Wildling
Chapter 1

Ember’s POV

The birds called through the trees while the leaves crunched quietly beneath my feet as I walked. This is my peace; all I can hear are the sounds of nature. The stream trickled nearby as I made my way to the cabin, nestled far back in the woods, away from prying eyes. I looked down at Accalia as we trudged on. She is a magnificent she-wolf with fur as black as night but soft to the touch. She is rather large for a female and if someone were to take a glance at her, they would mistake her for a male. Standing next to one another, her head comes up just below my breasts. She is fiercely protective and loyal, staying by my side since I found her as a pup. Her pack had been demolished by local farmers trying to protect their stock. This was 3 years ago. We formed a bond, and I can certainly relate to her situation. She has not left my side and I have been glad for the company. It has been rather lonely for the past 5 years.

5 long, harrowing years since I secluded myself after my entire life was taken from me. My friends, my family...my wolf.

She was my greatest friend and the other half of my soul and my heart broke as I felt her die. I was devastated.

Aoralia.

I had never known how horrid it could be to feel practically human. I wouldn’t wish the feeling on my worst enemy. Never again, would I feel my bones shift before settling into my new form. Never to feel the ground beneath my paws as I run for miles. No more hunting with my own teeth and claws. The feeling of being surrounded by the wilderness while having a piece of that wild inside you. Never to hear the voice and feel the presence of my favorite companion.

I was broken. When my pack banished me, I fled, never looking back. Accalia has helped with the loneliness but I know that I will never feel complete again.

A tear slid from my eye as I relived my horror. Shaking my head free of thoughts, I glanced up to see my cabin come into view. It’s nothing special, seeing as I had to build it myself on the little knowledge I could obtain from the library, but it’s enough for a shelter.

It is a one room cabin. The bed is pushed against the far wall on the right side of the entrance. A window, overlooking the stream that runs by it, sits just above the bed. On the left is a fireplace and a small couch that I built myself out of logs. I sewed the cushions with fabric and wool I purchased in the town an hour away. I was not lugging a pre-assembled couch back through the woods. I had a hard enough time with the mattress for my twin bed. Straight ahead as you enter the cabin is the kitchen and dining area. I have a small sink that sits in the center of the counter. There is a hole that drains directly into the ground, I do not have running water, so I use the sink to wash dishes with boiled water. A small, portable gas stove sits on top of one side of the counter. I use the fireplace if I need to bake anything. On the outside of the cabin situated right behind it, is a porta john. I use the stream and in winter I use snow as a water source. I hunt and tend to my garden so that I have enough food to keep from entering town often. I do trade; either things I make or pelts from my hunts, for other necessities.

The rest of my free time is spent training. I may have lost my wolf but that doesn’t mean I will go down without a fight. I know it is only a matter of time before he replaces me, and I will not be caught unaware.