A fabled wall, marking the territory of the werewolves and adorned with the severed skull of a once great alpha, stands between Natalya and her prey.
When she finds the body of Anesa, her beloved mentor, she is determined to hunt down the vampire r...
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A single leaf detached itself from its tree and fell to the ground, spinning delicately like a snowflake. Far beneath it, Natalya nudged her mount deeper within the great forest.
There was no path to follow to the wall so instead she relied on memory, threading her horse in between the trees and carefully guiding her through hidden snake holes or over fallen logs. The overlapping buzzes of multiple insects were constant, though occasionally punctuated by the shrill call of a bird or chipmunk. Methea picked through the uneven terrain gracefully and confidently, never losing her footing or startling at unfamiliar noises.
In a few hours' time, Natalya came to the border that marked the end of her people's woods. The wall disappeared past the limits of her eyesight on either side of her, and instantly the woods felt darker and more sinister. The werewolf skull stared unceasingly at her, and Natalya found herself uncertain once more. She remembered Kaima's words and knew that passing through could lead her people down a path that they could not escape from.
She also knew that her father had already made his choice. The only way to stop the oncoming war lay just beyond this gate if she could only find Voren.
Natalya inhaled deeply and guided Methea past the skull. The two were swallowed up into impenetrable forest. The trees spread out their branches above her like a canopy, effectively blotting out the sunlight and she wondered if she would lose her way. She felt deaf and blind, for even the sounds of the animals had died away for it seemed as if none made their homes here.
As the darkness settled, Natalya's amulet began to glow a bright shade of amber. It lighted the way before them, and they trusted its beam to guide them through the woods. The steady gait of her horse and the monotone of shadowy trees gave way to Natalya's thoughts, and they raced through her head. She imagined her father following from behind on his own gelding, his gun loaded for the first kill. She remembered the shock of the blast and closed her eyes to the image of it piercing Voren's flesh and his eyes closing forever in death. Several minutes passed as more visions of the oncoming war danced before her eyes, each one more terrible than the last. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she barely noticed when a twig snapped behind her.
Methea had heard the noise though, and her rearing startled Natalya back into reality. She whipped her head from side to side, unable to locate its source while she patted the mare into calmness. All was silent now, and she gradually began to relax as no threat revealed itself. She prodded her horse forward, and the two headed away from the mysterious noise.
Her amulet had changed subtly to a dark ruby, and Natalya slowly turned to look behind her. She was on edge now, every one of her senses wholly stretched to the max. Her eyes raked through the trees, seeking movement, but not even a breadth of wind came to disturb the forest. Somewhere a bird screeched, but Natalya ignored the sound. She longed to call out, to face the potential danger, but her instinct urged her to stay quiet. Methea nickered nervously and pawed at the ground, and Natalya tried to soothe the frightened mare, but this time she was unsuccessful. She continued to scan the trees at eye level until they materialized before her.
