The Royal Flame

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Mer’s eyes widen, her face becomes pale in an instance. Before I can ask her what is going on, I am grabbed by my wrist. Spun around, to face someone I did not expect to ever see again, Klyn.

“There you are” He says as delighted as I can never be.

Immediately a strong gust of wind breaks his grip on my wrist, creating a distance between us which is immediately filled by the presence of Eresa.

“And who might you be to treat one of my girls this rough?” Klyn immediately backs away astonished.

“What do you mean? She belongs with me.”

“I do not!” Not waiting for anyone to speak up for me any longer I take a step forward. Klyn looks betrayed.

“Yes you might have helped me out, but you did not let me go when I desired to. I do NOT belong to you, or anyone!” My sudden fierceness brings an unexpected smile to his face as well as the surrounding crowd of the inn’s guest.

“Let’s take this to my room. Before any further disruption is created to our guests. Mer, please remain here with the guests.” Not awaiting any approval, Eresa pushes us with her gusts of wind towards her room.

With a big thud the door to her room closes. Starting the outburst of shouts between Isbeil and Klyn. Isbeil definitely does not show it, but her current actions truly show she did start to care for me within these few days.

“Why does everyone in these lands tell me I reek!” Klyn’s veins almost pop as he seems to start to lose control.

“BECAUSE YOU DO! of wet dogs” Isbeil yells her saliva hitting him in the face. It only makes him to boil inside.

“All right, stop this nonsense.” Eresa calm as ever, raises her voice to get through to the both of them. They continue calmly, I wait for an eye opening conversation to unravel in front of me.

“Who are you and why do you believe our Ella belongs to be with you?”

“Ella? You mean..” His confusion diffuses the fire that was boiling inside of him.

“We decided it is better to call her Ella instead of Ari or Ariella.” We? I never agreed with this though but I appreciate the sound of we. I have already become a part of the inn’s family. But I do now realize that Eresa has never explained to me why I should hide my identity. I rolled with it, to an extend that I got used to it within a couple of days and completely forgot.

“Whatever you decide between you all how to call her. Ari belongs with me.” Klyn, calmed down, sits down on top of Eresa’s desk in front of the window. He slightly leans towards the window, looking out towards the street right beside the inn.

“If you are not planning to explain why. At least tell us who you are.” Klyn looks towards Eresa, contemplating if to answer her request or stay silent.

“Your name. The rest we already can guess from your stench…. ” Isbeil mumbles some words that couldn’t have been kind. I was not able to catch what she said but from Klyn’s expression he did.

“Klyn.” He states with a low deep throated voice, that comes from deep down.

“As in Klyndos, Klyn?” Eresa walks confidently over to Klyn. From my position I can see Klyn’s eyes widen as he is taken aback by Eresa’s words.

“That was my grandfather. I was named after him.”

“Naturally you were! He was a great leader of wolf shifters. He contributed a great deal to the war. Saving my life.” Wolf shifters? Eresa’s life? Did Klyn’s grandfather save her when she was a child? But that would make her in her 60’s. She does not look a year older than 40!

“But your clan has been gone for decades. The clan only lives on within tales, casting fear over humans and others.” To Isbeil’s dislike it seems Eresa and Klyn have found some common ground. While it might be good that no physical fight is created, my fears increase. I have only recently arrived at The Longing Pumpkin, it would be very easy for Eresa to send me back with Klyn. Which is exactly the last thing I want.

“Thus it is set. She will come with me to Norhill.”

“There you are wrong, my admiration for your grandfather will not mean I will simply hand over one of my girls.”

“Why do you want me to come with you so badly? Even if I would, the night I ran away it was overrun by wolves. There is no going back.” Klyn’s face softens as he turns to me.

“Ella, I think you misunderstood something. Klyn is a wolf shifter. His soul while one, his body can be either in human or wolf form. His clan practically exists out of”

“Wolves…” I finish the sentence for her. Unable to take my eyes of him, I connect the dots. Those wolves that were wrestling. At the beginning of the mountain climb. That are the people living in his camp. I cannot go back. They have no intention of keeping me alive. They clearly wanted to erase me from their world then, what would have changed now.

“My pack figured out I was hiding you. If we do not go back and explain everything they will see me as a traitor to the pack. Someone who sided with a strange woman, revealing our base location.

The tales of humans that have spread through our pack. The legends of the great wars that our ancestors fought. My people have been hit hard before. Violently driven away by humans, which lowered our numbers. Revealing our camp makes us extremely vulnerable and is one of the largest treasons someone can undergo.”

“There is no certainty they will even let me breathe till the next day. My apologies but I am not thrilled nor willing to go back. And why would you? If they are so easily suspicious of you. If they turn on you without any reasoning, are they really a pack worthy to be called home?” I do not want to go, it will only bring me further away from finding out the truth about myself. Also it was not exactly a warm welcoming castle and if his family are as cold as they sound, why would he want to go back.

Before any discussions can be continued on who will take me where chaos can be heard from outside. Klyn leans back on the desk to look once more over the streets. Isbeil, ignoring her proximity to Klyn joins him by the side. As she leans over the desk she stretches her head up, to see the streets below.

“Something is off” She mumbles.

“For the moon god’s sake, they do not know how to give up.” Klyn grunts.

“What did you do?” If stares could kill, Klyn would have been drowned by Isbeil at this point. Never before have I seen her filled with so much despise as now.

“Nothing, just those soldiers did not let me go by myself. I tried to shake them off at the town square.” Soldiers? What soldiers could there possibly be here. Eresa starts to pase around the room. Lifting furniture, cloth, carpets, pelts, candles. I want to move, help her, I grab some of the stuff but have no idea what she is trying to establish. Are we running? Should we? I realize I know nothing about these women except what I was told. Or Klyn, why did he come with soldiers and not his pack family.

“Well you must have done badly, otherwise they would not be in front of our door steps.” Isbeil hisses towards Klyn.

We all halt, a coldness runs over our backs as two shots are fired.