Lupus Princeps

1.4 - New Beginnings

NYMERIA WATCHED AS the small girl came barrelling back to her, "What about this one, Ny?"

In her tiny hands, she held a small red berry, circular bobbles dotted the cone shape and when the girl squeezed it, red juices flowed out. 

"That one looks good." She paused, plucking the berry from the young girl's hand, before throwing it in her mouth. She tasted its sour bite, "It's a raspberry."

The girl watched Nymeria with wide, curious eyes, "Can we eat them?"

Nymeria nodded, "Take this," she handed the girl a large leaf from the ground, "take your mother with you and collect as many as you can."

Nymeria watched with cautious eyes as the girl went off with her mother, deeper into the dense forest. It was broad daylight, during this time most of the women slept and rested, as they could only see the northern star at night. It guided their path to the snowy place. 

It had been three days since they left the walled society. They were travelling much slower than before because of the Male and his injured leg. Although Nymeria couldn't ever place too much distance between her and their dead community.

It infuriated Nymeria, the Male's slow pace and pathetic injury. Despite the fact he had made only small complaints about pain, Nymeria couldn't stop the blinding hatred whenever she looked at him or his bound hands. He didn't know any true pain. His physical pain was overplayed and weak.

Mona, on the other hand, had taken a liking to the young Male. Nymeria didn't know which infuriated her more, his slow pace or Mona's everlasting patience with him. The group of women were tolerant towards him, yet Amabelle still held some animosity, something Nymeria was thankful for. 

Amabelle sat beside her, half asleep under a tree with her children wrapped up in her arms. Nymeria looked at the small children, sleeping so deeply their snores vibrated Amabelle's arms. 

Nymeria pulled the sack open, catching the attention of the Male sat meters away. 

She nudged Amabelle's arm, gently jostling her awake and handed her a small loaf of bread. 

"For the little ones, they look hungry."

Amabelle shot her a small smile of gratitude.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted before," Amabelle began, frowning and fiddling with the loaf between her fingers, "it wasn't right of me to blame you. I was being out of line."

Nymeria shook her head and rested the back of it against the tree trunk they sat under. "No. You were only being honest. Don't apologise."

Amabelle sighed, "I keep thinking of what it would be like had we never escaped," She lowered her voice, "they would've gotten in one way or another and we would have all been slaughtered. My children are alive to live another day."

Both the women looked down at the sleeping girls, they were both a spitting image of their mother, besides the obvious darker skin tone on the smaller girl.

"My eldest is Ellen," She nudged her hand towards the taller girl, with light hair and skin, "and my youngest, Marcy." She then stroked the thick hair of Marcy, the smaller, dark-skinned girl. 

She looked just like Amara. Nymeria remembered of the first moment they escaped, holding onto the girl and promising no Male would ever hurt them again. It was Marcy. She looked away quickly.

Nymeria nodded, her voice thick. "Sweet girls."

She looked back at the Male. She was intent on keeping her promise. 

For their meal, they finished the rest of their rationings of bread and feasted on raspberries. It wasn't enough to fill their stomachs but enough to keep them travelling a few days more, if they could find more.

Whilst the others slept, Nymeria wouldn't take her cautious stare off the Male. Even when the sun had begun to set and Nymeria's eyes were heavy with exhaustion, she did not once waver in her stare. 

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Came Gale's voice, he had opened his eyes slightly and was peering back at Nymeria with confusion.

"I don't trust you." Nymeria's answer was quick with no hesitation.

It looked like he had rolled his eyes but from the distance, Nymeria couldn't be sure, "I'm literally tied up. I'm really not going to do anything. Trust me."

He held out his hands in front of his face, as though to physically prove to her, he was no harm. Nymeria wouldn't budge.

There was an invigorating sense of power, whenever she spoke back to him. She would have been Reckoned for such rudeness, to challenge the unspoken authority of the Males. But this was not their society and Nymeria made the rules now.

"What do you think I can do with my hands tied?" His voice was quiet and his posture relaxed, perhaps he was trying to reassure her and calm her nerves. But Nymeria wouldn't back down and she wouldn't give him any ideas either.

With her silence, he laughed bitterly and painfully, "You're not my type, anyway."

"Males don't have types. They take what they want, when they want. No matter the colour, size or age." She replied, as bitterly as he did. She clenched her jaw shut, willing the memories to fade from her mind but they were stuck.

His head perked up, his eyes shocked and he shook his head. He didn't give her the satisfaction of denial, nor an answer.

Nymeria woke the others when the northern star revealed itself in the sky. They packed up their belongings and began north on a slow pace.

Throughout the night, Nymeria's body began to chill. Yet her stomach was coiled in anticipation and anxiety. She hadn't thought of where to go once they reached the snowy place, a small part of her believed they would never make it this far and now that they had, she needed a new plan.

They travelled so far, that the sky fogged in clouds, covering the northern star. A chilling breeze whipped across their faces, so foreign and unusual it felt like needles of ice pierced the skin of their cheeks. 

Mona looked to Nymeria, in a mixture of surprise and sadness, as a light white crystal gently fluttered to the ground in front of the group. 

"What is that?" One of the children asked, tugging up at their mother's hand. 

The women all turned to look at Nymeria, hoping for good news, hoping for their direction to a new beginning. 

Nymeria furrowed her brows, "It's snow." 

The group stopped walking and all lifted their heads to the clouded sky as more and more white feathers of ice drifted down from above. Nymeria's eyes blurred with unshed tears as hope blossomed like spring flowers in her heart.

But with her bubbling hope came the conjoined pain and loss, terrible loss. All she wanted to do in that moment, watching the flakes of ice flurry around the air, was hold Amara's hand. She wanted to see Amara's expression of wonder and happiness, hear her excited laughter and know she had saved her. 

Nymeria settled with watching the expression reflect on the children around her and for a moment, it was almost enough.

"So we're here? It doesn't look like much." Ronnie said, waiting for Nymeria's plan. "And it's cold."

Nymeria knew they were expecting something amazing, something groundbreaking. Something she didn't have. 

Nymeria paused, looking at their surroundings. It was still a dense forest, although somewhere along their travels the trees had changed, from small oaks to massive spruce trees so thick most of the women brushed shoulders with the pine needles. 

"What's that?" A woman pointed into the distance, "Over there?"

Nymeria's eyes followed her direction, it was far ahead and only when she concentrated could she see the distant change in terrain.

It seemed to be at the top of a hill or the beginning of a valley, so Nymeria couldn't see past the what appeared to be small rocks, piled into stone structures.

"I don't know." Nymeria began, squinting to see the stone sculpture.

She began walking cautiously towards the small stone structure and upon closer inspection, it looked to be multiple stones stacked on top of one another in a perfect balance. The group was so fixated on the stones, balancing in perfect harmony, that it took them a few minutes to realise what was in the valley below.

They stood at the peak of a hillside, covered in fresh feathered ice crystals laying a sheet of white on the ground. Icicles clung to the branches of trees like glorious chandeliers, sparkling in the light that reflected off the ground.

Nymeria was daring enough to brush the laying snow off the balancing rocks, only to discover a deeply engraved marking carved into the highest rock. She brushed the last remaining flakes of snow from the rock and marvelled at the beauty of the foreign marking.

The women all gathered around to trace over the engraving with the same tugging curiosity Nymeria was feeling. Mesmerised in its swirls, splinterings and foreign language surrounding its circular shape, it elicited a calming warmth within their bodies.

Nymeria felt her muscles relax as her mind was engulfed in quiet tranquillity as she succumbed to the feelings the marking expelled.

 A few moments passed before Nymeria regained her senses, reluctantly pulling her hand away from the engraved stone, she took the time to observe the valley below them. 

It stole her breath right out of her lungs. 

Within the valley, protected by mountains littered with trees, there was a small clearing. Bigger than that of their society, yet with no fields and only trees.

From the top of the valley, Nymeria could make out small stone houses, dilapidated in their foundations and walls of rocks scattered around the edges of each gravel pathway. Central within the abandoned village, a stone hut stood significantly larger than the others bordering it within the valley.

One building stood out from the rest. The stone building reminded her of the tombs the previous Commanders would be buried in, back in their fallen society. 

So perfectly preserved that even the snow seemed fearful to fall onto it.

"I can't believe it." Mona whispered, "Do you think people are living here?"

Nymeria wondered for a moment, looking down to the ruined cottages and the stones that had fallen away from their walls. "I don't think so."

The youngest of Amabelle's daughters tugged at Nymeria's hand, "Do you think the people will come back?"

Nymeria shook her head, wanting to reassure the girl as best she could, "No, Marcy. I think the people who were here are long gone."

With the mesmerising carvings long forgotten from her mind, Nymeria and the group travelled slowly to the base of the valley. The unusual sound of crunching snow under their feet and a unified sense of safety within them. 

As they travelled closer to the village, Nymeria's heart started pounding, harder and harder with every step they took. Her whole body felt like it was being tugged and pulled towards something in the village. Like a ribbon had escaped from her soul and was dancing out of her chest, weaving through the trees and begging her to find something undeniably important. 

Nymeria tried to shake off the feeling, but even when she aimlessly spoke to Mona deciding which cottage to start with, it was still there. Tugging at her chest and pounding her heart.

"I think we should look around, make sure it's safe to stay here," Mona spoke, the breaths of air puffing from her lips in a flurry of fog.

Nymeria nodded, only half-listening to what Mona was saying. She was more concerned about the abnormal tightness of her stomach and the need to discover what she was missing.

They started with the first cottage they came across. It was small, like the others in the valley and built entirely different from what they were used to in their old community. The door was wooden and splintering at the edges, but an iron, rusted door handle looked completely untouched.

What caught everyone's attention was the same marking engraved onto the door, the same one that was carved into the balancing stones. Right in the centre. 

"What is that?" Amabelle expressed her concerns with a grave voice, "It's everywhere."

Looking towards the other cottages and even scorched into the iron door handle, the mark was placed on nearly every surface the eye could see, along with the language Nymeria nor any other women could decipher.

Nymeria chose not to voice her uncertainty and instead she placed her hand on the door handle and opened the cottage. 

The stench of rotting wood flooded their senses. A cold chill hung in the air. It was a small room, with a makeshift bed in one corner and an empty fireplace in the other. The windows were boarded up with soggy wooden panels. But overall the room was completely empty.

Above the doorway, as Nymeria stepped in, the mark was present. Scratched into the surface of the wood and painted with a dark colour. She tried not to stare at it for too long. 

"It's empty. We should rest here." 

The women did as they were told, ignoring the stench, ignoring the rotting wet floorboards and trying to ignore the marking on the wall which constantly demanded their attention. 

Collectively, the women sighed in relief. Chilled from the cold, yet blossoming with the warmth of new beginnings. For the first time in the weeks they had travelled, the women could rest and feel a small ounce of safety provided by the weak walls surrounding them.

Nymeria worried for the cold, "I'll get some logs for the fire."

Nymeria made sure her mother was comfortable and placed her closest to the fireplace.

She turned to Mona, who had set down the Male nearest to the door and away from the women, Nymeria set her jaw, "When I get back I'll look for some blankets and clothes. For now, you're responsible for him."

Mona nodded, she had slowly gotten used to Nymeria's animosity towards her for protecting the young boy. But Mona couldn't stop herself latching onto her motherly, nurturing instinct. Trying to help anyone and everyone that was hurt, lost or abandoned; be it Male or woman.

Cautiously, setting out of the small cottage Nymeria found it difficult to find logs that were dry and weren't covered to the brim with snow. 

She only concentrated on the task at hand, unwilling to let her mind wander but her exhaustion overwhelmed her and by the time she made it back to the small cottage she was sure to have heard terrifying screams coming from inside.

"No! No! They're her-

She raced back, plunging through the door with her heart in her mouth. She could only think that the Male had hurt someone. Regret and guilt hit her stomach with the force of a thousand tonnes. She should have never let him join them.

However, when Nymeria opened the door and saw the Male right next to her in the same place he was before, she was stunned. It was the children screaming and crying inconsolably. 

"What happened?" Nymeria demanded, it was usual for at least one of the children to be crying, normally from their hunger pains or something trivial, but for all them to cry with such fear was a clear warning.

Amabelle clutched onto her crying girls, "They saw something and got spooked. It's fine-"

"No!" Marcy cried, flying out of her arms and dashing towards Nymeria. "It's the monsters! No!"

Nymeria was truly concerned now, "What are you talking about?" She asked calmly, hoping for it to be some nightmare that got them so worked up and not the Blood Demons, themselves. 

Amabelle sighed, wincing slightly with a pale look to her complexion. "They went out to play in the snow. They came back screaming about the Blood Demons."

Nymeria was on full alert now. 

She grabbed ahold of Marcy, bringing her into her arms. "What did it look like, Marcy? I need you to concentrate really hard for me."

If the Blood Demons really had followed them up north, then the likelihood was that they had already infiltrated their group. She wouldn't know which person would be a monster in human skin. Nymeria placed her hand over a golden branch just to be sure.

"It looked dead."

Nymeria furled her brows, in their true form they did look deathly but why would they leave the children alive if they were out there? Was it all a ploy to scare them?

"Was it moving quickly?" Nymeria remembered the trace it had put her in, circling around her slowly, but moving at incredible speeds she couldn't even begin to describe, only when it wanted to attack her.

"No." Marcy sniffled, "It wasn't moving at all. It was dead."

Nymeria was more concerned now, "Where did you see it?"

"In a building." Her reluctant answers made Nymeria's patience thin. Time was all they had and it was ticking.

"Can you show me which building-"

"No! Absolutely not!" Amabelle reached for her daughter. "If those things are out there then my daughters and I are staying here."

Nymeria huffed, pulling her arms towards her chest with the golden branch in her grasp. Nymeria shot Amabelle a glare but could understand her worry. She would've done the same had it been Amara.

"Okay," Nymeria drew a sigh, "what did the building look like?"

"It had no snow on it! It was really weird!"

"Yeah! And the markings were all over it!"

"We didn't mean to go so far. We couldn't stop ourselves."

Nymeria knew which building they were referencing, it was the perfectly preserved stone building. The one that caught her attention as soon as they stepped foot in the village. The tomb.

They all began shouting their apologies at Nymeria, making their excuses known. Nymeria wasn't angry, she was only confused. The children didn't know that though and they all truly believed they were about to be Reckoned.

"It's okay." Nymeria began in a soothing voice, "It's alright, I'm not mad. You just can't play outside without an adult with you. Is that okay?"

She was met with eager nods and shy eyes. But she couldn't entertain the children anymore, she needed to protect them. 

She needed to see what was inside that tomb.

(3112 Words)

Oh my Goodness! It's been so long since I've even looked at Wattpad! How is everyone? I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well! This is the first update in maybe 4 or 5 months and I'm glad to be back. Get ready for some more updates coming soon! 

What did you think of this chapter? 

What do you think is in the tomb?