Fate: Diabolical

Secret Signs

‘Something watches’

I snap awake with a start, sitting up rapidly, my eyes already scanning the room. What was that? I thought I heard…? My ears pricked as I listened intensely, only part of me questioning what I was actually listening for… For reasons unknown my body was on high-alert, all traces of sleep vanished and my mind felt clear, quietly calculating every birds chirp and every twigs snap, analysing their danger. I could have sworn I heard… or felt… something? My scan of the room proved I was alone, but that wasn’t enough to put my angsty mind to rest. I pulled myself out of bed, something inside warning me to keep on my toes. Swallowing the lump in my throat I skulked to the window, the makeshift curtain I’d disturbed in my search yesterday had not been put back yet, allowing sunlight to pour through, bleaching the room white. My tongue lashed against dry lips as I nervously peered out, my eyes running down the flat face of the concrete wall outside, and down to the white ground. There, embedded in the snow, was a trail of pawprints leading up to the window. Wolf Prints. An awkward half-chuckle died unfinished on my lips. My logical mind tried to feel relieved, but something instinctual was still on edge… Wolves are common in mountainous areas, but something about the trail struck me as odd. It looked so purposeful, so deliberate, just one trail directly to the window and then back again… why would a wolf want to look in my window? As I contemplated weird possibilities, the door clicked and I jumped, alarm bells ringing in my head, when – Ember walked in. I released the deep breath I didn’t realise I was holding and bent my head to my knees, panting soft relief. Ember looked baffled.

‘…You ok?’ her eyes scanned me as she spoke, her brow wrinkled in a concerned line.

‘I think so. Sorry for being weird’

Closing the door, she turned back with a stern face

‘Tell me what happened’

She had that same severe stare as Ira, the commanding, no nonsense one. It had a different effect on her face, less dominating bad boy, more strict teacher, but it still made me shuffle my weight uncomfortably between my feet.

‘Urgh… I just thought I heard, or maybe felt…something?’

‘Heard or felt. Which is it?’ She shot back quickly, snapping her fingers for a fast answer.

‘Um, both? I don’t know! I suppose I thought I heard someone say something, and I thought I felt… something. I don’t really remember, it was strange… maybe I felt like something was, I don’t know, watching me maybe?’ I chewed my lip as I tried to detangle exactly what happened, truly not grasping it myself.

Embers lips were pursed together as I watched her mind ticking over. Running her tongue across her gums, her eyes crept to the window. She looked outside and I watched her pupils follow the trail of pawprints. If she thought anything of it, she didn’t show it on her face. Turning back to me she smiled, but it never reached her eyes.

‘You’ve been through a lot. It’s only natural you would be a bit jumpy. Anyway, I bet you’re starving, which would be good for me, as I'm under strict orders to ensure you eat’

My stomach growled right on cue. I was starving. Ira had mentioned food last night, but I had passed out immediately and now my empty stomach groaned, angry at being forgotten.

‘Okay, well I’ll take that as confirmation’ she grinned ‘Pax should be here soon with the food. Don’t go getting your hopes up – we’re not known for our cuisine here in Volk Lune’

We sat together on the bed and I relaxed, feeling safer with company. Speaking of company –

‘Where’s Ira?’ I asked

‘He’ll be back soon’

Vague, and not exactly what I asked. Seems like straight answers here were hard to find, even from Ember.

‘I’m feeling much stronger today. Hopefully I’ll be strong enough to go to town in a few days’ I said with hope

‘Yeah…hopefully’

Her voice was quiet, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes, her gazed glued on the window ahead. I couldn’t make out if she was sad or simply distracted.

‘Ember, are you ok?’

She jerked at my question and looked almost surprised. Her maroon eyes were round when she finally answered

‘Uh… yeah. Yeah, im ok… thank you’

This time, the smile did reach her eyes and her generally taught voice relaxed, and in that moment, I felt something solidify between us, and knew we’d grown closer. I wasn’t entirely sure what had triggered it, but I wasn’t about to go questioning it. She was very hard to read, but my heart knew she meant well by me. Three sharp wraps at the door broke the moment and Ember jumped up, her cheeks flushing slightly. Behind the door a young man of about 17 stood. His brown hair was cut short in a pageboy style, which probably made him look younger than he was. His keen grey eyes, held more maturity than his face assumed. In his hands he supported a silver tray, its contents covered by a tea towel. Ember hurried him inside, eager to keep out the chilling wind. He stood somewhat gawkily, his eyes searching the ceiling as he rubbed his lips together repeatedly, looking extremely uncomfortable. Rolling her eyes, Ember opened her mouth

‘Pax, sort your face out. Poor girls been through enough already’

Turning crimson Pax tried to pull himself together and finally looked me in the eye, a reserved smile on his lips as he squeaked

‘S..sorry… Urgh, im uh.. im Pax’ he went to wave with his right hand, forgetting he was holding the tray. Luckily his reflexes were decent, and he stopped the collapse with his knee, quickly setting it right. His sweet face deepened in shade as Ember snorted in jest.

‘Just put it on the bed before you hurt yourself Pax’

My heart ached for him as he rushed to Embers orders, clearly wanting the ground to swallow him up. Bless him I thought as I threw him a sympathetic smile, which really only seemed to make things worse as his face became the deepest fire-engine red; I was half expecting smoke to blow from his ears. Relief overwhelmed his face when Ember finally excused him with an exasperated sigh.

‘Sorry about him. He is normal, I swear. Just going through that awkward boy stage where he acts like a total mong around girls, you know?’ she giggled. ‘Anyway, dig in’

Which I did, with careless abandon. The simple meal of milk oats, lukewarm tea and a slightly stale piece of fruit bread was as good as a feast for my ravenous belly. Ember chatted casually and unguarded with me whilst I wolfed down every last morsel, and then she left. I heard the click of the lock this time, Ira must have had his word with her, but I wasn’t going to hold it against her.

Outside Ember stood by the corner of the hut, examining the trail of prints, her eyes dark in her deadpan face. As she stood, she was cautious to keep out of view of the window. Eventually she did walk-away, but she didn’t go far; veering to the right and into the other hut, which had the best vantage point of the door from inside. She settled down and got herself comfortable for a long wait. Ira and the others wouldn’t be back until nightfall, so here she would be until then. Something was up with those pawprints. The whole pack were under strict orders to keep away from the boss’s quarters and his mate, unless specifically ordered. Only her and Genro had authorisation to roam free around here. Some would pass it off as merely the curiosity of an eager wolf who wanted to see their new Luna, but Ember knew that wouldn’t happen in Volk Lune. People obeyed here; they were all too aware of the consequences for failing to follow the boss’s orders. None here would risk such a price merely for a curious gander. No, someone was here for another reason, and Ira would have her strung up if she left her alone right now, so she set in for the stake-out. Maybe she should have stayed in the room with her, but then she wouldn’t get to see the face of their bold comrade. Their bold, dead comrade. Mutiny wasn’t anything new anymore; she’d helped squash the last one, and it had killed something inside her. But this time, she was made of stronger stuff.