Chapter 2: Rodain

I ran and I didn’t look back. I had shamed myself. Right there in front of everyone, and especially in front of that sightless I was sitting next to. He wouldn’t cry if he were in my shoes, and neither would any of the other ‘important’ people there. They wouldn’t cry.
I could only think of what they must think of me, an Aldhi and now a pack leader breaking down in tears like a little cub in front of them all. Ironically that only made me sob harder.
I finally began to slow down from my run. I was well into the forest now, far away from the clearing. I couldn’t run forever, even though I wanted to.
I saw a brook a little to my left and headed towards it. I collapsed down on it’s banks sobbing harder than ever. No one could hear me now, I could let my sorrows flow along with the brook, that is what you are supposed to do as and Aldhi. Not to let emotions control you to let them flow along in a brook formed in your mind. But It’s always easier to concentrate on the physical and I’d never been really good at the brook-in-my-mind technique.
But I was still sobbing, these emotions were raw pain, sorrow, and fear. I couldn’t believe it had taken this long to sink in. My father was gone. Gone forever. And now I had to take his place as the leader of the Kyrnin and lead them to battle with the scalefangs.
My crying was so loud I didn’t hear the padding behind me at all. I would have never had known anyone was there at all if I had not suppressed my bawling for a second and heard the soft whisper that spoke.
“Are you all right Aldhi?” the voice asked and I whirled. Sitting there on his haunches was the sightless I had been sitting next to earlier. He stared at me with is pale milky eyes. And though the eyes were eerie, I could since concern behind them.
I felt embarrassed all over again. This Sightless was concerned about me, and more than that he was…well… a he.. and not a bad looking one. He had an average length muzzle, slim eyes and a dark green coat with golden grown swirls on it, his ears came to delicate points , he looked a little too lean but he wasn’t starving.
I looked down at the ground fumbling for words. I always felt awkward talking to males, especially ones who looked halfway handsome.
“ I’m okay.. I guess. I really made an idiot out of myself back there, didn’t I?” I said, and the moment I said it I regretted it. This was not how pack leaders talked.
The Sightless stood up and moved beside me.
“Well, you did, but then again you didn’t. I doubt many who call themselves pack leaders could stand there so soon after the death of their father, or after being made Leader so quickly.” He said. His voice was so soft I barley heard it.
“Well, I still should have controlled myself long enough to tell them why I called them all, I’m Aldhi, not a pup.” I responded.
“You could always tell me why you called them all there. It might help some. I have a feeling what you’re going to say is painful and you don’t want to break down crying again,” He said.
“First I’ll need your name, Sightless. That way if I break down crying or something I can at least call you by your name.”
“ I’m called Masiaka by many”
“Masiaka…Caustic? That doesn’t fit you at all.”
“You’d be surprised.”
I shook my head for a moment and then my eyes widened “You’re acid aren’t you? The Destroyer?” I asked him. He cringed back from me as if expecting me to strike him and hung his head staring , staring at nothing with his blind eyes.
“So you’ve realized who I am?” he said.
“Well, yes. But, you shouldn’t cringe away like that. I’m not going to bite you. I’m not going to judge you based on the name you’ve been saddled with, “ I said “ I don’t like to do that kind of thing. Anyway, you don’t seem like an evil destroyer to me, so I’m not going to fuss over it. Now that I know your name I suppose you want know why I called this meeting?”
My tears were gone now. I couldn’t just stand there like a blubbering idiot in front of this sightless. And I couldn’t just let him look at me like he expected me to drive him off. My brain sifted through all the talk I had heard of ‘Acid’. One of the ‘corrupted’ sightless I remembered. Also Seemed to hold the abilities to create and destroy, but all the stories said he was a bitter creature who destroyed anything that displeased him in the least.
I blinked at the halfway cringing form in front of me. One thing was for certain. This was not the Masiaka of the stories.

He simply nodded in response to my question so I took deep breath and began.
“Well my pack, since we live in the in-between, has problems with creatures from the otherworld. One type of these creatures are the scalefangs, huge scaled monsters that can breathe fire.
They are not supposed to be in my world at all, they aren’t even supposed to be in the otherworld. At least that’s what the song-eagles say, and I’ll trust what they say since they were originally from the otherworld.
But anyway, as Blindfire said my father has…disappeared into the to otherworld. This is a result of the scalefangs growing too powerful too fast. We think that a new link to their home world has opened in the otherworld and now they are trying to open a link to this world, which would be dangerous for all.
I-I have this idea, maybe Lightfall could close the links. I know all the other packs think he’s evil and dangerous. But-but my father always said Lightfall was simply… confused. I was thinking maybe a few could leave and find him and-and I sound even more like a lunatic, don’t I?” I said.
Masiaka looked thoughtful for a moment then slowly shook his head.
“They, the packs, would think you are a lunatic. But I don’t. Your idea is the most logical one possible. Rather than waste time with some odd idea you are doing the most logical, you’re stopping the problem by cutting it off at the root. The means of solving the problem is a bit risky, but is it any more risky than letting the scalefangs invade the between?
But, though your answer to the problem is the best anyone could come up with I doubt they would see it that way. They’d only see you going to ask help of the ‘Evil Sightless’,” he said sarcastically, “You should carry out your plan, but you should leave now and not tell them about it. Otherwise, they will keep you from going any way they can. They might even put you under lock and key. You must go now. Don’t tell anyone. Just go.”
I stared at him blankly, my mouth slightly open. I twitched my tail like a can and tilted my head.
“What!? Are you REALLY crazy? I-I-I don’t know the way! I don’t have any idea even WHERE Lightfall is now, even if he still is alive. You think I would have come here if I knew? I would have started out weeks ago if I knew! I came here because I knew you and your siblings would be here, as well as your father-“
“Sire!” He snapped at me growling out the words at me. It was the first time he had raised his voice above the soft whisper. “Blindfire is no father. He’s simply my sire and nothing else.”
“ Yeah, well, whatever. I knew the sightless and their sire would be here. And if anyone knows about Lightfall it would be you people. Wait- YOU might know where Lightfall is! Do you?” I asked letting my voice rise with hope. He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.
“I know of Lightfall. Not much but a little. My brother, he lives and dwells in the high caves in the White Mountains.” He said almost reluctantly, “I almost wish I hadn’t told you. You need to go…but it’s so dangerous and you’re so…so…”
“Small?” I responded “ Yes, I am little, but I think I can handle it. Maybe, but well. I can’t say I’m looking forward to going all the way to the White Mountains. But I have to go. Just, gah you’re right. I can’t go alone. I don’t care if they’ll try to lock me up. Surely some will see that it needs to be done.”
“No! They won’t speak up even if they agree with you. Things are too tense right now. You’ll have to leave without telling them.”
“ All right then. What should I do Mr. let-the-little-she-wolf-go-to-prove-her-self-because-she-is-obviously-not-as-good-as-me? What do you want me to do? Walk right into my death in the middle of the mountains.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” He muttered looking embarrassed and ashamed. “ I meant … I meant…I don’t know what I meant. But you shouldn’t go alone.”
“Oh, so you’re volunteering to go with me then?”
“ Well…I…uh…erm…”
“ Give me a yes or a no , Masiaka.”
“Erm…uh….well…uh… maybe… er”
“Yes or no. Tell me. Now.”
He danced from foot to foot and looked almost like her was arguing with himself. He put his ears back and stared fixedly ahead. I decided that he needed some motivation to make a decision, and I didn’t have any wishes to go to the White Mountains alone I decided to try and get him to come with me. I wished silently that I hadn’t been quite so sarcastic before.
“ Well, if you won’t make the decision for yourself I’ll make it for you. You’re coming with me. As my escort.” I said.
He stared at me like I had just said I planned to jump off a cliff into a bed of spikes for fun.
“But, don’t you know what I am? What I could do? Haven’t you heard the stories about me?”
“I have, and I don’t give a damn. I don’t believe everything I hear. I guess we should start now. You said there wasn’t any time to waste. Lead the way oh caustic one.”
He made a little half-growl in his throat as if I had just bitten him. I instantly felt ashamed. I opened my mouth to apologize but he was already padding away. He paused and looked over his shoulder and called to me. And even though his voice was still soft if carried well.
“Are you coming or not?” He asked. I snapped my mouth shut and dashed up behind him in an attempt to catch up.