Page 28 of Whisper Woods

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The anxious ball in my stomach means I almost throw up three times on the drive to the Black Stump Tavern. Wolf is just as frantic as I am. His whimpers swirl with my anxious spiralling thoughts, the memories of Marieth’s cottage goading our combined fears. Wolf, with his animalistic mind, has shrugged off the events there more easily than I have, but he hasn’t forgotten entirely.

Even though he was the one actually in the fray, I was still there. I still felt the fear, the pain, all of it, in the shared connection we have. Saw it through his eyes.

In the carnage of the fight, I hadn’t been able to retreat into the nothing place where our consciousnesses can drift to when in the back seat. Maybe that made it worse. Being able to witness everything, with no control.

Unable to bear the stress of my emotions, Wolf pushes against the mental wall keeping him back. I want nothing more than to let go, to let him take over and let myself retreat to the place where everything feels less severe. But I can’t do that while we’re in the car.

Rafe doesn’t say a word, just drives as hard as he safely can. The car park is in shambles when we pull up, the afternoon rush obviously thrown into chaos.

“I’m sorry, I have—” My door is open before Rafe has put the car in park, but when I turn to look at him, he just shakes his head.

“Go. Do what you need to do with your friends. I will see what I can do tohelp.” Tears burn my eyes and I try to sniff them back. One sharp nod, and I’m out the door, Wolf taking over within three strides. Shaking off the jeans stuck to his paws, he bolts for the Woods to the rear of the tavern, following the scent of our friends, bypassing the remaining beings organising things inside.

It’s better this way. If Theo is missing, Wolf has a higher chance of finding him than I ever will. The thought is the only thing keeping the last threads of my sanity together as I slide back as far as I can, giving Wolf the space to run with his senses and instincts without my interference.

Memories of Theo assault me while Wolf sorts through the scents of the Woods to find the correct track. We haven’t been friends for long, but the sunny little fae has become a part of this weird family we’ve formed at the Black Stump, and the idea of losing him now feels like a knife to the chest. How could we go on without him sassing Roan and livening up the bar? He’s come so fucking far since we saved him from the cottage. It can’t all be over now. Itcan’t.

I might be a mental wreck, but Wolf is focused at least. He locks on the scent and tears off again between the trees. The Woods pass by in a green blur, Wolf ignoring rhyme, reason, and physics until we reach the posse calling Theo’s name. Unable to face what we might find, I retreat into the nothing place as far as I can, the real world turning into nothing but disjointed impressions. Like a horrible dream.

A red fox, Seldon, runs rings around him, yipping for Wolf to follow him. On the way, Wolf and I bump into the others—Caelan and Tor, Mauvy, and Roan and finally Edith. Leading the search now, Seldon and Wolf follow the scent through the trees.

When they stop, confused at the end of the trail, I let myself drift closer forward. We’ve reached the pool of the Whisper Falls. But Theo isn’t here. Wolf’s eyes scan the surroundings quicker than I can follow until he’s spotted him. At the very top of the cliffs.

Theo calls out to us, but that only makes it worse. His kidnapper obviously hadn’t counted on our rescue. Through Wolf’s eyes it's even more confusing. I can’t tell what’s happening.

Unable to understand or take any action to help, Wolf whimpers and cowers closer to Edith, dodging the magic balled in her hands. From where he hides, he can still see the blinding flash of light that erupts from up above. Hear the terror all around us.

Then more screams. Different screams. From the top of the falls.

It cuts through the panic around us. And then silence.

Worse than the blood-curdling screams, horrified gasps follow the silence. And then, like a whirlwind, the frantic rescue plans restart, more desperate than before.

In the end, a mage raises Roan and himself in the air. They float all the way to the top of the falls, and Theo is rescued, secured safely in Roan’s arms. Just like all those months ago.

Once he’s safe, and Edith once again confirms his health, the search teams are directed back to the tavern. The walk back in strained silence as darkness descends over the Woods. The crowd swells the closer we get, news of Theo’s rescue travelling fast.

Wolf can smell Rafe amongst the crowd. It relieves something inside both Wolf and me to know he’s still there, that he waited. The need to go to him is nearly overpowering. But the need to see this through with Roan and my friends is stronger.

Roan stops as we pass his house, Theo still cradled in his arms.

“I’m not taking him in there. Not again.” He nods his head towards the Black Stump Tavern, lit up in the night.

And so we follow Roan to his little house behind the tavern, unable to leave him and Theo. Wolf steps back, allowing me to be with my friends like I need and him to process what’s just happened in his own wolf way.

We dutifully eat the sandwiches Mauvy brings, and pray to the Gods for Theo to wake up. But there is nothing to be done and eventually, exhaustion wins out. We need to leave Roan to rest with his love.

We walk as one up to the back entrance of the Black Stump. It’s the way we came in the night we came home from Marieth too. The memories flood back once again, threatening to send me into another tailspin.

Wolf rumbles a soft growl at me, causing Seldon’s little fox to jump in fright.

Stop. Wolf warns, not wanting either of us sent down that path.

Roan was right to not bring Theo in here. Especially not now. The mood in the bar is sombre, but it’s still busy. Beings who came for a quiet weekend drink caught up in the whirlwind and drama now head home to the Woods for thenight.

I ignore it all. Because I can still smell him here.Rafe. The smokey scent ignites the last of the energy in my body and I follow the trail, pushing my way through the departing beings all the way up the twisted tree staircase to a door.

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