Chapter 63Of Brevity and Blood

We followed Eavan's directions into the forest. Deirdre's horse didn't really like Eavan there, but as Deirdre wasn't pushing her away, it just let it happen. There was a small ruin after about ten minutes. At first glance it looked like a farm, a low wide house. But there was nothing here to farm and it didn't look like there had been anything lately. She annoyingly ignored any questions until we got off the horses and sat down.

To be honest, Deirdre and I had been staring at each other the whole time. We couldn't see ourselves, even looking at our own reflections didn't help. It wasn't exactly that Deirdre looked different. But it was the glow that got the attention, not her. Though people would look and stare at her, probably no one would be able to tell exactly how she looked. It was like the charm invited people to fill in the blanks.

"A war is coming." Eavan's serious voice got our attention immediately.

"Why?" I asked.

"The humans are restless. The fight is still in their blood, but they have no way to relieve it." She looked at us. "It's a pity your fight didn't inspire."

Deirdre looked at her. "Why are you here, to warn us?"

Eavan shook her head, her hair beautifully flowing over her shoulders. "No. Not exactly."

"Then what?"

She looked at us, her face suddenly turning darker. "Your blood."

I blinked, the charm faded from the both of us. It was like a blanket, so soft you hardly noticed it was there, was lifted. And though it was soft and hardly noticeable, it warmth was now gone. I felt very vulnerable and assumed Deirdre felt the same. Eavan moved fast, the woods her element, she had Deirdre's knife in her hands and took each of our hands. A swift movement was all that was needed to draw blood. Then she pressed our hands together, my left on her right and my right on her left and held them close to her body.

The drops of blood, flowing from our hands, mixed together and gathered on Eavan's hands. From her hands the blood continued on her bare skin over her arms, dripping off her elbows. I felt lighter. It wasn't just the loss of blood either. It felt like she was taking more of us. Not just blood, but a sort of life.

The whole forest faded away to nothing. The only thing I could feel, hear, was our hear beats. Mine and Deirdre's. Her hand against mine. Her blood flowing next to mine. Eavan's voice, when she spoke, sounded like it was coming from so far away.

"She wants to speak to you."

That was the last before I truly faded away.

It was the darkness that engulfed us, a darkness with only one light.

A light that moved.

I only barely felt my connection with Deirdre. Reinforced and fading with every heartbeat. It was a darkness that swallowed everything. Sound, sight, taste, smell... Even touch. I had no idea where my body was, what I was doing. All I knew is that I was connected to Deirdre and that we would not allow them to part us.

The white in the distance came closer. It made a subtle sound that echoed through the silence. Footsteps, soft and humble, but somehow as loud as a heavy drum. Not normal footsteps, the rhythm wrong. Paws maybe. The white in the distance was closer now, I could see how it moved. Multiple legs and a sleek body. But what was it? Louder and faster it appeared to move as it neared me. It was a white wolf... No, not A. The.

The same wolf I saw days before. The wolf that looked at us in the morning. His fur white as snow, his eyes sharp and clever. He knew more than we did. It was galloping towards us, not stopping for anything and... before I knew it...

He had passed. Right through me. I couldn't turn around. All I could do was listen to the steps fading away. And with that went my consciousness. This time, however, it took everything. Leaving me with nothing but peace and calm.

Sleeping.