Chapter 1: Masiaka.

“ I wish they’d have killed him. He and that sister of his. Damn dirty they are, after being torn through that thing the Lightkiller created”
The words struck me like a stone. I had heard it all before, a hundred hundred times, and now it didn’t really hurt, but I still felt the blow. I shivered, and turned away hiding the tear the trickled down my face. I couldn’t show emotion. I had to make them believe I was like my sister. If I showed emotion someone might get close to me, and if some might get close to me emotionally.
I can’t let anyone do that. Not with the amount of control I have over my ‘power’. It’s awful, even if I think a plant is particularly lovely it withers when I feel emotion. I had to be blank and empty, like my sister.
I stared at the gathering. There were here for a reason. I had heard the words “Rodain” and “Lightkiller” whispered among the wolves. All of them, glanced occasionally at the Kyrnin, the pack that dwelt between.
They, the Kyrnin, had only been able to send a handful of representatives. Not the ten that each of the ‘packs’ usually sent. All the other ‘packs’ could afford it since each of their groups actually consisted of several packs, but the Kyrnin were at war, and could only spare a few of their people.
I noted that their leader, Chirikov, was not there. That was odd, because before this Chirikov had been diligent in attending every meeting of the Ten Packs. However a young female who looked like him was there.
I turned around to look at the female. She puzzled me. She was small, almost smaller than your average Trythhin, and despite her size and her youth she wore the pendant of the Aldhi. It was hard for me to believe she was a sorcerer, but she wore the pendant and wore it like it was part of her. The way all true Aldhi did.
She was also very attractive. I pushed this thought from my mind, I did not need to drive myself insane mooning over females when I could never have any. With the way emotions seemed to bend my power I could never have a mate, I doubted even one of the Aldhi could be safe. Anyway, the Aldhi rarely took mates unless they needed to have cubs, or were deeply in love.
I let my eyes drift off the young Aldhi and over the rest of the wolves gathered there. All the races seemed to be spread before me. The only thing that seemed to unite them was the way they cringed when my eyes traveled over them. All they saw was the blind eyes looking at them, they could not understand how I saw them, and what they could not understand disgusted them and made them fear me.
I myself couldn’t really understand how I could ‘see’ . I guess the way I see is different from the way others do. I once saw through another’s eyes. By accident of course. The world was so drab the way they saw it, if that is really how most see it. I am glad of my ‘blind’ eyes. I know they are blind, I’ve seen them in my reflection, covered with what looks like a milky white glaze. I don’t think that my eyes are what I see with. I think I must see with my mind.
I flicked my eyes back to the Aldhi. I couldn’t keep my mind off of her for some reason, and it wasn’t just that she was pretty, or young, or small, something about her was…different. And I couldn’t puzzle it out.
I realized she was looking at me not with a look of contempt or of fear but one of curiosity. I hastily attempted to look away from her, but failed. She stood up and padded towards me.
I was too shocked to move. I could only think of why the Aldhi could be approaching me. She came to my side and sat down, and was about to speak when the booming voice of Blindfire came across the clearing.
“ The Nine packs are gathered. It is time to begin! But I can only speak from tradition, there are now only Six Packs. My heart sorrows for those who left, their company will be missed and we must all wish them the best in their exploits,” Blindfire said from his place atop the larger rock den at one end of the clearing.
A halfhearted murmur of agreement chorused through the remaining six packs. The way the other three had left us during the winter was still a sore spot for them, and it had been rumored that one of the Trythhin wolves had actually killed one of the packs females that had wondered onto their territory. I looked at Bandari, their leader, and while the other wolves about him grudgingly agreed with Blindfire, he was as silent as a stone and his gaze was steady. Blindfire spoke again.
“ Today we have a new leader among us. Chirikov the ruler of the Kyrnin is not here. He entered the otherworld to lead a pack of scalefangs away from his pack and has not returned in three moons.”
This time a gasp ran through the crowd gathered and there were excited murmurings. A Few looked braced for the announcement though, and to my amassment the Aldhi beside me began to weep. Blindfire continued on raising his already loud voice above the noise of those gathered.
“ In his place his daughter Rodain is with us. Rodain, would you care to announce yourself and your purpose before the packs, to tell us why you have called us all together?”
“Lord Blindfire, I-I-I..I’m sorry. I need a moment. Father…he…He’s gone, and it’s just come back… It never really sunk in until you made the announcement” The Aldhi beside me said. Her voice was cracked and pained. I let out a little whimper of sympathy and she gave me a grateful look.
“Rodain, would you like to wait until you have gained some…composure to speak?” Blindfire asked.
Rodain, the Aldhi, nodded and choked back her tears. She looked embarrassed as well as mournful. She stood up and stalked away from the meeting, her tailed tucked between her legs and her head hung low. Her steps were shaky and after three of them she burst into a run as if she were trying to escape the scene. Blindfire unconcernedly continued the announcements. I stood up and glanced in the Direction Rodain had gone. It didn’t feel right to let her go suffer alone. I knew I shouldn’t follow her, with how I could hurt her, but I went anyway. She probably needed someone to talk to, someone who would listen.
And the heavens know I am good at listening.