Tomorrow's Way

Chapter One

Chapter One

Seraphine spent months learning how to survive on her own in the wilderness. But now, eight years later, she was a master when it came to survival.

She spent most of her days traveling from village to village, never staying in one place for too long in fear that she would make friends. Seraphine wasn’t too friendly with the townspeople, knowing she could hurt them like she had her father. But she was nice to the few people she ever needed anything from. Sometimes it was people she hoped to lend her a spare horse so she could ride somewhere, and other times it was general store owner whom she hoped to give her spare food.

Seraphine sat at the edge of a small village in the country. She was gathering what little belongings she had into the sack she had taken from her father so many years ago. It was time to move, and she hoped to get a good start before nightfall came. Shouldering her pack, Seraphine started on the road out of the village. As she walked she noticed a group leaving the village in front of her. There looked to be about ten of them, a few riding on horses and others walking behind the horses. The horses were hooked to wagons or carts that carried various goods and supplies. They seemed to be accustomed to travelling.

Seraphine decided to follow them when the road split. The sun was setting quickly and she would rather sleep under a tent or next to other people than in the wilderness of the forest.

As night fell upon them, though, she soon lost the group due to her lack of horses and inability to see in the dark. Telling herself she would be fine in the forest for one night, Seraphine headed off of the road and into the forest to set up a camp for the night. The forest seemed harmless, but she still made sure not to go in too deep.

She knew better than to start a fire in the middle of a dense forest, so Seraphine just squinted her eyes as she took the one luxury she had: a blanket. Even though it was the middle of August, at night it still got chilly. So she set her pack next to a tree, laying her head on it and pulling the blanket around her. Tired from a day’s worth of walking, her eyes closed and she slipped into a peaceful sleep.  

Hours later, she woke to a strange sound. Seraphine wasn’t sure what it was when she sat bolt upright on the ground, but when it sounded again, she was sure of its origin.

Wolves.

Moving as swiftly as she could, Seraphine shoved her blanket inside of her pack and pulled it onto her shoulder. She began to run as quietly as possible through the forest, hopefully in the direction of the road. It was still too dark to see anything, so she only had to hope it was the right way.

Unfortunately for Seraphine, she had run right towards the wolves.

She realized it before it was too late. The wolves had surrounded her, five of them on all sides, blocking any means of escape. The moonlight shone through the tops of the trees, giving Seraphine a clear view of the snarling faces as they looked at their midnight snack.

One of the wolves took its chance, lunging for her. Seraphine dodged, but it claw nicked her right shoulder. She let out a cry of pain, glancing at the spot the wolf had just left open for her to run. Without thinking, she bolted away from the five wolves, one hand grasping her bleeding shoulder.

Seraphine did the best she could to run through the thick forest without tripping, not caring for direction anymore, just to get away. She glanced back to see how close the wolves were, regretting it immediately. The wolves were running too fast, gaining on her trail too quickly. Her turning around and tripping over a tree root didn’t help either.

Seraphine fell to the ground, rolling away from the tree. She bounced up as quickly as possible, but a wolf got to her first. It pounced on her back, digging its sharp claws in where it landed. Seraphine shrieked, swinging her arm around and elbowing the wolf in the gut. It yelped and scrambled away from her.