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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Onwards Natalya pushed the mare, her desperation lending speed to the horse's limbs. Although Methea's hooves barely brushed the earth as they flew above the ground, Natalya felt as if they were racing against the very bullets that shot from her father's gun. But as she neared Valwood, and her horse began to tire, she found herself reflecting on yesterday's events.
Her last night amongst the werewolves had been marked by a brilliant campfire that every member of the pack had attended. She could see all of their faces illuminated by the firelight, both wolf and human alike, young and old united in their curse. She had tearfully hugged Anraq, Tovu and Voren in turn and lamented that her time to get to know them had been so short. She realized that she had never even seen Tovu in his human form, nor Anraq in his wolf form. There was still so much about them and their ways that she did not know, but she had learned more of the truth than any human before her.
She had left immediately the next morning after speaking with the Alpha, and now the desperation of her mission urged her faster still towards home. She did not know how far her father had taken his plans in her absence, and she only hoped she would not be too late.
Methea had slowed to a loping canter, and Natalya allowed her to rest. The woods had lost their nighttime eeriness and now gleamed with every shade of gold and emerald under the daytime sun. They had made considerable time, and Natalya felt herself relax. They fell into a comfortable gait, and Natalya's mind began to wander. At this pace, they would be within the Valwood border by midnight.
An uneventful ride home was not to be though. As dusk fell, her skin began to tingle with unexpected warmth at her throat, and she saw that her amulet glowed bright red. Its glow was swallowed by the darkening forest, but her immediate surroundings were still cast in ruby light.
Natalya leaned upright in the saddle, scanning the trees for danger and listening intently. A doe was watching her warily from within the trees, her soulful eyes trained on Natalya's every move and her tail flicked upwards in warning. She stood frozen as Natalya and her horse passed; only her eyes followed horse and rider. Somewhere nearby an owl hooted, and the doe exploded away in a flurry of desperate motion from something unseen.
Natalya turned towards the source of the owl, but it was too late. Something collided painfully with her, and she was thrown from Methea with great force. She had struck the base of a large tree, and she could not muster the strength to rise. Vaguely, she heard her horse whinnying frantically though movement still escaped her. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see her horse rearing onto her hind legs and lashing out with her front hooves. She strained to see what had provoked her horse, and she could see a disturbance in the ground near her.
The fallen leaves that had littered the ground now began to shift and swirl upwards in a gust of wind that claimed no source. Before her eyes, the leaves drained of their color, the brilliant golds and reds receding into an unnatural black as a figure formed from the pillar of fronds. Her horse fled, and Natalya could not summon her voice to call out to her.
