Tail of Hope

By Moriah Chavis

“I’m not insane,” I mutter to myself as I pace the entrance of the tent.

I’m supposed to be helping my older brother close the tent after the biggest market of the season. Ours is situated at the outskirts of the rest.

But it’s hard to focus when you see an extinct animal running through the woods.

A flash of gray catches the corner of my vision.

“Mags!” Alyx calls as I step into the rain. “What’re you doing? Get under the tent.”

My eyes race over the shadows. Patches of light and dark seem to move as I search the forest for another glimpse.

“Did you see that?” I ask, angling toward it.

He sighs, stepping into the rain. “Nothing’s—”

“There it was again!” I run toward the forest, my feet slipping on the soaked vegetation scattered along the path.

The fluffy gray wolf steps out. Both tails flick, and my hands go to my mouth.

“Oh my gods,” I squeak. “Alyx. Alyx!” I glance over my shoulder, but he’s talking with a customer about the newest sword in his collection.

I curse, and the wolf pup sprints away, disappearing beneath the brambles. I rush back into the tent, grabbing Alyx’s arm. “Alyx—”

“Maggie,” he snaps, flashing the customer a grin. “I apologize—”

“A Kilkenny pup, Alyx! It was right here—”

He grabs my arm, eyes wide as he yanks me into the back. “Keep your voice down!” he hisses.

“But a Kilkenny pup—”

“A two-tailed wolf?” He blinks. “They’re extinct, Mags.”

“I saw it,” I insist, tugging him toward the trees. “You know what that means? Someone is breeding them! Grandfather said when the wolves return, so will magic.”

Alyx pinches the bridge of his nose. “Mags, it’s been a long day, you’re tired—”

“But—”

He waves his hand. “There was no wolf, Mags! You’re sixteen. It’s time to let go of Grandpa’s fairytales.”

I step back, eyes burning.

He sighs and grabs my bag from under the counter. “Go find us some dinner. I’ll see you at the meeting spot after I close the tent.”

“Fine,” I say, jerking my bag from him.

I head toward the fountain, huddled under my cloak. Hints of spices and freshly cooked chicken meet my nose, and I turn toward the smell. My eyes catch movement, a flash of gray dashing between tents.

It’s not a fairytale.

And I’ll prove it.

I sprint forward, pushing through the crowd, and ignoring the ruffled protests that trail behind me.

The animal dashes through the vendors, and I squeeze between stalls, dodging more complaints. The wolf pup turns into an alley, and I race toward it, skidding to a stop around the corner.

My chest heaves with exertion as I scan the dimly lit corridor, stomach sinking.

“Where’d you go?” I whisper.

My eyes adjust to the murky light, and I find the pup in the corner, ripping into the flesh of what looks like roasted chicken.

“Hello,” I whisper, relief clutching my chest. I step forward slowly, hands out.

The pup looks over his shoulder.

I lean down. “Are you all alone?”

He tilts his head, nose twitching.

“It’s okay,” I whisper.

The pup takes a step toward me, then another. A few steps later, his wet snout brushes against my hand. My cheeks ache from the smile stretched across my face.

Suddenly, there’s a resounding crack as a queen’s guard slaps his whip against the alley’s stone walls. “Grab the pup and arrest the girl,” he orders.

The pup skirts away, and loud footsteps pound around me. Someone yanks me up, throwing me against the wall.

“Get that wolf!” someone shouts. “You’re under arrest for harboring illegal magic. The penalty is death—”

A scream builds in my throat, but the man holding me silences it with his gloved hand. “Don’t even think about it,” he sneers. “Unless you really want to become friendly with the noose.”

A howl pierces my ears, and I pitch forward in pain. My palms press to my ears, and warm liquid tickles between my fingers. We all drop to the ground, the sound still ringing inside my skull.

I open my eyes and stumble back at the sight of the pup staring at me. He grasps the cuff of my tunic between his teeth and yanks me away. His strength astonishes me.

The guards struggle to stand, blood dripping from their ears. We rush out of the alley, but he pauses at the entrance and turns back to his intended capturers.

The pup’s sides swell as he inhales.

I cover my ears as he lets loose an even louder howl. As the guards fall, I rush after the sprinting pup through the market. We run into the forest, the sound of my pounding feet matching the thundering of my heart. I reach out, pushing through low-hanging branches and stumbling into the thicket. A sharp pain rises in my chest, but I’m unwilling to stop until I’ve reached the edge of the meeting place at the meadow. I fall against the closest tree and land in a pile at its base.

The Kilkenny pads over to me, sniffing my hand. I flip over my palm, and the pup’s tongue flicks out, tasting my skin. Heat spreads over the spot where his saliva rests on my flesh. A scream rises in my throat as the pain intensifies. It quickly fades. In its place sits a symbol branded in a pearly white. The small swirl stretches down to the bottom of my hand, the tail branching in two directions.

“Did—did you mark just me as your life companion?” I whisper, gazing at the mark.

“Maggie?”

Alyx breaks through the trees and stops, his face turning white. “A Kilkenny pup.”

I hold out my hand, and he takes a step back.

“Told you. This little guy saved my life. He might save us all.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Moriah Chavis is a two-time graduate from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Library and Information Science. She currently works as an elementary librarian in North Carolina. When not reading or writing, she can be found at the bookstore adding another book to her endless TBR, knitting, or drafting something new.

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