Chapter Text
He was dead within seconds. Even though his blood was gushing down her throat, his heartbeat gradually stopped and his flow of life was disappearing, she didn’t let go of his neck. Just to be sure. When it was clear that he won’t get up ever again, she slightly released the grip of her fangs just to dig them in again and rip his neck apart. The sound of a tearing tissue echoed through the old forest and she began chewing.
The meat of wild wolfs was coarse and tough, but she was hella hungry and the nearest village was two hours of running away at best, even with her speed. The hunger took over.
It didn’t taste particularly good, but it could satisfy her hunger for enough time until she would reach the village.
She raised her bloody head from the dead body and left the rest for scavengers. In around five hours, the night will fall and she wanted to be at her destination by then.
She walked to a nearby stream to drink and to clean herself a little bit. The water from this part of land was surprisingly crystal clear.
For traveling long distances she preferred to be in her wolf form. She always knew she was faster and stronger than the rest of the creatures on this continent, but she didn’t even thought of the others being so weak. It was like there was no one who could make a real challenge for her. It took one growl for them to retreat in fear and one bite for them to bleed out. Pathetic.
She began running. She was on her way for five days straight now with only few breaks for food and water. And even with her endurance, the skin on her paws felt like it was shrinking. But compared to the shocking pain that took over her body not even a week ago, it was nothing. If she said that it scared her, it wouldn’t be enough. It would be more suiting to say that she got paralyzed by panic and terrified. But not for her own life, no. The pain wasn’t hers. It didn’t belong to her own body. It was someone else’s. Someone’s who she had never met and yet was tightly connected to with the very depth of her soul.
It had never happened to her before. She was always alone in this world and then she knew she wasn’t. And that someone was deadly wounded.
So she ran. She was frustrated and needed to get the stress and tension out of her body. Somehow. But it wasn’t working. Running was not near enough.
She decided to go hunting. She didn’t know if it would help but it was worth the try. Maybe she would get some information out of her prey. Anything. Then she would give them some mercy by killing them faster.
She felt so many details back then. A silver weapon digging through her torso. Very slowly. It started from her collar bone and ended in her lower abdomen.
It took too long. And the pain wasn’t stopping. In fact, it was getting worse. No signs of regeneration, like it was a normal thing.
And then it changed. It was like a warm blanket, numbing the stabbing pain. Slowly, in the rhythm of the heart, the pain faded away. Panic and instinctual fear didn’t, however. They were clawing at her in her mind still the same.
Take a deep breath, Ashley.
She forced her lungs to take the air in sharply.
Slowly exhale.
She tried to. It came out too quickly.
Calm down. No one’s in danger.
She could be dead. She could be lying in a forgotten place where no one would ever find her. Or she could still be alive, suffering. Begging for death to finally come. She could be-
Breathe.
She took in short, quick breaths.
And exhale again.
This time it was slower.
Repeat.
She tried to.
She’s alive. You would feel it, if not. And you know it. You’re just terrified of what’s happening and aren’t not able to admit it.
It was right. Again.
Killing is not what you need. What you need is to find her and make sure she’s fine. You need to find her. You will know it’s her when you’ll see her. She’ll be familiar to you. Your instincts will demand you to protect her at all costs. But you have to find her first.
Agreed. And how do we do that?
Silence. Just when she had a question she would love an answer to, the voice disappeared. Classic.
Ashley began running again, following the scent of humans, immature corn fields and burning wood. They should lead her to at least a small village. If she gets lucky, a tavern or a local meeting place would be there. She would change in her human form again and try to gather some information about an attempted murder. If she was right, the girl she felt getting nearly killed then felt into a body of water. And it happened just when Ashley was only few days away from a sea shore. She could start looking there and hope the girl wouldn’t die in the process.
Motivation and determination were the only things that kept Ashley running so fast.
Hold on, girl. I’m on my way.