Ashes to Ashes

Time moved slowly and seemed to freeze, as I looked up at the moon through the snow, waiting to arrive at the village, but time never seemed to bring us there. "You know, I don't even know your name, or if you have one. Do you even have a name?" I asked him. He looked over at me and nodded. "Oh, you do? Well, since you can't tell me your name, I'll just call you blue eyes for now." He nodded again and resumed forward. "So, blue eyes, how much further until we reach my old village? It seems as if we have been walking for forever. And it's also really cold out here." I asked knowing he couldn't respond back with an answer. He did nothing to answer, he just pawed forward. Since we had nothing to occupy our minds, besides counting the snow flakes, my thoughts just wandered about in my mind. "I don't know how it's possible for me to return to the burned village, knowing everything there will haunt me. And my mother is still bound at the stake. I would have to see her black, burned corpse. I don't think I could handle it. But this is something I have to do. I have to right my wrong doing I have done to the forest." I thought to myself. "Blue eyes. I was just thinking of my village, and how it was burned by me." Blue eyes kept his eyes to the front. "Your paw was also burned by my fire. So, how is it that your not limping?" I looked down at his moving paws. They were snow covered, and untouched by burns. Not one hair on his paw was burned. "And how is it that your paw looks to be healed, while my legs, still burned and hurting?" He angled his head towards me and smiled. I started to think about it, and there really isn't a possible way for his burn to be healed already without a healing spell, healing herbs, or magic, and I don't think wolves have spell books, and I'm pretty sure they can't read like humans can. "Not going to answer it are you, not even if I could talk to you." I asked as he brought his head back infront of him, still smiling. "Okay, that's fine. Everyone has secrets." I watched as blue eyes stepped over a small fallen tree, his entire body moving up and over it. "Oh, and by the way," I paused for the slightest moment. "Thanks for saving me back there, at the fight with the big, red eyed, black wolf. You didn't have to, but you risked your own life to protect mine." I moved my head down to reach his ear. "I thank you greatly." I kissed the back of his head with my cold lips, then brushed the fur on his neck a few times, and he wagged his tail as I did so. Blue eyes started to slow down slightly, so I decided to keep watch forward. "Are we nearing the village, blue eyes?" I looked around but saw nothing but snow. He came to a halt as we rested under some trees. The trees on either side were old, burnt and frozen under snow. They reached towards the sky, and arched towards each other, forming an archway. The tree limbs were unbroken, and snow covered them entirely. And as for leaves on the trees, dead and gone, probably never to return again. Blue eyes was in trance looking at these trees, as was I. They were so beautiful, beautiful and haunting. "I've never seen these trees here before. It's like some sort evil is among them." I was pulled out of my trance by blue eyes. He was backing up away from the village, scared as can be. I looked down at him. He was looking at the village, all burned and bloody. His muscles were tensed, and he wouldn't move. It was like there was a wall infront of him, not allowing him to pass. "Come on blue eyes, we have to go in there. I have to get that book so I can help you and your forest." I urged him with a forward movement, but it didn't work. "Come on blue eyes, we have to go." I lifted up my arm that had no injury and smacked him on his side, hoping that would make him move. He gave out a small yelp and jumped forward, into the village. Blue eyes lowered his body to the ground, moving slow, and his head even lower, hoping nothing would come out and attack us. As we made our way through the village, I looked around at everything around us. It was a massacre. I could see piles of ash spread throughout the village, and half burned bodies of women and children. Most of the bodies remaining were faced up, as if they could see their life slipping away, torturing them. "I guess my fire had something to do with the torturing." I said to myself. I looked down at the ground. There was red everywhere, all over the snow. Even though I hated the villagers, it was a horrible sight to see. "Why is the snow still red here? It should have been covered by the snow fall." I twisted my head around to look at the cabins. They were burned but still standing. We soon came up to a circle, with five wooden stakes sticking from out of the ground. I balled my hands into a fist, my fingernails cutting into my hands. "The Witches Circle." I released my fist, soon after they felt warm and wet. I looked down at them, and they had crescent shaped, bloody marks from my nails. I looked at the witches circle. It had fog lingering around the burned stakes, and hid most of the circle. Blue eyes had a feeling that I may want to go closer, so he brought me into the circle. He headed right for my mothers stake. There was nothing there, no burnt body, no ash, and no snow. I reached up and touched the wood. It was still warm, so warm. I took my hand off the wood and looked away, and blue eyes turned and left the circle. "It looks as if demons had taken over this village." I gripped ahold of blue eyes fur. He sensed my fear and slunk down even lower to the ground. "This isn't right. There feels as if there are many demons lurking." I whispered as I glanced over my shoulder to the circle, then back to the front. "Usually only one demon takes over where many have died, claiming the souls that have been left behind." I let my head fall forward to cover my face in my hair. "They claim to damned souls bound for hell, like murders, and my mother." I shook my head slightly. "This is bad." Blue eyes, and I were going to be in a lot of trouble if we didn't leave soon. We kept on walking, trying to find my mothers cabin. "It has to be around here somewhere. It has to be. I watch as my mother burned at the stake in that cabin, so it shouldn't be to far from the circle." I was so scared right now, knowing that demons could come at us any moment. "I think the demons made a maze out of this place, trying to mess with our heads." I said angrily. Blue eyes agreed by giving out a small growl. "Let's just try and find it, and get out alive." We disappeared into the depths of the village, searching for what wasn't there. Blue eyes walked for what seemed like forever, panting and panting. Soon enough he collapsed to the ground, tired from searching. I fell to the side of him, right onto the red snow. "No, blue eyes! We have to keep looking, we just have to!" I shook him, but he was to tired to get up or move. I looked around, the shadows hidden in corners slowly engulfed our surroundings. Snarling cames from all around, and laughing sounds came from behind me. "Look at her! Look at her!" I heard voices from behind. I turned to see whom it may be, but nothing was there. "Look at the witch, look at her beauty! Let's bring her to master!" The voices came closer, and louder. "Stay back!" I shook blue eyes once more, but nothing I did could wake him. He was overcome by the evil demons among us. I looked down at his fur, it was slowly fading to black and his body was motionless like a corpse. I grabbed onto his black fur trying to shake him awake once more. "Please don't leave me, please blue eyes." I cried out. I turned my whole body towards the shadows that once again played with my mind. "He's gone now, you have no one left. Alice come with us, come play with us." The demons laughed. "You leave him alone! You hear me! Leave him alone!" All of a sudden the voices stopped, and the shadows retreated. I looked down at blue eyes, his fur was slowly fading back to his snow white color. "Blue eyes." I cried. He twitched his ear, then slowly lifted his head to look at me. I had twin tears running down my cheeks. "I-I'm so glad your alright." I jumped onto him and gave him a hug for what seemed like forever. Blue eyes nudged my head, trying to get my attention. "What is it?" I asked as I let go of him. He pointed his head towards a burnt cabin. "That's it! That's the my mothers cabin!" I yelled out in shock. "You found it blue eyes! You found it!" Blue eyes struggled to his paws, then walk in front of me and sat down, welcoming me onto his back. I grabbed ahold of his fur and pulled myself onto his back, making sure not to fall off either side of him. He stood up, snow falling from his fur, and made his way towards my mothers burnt cabin.