"Are they dangerous?"
"Dangerous? No, not here and now, at least. They won't attack if that's what you are worried about! They are here most likely to be sure we don't hide you or you run away."
He took a deep sigh, and I just knew he was thinking of Toke.
"He is going to see reason, right? Calm down and realize we can't just run off like that?"
"I hope he will. I mean, it is not that bad of an idea. But at the same time, it will mean he can never come back. He must give up his rightful title and rank. That can take a toll on his wolf! And it is not easy living life as a Rogue. Worst case, they will find out we knew about it, helped, or know where he is, and it will cause a war between us. Again."
"So we need to talk to him."
"Don't think there is much you can say. A male's drive to be with his mate is strong. Very strong! And that also makes you both so special. I don't know if he told you this, but we haven't had destined mates here for a very, very long time. This is a sign! This a sign for us all that it is still possible! That the moon goddess still remembers us. But the claim from the barbarian is unfortunate! I don't doubt there are valid reasons for their statements, and they rarely do anything without being sure. So I'm both worried and confused about this, I must admit, little human."
"Well, we can't leave. He can leave if he likes. I won't. What about everyone here? The kids? The girls? No, I won't leave. I will talk to him!"
"Good luck with that. I hope you succeed! If not, we do have to figure out something!"
"Don't be so negative! Toke might be a little rash sometimes, but he's not stupid! And he cares about his pack. Right? He doesn't have to like it. Just see reason."
And I really did believe he would, but it all turned out to be even more difficult than I expected. He was already pacing back and forth, cussing and packing. I sat on the edge of his bed and watched as he seemed to lose his marbles one by one. Something about this situation made me feel a bit uneasy. In my eyes, Toke is the one I assumed would always stay calm and collected. But right now, he was far from it,
"Stop! Please just stop!"
"No, we need to get going as soon as possible! This is not safe anymore! I can't keep you safe here!"
He kept on ranting, pulling out drawers, clothes, weapons, and god knows what throwing it all down in a small leather bag. Then he wanted to pull the covers and pillows off the bed, and I stayed put. Even going so far that I leaned back and grabbed the pillow.
"Just stop! Okay? Breath! Your dad said they are not a threat! The howling thingy, it was just them announcing that they were here. They could have just stayed hidden, to you know, something I guess would have been best if they wanted to attack us. But they didn't, and they told us they were here in their own creepy way. So freaking stop before I smack you so hard you forget your own name! This pacing, stressing, and under-breath mumbling is making me irritated!"
He stopped, still with a firm grip around the cover, but he stopped. Took a couple of deep breaths and met my gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off,
"We are not leaving! Think Toke; you're not this stupid! What will happen to your pack if you leave like this? Who will lead them and protect them? Your dad? And after that? What if this starts a war? Do you really want to be the reason your friends, your pack members, have to fight for their lives? To put innocent children, the girls and women here, in a position like that? You can't do that. You know you can't! And what if we avoid a war? Huh? What are we, I mean you, going to do? Run the rest of your life? Your dad told me what it means to be a rogue. That's no life, not a life you take if having another option!"
I didn't realize how angry I was before I stopped talking. My fists clenched around the poor covers, my cheeks heated, and I heaved for air. I'm not sure why, when, or how it happened, but I realized I cared for these people. For all the women, kids, and this place. I didn't want to see it in burning ruins!
"That... That is not up to you. I'm sorry! But we are leaving!"
"Didn't you listen to a word I just said? What leaving could cause in pain and damages?"
"I know, and I am really sorry Eir! But this matter is not up for questioning, and we are leaving at midnight, even you want to or not. I will find you, and I will drag you kicking and screaming out of here if necessary!"
I got up and walked out without another word, and he had lost his mind! His tress pacing suddenly seemed to have infected me too, and I paced up and down through the village before I stopped. I needed Toke's father's help, but he ended up being more challenging to find than I expected! Instead, I found his mother at our new building. Or the old building we had made ours! I told her my plan, and even if she was reluctant.
Even if she didn't like it, she agreed it was better than the alternative. She helped me as best she could, but we had no way of finding out everything I needed. But the hours passed fast. The night had already covered the land in darkness, and the skies shimmered with hundreds of thousands of bright stars.
With only about half an hour to spare before Toke said we would leave, slipped out of the massive wooden gate. With a hooded, dark fur cape, I slipped into the darkness and headed straight for the forest. As I crossed the open field, it already felt like several eyes were watching me, following my every step. I still didn't know what I was doing, but I had a vague idea I hoped would work. And I hoped Toke would not snap out of his mind. Stumbling through the dark, dense forest, it didn't take long before a couple of massive shadows appeared on the little clearing ahead.
With my heart raging inside my chest, I stepped out on the clearing too. The cold moonlight was all that broke up the utter black veil over the forest, and in the middle waited for two massive black wolves. Bot followed me with their eyes; besides that, they didn't move. Not a muscle, I looked nervously around as I approached them and spotted several pairs of yellow, green, and orange eyes shining in the dark. God, this was a bad idea!