by Ritu Ghosh
Aaron was walking faster towards the house. He was sweating; this made him feel colder than usual. He held his cloak tight as the wind blew. There was something unusual about the night like something terrible was waiting to happen. Aaron looked around as he passed the woods.
‘Will the weather wolves come again? Will they find me here?’ A chill ran down his spine as he remembered the beast. The creature would have killed him without any mercy. He saw pure madness behind those red eyes. It felt as if it was not in control of itself.
Aaron stopped as he heard a cry from a distance. ‘Could it be coming from the village? Are the creatures in the village? Are they looking for me? Brandon! Uncle!’ he remembered.
He ran like crazy towards his house. He had much at stake. As he reached the village and saw many villagers running in all directions and screaming. Some were calling out to their Gods and some were just screaming and running. Aaron’s eyes widened as he saw many houses burning on the mountain. Most of the houses on the hills were also on fire. Aaron rushed to help; he checked from house to house to see if anyone was still trapped in them. Meanwhile, the villagers started to gather piles of water to put the fire out.
“How did this happen?” Aaron asked a terrified villager.
“They were huge monsters; they went from house to house burning them. God save us” His voice was trembling.
‘So, the wolves have come, they know I’m here’. Aaron froze at that thought. ‘But, What else do they know? Do they know about Brandon and uncle?’ he thought.
He ran to check on Brandon and Uncle Sentas. He reached home as fast as he could. It was calm there. Aaron took a deep breath of relief. He fixed himself and hid the sword inside his cloak. The bleeding of his arm had stooped now. He hid his wound. ‘The wolves did not come here then. May be they don’t know where I live.’
He went inside and found some elders of the village council sitting on the couch with very grave expressions. Uncle was with them, he was speaking to them in whispers. When he saw Aaron coming in, he sprang to his feet and came towards Aaron.
“Thank god you are ok. I was so worried”, said Uncle Sentas.
“I am fine uncle” Aaron tried to keep calm.
“Did the beasts attack you dear? You look awful!” one of the old ladies of the council joined in. she examined Aaron closely.
“No, I escaped, but it was quite bad out there… can I please go to my room now?” Aaron quickly walked away holding his cloak tight not to reveal the sword which still had the wolf’s blood on it. He stopped and remembered Brandon.
“Uncle, is Brandon all right?” he asked.
“Yes, he is fast asleep in his room” said Uncle.
Aaron was so relieved; he got to his room and locked the door. He had a hard day and was not able to put his mind together. He took off his clock and kept it aside. He looked at himself in the mirror, his white shirt was soaked in blood, but the wound was not very deep. He applied some ointment on his wound. He had kept some in his cupboard for emergencies. He clenched as it burned, slowly he dressed his wound not making any sounds.
He washed his sword and removed the blood of the wolf from it. Finally, he sat on his bed with a book in hand.
‘Why is this happening to me?’, he thought.
He looked at the sword again, he had never killed anything in his whole life but today killing this creature had saved his life. He held the sword and said “Thanks for saving my life!”
He was too tired. With so much on his mind, he forgot all about dinner.
‘I have offended my friend for the first time” he thought to himself. This thought hurt him more than his wound. He had never spoken to Flynn that way before; he knew Flynn would be very sad. But it was better to keep everything he knew a secret, at least till he knew what was really going on.
The whole village was attacked because of him. Their houses were burnt, people were left homeless, their shops destroyed. Aaron blamed himself for what had happened to them. He felt like he had done it to them.
Somebody knocked on Aaron’s door. He quickly put on a shirt to hide his would and answered the door. His uncle was standing there with a silver plate full of food.
“You didn’t eat anything! So I thought I will bring this for you” Uncle Sentas said smiling.
Aaron managed a weak smile and asked uncle to come in. He took the plate from him and stared to eat eagerly. Uncle said nothing for some time and sat with Aaron on his bed.
“I know you are brave”
Aaron looked up at uncle’s face.
“I saw the sword you were carrying”
Aaron didn’t say anything and continued to eat with his head down.
“Many got hurt today, but thank God the monsters did not attack you. They burnt many houses and I heard about what happened at the market place.” Aaron’s eyes widened, ‘What does Uncle know about the market place?’ he thought, as he chewed on his food.
“I shouldn’t have sent you to the Market today.”
Aaron raised his hands in protest but uncle continued.
“When you didn’t come back for so long, I was really worried”, said Uncle Sentas. “I called the village council to a meeting. I wanted to know what was going on.”
“I was helping the villagers put out the fire uncle” said Aaron as he finished his food.
“Yes, I figured that you were helping the villagers. It’s just that, since your mother left you and Brandon with me, the two of you have become a part of me.” Sentas was now smiling that rare smile of his. Aaron knew that it was hard for Uncle Sentas to smile. He had never been really happy after the death of his beloved wife Martha. And now that Mathew had left too, Aaron hardly remember him being so open with anybody.
“Uncle, tell me about my mother. How was she?” Aaron looked at his uncle eagerly.
“Oh! She was very sweet! You remind me of her in many ways, you know. She will order everybody around. She liked to be the elder sister. She used to take care of me so much, our mother was always busy.” There was a hint of tears in uncle’s eyes. Aaron had never seen his uncle so emotional.
“Where did she go uncle? And do you know anything about my father?” Aaron asked.
“I don’t know where she went, but she said it was a magical place. One day when she was only twelve, an old man with a very long white beard and blue robes came here. Bella left with him. Strangely our mother, your grandmother did not object to her leaving. I never saw her after that day, until she came back with the two of you. I did miss her all these years. She will always be my loving sister.” said Sentas. He was almost in tears by now.
He paused and tried to remember something.
“I don’t know anything about your dad unfortunately. Bella never mentioned him. She was in such a hurry, she asked me to keep you and Brandon safe before she left. But after seeing both of you, I can surely tell that your father was a very brave and handsome man. Maybe he was a knight” said Uncle.
Aaron smiled; he had never heard these stories before. He wanted to know more.
“Do you know what happened to my mother and father?” asked Aaron.
Sentas was visibility upset at the question. But he gathered the courage to explain.
“Well, a few months had passed after Bella left you and Brandon with me. On a cold winter night, the same old man appeared at my door once again. This time, he looked very upset. I knew something was wrong right away. He then told me that your mother and father had passed away. Before I could ask him anything more, he disappeared into the night and never came back. This is all that I know.”
Sentas then looked at Aaron oddly, like he was reluctant to say something. He finally said, “He also told me that, they will come for you when you are ready.”
“What? Who will come for me?” Aaron’s jaw dropped.
“I don’t know who they are. The old man didn’t say anything more. He was very mysteries. For a moment, I thought he disappeared into thin air. But was I hallucinating?...I’m no
t sure. It was dark of course. I couldn’t see properly.” uncle tried hard to remember.
Aaron was now deep in thoughts, ‘What does uncle mean when he said when I’m ready? Who will come for me? and why? Were the wolves’ part of all this?’
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Aaron asked.
“I never believed in anything he said, I never thought anything like that will ever happen” Sentas said as he looked down at the floor. He felt guilty that he did not tell any of this to Aaron earlier.
“But I don’t know what to believe in anymore. I don’t know what is going to happen next Aaron”
Aaron was not willing to speak after the uneasy conversation they just had and Sentas didn’t want to stay any longer either.
“Good night Aaron, hope things will be better tomorrow!” said Sentas as he left the room.
Aaron was more confused than ever now. He couldn’t put any of this together in his mind. He thought about everything for a while.
He wanted to speak to Flynn and tell him everything that uncle had said. Aaron wanted to see if Flynn and his father were alright. He decided to go to their house first thing in the morning.
Aaron tried to sleep, but he just laid there wide awake in his bed. It was so hard to sleep now.
‘Who is coming to take me? And where to? Do I have to leave my home?’ He decided that no matter who comes, he would never live his village. Brinsar was his home. He will live and die here, he thought.
This thought comforted him a little and very soon, he drifted into a deep sleep. But nightmares haunted him. He couldn’t get the image of the weather wolf out of his mind. In his dreams, Aaron ran and ran but every time, the wolves would catch him. He woke up with a shriek.
Chapter 4
The Search Party
Aaron was all sweaty from the dream. When he woke up, it was late morning; he had overslept. Aaron hurried downstairs to get some breakfast.
There was nobody there except Mrs. Renn. She was washing the dishes.
“Where is everybody?!” Aaron asked.
“Oh Aaron!”, Mrs.Renn was startled to see Aaron all of a sudden. Your uncle is out to see the causalities of yesterday’s disaster. Brandon is playing in his room.”
Aaron ate his breakfast quickly, washed it down with a cup of milk and came back to his room. He wanted to warn Brandon about the beasts. If the wolves were looking from him, they might harm Brandon, he thought. Aaron walked straight to Brandon’s room.
Brandon was in his balcony, playing with the colorful rocks that he had collected. He looked up at Aaron as he saw him coming in.
“Look! See what my stones can do” Brandon said with a big grin.
Aaron didn’t pay any attention to what Brandon was trying to show him. He held Brandon’s arms and pulled him up gently to help him stand up.
“Brandon, there is something important that I need to tell you.”
Brandon stood there staring at Aaron with his big round eyes.
“There are some big scary wild animals out there Brandon. Now, you promise me that you will not go outside after dark. And, If you see anything unusual, just run and hide in a safe place.”
Brandon smiled at Aaron and said “Don’t worry, my stones will protect me!”
“Brandon! this is not funny. Just listen to me. I saw some really scary animals yesterday. They attacked the villagers and burned their houses.”
Brandon now understood that Aaron was very serious as he didn’t blink at all. Brandon nodded his head in agreement and went back to play with his stones. Aaron kissed Brandon’s forehead and went back to his room.
Aaron again wondered about what had happened yesterday. ‘Why did it have to be him?’ It seemed like everything changed for him in just one night.
Aaron knew the village festival was near. But he was not sure if the villagers will pull though what had happened and be ready for the festival in time. He prayed for everything to be ok and for the wolves to never attack them again.
Today, there wasn’t much to do in the fields. And so, Aaron set out to Flynn’s house. He took the usual shortcut and walked straight to Flynn’s house. He saw many ruined houses on his way, black and charred. Everyone was helping each other fix things up.
Soon, he reached the small stream, but there were no red fishes today. They seemed to have disappeared. He frowned in disbelief. As he continued to walk, he noticed a big footprint in the muddy path near the stream. It was large, like that of a big animal.
He then spotted another foot print and then another. Aaron followed the foot prints carefully. He walked cautiously as he doubted that the animal could be hiding right behind the trees. But the prints did not stop. They went on till the dry lands and then they turned to wet patches.
“This is going towards Flynn’s house!” Aaron panicked but then he took a deep breath and consoled himself.
Aaron knew that there was only one house on the hills, and it was Flynn’s.
Aaron’s heart started pounding. He ran faster hoping that Flynn and his father would be alright.
Flynn’s house had no gates. He crossed the pathway quickly and ran towards the door. The door was wide open. Inside, fire was still burning in the fireplace. He called out to Flynn several times but nobody answered. Aaron went into the kitchen and found several broken tea cups and plates. There was a crushed metal mug on the big table in the hall.
Aaron examined the whole house carefully. The small portrait of Flynn’s mother was slashed in half and the curtains were torn with something very sharp. The pillows and bed covers were fallen in all directions. The cloth Aaron had used to tie Zack’s wound yesterday was now lying near the bed, covered in blood. It seemed like Flynn and Zack were there last night. Aaron tried to make sense of the wreckage.
‘They must have left for the market today morning and someone else might have wrecked this place’ He hoped as he came outside and closed the door behind him. Surprisingly, the door had no visible damages. But the sheep were all gone and so were the chickens. He knew that someone else had come there.
Aaron rushed to the marketplace. Not many shops were up after the last night’s incident. Flynn’s shop was closed as well. He asked a few neighboring shopkeepers about Flynn and they told him that Flynn and his father had not come to the shop yet.
Aaron sat on the shop ledge desperately waiting for Flynn and Zack.
“Did the wolves come back and take Flynn and his father?” Aaron didn’t know what to do, he felt helpless ‘How do I find Flynn now? It’s all my fault, I should have told him that the wolves were looking for me. I should have warned him. I am the one the wolves want; if I go to the wolves, would they let Flynn and Zack go?’
Aaron headed towards the woods, he walked into the forest. ‘The wolves have done so much damage to the village and now they have taken Flynn and his Father away. What next? Will they destroy uncle’s house or harm Brandon? I will never let that happen’ Aaron thought as he reached the deep forests.
He suddenly shouted “I am here! you filthy beasts. If it is me that you want, let my friends go.”
No reply came from the forest. Only his own voice echoed back. He paused for a moment and shouted the same words again. After several times of shouting, he knew that nobody was coming. He sat silently on a stone with his face buried in his hands. “What’s happening? Why me?” he murmured to himself.
It was almost dark; he came out of the forest finally. He passed many ruined farms on his way back. There was a lot of damage everywhere but people seemed to be coping with it pretty well. They were working together to get everything back in order. With heavy steps Aaron reached home.
“You are not supposed to stay out after dark Master Aaron” Mrs. Renn closed the door behind him in a hurry. “What if the attacks repeat?” she was worried.
Aaron didn’t say anything. Mrs. Renn never got angry at anyone usually. He knew very well that she must have been worried after what had happened yesterday.
“Is uncle ba
ck?” he asked calmly.
“Yes, he is in the common balcony talking to Billy.” Mrs.Renn replied.
Aaron had forgotten all about the fact that Billy had told him about the attack even before it happened.
He reached the balcony and opened the door. Uncle and Billy were standing there, talking. He approached them quickly and interrupted.
“Billy, how did you know?…” Before he could finish he was cut off by Uncle Sentas. “Aaron, Billy was telling me about the wolves and how they have been all over the village.”
Aaron calmed himself and asked “Are more people hurt?”
“Not many, but a lot of properties were destroyed” uncle said.
“Uncle, Flynn and his Father are missing. I don’t know where they are.”
“What?! But nobody else is missing in the entire village!” Uncle was surprised.
“I couldn’t find him and his father anywhere. They are neither at their house nor at the shop”, Aaron said.
Uncle brooded over it for a little while and said “I will send a search party first thing in the morning to look for them.”
“Morning?! That will be too late Uncle. Let’s go right now, we will take your men.” Aaron demanded.
“Nobody will come with us now Aaron, not after yesterday’s incident. Rest now, we will go tomorrow morning.” Uncle said. Aaron was not very happy with it. He knew that Flynn was not safe out there.
“Maybe Billy knows where they are” he said suddenly, narrowing his eyes at Billy. “He knows an awful lot about the wolves, don’t you Billy?” Aaron said.
Billy didn’t say anything but he took a few steps back from Aaron as if he was afraid of him.
“Tell me Billy, how did you know about the attack before it happened?” Aaron grabbed Billy’s shirt collar. “Are you with them? Tell me where my friend is.” Aaron was shaking with anger.
“Aaron! Let him go!” Uncle said in a stern voice pulling him away from Billy. “Goodness gracious, what has gotten into you boy. Why are you behaving like this? I said we will find your friend and his father first thing in the morning. Now, go to your room!”
