Chater 9

Chapter 9


Hot breath made Kira wake, but she didn’t open her eyes. Where was she? She squinted. A boy with dark hair, close to black but not quite, was leaning over her. He had dark grey eyes. The boy stood up, and moved away. Kira’s eyes flashed open and she sat up. The boy had vanished. Kira held onto a tree to steady herself as she got up. A small log fire had been placed in the clearing in which Kira now stood. She saw that her tent had been made and her bag and sleeping bag in a heap next to it. But the food she had bought was not to be found and neither was her bow. Kira jumped and ran. Something had startled her. She kept running, aware that there was someone chasing her.
“Stop! Stop running!” wheezed someone behind her. Kira whirled round and hit him in the face.

Ash hit the ground face forward. He rolled onto his back. Although he had a red cheek that burned like fire, he smiled.
“Is that how you greet everyone?” he asked. Kira, confused, said,
“Who are you?” She was staring into those grey eyes. It was the boy that she had first seen leaning over her. She saw now that his hair was black, black as a ravens feather. His grey eyes were dark, but were lit up with a mischievous sparkle.
“The name’s Ash,” he said.
“Kira,” she replied. Ash held up a hand and Kira reached for it. She pulled him up off the ground.
“Sorry,” she murmured, feeling guilty for hitting him.
“S’ok. You get used to it after a while,” Ash grinned.
“Have I seen you before?” Kira asked. He looked familiar.
“I don’t know if you noticed me. I was with Corcky’s gang,” Ash turned to Kira as she stiffened and his eyes darkened.
“But I’m not with them anymore,” they walked on in silence. Kira bubbled with questions; why were they after me? Where did you come from? Where are they? Why do they want me? Why did you leave? But, clearly, Ash didn’t want to be asked. At least, not yet.
When they entered the clearing Kira remembered.
“Oh! Did you take my bow?” Ash looked up from where he sat next to the fire. It wasn’t lit yet.
“Maybe,” he said. Kira gave up, there was no point in fighting and she would just get it later. Plus, she wanted some answers. Kira sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. She said,
“I have some questions for you and you have to answer.” Ash looked up from prodding the logs into place and said,
“Me too.”
“Ok then, you do one and I’ll do one,” so they agreed and Kira started.
“Why does what’s-his-name’s gang want me?”
“Who? You mean Corcky?”
“Yeah, his gang.”
“Uh, that’s difficult. I don’t really know. Well, we – they – have a Boss, and he asked Corcky to get you and bring you to him. Only Corcky knows what he looks like.”
“Oh. Ok,” Kira blinked, thinking about what Ash had said.
“Now my question,” Kira focused her eyes on Ash, waking from her thoughts.
“Why you?” Because I’m a Menphur, Kira thought. Someone listened in when I was talking to Madam Meldina. You could feel them. Said the voice in her head. Yes, she replied, I could feel them, and I could feel them in the water and in my dream. They’re bad forces. Bad ones. I can feel bad forces, a bad force, that’s following me everywhere. Kira swallowed. But where is it now? This ‘Boss’ is the bad force. It is, I know it.
“Uh, Kira? Are you gonna answer or not?” Can I trust him? Kira thought. Oh I think so. Madam Meldina’s voice sounded in her ear, as a breeze drifted by.
“I-I’m a-um- I’m a- a-” Kira struggled to let her secret free.
“I-am-a-Menphur” She said, letting a huge sigh out on the last word.
“One of those make-believe things that can switch souls?” Ash asked.
“Yes,” said Kira, worried what Ash would do. But he just snorted and fell on his back, laughing. Kira was hurt.
“They aren’t make-believe!” She growled and stood up. Ash just laughed harder. Why don’t you show him they aren’t? Asked the voice. Kira took a deep breath, ignoring Ash’s laughter and shut her eyes. She concentrated. I am a wolf, she thought. In her mind a picture formed. Kira loped through the Forest on all fours, her Pack behind her. Her long, pink tongue was hanging out of her mouth as she panted. Kira stopped, the scent of rabbit nearby and followed her nose towards it. She then heard the soft nibbling of a leaf, and knew the rabbit was near. Suddenly, it ran off. Kira looked behind her, but her pack was gone. Instead there was only darkness. A huge pair of red eyes appeared near her and Kira ran. She ran as fast as her wolf legs would let her. But the thing was catching up. It was cold, so cold now and Kira’s throat had tightened.
The picture vanished and Kira looked Ash in the eye. He was frowning.
“What?” she asked.
“Your eyes,” Ash said, pointing.
“What about them?”
“They’ve changed. They aren’t green anymore. They’re amber,” Kira smiled
“Told you I was a Menphur!” Seeing Ash wince, she stopped smiling.
“Ok, I believe you.”
“Good,” Kira didn’t ask another question. Ash was too busy prodding the fire to take any notice. He took out a match and lit it. It was ablaze in minutes.

The fire gave off a calm light and warmth as the night came on. Ash yawned. Kira stared at the fire. A wolf howled, followed by another, and another.
“Wolves,” Ash muttered. Maybe he didn’t realise Kira’s soul was wolf. She suddenly felt a longing to howl back.
“I’m – I’m going out.” She said.
“You sure? The wolves could get you!” Ash said. Kira closed her eyes, struggling not to growl.
“Yes,” she said through gritted teeth.

Kira stood on the rock and looked down into the green-black sea of forest. There was the village, a speck of light in the distance. They were deep in the Forest. Only then would the wolves howl. She could hear them much clearer now. At the camp they had been muffled. Her ears picked up the highest yips and lowest grunts. She could even tell what they were saying:
“Where are you? Where are you, alpha? We need your order to hunt!” Kira blinked. They were talking to her. She was the alpha, the alpha female, and leader of the pack. But the wolves had howled in the snow, showing that they wanted the deer to think them further than they were. An image flashed into her mind: A dead deer on the snowy ground, the other wolves howling and playing – triumph! She, Kira, was the first to eat; it was only polite to let the alpha go first. The rest finished and they were off. Except it never happened.
The wolves howled the message again. Kira wanted to be with them, her soul was literally pulling her to them, but her feet stayed on the rock. She couldn’t go to them; they would have to find her. She raised her head, cupped her hands and howled,
“Yes! Hunt my pack, Hunt!” She wanted to add, then come and find me! But she couldn’t. She knew they already were coming for her – but how long would it take? She sighed. Kiraaaaa, whispered the wind, howlllll it, howlll out all yourrr sorrowwsss.
“I can’t,” she told it.
“It’s too risky!” She turned on her heel, jumped off the rock, and ran back to camp.

Kira stumbled into the clearing, and slumped heavily onto the ground. The fire was dying and Ash was curled next to it, fast asleep. Kira was not tired. She looked for some firewood, her mind on other things. The next thing she knew, she was lying in her tent. How had she gotten there? She shrugged it off and looked outside. The fire was still blazing, and Ash was still next to it – asleep. Didn’t he have a tent or something? She was wide awake. Kira wanted her bow. Crawling out of the shelter, Kira trotted round the campsite, looking between rocks and tree roots for the bow. At long last she found it.

Tucked away between two rocks, and with another bow. Kira presumed it was Ash’s. She left the other there and took one arrow from her quiver. She strung it, and aimed for a tree. She let go. THWACK! Shooting agony travelled up her arm. Kira gasped and dropped the bow. Scrunching up her eyes, she tried to get rid of some of the pain. As it finally began to disappear Kira turned. Her aim had been perfect, so why the pain?

She wrenched the arrow out of the wood and put it and the bow back where she had found them. Kira trotted cross the clearing to her tent. She was nearing it when a tremendous pain over came her and Kira doubled up. Her head began to spin and she fell to the ground. She twitched and squirmed. All at once, Kira became still once more, and she opened her eyes. Amber.

The wolf was in control. She padded around the clearing, watching the sleeping human, sniffing at the flames. The wolf felt a chill in the air. A storm was coming. Somewhere in the back of her mind the wolf called. She called to the human part of her. The wolf called; Kira, come Kira. Obeying, Kira came to the wolf’s side. You called, Agwang? The wolf felt Kira’s presence. Look. Kira looked through Agwang’s eyes. She saw the forest, how different it was. She felt the chill. A storm is coming Kira; watch out.

If anyone had seen Kira at that moment, they would have seen a girl on four feet, crouching stock-still. They would have seen her wriggle as the human part of her took over once again, and seen her get up, blurry eyed, and retreat to her tent. But they would not have felt her shaking all over, at the thought of a storm, of the thought that she had been taken over by her wolf spirit. They would not have known.