IRIDA

I woke up with a nagging feeling in my gut today, my senses on high alert. I thought about calling Areti but I was too restless so I decided to train on the terrace. I sit on my mat watching the sun rise, frustrated to no end. I'm supposed to be worn out by now from the intense training I just finished but I'm not. Maybe I should ask Galen to spar with me? I shake that thought away quickly. When I'm on edge like this I could easily lose control and hurt him. I learned that the hard way back in Ayia. Or maybe I should go for a run in the woods. I subconsciously fidget with my hands as I go over potential ideas but none seem perfect so I settle with running. Maybe I can kick a few trees out there. I mean, at least I won't be hurting anybody.

I make sure to leave Galen a note pinned on the door of his study to let him know I've gone out. Sometimes he can be such a worrywart. Once I hit the treeline I pull my hood up and my feet pick up the pace as I start to run. My mind isn't racing, on the contrary, it's strangely quiet in there unlike the other times when I feel like this. I let out a sharp breath, frustrated, as I try to figure out why I'm so... whatever this is.

I lose myself in the run, zooming past the trees so fast that I don't even notice when my body starts to emit a golden glow. The birds and animals must sense my mood today because they're not flocking to me. Good. I wouldn't want to hurt them. I suddenly stop at a random tree and whisper my apologies, explaining that I just need an outlet and creating a ward around it to absorb the force of my frustration before I start to punch and kick, circling it as I do. I grunt and allow myself to scream out my frustration as I throw alternating punches and kicks. I barely notice the magic I seem to be emitting as I work my frustration out on the warded tree.

After about an hour I don't feel any better. If my body is spent I don't notice because I'm running on whatever aggression the strange feeling is evoking from me. I take a few breaths before I take the ward down and start to run again. The woods are vast and thick but I know my way around them. Snap! The sound draws my attention, bringing me to a sudden halt as I look around. I stay still for a few moments and when I don't hear any other sound I start to run again. After a few minutes I see a blur rush past me in the corner of my eye but when I turn around I don't see a thing so I continue running. If I'm being followed then this is perfect, I wouldn't mind a fight right about now.

I turn off the muters I usually put around my senses so I don't get overwhelmed when I'm around people, allowing my senses to return to their usual sharpness. As my feet hit the ground I breathe deeply and focus my senses. That's when I hear it. Breathing. That makes me smile. Someone's definitely following me. As I inhale the air around me I pick up on the scent. I smell both human and creature but nothing like any of the creatures I've dealt with. I inhale deeply again, focusing on that scent and taking it in. There are notes of sweet myrrh and sandalwood, the scent of soap and the forest. My chest tightens and expands, my pulse quickening as I take that scent in again. Something about it feels almost... familiar, sweet, comforting... disarming. I don't find that very comforting.

After a while my frustration, previously buried under my curiosity, rises again. How long do I have to play dumb before whoever is following me takes the bait and shows themselves. I mean I've even slowed down and made unnecessary stops just to give them a chance but nothing. I could use my magic but I don't want it to be too easy. I finally stop at a river and crouch, breathing deeply as I try to calm myself and that's when I hear the leaves crunch loudly behind me.

I whirl around ready for a fight, coming face to face with an unusually huge wolf, the most beautiful wolf I've seen. The wolf is standing at a safe distance, staring at me with the most mesmerizing silvery eyes with specks of gold that seem to glimmer. The wolf has the most beautiful silver fur, except for the bright streaks of gold running from the space between its eyes all the way to its thick strong tail and the ones on each side of its snout.

The wolf swishes its tail back and forth, tilting its head as it watches me curiously, waiting to see what I'll do but I don't move a muscle. It sniffs the air between us and its eyes widen slightly, its tail swishing faster and its breathing becoming rapid. My chest tightens and that feeling snaps me back to reality, back to my senses. I sniff the air and that same sweet musky scent from before wafts into my nose and warmth fills my belly. I don't even notice that I'm moving until my foot steps on a twig, snapping it, yanking both the wolf and I from whatever spell that was. The wolf takes a few steps back but doesn't run. I take another step forward, drawing in a shaky breath and I internally curse. Since when do wolves makes me nervous?! But this doesn't seem like an ordinary wolf.

The wolf doesn't move as I stand right in front of it and crouch, my hand rising towards the thick fur on its side. It simply watches me, its gaze focused on my face, my eyes. When I run my fingers through the fur I find it soft and tingles shoot up my arm from the tips of my fingers just as the wolf shudders and makes a strangled sound I can't place. I stroke it a few times, relishing in how the wolf shudders, in the low growls and indistinguishable sounds coming from the back of its throat, in the rapid wags of its tail and the way it briefly closes its eyes then forces them open again to look at me.

"Who are you? What are you?" I find myself whispering as my hand moves idly through its fur.

Suddenly there's a loud screech coming from the other side of the river and we both snap our heads towards the sound. Great! Another one of those ugly creatures that seem to have made a life out of hunting me, except for when I seek them out and hunt them. The sight of the gnarly creature still elicits a disgusted shudder from my body. The wolf behind me starts to growl and its eyes start to glow.

"No, Wolfy. That ugly thing is here for me, not you. You should stay back, this will be quick and ugly," I say on a sigh and step forward but the wolf jumps in front of me.

"Wolfy, I can handle this, okay? If anything happens I promise you can jump in but this is my fight," I say firmly walking past the wolf and summoning my magic, not waiting for a response.

My body rises and I float to the other side of the river, landing right in front of the ugly creature that suddenly goes silent, taking a wobbly step back as if it wasn't expecting me to present myself.

"I'm sick and tired of you ugly creatures always interrupting me and cursing me with your disgusting looks and annoying sounds," I say calmly, baring my teeth as I walk around the creature and it screeches in response, its eyes following my every step. That makes my brow go up and my lips pull into a smirk. Wolfy growls lowly behind me.

"What? You didn't come to fight? Or did you just expect an easy fearful prey?" I tease, crossing my arms and tilting my head.

The creature screeches again, much louder this time and two more leap out from the trees behind it. That makes me smile even wider but it seems to make the wolf behind me even angrier. Seems like I'm going to get my fight after all. I pull two knives from my boots and they transform into large flaming swords in my hands as I hold them up.

"Come on then. I say we stop mucking around and get to it," I say, stepping forward and jabbing a sword at the first creature teasingly.

The creatures screech in unison and jump, positioning themselves around me so I'm in the middle. The first one leaps and swipes at me with its claws and I dart to the side, my hands crossed behind my back. The second one leaps at me almost immediately and I dodge again. When the third one jumps at me, its claws in the air poised to swipe, I quickly wave one of my swords towards its claws as I dart. I smile when it screeches loudly at the loss of its hand and the other two jump towards me at the same time.

This time I use my magic to make them collide into each other as I teleport myself behind them. They screech at me and attempt to pounce on me again and this time I hold one in the air with my magic while I jump over the other one, digging into the back of its neck with my sword dragging it down its spine. The one with the missing hand jumps at me but I fling it towards its companion in the air and they both fall with a loud thud. They get up seeming disoriented and try again but this time I drop my swords and jump, punching and kicking while I dodge their swipes. Throughout the fight I can feel the heat of Wolfy's intense stare on my back as I move and his low growls every time the creatures try to pounce on me or claw me.

When I'm satisfied at the damage I've done I wave my hand, snapping their necks and breaking every bone before picking up my swords. Once my knives are tucked in again I teleport to the other side of the river beside Wolfy who's eyes are fixed on me with awe and something else.

"Don't go getting all impressed on me, Wolfy. I was just playing around," I tease as I crouch down and splash my face with the river's cool water. Wolfy crouches down too and licks at the flowing water but I can see him stealing glances at me from the corner of my eye. That makes me turn.

"You're a very interesting wolf, or whatever you are, you know that?"

Wolfy simply huffs in response and swishes his tail twice. I laugh when Wolfy puffs his chest out, his head held high and makes a sound at the back of his throat that's between a whine and a growl. When I plop onto the riverbank Wolfy trots up to me and lays down, placing his big head on my lap and whining loudly. I scratch his ears and settle for running my fingers through the fur of his neck. He shudders and his chest rumbles with a series of low growls that sound a lot like purrs.

"That good, huh?" I laugh and Wolfy simply turns and rubs my belly with his big furry head, whining and growling loudly.

We stay like that for a while and when I look back down I notice Wolfy seems to be asleep, so I let him rest and lean back, bracing my elbows on the ground as I take in my surroundings. I feel strangely calm, a stark contrast from how I felt this morning and not just because I got to fight. I close my eyes as the breeze brushes past me, relishing its feeling on my face. It doesn't take long for noon to hit and I sit up. Wolfy's eyes snap open at the movement and he lifts his head.

"I'm sorry Wolfy, I have to go," I smile softly, stroking his forehead.

Wolfy huffs and I swear I see disappointment in his eyes as he drags himself from my lap and stands. I stand up and stretch my limbs, noticing the soreness starting to seep into my muscles.

"If I don't see you again, it was nice to meet you," I say as I turn to Wolfy one last time before I start walking.

I hear a loud huff and a low whine behind me then Wolfy's trotting beside me. An idea pops into my head and I turn to him with a slight smile.

"How about I race you then?" I ask, raising my brow.

That makes Wolfy growl loudly and yip and I find myself enjoying his excitement.

"Come on!" I yell as I take off.

I can hear his paws hit the ground as we weave through the trees. I run as fast as I can which is usually way faster than the average person and Wolfy keeps up easily. If anything, it feels like Wolfy is holding back. When we approach the familiar treeline to the mansion I share with Gavin I slow down and so does Wolfy. When I step into the clearing I notice he decides to stay in the shadows of the trees so I walk back and bend slightly to ruffle the fur on his head.

"This is me, Wolfy..." I start. "This was fun and I hope I get to see you again."

Wolfy simply whines and rubs his face against my thigh, shifting from paw to paw as I stand and walk into the clearing. I feel the heat of his stare searing into my back until I walk through the front door, closing it behind me with a smile.