Zipporah's Oath

As Zipporah hid behind an oak tree, she regulated her breathing and imagined being at home with her family so she wouldn’t have a panic attack. Everything will be fine. Don’t worry.

She peered from behind the oak tree, praying the vapor from her breath wouldn’t be noticed. The scraggly grey wolf was a few yards away, sniffing the footprints she had left in the snow. That trail led directly to her hiding spot. It was only a matter of time before the wolf found her and attacked her.

Wolves rarely attacked her people, but this wolf was malnourished and desperate.

I wish I had a bow and arrow. She silently rebuked herself for the thought. Violence against wildlife was not tolerated amongst her people. They were peaceful, not bloodthirsty mongrels like their ancestors.

Think, Zipporah, think. What do you do?

Zipporah looked ahead of her. A distance away to her right was as a stone pavilion. In the center of the small pavilion was a large rectangular stone, and in the center of that stone was the Spear of Wilhelm the Great, the man with fairy blood. It was he who had planted the spear into the stone, starting the Oath of Protection for her people. 

Maybe…No. I can’t. That would be blasphemy! I’ll just have to make a run for it. She looked to her left. Beyond the pavilion was a large hill. Just beyond that hill was the village. If she could make it to the walls, then she could get help. The guards would use their abilities to create a cage out of snow and ice for the wolf, giving her enough time to escape. That was the peaceful solution to problems like this, one where the wolf would be kept alive.

Crunch, crunch, crunch!

The wolf was coming closer.

Zipporah took a deep breath, focused on the hill, and bolted.

At first, only the crunching of her boots in the snow and her breathing was in her ears. A few seconds later, the wolf's labored panting and whining was only a few feet away.

She had underestimated him. She felt like turning around to see just how close he was, but she knew that could seal her fate. Instead, she resisted the urge and kept her eyes on the hill.

Soon, the wolf’s hot breath was right on her heels.

Instinctively, Zipporah dodged to the left, barely missing the wolf as it pounced, its claws tearing the hem of her pants, and scraping her skin.

She winced as a sharp sting went down her leg. At this rate, she would never make it to the village. Her eyes focused on the spear that was stuck to the stone. It was not to be used for fighting, but what choice did she have? To die at the wolf's feet as it ate her flesh? That may have been the honorable way to die, to show the world that even when threatened, the People of Volant were loving to all creatures despite their violent past.

But, as much as it pained her to confess, she didn’t want an honorable death. She wanted to make it home to her mother and father, alive and well.

She glanced at the hill one more time and went to her right towards the pavilion.

The wolf growled as it bounded behind her. It was not about to give up so easily on his prey.

Zipporah reached the pavilion, happy that her feet hit solid rock. But that joy quickly vanished. She slipped and slid to the rectangular stone and banged right into it. “Ow!” She felt warm blood trickle down from her forehead. Of course the floor was covered in ice.

Dazed, she scrambled atop the cold, slightly slippery stone, scraping her hands and knees in the process. She staggered to her feet, yanked the spear out with ease and thanked the Maker that the spear wasn’t completely embedded in the rock. 

The wolf let out a howl like that of a battle cry and leapt to reach her. Zipporah shook her head to focus and made a desperate jab.

The spearhead pierced the wolf’s temple, and its body dropped to the ground, taking the spear with it. Zipporah slumped to her knees, gasping for breath. She wasn’t sure how long the wolf twitched. Perhaps a few minutes or a half hour. But when it did stop twitching, and the wind started howling, and snowflakes fell from the cloudy skies, she rested her head on the cold rock. I broke it, I broke the oath. Everything went black.

“Zipporah? Zipporah, wake up!”

Zipporah opened her eyes and moaned. She was lying on a small blanket in the small sheet of snow. Her father was looking down at her with concern. 

She sat up and looked around. There were five soldiers and…Oh no. Sage. As usual, the sage was in his red tunic wearing a blue sash and he was frowning at the dead wolf.

“Are you alright?” Her father asked.

“I’m fine.”

Her father looked like a weight had lifted off his shoulders.

The other five soldiers were looking at her as well, but they didn’t look relieved or happy. Their faces were…unreadable.

Feeling uneasy by their stares, she looked at the claw marks on her leg which now had dry blood preventing further bleeding. If she hadn’t gotten that spear…

“The wolf attacked you?” Her father asked.

“Yes, it was right on my—”

“With all due respect, we have a much more pressing matter now,” the sage said, pointing to the dead wolf.

Zipporah frowned. Perfect.

Her father stood up to his full height and stepped closer to the sage. “And what, pray tell, is that much more pressing matter than my daughter’s well-being?”

The sage took a step back. “Forgive me. I meant no offense. But it would seem your daughter broke the oath.” The sage turned to her. “Is that not correct?”

Zipporah looked at the dead wolf and pulled the blanket closer around her. “It was about to kill me. There was no other way.”

Zipporah’s father glared at him. “So she speared an animal who attacked her. How is that breaking the oath? Does our creed not allow for self defense?”

“While the situation was no doubt difficult, it does not nullify the fact that we all swore to protect the wildlife of this forest, including the black wolves, which are rare—”

“Don’t lecture me on the oath I worked so hard to keep, Sage. I’ve known it since the day I was born! But my daughter was attacked, and she had no abilities like us. She had no choice but to use the Spear. Surely you can show some compassion.”

“Our rules are strict. We are to protect even the beasts who would harm us—”

“How could she show mercy to anyone or anything if she’s dead?!”

“—and if she had not gone into this forest on her own, this would never have happened."

“All the children go off on their own sometimes!”

The man ignored him and turned to Zipporah. “You must leave the city for two weeks and return to the priest to confess this sin of yours.”

Zipporah looked at the beast’s carcass. Sin? The wolf attacked me first. I had no choice but to defend myself. And if I let it live, it would have attacked someone else. But she knew no matter what she said, he would not heed her. 

They were so afraid of being seen as monsters by the outside world that they did everything in their power to be as harmless as possible to all wildlife. She had thought that their lifestyle of defending the creatures was noble, but after this…she wasn’t so sure. It seemed they were taking their creed too far.

Her father fumed. “Why you miserable—”

“Dad, it’s fine.” She slowly rose to her feet. “I will leave this city like you have suggested Sage.”

The sage gave a nod of approval. “Good. I am glad you see the error of—”

“But I will not return. Now if you'll excuse me, I must retrieve some things for my journey.” She walked by the sage and the other soldiers and headed to the village.

“Wait!” Her father caught up to her and walked beside her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Zipporah bit her lip. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she couldn’t stay there. “Dad, I…”

“You don’t think your mother and I will let you go by yourself, do you?”