsewhere and hoped that you would not find me" my father said and raised his torch, his icy blue eyes almost glowing in the dark.

"You came to my bakery with your beast and I had no other choice but to give you what you wanted when you asked, because I had to protect my children from your wrath" the woman in the bakery shop said.

Is that how she felt? I had never demanded anything. I had asked. And I had paid what everyone else had paid before her. I had never harmed her children.

"At school she managed to solve equations that even the teachers couldn't. That's unnatural and the devil gave her that ability in order to devour us faster" one of my school's teachers said.

"I never did anything to harm anyone! Needle is my friend!" I shouted back to them but I already knew they would not listen to me.

"The demon has named its pet Needle. How cute!" someone said and I felt tears swelling in my eyes. Never before had their words touched me but now they were not insulting me but my friend.

I would not allow it.

People started gathering around me and Needle, holding their torches in the air. Needle growled and barked and stood close to me like a guard.

"Catch the wolf" someone shouted and I tried to protect Needle. But by that time it was already too late and too many people were coming towards us. Someone grabbed my arm and I saw Needle being beaten and dragged away.

I could feel in her mind the ferocity and anger as she accepted each blow and fought back biting and jumping. I heard a shout once but it was from one of the boy's Needle had bitten and not from her.

I struggled to free myself from my captor's grasp but they were too many and too strong. I could feel anger swelling up inside me clutching inside my chest. I heard a whimper and looked at Needle who was crying now from pain.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted at them and cried in return but they would not stop.

Someone pressed something cold to my back but I barely felt it as my attention was on Needle. They slashed at her paw and I saw blood gushing from the wound. I felt her pain before I saw it.

"No!" I screamed and tried to fight them but couldn't. My human body was too weak, too frail to fight against them.

Someone laughed.

"Demon's child, demon's child" they sang. The pressed my head inside a puddle and I choked feeling the dirty water go inside my lungs instead of air.

Needle whimpered and I could feel her desperate need to get to me and protect me.

"Her hair is not white anymore. It seems like she shit herself in the head" they said and I cried. Someone pressed me down and I realized I knew the man's grasp.

My father, although I refused to believe that a demon such as him was my father.

"Look at your face! Look at your eyes! See!" he commanded me but I kept my eyes closed. I saw blood coming from the other side and felt Needle's pain again.

"The beast will walk without skin for the rest of its life if you don't look" he cried out to me.

I looked.

And what I saw was not a clear image because it was night but the fires were illuminating in the back. My white hair and white skin was filled with mud so you couldn't quite tell that I was different. But my eyes …

My eyes shone a brilliant red against the night and as I watched the fire in the background I realized that indeed I looked like a demon. My face was not round or angular but rather something in between. My nose was straight and too big. My height was normal for my age and my arms and legs were skinny like a chicken's.

I looked ill. I looked…

Dangerous.

Another scream echoed in the night as this time I attacked my father and bit him on the hand where he was holding me. I tasted blood inside my mouth but spit the flesh out. I wanted no part of his inside my body.

I thrashed and moved around until I was almost free from my bonds. I run to Needle but she was laying on the ground, blood around her, covering her like a blanket as she whimpered.

I looked into her brilliant grey eyes and saw my reflection. I felt the closeness with her, I felt our bond shattering into tiny pieces as someone threw a hammer on her head.

I screamed because I could feel her pain, I screamed because I had lost my only true friend. I screamed because she had taught me so much more than humans would.

My knees gave way and I ended up on the ground. For a few seconds I felt nothing. And then anger replaced my sorrow and I looked at them. I looked at every one of their faces and I attacked them. I attacked them the only way I could, the only way I knew.

What Needle and I had, was a bond, a connection and trying to recreate it with those creatures was impossible but I merely touched their minds trying not to poison myself with their evil thoughts. Instead I showed them mine. I showed them my anger, my sorrow. I showed them what they had done.

I saw people crumbling on the floor all around me as I stood up. They were holding their heads in their hands and crying out to me to stop. But it was too late for that.

Whatever I had done it had mentally exhausted me and I felt weak. I had not connected with those people, had not entered their minds but just hoped that I would make them understand.

"I understand" I heard a voice behind me and I saw the ginger boy from my school.

He looked at me deep inside my eyes and he didn't seem as stricken as the rest of the people. He steadied himself on a tree nearby and didn't move his gaze away.

"Go. Leave this place, while you can" he whispered to me and I heard him.

I got up on my unsteady knees and run into the forest never looking back.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"They have killed her" I mumbled unable to stop the tears running down my eyes. A spasm shook me thinking of her painful death. I searched with my mind to find her consciousness, to connect with her once more but she was forever gone.

"Caelia, calm down. What happened?" the kindly man asked as I was shaking in his arms like a fish outside of the water.

"The villagers… They had torches. They came. Called me demon and Needle a beast and they tried to kill me but killed her. But she had never hurt them. She had only protected me… But I showed them… I made them understand what they had done" I thought and hate and anger swelled inside me trying to destroy everything that I was, everything that was around to make the villagers pay.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulders and realized that the old woman had taken me in her arms and was rocking me back and forth like a baby while my tears kept running down my cheeks.

"Needle was innocent. She was just a wolf. She was my only friend, the only one who understood me. The only one who didn't care that I looked like a demon" I said and my voice croaked in the last sentence.

I stared at the floor, looking but not looking and the woman grasped my face in her arms and forced me to look at her. I blinked, trying to clear the tears away.

"You are what's important. You are what matters. You are what's beautiful "she whispered to me and more tears run down my eyes.

"If I was beautiful… If I didn't look like a demon they wouldn't have killed Needle" I said and more tears came from eyes as I scratched at my face willing to destroy it but the old woman held my hands.

"No" she said, a single syllable and I stopped but the repulsion I felt for myself made me want to peel of my skin.

I cried harder and looked outside the window expecting to see Needle but the only thing I saw was darkness.

"Listen to me" she said and I did, hoping that my sadness would disappear.

"Needle taught you an important lesson today. That is that all things in the world must come to an end. She would have died eventually at some point" she said.

"I know this… Of course I do… But they killed her. Why? Why did they have to do that?" I asked and shrieked once more.

The kindly man brought me a cup of tea but I didn't even take one sip from it.

"People are scared. Whatever they don't know they want to destroy. People are jealous. Whatever they wish to have for themselves they end up destroying" she continued and I knew that what she was saying was true.

She cleaned the dirt away from my skin with a wet cloth and brought a strange object. She gave it to me and I stared.

"Look" she commanded me and I stared at the person looking at me.

I knew that person. That image had been hunting me since the day I was born. I had been forced to see it in a puddle today and people had told me about it, taunting me every day of my miserable life.

"You are beautiful. You are unique. And whatever these people do or say you have to know that. Never let them take that away from you. Needle knew that you were beautiful. We know that you are beautiful. You know you are beautiful" she ended and I kept looking at the image.

I bit my lip and saw my reflection do the same. I touched my hands to my face, my white skin, so unlike the color of the people who worked in the fields all day. I touched my soft white hair that fell on my shoulders and reached my waist. Now it was slightly wavy and dirty but sometimes when I would wash and comb it, it fell on my shoulders like a river straight and shiny. I looked at my blood-red eyes and I almost cried because there was nothing beautiful about them.

"Rubies" the woman said and I realized that indeed they looked like gems.

"People have to wear them on their clothes or decorate their weapons with them but you already have them" she continued.

My rubies twinkled and on top of my eyes long black-white lashes concealed them, flattering as if by themselves. My eyebrows were a straight line of white.

"You are beautiful" the kindly woman said once more and the emotion in her voice when she said it, was so much that it felt as if something had caught in my throat.

"Needle knew that. And Needle wasn't stupid now, was she? Never let them take that away from you" she added and I knew she was right. I had often seen myself in the wolf's thoughts and to her I was something ethereal, something different, and something beautiful.

"Why are people so bad?" I couldn't help but ask the old woman and some tears swelled under my eyes. For so many years I had been an outcast just because of how I looked. Just because I was different from them and they couldn't accept it.

"People are not bad. People are kind, especially when a mother brings food to her child that's love, that's kindness. People are compassionate, protective and will not let you hurt someone they care about" she said. I was puzzled.

"But before you said …" I tried to tell her but she touched her wrinkled fingers on my lips.

"People are bad and good. People are mean and nice. There are various types of people in the world and they try to survive with whatever means possible. The people in your village acted poorly but they were scared. We try to be good but there are others who don't care" she ended and pressed me on a bed.

Her husband got up and brought a bowl of broth to me. I took it in my shaking hands and started drinking it. It was warm and tasty and each time I sipped, I felt like more of my worries disappeared.

"Now listen to me. In a few hours I am certain that villagers will come knocking on our door. I wish we could protect you but we can't. They will search our house regardless of what we tell them and if you are still here they will kill you and us. They won't dare come in the forest in the middle of the night but in the morning. By that time you must have left. We will give you food supplies and money and you should flee, going maybe to one of the big cities. Your appearance I am afraid will make it easier for them to track you but we will dye your hair brown. Unfortunately we can't do much for your eyes. In the big cities there are too many young girls like you and it will be almost impossible to find you" she said and looked at her husband.

I nodded, feeling my eyelids growing heavy from exhaustion.

"The next part is very important. Cities are not like villages. Dangers there, lurk in every corner and bad men will approach you but you must resist, you must ignore them. Whatever they promise you in return don't do what they ask except if you are positive that their intentions are good. You will leave in the early hours of the morning but until then you will sleep. I put in your food a small portion of sleeping leaves but I promise to wake you up in the morning" the woman said and in her eyes there was sadness and sorrow.

I couldn't keep my eyelids open any longer and I knew why. I had been tricked and they had given me sleeping leaves like the ones I found in the berry trees and yet I could not be angry with them.

Instead I slept and wished to dream of Needle, alive, happy and healthy.

"Goodnight Caelia"

…

The shoes I was wearing were too big for my feet. The cape was too long for my height and the bag too heavy.

But those were my minor concerns. My biggest problem was to try and leave the forest behind and go to the nearest city, away from the people that were hunting me down. I had a map in my bag which showed me the way to the city but I wouldn't need it if I followed the couple's direction. I would go straight ahead until I found a bridge. Cross the bridge and then head east until I found the city.

I tried not to think of the woman's expression as she had hugged me tightly to her chest and made me promise that I would someday come back. In the short period of time I knew her, this woman had become like a mother to me. Her husband would have been my father if I could choose and I was grateful for their help. I had never truly learnt their names but they had told me to call them "granny" and "grandpa" which I found amusing because they weren't even that old.

But if that's what they wanted, I respected their wishes. The man had woken me up when the sun first rose in the sky and he had told me to wash in the river where he put a brown substance in my hair. When I tried to wash it away it stayed turning my hair from white to brown. For the color of my skin they couldn't do much, but put some dirt and other substances to make me look darker. It helped a bit but I could still see my true color underneath and for once I was grateful for that. My eyes had remained the same color and I hoped that with my brown hair as a background they would look more like brown than red.

My skin as I had quickly learnt was very sensitive when sun touched it and so I tried to conceal as much of it as possible. Before I left, the man had said something about me being "albino". Whatever that word meant I did not understand until he took me at the back of their cottage where he planted vegetables. I saw tomatoes and potatoes and at the very back of the garden there was a white tomato. He plucked it from the ground and put it in my bag.

"Albino. One of a kind" he repeated and gave me a hug before he sent me off.

The white tomato was still in my bag amongst other stuff but it made me wonder if I should eat it or not. The man was right. That vegetable was so different and unique that I didn't want to eat it. I wanted to keep it forever and cherish it compared to the red monotonous tomatoes.

The journey wasn't as easy as I had expected. The road was through the forest and there were a lot of rocks and hills and my body was still weak from the previous day. Nevertheless the many days me and Needle had spent running around had paid off because my footing on the ground was steady and I did not slip, not even once.

Yes, the rate I was walking was slow but how much could a girl my age walk when she had been almost beaten to death?

When I finally reached the bridge it was almost midnight and my body was protesting. I crossed the bridge and hoped that I would be safe on the other side. The forest extended for another few miles and I took a right turn as I searched around the forest to find a comfortable place to sleep. The night was cold but I dared not light a fire.

Instead I covered myself in blankets and stayed hidden under moss and weeds at the bottom of the tree. So far, I had never feared for my life because I would have Needle protecting me, sensing nearby dangers if they came and coming to my rescue.

But without her I felt surprisingly vulnerable and weak. I realized once again that Needle had never been just a wolf. She had given me the will to live. And my life had been happy with her around.

I had a simple dinner, dried beef and bread with a bit of cheese on top and a red juicy tomato. Although simple, the food filled me up. I cried myself to sleep that night and woke up as the first rays of sun touched my skin.

There was also something else sitting on my shoulder and I turned around to see a small sparrow nibbling at some crumbs of bread from yesterday's meal.

I took some cheese and bread out and gave some to the sparrow as well. It devoured it quickly and then stared at me with its small clever black eyes. I cut another piece and this time fed it with my own hand. It didn't recoil as I had expected.

Since Needle's death I had not tried entering another person's mind with my own. I felt that most of my mental abilities had been drained when I had tried to show the people my pain.

But maybe because I was rested or maybe because I had once again filled my brain with power, I thought I could try.

I went to touch the bird and it accepted my touch. I put my fingers on its tiny head and allowed myself to enter its mind. Its thoughts were scattered and more complicated than either the wolf's or the goat's. It felt my presence and in the beginning fought me trying to get rid of me. So far I had never had that reaction from the rest of the animals.

I didn't know if I should persist or leave the bird in peace but the decision was made when it finally acknowledged my presence and even went as far as to welcome me.

It flew from my shoulder to a nearby tree and being in its mind I felt the earth dissolving under me and my wings were going up and down as I steadied myself and flew. I snapped my eyes open and returned to my own body, breathing deeply. Never in my life had I thought I could fly!


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After this, the bird became my constant companion and I entered its mind as easily as I had entered Needle's, although we did not have the same connection. The bird liked me and tolerated me but it did not love me. And I liked its wit and the ability it had to fly but it wasn't the same thing.

The bird was staying with me for the food and maybe because it found me interesting but Needle has stayed with me because of love. However the connection with the bird was stronger than with the goat and I allowed myself to let the bird fill the void Needle had left. My journey became lighter as the bird sometimes sang in a croaked voice and I no longer had to fear for dangers as the bird's senses warned me if something was coming close in morning or night.

The food supplies the couple had provided for me were more than enough to survive for a whole week but I hopped the journey would take less. I had money in my pockets with which I intended to stay in an inn for a night once I was in the city.

"Sparrow, stop" I said to the bird, annoyed as it kept biting on my shoulder for more food. The bird stopped but I could feel in its mind that it was annoyed that it had no food.

I entered its thoughts and explained that we would have proper food soon but it ignored me and started flying over my head.

No matter.

I looked ahead of me and saw more forest extending. How far away was that city anyway?

I looked at the map in my bag and saw that the city was beyond the end of the forest. If my calculations were correct then I should he reaching that point soon. I shied and put the map back inside my bag.

I felt something from Sparrow's mind like an alarm and briefly searched its thoughts. There were images of people in black silently waiting to ambush me in the bushes.

My heart started racing wildly in my chest but I didn't know if I should stop or continue. I stared at the soft ground underneath me and pretended to slip because I knew they were watching me.

The moment I slipped I heard a noise and I quickly got up to run the other way. Sparrow landed with force on the men's heads and started pecking their faces. I heard angry shouts and I counted three men.

I was running down the path I had taken before and then turned left to try and lose them. If I stayed on track they were sure to find me.

But my legs were thin and small and the weight I was carrying made me slow. Did they want my money?

Maybe I could just drop the bag and hope they would leave me alone. But something inside me told me that they wanted more than that. My only choice now would be to hide and so I did hoping that the tall tree would conceal me.

I let my mind reach Sparrow and see from his eyes were they were. They were coming for me and I felt like the tree wouldn't fool them for long. My mind searched around and soon I came upon a bear. The bear was eating honey digging its wide hand inside the bee's nest not caring for the bites.

The bear felt my presence and fought more strongly than I had expected. I was thrown out of its mind very soon and then looked for Sparrow. The men had reached the place I was and had stopped to look around. Things weren't going good.

I extended my mind once more to the bear and this time it didn't fight me but didn't acknowledge my presence either. I could not look in its thoughts the same way I had with Needle or Sparrow and my mind was already feeling weaker from the force of the contact. I was sure that part of my strength had abandoned me when I fought the villagers but then again I had never entered a bear's mind and all those who shared their thoughts with mine were willing to do so.

I shied and tried harder. I spoke to it trying to ask for its help but it ignored me. Then an idea sprung to mind and I sawed the bear, images of the men and the food they were carrying. That seemed to interest the bear because it stopped and started coming towards my direction. She walked on all fours and …

"There you are, you little cunt!" a man shouted and grabbed me by my shoulders. I screamed while he shook me and Sparrow attacked him.

He seemed annoyed and threw the bird away.

"Someone kill that piece of shit" he said pointing at the bird and his men were dancing around trying to catch Sparrow. I let my bag fall and tried to move away from his grasp.

"Leave me alone. Take my bag, it's all yours" I said and tried to free myself but his hold grew stronger like steel.

"Eh. But it's not just the bag we want sweetling. What does a young girl like you do in a forest? Haven't you heard stories of wolves?" the man said and chuckled showing me a row of black teeth. His breath reeked of alcohol and onions and he was tall with broad shoulders and full of muscles. I had no chance of escaping him.

Whatever they wanted to do with me I would try to endure. I refused to believe that my existence would just end. But if it did I would accompany Sparrow in his mind and hope to hide from the pain. Maybe he could keep a place for me when my human body died?

Just then a growl sounded and I saw a tall brown bear smashing on the shoulders of the man. He fell on the ground as the bear bit at his chest and face and he screamed. The other two men tried to help him but then realized that they should flee. The man on the ground was holding a knife and I opened his hand and tried to take it away from him as the bear was holding him down. It found a bag behind his shoulder and ripped it to shreds with its claws. There meat, bread and cheese prevailed and the bear started eating, losing interest in the man.

When it had finally released him the man run away and I felt my heart rate slowing. I picked up my bag and saw Sparrow landing on my shoulder. His peck was bloody from where he had bitten my attackers.

The bear finished her meal quick enough and then sniffed at my direction. It walked to where I was and I stayed still with my back on the tree. Her bloody paw reached my stomach and I was afraid she was going to rip me to shreds the same way she had done so with the bag. Instead she let her muzzle rest on my leg and I opened my eyes to see her standing still, almost as if she liked me.

Reluctantly I touched my hand to her fur. At first she stepped back but then, when I touched her again, she let me. I allowed my mind to reach hers and this time she acknowledged me. I thanked her hoping she would understand and she seemed content. I searched in her mind to find that she had been hungry for over a week now and when she came upon the honey she could not stop herself and did not care for the stings. But even honey was not enough and when I had offered her an alternative she had taken it. In her way she thanked me as well.

Then she went back to the forest and I realized that some animals would stay wild no matter what.

Sparrow glared after her, still not certain if she posed a threat or not and then he flew from my shoulder to a nearby branch only to fly higher than before.

I returned to the main path and went from the way I had run from. There was no point in getting lost in the forest and I hoped that the group of men would not attack again anytime soon. I took in a deep breath of air and filled my lungs as Sparrow croaked impatiently. I could see in his thoughts that he wanted food.

I cut a small piece of bread and threw it at him which he caught in mid-air, went to a nearby branch and chewed there is silence. I opened my mind to the environment all around me and noticed a few hundred ants walking around gathering supplies for the upcoming winter. Their thoughts were clear and precise but they did not feel my presence. I tried to communicate with them but they didn't listen much and after a while I gave up and started looking for bigger forms of life.

It was interesting that I had found this ability to connect. I did not understand why or how I had it but I was glad I did. I heard the ruffle of leaves and I turned around to see a small squirrel. I extended my mind to his and he acknowledged me quickly enough. I told him my name and that my intentions were pure but he did not understand. Instead he came to my hand and started nibbling my thumb.

I gently touched my fingertips on its head and its thoughts were clearer and easier to read. He was looking for food to store for the winter and I gave him some bread which I hoped would be enough for a week. Then the squirrel lost interest and left but its presence was still a bright spot in my mind.

At that point I realized that I could only communicate with one animal at a time. When I tried extending my mind both to the squirrel and Sparrow one of them seemed to recoil and I was thrown back into my own body.

No matter. It was still interesting that I could do that and that was enough. I liked to enter the peaceful thoughts of the forest animals, share their worries no matter how tiny they seemed. It gave me a sense of peace and calmness.

What I missed the most though was Needle. Needle felt like she had been a lot cleverer and a lot more dangerous and nice at the same time which I liked about her. Those forest animals didn't seem very clever to me or if they were they didn't show much of it.

I blinked trying to clear the tears away and soon I realized that I had reached the end of the forest. It had been only four days since Needle's death and my decision to leave the village and yet here I was hundreds of miles away ready to go inside a proper city something that few villages were able to boast about.

As the day was growing to an end I decided to make camp and sleep. I nibbled on a few pieces of stale bread and ate the last remnants of beef. There was still plenty of cheese and bread so I wasn't anxious about the food. I checked the map again before I went to sleep and realized that the city was only a day's trip away from here. By tomorrow night I would be sleeping in a proper bed and eating warm food. Sparrow rested on a branch of tree above me and closed its eyes. There were a few bats nearby as well and I quickly entered their mind asking them to warn me somehow of upcoming danger. I didn't know if they understood or not but one of them stayed on a tree close to me and the rest went hunting.

In the morning I was already walking, impatient to reach the grand city. I remembered what the old woman had said about the dangers inside but I hoped that the animals there would like me and maybe warn me if anything happened. I had heard there were lots of cats and rats in the cities.

Would they like me?

Sparrow was resting on my shoulder annoyed that we had set up so early. I petted him on the head but it seemed to make him even more irritated. I laughed, the first time I had done so since Needle's death and the sound surprised both me and Sparrow. It seemed a bit forced but it was still the same way I remembered it.

The road was long and the more distance we put between us and the forest the muddier the road was getting. It hadn't rained for a couple of days now so that surprised me. I tried to avoid mud and puddles as much as possible but my shoes were already wet by the time I saw the city rising in the east.

I could see walls, tall, made of stone and flags. As I was coming closer I noticed the moss and flowers that were growing on them and I liked it.

In the gate I noticed two guards standing with their spears up and swords on the side of their waists. They were wearing heavy armor and I blinked as it sparkled a bit.

"Name, girl" one of the guards mumbled to me and I stared at him, perplexed.

The other guard tsked and tapped his foot on the ground.

"We don't have all day, girl. What's your name and what's the purpose of your visit?" he asked impatiently.

Sparrow flew above croaking a few times.

"I am… Visiting my family" I mumbled unsure.

The guard chuckled.

"Why didn't you say so before? And what is the name of your family?" he asked again and played with his black mustache.

"I have never seen a guard before. My family name is … Hane" I said saying the first name that came to my mind.

The guards seemed thoughtful and then they motioned for me to pass. I exhaled a breath I didn't know I had been holding and entered the city warily.

Its walls looked taller from inside, if that was possible, and the first thing that surprised me was the noise. I was in the center of a market and people were bumping onto me yelling the list of items they were selling. The prices seemed unreasonable I concluded, as the vegetables here cost three times what they did in my village. They didn't even look that good I realized as I saw a rotten tomato on the side.

Meat carcasses were hanging from all around me and smells enveloped me like they had never before.

"Best spices in town. Come get them while you can!" the tall man behind the table croaked and I let my nose learn the new smells. Somewhere on the other side there were cloths and dyes and then at the very end there were half dressed women with their breasts out and smiling at passing men. Their lips had an unnatural red color and their faces seemed like someone had put too much flour on them. I saw some men tossing coins to them and the women took the men somewhere in the dark corner of the alley where I was not sure what was going on.

I turned my face the other side blushing and I asked one of the passengers where the nearest inn was. He told me to follow the path to the right and that's what I did. I was happy that people did not stop twice to look at me. Who would have, when my hair was a normal brown and I was the same as everyone else?

I followed the path to the right as the man had instructed me to do and found myself in front of an inn with the name of "The dancing Maid". As I went to enter someone went to grab my bag but I understood it on time and I tried to hold on my bag tighter.

"Leave my bag!" I shouted annoyed and Sparrow flew from above to peck the boy into its face. The boy shouted and let my bag go as he run away. I quickly checked if anything was missing and realized that my cheese was gone. The coins were still there but I was puzzled. Why would anyone try to steal from me?

I entered the inn and waited behind a broad shouldered man who asked for a room. The woman let him have it for ten silvers and when it was my turn and asked the same she laughed.

"A gold for you, girl" she said. I stared.

"You said ten silvers to the man before…" I started but she laughed again. She was a big woman with even larger hands and she had a tiny moustache above her lip.

"He is a man, you are a girl. If you don't have the money be gone" she said as she cleared the table with a cloth.

I stared at the woman and I felt anger rising inside me. Yes the world was not a bad place. But it wasn't a good one either. The woman stared at me and must have seen something in my expression or noticed that my eyes were red as blood because she took a step back and managed a smile.

"But if you want, the room can be ten silvers" she said smiling politely but I could feel her fear.

I allowed myself to smile.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you. I would also want a plate of warm food and bread. Will that be more than twelve silvers?" I asked as kindly as I could and the woman nodded.

I paid her the money and she gave me my room key. As I left I thought I heard her mumbling something to herself but maybe I was wrong and it was the voice of all the people in the tavern.

I walked up the stairs with Sparrow on my shoulder and entered the room. It was small, but bigger than my attic at home and I dropped my bag on the ground and fell on the bed with a heavy thump. The straw wasn't very soft but it was still a bed and for that I was grateful. Somewhere in the corner there was a chamber pot and a bucket of water.

The water was icy cold but I dipped my hands inside and scrubbed some of the dirt away, then remembered that this was part of my appearance and stopped. I found some dust in the corner of the room and I put it over the places where my skin was white

The room also had a small window and I placed my hands on it, to look outside. In the village by that time people would be heading back to their homes to sleep but it seemed that the city was more alive in the night than in the morning. Lights shone around the city, music echoed from the streets, people were walking around. I leaned out of the window and breathed the air of the city. It smelled like stale bread, food, spices and dirt but it was still unlike any smell before.

Sparrow croaked nervously and I turned around to see a cat chasing it around. The cat was orange and fluffy, a housecat I did not doubt and was trying to eat Sparrow.

"No!" I shouted at it and threw the pillow to the cat. It dodged as if it was nothing more than a droplet of water and continued its chase. I tried to enter its mind but Sparrow's thoughts of danger clouded mine. At the moment I didn't have many choices and so I threw the bucket of water on the cat.

It stopped chasing the bird and turned to look at me with its evil yellow eyes. Sparrow was no longer in danger and that gave me enough time to enter the cat's mind.

I could feel her anger, resentment and angry thoughts of peeling my skin off. I swallowed and I tried to make my presence known but when the cat felt it, it recoiled and threw me out. I tried again but with no luck as the cat jumped outside my window to the nearest building and that was already too far away from me.

I sighed and let Sparrow rest on my shoulder its heartbeat still loud in my ears. I petted his head and reassured it that everything was ok.

I got up from my bed and before I left hid the coins under one of the wooden tiles which was a bit loose. I entered the tavern and I motioned to the woman who brought me a hot plate of food. My stomach rumbled and Sparrow was eyeing it hungrily. I gave it a small bite and then started eating, tasting the potatoes and carrots inside as well as the soft meat which was spiced with something unknown to me. The bread I ate was fresh and I gave some to Sparrow who accepted it happily. There was also a small piece of butter which I spread over my bread generously and the bread tasted much better afterwards. The woman had found a place for me close to the fire and I wasn't cold at all.

I was puzzled with the way the woman was behaving. It was as if she was afraid of me. Was it because of my eyes or was there something else? Inside the inn it was hard to hear much as people of all ages and statures were talking loudly and drinking.

"Aye. I heard that much. Rebellers hiding in every corner" a short man with a huge belly and long braided grey hair said.

"Shut your mouth. Do you want to get caught for treason?" a younger man in around his thirties said. He was thinner than the other guy and he had a black mustache perfectly trimmed and well kept.

The bigger man gave a big throaty laugh.

"If the emperor wants he can fetch his bloody ass here and catch me. Let's see who wins then" he said and had another drink. His companion cast nervous glances around the tavern but no one seemed to have paid them much attention or if they did, they kept to themselves.

I was interested in what they were talking about since everybody in my village thought that the Rebellers had been long destroyed when the Emperor came to power. I was also puzzled by the way they were talking about the Emperor. Why would anyone not like him? And what were the Rebellers trying to accomplish by going against him?

Sparrow flew to where the men were now whispering and despite the loud noise I was able to get a few more words from their conversation.

"Ya, heard the rebellers stole something from him. He has sent his puppets all around the land searching for information about it" the big bellied man said pressing his hand on his head.

"Whatever it was it must have been very important for him to decide to act. Ever since the end of the war he has been sitting on his golden throne…" the man beside him said.

"… and scratching his royal ass. Aye" the other man finished.

"They say it's going to be a long winter. Supplies are running down. Situation in the villages might be better but with the new tax I doubt they are going to survive for long" the younger man said and sighed.

"What does he want all that money and food for anyway? Is he raising an army?" the man said and patted his huge belly.

The other man didn't answer and he was obviously nervous, his hands tapping nervously on the table.

"On another account I heard they brought women from the Emperor's cities. You think the Emperor got bored of them?" he asked and chuckled.

"It's said the Emperor doesn't even bed them, but keeps them for his soldiers and for the money"

"Tsk. He doesn't even have a queen! Isn't he a man? If I was the emperor I would be feasting on women …"

"I know what you would have done. But don't you remember? He has been ruling the land for the last forty years and he hasn't aged since. His skin is still as tight as a…"

A fury thing touched my legs and I left a tiny scream. I returned back to my own body and Sparrow flew to me immediately. Men and women turned around to look at me and then started laughing. I looked down only to find the orange cat gazing at me with amusement.

"Bloody little cat" someone shouted and then everybody started laughing again.

I stared at it annoyed and entered its mind to feel a sense of victory enveloping it. I made a move and touched my hands to its skin and it didn't recoil.

Bad mistake.

I entered its mind and let its thoughts mingle with mine. Although I didn't like the cat much I was not going to hurt it and that, it sensed, so it let me look around. When I politely asked it not to hunt Sparrow again I got a mixed reaction. I gave it a piece of meat but bribing it, wasn't going to kelp.

It wanted a warm bed for the night and I sighed promising to lend mine. After that the cat was all but mine and she wondered around gazing with her sensitive eyesight at the people in the tavern and hearing all the small noises that I had missed.

When I had finished my meal and realized that the people in the tavern weren't going to leave anytime soon I decided to go back to my room. Sparrow and Cat followed me and I let them into the room. Sparrow slept on the top of the wardrobe, still not trusting the Cat and Cat slept next to me on the bed, her warm fur like a blanket next to me.

Both animals drifted into sleep soon enough but my thoughts were going back to Needle and the kindly couple who had given me whatever money they had so I could escape. What would happen when winter came and the tax did indeed increase? I really wished they would have enough to survive.

Had I been their doom? I really hoped not. Also were they questioned from the villagers about a white haired girl running around? And if so had the villagers been nice to them?

A lump was sitting on my throat and it became hard for me to swallow.

Why was the Emperor increasing the taxes? Was he gathering an army and if so why gather an army when there was no enemy to fight?

I thought the Rebellers had been extinguished but according to the men in the tavern it was not so. I had never been a fan of the Rebellers and I could not understand why people would join their cause. The land was in peace and well fed, true, but I realized that people were not particularly happy. I did not know why that was.

But then again men in taverns talked a lot. Most of the things they said were probably not true. Although it intrigued me to know what that very important thing the Rebellers had stolen from the king was. If they had stolen anything.

When sleep finally came for me I was surrounded by enemies in dark robes and masks similar to the ones the magicians wore. Each of them was holding a knife and they were stabbing me with them. I raised my hands to protect myself only to find Needle dead beside me.

**I hope you are enjoying the story but I will start updating less often (maybe one a week) and with slightly bigger chapters. Leave your reviews, fav/follow if you are interested for more chapters, quicker. Thanks :)**


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