Chapter 7: Finding a place to live

Amelia’s POV.

“Charles, Charles” I called out, in a low voice that almost came out as a whisper.

“Shhh” was all I heard before being dragged deeper into the dark forest.

I had millions of questions running through my head, all needed answers.

Who is this and why am I being pulled into the deep parts of the forest?

Have the palace guards found us? Are we going to be executed?

“Who are you,” I asked crying.

“ Charles, stop talking we are being followed” Charles answered, I could feel the tension in the air but dared to say nothing.

Soon we stood in front of a hut. It looked so old I was very sure it would crumble any minute soon.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, I found myself and Charlie standing inside the hut.

“Shhh,” Charlie says as he puts his finger on my lip, head slightly turned to pay attention to the sounds of footsteps coming from outside of the hut.

A door creaks open and an old woman comes out holding a stick which helps her to walk, I hide behind Charles.

“Who are you and what do you want? She asks, her voice raspy and worn, as she spoke I noticed she had only a few teeth left in her mouth.

“We are from the red claw pack and we come in peace,” Charles said, hiding me behind him.

“Let her come to me,” the old lady said, making me almost jump out of my skin.

“Stay away from her,” Charles said, unsheathing his sword.

“If you do come in, leave as you claim, sheath your sword, and let her come to me,” the old woman said, slowly walking towards me.

“Only if you promise me, you will not harm her” Charles spoke as he sheathed his sword.

“Why harm the one who has never harmed anyone” she said as she stood in front of me, holding my hands, she wore a warm smile.

“Sit in front of the fire my child, for you are cold,” the old lady says.

Fire? There was no fire in the room, the only source of light in the room was the lantern whose flames flickered weakly casting a pale light.

As if reading my mind, Charles asked “Where is the fire”.

“Right here,” the old woman says, lifting her hands and mumbling some words under her breath, a fireball appearing above her palm.

Eyes wide in shock, I opened my mouth to talk but nothing came out.

“Sorceress” Charles said and pulled me to his chest.

“The good kind,” she says, hurling the fireball in the direction of the door.

A loud thud was heard, and a black wolf fell to the floor, its head a few inches away from my feet.

Screaming, I tried hiding myself in Charlie.

Smiling, the old woman took a seat, “He was sent by rivals”.

“Tell us everything you know” Charles's voice sounded cold.

“Or, I will tell you everything you need to know,” she said, with a warm smile that never faded.

“The path you are on is a dangerous one, filled with peril and trials, it is akin to walking on thin ice, as a simple mistake could be deadly” she continued.

“It is filled with dangers, from your kind and other beings,” she said, making Charles and I look at each other, both of us wearing a bewildered look on our faces.

The sound of strange footsteps was heard coming from outside the hut, turning around, we saw a dark shadow, scared I walked over to Charles, holding his hand, I wished the night would just end already.

The shadow moved and the door of the hut burst open, “ come with me” a large black wolf said, walking towards me.

“You stay away from her, you big bad wolf,” the old woman said, her voice calm and authoritative, rising to her feet, she still had that warm smile on her face.

“Stay away from this you old lady, or I will send you to your early grave,” the large black wolf said, drawing his sword out of his sheath.

“That is not a very nice thing to say, wolf,” the old woman says, as she raises her hands in the air, mumbling a few words under her breath, a large fireball appears above her palm.

Moving out of her way, Charles hid me behind him, my mind was fuzzy.

I never knew life outside the palace walls was this risky.

The fire grew stronger and stronger, the fireball getting bigger with each passing second, “I am giving you the last chance to leave here while you can” the old lady said walking towards the intruder.

The wolf let out a bowl and vanished into the darkness, shortly after, howls were heard, all coming from the forest.

Then all of a sudden, the forest became silent, like someone put a blanket of silence over it.

The silence was deafening and eerie.

I knew something big was coming our way, but I could not point my finger at it.

Hoping for the best, I held Charles's hand even tighter.

“To survive this deadly path, you must learn to speak the language of the forest, as it is the only companion you have during your journey” The old lady continued, as if nothing happened.

Taking my seat, with Charles standing right next to me, I soon felt dizzy.

This was the third time this week I was feeling dizzy for absolutely no reason at all.

Slowly closing my eyes, the old woman’s voice begins to sound distant.

Her next words however made me open my eyes wide in shock, the sleepy feeling I got a few seconds ago disappeared. Rising to my feet, I asked the old lady to repeat what she just said.

Wearing that warm smile that was already getting on my nerves, “You heard me right” was all that came out of her mouth.