Silence

Shezal flew out of the tunnel and all the way to a small clear in the forest, covered by a layer of snow. In the center, the dark creature the old snowy owl was looking for, the black wolf he pursued for weeks from his home. But the wolf looked somehow strange. He was still... motionless as if he were in a state of shock. Shezal stopped at a high branch of a black pine nearby from where he noticed two things. One, the black wolf looked extremely tired. The second... they weren't alone. A silent audience of the Moonlight Forest crow seekers were observing the scene from all the black pines surrounding the clear. But the owl was too old to be afraid of any audience.

- You surely are a hard to follow creature. What are..?

- I've looked everywhere Shezal... everywhere. But... nothing.

- What were you looking for?

- I didn't think... I mean... I didn't want this to happen.

Shezal flew down the black pine and landed behind the black wolf who was just there, staring into nothing the void.

- All I wished, all I wanted, was to get better . - he said while looking down to his forelegs. At the very least be like everybody else. Healthy. That's why I disappeared but...

Will this be my final destiny?
Will this sickness, this curse, take everything away from me?
occupy every corner, every aspect of my life?

- What happened?

I should've known nobody would ever wait for me.
Life itself wouldn't wait for me. At the end, there is only me and...

...and...

...THIS.

- Hey... talk to me.

- WHY are you here Shezal?

- I came here because you got me worried, the way you left...

- You should be with your family, your friends, instead of loosing your time here with me.

- I just told you, I got...

- I know... I'm nothing but an anecdote in your life. You'll forget this, all of these, in a few days or so.

As the dark creature started getting separated from the owl, moving to the center of the clear, Shezal started to feel like he was at the wrong place in the wrong time.

- Wha... hey, you're just gonna leave me here talking to the air? Tell me what's going on, maybe I can help you.

- I can't.

- Why not?

- Words are all it takes to make things even worst.

- How can they be worst?

- It has happened before.

- With me?

- ... Go home Shezal. It's over. I...

He turned his head to the old owl. He tried to show a smile but he couldn't maintain it for even a second.

- I'm done.

He went forward, slowly, as if his legs were suddenly heavier than before. He went straight to a small depression at the center of the snowy clear and there he lay down. He put himself in a sleeping position with his head touching his paws and his tail covering his snout.

- Come, you can stay in my place. We'll have some food and you'll have a chance to meet all the other clans living in the white forest.

But there was no answer.

- Hey. - he said while getting closer to him.

Go home my friend.

- Are you listening? hello!?

I got my answer. There are dreams and dreams but mine was just not meant to become real, now I know that for certain. It's time to adopt a new different one, something to make sense to all of... these. If I fail to do that, the decision will be mine to take my dreams, along with this curse and myself, straight to the depths of a canyon.

Not what it seems

A scarlet fox, female and still young, perhaps 7 or 8 solstices older judging by her size. Back home, there were not so many of them. Certainly an unexpected creature to find in a frozen hell like Zamhareer; back home it was always said the core of their clan migrate to a far warmer region in the south long ago. Loosing hope about how much information he could get from such creature, the white wolf decided to change the course of his interrogatory.

- That was surprising, I've never seen such kind of ambush from...

The strong sound of the wolf's snarl made the fox reformulate her speech. That, and a set of savage ivory teeth.

- Ohh okay. You've made your point. Now if you please...

The pain from the claws clutching over the fox's chest gave her the clear idea that letting the wolf speak first was the way to go.

- Where does your clan settle!? where is the elder of your clan!?



- Argh! Look, I think you need to understand some...

- Shut up! you will tell me what I want to know or...

- What? you'll kill me? said the fox suddenly showing confidence in a subtle smile.

- I'll have you find out how many pieces I can take out of you before you die.

- Reeeally?

- ...and I can make it last for days.

- Well, you see...

Tired of her impertinence, the wolf decided to start his nasty task with the fox's left ear. But for his surprise, she rolled to the right freeing his long tail which he used to hit the wolf's snout and confuse him. But in fact, it did more than that. It barely touched him but he felt the muscles from his face to the neck suddenly numbed.

- ...I think you're starting to loose your edge.

At first he though it was poison. But then he remembered. He felt that sensation once, that strange energy coming from an giant old pine tree right after it was stroke by a lighting.

- You should be feeling it by now. If one doesn't eat properly one looses strength... speed. I don't know about the land you're coming from but here...

Checking the movement of his neck, the arctic wolf was watching all her movements, waiting for the moment to catch her distracted.

- Here those deers you're rejecting are the best thing we have at hand. But you... you have caught my attention. Why wont you eat those deers?

- I don't know, why don't you tell me...? he said, prowling around her looking for his chance.

- Huh... You know, besides the evident fact that we need meat to regain our energies, every creature in Zamhareer is connected to a special kind of prey from which we regain our... essence.

But the scarlet fox also wasn't missing any movement of his interlocutor.

- I've watched you avoiding those deers for too long, you shouldn't be able to manipulate snow or ice by now. And still you did it in order to ambush me. I've always thought boreal deers were the essence for the arctic Zeffir wolves. If... that is what you are.

The wolf didn't reply at all. He didn't care about anything but to find the perfect moment to regain control over her.

- You're loosing your time if you think you can catch me unguarded again, so you better indulge my curiosity at least for a while if you want me to tell you something.

- I've never heard about the Zeffir clan.

- Then how is it that you can make your way with the snow?

- I don't care how.

The fox bursted into laughter after hearing that for a while in front of a 170 pounds wolf that was loosing his patience.

- So what are you?

- I'll answer that only when we meet your elder.

- Very well, you freak, - said the fox after getting tired of not getting any significant response - I may know where you can find the elder. But... "clan"? That concept was from... well, many generations ago.

In Zamhareer clans are no more.

Seekers

Shezal was definitely lost. But things could've been worst. In the past there wasn't any snow covering the forest floor that the moon could illuminate, giving to his nocturnal vision somehow a better but still small degree of visibility. Even a young owl would've had troubles.

No. His only chance was keep going until he finds one of Moonlight forest's black winged observers.

- Well well... what is an old and famous white owl like you doing so far from the protection of his own clan?

Shezal could recognize the funny east accent right away. It was a crow.

- I came here not to indulge my wishes, but to find a lost soul. Being you from the Athan clan, you should know what that means.

- Hah! and what do you want with them?

Did he said "them"?

- Nothing but guidance to take someone out of their home. Someone I know, close to me.

- I see... well I don't see why those old decrepit ugly birds would care about telling you anything unless you pay their price, you should know that. And you better not tell them you're close, otherwise the price will be higher.

Knowing how strongly hierarchic the society of the Athan clan is, Shezal quickly discovered the identity of his interlocutor: Kain, the exiled rain-caster.

- Actually you know him too, Kain. I'm looking for the one your clan knows as the "Schwarzerdamon"...

Several seconds of silence without answer followed that last sentence and Shezal was beginning to wonder if he was alone again.

- I'm looking for Argos!

Suddenly, he realized the moon light wasn't as clear as before. Someone was flying right over him.

- Low down your voice! said Kain as loud as his whisper could allow. - The other seekers will hear you and I'm not supposed to be here! Believe me, right now I don't think it's a good idea to be near him.

- So, you know where is he? said Shezal whispering too.

Silence and dancing eyes. Obviously Kain was trying to decide something.

- You must tell me where is he! Hey!

- Quiet! you... Alright. But not before you swear to me you'll never tell him who helped you.

- I swear it by my family oak. Now, take me to him!

They both flew for a long time. In time Shezal noticed some of the trees were... burned. The color, the smell were suddenly familiar to him. That was the way.
They found a small creek that became a river. It should have been one... but it was frozen now. The river disappeared under some rocks which were in fact hiding a cave. When the light of the exit was getting closer and closer, Kane broke his silence.

- This is as far as I go.

Shezal nodded to acknowledge the statement of his guide, then turned back and flew right to the exit.

- Remember to keep your promise!!