Wolf of Shadows

As a note of where this one came from - Ah'Bree worked with a Wustlundian poet to create this in the days leading up to her and Jayce's first date at the poetry festival. She wanted the help of a wordsmith capturing and conveying in words what she struggled to and it was also a nice escalation of the prank that came to be known as poetry chicken.

From the shadows of the mountain

Scarred and broken,

A bear did crawl

Miserable,

Encased in icy darkness,

Filled with loathing,

A warrior unable to feel,

Incapable of love

Frozen,

Never changing,

Unyielding

Broken,

A hollow shell

A prison for a monster,

That she was made to be,

None saw the guilt she bore,

They saw something inhuman

Unable to connect,

Stripped of good,

Little more than a husk.

They were not wrong,

Cruelty had made her,

And anger fueled her.

A wolf of shadows came,

Far from home,

His past lost to him,

Torment he had seen

And endured,

This wolf did not bend,

Not when the bear pushed

And not when she roared,

He stood unyielding,

Her glares he challenged,

He was not afraid,

Not of her,

Not of her reputation,

Not of the violence she was capable of,

Not of of coldness,

He stood against her

Without flinching.

More than that,

He stood his ground,

And growled.

Hardened and yielding,

Something resonated,

With his challenge,

He was marked by darkness,

Yet not consumed,

Shadows

Where the light

And darkness,

Mingle,

Wrapped round this wolf,

The bear's curiosity stirred,

He was a mystery,

The bear could not unravel,

This spark of intrigue,

Would ignite the flames

The wolf of shadows

Stood by the bear's side,

Against the storms,

The bear had grown reckless,

Never caring 'bout the cost,

Or considering the risk,

Least not to herself.

She saw no value,

In the empty shell she was,

Others stopped caring,

Long before she had,

She knew her fate,

Live and die,

By the sword.

Better to accept that,

Better to run to that fate,

Than what waited for her,

Guilt and misery,

Hatred and shame,

She did not crave her death,

Just to feel a spark,

Of anything,

Reckless she seemed,

It was the only way she felt,

Yet the wolf stood at her side,

Her savior from herself,

Seeing value in her,

Beyond the victories she sought,

Where others saw a monster,

Something scarred and hateful,

He saw the pain she bore,

Under her scars,

He saw the fire that burned,

Where others saw only scars,

He saw beauty,

Something they made her forget.

To the wolf of shadows,

The bear's gaze did turn,

When uncertainty came,

He was the compass

Whose instincts she could trust,

A point of balance,

That the bear dared not need,

Broken as she was others,

Looked to the bear,

For answers,

For leadership,

For guidance,

For knowledge,

To commit violence,

To bring death,

For protection,

For a plan,

She was broken,

Made to endure alone,

But at her side,

The wolf stood.

Always a calm assurance,

A simple unspoken statement,

She was not alone,

An anchor,

To keep her from going adrift,

And being truly lost to darkness.

The wolf of shadows,

Gave the bear courage

To grow,

To explore,

To play,

He carried the light,

That gave her hope.

Hope enough to trust,

Hope to find her way back,

From the sea of darkness,

That threatened to engulf her,

Each day she struggled to return,

Though she faltered,

And oh she stumbled,

The wolf was there,

Ever patient,

And steadfast,

Waiting for her to find her way.

The wolf of shadows,

Became her guardian,

Watching over the bear,

A comfort,

A presence

That soothed her mind,

The darkness she carried,

Lessened in his presence,

With the wolf,

The bear could rest,

And set aside the guilt,

A reprieve

From her haunted dreams,

And the faces of those wronged,

A respite she did not know she needed,

Until the wolf showed the bear a better way.

This wolf of shadows

Offered the bear what she forgot,

Peace,

As he became her refuge,

A place where the bear could find herself,

The wolf stood guard,

Sheltering her from the storms,

A haven for her to be,

Be more than a warrior,

Where she could be a woman,

A lover,

Broken,

And unsure,

A place where she could feel,

A shield when she was vulnerable,

The wolf was a sanctuary,

In which the bear could break,

The wolf would stand watch,

So the bear could heal,

Without the wolf of shadows,

The bear would lack the courage,

The darkness would remain,

Unpurged,

Corrupting her soul,

Claiming her,

Breaking her again and again,

Without the wolf the bear,

Would not know love,

For all that the wolf is,

And all that he has done,

He is more.

More than a refuge,

More than a sanctuary,

More than a haven,

More than a shelter,

More than a anchor,

More than a protector,

More than a shield.

The wolf of shadows is

Her hope,

Her strength,

Her courage,

Her peace,

Her heart,

He is - her wolf.

Without him

She is lost.

So for her wolf

The bear will

Do more than survive

For her wolf the bear

Will live not just exist