Chapter 1Latibule
n. a hiding place; a place of safety or comfort
My home was a cave I had discovered when I was five. Back then it had been cold and empty, almost frightening; the initial darkness scared me. But it was the only shelter I could find so I stepped into the mouth of the cave tentatively, hoping whatever that was inside wasn't as scary as the monsters I was running from.
However, I was surprised.
I was expecting cold, uneven rocks and bugs and creatures crawling all over the place. There wasn't any of that. The floor was relatively smooth and as I stepped further into the cave, the air around me became warmer, nothing like the frigid temperature of the winter winds outside.
The cave wasn't as small as I thought either. After mustering up the courage to venture further into the darkness, I was mesmerised by its beauty. The cave seemed to go on for miles and I discovered it tunnelled under the mountains and led to untouched forestry hidden behind the rocky summits.
The forest was full of trees and plantations of all kinds, all varying in shades of greens and browns. The dense foliage was habitat to numerous species and fruits and berries of all sorts grew.
That wasn't all.
There were more caves branching off of the larger one I occupied. I discovered a large hot spring in one, where the water was always a perfectly bearable temperature. As if that wasn't amazing enough, I discovered several small crystal caves too.
One was an amethyst cave, covered in the dark rock, some splitting open to reveal the purple crystals within.
The others however had bright blue pools of water with clear crystals gleaming and glinting from above. The crystals reflected the sunlight that peeked through gaps in the rocky wall, as well as the blue water, creating a mystical blue glow on the whole cave.
Honestly, it still amazes me how I had gotten so lucky.
After spending my first few years running and afraid, jumping from my own shadow, I had stumbled into this paradise. Mother Nature gave me a home, a place to call my own.
I was content.
Well, at least for a while I was.
Chapter 2Werifesteria
v. To wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery.
For the past couple of days, I had been overwhelmed with this sense of longing. For what exactly though, I wasn't sure. Loneliness crept onto me, slowly consuming my thoughts and I found myself craving companionship.
I had lived alone for most of my life and was used to solitude. In fact, I thrived off of it. I became self sufficient and independent but as of late, my outlook on life seemed to change.
I found myself wishing to be surrounded by family and friends, laughing and sharing my moments with loved ones. I wasn't sure what brought these sudden feelings and thoughts along and Diana, the old witch, wasn't much help.
So I ventured forth into the wilderness, looking for answers, or at least something to sate me and bring me some sanity. I left behind my sanctuary and my only friend and ran through the forests with no real destination, letting my paws guide me.
I ran as fast as I could, skilfully weaving in and out of the dense trees. The wind felt amazing in my golden fur and I pushed myself to run faster. As I ran North, I watched as the landscape change from warm shades of green and brown, to whites and greys. Soft and fat snowflakes began falling and I stopped to watch them, not having seen snow in person before.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment, taking a lungful of crisp and fresh air. The ache in my chest and the dark cloud of thoughts in my head seemed to disappear for a moment and I just enjoyed the small moment of clarity.
I inhaled once more but paused, catching an unfamiliar scent. My eyes opened and my ears perked up, listening for any sounds as I tensed my muscles, ready for an attack.
After a moment of silence, I heard the soft padded footsteps of another wolf approach. Turning to the source of the sound, I watched a grey wolf emerge from the shadows.
It was a little smaller than me, shorter than me by a couple of inches. It also appeared a little skinnier than me but still carried strong muscle under its fur. Its muskier scent revealed it was a male.
I watched it cautiously as it took a tentative step towards me. I quickly looked around, checking if he had friends ready to attack me. Realising he was alone, I looked at him again.
He was a rogue. Like me.
My fur bristled and I let out a low warning growl. I was even more on edge, unsure of his intentions towards me. Rogues weren't known for their friendliness.
