Something Wild (Child of the Winter Moon Book 1)

1: A Child Surprise

The couple ran through the trees, loud crashing drawing closer to them. They had been warned to be indoors by sunset, but they had tarried too long and now the beast that had been haunting the village and killing anyone who was unlucky enough to be outside had their scent. If they could just reach their home... They emerged from the woods and found themselves face to face with a man aiming a crossbow towards the forest.

"Behind me!" he said gruffly. "Now!"

They did not have to be told twice. The two ran around a building to hide, the man peeking out to watch the brave soul. He hadn't moved, still aiming the crossbow. His armor was dark, thus they could barely see him. Across his back were two swords and there looked to be several round containers on his belt. The beast came crashing out of the trees and before it could comprehend the man in front of it, he'd released the bolt, sending it sailing through its eye. The beast yowled before charging at the man. He quickly threw down the crossbow and drew the outside sword, defending himself. It yowled again and swiped at the man. He dodged, but it caught him in the shoulder, knocking him down. But he was quickly back to his feet, attacking the monster. To the couple's surprise and faster than they could track, the man was on top of the beast and in one fell swing, beheaded it. The man hopped off the beast and cleaned off his sword before returning it to its place. He gave a whistle and a black horse trotted out from between the buildings. The man attached the beast's head to the saddle before turning to where the couple was hiding.

"Get out here." The couple emerged from hiding. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed."

"We just lost track of time," the man explained.

"You were lucky I was out here to say your asses." The man had dark hair cut short with yellow eyes that looked like a cat's. On his chest lay a pendant shaped like a wolf's head and they realized that a Witcher had just saved them.

"How can we thank you for saving us, Master Witcher?"

"I don't work for free."

"But... we haven't the coin to pay you."

"Then I claim the Law of Surprise. What you find at home yet don't expect."

"Then you shall have our firstborn," the woman said.

The two men turned to her.

"What?"

"I was going to tell you when we returned home." She turned back to the Witcher. "You shall have the child I am carrying."

7 YEARS LATER

The little girl looked upon the fortress with wide-eyed wonder. Her parents had told her that she would be going someplace special where she could be around people like her. Juray was scared, naturally. She was going someplace new after all, leaving behind everything she knew. Not that she would miss what she left behind. Her parents left her to her own designs, doting on her younger brother. The other children would avoid her so she would often play by herself. The entire village would have nothing to do with her. All because she was unlucky enough to be born under the first full moon of the winter. The elders called her cursed. The villagers called her White Demon. Because she had been born with snow-white hair. Then came the day the stranger came to their door. She watched from around the corner as her parents spoke to him before her mother started to pack provisions and called to Juray, giving her the pack and telling her she had to go with the man.

"You're going to a place to be with people like you," she'd said. "It's much better this way."

Juray was scared of this gruff man with two swords and a scar down the left side of his face. But he held out his hand to her, the first person she'd ever known to do that to her. So she left with him, waving goodbye to her parents. She stopped being afraid of him when he ran off the children who threw rocks at them, shouting her hated nickname at her. The man explained to her that he'd saved her parents before she was born and they agreed to send her with him to train to be a Witcher. This frightened her, but after a long journey that felt like it took years, Juray looked upon the walls of Kaer Morhen and she couldn't help but feel a little excited for the first time in her life.