CREAK

  My eyes flicker open. The ceiling of my bedroom is still faintly lit with a soft blueish tint by moonlight. I can still hear crickets chirping outside. Must still be late.

  CREAK

  Another sound. Coming from outside my door in the hallway. My brows furrow. Focusing on my bedroom door and waiting to hear it again. But after a couple of minutes, nothing else happens. I pull the covers tighter around me again. Probably just the house settling or something.

  But just as I am about to close my eyes, I hear leaves crunching outside my window. Sitting up straight in my bed and turn to peek outside. My eyes widen as I see Leo creeping in the grass outside of my window, hiding behind a tree nearby as he scans around the village. He is wearing a cloak he got from Mr. Thorpe last year and has the hood up, but I can definitely tell it's him. I can even see that big, hefty old sword hanging in its sheath from his left hip. Another item Mr. Thorpe gave him to train with. It's really heavy, so it helps with his strength training.

  What the heck is he doing?

  I watch him for a good minute or so before he seems satisfied no one is coming. He starts a hunched over jog across the yard and over the wood bridge back towards the south gate we came in earlier. My eyes widen further. He can't be planning on leaving the village at night, could he? That would be so stupid! Reckless!

  Giving it a much briefer thought than I care to admit just makes me sigh. Of course, this would be his solution. He probably wants to bring back some big trophy to prove himself to Mr. Thorpe. He is just going to get himself maimed or something!

  I should just wake up, Mama.

  Sliding myself out of bed and heading to the door, but the moment my hand touches the latch, I stop. Grimacing at myself.

  I know what I should do. It would take nothing just to tell on him, and he'd be dragged back here. But then he would just hate me. And he's leaving in just a couple of days. I don't want that to be the last thing he thinks of me.

  Even if he's kind of stuck up, he has always looked out for me. Kept the other village kids from bullying me. Defend me when I get in trouble. Carry me when I get hurt.

  And Mr. Thorpe said Leo trusts me more than anyone else.

  Groaning quietly before my hand leaves the latch. I quickly grab my usual blue dress and switch into it. Sliding my feet into my boots before crawling up onto my bed and unlatching my window. Gently pushing it open.

  I stick my head out to scan around the yard up against the river. Not noticing any of the night guards, I climb out of the window and drop down into the grass. Looking back up at the window and realizing I am too short to reach up and close it, I just pick up a nearby stick and use that instead.

  Discarding the stick in the grass, I make my way over the wooden bridge and down the road. Keeping closer to the cottages as I go. There aren't really many guards who actually patrol the roads, as they are more focused on the wall and the fields outside of it. But even then, the gates are closed at night. So how does he plan to get out?

  But just as I am nearing the wall, a few yards down from the south gate, I see a shadow near one of the logs of the palisade. The bottom part of the log seems to have been pulled back to open a gap big enough to wiggle through.

  Hiding behind some trees behind one of the cottages, I watch the shadow disappear through the gap before the bottom portion of the log gets shimmied back into place to cover the hole. One of the night guards passes by with a spear, a lantern hanging from a hook near the blade. Seeming none the wiser to the breach in the defenses.

  It's obvious now that Leo has been doing this for a while. I wonder if he made that gap himself or if he just found it. I guess I'll have to ask him later.

  I waited for the guard to make his round past and to get a decent distance away before I crept through the trees and to the spot in the palisade. I feel around the bottom sections of the logs that make up the wall before pushing against one that sinks in a bit. Grabbing a hold of it with both hands around either curve to start wiggling it out. Much heavier than I expected, but I manage to leverage it.

  Once it’s out enough to form a gap for my small frame, I slide my legs through and wiggle my way to the other side. Reaching back in to grab the loose piece of log and teeter it back into place as best as I can before I get a look around me. I am definitely outside the wall, that's for sure. Right near to the south gate, which is further down to my right.

  But I don't want to waste time. Leo has probably already gotten a serious head start. My eyes narrow as I scan the dirt road and hill to the pasture. The pasture has several patches of trees that he could be using as cover. And lucky enough, I finally spot him quite a long way already up the hill. But really, it's just a shape I see moving out there.

  Not wanting to lose track of him, I start following behind what I think his path is. Making sure to look back towards the wall where I know that the guards are likely spotting out into the field. At least the cattle should be nearer to the wall this time of night in the north-eastern corner.

  It doesn't take long for me to start feeling winded, and Leo is definitely MUCH faster than me. I don't even know what my dexterity [Stat] is yet, but I know for sure it's probably a whopping 1. I knew I should have done less reading and more running around or something.

  But finally, I reach the edge of the fence where I was watching Leo and Mr. Thorpe earlier in the day. The wind is still pretty high up here as I climb over the wood planks to outside of the villages territory.

  Leo is no longer in sight, but it's easy enough to guess where he went. My body is sort of feeling frozen up, looking further down south. Just a few yards away is a dense tree line leading into one of the many deep forests surrounding the village.

  I have never been further than this fence before. And certainly never considered going near the forest. In fact I have been sworn to never go near it countless times by both Mother and Mr. Thorpe.

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  I can feel my hands shaking at my sides. I can still just go back and tell the guards he snuck out, and they can go get him. But I have already come this far.

  I take a deep breath and start running towards the tree line. Bracing myself as I get over to it much faster than I expected. My feet fumble a bit on some rocks, but I manage not to fall as I reach the trees. They are much taller than the ones in the village, their roots practically lifting the trunks out of the ground, almost like dozens of spidery legs. Leaving gaps and open spaces beneath them for all manner of monsters to hide in. But I keep my thoughts from that as I try not to dwell on the fact that I am running deeper into unknown territory with not even the slightest plan.

  Where are you, you idiot?!

  My mind is racing as fast as my heart pounds. The tops of the trees are so close together that they block out the moonlight. It's so dark I can barely see even a few feet in front of me. The only saving grace is that my eyes were already adjusted to the dark when I woke up.

  My skin crawls as I hear so many faint sounds around me from god knows what. My movement slows by the roots of the trees that intertwine with each other, completely covering any dirt ground below. Making each step a gamble on how high or low it is. A few times I misjudge, like over estimating the distance on some stairs, and come crashing down to my knees.

  Tearing up a bit as I scrape up my legs a good few times. Knowing that even if I turn back, there's no guarantee I can even find my way back out. I need to find Leo before he gets himself hurt or worse. And then we can just go back home together.

  But I can't see him anywhere.

  HOOOWWWWWLLLLLL

  My head snaps in the direction of a chorus of howls. Sounding much too close for comfort. I almost bolt in the opposite direction, but my eyes widen. Leo is probably that way.

  My body starts shaking like a leaf. Filled with so much regret that I even considered this to be a good idea. What was I thinking coming out here? If he got hurt, how would I even help?

  Another few howls and a few snarls echo from far ahead of me. As well as what sounds like a human grunting. Which is just enough to shake my brain up long enough to bolt forward towards the commotion. Running as fast as my feet can take me, stumbling and tripping more and more as I go. Bruising and scraping up my arms and legs. The skirt of my dress tearing from a few gnarled bushes. Nothing but worry fills my mind as the sounds of combat start to become clear. Grunts and growls from a human. Leo's voice. Followed by snarls and whines of wolves.

  I eventually make it to a clearing in the trees, the roots dipping down into a large dirt pit in the ground. I stop on the very edge near the decline to see Leo down in the pit with both hands on that heavy sword. Fingers gripped tightly on the red fabric wrapped around the handle. Wearing his leather training armor. A few claw marks in the leather, as well as what looks like blood seeping from the leather shoulder guard, where a deep gash is.

  Facing down Leo in the pit are two large wolves. Most of their body is covered in a fine layer of orangish red fur, while their head is wreathed in a dense mane of white fur that narrows down down its back and along its prehensile tail. Four eyes, two on either side, narrowed towards my brother as they bare their massive, sharp teeth with two large tusks coming down from their top jaws. Two large horns protrude from its head that are swept backwards, while its mane is dotted with bone-white spines that rattle against each other threateningly.

  There are two other Horned wolves in the pit with them, appearing to be dead already. One has its head cut cleanly off, while the other has a vicious, deep gash through its midsection. Leo's sword is already slick with blood.

  One of the two living ones rushes forward while the other slinks back away from Leo. The one rushing forward pounces at him, but Leo pulls up into the start of a sword swing and side steps at the last second before the wolf can collide with him. Finishing the swing into his [Swift Strike] as he shoots forward with great speed, his sword briefly flashes bright as it slashes straight through the wolf's body. Almost bisecting it horizontally as it tumbles into a bloody heap behind him. But just as he stops in place from his skill and recovers, the other wolf, who had backed off, rattles the spines in its mane until one comes loose. Its tail snatches it from its fur and hurls it at Leo.

  My heart skips a beat as I think Leo's about to get hit, but his sword quickly comes up fast enough to block the white spike with the flat of his blade. The spine shattering into splinters. But there isn’t enough time for relief as my eyes notice movement in the bushes in the pit below me. Another Horned Wolf seems to have been lying in wait as it stalks up behind Leo while his focus is ahead of him.

  Instinct takes me over as I yell out to him. "LEO BEHIND YOU!!!" Just as the creature pounces towards his back. The warning was just early enough to see his eyes widen over his shoulder, swinging around to block the attack by locking his sword between the wolf’s jaws. But the weight of the creature sends Leo skidding back into the wall of the pit, as it’s now taking all his strength just to keep the creature from tearing into him. Its claws pin him against the dirt incline.

  The other wolf, which had thrown its spine, starts to approach as well from the side while Leo is pinned. My heart is beating like a drum, running on pure adrenaline now as I snag a rock from the ground near me and hurl it. The rock smacks harmlessly into the side of the encroaching monster's head. But its attention snaps to me. All four of its eyes are focusing on me as it snarls in my direction. My blood runs cold, and my body freezes.

  The Horned Wolf's mane rattles again as its tail swipes another spine from its back. And before I can even react, I fall backwards with a thud. A splitting pain wracks my body. My breath is stuttering as I lean up to see the wolf's spine sticking halfway out of my abdomen. Blood is beginning to stain through my dress.

  I scream out in sheer agony, clutching onto the spine and trying desperately to pull it out, but it just makes the pain even worse inside. Leo's voice is shouting out in the dark. "LIORE RUN!! RUUUUUUN!"

  Hearing the snarling and clawing as the wolf that threw its spine at me is climbing its way up. Sending just enough panic into my brain to get myself back up. Starting with a hobble, then a jog, and then a run. The pain is unimaginable, but the adrenaline drowns it out as pure survival takes over.

  I can't outrun this thing. I know I can't. Stumbling around as fast as I can in the dark. My vision feels tunneled. My head is pounding. Sobbing as I try helplessly to make any distance away from that monster. But I know it's right behind me. Not even needing to run.

  Even worse. I swear I can hear it laughing at me. Cackling as if this is funny to it. Just further selling the fact that I am being toyed with now.

  But eventually, I hear it sprint up behind me before a flash of new pain on the backs of my legs as its claws slash through my calves. Another scream of pain croaks through my spent lungs as I fall face forward.

  My breathing heaves. Every inhale and exhale filled with pain as if I’m swallowing sand. My eyes are stinging with tears. Turning myself over onto my back to lock eyes with the Horned Wolf who chased me down. Drool drips from its tusks. Still cackling quietly at me as it slowly approaches.

  My hands are grasping onto the masses of old roots beneath me as I drag myself back away from it. It's getting so close I can feel its warm foul breath on my face.

  "LIIIIIOOORRRREEEEE!!!!" I hear Leone echo back the way I ran from. The wolf's attention is drawn to the sound just long enough for me to drag myself back just a bit more before I feel empty space beneath me. Brittle branches snapping as I fall back into a small gap beneath the roots of one of the trees. Hitting my back with a thud. I groan loudly, tasting metal in my mouth.

  A snarl from up above as the wolf starts tearing and biting at the hole I fell in, but it's much too narrow for it to fit. My hand’s still grasping around at whatever I can grab to drag myself back further. Loose dirt beneath me sinks and collapses as I fall further down. Rolling and tumbling down a steep decline until I hit a solid floor hard.

  My vision immediately goes black.