The Sea and the Wolf: Chapter 5

 

Hali had zipped up her backpack just a moment before she placed on her shoulder. She turned to double check her appearance in her mirror, examining what she was wearing. She wore a comfortable pair of black shoes with her only pair of black pants. For a shirt she wore a very simple white, but worn blouse, which she would usually wear to her interview’s and art gallery openings for her classes.

 

She had grabbed some clothing, her make-up, toothpaste, toothbrush, her laptop, and finally, a sketchbook. She stepped out of her room and into the hall at the top of the stairs. She looked down at Conan, who was still standing in the front hall, even after she invited him in.

 

“I’m ready,” she told him.

 

He looked at her for a moment before he turned to the door and opened it for her. She thanked him and left her, house, exiting to the street. She watched him lock the door and close it behind him. Without a second glance at her he headed back toward his café. Hali followed him, quickening her pace to keep up with him.

 

“Do you know how to bake a cake?” he questioned.

 

“A basic cake, nothing special,” Hali answered. She knew that he was just trying to figure out how much he would have to teach her. She couldn’t make out his expression, his face was blank, and no reply came.

 

“Well, I’ll be teaching you how to make Devil’s Food Cake, he said as they reached his back door. He opened it and let her in first. Once both were inside, he showed her back to the guest bedroom, so she could unpack. She just put her bag on the bed. She was still uncomfortable with the idea of unpacking just yet. It just didn’t feel right to her.

 

She met Conan back down in the kitchen where he was already working on getting all the cake ingredients out into one place. He did not look at her, but pointed to the table where an apron, hair net and a hair elastic, as well as a brush.

 

She thanked him and took the elastic and brush first and began to brush her long thick hair. She brushed through it a few times before she used the elastic, forcing her wild hair back into a large bun. She put the apron on and then placed the hair net over her head, covering her hair.

 

“I’m ready,” Hali replied, a small smile crossed her lips. His expression remaining blank, but he paid dull attention to her. He turned the heat on from the stove and placed a double boiler on the element. From there he motioned her over. She stood by him and watched him put a little butter and salt in the top boiler.

 

“The salt and butter prevents the chocolate from hardening.”

 

“Chocolate?”

 

He turned to his ingredient and took a box of dark Belgium chocolate. He showed her before he opened the box. He took out the three large bars the box held. He gave one to her.

 

“Break it into smaller pieces before putting it into the boiler.” Hali nodded and did exactly as he commanded, breaking them into smaller pieces, then putting them in the boiler.

 

“I didn’t know Devil’s Food cake was made with real chocolate in a hard form.”

 

“It use to be,” he explained. “When my mother was still alive she made it once a year every year. Now it’s usually made with cocoa powder. That’s why my Devil’s Food cake is fairly famous around here.”

 

Hali was smiling as she listened to him. He was definitely a man who liked the old ways. It separated him from other people. It made him different from other people.

 

“We’ll just let this settle for now, and we’ll get the rest of the batter ready.”

 

“Alright,” she smiled as he passed her a large mixing bowl. She looked down at the flour and a little bit of salt. She studied it, unsure what was next. “Um...Conan?”

 

He was turned away from her, mixing something on the stove. “Add two cups of milk and four eggs.” He didn’t even turn to look at her. She frowned, but turned back to a glass bottle of milk with a measuring cup sitting next to it. So she picked the bottle up, opened it and began to measure out two cups of milk out. Then she turned to the eggs. She picked them up and studied them for just a moment, then cracked them, spilling the yolk and whites into the batter.

 

“Should I mix it all together now?”

 

“Use the whisk and mix it really well.” Doing so she held the large bowl in place and with her right hand she held the whisk. Slowly she started to whirl it around at a slow-even pace mixing the ingredients. She watched the flour disappear and the milk turn a beige colour, the eggs becoming part of the mix, leaving a simple batter. She continued to mix it until no lumps or bits of flour were present in the batter. She turned to ask Conan what to do next. His attention was now on the double boiler, with the melting chocolate inside.

 

“Conan, how’s it coming?”

 

His eyes once again never left his job, but he answered, “Almost perfect.”

 

Hali smiled, “Good, the batter is ready then.” He put on some oven mitts as she spoke, turning to look at the mix for just a moment. With that he picked up the top boiler with the mittens on, carrying it over to the mix.

 

“Alright, continue to mix as I pour in the chocolate, don’t stop.” Hali nodded, starting to mix the battle up once again, and on cue Conan began to pour the thick liquid chocolate into the batter. As Hali mixed it together the beige batter changed colour, changing into a soft brown the mix thick from the hot pure chocolate being added.

 

Conan placed the boiler down turning to grab two cake pans. Taking the batter from Hali, he poured it down into one pan at a time until the mixing bowl was empty, leaving two full cake pans, ready to be baked. Which is exactly what Conan did, placing the pans into the oven, ready to be baked.

 

“That was kind of fun,” Hali said. “I don’t bake at home at all. My roommate does all the cooking, I just clean usually.”

 

“Adonis does most of the cleaning here. I know how to do laundry and that’s about it.”

 

“Even after all these years?” she questioned, clearly surprised. He sent her a dirty look before he turned back to what he was doing.

 

“Not everyone is capable of cleaning, even after years of trying it can be hard to grasp.”

 

Hali did her best to hold in her giggles. What an excuse! She nodded in agreement, to try and avoid an argument. He wasn’t amused it seemed. He in turn decided not to say another word, but rather decided to carry on with his work. He returned to his pot on the stove, removing it and placing it on the stainless steel table beside the stove top. Hali let her eyes wander to the pot, curious as to what it was.

 

“What is that?” she questioned.

 

“It’s boiled icing.”

 

“Boiled icing?” Hali had never heard of such a thing before. Conan looked at Hali rather strangely when she asked him this. She laughed nervously to herself.

 

“I don’t usually go anywhere near the kitchen, maybe I have had boiled icing, but I never knew-”

 

Conan wasn’t even paying attention to her. His eyes were narrowed and his gaze at the door that led into the café. Hali heard the bell at the door ring as the door opened. Someone had entered, and by judging Conan’s appearance, they weren’t welcome.

 

“Stay put,” he ordered Hali. With that he busted through the door, into the café. It was quite for a moment, but then Hali could hear some deep growling, followed by yelling.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Well I wanted to know if my friend was here, but you’ve already told me so.”

 

Hali jumped when she heard something being thrown, hitting the floor with a shattering crash.

 

“Stay the hell out of my head!”

 

“I didn’t need to, you’re defensiveness was enough.”

 

As all this went on, Hali couldn’t help but inch closer and closer to the door that was slightly ajar. She angled herself and peeked out. Her mouth fell, surprised read on her face. It was Lyris, not someone Hali had expected to see. She still was trying to grasp the fact that Conan said she was an enemy.

 

‘Why Lyris?’ she thought.

 

Lyris closed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips, and struggled her shoulders and shook her head, a slight smile played on her lips. “Order’s are order’s Hali.”

 

Hali gasped and covered her mouth; while Conan whirled around looking at the door, where Hali stood. Hali jumped back confused to what was happening exactly. She watched Conan turn his attention back to Lyris, his gaze very displeasing.

 

“You’re not welcome here Lyris, get out.”

 

Lyris remained though, calm as she began to study Conan carefully. “I was once upon a time Conan. Remember that I know everything about you. I know you better than your own family did.”

 

Conan pounded his fist onto a table, cracking the wood in many places, the sugar shaker and napkin dispenser tipped over, sugar flowing onto the table. Lyris laughed and shook her head.

 

“Still got quite the temper,” she stated. She smiled and turned away. “I’ll see you again soon Conan.”

 

Her voice was soft and kind at the end, also like a hope she had. She left, closing the door and disappearing into the crowds starting to fill the streets outside. Hali was unsure what to do, but she slowly crept out into the café, looking and watching Conan. His fist was still on the table and his expression remained the same, dark and his teeth clinched in anger, a deep growling noise admitting from his throat.

 

“She’s gone Conan.”

 

He closed his eyes and turned away from the table, is expression seemed calm now, as if nothing has happened.

 

“For now.”

 

Hali was taken back by his comment. She was unsure what to say. How safe was she here? After all, Lyris was an enemy and had walked right in. If Lyris could come in, couldn’t Seath as well?

 

“Conan, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I need to know how safe I am here, how do you intend to keep them out?”

 

“She wasn’t here to intend harm, that’s why Lyris could come in.”

 

“I don’t understand Conan.”

 

“I’ll show you.” He motioned for her to follow him toward the front door, where he pointed down to the doorway. She stared, not sure what she was looking for. Her eyes stopped on a thin trail of what looked like a red sand trail that was straight across the doorway.

 

“What is that stuff?”

 

“It is red brick dust that has also been blessed with holy water. It’s a trick I learned from a voodoo witch. It keeps out anyone who intends harm, humans or demons. Lyris didn’t intend any harm today, so it let her in.”

 

Hali turned to him, “This is a lot for me to take in, and it’s just so weird. In a twelve hour span I have learned that werewolves exist, almost got turned by one, moved in with another and now I am learning about voodoo magic.”

 

He simply shrugged, “Better than Seath chewing on you.”

 

She frowned at his lack of understanding. “I suppose.”

 

She turned, sitting down at one of the tables in the coffee shop. “So I take it you’ve been around the world then?”

 

He nodded, turning back to the mess he created with the sugar. “I’ve been to North America a few times, Florida mostly. That’s where I met a voodoo witch. She taught me a few tricks.”

 

Hali sat up straight, interested in what he was going to say next. “Where else have you been?”

 

“I’ve been to Egypt, France, Scotland, China, New Zealand, and many other places.”

 

“What about England? Have you ever been to England? I’ve always wanted to visit there.”

 

“Yes, I lived there for sixteen years,” he paused and sat down after he cleaned the sugar up. “I do believe I was happiest there in England, or I was for a while.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“I was turned. I was just a kid, working on my family’s farm. Seath came along and she changed everything. She slaughtered and fed on my mother and two sisters, and made me watch. Then she turned on me, babbling on about how great I was. I got free and ran from England, never looking back. Next full moon however I realized fully what she had done.”

 

Conan seemed to become lost in his own little world as he seemed to remember something he obviously didn’t wish to speck aloud about.

 

888

 

It was a very dark night. The sky was moonless, making the fields as dark as it could possibly be. The wind blew a soft gentle breeze that moved the wheat in the fields ever so gently. A small form lay in the fields, curled in a rounded position, breathing in softly and exhaling just as softly.

 

The child breathed in as calmly as he could, trying his best not to panic any. Blood oozed from his shoulder, a deep wound showed its ugly face as he did his best not to show any of the fear he had.

 

The pain wasn’t that intense, but he was unsure what he was supposed to do. Slowly he outstretched, rolling onto his front, his weight entirely on his knees. Slowly he stood, his arm still holding his bleeding shoulder.

 

‘I have to get away from here.’

 

Slowly he started to walk further and further away from his previous resting placed. It continued on like this until he reached the end of the fields, reaching an open path through the clusters of trees. The child felt a slight chill as he looked at the unknown darkness. Fear began knocking in the child’s mind. An unknown monster could be waiting in the unknown darkness.

 

‘If I can just get to the other side of these woods, a ship could perhaps take me to the mainland.’

 

It was an unlikely thing, but it was so hopeful that the young boy could not help but wish for it. The child took in a deep breath holding it in rightly, taking off at full speed. The child removed his hand from his wound, giving him better balance as he ran.

 

The child ran and ran, breathing harder and harder as he ran through the forest. He jumped over a fallen tree trunk, almost tripping over it as he landed. He however did not stop, continuing down through the path.

 

He could begin to feel his throat burning, begging for a moments rest. The boy could not grant this request however, not as he fought to get to the town just on the other side. Soon the child came to a stop; his breathing was more like harshgasps, dry and almost painful.

 

Beyond him was a small community. Small houses lined up, all in darkness. The docks were empty, but the boats were present. They moved and cracked as the waves hit the side of them.The child stepped forward, now unsure what to do. He needed a doctor for his wound, and God knew he needed a means of escape.