Story 1: Recovery: Part 3

Part 3

Orin sat cross legged with his hands resting comfortably on his lap. His eyes were closed and he sat very still. He could feel the sun warming his skin, and he could hear the steady thump from his heart as he calmly breathed in and out. Orin focused on his emotion, he let nothing be censored, he allowed everything that he was feeling exist somewhere in his mind. Meanwhile he was aware of Feaira slowly walking around him as he meditated. He could feel her curious gaze on him, the young girl had questions that she wanted to ask. As he readied himself for Feaira’s questions Orin also kept a peaceful yet concerned notice of the apple that rested on top of his head.

It was a basic werewolf meditation technique. The goal is to allow ones emotions to flow through the body, while also having a form of self-control. Even if the apple falls the meditation isn’t over. If it falls one must process any emotion they feel about letting the apple drop. Orin had practiced this technique when he was younger and had mastered it with the help from his brother and father.

Feaira’s feet shuffled a little as she walked around him. It was custom to have another werewolf watch and try to distract the person meditating in order to help them learn more self-control. Orin listened to her as she walked around him one more time before standing in front of him. He heard her give a slight breath in before she spoke.

“I’ve never seen a blue moon werewolf before.” Feaira expressed. “For some reason I thought that they would be really boring and shy.” She stated with an interested sound in her voice.

Orin smiled a little and opened his eyes looking at Feaira. “I changed your view on this?” He asked her simply.

Feaira nodded. “You’re not boring at all. You’re fun and have a great sense of humor. Not to mention that I don’t think you’re shy.”

Orin laughed a little making sure to keep himself still and calm. The apple only wobbled a little. “Oh, I can be shy. But my tribe and family weren’t stoic and serious all the time.” He explained to her gently. “We would have parties and festivals. We played pranks on each other and even could get into some fights.” Orin told her keeping calm and relaxed.

“But I thought blue mooners were pure pacifists. They wouldn’t hurt a fly even if it was in their home.” Feaira said looking at Orin with great curiosity in her eyes.

Orin chuckled a little more feeling the apple bob but not fall. “You’re sort of right.” He explained with a smile. “Blue moon werewolves believe that any act of violence will only lead to more violence which will lead to pain and sadness. We are devoted to peace and love, so violence is something that is perceived as the exact opposite of what we believe in.”

“So I was right.’ Feaira said looking at Orin with great attention. “You wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Well most likely blue mooners would try to get the fly out of their house first without harming it, but if it came down to the fly or the family. They would kill the fly.”

Feaira looked slightly amazed at this. “So does that mean that blue moon werewolves eat meat?” She asked.

“There is nothing against it.” Orin told her truthfully. “Only we are instructed to eat meat sparingly.”

“How do you get it?” Feaira asked him more interest in her eyes. “I mean, dad and mom go hunting, and with what I’ve seen, it’s not a very peaceful act.”

“Agreed,” Orin said calmly. “Most of the time my people go to markets and buy meat from shops. But in some cases a group of selected werewolves are sent out to hunt for food.”

“Selected?” Feaira asked tilting her head with slight confusion on her face.

“Yes,” Orin said with a kind smile. “Because it is an act of violence, the elders of the tribe must pray for guidance. It’s when they are done do they call on a select few werewolves to go on a hunt. They only do this if they know that it needs to be done.” He explained to her. “Any of the selected werewolves can decline to go, and others can volunteer, however that is rare.”

“Did you ever go?” Feaira asked him her eyes growing wide.

“No,” Orin chuckled. “But I do know how to hunt. My father took my brother and I once and taught us some survival tricks.”

Feaira tilted her head a little to the left and gazed at Orin with confusion. “Why would he show you how to hunt if he was a blue moon werewolf?”

Orin smiled at her with a clever grin. “That’s a fascinating tale to tell.” He stated watching as Feaira’s eyes grew even wider. “He wasn’t a blue moon werewolf when he was born.” Orin explained gazing at Feaira with a look of a story teller. It was becoming hard to concentrate on the apple on his head, but he welcomed the challenge.

“Was he a Silver moon, like my family?” Feaira asked with excitement in her voice.

“Nope,” Orin told her simply. The apple wobbled a little but Orin kept it steady.

Feaira’s excited face fell and a more shocked look took her features. “He wasn’t a Red mooner.” She stated with shock and slight disgust in her voice.

“He was.” Orin revealed to her.

“No way.” Feaira said with a shudder. “Then that would mean that you are.” Feaira’s face turned from shock to fear as she gazed at him with a deep weariness.

The gaze she was giving him made Orin feel uncomfortable. She was actually afraid of him, he could see in her eyes that she feared he would harm her, and he could hear her heart rate increase. Orin’s smile faded and he looked at Feaira with concern. “I was born in a blue moon werewolf tribe, which was years after my father left his pack and joined with the blue mooners.” Orin explained to her gently.

Feaira’s worried expression faded and her eyes became more curious again. “Why did he leave?” she asked a more serious look over her face.

“My father was deep down a kind and loving person. When he got older he couldn’t handle the carnage his family and friends were causing. So he left and stumbled upon Crater Valley. The rest is history.” He said to her with a kind smile.

Feaira had a deeper more contemplating look over her face. “You actually have red moon werewolf blood inside of you. That’s so weird, I thought red moon werewolves would look scary and ugly.” She admitted to him.

“I might have blood of the red moon werewolves in me, but I was raised blue moon.” He explained to her. ‘I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Feaira looked down at the ground acting like she was afraid to speak. “My dad said you attacked him.” She said looking back up at Orin with concern in her eyes. “Why would you do that?” She asked.

Orin was taken aback by her question and had to concentrate on not letting the apple on the top of his head roll off. “I didn’t mean to.” He told Feaira gently. “The dark power that affected me for so long is still present. It’s connected to my shame and sadness that I can’t let go of.”

The young girl gazed up at Orin with apprehension in her eyes. “Jimson and I heard dad tell mom that you were forced to do terrible things.” Feaira looked at him with deep wonder in her eyes. “How did it feel to be under the control of a blood stone? Dad said they are one of the greatest threats to werewolves. But I can’t see how a stone can be so dangerous.” She explained simply.

Feaira’s question troubled Orin. The feelings of fear and anxiety began to grow inside of him as he gazed at her. Orin concentrated on the apple that was still resting on his head. It was wobbling because of the stress that was moving over his body. Orin gently cleared his throat and gazed at Feaira kindly. “Blood stones are extremely dangerous. Just one can enslave thousands of werewolves.” Feaira’s eyes widened with fear in her gaze.

Is that what happened to you?” She asked him with concern. “Were you part of an army?”

Orin sighed and focused on not fighting his thoughts and feelings. He was also hard pressed on keeping the apple steady on his head. Despite his growing stress and sadness Orin looked at Feaira with kind yet powerful blue eyes. “To be under the influence of a blood stone is like being split in two.” He explained to her shuddering over how he felt the first time the dark wizard used one of the bloodstones on him. The apple visibly wobbled causing Feaira to notice. But Orin was able to steady it. “One side is everything that makes you good and happy, while the other side is everything that makes you feel anger and rage. The part of you that is good and kind is pushed away and the only thing left are the dark feelings of anger and pain.” He explained to the young one a serious gaze coming over his face as he remembered those times. “Then your mind is split, your very being is cut in half.” Orin’s eyes grew wide as he could feel it happening to him as he explained it to Feaira. “I was pushed aside, and the wizard had control of everything else. He had complete command over part of myself that was subconscious and dark. All I wanted to do was serve him and cause unspeakable pain to everyone I made contact with.” Feaira gazed at Orin with great concern on her face as his eyes began to flash a deep red. Suddenly Orin herd the wizard’s voice in his mind. He gazed at Feaira as the wizard spoke to him.

“Destroy her, then kill the rest.” The voice said with deep command to it. “Come back to me Orin, you can set me free again. I can rule you, don’t you want that. Just kill them and join with me again.” Orin’s eyes turned red and he gazed at Feaira with a deep hatred coming over him. He wanted to strangle her, he had to kill her and the rest. His master commands it. A deep growl starts to form in his throat as Feaira’s gaze turns from concern to fear. The wizard suddenly appeared behind Feaira and looked Orin straight in the eyes. “Do it, destroy them all.” His evil sneer plastered all over his dark face.

“Orin?” Feaira asked looking at him with deep alarm in her eyes now. “Are you okay?”

Orin gazed at the wizard his eyes shining a deep red while fear surging through him. He wanted to follow the dark wizard’s wishes. He wanted to be controlled again. Yet as he looked at the wizard he didn’t move. Orin’s body tensed and he closed his eyes feeling the power and darkness move over him. He needed to let it go, and find the peace inside himself. The faces of the people he killed moved over his mind and Orin began to feel great sadness. He kept his focus and allowed the sadness and shame to fall over him. He could still hear the wizard in his head, telling him to do horrible things. The apple was wobbling more violently as Orin tried to keep his focus. Everything seemed to fade into black for him as the wizard’s voice got louder. Orin was losing himself, and couldn’t find the way out. Suddenly a voice spoke his name as it snapped him out of his vision. Orin opened his eyes and gazed at Feaira, his eyes, their normal blue color again. The feelings he was having begun to fade, but he knew that he hadn’t gotten rid of them, not yet.

“Are you okay?” Feaira asked him with worry in her voice.

“Ya,” Orin said with a deep sigh. “I was just remembering those horrible times.”

“Sorry I brought it up.” Feaira told him looking down at the ground with shame in her eyes.

Orin smiled kindly at her. Hey,” He said gently getting Feaira’s attention. As the girl lifted her head, Orin tilted his crown to the right a bit allowing the apple to fall.    He quickly bounced it off his right shoulder causing it to land on his arm and roll to his elbow. Then with a skilled flick of his whole arm the apple flitted into the air causing Feaira to lift her head and watch it. Orin held out his right hand and easily caught the apple. He smiled at Feaira and offered her the fruit.

“That was amazing.” Feaira told him with excitement in her voice. “Where did you learn that?” She inquired before graciously taking the apple and gazing at it.   

Orin chuckled a little and got himself to calm down and let all his feelings fall into place. “I learned how to master this practice long ago.” He told her with a smile.

“So you’re good?” Feaira asked him looking past him and over to the home that was behind him.

“Ya,” Orin told her with a calm laugh and nod. “I’m done, thanks for spotting me.” He told her with a smile.

Feaira grinned and stood up while taking a bite out of the apple. “It’s my pleasure.” She said with a full mouth. She ran past Orin and over to the house were Gabes had just walked out of. “Hi, dad.” Feaira said happily before moving past him and into the home.

Gabes smiled at her as she passed before he turned his attention onto Orin. His eyes had a concern on them that worried Orin as he stood and turned to face Gabes. As he moved closer he smiled at Orin but he could still see the concern over his eyes. “Feaira and Jimson are becoming more smitten with you day by day.” Gabes said as he walked in front of Orin.

“They’re good kids.” Orin said with a kind smile.

“Yes, yet they are still young, and so trust easily.” Gabes acknowledged the concern in his eyes growing a bit more.

Orin looked down knowing why Gabes acted concerned. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone about my heritage.”

“I was surprised when I heard you tell Feaira of your father.” Gabes said looking deeply at Orin. “Red moon werewolves are more than just dangerous, they are a terrible scar on the name werewolf.” Gabes had a hint of anger in his voice as he spoke.

Orin bowed his head and sighed. “I understand if you wish me to leave.” He told Gabes looking up at him with a pensive sadness in his eyes. “I’ve seen the darkness of red moon werewolves, I know how evil they really can be.” Orin gazed back at the ground as he remembered when he was with the dark wizard and a large group of red moon werewolves. They weren’t even under the influence of the blood stone and they still destroyed so much. Orin shook his head slightly as he remembered himself helping a group of red moon werewolves kill an entire family.

Gabes walked closer to Orin braking him out of his thoughts. “I’m not going to ask you to leave.” He told him with a smile. Orin looked up at him with surprise over his face. “Like you said you were raised as a blue moon werewolf, just because you have the blood of the red mooners doesn’t make you bad.”

“I would never want to use violence on any one.” Orin said gazing at Gabes with a steadfast stare.

Gabes smiled and then chuckled a little about something. “Well, you’re going to have to change that attitude a bit.” He said to him with a smile again. Orin didn’t understand what Gabes was saying, and before he had time to question it Sharean called out to both of them from the house announcing that dinner was ready. “Come on.” Gabes told Orin with a welcoming grin. “You’ll need food and rest for tomorrow.”

Orin followed Gabes to the house not sure what he was talking about.