My eyes opened the moment I felt something wet hit my face. In a sleepy daze, I blinked a few times, letting my eyes adjust to the blinding sight of snow to the left of me. I turned onto my side, feeling immense aching as my hand gripped the stony cave floor I'd slept on. 

Splash! 

Raising a blistered hand to my face, the sensation of wetness caused me to look up. That's when another droplet fell from one of the many melting icicles on the roof of the cave, dispersing on my nose. 

"So, that's what woke me up."

Lifting my chest until I was sitting upright, I rubbed my hands together before attempting to transfer the heated friction to my numb legs. For twenty-seven years, I lived in this icy tundra, but that didn't mean my body faired well to the harsh conditions. Once I managed to move my toes that were buried deep in my snow boots, I stood to my feet and walked the short distance to the mouth of the cave, where Oak slept.

Ever since we'd been linked, her cycle had adapted to mine, forcing her to live differently than other owls of her kind that were nocturnal in nature. 

"Oak," I called, crouching down in front of her. 

Lightly stroking her wings, I smiled when her all black eyes opened, peering into mine. 

"I know you want to rest, but we have to keep moving if we want to beat the next storm."

Purring into my touch, Oak spread her wings as she kicked her legs, waking up her stiff muscles.

"That's my girl," I praised, standing straight up.

I watched as her gaze lingered on me for a second more before she took flight, instantly looking larger as she flew. Grabbing my leather pack, I secured it on my back and ran after her, following my shadoe. 

What's it looking like up there?

As my body continued it's pace of pursuit, my eyes widened when that familiar tug pulled at me. My fingers curled as my sight became that of Oak's. From her vantage point, I could see everything around me. The large pine trees looked miniscule from where she soared, and only with her keen sight was I able to make out my figure down below. Lost in awe of how beautiful the desolate land looked from above, I sensed Oak urging me to avert my attention northwest. 

"A village," I spoke, the sound only audible in my mind due to the distance from my physical self.

As if exhaling a breath, I forced my essence back to my body, feeling the smooth tingles as I left my shadoe. 

Take the shortest way there.

Going the course Oak led, I maneuvered through the thick patch of forest she soared over, keeping an eye out for any traps. Hunters weren't common in this region of Icadia, but some dared.

Every so often, I would feel Oak change direction slightly, and would look up until I spotted her through the canopy of snow coated pine needles. Her calm composure always tended to leak onto me, which I was grateful for, but every so often she would lose it. I never knew when it would happen, until it was too late, and when her ear shattering screech erupted, I knew.

It was too late.

Her constant roar had my heart racing, my blood pressure rising and I frantically searched my surroundings for what had her so spooked. That's when I caught a glimpse of what she saw. It was quick, only a flash because her emotions were too wild for the tether to stay steady, but what she saw completely validated her response. 

Wolves.

With the aid of Oak's enhanced hearing, I was able to pick up on so many sounds I originally was deaf to; one in particular chilled me more than the below zero temperatures.

No more that twenty meters south of my location, a pack of wolves growled. The delicate way they stalked closer toward me proved ironic in light of their vicious intentions. I knew the moment I tried to run, the chase would begin...but I had no other option. My only chance would be to make it to the village I was headed toward and hope the wolves wouldn't risk entering another pack's territory.

We'll be fine, Oak.

Mentally willing for her to focus on getting to the village, I waited for her to go, bolting as soon as she did. I ran as fast as I could, fighting the resistance of the sticky terrain, trying my best to be light and fluid in my movements.

My breathing grew heavier the longer I continued, the increase visible with each exhale due to the cold. I moved fast, but the wolves moved faster. Taking a quick glance back was a mistake, resulting in me seeing just how close one of the wolves had gotten.

Its fur was a ruddy brown, its teeth shining from the slobber dripping from its dark gums. The glow of its eyes dulled in comparison to the bright snowy environment, but at night, I was certain they'd be terrifying.

Just as it leapt at me, Oak dove from the sky, already on her way because of what she saw through the bond. Her large talons were spread, aimed right at the wolf as its sole focus was on me.

Turning back around, I took advantage of this opportunity and sprinted at a speed I'd had yet to reach. I knew Oak's blow had done damage when a dog-like whimper filled the air, and I caught a glimpse of her view of the injured wolf as she returned to the sky.

Good girl.

The further I ran, the thicker the woods got, and soon I was struggling to avoid the trees. Low branches stuck out, scratching my face, causing me to hiss in pain, but I pressed on, fully aware of the wolves nipping at my heels.

DON'T.

I could feel Oak wanting to swoop down and help, but I would not allow it. It was extremely rare for me to use my dominant voice with her, because I liked giving her a choice in what she did, but here I would not give her that right.

Her whining cries fell from above, showing her unhappiness with my command, but safe in the sky is where she would stay. If it were just one wolf, like before, I would let her help, but the whole pack was on me now. If she tried to get one, the others would pounce and I might lose her. I couldn't lose her. I wouldn't.

Through the quick flashes of her sight, Oak was able to show me just how close I was to the village, but I wasn't sure if I could make it. The snow was beginning to weigh down my legs, and the cold air was drying out my lungs as I gasped for air. I'd never had to run this long before, and it was showing.

Up ahead, I could see a clearing coming into view, and yet, Oak's anxiety was overwhelming. That couldn't mean anything good, but if I wasted even one millisecond looking back, it could very well be the last thing I ever did.

A few seconds passed and the high-speed chase continued. It was a miracle I had managed to outrun them for so long. Surely, Oak was transferring as much of her agility to me as possible, and I prayed it would be enough.

My ears raised as the sound of whimpers came from behind me. Oak was still soaring above, watching over me as closely as she could without breaking my command, so she was not the cause of their yelps. Curiosity was eating away at my resolve to stay focused on escaping, but the feel of claws ripping at my boots reminded me of why I couldn't look back.

The snarls of the wolf vibrated off of my overworked limbs, and I could feel the hungry heat radiating from its breath through my clothes. But, I was just a few steps from the clearing. Even if I didn't make it out of this unscathed, my hope was that someone from the village would see and help before the wolf could deliver a death blow. 

Just as my aching stride stretched past the last two trees in my way, a heavy weight pounded into my back, sending me face first into the ground. The snow cushioned my fall to a small extent, but underneath the freshly fallen snow was a thick layer of ice that had formed from the never ending winter.

My vision blackened as the growls of the wolf penetrated my eardrum, it's snout so close to my head. The only separation between the two was the hood of my light grey caribou coat.

Screech!

"Oak, no!" I ordered, turning around in one swift motion.

The wolf was hovering over me, it's steady stream of drool burning my throat where it landed while it's mangy black fur stuck up in every direction. Staring the wolf in its darkened eyes, I felt all the panic Oak did. It pained me not to lift the command, but it was to protect her. Her cries would sound like noise to others, but to me they were like a song, a song that only we knew, and I didn't mind if they were the last thing I heard.

"Ahhhhh!" I screamed, my back arching in distress as the wolf's claws dug into my shoulders.

The sound of my coat being torn replayed in my mind as my shouts faded out. This beast was playing with me, making me suffer before it killed me. I was at its mercy, and it clearly had none.

Oak was a mess, her emotions in a knot as she circled us in the air, her shadow casting over my face every so often.

Don't watch.

Just as I sent her that message, a hot liquid splattered onto my face, it's temperature a stark contrast in comparison to the ice I laid on. At first, I thought it was mine, but the fading of life in the wolf's eyes brought my attention to the spearhead potruding right in between them. The point was mere inches from my own head, and I watched, frozen as a drop of blood dripped onto my lip and then my eyes lowered to the brain matter scattered on my coat.

The sound of footsteps approaching preceded the removing of the dead animal from on top of me, revealing three men. Two of them carried the wolf away, while the other extended his ungloved hand. Reaching out, I grabbed it, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

Looking past him, I noticed the trail of dark red liquid leading back into the forest where several other wolf bodies laid, arrows sticking out of each of them. Checking the man out, I found no bow on him. Now looking him in the eye, I wondered how just three men managed to take down an entire pack of wolves.

"Thank you," I said first, expressing my gratitude once I'd found my voice.

"Your thanks is not necessary. We now have food to feed our people," he replied, gesturing to the pile of bodies his companions had created near the gate of what I assumed to be their village.

Opening my mouth to respond, Oak's call lifted my gaze to her. Squinting through the sunlight, I raised my arm as a perch for her.

You can come.

Without hesitation, she descended, landing gently on me, still aware of the wounds I gained through the scuffle. Resting my forehead against her head, she purred, her coos much more desirable than her cries.

We're okay.

"Amazing."

Suddenly remembering the company I had, my eyes darted toward him. His slightly tanned complexion stood out to me as genetic—the sun's rays couldn't cause that in this tundra. His dark brown eyes seemed kind, but I didn't like the way he was watching Oak and I.

Perceiving my suspicions, he raised his hands in surrender.

"My apologies, it's just...I haven't seen a shadoe-bond quite like yours before."

Latching onto his words, my interest was peaked.

"You've seen others?"

"Only a handful, but not like the two of you," he answered, his tone sounding amazed. "Not even in the tales."

"Heath!" one of the other men called, causing the brunette man in front of me to turn to them. "You need to update the others!"

Nodding his head, he turned back to me, an eyebrow raised.

"Would you be interested in meeting other lynks?" he asked.

Ever since I found Oak, I'd wondered how we differed from others like us. The man's offer was tempting, pulling at the longing I had for questions to be answered, but solitude was my way of life. I was a wanderer who didn't like the company of many. Judging by the amount of carcasses the men were taking back, I could tell this wasn't a small village. I could tell I wouldn't belong.

"No. I have somewhere I need to be," I lied, taking a step past him.

When my footing wavered and a sharp pain shot through my leg, I looked down. Oak had hopped to the ground, her eyes inspecting the same spot as mine. Blood gurgled out of my right thigh, staining the untouched snow beneath it.

"We have a healer at our camp. It's just north of our village," Heath shared, offering help once again.

Looking at Oak, she urged me to accept, knowing how stubborn I was about things like this. Not wanting to risk infection, or attract other predators through the scent of spilt blood, I faced Heath, eyeing him with evident distrust.

A friendly grin spread across his lips as he realized this was my way of accepting his help. Walking over, he tried to lift me up, but I smacked his hands away.

"I was just going to-"

"I can walk there. Just lead the way," I interrupted, my tone showing I would not waver in this choice.

Standing up straight, he nodded his head and began walking. Exchanging a glance with Oak, she lifted off into the sky, guarding me from above as I followed this man to his camp...something I never would have done, had my life not depended on it.

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Author's note:
I hope you enjoyed the first real chapter of Sparrow. Thanks for clicking and giving this story a chance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.
-Mac