Red Is for Traitor

Air. People took it for granted. Even I am a guilty of it. At the moment however, as I gasped for sir that barely reached my lungs, I knew how precious it could be. I involuntarily struggled to find purchase so I could raise myself up and breathe. Realistically I knew I never would, but that did not stop my body from trying. As blood pounded in my ears and my consciousness started to slip I vaguely acknowledged the sound of howls echoing all around me. The crowd gasped (not that I was paying much attention) and viscious snarls could be heard close by. As there was bickering and growling, I felt someone trying to hoist me up. My feet tried to stand on whoever was under me, but my boots kept slipping causing me to gag more. The harder I tried, the tighter the noose became and more tired my body felt.
Someone tried to talk to me, but I was too out of it to know what they were saying. The rope finally snapped and I felt myself falling. I did not care as I gasped for air I was now allowed to have. I was being held and I curled into them all the while coughing and gasping. My throat hurt and I could feel it swelling. Finally the bag was taken off of my head enabling me to actually suck in large amounts of air. I was too oxygen deprived however to recognize anyone near me. I closed my eyes, reveling in the fact that I could kind of breathe again. I wanted to cry (I am pretty sure I was) and thank whoever had helped me, but I could not. Soon enough my eyes rolled back and I passed out.
Trista had been the one to use her claws to slice through the rope. As she stood on the platform, most of her pack assembled around her. Arawn was below, he was the one who held me as I spasmed and fought for air. His eyes, like the rest of the pack back, burned a molten silver. Corbin stood before the rest, baring his teeth at the hunters who scrambled to find a weapon. Sindri was to his left, guarding Arawn and me. He flexed his clawed fingers ready to fight anyone who came too close. Ivy stood to the far right to protect the other side of the platform so no one could attack the opening. Then two wolves stood back to protect the flank of the formation. The sound of pissed off growls vibrated through the air sending shivers through the villagers.
Aside from the terrifying sounds coming from the wolves, no one spoke; the area was silent. It was only broken when a hunter went to move. Corbin roared causing the hunter to freeze. Through sharpened teeth Corbin warned, "Don't even think about it." He straightened up a little but retained his hybrid form. "Leave." His word dripped with command and death.
The man who was the instigator of my execution scowled and barked, "Why should wes listen to yous? Yous nothing but monsters!"
Corbin's lips curled into a dark smile, "Are we? We aren't the ones executing an innocent woman." His smile dropped as his eyes narrowed, "Leave our territory now and we will give you a day without hunting you down and ripping you to shred." All the humans took in a sharp breath.
"Yous- Wes would destroy you!" Fear slipped through the man's usual composure.
"Would you?" Howls from the woods echoed around the gathering. The hunters paled at the sound of a dozen wolves howling.
"Yous only bluffing!" The hunter accused desperately. "I know what happened four years ago!"
The rumbles from the pack deepened as Corbin's eyes burned into the hunter's. "We've had four years to rebuild from the massacre you," His eyes scanned the uniformed men and with a wry smirk continued, "Monsters committed. Are you willing to see if we really are bluffing?"
"All this for one woman?!"
"Yes." The wolf replied simply and without hesitation. "Now leave before I can't hold my pack back. I may be their Alpha, but even I wouldn't stop them after you tried to kill a dear friend and sister of ours." His eyes tracked a young hunter's eyes as they darted to the wolf that held me. There was questioning in the hunter's eyes that intrigued the Alpha. Perhaps he could be turned away from the life of a racist (speciesist?) hunter. But that would have to be addressed later when ten hunters were not on their land.
"Never, wes will protect this village and the world from the likes of yous!"
"We don't wahnt to be protected." Everyone looked started at an old man flanked by another older man and two old women. "We nevah wahnted you in the villahge, but we ahre but poor fahrmers who cahn't fight huntahs. Pleahse leave."
"They are monsters!"
The woman who was probably the oldest of the quartet replied, "The pahck hahas protected our villahge since their ahrrivahl ovah 100 yeahrs ahgo. They ahre no monstahs." The pack was startled by the new information, but repressed it until the threat was gone. They watched the strangest (well to them) thing happen, the villagers started crowding the hunters. "I suggest thaht ye leahve now before ah fight hahppens."
While the hunters had to quickly decide what to do, Dr. Pent made his way to where Arawn was. He walked cautiously and with his hands out so as not to frighten the wolf. My brother's warning raised an octave the closer the doctor came. "Arawn, I need to look at Macha." He continued to growl until Trista hopped down and crouched down.
"Arawn." Her voice was firm but gentle. "Please pass Macha to me." When his growled at her, she replied in kind. He looked down and nodded. Slowly inching her way under the platform, the pair transferred me into her arms. Being as agile as ever, Trista crab walked out from under the platform and looked at the doctor. Dr. Pent walked over and began checking me.
"She will have nice bruising around her neck and it will be sore. You are going to need to keep her head elevated and apply some ice or snow to it to keep the swelling down. We need to get her out of the cold, she has been out longer than she should." Dr. Pent waited when Trista did not move right away. He watcher her lips move silently and then look back at the crouching werewolf still under the platform. Once Arawn was out, Trista nodded and the doctor lead the way to his house. The trio skirted around the annoyed mob and hunters and within minute arrived at the house. Trista was instructed to place me on a cot with pillows propping me up. "Please place some snow in this rag." He handed it to Arawn who was pacing anxiously. He looked to Trista and when she nodded he disappeared out the door.
"Is she going to be alright?" The older wolf asked listening to me breathe and my heart.
"I think so but we will have to wait and see. Macha was not hanging long, but not being able to breathe can be detrimental even if they are given air again." He sat cleaning my neck as I had a few cuts from where the rope bit into my skin. "What will happen if she does not make it?" He asked quietly. He was honestly a little frightened to know the answer.
Trista cocked her head and though. "The pack will be devastated. Some may become feral. Perhaps until the grief passes or it could become permanent. Everyone in the pack has lost a great deal and to lose her... some may not recover."
"Your pack seems quite dependent on her."
With a knowing smile, Trista replied, "Yes, yes we are. I don't believe she knows it however or believes we could ever be."
"Her life has been hard." Dr. Pent commented. "She is not the little girl I remember running around." He took the rag from Arawn, tied it, and placed in on my neck. "You may watch after her, Master Lightwood, but know she will not wake for at least a few hours." Arawn nodded as he took his place on the end of my bed, his back to the wall.
I do not know how long I was out, but when I woke I was groggy and my throat was dry. The world (room) was quiet and for a second I thought I died. But the moment I stirred Arawn was beside me. "Max?" There was strain to his voice and I could picture his tail swaying anxiously back and forth.
"Ar." I croak. What happened to my voice? And why is Arawn in the cottage? I was disoriented as I blinked the room, a room I did not recognize, into focus
"I see the patient is awake." A deep voice greeted.
"Patient?"
"Easy Macha, your throat his been through enough. Drink this." He handed me a warm cup. Swallowing was a struggle but the warm sweet liquid soothed my shard like throat. "No talking until you have finished the entire mug. Arawn, I put you in charge of her." I was in all sorts of confused at how the doctor knew my brother. As I sipped my tea the room filled with more people. I was at a loss as both villagers and pack entered to see how I was doing. Arawn acted as guard wolf and bared his teeth when someone came too close. The first time he did I nearly turned my head off with how fast I went to look at him. Yet no one seemed to think it strange.
"I am confused." I finally whispered out after dutifully finishing my water and honey.
"I bet you are." Trista smiled as she bent over and kissed my forehead. I froze but did not pull away from the affection. She stepped back so Corbin and four elders could speak.
"What do you remember?" Corbin asked in a neutral voice.
I tried to think back, "I was-" And like releasing a dam, my memories (albiet mostly snippets) flooded back. I bent forward clutching my head. "There was a little boy... he was in shock... I was- I was- A hunter... jailed me-" My eyes shot up in shock. "I was hung!" I squeaked. More memories of hanging there useless flashed in my mind. My breathing became irregular as I felt my heart rate escalate. Arawn whined next to me, but I could do nothing as the edges of my vision darkened. The doctor said something about clearing the room, but I did not hear all of it as my ears once again filled with the pounding of blood. It was like reliving that moment. I could not breathe. I had no control over my body. Unlike before however, my eyes became fixated on the blanket that covered me instead of the darkness from the bag.
I may have lost a small pocket of time because next thing I knew Trista had my face in her hands. "Macha, it's okay. You are safe." She whispered, but my gasping continued. "I need you to breathe with me. In." She took a deep breath. "Out." Then she exhaled. She took one of my hands and placed it over her heart. "Macha, in with me.... and out." She continued talking to me in a soothing voice until I was able to breathe on my own and I did not feel like passing out. "There, are you alright now?"
"Describe alright please, because I do not believe I will be for quite some time." I gave a raspy humorless laugh. "I have experienced many things, but that was the most terrifying." Trista gave me a sad look before standing up and calling the pack and elders back in.
"Would you like to try and explain again?" Corbin asked without trying to pressure me either way.
I took a breath and replied, "I do not really remember what happened before. I know it had something to do with a little boy and I ended up in jail. I was... I was hung." I paused so I could keep myself together. "I only remember trying... trying to breathe. I... I vaguely remember loud noises but really nothing besides the blood pounding in my ears."
"Would you like to know what happened?" I nodded and waited. "I can't tell you what happened before we got there, but Elder Mia can." He looked over to the eldest of the Elders who began.
"There wahs ahn explosion. Ye halped the fahmily, mahinly the boy, Ahntony. He, ahs ye put it, went into shock. Ye gahve him yer cloak." I nodded my head in understanding. I took my cloak off in public and the hunters saw... "Ahfter ye sahblized him, the huntahs ahrrested ye for tahking off the cloak ahnd ye were in jahil for the night. The next dahy ye were brought to the hahnging tree. Ye were snahppy to the huntahs." The woman smiled with sparkling eyes.
"What did I say?" I could only imagine what came out of my mouth.
"Ye told him thaht since he believed werewolves should die for the sins of thar rahbid kin, he should die for the sins of ahll murderers."
Excluding the elders, all of the wolves snapped their heads to me. Cocking my head to the side I thought aloud, "Sounds like something I would say."
"He did not tahke it kindly."
"I bet he did not."
"He ordahed yer heahd to be bahgged ahnd then to be hung. Ah moment latah the pahck ahrrived."
"We quickly surrounded you with Arawn trying to prop you up enough to breathe." Corbin took over. "Mom cut you down while we had a show down with the hunters. After bickering, we the pack and most of the villagers ran them out of the village without anyone getting harmed. Excluding you."
"How long have I been out?" My voice was beginning to crack and my throat started to hurt once more.
"Half a day."
"That is a long time." I leaned back as my eyes started to droop.
"Hardly." Dr. Pent walked up to me to take my temperature. "Your body needed time to heal and still does. I am surprised you did not go into shock." I never replied for my eyes had closed and I fell asleep.