Black is the Night

The sky was clear, black, the pinpoints of light that seemed to form shapes in the sky twinkling and adding what little light there was. No moon – it had been several nights since the time when the pack would stand on the cliff edge and howl in unison in worship to the sky, and in the patterns of the world that meant it had gone to rest and replenish the energy it gave to all.

As a result, under the beautiful canopy of the leaves from the tall wood, the forest floor was quiet, peaceful, the creatures that lived there either sleeping or quietly going around the business of foraging and seeking food. It was the natural order of things, the correct order of things, and all creatures knew their place in the society of the forest.

So when they heard the soft rustling, they hid, knowing it was one of them who was approaching. All of them were known of and feared - and admired in equal measure, for despite their ferocity, they were the lords of the forest.

No – this was the lady of the forest, almost impossible to see in the darkness, until she turned her head – and the two yellow dots looked at you. Those were the moments that you prayed that she was not looking for you…

But on this night, this time, Raven was not looking for food, or anything in particular. This was her time, and she wanted it to be personal to her. She moved on the forest floor, the soft pads of her paws falling noiselessly on the foliage as she walked through the cool night air. Her coat was so black light seemed to be pulled into the fur, making her all but invisible but most creatures.

As she moved, if she was been watched, the viewer would see the way her sleek muscles moved, showing the power she had in her body. Only a few could match her, and certainly none of the other females in the pack. And of the males, only Zachary could truly be said to match her.

Zachary – she thought of him standing proud in the light of the moon, the silver reflecting on his grey fur, as he looked out over the land. He was her true soulmate, she knew it – and yet he had not shown that to her, as if he was not sure himself. Surely he knew it was the prerogative of the female to choose her mate?

That angered her – and she needed this time in the forest to cool her temper. She was focused, her mind was clear, and she was thinking of what she should do next. So focused was she that she did not notice the footfall behind her – had she turned, she would have seen the flashes of brown and grey, and seen Masaru.

Masaru was regarded by many as the runt of the pack, but that was to underestimate him – he was used to that, but he was observant, and he had seen Raven move off on her own. While he had no reason to doubt she would be safe, he was concerned – but cautious enough to keep out of sight, merely to watch…

Raven stopped for a moment and raised her head, sniffing the night air. There was something – a scent, of what she was not sure, but there was a scent. She looked round, wondering where it was coming from, but she could not be certain – it was not on the ground, more generally in the air…

“I must be getting tired,” she thought to herself as she walked along, “Raven, perhaps it is time you returned to the pack, rested, slept…”

“Oh come now – it is too beautiful a night to return to the others.”

The voice was soft, soothing, but where was it coming from? Raven quickly turned her head from side to side, and then turned herself round, wondering where the voice had come from, but there was no sign of another creature.

“No – look up.”

Raven slowly raised her head to see the source of the voice – but at first all she saw were two eyes hanging in the eye, green with black slits. They seemed to be looking straight into her, piercing into her soul.

“Who… Who are you?”

“Me? Oh just a passing friend,” the voice continued, the sound soothing Raven as she listened, the eyes moving from side to side as they seemed to come forward. “What brings you to cross my path this wonderful evening?”

“I… I needed some time alone.”

“Surely not? A fine silky creature such as you, wishing to be alone? That would be such a shame…” The eyes moved closer, Raven unable to move as she saw the head they were part of – a flat head that seemed to oscillate from side to side as the eyes gleamed in the faint light.

“Ka…”

“But of course it is,” the snake said, the soft sibilant tones seeming to worm their way into the wolf’s mind as he continued to look at her. Raven could not move her eyes, yellow looking at green, as Ka whispered “so truthfully, what brings the queen of the forest my way this fine night?”

“Why should I… Should I…” Raven could swear that the pupils of Ki’s eyes were widening, the centres glowing as she shook her head. “I wanted to think things over…”

From the sides, Masaru watched, concerned as Raven stayed stick still. He could see the neck of the snake trickster as his face faced her, and then he saw the rest of his body slowly start to move down from the tree it was wrapped round. Turning, he moved noiselessly away, knowing that he could not deal with this alone…

“So you wanted to think things over? Do you not know, dark queen, that to truly think things over, you need to slow down, relax, allow yourself to think clearly?”

Raven slowly nodded, her mind begin to fog over as Ka moved his head from side to side. “I need to relax, to allow myself to think clearly.”

“That’s right,” Ka whispered, the forked tongue slightly peeking out from his lips, “relax, kneel on the ground – here, let me offer a cushion for your forelegs.”

Raven could not stop herself, as she bent her forelegs, feeling something soft as it rested on them – something that gently moved under them, and made sure they were held closely to her body. It was a comforting feeling, a feeling that she was safe, that she could start to think the things over she needed to.

But thinking – that was beginning to seem like hard work, as Ka said “keep looking into my eyes, queen of the night, and listen to my voice, only to my voice. I can help you to focus on what the truly important issues are…”

“and what are they, oh wise Ka,” Raven heard herself say as the cushions moved smoothly round her legs, holding them still against her body – but she could feel another cushion gently pushing under her, holding her up off the ground, making sure she stayed clear, safe. It was a good feeling to have…

“Yes, you can sense it now,” Ka whispered as his head came closer, his tongue tickling the wolf’s ear as he said “relax, stay with me, I will protect you as you tell me your secrets…”

Raven slowly nodded as she felt the cushion continuing to wrap round and encircle her, lifting her clear – so nice to know Ka was concerned about how the leaves and dirt may mark her beautiful coat…

“ZACHARY!”

The silver wolf turned his head as he saw Masaru running into the clearing, frowning slightly as he said “I hope you have an astoundingly good reason to be disturbing my contemplation…”

“I do, my lord,” Masaru said as he stopped and bowed his head. “I fear your partner is in trouble.”

“Raven? What makes you say that? Did you follow her when she left?”

“Only out of concern for her safety,” Masaru said as he stood, fearing the blow from Zachary’s powerful blow if he raised his head, “no further reason. But we must move, my lord – she has fallen for the spell of the trickster.”

“Ka? I thought he had been banished from the great forest,” Zachary growled as he walked forward.

“As did all of us – but he has returned, and when I left to find you, Raven was looking into his eyes…”

“Show me,” Zachary barked as he walked quickly off, Masaru raising his head as he followed his lord…

Raven swayed her head from side to side in time with the movement of Ka. She was completely off the forest floor now, hanging in the soft cushioned embrace that had encircled her, only her paws truly outside – but that did not concern her.

The music of Ki’s voice, and the music of the forest, had combined to fill her mind, and it was beautiful. The scents almost seemed to have been heightened, concentrated, the perfumed flowers making her feel so special, so loved, so protected…

Ka smiled as he looked back, the green and yellow coils surrounding the ebony coated wolf, keeping her fore and hind legs close to her body as she hung a couple of feet above the forest floor, swinging gently from side to side. Her yellow eyes looked duller than usual – the clear sign that his own hypnotic powers had had the desired effect on her.

He allowed himself to remember the time, so long ago, when the wolf king had banished him from this place, after an unfortunate incident with one of the pack cubs. Ka had only wished to talk to the youngster, teach him some of his knowledge. Of course he was going to ensure that the cub stayed to listen – but the king has not seen it that way, and had ordered him to depart. He had even shown – well, even Ka had to admit it was unusual courage, by taking him by the neck and throwing him into a crate some visiting tall walkers had left open at their camp.

But he had managed to make his way back – a slow, painful journey, but he was home again. And who had he seen walking through the forest two moon times after returning, but the queen – the one they called Raven. He saw the opportunity – and she had fallen into his embrace, his protection.

His trap.

Now he smiled as he moved his body, slowly starting to squeeze as he whispered “I am going to make sure you stay as you are, queen of the night. You like what is happening, don’t you?”

Raven slowly nodded as Ka used the tip of his tail to slowly stroke the pads on her hind paw. Raven thought it was Zachary, her beloved Zachary who was doing it, showing his love, his affection for her as she realised he truly desired her. She could feel his snout on her feet, his limbs as they wrapped round her.

Gently Ka swayed her from side to side, looking at her as the smile grew on his face, and the coils tightened, making her feel even more secure, as if she and Zachary would be like this forever, in his embrace, feeling his love as all her fears seemed to fade into the background. Nothing was as important as his love, nothing else mattered, even her breath was coming in shorter and shorter breathes…

“Soon,” Ka whispered as he looked into her eyes, the yellow dull, fading, “soon there will be no more worries, no more fears, no more…”

The snarl was the first thing he heard, and then the footfall on the forest floor, as he suddenly turned his head – and then felt it move violently to the left as Zachary’s paw hit it with full force.

“Let go of her, trickster,” the grey wolf growled as he stood in front of Ka, teeth bared, legs apart, in an attack stance.

“Let who go? Oh, you mean this lovely lady,” Ka said in his soft tones as he looked at the alpha male. “No, you don’t want me to let her go, you want me to continue to protect her. In fact, you want me to protect you as well, don’t you?”

Zachary looked at his partner, her head limp, her eyes dull, her body encircled in the coils of the snake, before he said “I will not ask you again…”

“No, no you won’t,” Ka whispered as he moved his head forward, his eyes fixed on the grey pupils of the wolf, “I know you won’t because you are going to listen to me…”

“I… I…” Zachary found himself unable to look away as Ka tightened his coils still further, his lips smiling as he considered the victory he was anticipating…

So when Masaru pounced, forcing the snake’s head to the ground with his front paws, he was taken completely by surprise. The coils suddenly slackened, Raven falling with a soft thud to the forest floor before she rolled onto her side, her eyes glazed and fixed as Zachary shook his head.

“Whtthrruhdhuinnn,” Ka hissed as his mouth was forced shut, Masaru’s paw keeping his head down as Zachary slowly padded over.

“Give me one good reason,” he hissed as he stood there, “why I should not kill you now?” He looked at Masaru, who grinned as he said “allow me the honour, my lord.” Zachary looked at him, and then shook his head. “No – I have a better idea. Keep him there.”

Masaru nodded as the grey king slowly walked over to Raven, pushing her head with his own as he whispered “wake up my love, I am here now.” As he watched, the light slowly returned to the yellow eyes, Raven slowly rolling over and looking up as she said “Zachary… What happened… Why do I ache in my body?”

“You fell for the spell of the trickster,” Zachary said as he looked over, “we arrived just in time.”

“But how did you know…”

“Masaru followed you – I am grateful he did, and you should be as well,” Zachary said quietly as Raven got to her feet. “Will you be all right?”

“I will be – now you are here with me,” Raven said quietly, “my king.

“My love.”

She gently nuzzled Zachary as Masaru smiled.

“And what is your wish for this one, my lord?”

Ka looked up as he saw the grey legs pad back over, and then the black ones, black as night.

“Not my decision – what is your wish, my love?”

As Ka watched, Raven bent her head and pushed his with her own, and then she bared her teeth…

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