Chapter Six: Water

Draenan and I were in the woods out by the small lake where my powers had been awakened.

He hadn't stopped crying since he shared the story about his great-grandfather and his brother. I wanted to do something to help him feel better, but I also didn't get to see him like this much. He was always so strong and leader-like, it was oddly comforting to see him cry now. 

"Draenan..." I said.

"Faeorae, Felicia, I need you to promise me something." He suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah? Anything."

"If, and when I die..." He was fighting back tears. "Protect my brother."

"Always." I said.

He leaned against me and placed his paw on mine. It was a sign of thanks between us. 

He started to nuzzle me a little but we were interrupted by a splash nearby. It didn't sound like a harmless one either. It seemed like someone was running away from something.

Being close, Draenan and I ran to the aid of whoever it was who had ran to the water for protection. And when we arrived at the scene, we found a pack of six Gnarls. Individually, they weren't terribly strong, and Draenan or I could take on two by ourselves, though it wasn't suggested. Whoever it was who had angered them though was right to run into the water. They weren't particularly fond of water.

"Drae," I whispered. "What should we do?"

"We need to fight them off... but we can't take on all of them. Not at once at least."

The Gnarls were getting impatient. One even dared to take a step into the water. That was something  they never did unless they were really desperate.

"Think you can call up your powers?" Draenan asked me.

"I don't know if it works that way."

"Well, whoever's in danger can't stay in the water forever. And he or she certainly can't fight off six Gnarls by his or her self."

"Well... I'll see what I can do."

I thought of whoever it was out there hiding in the water dying. I thought of Draenan getting hurt permanently if I couldn't do this. I thought, surprisingly, of my mother. Of what she would say if she could see me right now. 

Then it happened.

I felt the immense heat come over me. I felt fire rush through my veins. And when I opened my eyes, my fur was smoking.

"Fae!" Draenan whisper-shouted. "They'll see us!"

"But they haven't yet..." I said. Then I got an idea. "Wait for my signal."

I then ran, full speed, into the pack of Gnarls. Then began running circles around them, gaining speed with each lap. As I thought, the smoke on my furl billowed out and surrounded the Gnarls. Disorienting and confusing them.

"Now Draenan!" I howled.

He sped in and was able to take out two, and injure a third before they realized what was going on. Then the smoke started to lift and the remaining four, including the one Draenan had injured, were surrounding us. 

"Uh-oh." Draenan muttered. "Got any more of that magic?"

"Afraid I'm all out, Drae."

We stood there, staring down our opponents, contemplating what we should do. One leaped at us, but was thrown back by a wave. The other three, now angrier than before, lunged at us at once. Draenan and I braced ourselves for a fight, but those three too, were thrown back by a wave. A larger one this time.

"What the-?" Draenan said, puzzled.

"I don't know, Drae. They just..."

"Hahaha! You two!" A voice said.

Draenan and I turned to face to wolf who had helped us.

"Thank you dearly for fighting them off." The she-wolf said. "I would've been a goner if you hadn't come along!"

"It's... no problem at all." Draenan said. "How did you get into that situation anyway?"

"Oh, well, you see Mr. Gorgeous-Locks, I'm what you call a... treasure hunter." She said.

"Oh, really?" I asked, suspicious. I didn't like that she was calling Draenan "Gorgeous-Locks" either.

"Yes really!" She yelped. "Oh, pardon me. My name is Ellanen."

"Draenan, and this is-" 

I cut him off. "My name's Faeorae."

"Draenan and Faeorae! My most humble thank-you's to you both." The elegant she-wolf bowed her head to us. 

"It's no problem. But would you mind elaborating on your...'treasure hunting'?" Draenan asked.

Ellanen nodded and went on to tell us how she was tracking some rings when she came across the Gnarls' nest and decided to do a little combat practice.

"I didn't see the others before I engaged." She admitted. "They chased me for miles before I found this lake. I thought… I thought I would be safe."

She explained how there had actually been seven before Draenan and I showed up and how one of them was actually brave enough to go after her in the water. 

"I fought him off with my...special talents. But there were still the other six on shore. And I just knew I wasn't strong enough to fight all of them off alone... That's when you two showed up."

Draenan nodded and asked her if she got the rings.

"Why, yes! Of course! They were... actually in the Gnarls’ nest." She went silent after that.

Draenan then pulled me aside and informed me that this was the wolf he was trying to have join us. The one who wanted him to beat her in a swimming contest.

"I couldn't win because whenever I got caught up to her the current got stronger and pushed me back. I never understood why but... now it makes sense. She's aligned with an element. Like you with fire, and me with earth. She's aligned with water!"

I nodded. "So, we did save her life just now..."

He nodded back in agreement. "Hey, Ellanen, right?"

"Yessir!"

"We did just save your life. I believe that in proper Lupine code, you are now part of our pack. Though, I will ask if that is what you want."

The she-wolf took a thoughtful pose. "You saved my life. Took on six Gnarls and survived. And pulled off some incredible smoke show... I'll consider it." She said. She then pulled her wet pack off her back and dug through it and came out with two rings. A reddish-orange colored one and a green one.

"So when we come across each other's paths... We won't attack one another."

And she was off into the darkness of the woods.