no time here in space

The forest swam with shadows murkier than those of the wetlands. Malachi parted his mouth and scents wafted through him, but wherever he turned he could see only shadows and midnight forms of countless wolves ebbing in and out of the hazy fog. They remained faceless and aloof, and no matter how fast he ran toward one, they would disappear with the mist before he could see their face. Surrounded yet alone. A shiver coursed his spine, and Malachi twitched in his sleep. They spoke in whispers he mistook for the rustling of wind through the canopy leaves. He chased them this way and that and soon his legs grew weary at their taunts and he lowered himself shakily to the ground, their voices still whistling as he shut his eyes and ears against the shadow wolves.

Reality met him when he opened his eyes and he blinked several times to realign himself with the world. The forest here merged too easily with the one of his dreams, and he felt his limbs ache as he moved them one by one away from his body. Exhaustion weighed his eyes. On the air he could taste the scents of his packmates and after a moment he rolled over and lifted his head to scan the forest with a heavy gaze. A part of him expected to see the forest wolves again, but as he looked he saw nothing but trees. Fog did not linger here, and as he cupped his ears he could hear nothing but the sound of night creatures busying themselves before the dawn, and a whisper of the wind through the canopy leaves -

'Nýeldur.' Malachi's eyes widened at the voice and he pulled himself to his paws despite the buzz of exhaustion that trilled through his core. The voice spoke in a language he had never heard before, and he felt his chest tighten as he darted his eyes around the shadowy trees. Then, he saw him, a wolfish figure with his back toward him standing some lengths away. Malachi froze as visions of his night terrors trickled back through his mind. Immediately, Malachi tasted the air. At first he couldn't quite place the scent, but felt a small relief when he recognized it as the other male who'd joined the travels some days back. Yet the whisper of strange words still rang in his ears and left him with an unsettled feeling he was still lost in his dream and, before he could second guess his actions, Malachi lurched forward with a graceless trot, his coordination still inhibited by his waking state as he moved toward the shadowy wolf with a quiver in his step.