The White Wolf's Mate

A Familiar Song

Raven began to stir, but her body resisted as soon as she attempted to move. She hadn't opened her eyes and decided just to lie there.

"As the moon glows, the fire will rise below.

The world will never know, the faces that we show."

The words of her mother's lullaby echoed through her head. The pain in her side had subsided to a dull ache. Moving her sore arms, she felt her waist and noticed fresh bandages wrapped underneath a soft gown, which now replaced her worn party clothes. "Ugh, where am I?" she groaned before finally opening her eyes.

"Wow," she thought, ignoring her aching body as she began to look around the room. There seemed to be a gentle draft of wind flowing through the room as the high drapes danced delicately in their places. The height of the bed she lay in filled her with marvel as she took in its dark silks and fine linens, along with its large posters and canopy that almost reached the high ceiling. Small flecks of silver and gold appeared to be some kind of ancient rune in the stone and dark wood footing. "I wonder how I'm supposed to get down," she wondered as she observed how elevated the bed was from the ground. She winced in pain as she moved about the bed but continued to marvel at the fancy room. Many books and interesting trinkets filled the shelves, while the flickering lights of the large candelabras gracing the corners of the room made the gold and silver accents twinkle.. Groaning, she slowly sat up despite her body aching in rejection. "Well, things could be worse," she thought as the idea of having to sleep in the forest at night invaded her mind.

Interrupting her thoughts, a loud sound of the ground trembling softly shook the floor. She jerked, clutching her fists, her senses heightened as she instinctively turned towards the sound. She watched in amazement as a space in the wall began to disappear into the floor, and a small, old woman wearing dark robes seemed to float into the room. "I-, I-" Raven began to say, though losing her words as the woman came closer and the door closed behind her in a soft grumble.

Surprised by the fiery red and orange eyes staring at her, Raven began to look around nervously as the woman effortlessly got into the bed beside her. The smells of sweet oil, pastries, and meats hit her senses, leaving her unsure of what to say. Images of Dante flooded her mind, causing her face to flush. "Why am I thinking of him now?" she thought, fidgeting with the bedding and uneasy about looking into the woman's intense gaze.

"You're finally awake, child," the lady said to her. Raven felt unsure but began to look curiously at the woman, wearing a crescent moon necklace with a red crescent in the center of her forehead. Her hair was long, gray with wisps of random jet black strands, and curly all around her head. Her dark robes were like a sea of darkness, with her small body in the center as she sat on the bed. Raven waited patiently for the woman to speak again.

"Welcome, my dear, to Amber City. The city hidden in the Shadow. I am Lady Armita, an Elder Fireleaf of the Dark Moon Pack. I have served as head Luna of the Western Packs for over fifty years. The Shadow Forest stirs, and the days ahead will be dark if we don't reunite with the light, as the prophecies have foretold."

Confused, Raven shifted nervously, hoping that Lady Armita would explain further, but to her surprise, the woman let out a huge sigh before grabbing Raven into a hug and then adjusting her robes before returning to a serious look.

"Oh, my child!" Lady Armita exclaimed. "You have no idea how long we've wanted to bring you home." Raven watched as tears welled up in Lady Armita's eyes. "Yes, you are alive, but you must have been so lonely.I had knowledge of every horrible home you've been in, but I had to protect the secret of your location at all costs." Raven listened in silence as Lady Armita spoke about her troubled past. Lady Armita gently grabbed her hand. "Oh, little Fitheach, please, I want you to know everything. If you have the energy, follow me. I understand that you may be afraid, but you must come this way." The elder motioned for Raven to follow before smoothly gliding down from the bed, her robes following her like night. Carefully, she helped Raven step down from the bed. A surprising warmth radiated from the floor beneath her bare feet, and Lady Armita draped a white veil over her before gently guiding her hand towards the doorway.