It’s gone, and now I’m defenceless.
The wolf snaps its teeth, and I shuffle away on my hands and knees, never taking my gaze off its silver eyes.
Silver, just like the eyes of the raven that came to my window…
Belle shields me from the beast, light against dark.
The mare’s coat beams as bright as the moon, while the lupine’s black fur seems to absorb all light. They size each other up, and it’s obvious Belle isn’t going to let this monster anywhere near me. I wish I hadn’t been so harsh with her earlier.
I will apologise to her later. After she saves me from this monstrosity.
The wolf’s eyes are far too calculating, evaluating Belle’s every possible movement, and that’s when I realise…Wolves hunt in packs.
Yet this wolf hunts alone, coordinating its attacks with cunning and precision.
This wolf isFae.
The blood drains from my face. There is no way Belle can defeat this creature.
The wolf feints to the right, trying to catch the horse off guard, but Belle is far too quick, kicking it with her leg.
It lands on its paws, then lunges for the horse’s neck, and I scream her name, the sound rupturing my throat. “Belle!”
It happens so fast.
One moment, Belle is about to be slain, and the next, she burns with the light of a thousand suns. I shield my eyes, yet no matter how hard I try, her rays blind me.
The light intensifies, burning brighter by the second, and then as swiftly as it appeared, the light vanishes.
All is silent, aside from the pounding of my heart.
When I remove my hands from my eyes, I find myself alone. There is no sign of the wolf or Belle.
I rise up on trembling limbs, jerking left and right as I search fruitlessly for my horse.
All I find are her saddlebags.
I stumble towards the bags, gripping them tightly as I continue searching the forest. “Belle!”
Only my voice echoes back. She truly is gone.
No. I can’t be alone in this place…
So, I search, search, search, wandering aimlessly through unknown terrain for my horse.
I won’t give up. Not until I’ve reunited with Belle.
Where did she go? What happened to the wolf?
One moment, they were fighting, and the next, they were gone with a blast of light.
That strange whispering starts again, and now I know I’mdefinitelybeing watched this time.
They giggle like small children, darting behind trees in the corners of my eyes, but every time I turn to face one, pulling out my knife, they’re gone.
But I know they’ll return.
Time is never-ending as it stretches slowly, making it hard to tell east from west. The mossy trees close in, making it hard to breathe, yet I must go on.
