The Wolf Spirit

Fever and Yarrow Plant

*Stormy POV*

As I wrote the letter to Jacob I cried so hard. You could see where my tears had dropped on the dry paper. As I folded the paper and placed it into the treasure box. I sighed and knew it was time to go. I placed the box under the drawings of us on horseback near a castle. I placed my hand on it saying goodbye to my childhood, My once salvation that I held dear to me. Every hope I had was now gone. I no longer was Stormy Weatherly of Red Stone. I had to change my name and become someone new. I had to start over and pray no one would ever know me. I set out on my trip, walking through the dense forest. I avoided roads just so that I wouldn't be found by my pack. Traveling through the forest is risky, but it was the fastest way to get to the next border of Flower Stone. My goal was to reach the Water Stone and or Fire Stone, which were farther from the Red Stone but close to the Moon Stone, where the higher-ranking elders and wolves live. If I can offer my services and work there, I can move up. I can work as a maid since I practically did that my whole life anyway, yet I always wanted to be a healer. I wanted to heal my mom's sickness, but even a healer has their limits like most do.

The Moon Stone had rare wolves there. They train the healer wolves there and send them off to other packs to keep everything in balance. It's a fair trade for a new healer for supplies for the main pack. Moon Stone wolves are much bigger and stronger too. They are the greatest fighters in the region and protect Emperor Alpha and Empress Luna. The books back at home talked about special gifts each pack had, but I never saw Red Stone ever have a special gifted wolf or item. Maybe that's in fairy-tales. Regardless, I needed to build my way up and live a better life than I already had.

It was nightfall before I decided to stop. I haven't seen the Water Stone pack or Fire Stone pack boundaries yet. I wonder how long it is till I get there. I saw a big flat rock next to a willow tree and knew that was the spot to rest for now. My body began to shiver as the night became colder. The willow tree gave some shelter from the wind. I only had the clothes on my back and a torn blanket that I had taken from the cave. I gathered a bunch of leaves and placed them near the rock under the willow tree. I used the leaves as a bed and a torn-up blanket to keep my body warm. As I listened to the surrounding creatures, my mind started to process everything that happened. Leaving home was hard, and having the pack break their bond with me was harder, but my father and mate rejecting me was the hardest thing I had to endure. I know that once Lora fully gets her Luna role she will seek someone out to murder me. Because if she fails to hold her rank or make an heir, then I will be looked for to replace her since I'm the next in line. The soft sound of crickets chirping, and frogs croaking nearby relaxed me to fall asleep. Yet when peace helped me sleep, my dreams became nightmares. I find myself running in the woods watching myself being split into my human half running one way and my wolf half running the other. I could see that the wolf was greatly wounded yet looked huge compared to other wolves I met. My human form looked as if I had been abused and shredded up. As I look past them in the distance, I can see them getting chased by wolves and hunters. Just as the human form and wolf form crossed paths again, they were surrounded by the wolves and hunters. Fire began to surround them and there stood Lora pointing an arrow at the wolf and shooting it down. I watched two ways from the outside and through human eyes. I could feel the pain of the wolf and then nothing, as I knew the wolf had died, yet as my eyes connected with the same faith, I gasped awake.

The sun was rising, and I could hear the birds chirping and greeting the day. A slight fog covered the ground. As I gathered my strength to get up I could feel that my body was heavy and achy. Fever must be setting in due to the wounds on my back. I knew if I didn't find a village I would succumb to my injuries. I began to stagger north, since I had been heading north from the start, hoping to find someone very soon. I prayed that I didn't go in circles. I could smell the sweet aroma of lavender nearby. My eyes began to get hazy as I kept walking past the lavender patch. My breathing got heavier, and my body ached more and more with every step. My staggering steps became slower and slower, and I could feel my body not wanting to work with me anymore. I decided to look around for a place to rest. I saw a nearby river and made my way slowly towards it. I took the blanket that I wrapped around my wound and washed it. I leaned in to drink some fresh water. I drank so much, not realizing that I was very thirsty. I took the now wet cool towel and ringed out the water over my wounds. The cool water poured over the wounds making them sting slightly and yet it felt so good. I followed the same steps a few more times. I didn't care that my clothes were now soaked by the cool water because I needed to keep my body cool to fight off the fever. I have seen a field of yarrow plants nearby and gathered a few. I placed it in my hands and smashed them together. I then put it into my mouth and chewed on it before spitting it back into my hand. I reached as far as I could and smeared the now mashed-up yarrow plant onto the wound. I then smashed a few more yarrow plants by rubbing them onto the blanket. I then took the blanket and wrapped it around my body, covering the wound. I sat by a tree looking over the river. I needed to let the yarrow take effect. During my time in the Pack, I read many things and knew it would come in handy to read about medicinal plants and how healers used them. It was the only time that I felt peace. Reading took me away from my everyday torture and filled my mind with knowledge and wonder. Yarrow plants have many abilities. One of them was to help out with fevers or colds. Yarrow also treats wounds and rashes. I was very lucky to come across it. I pondered the thought once I was able to get moving again, to get more just in case I got worse. The juices from when I chewed the yarrow in my mouth would begin to help reduce the fever soon. My body began to get heavy, and my eyes were hard to keep open. The more I struggled to stay awake, the harder it was to fight off the sleepiness I felt. Yet sleep once again took hold and with that darkness came.