Divided

I met with Catherine outside of her hut as she asked. After saying goodbye to Evan, she led me to the forest near where the barrier used to be between us and the vampires. My eyes slid to the palace, wondering if I would see Prince Jacob again. He was just as handsome as they said.

“Okay,” Catherine said, jerking me out of my thoughts. “When I was a young cub, I had a lot of energy I needed to work off. My parents brought me here.”

It was a large clearing, maybe two miles long. There were different trees knocked over and, after studying it for a few minutes, I realized it was an obstacle course.

“It’s simple,” she said. “You start off here and go through the course. Each time you go through, you try to beat your previous time. If you can beat mine, we’ll go to the vampires and I’ll buy you some of that strange ice cream you’re so fond of.”

I grinned and looked at the course. It looked fun and my wolf was already starting to stir inside of me. So, instead of waiting, I changed quickly. My eyes swept over the course as I walked to the starting line, memorizing each obstacle and planning how to conquer it. Catherine whistled and I bounded forward.

The first was a simple jump over a small log. The second was larger and took more of a push off. When I got to the third, I had to make a split decision: try to jump over three trees, or slide between the bottom and the ground. There was no way I’d be able to jump so I did my best to slide between them. To my pleasure, I did, and I barked happily. I turned around the curve and used the trees around me to jump from one trunk to the other, avoiding the spikes on the ground. The final obstacle required the one thing I was awful at: climbing.

I focused but it took at least ten seconds to get to the top of the fifteen foot barrier and jump to the ground. I came to a halt beside Catherine, panting. Her eyes were wide.

“Now that just isn’t fair,” she said and I tilted my head. “You beat my time already!”

I barked again and ran through the course several times, working off the energy I had kept locked away. When I wore myself out, I transformed back into my human form and put on the clothes that Catherine had brought with her.

“You did well,” she complimented as I pulled my hair back and we walked into the vampire side. She looked sadly at my hair. “It’s gotten whiter.”

I bit my lower lip. “I’m going to ask Elder Yovel about it,” I sighed. “I wonder if it has something to do with my transformations.”

She nodded. The vampires were mostly inside since it was a sunny day today. We got the chocolate ice cream and I ate it happily. Though chocolate was lethal to wolves, I had been a human first and was allowed to indulge in my favorite sweet. Catherine got some strawberry for herself and we strolled through the village, looking around at the humans that lived there.

It made me sad. Why couldn’t the werewolves be as accepting as the vampires were of humans? We were allies, yes, but they still mocked them and chased them for sport. Once Yovel hears about it, though, the wolves are punished harshly and the humans reciprocated.

I had just finished my ice cream when something small and blue collided with my stomach. I landed on my back with an ‘oof’.

“Icefire!” someone shouted. “What are you doing!?”

I looked up and gulped. Prince Jacob was running towards me. The small blue thing was actually the pocket dragon. It peered at me then started licking my face.

“Oh jeez,” he groaned and pulled her off of me. “I’m sorry.” He looked at the dragon and rolled his eyes. “Absolutely not Icefire.” He turned back to me. “She wishes to apologize.”

“It’s okay,” I said, letting him help me to my feet. “It’s not the first time I’ve had something small knock me on my butt. May I touch her?”

“Certainly,” he said and I held my hand toward Icefire.

She purred and bumped my hand with her head. I giggled and ran my finger down her spine. She shivered and purred louder.

“What brings you to this side?” he asked, watching carefully as the dragon continued flying around.

“Chocolate ice cream,” I said happily.

He frowned. “I thought-”

“I’ll see you later,” Catherine interrupted and I waved at her.

“Icefire,” he groaned when she dipped down as if she had fallen. “At least give me a small break!”

I giggled. “Teaching her to fly?”

“Trying to,” he sighed as we watched her. “She raised hell in the palace so I thought I’d teach her out here.” He shook his head. “She’s managed to almost burn down two houses, scare off three poor vampire children, and now knocked a werewolf over.”

“She sounds like quite the dragon,” I said. “How old is she?”

“She just hatched yesterday,” he answered.

Icefire blew flames in the air and he groaned.

“I get that you're happy!” he shouted up to her. “But be careful where you aim that, please! … Because you’ll burn things down like you did my bed, you stubborn beast!”

I laughed. “She has an attitude?”

“One to rival my mother’s,” he sighed.

“Your mother is an elf, yes?” I asked and he nodded.

He looked at me. “I’m sorry I upset you yesterday.”

I blushed and cleared my throat. “You didn’t. It’s just… hard to talk about I guess.”

I kicked at the dirt as silence fell. I wanted to tell him but, at the same time, I didn’t want him to think I’m a freak.

“Why are you so uncomfortable?” he asked suddenly.

I stared at him. He was frowning curiously.

“How did you know?”

“Oh. I can sense the emotions of supernatural beings,” he answered. “It’s a gift I inherited from my father though he says Caricus gave it to me.” He shrugged. “It’s confusing to me.”

“I can’t imagine having parents with two different gods,” I mumbled but he just shrugged again. “I’m….” I sighed. Ah, what the hell? “I was a human until five months ago,” I said, watching Icefire again. “A rogue wolf attacked me when I was in the forest. It’s partly my fault; I knew better than to go out on a full moon that close to the barrier.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Thanks. But I guess it’s okay…. I live on my own so I don’t have to worry about them trying to force me to worship Bardawulf.”

He took a step back. “If you tried to, he’d kill you.”

My eyes widened. “What!?”

“Does God not do that?” he asked and I shook my head. “Don’t try to commune with Bardawulf. What’s your name?”

“Oh! My name is Tetra,” I said, holding out my hand.

“Jacob,” he said with a smile, shaking my hand. “Though you already knew that.”

I laughed. “Yes. How do you know Bardawulf would kill me?”

“It’s a long story,” he said and suddenly looked uncomfortable. He pulled at his collar and wouldn’t look at me. “Perhaps, if you have some time, you can visit for dinner and I can tell you.”

I turned red and looked away. “Oh. Um…. Yeah I-I guess. Um when?”

He was about to answer when Icefire plummeted onto his head. The force of the impact knocked him on his stomach and he glared up at the dragon. I could tell she was saying something.

“Oh shove off,” he snapped. “I can’t in this humiliating position!”

The dragon exhaled smoke a few times, flying in spirals into the air.

“That dragon,” he grumbled, straightening his tunic. It was only then I realized he was wearing elven styled clothing. “Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted!” he added, yelling up at the dragon who puffed out smoke again. “Would you like to join us this evening?”

“Sure,” I said. “Why does she puff out smoke like that?”

“She’s laughing at me,” he said, shaking his head.

I smiled at the dragon. “She seems sweet.”

“And a pain in the neck,” he said. “Only one day out of the shell and already she’s a maniac.”

I laughed again. “I’ve never heard of a blue pocket dragon.”

He put his hands in his pockets. “Neither have we. I’ve been making notes of her behaviors and they are most interesting.” He looked at me, still blushing. “Do you know much about pocket dragons?”

I nodded. “When I became a werewolf, my friends Evan and Catherine – they are the alpha and clan mother of their tribe – gave me some books to pass the time. One was about pocket dragons.”

He smiled. “Perhaps, after dinner, we can compare notes.”

I smiled back and was about to answer when I picked up on a familiar scent.

“Great,” I said through clenched teeth.

He looked confused.

“There you are!” Josiah shouted and I clenched my hands into fists. “Ah, speaking with the prince I see.”

He put his arm around me and I shoved him.

“Go away,” I snarled.

“Aw, you’re not still upset about last night, are you?”

“Leave me alone!” I said when he tried to touch me again.

“Hey,” Prince Jacob said, grabbing Josiah’s hand when he tried to grope me. “What are you doing? That’s inappropriate.”

Josiah rolled his eyes. “It’s none of your business what I do with my mate.”

“I am not your mate,” I snapped.

“I strongly suggest you leave her alone,” Prince Jacob said and Josiah sneered.

“You can’t hurt me,” he said. “It’s in our bylaws!”

“Perhaps not but you’re in my realm,” he said darkly. “When in my realm, you follow my laws. That includes accosting young women, no matter the race.”

Josiah glared then spat in his face. Prince Jacob let him go to wipe it off just as Icefire screeched and shot like a hawk through the air at Josiah.

“No!” Prince Jacob shouted, catching her before she could dig her claws into Josiah. “Calm yourself, Icefire. We will discuss it later.”

Josiah looked terrified and ran. I shook my head and sighed.

“Thank you,” I mumbled. “Perhaps now he’ll leave me alone.”

He smiled kindly. “I shall see you at sundown?”

I blushed and nodded. Icefire was still fighting in his grip and he left, muttering things to her to get her to calm down.