Chapter 9 – Unexpected Ally
1414 Words
Luna
The rogue’s snarls filled the air, their sounds echo in the forest floor. I was under it, it's breath and snapping jaws were all I could try all I can to push it off. My hands burned, my body trembling from the weight of the beast pinning me down.
“Moon, I can’t—”
No! we can't, she snarled back, her voice encouraging. We’re not giving up!
She say that but my head was spinning and my vision blurred as the rogue’s teeth inched closer. The fight was draining the life out of me. I hear Moon’s voice not giving up, but even she seemed to waver, her strength weaken alongside mine.
Then, there was a bone-chilling howl that break the silence and cold the night air shifted.
The rogue suddenly stiffened its ears as if sensing more danger coming. I glanced in the direction of the howl and see a blur of something that was coming our way. It was a big white wolf, walking from the woods, it's fur was white as snow even under the dim light of the moon. It was a beautiful but at the same time terrifying.
The rogue had no chance of turning away in time before the white wolf jumped on it, causing it to fall off me. I stood up on my knees, watching the two wolves fighting each other like their life depends on it.The sounds of snarling and growling filled the air.
Who is that? Moon said this in a hushed voice, curious of the white wolf.
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
The white wolf was more sharper and faster than the rougue. It was aged, I could tell from the cuts that was scattered all over it's body, but its age served as an advantage as it moved with all the cautious like a predator. The rogue lunged at its throat, and instead of closing in the white wolf avoided the move, then using its fangs it strike the rogue which make it yelp.
The rest of the rogues began to step away, their growls was scared and quickly they walked back into the woods.
The white wolf stared at me and its blue eyes was giving me chills. We stared at each other for a while, and I could not believe what happened. Did he saved me?
“Who… what are you?” I whispered.
The wolf let out a low rumble, almost like a chuckle, before its form began to shift. My breath caught as the massive creature transformed into a man—a grizzled old man with weathered face and a white beard streaked with gray.
“You can call me Atlas,” he said, his voice rough yet steady. “And you’re lucky I showed up when I did.”
I blinked, struggling to find my voice. “I… I was handling it.”
Atlas raised a brow, his lips twitching into a smirk. “Sure you were, pup.”
Moon growled in the back of my mind, but I held my tongue. He’d saved my life, after all.
I followed Atlas in the woods and he led me deeper into the forest, his steps sure and confident despite the rugged body. I followed in silence, my mind buzzing with different questions. Who is he? Why had he saved me?
Finally, we reached a small clearing hidden by a dense canopy of trees. A makeshift shelter sat in the center, constructed from fallen branches and leaves. It wasn’t much, but it was surprisingly sturdy.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” Atlas said, gesturing grandly.
I folded my arms, raising a brow. “This is where you live?”
“For now,” he replied, dropping down onto a log near the shelter. “Keeps me hidden, and it’s quiet. That’s all I need.”
I hesitated before sitting across from him, my body still tense. “Why did you help me?”
Atlas shrugged. “You looked like you needed it. And besides, I’ve got a soft spot for reckless pups who bite off more than they can chew.”
“I’m not a pup,” I shot back, though my voice lacked conviction.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Sure, keep telling yourself that.”
The next days, I learned more about Atlas—and myself—than I’d thought.
Atlas was a rogue by choice, having left his pack decades ago after a falling-out with his Alpha. He’d been surviving in the wilderness ever since, mastering skills I could only dream of. And to my surprise, he was willing to teach me.
“You’ve got talent,” he said went to hunt for food. “But don't reply on your. instinct. That won't get you far.”
“I’ve been surviving on instinct my whole life,” I retorted, plucking berries from a bush.
“And that’s why you almost got eaten by rogues,” he shot back, his tone dry.
Moon snickered in my mind, and I scowled.
Atlas was gruff and blunt, but he had a way of getting through to me. He taught me how to identify edible plants, how to set traps for small game, and even how to mask my scent to avoid detection.
I soaked up the knowledge like a sponge, eager to prove myself. I wasn’t just some weak wolf-witch hybrid. I could survive, thrive even, if given the chance.
“You’re a quick learner, I'll give you that,” Atlas admitted as we sat by a fire that evening
“I’ve had to be,” I replied, my voice soft. “Life hasn’t exactly been kind to me.”
He nodded, his expression unreadable. “It rarely is.”
Even though he looks like he could chew nails and spit out wire, Atlas has a sense of humor that I wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t ask about my past, but I noticed him staring at me occasionally, with a mix of curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite identify.
Slowly I was becoming comfortable with him and started to trust him and disclose some parts of my life, parts I have never dared to speak about. In return he would entertain me with stories of his roguery, with the errors into which he had fallen, and with those fallacies which he had been compelled to explode.
“You know how to handle people,” he remarked the next day when he was training me how to track. “even though you try to hide it.”
I frowned, glancing at him. “What do you mean?”
“You always have this certain aura about you,” he told me. “You have a sharp mouth and blunt, but deep down, you have a heart of gold.” He chuckled. "It’s rare in this world.”
I was speechless and walked away without a word.
Days went by and I feel comfortable with him. I feel like I was home, something I never felt so in the past several years. But who knows that all that was short-lived.
the next day, we were taking a nap near a stream and the sound of water was soothing to ears. I sat down, leaning against a tree’s trunk and tilted my head back to enjoy what I had done.
“You are improving greatly,” Atlas commented, pride in his eyes like a father complimenting his child.
I smiled, looking at him. “Its all thanks to you.”
He grunted, a small smile curling his lips.
Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by the sound of leaves shifting on the trees. I raised my head, and my worries grew when I see the number of men appearing from the woods.
Hunters.
Crossbows in hand, arrows tinged with silver at the head, their eyes alone show we were in danger.
One of them looked at me and drawled, "Well, well…What do we have here?”
Atlas stay unfeigned and rooted in his spot, his body was tense, his brow furrowed and his mouth opened in a growl. “You chose the wrong wolves to play with.”
The hunter smirked, raising his crossbow. “We’ll see about that.”
I gulped and clenched my fists as anger and anxiety rose up within me. Moon was quite in my mind trying to calm me but my heart was racing so badly.
"s**t! now what do we do?"
- Writer
