Star Keeper

I glared daggers at Deyanira. How could this possibly happen to me? The legend clearly stated every five hundred years a star would come to our people, and we would protect it until the keeper came for what was rightfully his. How in the hell can we possibly have two stars? I suddenly realized that this was the keepers way of saying, “Braith, you are absolutely good for nothing and deserve a severe curse.”

I could have ripped that star apart limb by limb. I could feel the stares of people who were coming out of their homes to see what was going on; even the Chief Elder was in the town square. I knew this was going to be bad. There was no way it could not possibly be bad!

My heart dropped when the other star sat up and looked at Deyanira. The two hugged before the star stared at her for a long while. When she spoke, it was completely different from Deyanira’s sharp screechy voice? Her voice was sweet and melodic, but she was still talking in her native language?

“There are two stars,” voices echoed the question.

“Is this a good thing,” someone else questioned.

The questions began to fly around the pack, and I was left standing in the middle of them with the same questions barreling through my brain. Why would we get two stars? Was it a blessing, or would it bring harm?

“Deyanira, what’s going on?” I interrupted her conversation with her friend. She glared at me for a moment an unrecognizable emotion flooded her features.

The Chief Elder made his way to the middle of the circle. He raised his arms in an attempt to silence the pack, but the whispers continued. “There are two stars,” he spoke loudly causing everyone to look at him. “This could be a good omen, or it could be very bad for our people.”

“I think it is a curse, we have never received two stars at once,” someone shouted.

“How would you know, have you been around for more than 500 years?” someone else retorted.

“Silence,” the Chief Elder ordered. The pack did as they were told. “We shall consult the Protector. He would know who is the real star and who is the imposter, or if this is a bad omen for us all.”

The tired old man in the wheel chair was brought before the crowd for the second time within twenty-four hours. The man looked at Deyanira with knowing eyes before he turned to Annalise. Both girls stood before him. Deyanira looked more confident and sure of herself, although I knew she was a bit frightened. Annalise mirrored Deyanira’s confidence, even though her hands quivered.

“You,” the Protector pointed to Deyanira, “look very familiar. I have seen your eyes before.” He looked towards Annalise as he spoke, “And you seem to need more protection than the other.” The crowd listened intently.

The Chief Elder stepped to the Protector’s side as he began to speak, “The weak star will stay here, and receive protection from the pack. The strong star shall return with her protector to the forest. In one month’s time we will gather here in order to return what belongs to the Keeper,” the Chief Elder ordered, “you have 24 hours to prepare. Take nothing more than hunting gear.” The Protector nodded his head in agreement as he focused on Deyanira’s flowing crimson hair and the movement of the shimmering marks on her visible skin.

Deyanira’s confidence suddenly seemed shattered. Realization dawned on her slowly as she stood hugging her friend. She was going to be sent into the wilderness with the pack screw-up, and they were expected to survive for one month. Both Deyanira and I thought at the same moment, “We are screwed!”


Deyanira’s crimson hair fell over the side of my lump bed as she watched me pack. I wondered if I looked down at her hard enough could I see her brain through her flared nostrils. She snorted before rolling onto her elbows. Her bare feet glimmered in the dull light as she gently kicked them back and forth. I rolled my eyes and plopped down on the hard floor before rummaging through the draws in my room. Only hunting necessities? How the hell am I supposed to pack for a hunting expedition when I’ve never been on one?

“We’ll need clothes,” her voice grabbed the silence, balled it up like a piece of paper, and tossed it like a baseball through a shattered abandoned window.

“You’ll need clothes,” I corrected. “I’m a wolf, remember.”

“You can’t stay in that form the whole time,” she snapped. “Doesn’t protecting also mean entertaining?”

I chuckled. “You got the wrong host, Star. Luca is the entertainment. I’m just the poor orphan boy his family took in.”

“Don’t be depressing!” I rolled my eyes while throwing a black t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts in the bag with a serrated hunting knife. She sighed while I threw matches in the bottom of the bag. “I didn’t mean for you to stop talking,” Deyanira scowled.

A familiar soft knock on the oak door startled her while I sat unflinching. “Enter,” I stated not turning toward the squeaking, heavy wooden door. I could almost feel Deyanira staring in reluctant hope at the door, but I knew the sound so well.

“Braith, honey, I thought I’d check on you.” A chunky woman jet black hair and eyes as dark as the night sky entered the room. Her face held years of love and laughter, and a hint of war; her skin darkened with years of playing in the sun with the children of the pack, and a long scar crept down from her left ear to below the collar of her V-neck t-shirt. Obviously, the wife of the Chief Elder stood in front of the Star. The Chief Elder’s wife toned her voice down when she wanted to appear caring, and it was as soft and sweet as fresh ground sugarcane as she stepped over the threshold.

“I’m fine.” I kept my eyes trained on the bottom of my small closet. “Deyanira could use some warmer clothes, though.” She took a sharp breath. The only mother I remembered expected more than what I offered while goodbye lingered over our heads. Her honey voice rebounded quickly as she shook out some of her old clothes—she always kept too small clothes in case she lost weight.

“I thought you might say something like that.” Her face illuminated with a warm smile as I turned toward her. She held a small sky blue t-shirt and black jeans toward the glowing girl. Deyanira’s cheeks flushed as she nodded gratefully.

“There’s a bathroom down the hall.” I shrugged. “If you want to change out of that shirt.” I wouldn’t meet my mother’s eyes; I couldn’t let her see my fear.

“I’ll try to find you a pair of shoes too.” Her soft voice waned before she left.

“You should be nicer to her,” Deyanira spoke up. I shrugged before throwing another knife into the bag. “This is your family. You must be really excited that you and your brother both found stars.”

“He’s not really my brother.” I stood from the floor. “She’ll be back with an extra pair of clothes for you. Are you planning on changing?”

Before she could answer a series of howls broke out. She stared at me with her head cocked to the side and a brow raised. “There’s not a third star?” I asked.

“There shouldn’t have been two.” She stood and walked toward the window. “Why are people gathering around that fancy looking cabin?”

I glanced over her shoulder. “That’s not just a fancy cabin.” I knew that house. I grew up loving that house. “That’s the Protector’s house.”