Aurora

floating on forever.

Delphine had long since given me the duty to perform the ritual before we hunted, so it was up to me to take a silver blade to the forearms of all the girls old enough to hunt and cut a thin wound. I caught all the blood droplets in a copper bowl, added dirt we'd collected from the forest in the summer and use the knife to combine the two. Then, using my thumb, I smeared some of the concoction in a line on each of the girls' foreheads. When I came to Niamh, she grinned at me over the candle she held, a grin that held wicked secrets. I did not meet her eyes but moved on to Lise, whose mouth was set in a grim line. We all dressed in dark green, brown and black to cloak ourselves against the night. My hair was covered in soot and ash to mask its lightness. After I'd marked everyone, I moved to my place in the circle. We all put our thumb and forefinger in our mouth and snuffed out the wicks of our candles and set them down on the stone pillar where the copper bowl and silver blade had been.

Then, turning away, we picked up our bows. I tightened my quiver against my breast and kept my head down. My hands twitched on the wood, twitched to shoot but my heart was hesitant. I did not wish to kill and even my fingers recognized that. We filed out of the room and into the cold, moonless, dark night. And then, as was my duty, I turned my face towards the sky and howled. This was a war cry, a shout to the wolves so they would know we were coming for them. And they did hear; I had never been too far into the vast forest, but the wolves were always right at the edge.

We stood in a line, preparing ourselves to plunge beyond the trees, taking a deep breath. Death walked at our heels as always and I thought I could feel The Liche Queen's breath in my ear tonight. I turned my head to look at Magdalena, who was eyeing the forest with a lifted, proud chin. She looked at me and held out her hand, which I took. She pulled me towards her and kissed my hair, the way an older sister might to her baby sister. Still, there was no mistaking me for what I was: the leader of this merry band of killers. I howled once more and then we took off into the woods, not caring if branches hit our faces or if mud splattered onto our thick oilskin leggings.

There were flashes of dark movement and my hands went to shoot but each time, I made an excuse, telling myself I shouldn't shoot just to prove something or I'd shoot an innocent animal. Except then I felt someone at my side and looked to see Niamh staring at me in the darkness, her black eyes glittering like some beetle. "Get shooting, Aurora," she told me, her whiter-than-white teeth flashing. She laughed then and ran deeper into the woods. Instinctively, the bow came up and a voice in my head whispered you could do it, you could shoot her. Screwing up my face, I nudged the bow just a little to the right and let an arrow sail into a far-off Evergreen and heard the satisfied crunch of lead hitting wood. "Damn you," I whispered under my breath and was not sure to whom I was speaking - myself or Niamh.

Straight in front of me, I heard heavy footsteps on the forest floor and knew this was no light-footed dear coming my way. Taking a deep breath, I compromised. I would not shoot until I saw it. Then, if it was not a wolf I would not feel guilty and if it was and I missed, it would not be my fault. I knew this was a weak compromise that Niamh would not accept. I swallowed and stretched the arrow back on the bowstring and waited, my breath exhaling in a stream of white. The footsteps got closer until I could make out something white in the underbrush. Something white and large. A sinking feeling made its way into my stomach. A wolf. I must shoot it. I must shoot it now.

Except then it emerged and I saw that it was not a wolf but a white bear, the beliy medved. My hands holding the bow fell and the bear and I stared at each other. His head turned back and I watched as another white bear emerged and stood next to the first. I put away my arrow and my bow and took a step towards the bears. I knew not much about these bears, except that they might eat me. Still, the look in these bears eyes were so human it made me wonder if they were like the wolves. They did not change into humans, however, no matter how close I got. The first did let me put my hands on his head, however, and made a soft noise in the back of his throat as I stroked his dense fur. I kneeled down and stared into the eyes of the bear. And then, as Dog had spoken to me, I heard his wind-voice in my ear. She is calling you to her, Aurora. She wants you to free her, to save her. Go to her, Bright Star. The wolves will show you the way. Listen to her voice as she calls to you.

Standing up, I took a step back from the bears. "Who are you?" I whispered.

The second bear leaned its head down. We are her faithful companions and we come on behalf of her for you. Listen to her voice. Go to her.

"How do I find her?"

The wolves, the wolves... they said in unison. Just as I was about to ask them how I could trust them, however, something heavy and large collided with me and my shoulder exploded into pain. Behind my eyelids I saw stars and the planets swimming but no noise erupted from my chest, all I could manage was to open my mouth as wide as it would go. I hit the ground, the snow softenening my fall, and my eyes went to what had attacked me. A snow-white wolf had its jaws around my shoulder and I knew in an instant that this was Lourdes of the Wolves. My heart lept up into my throat as Dog had told me it should. I scrambled to get away from her but her teeth sunk further and further. In the back of my head I felt my bones against her jaws and in that moment, I knew I would be the second death of the girls. A choking, awful sort of noise came from the back of my throat. Niamh would get what she wanted and all would fall to her. The Moon Queen would never be saved and I would die here, my blood flowing freely onto the white snow.

Except then something hit her and she tumbled off of me, her teeth ripping more of my skin in the process. With a gasping breath I turned myself into the snow where the cold numbed the all-consuming pain. It was too much. My vision blurred; I fought to stay conscious. I could not die yet, I must save the Moon Queen, I must live to see Dog once more. I fought against the cool hands of the Liche Queen at my body. Looking up, I saw her and her bowl of tears, ready to pour its contents over me. To my right I saw a familiar wolf gnashing its noble teeth at Lourdes of the Wolves. I curled my legs into my body and stared at the Liche Queen. I shook my head. "Please," I said. "Please not yet." When I blinked she was gone - maybe she'd never been there in the first place, but I could not fight the darkness and the heaviness that covered me and I fell away from myself, my head protecting me from the pain, disconnecting itself from the agony until I was nothing, nothing at all, floating on forever.

My head collided with my body once again and I was forced into a painful waking. I couldn't discern much from where I was, only that it was warm and I was covered by something. As the gears in my head began to turn my eyes opened little by little to see a dull orange light. There were blankets over me and I felt content - except for a dull, throbbing ache in my shoulder. Closing my eyes, I struggled to remember what had happened. Niamh had given me an ultimatum...we'd gone out to hunt...I'd seen the ice bears in the forest...they'd told me I needed to go find the Moon Queen and save her...Lourdes had attacked me...then everything became blurry. What had happened? How had I ended up here? And where, exactly, was here?

On my good elbow, I propped myself up and looked around the room. It was large and beautifully decorated in shades of orange and red. I lay in a four-poster bed with an intricately designed canopy tied to the posts. A fire danced in the hearth before me, the walls were papered with orange and red damask. It looked like one of the rooms in Lunarenstein might if they had been kept as nicely. Wherever I was, it was a noble place. It was then, looking down, I realized I was wearing no clothes. The clothes I'd used for the hunt were draped over a wingback chair that sat at an angle in front of the fire. Flushing, I pulled the blankets and quilt up over my meager chest. If I was being honest, I did not have much to hide.

The door opened. Tensing, I looked to see who it was. An older, round woman with candyfloss hair stepped in and smiled, her face wrinkled and wizened with age. "It's nice to see you up," she remarked and came over to me. "But you'd best lay down. You're still in no condition to be sitting up." I wasn't sure why, but her tone rang with authority and I lay down, as per her command. It was then that I noticed she was carrying a large copper urn and a bag in one arm. I swallowed. The woman noticed me staring and laughed. "Don't worry, it's just full of bandages."

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice feeling foreign in my throat. The woman said nothing but pulled up a simple wooden chair and put her cool hands on my tattered shoulder. Her touch felt nice, even if my wound was covered. She began to peel away the old bandages that covered my shoulder. When there was nothing covering and the hot air stung the torn flesh, the woman pulled out a small ceramic pot from her bag. She opened the top and a stinging smell hit my nose. After dipping her fingers into the pot, she began to carefully rub the strange smelling salve on my shoulder. The pain began to dull and I found I could breathe easier, my chest began to expand and contract in an even rhythym and my muscles relaxed as she began to dress my shoulder with clean bandages. I turned my face to her. "Thank you," I said after awhile.

She smiled, touched my hair and then pulled something else out of her bag. it was a long, white shirt that she helped me put on. "Do not fight sleep if it comes. You were difficult to save and Death's Lady may still be watching."

I nodded and closed my eyes, realizing that I was more tired than I'd thought I was. Sleep took me swiftly away and I did not even have time to wonder where I was, whose company I was in the presence, what might happen to me and how I was to get home. When my eyes opened again, however, those questions were on the front of my brain. I sat up as quickly as I could. The chair was still next to the bed and in it someone different - and yet altogether familiar - sat, their head resting on their chest in sleep, their long legs stretched out, their strong arms folded against their chest. Adrian, Prince of Wolves's dark hair lay in front of his eyes and trailed over his ears and while it covered most of his face, I still recognized him immedietley.

In that moment, I remembered what happened. Lourdes had attacked me but Adrian had saved me. He must have taken me to his home...looking around again, I realized I must be in a castle of some considerable size. Peeling back the covers, I stepped out of the bed and moved towards the curtained window. Next to it lay my bow and my arrows. I peeked out. It was very dark out but if I squinted, I could make out the shadows of trees. Deep in the forest...that's where I must be. So deep, in a place I'd never been before. Fear grabbed me and I realized just what this meant. Adrian had taken me back to his castle...what was he planning on doing with me? He'd had me taken care of, but what if that was just to kill me? Or what if he planned on returning me to Lunarenstein? Everyone would know how he'd saved me. With a sigh, I leaned my head on the cool glass. This was too much to think about.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Turning around, I saw Adrian had woken up and was standing up, leaning against one of the posts on the bed. He still had his arms crossed around his chest. "I need to go home, right away." My words were strangled. How would I explain this to Delphine? I could see Niamh's smug grin in my head. Delphine would disown me, she would force me to leave. As much as I wished to leave Lunarenstein, leaving without Delphine's blessing was impossible. She gave all the girls who left money and letters of introdcution and knew to whom the girls could go to so they would be welcomed into society with opened arms. If she disowned me, I would be cast out with nothing, which was exactly what I was. Nothing.

Adrian shook his head. "You cannot."

With quick movements, I grabbed my bow and an arrow, strung it and pointed it towards the Prince of Wolves. "Escort me home now or I will be forced to shoot you." Adrian froze and put his hands up. He was smart enough to know that he could not outrun me and that I was serious when I told him to let me go.

"Aurora, please. I would let you leave if I could. You must see that I mean you no harm." Swallowing, I put the bow down but kept it in my hands. "There is something dark at work going on at Schloss Lunarenstein. Yesterday, I went to the castle to tell the lady of the house what had become of you and I smelled the foul stench of fear and evil. There is something not right there and if you go back now, you will be destroyed." I thought of Niamh and of Nikolae and knew that he was right, no matter how little I liked to admit it. He paused and raised an eyebrow. "I thought this was what you always wanted? To be free of the castle and the future it has set for you?"

Everything felt strange. I was getting what I always wanted. I would never have to go back to Lunarenstein if I didn't wish it. Still, I felt a terrible loss within me. Delphine and the girls were the only family I'd ever known, as Rosalyn had said, Lunarenstein was the only home I had. My legs took me back to the bed where I sat and pulled the quilt up to me. I imagined Dog lying on my bed, wondering where I was. I imagined Magdalena looking out the window, towards the woods, trying to recall what had happened the night of the hunt. Everything felt broken in all the wrong places. I should feel joyful. I should be thanking Adrian for setting me free, but now that I was free of my shackles and was pushed out into the bright world, I understood how safe and simple my dark prison had been. "What will become of me?" I asked. Adrian's face softened and he came around the bed and knelt to me.

"I brought most of your things. Magdalena was sitting in your room when I came so I told her what had happened - how Lourdes had attacked you, how I saved you. I said you were in my castle and that my nurse was healing you, I told her you would be fine and that you would make a full recovery. The rest of the household believes that you are dead and Magdalena has promised me to make sure everyone thinks this is so. I'm sorry, that was the only thing I could think of. There is something terribly wrong at Lunarenstein, and I feel as if the stars are beginning to move into an alingment...hopefully all will become clear soon. For the time being, you may stay here. I offer you shelter for as long as you need it." Adrian stood up and went to a table at the side of the room I hadn't noticed before. On it were a few burlap sacks and I realized they must have all my clothes and things in it. He reached into one of the sacks and pulled out a little bundle of cloth. His hands held the bundle carefully and he lay it down on the bed next to me. "I brought you the flowers. The flowers the Liche Queen told you to braid into a crown."

I stared at the bundle, not sure if I saw it or not. Adrian's voice was distant and fuzzy. When I looked at him again, it was as if hands were dragging me under. Closing my eyes I saw a clear glass lake and I saw blackened hands at my wrists and ankles pulling me off a mahogany boat. Something blocked my throat and I couldn't speak. More hands at my shoulders, pulling me up and up until I broke the surface once more. When I opened my eyes I was in the room and tears were falling down my face, a ripping noise was coming from my chest and Adrian's hands were at my shoulders, pulling me close to him. "I'm sorry, Aurora. I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

The pain in my shoulder grew and grew until it was white hot. Darkness closed around my head and I could no longer feel Adrian's arms around me. In my head I felt myself running and running towards the place where he was holding me but grief and pain pulled me back; they were vultures picking at my flesh. The last thing I could remember was a laugh from somewhere, a laugh and a cold finger on my forehead.

When I woke up for the third time, I was tucked back in the bed. The bundle of the flowers lay on a small table next to me where a glass and a pitcher of what I hoped was water also sat. Sitting up, I poured myself a glass of water and drank the entire thing and poured myself another glass and another and another until I did not feel as if I'd been in the sun for days. My body felt calm, I could not feel one trace of sadness. Instead, everything felt quite clear, like there had been a blindfold over my eyes obscuring my vision just slightly. Now it was gone and the colors of the room were in sharp focus. I thought of the beliy medved. They'd come on behalf of the Moon Queen, they'd told me that. They told me I could save her. They told me to ask the wolves to help me find her. They told me that if I listened to her voice, I could find her. Closing my eyes, I listened.

Nothing.

A laugh escaped me and I opened them once more. Did I truly expect to hear the Queen of the Moon's voice? I pulled the bundle of the cloth to me and opened it. The white flowers looked untouched and pristine. With careful fingers, I braided them into a crown, as the Liche Queen and Dog had told me to do. A pang rattled through my chest. Dog. Maybe he would come to the castle and Magdalena would tell him what had become of me. I brushed one last tear away and kept working on the crown. The flowers no longer stung my hands, in fact, they felt warm under my fingers.

There was a knock at my door just as I finished the crown, but whomever it was did not wait for my reply, obviously assuming I was still asleep. Again it was Adrian. "You're awake." His tone was surprised. I nodded. He looked at my hands that held the crown. I set it atop my head.

"I was told I should ask you to help me find the Moon Queen. Her companions, the beliy medved and the Liche Queen told me I can save her. Will you help me?" I questioned. As I asked him, it seemed as if I knew all along that was what I would do. There was no other option for me, I must find her and I must save her. In my head sparkled the words fate and destiny but I shook them away. Still, I could not deny the strong pull that was the Moon Queen. Even if I could not hear her, I could almost feel her, and I knew that saving her was what I was supposed to, that saving her was what I was meant to be doing. "Even if you cannot, I must go and find her."

Adrian nodded, though. "Yes, yes I will help you. I know where her tower is. It is far across the wood, however, and many dangerous things lie in the forest. Things much more sinister than the wolves. Things that will not hesitate to kill you."

I swallowed, thinking once more of Dog and his words. "I know. I still wish to go."

"Then I will do whatever I can to keep you safe," he answered. We stood, staring at each other, and a wave of dizziness flowed through me; it was not from the wound on my shoulder, however. The feeling tingled through my stomach and down to my toes and into my fingers and up to the very crown of my head. Then, with an awkward bow, Adrian once again left the room and I sat alone, on the bed. I hugged myself and looked out the window where the light of dawn could be seen filtering through. And it was then that something caught my attention, a sound...a voice. A woman's voice, light as air, clean as ice, soft as water.

Aurora, Aurora.
♠ ♠ ♠
You probably did not think that this was how the story was going to go.
I have the feeling that this chapter was kind of eh, but oh well.
It gets better after this, I promise.