The Wolf's Ruby Veil

Chapter 1: A Cloak of Scarlet

If one were to follow the mountain paths from Elysia, they would run into two pathways - one would lead to the coast of the kingdom and the other would lead to the capital. Beyond the farmlands that surrounded the capital of Calcheth would be the woodlands and forests of Hornwood. Settled in the heart of the woodlands like a bird's egg in a nest, Hornwood was referred to as Fae Palatium - meaning "the Fae's Palace."

Rumors of Fairyfolk surrounded Hornwood as much as legends of monsters and other supernatural beasts that existed within the forests. Goblins, ogres, and other creatures of darkness were the main antagonists in these stories that were often told to keep many of Hornwood's children from venturing out into the woods late at night - even if the wolves of the forests did not frighten them already.

If not for the legends of fairy folk and monsters that lived in the darkness of the Delphian Forest, Hornwood was a source of farmlands and hunting as well as woodworkers.

The Delphian forests were exceptional hunting grounds - it was often the reason why Hornwood hosted several annual hunting events where people from far and wide would participate, the forests spreading around the area for miles. Hunters and trappers would often catch everything from deer to squirrels, rabbits to pheasants, and foxes to badgers; a cry going up with every successful catch and shot. Many of these animals that were caught were brought into the city - butchered and sold to the members of Hornwood and its surrounding neighbors, filling the city with the smells of roasted meat and sounds of knives against wood. Others purchased the fur from the animals - selling them and trading them with the blacksmiths, miners, and dwarves of Elysia to use as warmth during the cold winter months when the snow sealed them with the Bellan Mountain ranges; using the fur to make heavy linings for cloaks and boots, blankets, and decorative rugs to keep the houses warm and comforting as well. Hunts were also used to keep a check on the predators and pests of the farmlands just past the Delphian Forest's borders. Farmers and laborers of the lands had struggled with the attacks on their animals and their lands long before the time of the ogre wars - their cries for assistance being heard by the second Archduke of Thornbury, who enjoyed a hunting spree.

Since then, the city of Hornwood provided the farmlands outside their forest borders with protection as well as fresh meat from the hunts and the farms provided fresh vegetation and crops in exchange.

Now, one of the most prominent figures of Hornwood - other than the first Archduke of Thornbury - was a man named Damario Atticus Blackwell.

Damario Blackwell was the son of a lowly hunter who resided in the Delphian Forest, surrounded by the stories of fae and monsters, and was often referred to as 'Khranitel' Lesa' - meaning "Forest Keeper," as he was seen as the guardian of the Delphian Forest. His title as such permitted him to live in peace outside the city's limits and was the guide for the hunters when it was time to begin setting the traps and shots. Many people recognized him due to his size - which was approximately six foot, eight inches and two hundred plus pounds of muscle and gut - and his unruly dark curls that fell around his shoulders. He often wore a brown cotton tunic with a cloak of bear or fox hide, with dark bottoms and heavy leather boots that made the earth shake with each stride he took. His eyes of sky blue were always filled with wonder and his voice - though like soft thunder rumbling across the sky before a storm - was enough to command a small army should he wish it. He enjoyed caring for animals - whether they were the horses in a noble's stable or a small family of rabbits he found during his inspections through the forests. Damario had everything a man could ask for - except for one thing.

A family.

Many of the women of the city of Hornwood were too frightened of him due to his stature and features. His kindness may have had no bounds, but no one had wanted to test his anger - if there was any. There were also rumors of him being what was called 'Medvezhonok' - or "bear changer" - some legends and stories claimed that his parents had made a deal with the fae queen for a child since Damario's mother could not bear one, hence the queen gave them a bear cub that had been abandoned by its mother, turning it into a human baby before presenting it to the Blackwells. Damario ignored these rumors and retained a gentleness regardless of where he went and who he encountered and what they said behind his back.