Saving an Earth Angel

By N.L McFarlane

From a caveman with no language or knowledge of the wider world, to a man left with a duty to protect the light of the universe, follow one character’s adventure through time, space and parallel worlds as he fulfils an infinite array of ancient tests that will span through the ages. Meet new and intriguing characters as he travels with his dire wolf, learning hard lessons and dangerous truths...discovering along the way an unknowingly powerful baby who could be the tipping point in the war between light and dark.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: Nov 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463992760

N.L McFarlane

N. L. McFarlane is living with her children in Cornwall. This is the author’s first book and, with help from her own little angels’ imagination, will continue to write an imaginative series on the comings and goings of several magical characters and their journeys.

Book preview

Chapter 1

In a frozen kingdom of snow and ice, the sun sets turning the sky pink. Rolling clouds below the mountain cover the land creating emptiness, no trees, no life, and no sounds. Emptiness. It was as though everything was being destroyed in the cold. Mountain peaks poked through the clouds below, reaching for the light, pointing towards hope, reaching for the promise of tomorrow and a new day.

He sat there, at the entrance of the cave. A young man in his mid-twenties known as Valo, he just sat staring into the empty void he called his home. He watched the sun set and the darkness claw away at the remaining light as though it couldn’t wait to see it fade even just for a few hours, but for those few hours that the darkness reigned, new sounds echoed through the land, howls and screeches, movement and the eerie feeling of the unknown. Moving back into his cave, away from the blistering cold, the boy sat by a dwindling fire, he poked at it with sticks and blew onto the flames, feeding it life and letting it grow. Sitting back Valo held his hands near to the flames, they were dark, grubby hands caked in mud, blistered and sore from the cold. More sticks were placed onto the fire. Sticks and wood were about the only resource this land had to offer in plentiful amounts.

Valo slowly and reluctantly stood up away from the flames, wincing as his bones creaked and cracked like the frozen trees which resided around him. Proceeding to a pile of furs he sat himself down to rest, the furs he used were ambivalent as to which animals they came from, they were blackened from dirt, dried blood and the ash from the smoke being released from the fire. Valo dragged what must have been a recent, heavy set of fur from the pile and dragged it up and onto his slumped shoulders to fight the frost, as he sat on the makeshift bed he had placed conveniently beside the fire, warming himself from the cruel bite of the cold. The fire seemed to dance around, twisting and waving, reaching to the sky with a symphony of crackling and popping, illuminating the dark as if it was a beacon of hope, warmth and life in this desolate land. Smoke seemed to clamber the walls of the cave, drifting up and forming into a cloud below the ceiling before trailing out of the cave, out into the night sky.

Valo sat there for a few hours, eyes closed, head down, meditating in the cold, keeping his mind clear from all the negative thoughts that could creep into his head, he was an average sized boy, he had traces of what was once light hair but was now caked in mud, matted and dry, lifeless. His face though, it was delicate and pale, he had an air of mystery around him, he had so many stories, secrets, and a dark past, yet there was a hint of goodness about him, a gentle soul, unwavering, resilient to the destructive energies that surrounded him.

A branch snaps outside the cave and Valo opens his eyes, fixated on the entrance to the cave, he grabs a long spear he fashioned from a large branch and slowly raises up from his makeshift seat. He pushes a handful of his matted hair behind his ear allowing him to have unbroken sights of the black, hollow outside. He inches around the rock at the entrance of the cave, his spear does not move or shake, and he grips it tighter, his hands are turning white now and the sheer cold nips at his fingers but he doesn’t notice it, he knows the dangers, the animals and the monsters. He knows the consequences if he breaks his concentration, he stops and cocks his head a little, listening for the faintest hint of the hunter in the night. Nothing. Breathing in deeply and steadily the boy moved away from the protection of his home, away from the rock shielding him from whatever it was lying in wait, he peered into the night, he could see the jagged rocks surrounding his home, shining in the glow of the moon. He could see the clouds rolling away below, making way for the trees and what little shrubbery there was. He could see further now but still no beast, no stray animals or loose rocks. Something was out there, but that something didn’t want to be seen, Valo moved back slowly, scanning the environment constantly, not turning around, not showing his back, he wasn’t going to be the prey tonight; the lifeline of some other creature, he was going to be the hunter not the hunted.

Valo had made it back into the safety of his home; he then reached up and pulled a fur cover over the front of the cave like a giant curtain. He had put rocks there to weigh down the fur onto the rock shelf to stop it falling off, he felt safer when the furs were down, protected. If he couldn’t see anything then nothing could see him. He knew he was fooling himself but in these dark times he knew he had to cling onto every shred of hope, every glimmer of positivity, he could. It may have just been a bird or a stone falling from the rocks above. He moved back to the warmth of the fire, put the spear down and outstretched his hands to regain the warmth that had been lost. Another snap, a low growl, Valo stood by the fire frozen with fear, should he move, should he remain still. Feet glued to the floor, he looked down to where the spear was laying, a shadow grew under the fur it got bigger and bigger, Valo bent down on one knee and went to grab the spear, another low growling noise, his hand was now clasping the spear but it had not left the floor, sniffing and growling, a nose underneath the fur, a long snout, teeth on show, pointed yellow coloured teeth. Valo slowly stood up, moving backwards one foot after the other, clutching the spear in front of him, the creature lifted its nose, pulling the fur up with it, pushing forward, it moved into the cave.

Valo stood there staring at this creature with its soft, white floccose fur, grey legs and black feet, he saw those blue eyes staring back at him but he didn’t feel so scared now. He lowered his spear and crouched, he was on one knee now. This creature, this dire wolf stood there as though testing the boy, waiting for his next move. Putting its head down it started to smell, growling as it moved closer the wolf raised its head still staring. Valo outstretched his hand, the wolf came closer, he could feel the wolf’s warm breath on his hand, he could see the shine of its teeth and the lips trembling as it growled but it did not bite, the wolf got closer again and lowered the fur on its back, the growling ceased and the wolf put its head into Valo’s hand. He could feel the soft, warm fur of the wolf, it was Souki, her face was the only one here that showed loyalty and companionship. Valo returned to his pile of furs and called Souki over; she followed him and lay at his feet as though he was her sanctuary, offering each other warmth in the cold. Souki was curled up, tail covering her nose, ears back, and relaxed, yet fully aware of all her senses.

Souki was a different kind of wolf, she wasn’t your typical run of the mill grey coloured wolf. She had snow white fur from the tips of her ears until her legs when it faded into grey and eventually darker and darker until her fur was black around her feet; there was no other creature in the snow he had seen with fur like this and her eyes, it was as though you were staring into the universe, they were so blue, so full of tales to tell and also of pain endured.

Usually Souki would return with some form of food, a freshly dead animal she had hunted or a frozen body that would need to hang by the fire and thaw out. Times were changing, there was less food now, the mammoth were dying out, ox were moving further away following the food and predators were out longer and later, there was no safety in this land. Without the animals, there was less fur than the boy needed, the climate was still getting colder and as old furs wore out, there were no new ones to replace them.

This cave couldn’t protect Valo from the cold or from the starvation, as times moved on so must he; he knew he needed to escape this isolation and move on to a new place, a new beginning. He couldn’t stay stuck in this place, there was no longer anything here for him let alone Souki, but where would he go, more to the point where could he go? Valo knew of one place where he could go, but he almost laughed at the thought.

Valo knew of a shaman who lived with a sheltered tribe near a crystal cave, this shaman…Valo’s grandfather lives there in the belief that crystals have the power to heal people by using them on various parts of the body. Valo knew if he could go anywhere he could go there, seek out family and a shelter, and seek out food and warmth; find a future that could be so much better even in this place. There was only one problem with the little oasis Valo was thinking about…he had to get there. This world, this land was dangerous enough as it is without putting yourself in more danger. If you want to survive in this land, you find a tribe, find a home, and find food and fight. Valo was a little different in that he is on his own with a wolf, one of the creatures in this land that will take whatever meat they can get, animal, or human. It wasn’t just the wolves that this land threw up from the darkness though, there were bears, other tribes, sabre cats, mammoth and lots of other animals but it wasn’t just animals that were a threat. There were the unspoken creatures, the shadows in the night; supernatural beasts in many forms, known by various names to different people; demons, ghosts, witches, mythical creatures from past, present and future. These legendary infamous beings crawl into the pits of a person’s mind, linger there and feed fear into every choice made, every thought and risk. These creatures are responsible for all the heartache and turmoil thrown around. Valo is all too familiar with these beings as is his grandfather, that is why the trip needs to be made, if the situation that they were in was as bad as he thought it was with the lack of food, the ongoing cold and the darkness slowly lasting longer than the light then Valo must make this trip, he must seek out help and vanquish the creatures responsible. This isn’t just Mother Nature’s cruel games anymore; this is a game of survival of the fittest.

How could you plan for a trip of this magnitude, travelling across the frozen landscape with nothing but a few furs, spears and a wolf. Any normal person wouldn’t make it through the night, but Valo wasn’t just an ordinary person, there was something different, unique…special about him in ways he is yet to discover because somehow, he has survived the direst situations and come out stronger, better, lonelier.

Call it bad luck or coincidence, Valo seems to be surrounded by the bad in life, death follows him, sorrow, pain and loss are common feelings to him it’s like he can’t escape it, he can’t run away and he doesn’t know why. Why him, why does it fall to him all the time to see loved ones, friends or complete strangers destroyed or heartbroken from the inexplicable events laid out before him. What is it about him that draws these things in?

Valo reached down to where Souki had made herself comfortable laying across his cold, tired feet and scratched her back, running his fingers through her thick fur knowing that this would be their last night in the relative safety of the cave. She lifted her head up and placed it onto his knee as she looked into his eyes, there was a level of understanding between them, and somehow there was a connection with Souki and Valo. She flattened her ears tightly to her head, licked his thumb and nuzzled into his hand, it was as though she knew what he wanted and was supporting his decision, she knew she would play a big role in this trip as she was the power behind the brains, she was in charge of his life and he was also in charge of hers.

Valo pulled his feet out from underneath Souki’s heavy body and laid back onto the furs, pulling a mammoth skin over himself. It was itchy and rough, stray hairs would often break free and aggravate him but he was grateful for the warmth. Valo lay there, staring at the ceiling, watching the smoke roll around, and then watching it fade away for a short while when the cold winters draft circled throughout the cave; it was like watching the waves rolling in on a beach then withdrawing only to repeat the cycle. He had so many thoughts, so many doubts; which route should he take; what should he pack, what will he encounter or even who…how will he survive.

Souki clambered up onto the makeshift bed and curled up on Valo’s legs once more, covering her nose with her tail to keep the cold air at bay, she set herself down for the long night’s sleep, making the most of the last night she would get in a secure shelter.

When Valo and Souki embark on their journey there will be no more relatively easy nights, their chances of finding an unoccupied cave were slim to none, the elements would hit them hard and the chances of frostbite and hypothermia would be as much of a threat as anything else here. They would compete for food with the local wildlife, who knew that at some point people would be fighting with hares and voles for the scarce nuts and berries that were scattered across the land. They would have to make detours around the herds of mammoth further into the journey where the packs of sabre cats would also be lurking, protecting their hunting grounds and their young. Valo would also need to watch for packs of dire wolves, with Souki there by his side he was confident that she will be able to pick up the scent whenever they were becoming dangerously close, this is normal to Valo as they often go out hunting together, herding prey into small areas to trap and kill, similar to the way in which a pack would hunt.

Valo twisted over onto his side and pulled up the mammoth skin, pulling Souki with it, he lay there staring at the fire, willing it to burn bigger, brighter, to offer him more warmth in his sleep. For his last night, he just wanted the pain of his stiff joints to disappear, he wanted an unbroken sleep and he didn’t want to go to sleep wondering if he’d wake up again or if he’d have passed away from the cold. Valo rolled his eyes and told himself to stop being stupid, stop making himself anxious and just go to sleep, there was no point in worrying about what hasn’t happened yet or he wouldn’t sleep at all. He closed his eyes and eventually drifted off into a dreamless, cold sleep.

Chapter 2

Yelping and barking pierced through the morning air, waking Valo from his restless sleep. Dire wolves were howling and playing outside around the stiff carcass of a glyptodont, a large armadillo like creature whose shell could provide protection from the strongest sabre cat’s bite. Luckily for the wolves, it had frozen to death so they would easily be able to flip it over and eat from the creature’s underside, once it had thawed a little in the morning’s sun, otherwise they wouldn’t be so elated.

Valo pushed the mammoth skin off his body and painfully sat himself upright, the cold night’s air didn’t do him any favours, his muscles had seized up from the cold and moving was a chore. He had also noticed that he had free movement of his feet now, Souki wasn’t there. It wasn’t unusual for her to get up before Valo, every morning she will get up before the sun rises, stretch out and push herself underneath the wall of fur to sit at the cave entrance. She liked to get the best, undisturbed view of the sun, rising over the land. She would gaze upon the beautiful array of colours that made the sky seem so alive, so big and so hopeful, full of promise. Every day she would tilt her head up towards the sky feeling what little warmth the sun had to offer melt the frost on her fur whilst listening to the noises of the landscape, listening for any life below and smelling the crisp morning air, the cold, smoke free air filled her lungs making her feel so alive. She could smell the earthy hint of the trees and see all of the open space, gazing upon it reminded her of where she had come from.

Today, she watched the dire wolves tugging at the stomach of the glyptodont, fighting over whatever scraps they could pull out of it, and swallowing various chunks of meat whole. She sat there, silently staring, she seemed somewhat subdued as though this scene was familiar to her; it was almost chilling.

Souki stood up and shook off the remaining snow from her coat and pushed her way back underneath the fur again to find Valo sat by the fire eating a small handful of nuts that he’d had lying around in the cave for a few days, if they were going to go out into the frozen wilderness he would need as much energy as he could get.

Once he had finished eating, Valo stood up and brushed the crumbs from his furs, he walked to the back of the cave where there were a few small tools and odd little bones lying on the floor. He picked up a tooth which he had taken from the jaw of the sabre cat that was once the original inhabitant of his cave, he then picked up some of the freshest furs he had and began to fashion himself some makeshift clothes. He cut away patches of fur to push his arms through before wrapping up his chest and extremities; he then picked up his favourite mammoth skin and wore it like a cloak around his shoulders. He picked up his spear and looked over at Souki. There were no expressions being used between them, they understood each other well enough to know that they were both anxious and apprehensive about the following trip.

Valo faced the cave entrance, took in a deep breath and started to walk forwards, he decided to leave the fire burning so that it would give them a head start. There were plenty of terrible things down in the woods below, plenty of things that knew where Valo took shelter, if they saw that the smoke was no longer leaving the cave then they would more than likely be out trying to find him, trying to hunt him down.

Valo ducked under the fur and walked out of the cave, the light was blindingly bright after being in his cave all night so Valo had to shield his eyes from the glare. The cold air clawed at his skin, shooting into his lungs with every breath, he put his head down and pulled up the furs on his chest, making them also cover the lower half of his face, the smell of an old dead animal’s skin was by no means pleasant but it was much better than letting the cold get to his chest.

In order to start his journey, Valo had to descend from his little cave in the mountain and escape the forest of trees below. The path down was narrow and steep but he was used to the journey to and from the forest, he had to hunt his food and carry it back up but he had never gone too far away from his home, he could always see the smoke rising from his shelter and the warm, welcoming glow from the fire but today he wouldn’t be looking back for it, he was going to go further away, further into the forest and further into the unknown.

Watching his feet, Valo steadily shuffled his way down the path, he couldn’t move too quickly or he would end up slipping on the hidden ice patches that had been covered up by a layer of fresh snow fall, he used the rocks along the edge of the path to grip onto which gave him an extra feeling of security and stability. Souki skulked a little way behind him, she was in her element outside in the snow, it covered her