Blind and Faithful on a White Night

[Ru'Thor]

The night was blacker than pitch and the stars were hidden behind a blanket of clouds. It was nearly impossible to see two feet ahead in the forest, where the only sound was the gurgle of the stream that flowed alongisde the narrow path.

That, and the softly singing voice.

"Become as wings that outshine your sadness, cutting through the white darkness..."

The wolf that was loping alongside the owner of the voice huffed softly, and the boy paused, not looking at his companion but running his fingers through the wolf's fur.

"I know, Gatta, it's supposed to be in elvish... but I don't know the words."

The wolf huffed again, and the child nodded. "I know. It doesn't rhyme in Humantongue." He laughed, letting go of the wolf for just a moment to shove the brown hair from his eyes before reaching out like lightning to take hold again.

"Kanashii... kanashii hoo... mmm, it doesn't matter. You don't understand a word I'm saying, anyway."

Gatta gave no response to that, merely flicked his tail and pressed against the boy to keep him from stepping into the stream as they came to a bend in the path.

"Oh. Thank you." With his free hand, the youth reached a hand to his eyes, brushing his fingers against them. They didn't blink; didn't react at all.

A soft breeze picked up, rustling the leaves in the trees that surrounded them on all sides. A frog croaked as the clouds were blown aside, allowing weak light from the full moon to shine through and dimly illuminate the forest floor. Gatta lifted his head to look at his companion's face- What nerve he has, keeping his head so high that I can't see it- and looked away quickly, having looked the human in the eye.

Gatta, who had seen his wolf's share of humans, wasn't stupid. No wolf was. They were largely intelligent creatures, moreso than humans allowed themselves to think. So when he'd seen Thorin's face for the first time, weeks ago by the lake from which this endless stream flowed, he had known it immediately. Thorin's eyes were milky white. Thorin's eyes were not affected by light. Thorin's eyes didn't help him any, because Thorin was blind.

The gentle fall breeze continued to blow westward, hitting their backs. The frog croaked again. Thorin took up his song, and Gatta listened contentedly. The human boy was good company for one who had been away from the pack for so long.

"Pierce through the white-dyed night
Go on creating a new era
With a heart that's been released
Fly through the endlessly continuing white night."

[Mac]

He croaked again. He, or maybe 'it' if you wish, had never really considered a frog to be something worthwhile to be, but after he was forced to assume the form to hide from his pursuers, he found that he quite agreed with a philosopher that frogs have the easiest life. Or maybe it was toads?

Hopping behind a tree, he continued as a wolf. The change would cost him but it was worthwhile not to be in the clutches of the feuding heirs. His red-golden fur bristled, an astounding array of colors that would never be granted to a naturally born pup. A heavy golden collar, tarnished with age and mixed with varying alloys and charms for strength, hung low on his thick wolf neck. No symbols or rubies adorned it as they once had, for the foolish men had sold them and tried to remake his previous collar allowing the bound creature more freedom.

[Mac]

Eyes similar to the treasured green diamonds searched the darkness as his nose picked up the scent of a human and wolf, a real wolf, traveling west. Nose crinkled, he flashed unnaturally white teeth in their direction before plodding along behind. The other wolf would probably smell him and it would be rude to not help travelers, would it not?

He called forward to the pair with a short howl before he sensed their presence not a fathom, or few yards, ahead of him. The creature stopped with a lowered head as his claws dung deep into the earth.

[Ru'Thor]

Thorin and Gatta stopped in their tracks upon hearing that howl- or, moreover, Gatta did. Thorin stumbled forward and was only spared a sprawl in the dirt by grasping onto Gatta's neck fur.

"What was-"

Gatta nudged the boy gently, indicating for him to be quiet. Thorin pressed his lips together. Why hadn't his companion said a word all night?

In wolfspeak, Gatta called out to the howler, "Who are you? Leave us be, we are just passing through."

The blind boy sighed. It was bad enough that he couldn't see anything, but when he couldn't understand what was being said, either, he felt completely and utterly helpless.

[Mac]

It took him a moment to process what the wolf was saying, but since he had been with the first wolves who had called themselves wolves he was able to puzzle it out.

"I am sorry I have crossed your path, but I myself am traveling alone in the same direction as yourselves." Stepping forward a bit he narrowed his eyes to see the forms of the pair before him. "I hope your human and yourself don't mind if I add another to your party? For three against the night is better than two."

How he had missed being amoung the people of the land. For so long he'd been couped in a cave, and then he had spent another three hundred being passed amoung High Lords and kings, but now he was almost free.