Dark Walk

"I don't understand why you can't leave me with Sage. He's just a pup," she protested, still stumbling along beside him when they entered a dense mass of trees.

"He's not the only pup," Zagan hissed, growing increasingly impatient with these emotions.

"Let me go," she tried again, only to have him ignore her. "Zagan!"

He whirled around on her, the light gone in his eyes. She had said the forbidden name.

"Why do you hate that name so much?" she asked in a tremulous voice. Maybe he needed a new name, too.

Having him glare at her like that was like staring directly into the eyes of every spine-chilling nightmare. He became them all.

"Should I call you Fred?" she tried, attempting to remain cool while the tremors in her body gave her away.