*The Shifting* - An Original Story By Jaciira [Chapter One]

Chapter One: Found

The wind whipped through the trees, cutting into my skin. There was no protection against the unforgiving blades of icy wind. My bare arms stung and tingled in protest against the freezing air. I tried to rub my hands over my arms to circulate my blood to no avail. My hands were just as cold as my arms. It was a challenge just to remain standing since my legs were as bare as my arms. The tattered dress that I wore did nothing to protect me from the fatal wind. It was so cold I couldn't even feel my legs. I was going to die.

Upon realizing this, I discovered that this fact did not bother me as much as it should have. When I realized that I was going to die, I had an epiphany of sorts that should have been obvious to me from the moment I awoke in this snow-laden forest. When I came to this revelation, I was incapable of breathing for many moments.

I had no memory of who I was or how I came to the icy forest that would serve as my grave. In fact, I did not have a memory of anything. Sadness filled me then that came as suddenly as the crashing of a wave. My death would mean nothing. I would leave this world with no memory but that of my death. I let myself fall to the ground and leaned against the trunk of an old and gnarled tree. I pulled my legs to my chest and let my head fall on my knees. I was resigned to the inevitable.

I lost all sense of time and was startled when I heard the howl of a wolf that was much too close for comfort. I jumped at the noise and curled into myself but did not lift my head. All strength had abandoned me. Then I heard ominous growling mere steps away from me. I lifted my head weakly to see a great grey she-wolf snarling at me. I was frozen in every meaning of the word. I could not move.

It was strange. In the past few minutes I had resigned myself to death. Yet, I did not want to die this way. I did not want to be mauled by this she-wolf. I would rather freeze to death. Fear and adrenaline raced through my veins as my weary gaze locked with the wolf's icy gaze of blue.

"Kera!" I looked to see a young man appear from the shadows of the forest. He had curly brown hair that escaped from beneath the bottom of a wool hat. His eyes were nearly identical to the she-wolf but held a warmth that hers lacked. He wore a heavy coat and thick pants that protected him from the cold. The sound of his boots crunching through the snow was loud and foreign to my ears.

"Kera!" he said once more, addressing the she-wolf with disbelief and annoyance in his voice. "What is wrong with you? You just-" he stopped speaking when he saw me. I could see the shock on his face and could not help but stare. He was very handsome to my eyes but when my gaze met his I could not have looked away if I wanted to. His eyes were beautiful – more than beautiful, really, but I could find no other word to describe them. They were as deep and unfathomable as the ocean but held none of the fury that the sea possessed. His eyes were kind and this kindness made me think of a gentle stream or a calm pool of water high in the mountains. His eyes were spellbinding. It was as I had been cast under his spell and I knew I could not release myself for I had no desire to be released.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked incredulously. "Are you insane? You're going to freeze to death!" He strode forward and unbuttoned his coat as he went. When he reached where I sat, he pulled me to my feet. His hands were warm against the bare skin of my arms and I relished in the heat. He wrapped his coat around me and I was enveloped in a comfortable and heady warmth and I could not suppress the shiver that ran through me. The coat was still warm from his body heat. Suddenly, my limbs were stiff and unresponsive. It was as if the sudden warmth had made me realize just how cold I really was.

"Do you need help getting anywhere?" he asked tentatively. His hands remained on my elbows and I realized he was the only reason I remained upright. I felt like a leaf in the powerful wind, as if I would blow away with the wind and be carried away.

When I spoke, my voice was dry and cracked. It was unfamiliar to me even though nothing seemed familiar to me. "I can't remember anything. I don't know who I am or how I got here. I don't even know where I am." My voice sounded stronger than I felt. I could see the shock on his face when he realized I was an amnesiac. He seemed to struggle for many moments, trying to decide what to do.

"You can come with me." he finally said. "I'll take you home. You need a fire to get warmed up. I would be surprised if you didn't have hypothermia." he told me. I could only nod as I stumbled forward, trying to remain upright on my reluctant legs. I may have been able to do what seemed like the impossible if I had not caught sight of my legs. They were pale and beginning to turn blue. The boy, who was really more of a man, followed my gaze. I looked up to see a painful smile on his face.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be walking." he said in what was an attempt at lightheartedness.

"I must." I said heavily. "You cannot possibly carry me, not in this terrain." I told him as I took another step forward, wincing at the numbness that the snow sent through my feet. Perhaps he would have let me walk on my own had I not fallen, but I doubt it. My numb feet dragged and I lost my balance which was already precarious. I expected to fall hard and end up drenched from the snow but he caught me before this happened. After catching me, I expected him to stand me on my feet again but he did the opposite. He gathered me in his arms as if I weighed no more than the leaf I compared myself to. He had one arm around my shoulders and the other under my knees.

“I know the forest well.” He told me. “My home isn’t far.” I nodded sleepily. He was so warm. My head felt fuzzy, as if the warmth was a sedative. “I’m Nero. The wolf that found you is my friend Kera. I’m sorry if she scared you.”

I closed my eyes as my head fell on his shoulder. “S’okay.” I mumbled incoherently as I drifted into the darkness of sleep.

A voice whispered through the shadows, “Dysis. You are needed. Come, Dysis.” Who was this Dysis? Why was she needed? Suddenly, a man appeared in the darkness. I could see him clearly even though there was no light with which to see him. The only part of his appearance that struck me, however, were his dark eyes that burned like fire as he glared at me. “Be reasonable, Dysis, escape would be the death of you.” The name Dysis sounded very familiar to me, yet I could not place it. Did this man think I was Dysis? Suddenly, I was engulfed in cold as if I had plunged into icy water. I struggled to catch my breath but could not. I was trapped-

My eyes flew open and my breath came in quick gasps. I could hear a fire crackling nearby and felt a blanket swathed around me. I could feel something soft, wet, and warm being drawn up and down from my ankle to my knee. I looked down to see a woman running a cloth over my leg, trying to bring the colour back to it. A basin with hot water was beside her. She had blonde hair that was the colour of dandelions or daffodils that cascaded down her back like a rippling stream. Her eyes were a startling green that fell upon me when she realized I was awake.

"It's good to see you awake, dear." she said kindly. "Nero's been worrying himself sick about you. I'm Laneya, his mother."

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice cracking and my throat sore.

"You are in Mae'narra in the region of Merkai. The river Mekiirnu is a mile or so West and we aren't far from the sea either." Before Laneya could say anymore, Nero entered the room. His arms were laden with wood and flecks of snow were snared in his tousled hair. When he saw I was awake, he froze.

"You're awake." he stated as if this fact was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. "How do you feel?"

I smiled softly. "Much better. Warm. Thank you, Nero."

He smiled in response and went to the fire and added another log to it. He put the rest of the wood nearby before sitting by his mother. I pulled myself into a sitting position and suppressed a groan at the ache in my back.

“Do you remember anything?” he asked me. I shook my head, signaling the negative. “Then the first thing we have to do is find you a name.”

“How about Anaya?” Laneya asked. I thought for a moment before shaking my head.

“It doesn’t feel right.”

“Sera?” she tried again but I shook my head once more.

“Raela.” Nero said softly. I turned to him for a moment, mulling over the name for a couple minutes.

“Raela… Yes, it feels… right.” I said just as softly.

“It means ‘lost one.’” I jumped at the new voice and turned to see Kera the she-wolf in the doorway with a man that looked just like Nero except older. “I am Terren.”

“Raela, then,” Laneya said. “You are welcome to stay in our home as long as you wish.”

“I swallowed, trying to get moisture in my dry throat. “Thank you.” I managed to croak out. Terren seemed to realize my dilemma since he handed me a canteen of water. I drank greedily to soothe the fire in my throat.

“Nero, take Raela to the guest room.” Laneya told her son. He nodded and helped me to my feet. “I’m going to find you some clothes, dear.” I nodded as Nero put his arm around me, leading me up a narrow staircase of cold stone. The iciness of the stones burned my bare feet. I noticed vaguely that the entire house was made of grey stone that was pleasantly warm save for the stones themselves. Finally we reached the guest room. The room had a comfortable looking bed, a bookshelf, and a window that had its shutters bolted against the wind. There was a small fireplace with a similarly small fire that warmed the room.

“Thank you, Nero.” I whispered, my throat still sore. I sat on the bed, relishing in the warmth that resided there.

You don’t have to keep thanking me, Raela. It’s not a problem.” He said. “I thought you were dead when I found you. I’m just glad I was wrong.”

The way that he said this made me feel like I should be blushing. I was saved from the embarrassment by Laneya’s entrance. She had a bundle of clothes under her arm and a small basin of water in her hands. “I found you clothes, Raela, and I thought you might like to wash up.” She turned and left the room after placing the items on the small dresser by the window, dragging her son with her.

“Good night.” Nero said as he left.

“Good night.” I responded breathlessly. I stared at the closed door for a moment longer before I quickly stepped out of my tattered dress that hung limply off my frame. I picked up the cloth that Laneya brought with the basin and washed away the dirt that clung to my skin. I unfolded the bundle of clothes to find that Nero’s mother had tucked a small, round mirror and brush into the centre. I lifted the mirror and saw my face for the first time.

My face was round and my skin was fair and pale. My hair was wavy and blonde. The colour made me think of white-gold. It brushed over my shoulders and was a tangled mess. My eyes were a strange bluish-grey colour and under them were dark circles that showed my lack of sleep. I sighed heavily and brushed through my hair painfully. I slipped on the odd, off-gold colour dress before I collapsed onto the bed, my energy spent.