The intense heat of the desert did not stop the townspeople from being so friendly. Aimee rode on, thoughts of the strange boy from earlier in her head. Giving the occasional flap of her black stallion’s reins, Storm, his hooves gently clunking against the barren desert ground. She pulled her dark amber cloak over her face and eyes as the dust picked up, and Storm rode on faster.

She waved cheerfully towards the townspeople, hearing the jingling of coins, smell of old parchment, and the soft breathing of her own horse. She met a smaller village, with maybe one or two houses, spun Storm around and hopped off, giving him a gentle pat.

‘You stay there, boy,’ she said calmly, walking over to the sand coloured house.

It had clay pots and clay pans covering the windows, all ranging from blue to red to yellow. Shifting over quickly, she knocked on the open wooden door.

‘Hm?’ turned the person in the house. It was a younger woman with her blonde hair loosely on her shoulders. She gave a small smile.

‘Ah, just the person I needed to see.’

‘Sorry, Iris, I’m not staying long.’

‘Oh,’ replied Iris, resting her hands on the front of her desk, ‘that’s all right. What are you here for?’

‘I was wondering,’ mumbled Aimee, running her hand down all the pots and pans tied up from the ceiling so that they made gentle clanking noises, ‘if you had seen Disan anywhere.’

‘That poor boy?’ asked Iris. ‘I’m sure he’s somewhere in the forest. Playing with all the dogs, I suppose.’

Aimee chuckled. ‘That’s all he is to you, just a boy playing with animals?’

‘Well,’ said Iris. ‘He’s just a happy little spirit, isn’t he?’

‘I guess so. Thanks, I’ll see you later, Iris.’

‘Don’t forget to stop by again soon!’

Aimee jogged back outside and gave Storm a pat. ‘I can’t take you,’ she said, Storm whining. ‘It’s not safe there.’

Saying her goodbyes, she ran into the forest, a long iron spear protruding through the back of her amber cloak. The wind whistled throughout the trees, ducking and weaving, causing the branches to shuffle, so she headed further on, deeper into the forest.

She was met by six or less grey wolves all seeming to be playing together. Disan sat idly, not moving whatsoever, as the wolves jumped around and howled with glee, until their eyes locked with Aimee’s.

A growl crackled in the back of their throats, rumbling the ground fiercely. One of the wolves, with bright green eyes, stood in front of Aimee, as though he was protecting her. The others backed off.

The wolf suddenly stopped in motion. Disan quickly hustled over to Aimee.

‘Sorry about them,’ the young boy said, his bright green eyes twinkling. ‘I try to stop them, but it stops my human form from doing much.’

‘No, no,’ said Aimee, dazed. ‘What you can do is so, so special. Iris doesn’t even understand the likes of it.’

‘I know,’ frowned Disan. ‘I showed her at least seven times and she still thinks I talk to animals like they’re my best friends.’

‘Well, you do, don’t you?’

Disan narrowed his eyebrows and swept away.

‘That’s not the point, silly.’

‘I know, I know.’

He bent down and patted the wolf that had protected Aimee.

‘I call him Fritz,’ he said, ruffling the wolf’s ears. ‘He knows what I do.’

‘Does he really?’ said Aimee. ‘That’s cool.’

Fritz shifted off and went to play with the other wolves.