Unknown to the figure that was making her way back down to her village, a large and dark figure was sticking to the shadows and were busily watching her each and every movement she made. The dark shadow was confused, what was this...thing doing? The small figure was covered by a black cloak and appeared to have a mask covering its face. The larger and darker figure had never seen a creature like this before, from the way it moved to how it acted, it intrigued it more than anything had ever done before and it wanted to know more.
Neden was slowly walking her way back, her feet slowly crunching the snow under each step as she walked, her mind elsewhere. As she was going to take another step she froze, she heard footsteps somewhere behind her. Neden slowly reached for her sword by her side and once her hand made contact with the hilt she took a deep breath and quickly turned around to see...nothing. Nothing was there. Yet she could have sworn something was there, following and watching her as if something from the shadows itself was observing her. She sighed and shrugged it off, simply thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her in the otherwise silent forest. She turned on her heel and went to walk, but only walked into something. Neden stopped dead in her tracks as she saw nothing yet again, but it was literally nothing. No light. No snow. Nothing. Only darkness. But as Neden slowly came to the realization, that she had walked into something, and something was large, black, and....soft?
Yes, soft. Whatever it was, it was soft. But with shaky hands Neden slowly backed up and looked up, to only see two bright, big golden eyes looking down at her.
"Wha...what? N-no...Y-you're not...You're not real, are you??" she asked as she backed away, grabbing her sword and holding it in a defensive manner in front of her as she had a stare down with the giant, black wolf. A much larger wolf than she had ever seen before. The creature looked at Neden with a perplexed look on its face, if an animal could that is. The wolf's head tilted to the side and its ears flopped from side to side as it looked at Neden from different angles.
Neden stared at the wolf from behind her mask as it stared at her, "Wh-wh...what are you? Wh-why are you looking at me like that? Go away, shoo!" she huffed at the beast as she looked at it, then tilted her sword at it in an attempt to ward it off. But the wolf only sat down, head tilted to the left and stared at her more.
"I'm warning you! If you don't back off...I...I'll...I'll kill you, you hear me beast? Yeah, I'll kill you and take your head back to my father." she said with an even more opposing voice.
But the wolf only seemed to find amusement with her threat and inched closer, causing Neden to move back more as well, but only to trip and fall down a large, steep hill. Neden tumbled and fell, scraping her arm and face on the way down when she eventually stopped at the bottom, she landed in a large snow bank as her mask had come off as she fell, landing beside her.
But what Neden didn't know is that the wolf had followed her and was now sitting close in front of her, staring down at her with its golden eyes. As Neden's eyesight slowly came to and her eyesight regained, she looked up and saw the wolf staring down at her again. She attempted to scramble away, only for the wolf to come up right to her and placing its nose against her's and stopped, her eyes widened as the wolf made contact with her. They remained in a staredown for what seemed like an eternity but was only a short few seconds. The wolf slowly stepped back and gave a dip of its head, turned on its feet and looked at Neden, who looked at it in confusion.
The wolf sighed and nodded its head, which Neden tilted her head for a moment and then realized what the creature was trying to say, "You...You want me to get on..?" she asked, the beast nodded, and with shaky hands, Neden slowly approached the wolf. Slowly and with help, she mounted the beast, and with not a second delay the wolf jumped and landed back up to where Neden had fallen from which resulted in a yelp from Neden.
The wolf seemed to have been amused and seemed to have chuckled. But once they were on solid ground, Neden jumped off and looked at the beast, and gently placed her hand on its head and closed her eyes. But she soon felt nothing and opened her eyes to see nothing, as the wolf had disappeared. Neden stood in place for a moment and shook her head, "That...That was only a dream....right?" she questioned aloud. But she only shook her head and turned back and left for her village. After a few minutes, she was eventually back at her home and opened the door to see her father, standing there waiting for her, "Neden...We need to talk. Sit." he said as he motioned to the wooden chair. Neden sighed, placing her satchel down and walked over to the chair and sat down with her right leg tucked under her left, and braced herself for the lecture that was awaiting her.
Alexander stepped towards Neden with his hands clasped together firmly behind his back, staring her down. He easily loomed over her and was easily taller and stronger than her, but she simply looked at him with an emotionless and stone-faced expression. He took a sigh and after a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke with a rough but genuine voice one he wouldn't use when in the company of the clan, "Neden, I...I think it best for you to leave." he said plainly. Neden looked up at him with wide eyes, but then soon regained her composure, "You're joking..." she softly mumbled, which Alexander was only able to shake his head solemnly. Her eyes grew wide again and she sat up in her chair, "Y-you're not joking..? Y-you're serious? You...You really want me to go outside of the village? Is this one of the elder's tests or..." her voice grew softer and fainter as she spoke.
The man shook his head and turned away from her for a moment, then back at her, "You are well past the age of adulthood...And...There's not really much that we can teach you. You are a great warrior, and I am proud of you and proud to call you my daughter, but...I just think it'd be wise for you to go. See what's out there, what's outside of the village. It's what you want." he answered. Neden examined his face as he spoke, she would have believed him, if there wasn't one thing. She knew Alexander, and she knew how he acted. "That's a lie...What's the real reason? Is it because I'm not like the others? Because I want to know more and you know if I keep asking I'll be exiled or killed for wanting to know who I am?" she yelled.
Alexander looked at her with wide eyes, " What...? What do you mean who you are? " he demanded as he eyed her. Neden sighed and stood up, distancing herself from him, "I'm not like the others. I've always known that. I don't talk like them, act like them, or think like them. Or you. So tell me...Who was she? Who I am really?" Neden demanded, her eyes slowly filling with tears, not of sadness but of anger and confusion.
Alexander sighed and shifted his weight, "Your mother...She came to the village when you were just an infant. She asked me to raise you as my own, and so I did. Soon after, she died. She only told me to look after you and for you to never remove your necklace...Other than that, I know nothing. She said the necklace would keep you safe. That is all I know." he said as he looked back at his daughter.
Neden's mind was racing as well as her heart. She knew she was right, that there was more to her, to life and who she was. "Then...Then what now..?" she asked as she looked up at him. He remained silent for a few minutes, and then walked over to an old chest in the corner and shifted through it. He turned and walked back over to Neden with a shield in his hands.
He handed it to her, and she gently clasped it, feeling the thick and durable, yet surprisingly light metal graze under her fingertips as she looked it over, and the glow it gave off, which caused her eyebrow to raise, Alexander chuckled, "I knew you'd like it. And I knew you'd be confused. It was a gift from your mother as well, she said to give it to you when you were older. And now, seeing as you'll need it, I felt it was right. It homes some sort of unknown power...But I guess that is for you to discover..." he said as he stepped away. Neden placed the shield on the table and stood up, she gave her father, well Alexander a hug and then soon parted. She gathered her things, spare clothing, weapons, a skinning knife, compound bow and quiver with twenty arrows, a water skin pouch, some rations, and supplies of a tent, animal skin bedroll, and some obscure items and a map. Once her supplies were gathered, she gave the few people she knew in the village a farewell, as well as Iven and left.
She was gifted a large, and slender mare from the village as a parting gift, and she took her leave. She turned her back on the clan and rode off down the beaten and ice and snow covered path, with only snow and an iced over lake for the next few miles were ahead of her. She wrapped her cloak around her tightly, mask attached to her waist by a metal linked chain, and swords by her side, and a horse as her only companion. But little did she know that a familiar shadow was trailing from behind in the distance...
Neden was slowly walking her way back, her feet slowly crunching the snow under each step as she walked, her mind elsewhere. As she was going to take another step she froze, she heard footsteps somewhere behind her. Neden slowly reached for her sword by her side and once her hand made contact with the hilt she took a deep breath and quickly turned around to see...nothing. Nothing was there. Yet she could have sworn something was there, following and watching her as if something from the shadows itself was observing her. She sighed and shrugged it off, simply thinking it was her mind playing tricks on her in the otherwise silent forest. She turned on her heel and went to walk, but only walked into something. Neden stopped dead in her tracks as she saw nothing yet again, but it was literally nothing. No light. No snow. Nothing. Only darkness. But as Neden slowly came to the realization, that she had walked into something, and something was large, black, and....soft?
Yes, soft. Whatever it was, it was soft. But with shaky hands Neden slowly backed up and looked up, to only see two bright, big golden eyes looking down at her.
"Wha...what? N-no...Y-you're not...You're not real, are you??" she asked as she backed away, grabbing her sword and holding it in a defensive manner in front of her as she had a stare down with the giant, black wolf. A much larger wolf than she had ever seen before. The creature looked at Neden with a perplexed look on its face, if an animal could that is. The wolf's head tilted to the side and its ears flopped from side to side as it looked at Neden from different angles.
Neden stared at the wolf from behind her mask as it stared at her, "Wh-wh...what are you? Wh-why are you looking at me like that? Go away, shoo!" she huffed at the beast as she looked at it, then tilted her sword at it in an attempt to ward it off. But the wolf only sat down, head tilted to the left and stared at her more.
"I'm warning you! If you don't back off...I...I'll...I'll kill you, you hear me beast? Yeah, I'll kill you and take your head back to my father." she said with an even more opposing voice.
But the wolf only seemed to find amusement with her threat and inched closer, causing Neden to move back more as well, but only to trip and fall down a large, steep hill. Neden tumbled and fell, scraping her arm and face on the way down when she eventually stopped at the bottom, she landed in a large snow bank as her mask had come off as she fell, landing beside her.
But what Neden didn't know is that the wolf had followed her and was now sitting close in front of her, staring down at her with its golden eyes. As Neden's eyesight slowly came to and her eyesight regained, she looked up and saw the wolf staring down at her again. She attempted to scramble away, only for the wolf to come up right to her and placing its nose against her's and stopped, her eyes widened as the wolf made contact with her. They remained in a staredown for what seemed like an eternity but was only a short few seconds. The wolf slowly stepped back and gave a dip of its head, turned on its feet and looked at Neden, who looked at it in confusion.
The wolf sighed and nodded its head, which Neden tilted her head for a moment and then realized what the creature was trying to say, "You...You want me to get on..?" she asked, the beast nodded, and with shaky hands, Neden slowly approached the wolf. Slowly and with help, she mounted the beast, and with not a second delay the wolf jumped and landed back up to where Neden had fallen from which resulted in a yelp from Neden.
The wolf seemed to have been amused and seemed to have chuckled. But once they were on solid ground, Neden jumped off and looked at the beast, and gently placed her hand on its head and closed her eyes. But she soon felt nothing and opened her eyes to see nothing, as the wolf had disappeared. Neden stood in place for a moment and shook her head, "That...That was only a dream....right?" she questioned aloud. But she only shook her head and turned back and left for her village. After a few minutes, she was eventually back at her home and opened the door to see her father, standing there waiting for her, "Neden...We need to talk. Sit." he said as he motioned to the wooden chair. Neden sighed, placing her satchel down and walked over to the chair and sat down with her right leg tucked under her left, and braced herself for the lecture that was awaiting her.
Alexander stepped towards Neden with his hands clasped together firmly behind his back, staring her down. He easily loomed over her and was easily taller and stronger than her, but she simply looked at him with an emotionless and stone-faced expression. He took a sigh and after a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke with a rough but genuine voice one he wouldn't use when in the company of the clan, "Neden, I...I think it best for you to leave." he said plainly. Neden looked up at him with wide eyes, but then soon regained her composure, "You're joking..." she softly mumbled, which Alexander was only able to shake his head solemnly. Her eyes grew wide again and she sat up in her chair, "Y-you're not joking..? Y-you're serious? You...You really want me to go outside of the village? Is this one of the elder's tests or..." her voice grew softer and fainter as she spoke.
The man shook his head and turned away from her for a moment, then back at her, "You are well past the age of adulthood...And...There's not really much that we can teach you. You are a great warrior, and I am proud of you and proud to call you my daughter, but...I just think it'd be wise for you to go. See what's out there, what's outside of the village. It's what you want." he answered. Neden examined his face as he spoke, she would have believed him, if there wasn't one thing. She knew Alexander, and she knew how he acted. "That's a lie...What's the real reason? Is it because I'm not like the others? Because I want to know more and you know if I keep asking I'll be exiled or killed for wanting to know who I am?" she yelled.
Alexander looked at her with wide eyes, " What...? What do you mean who you are? " he demanded as he eyed her. Neden sighed and stood up, distancing herself from him, "I'm not like the others. I've always known that. I don't talk like them, act like them, or think like them. Or you. So tell me...Who was she? Who I am really?" Neden demanded, her eyes slowly filling with tears, not of sadness but of anger and confusion.
Alexander sighed and shifted his weight, "Your mother...She came to the village when you were just an infant. She asked me to raise you as my own, and so I did. Soon after, she died. She only told me to look after you and for you to never remove your necklace...Other than that, I know nothing. She said the necklace would keep you safe. That is all I know." he said as he looked back at his daughter.
Neden's mind was racing as well as her heart. She knew she was right, that there was more to her, to life and who she was. "Then...Then what now..?" she asked as she looked up at him. He remained silent for a few minutes, and then walked over to an old chest in the corner and shifted through it. He turned and walked back over to Neden with a shield in his hands.
He handed it to her, and she gently clasped it, feeling the thick and durable, yet surprisingly light metal graze under her fingertips as she looked it over, and the glow it gave off, which caused her eyebrow to raise, Alexander chuckled, "I knew you'd like it. And I knew you'd be confused. It was a gift from your mother as well, she said to give it to you when you were older. And now, seeing as you'll need it, I felt it was right. It homes some sort of unknown power...But I guess that is for you to discover..." he said as he stepped away. Neden placed the shield on the table and stood up, she gave her father, well Alexander a hug and then soon parted. She gathered her things, spare clothing, weapons, a skinning knife, compound bow and quiver with twenty arrows, a water skin pouch, some rations, and supplies of a tent, animal skin bedroll, and some obscure items and a map. Once her supplies were gathered, she gave the few people she knew in the village a farewell, as well as Iven and left.
She was gifted a large, and slender mare from the village as a parting gift, and she took her leave. She turned her back on the clan and rode off down the beaten and ice and snow covered path, with only snow and an iced over lake for the next few miles were ahead of her. She wrapped her cloak around her tightly, mask attached to her waist by a metal linked chain, and swords by her side, and a horse as her only companion. But little did she know that a familiar shadow was trailing from behind in the distance...