The Twisted Path

Chapter 2- Beginnings

Ryla breathed the scent of fresh grass as she went for a stroll. She felt a nervous sweat prickle the back of her neck every once in awhile as she looked around, hoping no one saw her out this late. The repercussions at home would not be pretty. She flipped some hair behind her ears as she kept walking. The willow tree.. odd that she was meeting the stranger there. As a child, she and Kermit used to play around that tree. She would pretend she was Pocahontas talking to Grandma Willow when she was alone. And on Christmas, she would watch the Grinch and decorate it with lights, and sit with Kermit in the branches. At least having history with their meeting place calmed her. But only a little. She arrived at the tree, not seeing anyone. Puzzled she decided to wait, but she let out a startled gasp as the stranger walked from behind the tree. She then grumbled. He was only on the other side. “So, come here often?” He laughed, seeing her grumpy face. “Just hurry up and let me read the letter.” She growled out. “Patience is a virtue, maybe we could practice by waiting?” He smiled teasingly. “If you have nothing to talk to me about I can leave now.” She said with finality. His face got serious, as if all the teasing was erased off of it. “You sound a lot like your father, he is no nonsense as well. Very well, did your father ever tell you why he disappeared? That is why we are here tonight. I feel like that is something you should hang around to find out.” The stranger pulled out the letter, the scent of her father growing stronger and seemingly coming from it. “Did you ever know of your father’s research?” He asked curiously. “It started when you were born, and I suspect you were the reason. He has disappeared from my pack lands, I was wondering how much he shared with you and if you would know anything.” Ryla narrowed her eyes. “Just how much do you know?” She deflected back at him. “You are Ryla Anderson, daughter of Richard Anderson, he kept his life private but you could say we became fast friends. He talked about you often, a month before disappearing from my pack lands, I thought he may have missed you and wanted to come home.” She kept a straight face. She was happy to know her father was even alive but did not want to give too many emotions to this stranger. “No, the only thing I know is that he left when I was a child, and wrote a letter that it was for me” the stranger nodded. “Odd that he would leave in the middle of a war, right? It must have been important, right” she just looked at him with knotted brows as if to say ‘stop baiting me’. “Oh all right. First, my name. You can call me Kendall. Now that we know each other’s names, we are not strangers anymore.” He said with a silly grin. “And since you want me to hurry, your father was doing research on an illness. This has to be secret Ryla. I am only going to tell you what I am going to tell you because you are Richard’s daughter. What I am about to tell you could cause widespread panic if it is told to anyone else. It is crucial it does not leave us.” Ryla looked at him and silently but seriously nodded. Kendall sighed before continuing. “Your father was doing research on an illness related to lycanthropy. Except it was.. reversed. Wolves turning into humans, on random nights. They would become confused and attack people, turning back into wolves before the end of the night and running away. You can guess where I am coming from I hope?” Ryla went still, and in the silence raised a hand to her forehead to hold it in shock. “People thought that werewolves were attacking them. All they knew was that they saw a human turn into a wolf.” She breathed. “Precisely. Your father believes that this was some twisted form of our gift, that someone was trying to create a way to turn and it went wrong. There was a plant that the wolves seemed to eat before this happened. Your father was studying this plant and it was not nature made. That is why he left in the middle of a war. He felt that it was important to take care of this before we went to war with the humans too. The pack war was hard and killed many but a war with humans could mean extinction, it was important enough to leave during a war for.” She grew lightheaded than breathed in fast, realizing she forgot to breath in the tension. “Please.. can I see the letter from my father?” She asked, feeling like a little girl again. Kendall nodded. “Yes. But it will come with a promise from you, if you are ready to hear the request. I will not be able to show it to you otherwise.” There was no other choice. She had to read that letter at all costs. “Just tell me what the request is, please.” There was no way she was about to tell him that she would agree no matter what it was.