Darkness of the Woods

Chapter 1

Many, Many Days Before

Elfrida

The day started out bleak with the sky opening up and crying its tears of grief. Sixteen year old, Elfrida Crescendo was still home then, saying good-bye to her parents, brother, and to their beautiful cottage on the border of Warrior Wolves and Valenta. Elfrida and her sisters were about to leave their home for a new world, the human one.

Her mother was hugging Cammi and Akili, while her father and brother stood at the front door with calm, but sad, faces. Her mom was in tears. Again. "Dena se kena, fila ixinas. A xina se va juju ola bendena." She said in their world's universal language Sy, roughly translated as: 'Write to me, my girls. I need to know you are still breathing.'

Promising Akili said, with Cammi nodding her agreement, "Fo cour, willa, eer bena." ('Of course, mom, every week.')

They were both crying too.

She doesn't understand why they have to be crying so much. They were going someplace new, a world so different from their own, but that wasn't the only reason why she was anxious to leave. Standing there, slightly away from the group, Elfrida wanted to get started on her mission. For Him. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that Elfrida didn't notice her mom reaching for her, the youngest of the three triplets, for a final hug. It startled Elfrida so bad that she took a step back. She didn't want her comforting touch. She's not used to it anymore.

On the inside, Elfrida felt like a tornado, filled with nerves of both fear and excitement. After all she was leaving her world to a completely different one. A world that doesn't even know her's exists, and because of this it is governed with a different set of rules. She's never been to school before, not even a school full of only vampires, or just werewolves. She's been homeschooled her entire life. And with homeschooling in a rural area, it doesn't make it easy for her to make friends especially with all the other kids in her small town avoiding her family. All because they were different.

On the outside, she maintained a look of calmness, boredom, and a little indifference to all the goodbyes and crying going on around her. That was not what she was truly feeling. As opposed to her outer appearance, Elfrida wished out of everything that she was about to do, was to be able to say goodbye properly, but they were watching. And although she doesn't know where exactly they were hiding, she knows they'll continue to watch until she has gone through the reflective glass portal, or the Angress as it's actually named. And with their watching eyes on her, Elfrida cannot afford to appear weak. Weakness would mean she was not ready, and even with them being a part of her command and completely trusting of her leadership, except in the end they still answer to Him too.

If she could say goodbye, she would be hugging her father, mother, and brother so tightly they would be squished to death. She would tell them that she loved them, which wasn't something she has said to them in the past five years. Elfrida would say those three little words because she doesn't know if she will ever see them again. If she will be alive after this mission, this beginning of a war. A war that no one knew was coming, except for herself and them. A war all orchestrated by Him. This was a price she paid for joining.

For joining the right side.

Her mother stopped, pretending she hadn't notice, trying to hide her look of hurt behind her handkerchief. Cammi and Akili don't bother to look their sister's way. Like they always do. Elfrida thought bitterly. She couldn't hide her disgust and annoyance as her lips curled at the sight of her triplets and mother continuing to say goodbye, which brought on even more crying and hugging. Her dad and Albern, Elfrida's older brother, had noticed this and shared a look.