1-7

Wandering in the dark, with little food, no sense of direction and fumbling within darkness’s fog. Eventually Onkoshi and Nilla find their way outside once again. They are down the mountain, further than they thought that fall had dropped them but the cavern they exited was just near the foot of the mountain. It was an easy stroll if they both were not strained with hunger. Their time spent wandering inside the cavern had left them starving when their meager food ran out and they were forced to continue on without. Pushing their bodies to the limit they would be no match for any dangers of the road as fate would have it they would stumble upon some the moment they laid at the entrance to the wood that lay upon the other side.


“Koshi…” Nilla’s voice weakly trailed. “I can, not, out run them.” Nilla admitted weakly as she felt Koshi’s mind, its waves weak could barely convey what he wanted to say to her. “I do not think that I can fight them, there are, too many.” Koshi’s thoughts radiated with defeat as both of them thought that this was the end as the last of their strength faded when their world went to black and the wolves pounced upon a prey too weak to even defend itself.

“Close up that gap. Do not let them through, hold them away from the weak.” A voice was feint upon Nilla’s ears as she felt it tingle at the very edge of her consciousness as her body willed her out of weakness and pulled her into the light of life as she could have sworn that the form, blurred in her eyes was familiar as the commands it also uttered as directed the muted shuffling of others around them. “Why do, I feel, so heavy?” Nilla’s mind wondered as eventually she felt water splash over her face after her consciousness faded once more. Coughing, she felt her strength returned anew with adrenaline within her veins as a familiar face flashed across her vision.

“Oh your awake, Nilla.” It was someone familiar, those blue eyes, those oddly pointed horns, and that short little beard at his chin it was Ludon. One of the noble boys from her wandering clan. “Ludon, you found us?” Nilla asked as she was given food and water once she was able to eat and drink on her own and regain some of her lost strength.

“Lucky that we did. Otherwise I’d hate to be staring at your grave.” Ludon said poetically, his words conveying his worry and his concern but it seemed to fly over Nilla’s head as she chomped and gulped all the water and food she could get into her system. “That is good Ludon but why was I so heavy earlier that I couldn’t move?” Nilla asked as Ludon seemed to be annoyed at the question before he answered. “Your friend with you, when he feinted he fell atop you. Hoping that his bulk and his body would cover yours letting the wolves have at him instead of you.” Ludon said as he moved away from Nilla’s sight and revealed Onkoshi in the distance. “But, lucky that I your knight Ludon came by and…” He was surprised and cut short when Nilla bolted from the seat she once held upon the earth. Immediately she went to Onkoshi’s side as Ludon the goat man watched them talking, conversing and eventually Nilla was laughing and hanging fondly from the wild dog as once it appeared that they recovered they were moving on while Ludon’s group had to catch up a little bit. Growling under his breath, Ludon felt his nails dig into his flesh with how tight his fist was clenched into his palm.

“Ludon, what is with that girl? She ignored a prime male like you and went for that wild dog’s side.” One of Ludon’s followers blurted as Ludon suddenly grabbed the man’s collar. Causing him to shriek, frightened that Ludon might strike but eventually he released him. “I do not know but I aim, to find out.” Ludon said as his anger seethed beneath his voice as their march continued into the wood at the base of another mountain did Nilla settle to be rejoined with her clan. In the clan’s little village many gathered to welcome the return of the elders daughter. Nilla smiled as she bounced up to receive a pet from her aging elder as then he noticed with eyes that seemed not to see him, Onkoshi lurking behind. “Come closer child.” The elder beckoned Onkoshi closer as the strange creature met with the eyes of both male and female goats as the horned dog edged his way forward. “Child, I know of your origins. You need not fear us for in fact we are here to help.” With a snap of his fingers the elder ordered forth a pair of girls who with a vial brought produced a substance that was smeared against the shackles of Onkoshi’s wrists. The hiss of the liquid against the metal shackles showed its power as suddenly Onkoshi was free of his restraints as the day wore on into the night. The elder invited Onkoshi to separate from Nilla’s side as he spoke at length with the wild dog.


“There is more of your kind in the mountain behind our clan my child. Their minds have linked to my own and I know that they sense you are here and have yet been freed from human captivity.” The elder said as Onkoshi’s answers seemed to only change the expression upon the elders face as he nodded. “Yes, Yes my child. I do not lie and they do not deceive you. They shall come at first light, you shall find them and find a small piece of yourself once you rejoin with like minds. But, rest now my child. It will be awhile to first light.” The elder said as he dismissed Onkoshi but then as the wild dog wandered off to sleep, Nilla approached her aging father.

“Is there, really more of his kind up there on the mountain papa?” Nilla asked as the elder did not lie as he nodded to his daughter. “Yes my child. They are up there, the have been communicating with us since your separation. They have supported us when your journey went in a less favorable path and now they continue to help us as loyal allies. It is only fair that we return one of their herd to them. Isn’t that right, my child?” The elder said as Nilla seemed to think about it. A moment of silence passed but her expression and growing agitation at the results presented to her as she finally admitted defeat. “You, are right papa. But that does not mean that I do not have to like it.” Nilla said as she slunk off into the darkness to find her own bed for the evening for at first light she never thought she would feel it, the sun moving away from her, the warmth of the earth and the smell of fresh grass as Onkoshi’s mind moved beyond the grasp of her own as slowly he slipped away from her mind and up the mountain he went to be  returned with his own kind.