《Moonlight》


 Chapter 1

    Just a little farther. Come on, I can do this.


    I stretch my little fngers, straining to reach for the small practice bow resting on the edge of the merchant¡¯s table. I always wanted to learn how to hunt. I want to be able to provide for my family. Both my parents work as stable hands at the castle, but they don¡¯t get paid nearly enough to fll all our bellies. To the king, we are just peasants. We¡¯re nothing special. If something ever happened to my father and mother, they could be replaced in the stables. He couldn¡¯t care less if we starved. There¡¯s only one thing the king cares about, and that¡¯s his stuck up little brat of a son.


    Almost there. I can already see myself creeping through the woods, hunting big game. Which is actually a pretty funny image considering I¡¯m only fve. I don¡¯t think about how to haul my catch out of the woods. I only think of how proud my family would be if I could feed us all.


    There¡¯s no law forbidding us from hunting for ourselves. If we can afford the weapons and snares, and the butchering of the meat (which most people, like my dad, can do by themselves anyway) then the woods just south of Castle Town are free for us to use. I think it¡¯s mostly because all the snobby rich people are afraid to go in there. They tell rumors to each other about how the forest is full of deadly creatures. They say there are werewolves and vampyres in there, not to mention rogue griffns. Most griffns are friendly; in fact, the king himself has a fock of them that he uses to deliver messages to other countries. But sometimes, if a griffn isn¡¯t handled right as a cub or if they¡¯re just plain mean, they escape and grow up wild in the woods. Rogue griffns are deadly. So therefore the merchants would rather spend a hefty lot of money buying meat from us peasants than go in there themselves. It works out pretty good for families like us. If you can get the meat.


    No country owns the land beyond the forest. There isn¡¯t even a clear border in the trees. No one is brave enough to stay there for any length of time.


    My father told me that he used to be quite the hunter. But a few days before I was born, he swears to anyone that will listen that he was attacked by a dragon while out hunting. It took his leg clean off. Most people don¡¯t believe in dragons. They say they¡¯re just an old fairy tale and my father¡¯s a daft old codger. But if there¡¯s one thing my father has, it¡¯s the ability to tell amazing stories. He can make anyone smile, or have them leaning forward in anticipation. Once a month he goes down to the Salty Seahorse Tavern and tells stories to the patrons. So when he shambled in missing a leg and yammering about dragons, some of the people believed him enough to buy him a peg to walk on. At home, I joke about how he¡¯s a pirate now. But he tells me not to talk about such things outside the house. Pirates are not a laughing matter.


    To the north of Castle Town is the ocean. Sometimes our ships are required to cross it in order to trade merchandise with other countries. Pirates aren¡¯t usually brave enough to attack the king¡¯s vessels, but every once in a while, I hear the warning sirens alerting the captains that there are pirates nearby. Once they even raided Castle Town, and even though that was many years ago, before I was born, I still shiver in bed whenever those sirens go off, afraid that it will happen to me.


    To the east, there are lush green farms right up to the edge of the desert. I hear stories that even if you were lucky enough to survive the trek across the burning sands, you would only reach a frozen wasteland. No one knows what lies beyond the snow and ice, because no one has traveled that far and lived.


    Westward of Castle Town is a marshy bog that leads right up to the neighboring country of Cardonia. Our country, Lilliath, is currently at peace with Cardonia, but in the past, it wasn¡¯t always so. We used to have violent wars with them right up until about a hundred years ago when the king and queen of the time made peace with the Cardonians. I once heard that we were at war with them because the elves live in Cardonia. The people of Lilliath hated elves and wanted them all dead, but when our armies tried to enter Cardonia, the Cardonians fought to keep them out. No one from Lilliath ever saw the elves. We don¡¯t even know if they truly exist.


    I take a deep breath. My fngers are about to close around the small bow when suddenly the merchant picks it up and hands it to a man standing across the table. I sigh. Judging by the man¡¯s clothes, he too is a peasant, and he¡¯s probably buying that bow for one of his children. I have a rule. Never pickpocket the peasants. They work hard for every coin that they earn, and when they buy things, they deserve to keep them. That bow is now off limits. Darn. So close too.


    I¡¯ll have to settle for some bowstring and arrows. I grab one small length of bowstring and three arrows, then creep quickly into the alley before anyone can spot me. The merchant might not even notice such small stock missing from his wares. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing I couldn¡¯t steal the bow. This is much safer.


    Once out of sight of the market, I walk straight and tall towards the forest. I tell myself that once I get out there, I will simply fnd a good stick and make my own bow.


    But when I reach the edge of the woods, I freeze. The sun is starting to go down and the shadows are thickening. Somewhere in the distance, I think I hear a howl.


    I don¡¯t have to do this today. I could come back another day. But if I don¡¯t face my fear, there¡¯s a good chance that I never will. There¡¯s a chance that I will always be standing on the edge of the woods looking in. I may always think of doing it tomorrow, and then the next tomorrow and the tomorrow after that. No. I have to do this today. Right now.


    I step forward and a branch snaps under my foot. The sound makes me jump, but despite that, I keep walking forward until I¡¯m far enough in I can¡¯t see Castle Town anymore. Yeesh, it really is dark in here. And cold. And... gulp... creepy. I can¡¯t help but shiver.


    But then I shake myself from my frightened stupor and start looking for a good bow stick. What do I need to look for in a bow? Something curvy, I guess. Oh, there¡¯s one! That dead branch beneath the weird tree over there would be perfect! I pick up the stick and examine it. Nicely curved. Putting the string on it, I notice that it sits a little loose, but I don¡¯t think it will make any difference. The bow¡¯s a little big for me too, and when I put the arrow on the string and try to aim at a knot in the tree in front of me, the bottom edge of the weapon trails against the ground. I pull back, ready to fre, but then the bow snaps in two. The arrow falls to the ground, but one of the pieces of the bow shoots forward and hits the tree with a hollow thump that rings through the forest around me. Grumbling angrily, I throw the rest of the bow to the ground. This is going to be harder than I thought.


    A hearty laugh that bursts out from behind me makes me jump. I turn to see my dad leaning against a tree. Even with a pirate leg he can still walk pretty quietly. ¡°You can¡¯t make a bow like that, little Saria.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest. He steps away from the tree and hobbles over.


    ¡°Let me show you how it¡¯s done.¡± He pulls a handmade stone knife from his belt and starts cutting small green branches off the tree that I was aiming at.


    I walk over, looking up at his work with interest. ¡°What good will those teenie weenie little branches do?¡±


    He holds one of the green twigs out so I can see it better. ¡°Alone, it is nothing but a teenie weenie little branch.¡± Grabbing a second branch and holding it next to the frst, he continues, ¡°But together these teenie weenie little branches make one big strong bough!¡±


    Staring closely at the miniscule twigs, I state, ¡°You¡¯re gonna need a lot of branches.¡±


    He laughs in his deep, happy way. I love his laugh. ¡°Yes, we are going to need a lot of branches. Here, hold the ones I cut.¡±


    It takes him a while, but fnally we have quite a few of the little branches. ¡°Now what?¡± I ask.


    Using his knife, he begins to peel away some of the bark from the tree. He gathers the sap hiding underneath on his blade, then rubs it into the pile of branches. Holding them tightly in one hand, he pulls some string out of his pocket with the other and ties the ends together. When he¡¯s done, it simply looks like a very sappy stick to me. It¡¯s all straight and not curvy. How is that supposed to shoot an arrow?


    He must see my skeptical look, because he holds up the stick. ¡°When we get home, we¡¯ll make a mold for it to make it bend. Then all it takes is some careful shaving and you¡¯ve got yourself a mighty fne bow!¡±


    Taking the very sappy stick in my hands, I hold it out, pretending that I¡¯m hunting. Once again he laughs and moves to stand behind me. ¡°You¡¯re holding it wrong. Stand with your back straight, your legs parted to about shoulder width and your knees slightly bent. There! Perfect. Now don¡¯t hold the bow in front of yourself like that. You hold it to the side.¡±


    I do as he says, but it looks weird to me. ¡°But dad, this way I have to turn my head to shoot. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to hold it out in front?¡±


    ¡°Ah, but if you do that, you have much less power behind your arrow.¡± He moves my arms to demonstrate what he means. ¡°Out in front, you can only pull back to your chest. Out to the side, you can pull all the way back to your cheek and that¡¯s where you get the most power.¡±


    He stands back and watches as I pretend to pull back on the bowstring. ¡°But how am I ever going to shoot out of a tree sideways?¡± I complain.


    ¡°You have to learn to shoot straight before you shoot crooked Saria,¡± he laughs.


    I sigh, but continue to practice my shooting form anyhow. I want to prove to him that I can be a great hunter someday, and that I can shoot straight.


    ¡°Lookie here!¡± he exclaims, watching me practice. ¡°We¡¯ve got a right fne little hunter here already.¡± He laughs once more and lumbers slowly towards me. ¡°I¡¯m a big bad bear and I want to hunt you!¡±


    I squeal in delight and run away. ¡°Not if I get you frst!¡± when I¡¯m far enough away from him, I turn and pretend to shoot him with an arrow. He staggers and falls to the ground in mock death. ¡°Yes! Another great catch for the mighty hunter Saria!¡±


    Suddenly I hear a low rumbling behind me. Now what could that strange noise be? I¡¯ve never heard anything quite like it. It sounds similar to some kind of sound the stray dogs in Castle Town might make, but it¡¯s deeper and more threatening. I¡¯m torn between backing away and moving closer to investigate. I really want to know what¡¯s making that sound. No, I don¡¯t want to know. I have to know!


    I have only taken one step towards it when my father shouts, ¡°Saria, get away from there now!¡±


    Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I start to say, ¡°Awww, but da¡ª¡± I never get to fnish.


    There¡¯s a vicious howl and a furry of frenzied barking behind me. I¡¯m about to turn to look, but dagger sharp teeth catch in my neck and I choke as blood squirts everywhere. Fire! I¡¯m sure teeth of fre just bit me! It burns so much I want to scream, but no sound can escape my lips. My jaws are agape, but nothing comes out. There¡¯s a gut wrenching sound as a heavy foot lands on my arm and snaps it. I can¡¯t see what¡¯s attacking me, but I see my father lumbering towards me. He¡¯s coming as fast as he can, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fast enough. This beast that is tormenting me is dragging me into the bushes. My father only has one leg; I¡¯m a gonner for sure. But then he raises his knife above his head and throws it. There¡¯s a smack and a yelp, and suddenly the teeth are gone from my throat. But even though the teeth are gone, the fre remains. My father reaches me and lifts me off the ground. I can see a dark wolf-like creature running off into the woods on two legs, the moonlight above us turning its back to silver. There¡¯s a black stone blade sticking out of its neck.


    Turning away from the beast, my father begins to run lopsidedly back towards Castle Town. Every step jars me and sends the fre shooting through my body. ¡°Put it out!¡± I shriek. Dad grits his teeth and keeps running. ¡°Daddy! Put the fre out! It¡¯s burning me!¡±


    He chances a quick glance down at me. ¡°Hang in there, Saria. I¡¯ll get you home, just you hang in there.¡± I grip his shirt in my small hands and scream. I can¡¯t believe he doesn¡¯t see the fre! I¡¯m being consumed by it. How can he simply ignore it and keep running? I want him to stop. I want the pain to stop. I want to end it all. It hurts so much.... I want to die.


    But I can¡¯t die. The pain is too real. It keeps me awake. Even when I close my eyes, I still can¡¯t slip away into the heavenly cold that is death. No, the burning fre keeps me chained here in this agonized body. The lopsided run changes in sound and moves faster. We must be in Castle Town now. Hurry Daddy. Get me home. Then maybe you can put the fre out.


    He doesn¡¯t stop to turn the handle when we get home. He simply throws his burly body against the door and it smashes open. Oh Daddy. Why would you do that? We don¡¯t have the money to fx it. I know it hurts, but it will probably kill me anyway and then you¡¯re daughterless and you have a broken door.


    I open my eyes to see my mother jump to her feet. She takes one glance at me and starts running for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll get the doctor!¡± she exclaims in a voice quieted by fear. My father blocks her path.


    ¡°No! He¡¯ll just tell us to kill her!¡± I don¡¯t understand why he would say something like that as he lays me down on the table in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Why?¡± Mummy breathes. ¡°Why would the doctor say such a thing?¡±


    Daddy lowers his voice and steps back. ¡°Because, Lily. She¡¯s been bitten by a werewolf.¡±


    Mummy covers her mouth with her hands. ¡°Oh no, Garth! It can¡¯t be true! Not our little Saria. I won¡¯t let them kill her!¡±


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t let anyone know about...¡± he trails away and puts a hand on her shoulder as he searches for the right word. ¡°...her condition,¡± he fnishes.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    My mother chokes back a sob. ¡°Can¡¯t let anyone know? How are we going to hide the fact that she turns into a furry beast every time the moon is full?¡±


    Both their voices drop too low for me to hear as they discuss me. Me, a werewolf? No... it can¡¯t be true! But maybe it can. It would explain the fre. And the fact that the smell of my own blood is making my mouth water. It makes me think of fresh, raw meat, still steaming from the kill. It makes me hungry. And that makes me sick in disgust.


    I clench my fsts by my side and try desperately not to scream. It hurts so much. How can it be possible to feel this much pain and still be able to keep on breathing? How can I possibly survive this? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening anymore when suddenly everything goes black.


    I wake to the cheerful sound of morning birds. There¡¯s a bright yellow sun shining in the window. I¡¯m lying on top of my bed. My parents must have carried me in here at some point. They had changed my clothes too.


    Feeling better at the moment, I ponder about our house, my mind wandering idly to the subject. I like our little house. We¡¯re lucky to have it. For peasant standards, it¡¯s huge. It¡¯s got two bedrooms; one for me, and one for my parents. It even has a bathroom, but we only bathe once a month because it¡¯s a big job to heat enough water to fll the wooden tub. The kitchen and the table are all in the front part of the house. The king gave us this house when my parents started working for him in the castle stables.


    I swing my legs over the side of the bed and sit up. I don¡¯t hurt anymore. Maybe, just maybe, it was all a dream. Maybe I never tried to steal that bow. Maybe I never went into the woods. But have the birds always been so loud? And have the smells always been so strong? I can hear the mice crawling underneath my foor, and the wing beats of the birds as they fy past my window. The stench that surrounds me is horrendous. It smells thickly of dust and waste. But there¡¯s a faint, tangy-sweet scent too. It¡¯s the scent of blood.


    When I stand, my legs feel different. They look the same, but they feel stronger, as though I could scale the walls of my house and leap from rooftop to rooftop without any trouble at all. My arms are the same way. In fact, my entire body feels like it¡¯s pulsing with barely restrained energy. Curious, I place my hands under the edge of the bed and lift. The heavy wooden bed comes off the foor as easily as picking a leaf up from the ground. I¡¯m even able to let one hand drop away and balance the bed in my other. Okay, so maybe the bite wasn¡¯t a dream after all.


    I put the bed down carefully and walk over to the old cracked mirror in the corner of my room. It looks like me standing there. There¡¯s my shoulder length, fery red hair, all tousled from my sleep. Some dried blood is matted into the ends, but other than that it looks normal. But there¡¯s a faint crescent indent where the bite in my neck was. And my eyes are no longer brown. They¡¯re yellow. The kind of piercing yellow that makes you feel trapped and hypnotized. The kind of cold eyes that prey sees before it falls to the claws of a hunter. No. The bite was defnitely not a dream. I really am a werewolf.


    Suddenly I remember that my arm was broken. I quickly examine it, but it looks fne now. No sign of a break.


    In the corner of my eye, I glimpse a bow leaning against the wall. Walking over, I pick it up. It¡¯s the same one my dad and I started. But it¡¯s fnished. The sap is dried and it¡¯s been beautifully carved. It no longer looks like a sappy old stick. The string is taut and ready to be fred. How long did this take to make? How long have I been sleeping?


    I want to leave my room, but uncertainty glues my feet to the foor. What kind of monster am I now? I don¡¯t know much about werewolves other than something happens to them at the full moon and everyone is afraid of them. What if some of my new monster instincts kick in during the day too? What if I walk out into the rest of the house only to attack my parents?


    I feel my eyes begin to burn with tears. Why? Why did this happen to me? Plenty of peasants venture into the forest, and they never get attacked.... Mind you, I don¡¯t think many go in at night. For obvious reasons. But if my father had thought it would have been any more dangerous at night than it was during the day, he wouldn¡¯t have let me stay in there. He hadn¡¯t mentioned a word that we should leave. So that means that werewolves rarely come around here. But if that¡¯s the case, then why had there been one that night?


    I angrily wipe the tears from my eyes. I won¡¯t let myself be a monster. I will never be like that horrendous beast that bit me. I won¡¯t even let anyone know what I am.


    Taking a deep breath, I try to be brave. I will leave my room and fnd my parents. Hopefully they haven¡¯t left for work yet.


    It turns out they haven¡¯t. They¡¯re both sitting quietly at the table, eating stale bread. I notice that the bread has hardly been touched, and they both look slightly thinner. Uh oh. That¡¯s not a good sign.


    ¡°Mummy? Daddy?¡± I say, but my voice is so unfamiliar it scares me. It¡¯s smoother than it used to be. It¡¯s like verbal silk and honey mixed with moonbeams. Strange description, I know, but really, my voice sounds strange.


    They both jump up when I speak and their chairs clatter to the foor. For a moment, we all just stare at each other. My mother is the frst to move. She runs across the room and drops down on her knees to hug me tightly.


    ¡°Saria!¡± she sobs into my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡±


    I want to hug her back, but I¡¯m so stunned by this reaction that my arms just hang limp by my side. ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    She pulls back to look me in the eyes. Her lip quivers as she sees the yellow rings that have replaced the brown. ¡°Saria... don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I mean to speak strongly, but it comes out as a whisper as I remember the intense pain. ¡°I remember every moment... up until I fell asleep. How long have I been sleeping?¡±


    ¡°For a month.¡± The voice is my father¡¯s. He stands by the table looking at me with his eyes somber, but he doesn¡¯t come closer. His face is more serious than I¡¯ve ever seen it. It¡¯s almost like all the laughter has been stolen from it, and that makes me feel my heart crack a little.


    ¡°A month!¡± Wow. I didn¡¯t think I was out that long.


    ¡°Yes. We told King Edmund that you were extremely ill and that we wanted to take some time off of work until you were better.¡± Wiping the tears from her eyes, my mother tries to stop crying. ¡°He was going to fre us right then and there, but Queen Abigale stepped in. She told us that we could take as much time as we needed and that there¡¯d still be room for us when we came back.¡± Mummy sighs. ¡°She¡¯s such a nice lady. It¡¯s a shame she doesn¡¯t deal with more public affairs.¡±


    My father huffs angrily. ¡°It¡¯s because that dog Edmund doesn¡¯t let her.¡±


    Scolding him over her shoulder, Mummy replies, ¡°Garth! That¡¯s no way to talk about your king! True or not!¡±


    Daddy just growls under his breath and looks away.


    ¡°Daddy? Is something wrong?¡± He¡¯s hardly spoken at all since I woke up and normally it¡¯s a real trick to get him to be quiet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Saria.¡± Looking closely, I think I can see tears shining in his eyes. ¡°I should have been more careful. This never should have happened.¡±


    Stepping out from under my mother¡¯s hands, I walk over to look up at him. ¡°Daddy.¡± I wait until he looks down at me before I continue. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. If you hadn¡¯t thrown your knife into that beast, I would be dead. You saved me.¡± I open my arms and he lifts me up for a hug.


    Burrowing in his beard, I can feel his cheeks are wet with tears. ¡°My little angel,¡± he murmurs. ¡°You always know just what to say.¡±


    I laugh quietly. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for Daddy.¡±


    I feel his chest move in a chuckle, and for the frst time since I was attacked, I feel better. Daddy always laughs. Seeing him so serious scared me.


    Suddenly I notice that my butt feels a little more breezy than usual. Looking down, I see there¡¯s a hole in my pants. I look back up at Daddy. ¡°What exactly happened while I was asleep?¡± I ask.


    My mother walks over and strokes my cheek with one hand. ¡°Well... every night, you turned into a half- wolf.¡±


    I don¡¯t understand. This isn¡¯t how werewolves are supposed to be. ¡°Every night? I thought werewolves only changed at the full moon. And what happened when I changed? Did I do anything?¡±


    ¡°No, you just continued sleeping,¡± Daddy says. ¡°And we don¡¯t know why you changed like that, but on the full moon the change was...¡± he trails off.


    ¡°Different,¡± Mummy fnishes.


    They don¡¯t say anything else, so I ask, ¡°What kind of different?¡±


    My mother and father glance at each other, then fnally my mother explains, ¡°You became a full wolf.¡±


    Daddy puts me down. I feel more confused than ever. What kind of werewolf am I? I¡¯m not supposed to change every night, and when I do change, I¡¯m supposed to go on a rampaging killing streak. What makes me so different?


    I don¡¯t know how to answer any of my questions, but I do know that my parents need to work. They¡¯ve probably had to survive on bread given to them by friends for the last month.


    ¡°Mummy, Daddy, I¡¯m fne now. You need to go to work before the king decides not to hire you back.¡±


    Mummy holds her hands tight to her chest. ¡°Saria, are you sure? We could stay a little longer if you like.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, you have to go. I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll just rest today.¡±


    Daddy takes a deep breath. ¡°Okay. But just to let you know, King Edmund will probably make us work late so we¡¯ll miss your...¡± He has to ready himself before he fnishes, ¡°change.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± I tell them. Secretly, I don¡¯t want them to be around when I change, just in case I become a real monster.


    It takes them only a few moments to be ready for work. I stand alone in the middle of the room and wave as they leave. The moment I can¡¯t hear their footsteps anymore (which is quite a while with my new hearing) my legs won¡¯t hold me any longer. I slip down to the foor with wet eyes. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m lonely. I wish I could curl up and sleep and forget all about this. But no matter how tired I am, I know I won¡¯t be able to sleep. I¡¯m too anxious for what the night will bring. My stomach heaves and I have to work hard not to throw up.


    Despite all the nerves, I realize I¡¯m hungry. Starving in fact. Well, that makes sense really. I haven¡¯t eaten anything for a month. I try to eat the leftover bread on the table, but it tastes terrible. I never used to hate the taste this much. It¡¯s not the fact that the bread is stale; I¡¯m quite used to eating stale bread. But to my mouth, it feels dry like ash and tasteless all together.


    Putting the bread down, I take a deep breath. I can still faintly smell blood. I lean closer to the table and inhale. The scent of blood has seeped deep into the wood. I wonder how long I lay on the table after my father brought me home. Long enough, it seems. I have the feeling this house will always smell of blood.


    But the smell doesn¡¯t bother me. Well, not in the kind of way that repulses me anyhow. In fact, it just makes me hungrier. My mouth begins to water and my hands grip the table so tightly that the wood cracks in my grasp. Growling quietly, I step back.


    I¡¯m so hungry for fresh meat that I¡¯m tempted to leave the house and fnd it. But there¡¯s a few things keeping me here. I¡¯m afraid that with hunger this great, I¡¯ll attack the frst thing I see. No matter what, I never want to attack a human. I never want to be like that animal that bit me. Besides, I don¡¯t even know if I can catch food in this body. Maybe it will be easier when I change.


    But it takes a lot of effort for me to keep myself in this house. Dragging myself into a corner, I sit there and stare at the foor. The longer I sit there, the more I begin to shake. I¡¯m so hungry... After a while my teeth are chattering against each other, and that¡¯s when I realize how sharp they are. They¡¯re like little daggers.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it to night...


    But I do. When I notice the sun is fnally setting after what feels like a lifetime, I walk over to the window. I watch as the last streaks of bloody light leave the sky. The moon peeks over the horizon. And that¡¯s when it begins.


    I start shaking more violently than I had shaken yet. I gasp. A growl rises in my throat as every inch of my skin begins to tingle. When the tingle turns to a burn, I close my eyes and snarl. I wrap my arms tightly around my body, burning like I had the day I was bitten. But it doesn¡¯t last long. Soon the burning is gone.


    Breathing heavily, I open my eyes. I can see better in the dark than I could before I was bitten. I don¡¯t look down. I want to see the full thing in my mirror.


    The walk to my bedroom is slow and awkward. My legs don¡¯t move the way I¡¯m used to. My feet are bigger, and I soon realize that I have to walk on the balls of my feet to keep my balance. Walking is much easier like that, and it doesn¡¯t feel as awkward. I keep my arms wrapped around me.


    When I approach the mirror, I keep my eyes glued to the foor in front of me. For a while, I stand there, unable to look at what I¡¯ve become. But eventually, curiosity gets the best of me.


    I¡¯m not as ugly as I¡¯d imagined I would be. My entire body is covered in fur. My hair is fuffer, and it¡¯s no longer only red. There¡¯s different shades of brown in it too. Large wolf-like ears now protrude from my head, and they twitch slightly to catch sounds. My yellow eyes are even more impressive, seeming to glow with their own light. My canine teeth are much longer and their tips show just below my furry lip. Swiping my tongue over my lips, I notice that it¡¯s longer too, more like a dog¡¯s tongue than a human one. My nose is more like a dog¡¯s nose, but it still has the human bridge. My hands still have a human shape to them, but claws stick out at the end of each furry fnger and paw pads tip my fngers and palms. A large bushy tail is sticking through the hole in my pants. I swish it back and forth as I study my legs. They are somewhere between wolf legs and human legs, and all my toes are clawed. I also notice that my feet have tough pads on the bottom of them.


    My fur. It¡¯s actually... beautiful. It¡¯s thick and soft, and the color is amazing. Most of my body is a light cream. The bottom of my neck and my belly are both white. So is my face. My arms are a darker brown, and my fngers are all a rich russet red. My legs have red spots with white centers on them. My toes too are red. My tail goes from cream to brown to red, and fnishes with a white splash. Lifting my shirt, I notice that my back is brown with red streaks down my side.


    Unable to hold in a smile, I admire myself in the mirror. I¡¯m not so bad as a werewolf. This is certainly a lot better than I imagined it would be.


    But then the hunger hits me again. I¡¯ve waited long enough. I have to go get some food.


    I go to the window. I¡¯m less likely to be seen if I go out this way. The last thing I need is someone seeing a werewolf leave my house. I¡¯m not exactly much taller than I was before, and they¡¯d instantly know it was me. I¡¯m probably the smallest werewolf in all of history.


    It¡¯s easy enough for me to leap through the window. For a moment, I just stand in the alley and take a deep breath. The moon feels good on my fur. It feels like the moonbeams are leaking strength and energy into me. If this kind of feeling happens every night, I know for a fact that I will never need to sleep again. That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t ever sleep again. Sometimes sleeping just feels nice.


    My ears swivel as I hear a clatter. Turning keen eyes on the alley, I search for the source of the sound. I relax as I see a rat scuttling away. Catching a whiff of its scent, I have mixed feelings. The scent smells dirty, but I can still smell the warm scent of blood under it. Part of me wants to catch the rat, but the other part makes me curl my lip. I can fnd tastier food.


    Keeping to the darkest shadows, I make my way to the forest. I¡¯m almost seen once. A merchant is fnishing up packing his wares away for the night. When I notice him there, I quickly press back against the wall and hope he didn¡¯t see me. But I hear his footsteps turn towards me. For a moment, I¡¯m frozen in fear. But then I come to my senses. Gathering my strength, I leap to the roof of the building I¡¯m leaning against. The merchant looks into the now empty alley a moment too late. He stands there and rubs his arms, then turns and disappears from sight.


    I jump from rooftop to rooftop all the way to the edge of town. When I sink into the shadows of the forest, I scent the air and prick my ears. It takes me a while, but eventually I fnd the scent of a deer. I can¡¯t help but lick my lips as I follow the trail. The smell is wild, warm, and very inviting.


    It¡¯s not long before I fnd my prey. The deer is grazing quietly in a moonlit meadow. I freeze at the edge of the meadow. I know I must be careful. If I make the slightest sound, the deer will run. And I honestly don¡¯t know how fast I am in this body. I don¡¯t want to lose my only chance at fresh meat.


    I crouch down in the shadows behind a tree and wait. The deer¡¯s grazing brings it steadily closer. Finally, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s within jumping distance. I creep around the tree and wiggle my butt in preparation for the jump.


    At the last moment, a twig snaps. The deer starts to run, but it¡¯s too late. I launch myself after it and dig my claws into its shoulder. Giving a panicked call, the deer tries to shake me off. Before it can, I bite down as hard as I can on the back of its neck. My prey rears, but it¡¯s unbalanced, causing it to fall onto its back. The moment before we hit the ground, I swing my body out of the way. I press it down into the ground with my arms while keeping my teeth in its neck. For a while, the deer tries to struggle. But it soon grows weaker until fnally it falls still and I hear its heart stop.


    I stand up, licking the blood from my teeth. Well, it¡¯s not the same kind of hunting I was planning on. But in any case, I can feed my family now. Being a werewolf isn¡¯t all that bad. There¡¯s really only one thing I can¡¯t do as a werewolf that I could do as a human. I can¡¯t fall in love... but oh well. I hadn¡¯t ever planned on doing that anyway.


    Grabbing the deer under one arm, I start running home. We won¡¯t ever go hungry again, not as long as I¡¯m here.

 Chapter 2

    I crouch low and peer through the sunbeams that dapple the forest in a glowing radiance. Even in my human form, I have become a ferce hunter.


    Today is a special day. It¡¯s my eighteenth birthday. Well, it¡¯s only a special day to a few people. My parents and my boss where I work at the tavern were the only ones to congratulate me. But that doesn¡¯t really bother me... at least that¡¯s what I tell myself. It wouldn¡¯t bother me, except that it¡¯s Prince William¡¯s eighteenth birthday today too, and he always steals all my glory.


    Later this evening, the king will call together all the residents of Castle Town in order to celebrate Prince William¡¯s birthday. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad, if we weren¡¯t peasants. The merchants are allowed to enter the castle¡¯s lobby for a fancy party and banquet. The poor people like us have to stay in the courtyard with no food. I don¡¯t think any of us peasants would go if it weren¡¯t mandatory. Today, the king¡¯s soldiers will go door to door in our district to make sure anyone who is well and able goes to the gathering. There¡¯s one good thing about this yearly event; it gives us a chance to catch up with old friends.


    I freeze when I hear a rustling in the bushes ahead. Quickly ducking behind a tree, I nock an arrow on my bowstring. I peer slowly and silently around the side of the tree at the rustling bushes. After a few moments, a large bull elk parts the bushes with its mighty shoulders. I can¡¯t help but smile. I haven¡¯t had such a good catch in months. What a nice birthday present!


    With very slow movements, I carefully aim and draw back the bowstring. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I get ready to fre...


    Suddenly, two of the king¡¯s soldiers race by on their horses, scaring the elk away. Spitting angrily, I jump out from behind the tree and yell, ¡°Hey you jerks! I¡¯m trying to hunt here!¡±


    They give no sign that they heard me and are quickly lost from sight in the foliage. I wonder what they¡¯re doing out here. The king doesn¡¯t often send out his soldiers to the forest. He has no need. But maybe it¡¯s because of William¡¯s birthday. They¡¯re probably checking the entire perimeter of Castle Town today to be sure there are no suspicious characters about.


    Still, that¡¯s no reason to lose me my birthday present. And after the racket they just made, there won¡¯t be any more prey out for hours. I have to be back soon, so there¡¯s no way I can catch anything now. Once again, I¡¯m going home empty handed. Sigh. Oh well. At least this time I can blame it on the king¡¯s soldiers. Dumb soldiers. Ruining my birthday.


    Slinging my bow and quiver over my shoulder, I start heading back to town. I¡¯ve hardly taken a few steps when I suddenly hear a strange sound. I can¡¯t put a name to it. It¡¯s not a sound I¡¯ve heard before. It sounds like the beating of bat wings, but much larger and stronger. I look up at the sky, pondering what could possibly be making such a noise. I don¡¯t see anything and after a while the sound fades. I give a shudder and walk faster.


    I may be a werewolf, but this forest still gives me the chills. Every night I venture in here to be alone. I don¡¯t sleep. In fact, I¡¯ve hardly slept in the past thirteen years. The few times I did sleep, it was simply because I wanted to, not because I needed to. At night, it¡¯s like the moon gives me power and restores my energy. But no matter how many times I come in here, I will always remember that night flled with fre and blood that changed me forever....


    I have to pass by the Salty Seahorse Tavern on the way home. Most days, I work there clearing tables and cleaning up. It brings in some extra money, and I work more days in the winter to make up for the poor hunting. But the past few months, there has been less game around, despite the nice weather. I don¡¯t know why, but I think there¡¯s a sinister presence that has moved in. The animals feel it. I feel it. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it sends a chill down your spine and makes you feel as though you are always being watched.


    Sally, Bard the bartender¡¯s wife, waves out of the door as I pass by. ¡°How¡¯s the hunting today?¡± she calls in a friendly way. She¡¯s always liked me.


    ¡°I would have had a beautiful bull elk if it wasn¡¯t for the king¡¯s soldiers,¡± I reply.


    She laughs, waves once more, and disappears back inside the tavern.


    My parents are home when I get there. They both look up hopefully as I enter, but their faces fall slightly when they see I¡¯m empty handed. ¡°Bad hunting?¡± Garth asks.


    I then proceed to tell them about the bull elk and how the king¡¯s soldiers had ruined my catch.


    My dad snorts. ¡°Leave it up to the king to ruin my girl¡¯s special day,¡± he grunts.


    I sigh. ¡°I should have known it was too good to be true. After the meager hunting season we¡¯ve had, it was amazing to see something like that. It would have kept us fed for months if we didn¡¯t sell too much of it.¡±


    There¡¯s a knock on the door, and a soldier enters. ¡°It¡¯s time for the prince¡¯s banquet,¡± he says. It¡¯s really just a nice way of saying, get your butts there or we¡¯ll thro you in jail.


    ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll be along when I¡¯ve changed,¡± I tell my parents.


    ¡°Okay dear. Don¡¯t be too long,¡± Lily replies, leading my dad out the door.


    The soldier is still standing by the door. ¡°Shall I wait for you?¡± he asks. We both know he has no choice. He is required to stay at each house until the people inside have left.


    Just to test him, I reply, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just going to get changed, then I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    I watch him from the corner of my eye. He shuffes his feet awkwardly. ¡°Perhaps I should stay, just in case...¡± he murmurs uncomfortably.


    I laugh. This is fun. ¡°In case of what? Pirates? Oh, maybe my clothes will come to life and try to strangle me!¡± With a teasing glint in my eye, I raise an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips.


    The soldier rubs his head with a hand. He opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it again. I can tell he¡¯s new. For one thing, he looks only slightly older than me and for another he doesn¡¯t have any responses. There are a few soldiers who know me well enough to reply with just the right things. I¡¯m guessing this is his frst year, and he¡¯s never had to deal with a troublemaker before. But hey, the way I see it, troublemakers like me make a nice change from the dull and boring normal routine of their jobs.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go?¡± I suggest. ¡°I know the penalty for not being there. I¡¯ll be there. If you don¡¯t see me, you can come and arrest me yourself. How about that?¡±


    He looks at me warily, his eyes screaming with uncertainty .


    I tilt my head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s your name soldier?¡±


    For a few moments, he doesn¡¯t reply. But then he fnally says, ¡°My name is Matthew.¡±


    I smile. ¡°Well then, Sir Matthew, I shall see you in the courtyard. It¡¯ll be our little secret.¡± I wink, then turn and disappear into my bedroom to change. When the door is closed, I listen for a few seconds. Matthew doesn¡¯t leave right away, but after a little while, he sighs and I hear his footsteps walk away down the street.


    New guys are always fun. They¡¯re so easy to mess with. There¡¯s two kinds of new guys; soldiers like Matthew who give in easier, and soldiers that go out of their way to make sure that the law is followed. I can have fun with both, but I personally prefer the ones like Matthew. I don¡¯t like soldiers in general because they work for the king, but new guys are the closest thing I come to liking them.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to change from my hunting clothes to my everyday clothes. I¡¯m back out in the street soon enough and jog to catch up to my parents. On my way, I pass by Matthew again and give him a little wave. His faces fushes in a blush and he tries not to smile, but I can still see the corners of his mouth turn up a little.


    I catch up with my parents just outside the courtyard. Lily rubs my arm in welcome.


    The crowd in the cobbled stone courtyard is huge. All peasants who aren¡¯t seriously sick are here today. I see some people I recognize from the Salty Seahorse Tavern. They wave and I wave back. The mood is light, but not because of the prince¡¯s birthday. It¡¯s because to us, this is a friendly annual gathering. I don¡¯t think there is a single peasant that actually likes the prince. He walks around with his nose in the air like he¡¯s better than all of us. If he even comes near us, he shies away as if he¡¯ll become deathly ill if he even breathes the same air as us. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever even left the castle. At least, I¡¯ve never seen him in Castle Town. I heard a rumor that when he was sixteen, he spent a year abroad on one of the king¡¯s ships. But a few days after he was supposed to be gone, I glimpsed him in one of the castle windows as I walked by. I bet he threw a tantrum so that he didn¡¯t have to go.


    I detest Prince William and everything about his stuck up, snobby attitude. I hate him even more than I hate King Edmund, and that¡¯s saying something. I honestly can¡¯t believe that sweet, kind Queen Abigale could have ever given birth to such an atrocious beast. But I suppose I can¡¯t call him a beast. I¡¯m a beast, and the last thing I want is to be in the same category as that rat.


    We mingle with each other for about an hour, waiting for the last of the peasants to join us. Just when I¡¯m sure the king and the prince will appear, I hear shouting at the courtyard gate. I turn to see what¡¯s happening. It looks like Greasy Mack, a crazy old guy, tried to sneak back out of the courtyard. The soldiers grab him roughly and throw him back in where he falls on his backside with an exclamation of outrage. The only reason they don¡¯t arrest him is because everyone knows he¡¯s completely mad. He walks around constantly looking over his shoulder, and he¡¯s always nervously picking at his fngers. Sometimes you can hear him talking to himself, and he apparently thinks that he¡¯s talking to a lady named Molly. In the tavern, I hear stories about him. Apparently, he used to make weapons for the king, but he was caught sneaking into the castle at night to meet his lover (Molly apparently). But the king was convinced that he was sneaking in to spy, so he had him thrown in the dungeons and tortured. For a whole week, Castle Town rang with his agonized screams, and at the end of the week, Molly was beheaded for treason right before his eyes. It¡¯s said that on nights when the moon is full, you can still hear an echo of the scream Mack made as he watched her die. But all this is just a story, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not. Knowing the king though, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was true.


    After all the ruckus with Mack, no one notices King Edmund and Prince William step out on to the balcony. There¡¯s a loud murmuring in the air around me, but I¡¯m deaf to it. I¡¯m staring up at Prince William. His disdainful gaze looks down into the crowd, and after a moment, his eyes lock with mine. I don¡¯t look away, because the moment our eyes meet, I get a weird sensation in my stomach. My wolf instincts are telling me something serious is going to happen soon and it¡¯s not good. I narrow my eyes slightly. I haven¡¯t felt my wolf instincts react to anything in a long time, but the last time they reacted, I was attacked by a griffn while out hunting. If I didn¡¯t have the strength of a werewolf, it would have killed me.


    Prince William shivers and fnally breaks my gaze. But as his father calls out for silence, his eyes keep ficking back in my direction.


    ¡°Citizens of Castle Town!¡± King Edmund booms, his voice carrying easily over the crowd. I finch. His loud voice hurts my sensitive ears. But I resist the urge to cover them. The soldiers would think I¡¯m dishonoring the king by doing so.


    Waving his son to take a step forward, Edmund continues, ¡°Today is a very special day! It is Prince William¡¯s eighteenth birthday!¡± William looks like he would rather be anywhere than out here with all us dirty peasants. He steps to the rail of the balcony and gives a very unconvincing wave. I can almost guarantee that his treatment of the merchants inside the castle was quite different.


    In that moment when he¡¯s waving at us, I hear a sound. I look around. No one else hears it. But I do. The beat of huge leathery wings draws quickly closer, and soon I can hear heavy breathing. I look up and see a huge shadow dropping from the sky, heading straight for the balcony where the prince is. My heart seems to drop into the ground. The shadow is a black dragon.


    No one else sees it. I start shoving my way through the crowd towards the soldiers near the door. I keep running even when I hear a roar and screams of panic as the people spot the dragon.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The frst soldier I reach just so happens to be Matthew. I grab the crossbow that¡¯s slung over his shoulder. I can hear him exclaim in surprise as I turn and aim towards the balcony. The dragon grabs the back of William¡¯s shirt in its teeth, spreading its wings to take off into the sky. William screams like a little girl. I¡¯m almost disgusted that I¡¯m trying to save this little worm. But despite how much I hate William, I can¡¯t help but think of my father¡¯s peg leg as the dragon starts to fy away. I loose an arrow from the crossbow and rip a hole in the dragon¡¯s wing. The dragon roars and its wing beats stutter, but only for a moment. It recovers quickly and disappears from sight in no time.


    I missed. I had been aiming for the dragon¡¯s eye. ¡°I never miss!¡± I exclaim heatedly, throwing the crossbow down on the ground. Matthew just stares at me with his mouth hanging open. I can¡¯t believe I missed! Now Prince William is gone! I don¡¯t miss him personally, but I knew something was going to happen today, and I didn¡¯t respond fast enough. I can¡¯t help but feel it¡¯s my fault that the prince is gone.


    Most of the people in the courtyard are running out of here as fast as they can. But not me. I¡¯m going to fx my mistake. That ungrateful brat better appreciate it.


    It¡¯s hard to struggle against the tide of people to the castle doors, but eventually I make it. Just as I enter, I hear King Edmund yelling, ¡°Somebody has to go after him! That¡¯s my only son!¡±


    ¡°But your majesty, that¡¯s a dragon! No one can track a dragon!¡± exclaims the head of the royal guard.


    I step forward. ¡°I can!¡±


    The room falls silent as everyone turns slowly to look at me. ¡°Who are you?¡± the king asks.


    ¡°My name is Saria,¡± I reply.


    ¡°You are nothing but a peasant,¡± the head of the guard scoffs, turning up his nose.


    I glare at him. ¡°You said no one can track a dragon. But I can. I¡¯ve tracked griffns in the forest, a dragon will be no different.¡±


    ¡°Were you the one that shot the dragon?¡± the king asks suddenly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. I¡¯m not expecting it when he strides forward and slaps me across the cheek.


    ¡°How dare you! You could have hit William!¡±


    I glare at him and open my jaws to reply when suddenly Queen Abigale steps in. ¡°Edmund! She tried to save our son! Already she¡¯s done more than anyone else. How can you hit her?¡±


    The queen puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the daughter of Garth and Lily, are you not?¡±


    I look up at her. ¡°Yes I am.¡±


    She smiles at me warmly. ¡°They are good people. Hard workers too.¡± She turns to look back at King Edmund. ¡°Edmund. If this girl says she can save our son, I believe she can.¡±


    King Edmund looks between Abigale and me. His face still looks flled with rage. But suddenly, his shoulders slump and he sighs weakly. With hollow eyes, he replies, ¡°Very well. I will give you a chance.¡± Waving a hand at the head of the guard, he continues, ¡°Follow Sir Stoker. He will get you everything you will need for your journey. You can leave frst thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave tonight.¡±


    ¡°Travel in the forest at night? You¡¯re mad!¡± Sir Stoker exclaims.


    ¡°Mad or not, she¡¯s got more courage than you do,¡± the king snaps at Sir Stoker. ¡°I don¡¯t see you going after my son.¡± He starts to walk away, but before he leaves the room, he looks back over his shoulder. ¡°Saria, if you manage to bring my son back alive, you will be rewarded accordingly.¡± I take that as his way of saying thank you.


    Queen Abigale looks at me through misty eyes. ¡°Good luck Saria,¡± she says before following King Edmund out of the room.


    I¡¯m left there with Sir Stoker and a few soldiers. Sir Stoker snorts, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°Well, come on then. Follow me to the armory.¡±


    Without waiting to check if I¡¯m following, he turns and leads the way. I catch up with him quickly. ¡°I won¡¯t need any armor, just good travelling clothes.¡±


    He looks down at me through the corner of his eye. ¡°Probably best too. All that heavy armor might crush your fragile bones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason I¡¯m not taking armor,¡± I say, looking at him seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not taking it because I don¡¯t plan on giving my enemies a chance to hurt me in the frst place.¡±


    Glancing at me sharply, he opens his mouth to say something. But when he gazes into my cold yellow eyes, he changes his mind and shuts his mouth again.


    We reach the armory. It¡¯s a loud room flled with banging as blacksmiths forge swords and other things. A few of them look up when we enter, but most of them are too busy to notice. Looking around the hot haze in the room, I think of Greasy Mack. A spy? Yea right! These people look more like peasants than castle folk. I almost feel bad for them.


    But I have bigger things to worry about. Sir Stoker leads me to a quieter part of the room where all the fnished weapons are. He grabs a crossbow. ¡°Here, you¡¯ll need one of these.¡±


    I give it one look and shake my head. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll take my own bow. I¡¯m a better shot with it. But I will take some extra arrows.¡± I look around and spot a fancy quiver. It stands out well against all the darker things in the room. ¡°And I¡¯ll take that gorgeous quiver!¡±


    As I pick it up, Sir Stoker snaps, ¡°You will not! That belongs to Prince William!¡±


    I stare at him in disbelief for a few moments before breaking into a ft of laughter. ¡°The prince shooting a bow? Now that¡¯s something I have to see! What does he shoot at, fearsome teddy bears?¡±


    Sir Stoker has to talk loudly to be heard above the laughing that I caused among the workers. ¡°Whether he uses it or not, it¡¯s still his!¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯ll be glad to see it when I rescue him,¡± I reply, slinging the quiver over my shoulder and crossing my arms stubbornly. I raise an eyebrow and stare him down.


    Grinding his teeth in anger, he throws his hands in the air. ¡°Fine! Take it! But if he wants you beheaded for doing so, then you¡¯ll be beheaded!¡±


    I scoff at him. ¡°The prince may be a coward, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s cold enough to kill his rescuer when all his brave knights are sitting at home cowering in fear of a great dirty lizard!¡±


    The room falls silent, but Sir Stoker pretends he didn¡¯t hear me. ¡°You¡¯ll need a sword too,¡± he growls, grabbing the biggest, heaviest sword he can fnd and tossing it at me. I catch it easily in one hand and his jaw drops open. He must have been hoping that the sword would knock me over. Sliding it partially out of its sheath, I examine it.


    ¡°Not this one thanks. It¡¯s too big and clunky, and in case you haven¡¯t noticed, there¡¯s some rust on the blade.¡± I toss the sword back at him, and he has to use both hands to catch it. ¡°You¡¯re preparing me to rescue the prince, I should think you¡¯d be giving me the best you have to offer.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pick out what you think you¡¯ll need then, Miss?¡± he spits out through gritted teeth.


    I smirk. That¡¯s what I had been hoping he would say. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    I feel like a rich kid in a candy shop. Look at all these marvelous weapons! The only weapon here I¡¯ve ever used is a bow, but I¡¯ve practiced swordplay with sticks in the woods. Despite not having any formal training, I¡¯m actually not half bad at it because of my werewolf strength and dexterity.


    I fnd the smallest sword they have which is more like a large dagger. Playing around with it in my hands, I feel how it¡¯s balanced. To the big burly knights of the castle, it probably isn¡¯t much use. But in my hands, it can be the deadliest weapon in existence. I sheathe it then tie it around my waist.


    Sir Stoker laughs. ¡°You¡¯re taking that little thing? It¡¯s hardly more than a butter knife!¡±


    Quick as lightning, I unsheathe the sword and press it lightly against his throat. ¡°If it¡¯s a butter knife, you¡¯re the butter,¡± I whisper. He shivers as he gazes into my eyes.


    I step back and sheathe the sword again. Sir Stoker rubs his throat nervously. I notice the blacksmiths staring at me with awe and I give them a little smile. They¡¯ve probably never had entertainment like this.


    Grabbing a leather pack from under one of the counters, I start packing it with hunting knives and fint rocks. I have to be able to feed myself. Who knows how far the dragon went?


    ¡°If you¡¯re done, we can move on to clothes,¡± Sir Stoker says, clearing his throat.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I tell him, slinging the backpack over my other free shoulder.


    He leads me out of the armory into a cooler room. Light flters through the window. Sunset will be coming soon. I have to be quick and leave before my curse sets in. Most of the clothing in the room is either metal or leather armor. I ignore them both and walk farther into the room.


    I fnd a lovely black leather travelling suit, complete with black cloak. ¡°Perfect,¡± I murmur. ¡°If it fts.¡±


    I begin stripping down to my underwear when I notice Sir Stoker has turned beet red. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I tease. ¡°Never seen women¡¯s underwear before?¡±


    He coughs and looks away but is blushing too hard to respond.


    I laugh and pull on the travelling clothes. It¡¯s a little tight around my chest, but hey, I¡¯m not exactly fat chested. I pull on the cloak and put up the hood. It hides me nicely.


    ¡°Now, erm...¡± Sir Stoker seems to be a little bit distracted as I shove my old clothes into the pack. ¡°Now you need a horse.¡±


    Once again I decline. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯ll travel faster on foot.¡± I lean in and add, ¡°Besides, don¡¯t tell anyone this but... I¡¯ve never learned to ride.¡±


    He grunts awkwardly. For a moment he appears to have forgotten that I¡¯m a peasant and that peasants don¡¯t generally get the chance to ride horses. He¡¯s obviously at a loss so I decide to help him out.


    ¡°What about food and water? I have to have a little to start with.¡±


    He grasps onto the new direction thankfully. ¡°Yes! Indeed, follow me to the kitchens.¡±


    The kitchens are well on the other side of the castle, and my feet itch as I follow Sir Stoker. The sun is getting dangerously low in the sky. I can¡¯t afford to be here when it sets.


    When we reach the kitchen, I waste no time. I grab a few apples, a loaf of bread wrapped in leaves and a small chunk of soft cheese along with two water skins.


    ¡°Is that all you want?¡± Sir Stoker asks, sounding slightly surprised. ¡°If you wait a little longer, we can send some meat with you.¡±


    ¡°No, this will do. I can hunt when I¡¯m out there.¡± I look at the window nervously. ¡°But I want to get going. The longer I take before I begin tracking, the harder it will be.¡± I walk quickly out the door. ¡°I¡¯ll let myself out of the castle!¡±


    ¡°Good luck and¡ª¡± is all I hear before I¡¯m racing down the corridor. I have to get outside and hide fast. The sun is on the horizon.


    I make it into a back alley and quickly strip off my pants. I don¡¯t want my tail to rip a hole in such nice new clothing. I¡¯m used to the burn when it comes. I¡¯ve had it so often, it hardly feels like more than a tickle. After I¡¯ve changed, I pull my pants back on, keeping my tail tucked inside. I¡¯ll fgure out something better once I¡¯m safe.


    Pulling up the hood to hide my ears and face, I don¡¯t bother following the streets home. Instead I take the rooftops. Over the years I¡¯ve learned that not only is it a faster way to travel through the city, it¡¯s safer too.


    When I reach home, I enter through my bedroom window. My parents are sitting at the table, talking in quiet, worried tones.


    When they see me enter, Garth gets to his feet. ¡°Saria! We thought you got trapped somewhere!¡±


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Lily asks, her gaze still worried. ¡°And what¡¯s with the clothes?¡±


    I tell them everything, from the moment I felt my wolf instincts reacting to getting back home. My mother and father sit quietly as I speak and don¡¯t interrupt me.


    When I¡¯ve fnished, my mother says, ¡°Oh Saria, you can¡¯t be serious? You¡¯re honestly going after a dragon to rescue a prince nobody even likes?¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s my fault he was taken in the frst place!¡± I tell her, trying to get her to understand. ¡°I knew something was going to happen, but I didn¡¯t do anything about it! And that makes me responsible for him. I¡¯ll rescue his sorry ass and never look at him again.¡± I pause and sigh. ¡°Besides, if I don¡¯t go after him, no one will. And just because we don¡¯t like him doesn¡¯t mean that we don¡¯t need him. The king isn¡¯t young anymore. What would happen if he died and there was no one left to rule the throne? Chances are Lilliath would fall into ruin, and I can¡¯t let that happen without at least trying to do something about it.¡±


    I can tell that Lily is starting to get frantic. To her, I¡¯m still her baby girl, werewolf or not. ¡°But Saria! You¡¯re hunting a dragon! Griffons are one thing, but dragons are quite another! Just ask your father! He lost his leg to one!¡± She turns to her husband, appealing to him. ¡°Garth, tell her that it¡¯s stupid and dangerous and that she can¡¯t go!¡±


    My father is staring quietly at the foor. Finally he looks up at me. He stares into my eyes long and hard before he speaks. ¡°You can go Saria.¡±


    ¡°Garth!? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Lily obviously can¡¯t believe what she¡¯s hearing from my father.


    Garth turns to her. ¡°She¡¯s not a baby anymore. And she¡¯s right. If no one rescues the prince, we may as well condemn Lilliath right here and now. Yes dragons are dangerous,¡± he adds as my mother looks ready to cut him off, ¡°but Saria isn¡¯t human. She has more strength than all the men in this city, not to mention her bravery and skill. She¡¯s the only one that can fulfll this task.¡±


    My father hobbles over and places a hand on each shoulder. Even though I¡¯m eighteen, he¡¯s still a lot taller than me. ¡°Besides Lily,¡± he says while looking into my eyes. ¡°She¡¯s got the light of adventure in her eyes. She¡¯s going to go whether we let her or not.¡±


    I feel overwhelmed with love for them right now, and I can¡¯t stop myself from throwing my arms around his waist in a hug like I used to. ¡°Thanks Dad. I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll miss you too Saria. But you¡¯ll come home. I know you will.¡± I feel him press a whiskery kiss on the top of my head.


    My mother comes over and looks me in the eye. ¡°Saria, you take care. Don¡¯t... get too cocky. It could be your downfall.¡± I love my mother and all her solid advice. I¡¯ll miss that.


    As she hugs me, I tell them both, ¡°You make sure to keep yourselves well fed, because I won¡¯t be here to hunt for you. But don¡¯t overwork yourselves either.¡± I can¡¯t help but think of that lovely bull elk I almost had this morning. That would have probably kept them fed the entire time I was gone. Oh well. No point dwelling on the past when I have an important mission to do.


    I pull myself from my mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Well,¡± I begin, taking a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s time I left.¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to be seen in town,¡± Lily reminds me.


    ¡°I know Mom. I¡¯m always careful.¡± I turn to leave, but Garth puts a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°You know Saria...¡± he pauses, but then his gaze grows determined and he continues. ¡°Even though I will forever hate that dog for biting you, he didn¡¯t make you a monster. He gave you a great gift. And no matter what happens, don¡¯t ever forget that. Don¡¯t ever forget that you¡¯re a gift to the world.¡±


    I can¡¯t look at him because what he just said brought tears to my eyes. ¡°Thanks Dad,¡± I whisper quietly before grabbing my bow from my bedroom and jumping out the window.


    I wipe the tears from my eyes and look up at the moon as I leap from rooftop to rooftop. The moon will be full tomorrow night. I¡¯ll have to get as far as I can tonight because I can¡¯t pack all my supplies in my full wolf form. I¡¯ve already burned a lot of moonlight saying goodbye. I have to keep moving fast.


    I pause as I reach the edge of the woods and look back over my shoulder. I have this strange feeling that the next time I see this place, nothing will be the same. A piece of me is sad to leave my family and friends. But the other piece thirsts for adventure. Every day I spent cooped up in this town drove me crazy. My heart called me to the great expanse of the wilderness.


    For the frst time in my life, I answer the call.

 Chapter 3

    The forest wraps me in its soft, dark embrace. I take a deep breath. The air smells somehow sweeter than it did before. I feel a shiver run eagerly through my fur. I might actually have fun saving the prince.


    But frst things frst, I have to fnd the trail of the dragon. I had told the king that it would be easy to track a dragon, but that wasn¡¯t exactly true. The only thing I had to go on was the direction the beast few off in. It had fown south, right into the depths of the forest. Walking slowly, I inhale a deep breath, searching for any scent that doesn¡¯t belong. I don¡¯t fnd any trace.


    I growl quietly. This is going to be much harder than I had originally thought. I set down my pack, bow and quiver. I need to make a plan. And while I¡¯m at it, I need to figure out what to do with my tail. It¡¯s feeling pretty hot and stuffy the way it¡¯s shoved in my pants right now.


    I pull off my pants and study the seams. I should be able to make a hole if I¡¯m careful. Taking my knife from my pack, I carefully split the threads just enough to make a hole the right size for my tail to ft through.


    Pulling the pants back on, my tail fts perfectly in the hole. The fur on it is pretty messy from being in my pants, so I take a few moments and stroke it while I think.


    Grrrr. Sometimes I wish I had been bitten by a weregriffn or something like that. Then at least I could fy. Too bad weregriffns don¡¯t exist.


    Wait! That gives me an idea. I hadn¡¯t been lying when I had said that I could track griffns. If I can track a griffn and somehow tame it, I should be able to fnd out where the dragon went!


    Feeling better now that I have a plan, I pick up my stuff and start moving. Griffns are naturally nocturnal animals. They move about the most at night. I just need to look for the signs of them.


    Griffns generally leave large tracks, and you can tell where they¡¯ve landed by broken branches. They don¡¯t leave anything of their prey behind except for bones. Most griffns aren¡¯t quiet fyers and I can hear them coming a long way off. But there are a few griffns that can fy so quietly I don¡¯t hear them until they¡¯re upon me.


    I walk for quite a while without fnding any traces of griffns. But after a while, I come across a large pile of bones. They look bleached white in the moonlight. Crouching down I pick up one of the bones and sniff along its length. Hmm. The scent of blood is faint, but it¡¯s not stale. I¡¯d say this was a griffn¡¯s catch from last night. It might even still be in the area.


    I follow the griffn¡¯s tracks for quite a while, but then they disappear as though it had taken off into the air again. I sigh. It¡¯s almost morning. I can¡¯t track griffns during the day. There generally isn¡¯t enough traces of them to follow.


    Well, I may as well make camp. I set my equipment in a hollow beneath a tree and start gathering fre wood. It doesn¡¯t take me long to have a nice fre crackling. I go hunting. I want to try and catch something to eat before I turn human again.


    I manage to snag a hare just before the sun rises and I¡¯m human again. I skin the hare with my knife and hang the pelt to dry above the fre. Mmmm. The smell of fresh meat is making my mouth water. I tear some meat off the hare and eat it raw. Delicious.


    It used to freak me out, how much I liked the taste of raw meat. But now I¡¯ve learned to embrace it. I¡¯d rather eat my meat raw than cooked any day. But the only time I get to eat raw meat is right after I¡¯ve caught it. If we keep the meat raw, it goes bad. We have to cook it to make it last.


    I eat my fll of raw meat before I cook the rest for later. The sun¡¯s risen well above the horizon by now. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Sometimes I really wish I could be a half wolf all the time. I feel out of place as a human some days. Especially in this forest. This forest is wild and free, and it just doesn¡¯t feel right to be in it as a human.


    When the hare is done cooking and the pelt is dried, I wrap the meat in the pelt and put it in my pack. I stomp out the fre before I gather up my things and keep moving.


    I travel for a whole day without seeing any signs of griffns. The sun has nearly set when I fnally decide to stop. I sigh. Tonight is the full moon. I¡¯ll have to make a camp for the night.


    I choose a shallow cave under an outcropping of rock and begin building my camp. Once again I light a fre, but this time it is simply to keep unwanted animals from wandering in. The fickering orange warmth is just beginning to burn strongly when the sun sets.


    The full moon change is much different than my every night ones. For one thing, the pain is much worse. It¡¯s so intense that I feel myself being fung violently to the foor of the cave. I open my mouth and a howl escapes me. Curling into myself, I try to fend off the burning pain that has engulfed me. My bones creak and groan as they shift about in my body. My entire body erupts with fur and my hands and feet become paws. My face elongates into a snout.


    Finally the pain subsides and leaves me with intense shivers. I can¡¯t hold back the whimper that has risen in my throat.


    When I feel strong enough to stand, I get to my paws and stretch. When I feel more limber, I take in a deep breath and howl. I don¡¯t know why, but every night of the full moon I feel the pressing urge to howl at the sky. Once I tried to ignore it, but the pain was so great I nearly passed out. I ended up howling in the end.


    Another thing about my full wolf form is that I can¡¯t speak in human languages. I can understand animals and speak to them whether I am in my half or full wolf form, but this is the only time when I can¡¯t speak human as well.


    Personally, even though this is the time when I don¡¯t look anything like a human, it is also the time I feel most beautiful. I can¡¯t resist from holding my head high and proud. I am a queen of shadows and the night. The sad, lonely moon might lament for my curse, but this is the time when I like it the most.


    Padding quietly out of the cave, I stop beside a moonlit puddle. The moon makes my features shine beautifully. I look like a wolf, but I have some extra long fur on my forehead and near my ears. My markings are the same as my half wolf form, but my eyes are even more striking. They almost glow with their own sinister light. For a while after my bite, I used to miss my old brown eyes, but now I love my yellow ones.


    Turning away from the puddle, I swish my tail and raise my head. I don¡¯t plan on going far tonight because I must return for my gear in the morning. I managed to get out of my clothes before the change happened. I¡¯m a fair bit bigger in this form; I learned that the hard way. The frst time I changed, my clothes were completely destroyed. The only things left were a few wisps that clung tightly to my fur. I was unable to remove them until I changed back the next morning.


    Wait... what¡¯s that new scent? My sense of smell is stronger than it was in my half wolf form and I pick up some faint traces of something I had missed before. I can scent a wild, earthy smell weaving through the trees, and I recognize it as the scent of griffn. It smells as though one had brushed past the branches as it soared silently through the night.


    I cautiously begin to follow the new scent. Griffns are not picky eaters. They will try and make prey out of anything they think they can catch. If one managed to fy quietly enough to go undetected by my sharp ears, it could sneak up behind me and land a fatal blow to my neck. Those talons are razor sharp and their beaks are like daggers. A griffn could easily kill me if it got the chance.


    My ears are pricked so intently that they tremble slightly while I walk. Every few steps I pause, sniff the air, look around and listen before I continue on my way.


    The heavy scent of griffn is growing steadily stronger. In fact, it¡¯s becoming so overwhelming that I¡¯m sure there is more than one griffn in the trees ahead. I slow my pawsteps. As far as I¡¯m aware, rouge griffns are solitary creatures. The only time I¡¯ve ever heard of griffns living together was when they were tamed to live in a fock. The king has a fock of griffns, but even though they are kept in the same paddock, they rarely have to work together. I had even once stumbled upon two griffns in a ferce fght one night. If one hadn¡¯t fed, it would have been killed for sure.


    I¡¯m wary of approaching multiple griffns. There could possibly be a mass scuffe over territory going on right now. But if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure I would have heard it already.


    Suddenly, the bushes behind me tremble. I freeze and my head snaps around. Two huge griffns prowl out of the bushes, their beaks clacking aggressively. Their dark brown eyes are fxed on me and one of them lashes its tail.


    I tense, ready to start running, but there¡¯s a screech and a third griffn lands in front of me, cutting off my only means of escape. I fatten my ears in fear and anger, a soft, threatening growl rising in my throat.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± one of the two griffns behind me asks. ¡°Prey?¡±


    The griffn in front of me, the largest of all griffns I had ever seen in my life, stalks back and forth, it¡¯s cobalt blue eyes fxed on mine. ¡°I sense something different in this one.... A strength and courage that can only come from a distinct purpose. It would be wrong to kill something as unique as that.¡±


    The other griffn that hadn¡¯t spoken lets out a whine. ¡°Awww, come on! I¡¯m so hungry I don¡¯t think I can make it back to the glade without fainting!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± hisses the largest one. ¡°We shall take her to Rinara. I can¡¯t make decisions as big as these.¡±


    I¡¯m guessing that Rinara is the leader of these griffns. I can¡¯t help but feel a shiver run through my fur. If this humungous brute isn¡¯t their leader, I don¡¯t want to imagine the size of Rinara.


    A sharp beak nips at my haunches, and I whip my head around to snarl. ¡°Go, go!¡± one of the griffns says. ¡°Before my buddy here decides to eat you right here and now!¡±


    I narrow my eyes into a deathly yellow stare and turn their full power onto the largest griffn. He narrows his in return, squaring his shoulders and stretching out his talons. ¡°Follow me. Or die. The choice is yours.¡±


    I swish my tail. ¡°I will follow you, but only because I was looking for some griffns in the frst place.¡±


    The griffn doesn¡¯t show any surprise, but I think that¡¯s just because he¡¯s trying to hide his emotions. With a single, commanding lash of his tail, he turns and leads the way into the soft shadows of the forest.


    All the while I¡¯m padding along, I hear the impatient clacking of a beak behind me. Finally, I hear one of the griffns mutter, ¡°We should have just eaten her. I don¡¯t know why fsh breath up there wants to take her to Rinara.¡±


    ¡°Lieo is a wiser griffn than the both of us! He¡¯s trained under Rinara!¡± the other griffn snaps back. ¡°If you ever paid attention in the lessons, then maybe your head wouldn¡¯t be so flled with fuff, feather brain!¡±


    There¡¯s an indignant squawk and I hear the two of them break into a small scuffe. I could have easily taken the chance to escape, but I want to reach where these griffns are taking me. Lieo gives one sharp and angry roar and the scuffing immediately stops.


    The rest of the journey is silent, and fnally Lieo stops. Using a talon to part the bushes, he slips into an almost invisible tunnel in the ground. I pause before I follow, looking up at the moon. Despite the fact that I can see very well in the dark, I hate being anywhere that I can¡¯t see the sky. It makes me feel trapped and caged....The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The griffn that wanted to eat me lunges forward to snap at my tail. I turn like lighting and smash his face into the ground with one of my paws. The impact is so great, his head makes a small crater in the dirt. Staring at me with wide eyes, the other griffn takes a step back. I simply glare at them both defantly before I disappear into the darkness of the tunnel.


    The scent of griffn is overwhelming here, and I¡¯m sure they use this tunnel often. My paws tingle with surprise. I didn¡¯t think griffns ever went anywhere they couldn¡¯t stretch their wings, let alone a dark tunnel in the ground. But then again, I hadn¡¯t ever thought they would live in groups either.


    The tunnel seems to go on forever. My pelt starts itching, and my paws tingle. I¡¯ve noticed that when I spend prolonged amounts of time away from the moon, I get incredibly restless. The restlessness has never lasted too long; I¡¯ve always made my way back to the moonlight before anything serious could happen. Hoping that we get out of here soon, I dread to think what might happen to me if we don¡¯t.


    Finally, just when I¡¯m sure my fur is going to burst into spontaneous combustion from anxiety, I see a ray of white light in the tunnel ahead and the fresh scent of night air greets my nostrils. I can¡¯t keep my tail from wagging.


    After the darkness of the tunnel, the moonlight stuns me temporarily, and it¡¯s a few moments until I can see clearly. When my eyes fnally adjust to the light, I¡¯m frozen in place in shock. This hollow is amazing! Over there is a rushing waterfall, glistening magically in the light of the moon. Towering walls surround the entire place, and it takes me a few moments to realize we are in a partial cave. A large hole in the roof is what allows the moonlight in. The grass beneath my paws is thick and soft. As I look around, I notice nests snuggled in tussocks of grass, some of which have eggs in them while others have young hatchling griffns bouncing around. Each nest is guarded by a watchful mother. Some of them look up warily as I enter, and a few even gather up their children and hide the complaining creatures beneath protecting wings.


    The waterfall cascades into a deep, azure blue pool. A few young griffns are splashing about in the shallows, pouncing after silver streaks that I guess are fsh. One or two older griffns are diving and swimming in the depths. I see no stream leaving the pool so I assume it leaves through an underground waterway. In the center of the hollow is a huge rock, tall enough that you¡¯d almost have to have wings to reach the top, and wide enough that multiple griffns could easily stand on it at the same time. There¡¯s only two ways in or out of the hollow; the hole in the roof and the tunnel from which I had come.


    The two griffns that had followed me in stand guard on either side of the tunnel as if to keep me from escaping, but I notice the one I had smashed into the ground is eyeing me with barely contained terror in his eyes. It¡¯s clear that he¡¯d rather be anywhere than between me and the exit.


    Lieo spreads his wings and soars lightly to the top of the rock. Tilting back his head, he lets out a shrieking cry: ¡°Rinara!¡±


    I look around the glade, expecting to see an even larger griffn come forward, but when movement catches my eye, it comes from a cave high up in the wall. A black streak shoots down to land in front of Lieo so fast it is nothing more than a blur. I gaze at the new arrival. It¡¯s less than half Lieo¡¯s size and its feathers and fur are jet black. Its eyes are a bright and striking green.


    This can¡¯t be Rinara. How can the leader of the griffns be so small and frail looking? Sure it¡¯s fast and silent in the air, but that doesn¡¯t mean it would be strong enough to lead a herd of griffns this big.


    Lieo murmurs a few things to it, and those green eyes turn to pierce my soul. I don¡¯t let the gaze unnerve me. I square my shoulders and stare back. The griffn narrows its eyes.


    ¡°Gather around the mountain!¡± it shrieks, and with shock, I realize that it¡¯s a female. ¡°Bring the prisoner forward!¡±


    The two griffns guarding the entrance press up behind me, urging me forward. That rock that the black griffn is standing on must be the ¡°mountain¡±.


    I come to a stop at the foot of the rock and look up. The black griffn peers over the edge. ¡°What shall I do with you?¡± she inquires lightly.


    Raucous calling breaks out around me. ¡°Kill her, Rinara!¡±


    ¡°Eat her!¡±


    ¡°Does wolf taste good?¡± a young hatchling asks. Rinara looks around the gathering. Her eyes are


    bright when she calls, ¡°Would you really have me destroy her so swiftly?¡±


    A deep murmuring consumes the air. While the other griffns are busy thinking things over, Rinara leans over the edge of the rock to peer deeply into my eyes. ¡°There is something special I sense in you,¡± she whispers. ¡°That being said, I can¡¯t let my fock think of me as weak. I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯m about to do.¡± Her eyes only have a small twinge of regret in them. For the most part, they¡¯re flled with eagerness and adventure.


    Raising her head again, Rinara calls, ¡°Do you want a show?¡±


    The gathering goes into an uproar.


    ¡°Then you shall have one!¡± She lashes her tail once. ¡°You!¡± she calls down to me. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Saria,¡± I growl, baring my teeth in a snarl.


    ¡°Well then Saria, if you can make it up here, I shall give you a chance to prove yourself worthy,¡± she scoffs. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be making it up here anytime soon unless you grow wings.¡±


    The griffns nearest to me back up to give me room. They¡¯re calling me names, mocking me. I fatten my ears. I¡¯ll show these cocky beasts exactly what a werewolf can do!


    Bunching my muscles up in my haunches, I take a fying leap and land lightly on top of the rock. The glade suddenly goes quiet. All eyes are fxed on me. I hold my head up high. A few old and wise-looking griffns nod in approval. But for the most part, they¡¯re all too stunned to speak.


    Rinara looks slightly taken aback too. But her tail is twitching and her eyes are gleaming with excitement. ¡°Well now! Have we ever got something special!¡± She paces in a circle around me, looking me up and down. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had a specimen as fne as you!¡±


    I simply stare at her. She pauses and speaks louder so that all can hear her words. ¡°Saria! I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you can kill me, you can leave! Does that sound like a fair deal?¡±


    I stare into her eyes. ¡°And if I can¡¯t kill you?¡± I ask, more for the beneft of the crowd than myself. Although I will admit, my heart is racing. Griffns are formidable opponents. They can kill me. I have to make sure not to give her the chance to do so.


    Rinara lets out a small laugh of joy. ¡°Then you will die. Gotta feed my fock somehow, right?¡± She pads over to the opposite side of the rock from me, her razor sharp talons clicking against the stone. Turning to face me, her eyes narrow and the corners of her beak turn up in a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy this,¡± she whispers, and I don¡¯t think I was meant to hear that. It is obvious she intends to win.


    I tense my muscles as silence quickly thickens the air around me. There¡¯s a few seconds where neither of us does anything. The only sound is the faint breeze coming from the hole far above. Quivering with barely repressed tension, I attempt not to let my fear show.


    Then suddenly, with a fearsome screech, Rinara fies at me with talons extended dangerously. I sidestep as fast as I can, but it¡¯s not quite fast enough. Her claws catch in my shoulder and rip long, bloody slashes down my side. I howl in agony. If I don¡¯t do something quickly, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll win this!


    Rinara circles in the air above me like a vulture hovering over a kill. She screeches again, but this time it is a mixture of ferocity and joy. Eyes glinting with pleasure, she drops into a deadly dive.


    I leap up quickly to meet her in midair. There¡¯s a surprised squawk as I nip violently at her chest. But she takes advantage of my new weakness. Before I have the chance to fall safely out of range, she digs in claws and beak to grip every bit of me that she can. Wings pumping furiously, she fies higher and higher.


    I cry out in pain and panic, but the excited calling from below drowns me out. Trying in vain to bite her, I struggle and squirm. But she laughs once before letting me drop ffty feet through the empty air, the rock below me approaching terrifyingly fast. There¡¯s nothing I can do but close my eyes and brace for impact.


    I hit the rock with a sickening thud and howl in agony as I hear a pop in my shoulder. That can¡¯t possibly be good.... Panting heavily and trying to see through watering eyes, I force myself to my paws, attempting not to let anyone see how badly I¡¯m hurt. The pain is intense. It rips down my leg to my paw like lightning when I try to put pressure on it. Gritting my teeth, I pull my lips back in a snarl as Rinara lands across the rock from me.


    ¡°My, my!¡± she squawks in delight. ¡°You are a tough one! I¡¯ve never seen any creature get up after a fall like that.¡± Her tail is held high and waves in pleasure.


    I¡¯m in too much pain and far too angry at her to speak, so I simply let out a ferocious snarl. I begin pacing in a circle around the dark griffn, not letting my eyes wander from hers. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned about surviving a fght, it¡¯s being able to read every move in your opponents¡¯ eyes. This is one thing I¡¯ve trained myself to do with immaculate precision.


    Rinara¡¯s eyes ficker with intentions as she begins to pace in a similar fashion. They ficker and dash about, taking in every detail and deciding where to jump. My eyes are steady and unchanging, never missing a moment. With a small growl, she leaps at me, beak parted and aiming for my throat.


    But I¡¯m ready. I duck and roll, sending her fying over top of me. When she lands, she¡¯s confused for a moment, but that¡¯s just the moment I need. I take the opportunity to pounce on her and try to pin her down, jaws snapping for her neck.


    But Rinara is still strong. She fashes out a wing, knocking my injured shoulder, forcing my leg to give out. With a sharp yelp of pain and shock, she pushes me aside and springs to her feet.


    ¡°Tricky one, you are,¡± she spits at me, her voice taking on an edge of venom. ¡°But that fall has weakened you. You¡¯re a foolish pup if you think you can overpower me with your dwindling strength.¡± Her eyes narrow. ¡°And here I thought you would be smarter in a fght. But now I see it was all just dumb luck.¡± She spits the last two words out as if they¡¯re poison on her tongue.


    ¡°Dumb luck?¡± I retort, forcing myself to speak despite the intense pain that¡¯s nearly crippling me. ¡°I didn¡¯t survive the life that I did through dumb luck. You haven¡¯t seen anything yet Rinara. Don¡¯t judge me. It will only disappoint you more as you die.¡± I smirk and narrow my eyes mockingly. ¡°You don¡¯t still think you can win, do you?¡±


    For a moment, she is silent, clearly confused at how such a wounded enemy could be so sure of a victory. I take the chance to push her even more.


    ¡°You are fast and surprisingly strong for your size,¡± I begin, watching the confusion deepen in her eyes. But she can¡¯t betray her slight pride at the compliment. I snarl a smile and continue in a nasty voice, ¡°But you are young and inexperienced. Your judgment skills are lacking depth, and you¡¯ve spent too long in this enclosed environment. You haven¡¯t seen the things I¡¯ve seen. There are still many things you don¡¯t know and much you need to learn. And that,¡± I linger over the word for a moment, ¡°makes you weak.¡±


    An angry veil seems to close over her eyes, and I know my plan has worked. She took the bait. ¡°You insolent pup!¡± she screams, her voice ringing with uncontrolled rage. ¡°You dare mock me? I am the great Rinara!¡± With reckless abandon, she jumps at me again.


    I could almost laugh. Instead, I drop quickly onto my back, finging her away from me with my hind paws. She lands unbalanced and stumbles, falling onto her side ungracefully.


    I get to my paws and bark in amusement. ¡°The great Rinara?¡± I scoff. ¡°How about the foolish Rinara? Or the uncoordinated Rinara? No, I know! The young and stupid Rinara that gets tricked far too easily.¡± Flattening my ears at her, I rumble, ¡°Learn from your mistakes you stupid hatchling!¡±


    Too furious for words, she pads towards me slowly, body low to the rock, legs stiff. Coming within reach, she lashes out a lightning fast talon, aiming for my eyes. I expected this and it¡¯s easy for me to block her with my uninjured foreleg.


    This plan I¡¯ve devised and set into action is dangerous. Angering a griffn is not always wise. It makes them stronger, and their drive to kill you becomes greater. But they have a faw; when griffns get unbearably mad, they fght on blind instinct, their blows uncalculated. They strike out in a furious red haze with only one thought on their mind; your death. But for someone like me who can read movements in eyes no matter how mad they are, I know what she¡¯s going to do before she even knows.


    An older griffn might be wise enough to resist the temptation of anger. But no matter how skilled Rinara is, she is still only a young griffn.


    It¡¯s time to push her even more. ¡°You fght like an untrained animal!¡± As I speak, I make sure to keep my weak shoulder pointed away from her so I can respond as quickly as possible. ¡°You don¡¯t expect the unexpected.¡± I shake my head in mock disappointment. ¡°I expected more.¡±


    She lashes out at me, blow after blow, her talons crashing down on me even more swiftly. I don¡¯t try to block them all, only the ones that are a danger to me. When she¡¯s so mad, she often misses my vitals, so I don¡¯t have to waste time and energy blocking her every move. She has two paws she can use; I only have one.


    When she¡¯s struck me so much that I see a lapse in her strength, I start to put her on the defensive. I swipe and nip with precision, each one of my carefully aimed blows doing more damage than three of hers had done. Blood begins leaking through her black feathers and it¡¯s all she can do to stay standing.


    But her anger gives her an extra surge of energy, and it¡¯s that surge that I was waiting for to end this. She leaps at me one last time, and instead of dodging her this time, I reach up to catch my paw right under her beak. With a mighty heave, I swing my body to throw her with all my strength. She¡¯s too weakened to catch herself with her wings, and she smacks heavily against the wall before falling to the ground with a dull thud.


    Even though I know she¡¯s not going to be able to get up with any swiftness, I ignore the jarring pain I feel as I leap from the rock and streak over to her to place a paw against her throat.


    Her eyes are big and scared as she looks up at me. ¡°Make it swift,¡± she croaks.


    Closing her eyes, she prepares to die.


    But instead of killing her, I lift my paw off her throat and step back. She opens her eyes and stares at me in confusion. ¡°I will spare your life on one condition,¡± I growl. Her face glows with new hope. ¡°You must join me on my quest and help me track a dragon.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t hesitate for an instant, not even at the mention of tracking a dragon. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± she exclaims, struggling to her feet. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Feeling a shiver run through my fur, I look up at the sky through the hole in the roof. The sun is just beginning to crack the horizon. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know,¡± I tell her, my voice becoming slightly panicked. ¡°I¡¯m not a normal wolf¡ª¡±


    I don¡¯t have time to say any more before the change begins.