on and on, yet they continued to walk. Even though she was tired, Ella never stopped walking. She didn’t have any idea where she was, or where they were going, all she knew was that she didn’t want to be left alone. With them she felt safe.
And safe was all that mattered to her.
She had walked with the wolves all day, and just when Ella thought surely her legs were getting ready to fall right out from beneath her, she spotted curling wisps of smoke above the trees.
Her first instinct was to run, to turn back and run to the safety of the shadows that had saved her before.
Picking up on her fear, the gray wolf stopped and turned to face her. His big, brown eyes stared solemnly into her blue ones until she felt centered and safe once more. He walked around her, giving her hand a quick lick as he went by, and then the next thing she knew she felt a bump that sent her in the air and Ella found herself sprawled rather haphazardly on the wolf’s back.
Stifling a random giggle, while trying to figure out how to hold on, and wondering how and why on earth she had managed to even end up there, she settled for leaning close to the big, furry head, and clung to small fistfuls of his fur.
Once again, the pack of wolves began to move, and from her perch, Ella watched as the smoke got closer. Rather than continue to watch, she snuggled nearer, and buried her face between his shoulders. Tears welled in her eyes, as she thought of her mama, and how she would always sing when Ella or her brother was hurt or afraid.
She desperately missed her mama.
The wolf’s ears twitched back as he listened to the muffled, sad voice sing,
“The water is wide, I cannot cross o’er,
“And neither have I wings to fly…”
Within moments, the pack crested a clearing, and the wolf gave a short bark, announcing their presence. Wherever they were, Ella was sure she didn’t want to see, because now there were sounds and the smoke smelled strong, so strong it reminded her of the burning wagons. She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to burrow deeper into the fur,
“Give me a boat that can hold two,
“And both shall row, my friend and I…”
With something that felt like a shrug, Ella felt herself become dislodged, and slide down his glossy back as he sat on his haunches. Her eyes still squeezed as tight as she could get them, she sat where she landed on the cool earth. A warm tongue licked the tears that tracked down her cheeks, and a cold, wet nose bumped her chin until she finally opened her eyes.
The dark brown eyes stared into hers again. But this time it felt different. She couldn’t have broken his stare if she wanted to. Little currents zinged around on her skin, and her vision edged in white.
Finally, the gray wolf blinked, and everything felt normal again. He looked slightly over her shoulder then nuzzled her one last time, and stood. The rest of the pack circled her and bumped against her, and she felt as if they were all saying their good-byes.
She shut her eyes tight again, as she felt them turn to go, and heard the sounds of footsteps approaching behind her,
“As I look across the sea, a bright horizon beckons me,
“And I called to do my best and be the most that I can be…”
She covered her face with her hands as her voice broke, and she began to cry.
Part of her wondered why it sounded like the howl of a wolf.
Chapter Five
Brian
“So does anyone have a clue where we’re going?” Tommy asked.
“And what we’re going to do when we get there?” Michael stood next to his cousin, who looked like the mirror image of himself. It was like being asked two different questions by the same person at the same time.
“Well, it’s Sunday, so I’m doubting that she’s in the school library,” Ed’s angular face pinched in concentration, “But I have no idea where she actually lives, do you?” He looked over at Erik, who was still picking at the hole in his shirt.
“I’m not a big fan of fey, so, no. I