MARILOU RODOLF

Chapter 6

Marilou: Why? Why do you trust me? why do you say that I am powerful? you do not know me

Gloria: Maybe not but it feels

Marilou: You mean... are you a witch?

Gloria smiled and Marilou then deduced that was the case.

Marilou: The king says I'm a witch

Gloria: And?

Marilou: And what?

Gloria: And you are?

Marilou: No, of course not.

Gloria: Do you even know what it means to be a witch?

Marilou: Well, isn't it having hundreds of cats and a mess full of silly stuff?

Gloria: Haha, well sent but more precise, a witch is a different person from others. A person able to see or do things that normal people would not do or see.

Marilou: That's very cool

Gloria: Yes a bit like you

Marilou: So you think I'm a witch?

Gloria: Yes and obviously you're the only one to doubt it.

Marilou: It's because I don't know, I never actually learned

Gloria: You can learn here if you want

Marilou: Learning here?

Gloria: Actually...

Lady Gloria jerked the door open and Gloria jumped out of bed.

Lady Gloria: Are you still here? What are you waiting for to go to bed?

Gloria: I was helping Marilou to remove all that

Lady Gloria: Go to bed it's time

Gloria: Right away ma'am

Lady Gloria: You too young lady and double lock the door

Marilou: Why?

Gloria: Do what she tells you, close the door tightly and at the slightest problem you shout my name ok? There's an echo from here to my room I'll come right away

Marilou: Understood

Gloria: Good night

Marilou: Good night Gloria.

Marilou locks the door as Gloria had just told her before going to bed comfortably in this cozy bed. She was happy in spite of herself and wondered how she could have been unaware that such beautiful things existed under her nose when she knew nothing about it. She daydreamed, forgetting her village for one night.

Michael stood on the mountain where he used to watch the twilight with Marilou. The setting sun offered a spectacular view as usual, its yellow and orange skin stretching as far as the eye could see showing how distant and inaccessible the horizon was.

Roger had just joined him without him even realizing it, he put his hand on the shoulder of his son who had turned around.

Roger: You're pensive tonight

Michael: How not to be? Marilou must feel so alone right now in the midst of all these strangers whose rules and thoughts she ignores. I am not reassured

Roger: Me neither son, me neither

Michael sat up abruptly and faced his father.

Michael: So what are we waiting for? let's go get her

Roger holds him back by the arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Roger: You know very well that we cannot intervene on his behalf, no one can oppose the king, not even us.

Michael: It's unfair, why do we always have to feel inferior to those in power? We live under the pressure of seeing the royal guard land here to take our men of fighting age, we live in the most total submission even knowing that we have nothing to envy them. On the contrary, it is we who should be above them because it is we who cultivate the fields, it is we who build our own houses, it is we who care for our sick, we who bury our died on the battlefield. So tell me father why are they above us? Why are they the ones who have the most beautiful wives, the most beautiful houses and the best food? I just want to understand, it's unfair

Roger: You are right my son but unfortunately, it is the law of the strongest. Those at the top of the chain make the rules and we must abide by them until we can change the system.

Michael: I hear this far too often and yet no one has ever tried anything father, we live in fear of being decimated from one day to the next if ever our nature was discovered. You know we could have attacked them and ended it once and for all but fear paralyzes you all and well not me, I have enough courage for you and me, I would be the one who will finally act instead of s pity because that's what you all do.

Roger: You don't fight an opponent bigger than you using force, no, he uses his head high.

Michael: So? What are you suggesting me ? 'Cause unless you got a better idea, I'll go

Roger: For now, let's get ready, it will soon be time, it's the full moon, you'll have to watch over the rest of the village until dawn.

Michael looked at his father for a moment with tears in his eyes and nodded.

They were both coming down the mountain, you could see in the distance men and women covered in large brown fabrics with flashlights. Michael knew precisely what that meant, as his father reunited with a few men armed with axes and torches ready to leave. Michael looked at them admiringly, he felt weak vis-à-vis the others. He just turned 17 and he still hadn't triggered the curse, he felt incomplete, left out.

Roger: Don't worry about it, when the time comes, you can come with us too.

Michael: I know but, I see comrades joining you when we are the same age and it breaks my heart to have to stay here like a good for nothing, I want to fight dad, I want to be a wolf to full share. I admit that I don't know where I am anymore, I don't deserve to be an alpha

Roger: Hey, don't ever say that again, do you understand me? You will be a better Alpha than me I am sure. The main thing is not only to transform you, an Alpha must be respected first as a Man and then as a leader of the pack, you understand?

Michael nodded in response and continued to watch the spectacle of preparation before him. Roger patted him on the shoulder and outstripped him.