It had been eleven years since she'd entered this forest, a long enough time that she thought the memories might stay buried in her mind. Late fall the forest smelled of pines and fallen damp leaves to her nose, but that wasn't the pleasant scent it had been so long ago to her. Instead it brought a pang of sadness to her, reminded her of the things she didn't dare to think of as she stood just inside the tree line. She knew she shouldn't have come here, more importantly she knew the risk it was for her to wander into this place no longer her home. Closing her eyes she breathed deep the smells of the forest, and let the memories return.
Eleven years ago
Summer had just begun to give way to fall, the leaves were beginning to turn their brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds. The pack was milling about in a restless fashion, waiting for their alpha to begin to hunts that would hold them over winter this year. Emilija was still to young to hunt with them, she was still considered a pup and being the alpha's only child so far she was to be protected at all cost. Still she had gone to her mother's den to try and convince the older wolf to allow her to go. Stepping inside she did not see her mother at all, it was odd but she dreamed up some excuse for it before turning away. Exiting the den into the fresh night air she saw the pack up and moving, and odder still her mother stood beside her father as they readied to leave. "Mum!" She called to the she wolf with a puzzled expression. "Where are you going?" Her mother had never, in all the time Emilija could remember, gone on a hunt with the rest of the pack.
Her father did not look happy, in fact he wouldn't even look at her. Her mother wore a sad expression as she nuzzled her pup, "I am going with the pack, with your father." It wasn't a great explanation, not when her father snorted a response and began to trod off after the others. "It will be okay, Emilija. We will be home before you know it." Her mother had always tried to sooth her worries, always made things look sunnier than they were. "I have a present for you." Her mother whispered quietly, "Its in my den, just inside of it. This gift has a price though, Emilija. If you take it, then you must be prepared to leave and go on your own." An underline sense crossed her mind, there was some kind of danger coming. Emilija didn't know then how she was aware of it, but she knew it was coming and her life was the one at risk here.
Opening her eyes again Emily toyed with the pendant around her neck, hidden by her shirt and thought about it all once more. Just as it had been in the hospital Emily tried to see what she couldn't have seen then, if her mother had known what was going to happen. Now here in the forest Emily stood silently with her memories, not sure what she planned to do now that she had returned. Again she felt the prickle of danger like lightning across her skin, but this time she refused to run from it. She had promised to never run again, not when her mother's gift protected her by masking her aura and altering her smell. This time she would meet the danger head on, her lips peeled back in a slight snarl as she waited.
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