Kingdoms Rise

Four

Mae was crouched in a tree. A view of the forest around her. She was looking for a wolf, preferably a lone wolf. Ever since her father had fallen ill Mae had taken up other jobs that involved animal hides, mostly wolf pelts, but the rabbit or other animal occurred occasionally. It was the easiest way for Mae to bring in extra money for her family.

Mae had taken the job from a tailor who wanted the hide for the next winter. Tailors liked to get the pelts before the current winter ended, before the winter wolves fled for a colder climate.

It had been a week since the Dream, and it still weighed upon her shoulders like it had the first day, like a shadow that wouldn't even in full lighting making her always want to look over her shoulder. It was beginning to eat at her, she thought she'd go mad if she didn't tell someone. But she didn't think could tell anyone, or maybe she really didn't want to. It was a silence that would deafen her if she listened too long without finding some reprieve.

She looked out at the expanse of the forest before her, waiting for any indication of a wolf. She had been out here for good amount of the morning and would probably be here for good amount of the afternoon also, maybe even into nightfall. She lay her head against the trunk of the tree she was hiding in. She kicked her dangling legs in the air utterly bored.

It was late in the afternoon when she finally caught sight of something moving in the distance. A large blur of gray moved closer to her without it knowing so. Carefully, quietly Mae knocked an arrow into her bow. She drew back the bow nearly groaning under the strain.

The wolf stopped moving, looking around as if trying to sense any prey. Mae took a deep breath and aimed for the open stop on the wolf's neck, it was gray and shot through with white. Just as she was about to release the wolf looked at her, bore its gaze into hers as though it could see into her soul, see what had been burdening her these past days. Mae hesitated. She released the arrow before it was too late.

The arrow buried itself in the neck of the wolf, it didn't have a chance to howl in pain before it fell limply to the forest floor.

Mae eased her way out of her perch on the tree. She stalked over to the wolf, twigs and leaves crunching beneath her boots. She kneeled over the wolf and reached for the arrow lodged in its neck, and pulled. Blood gleamed on the tip, she tossed in aside, grabbed her hunting knife and began skinning.

Every time she skinned an animal... she hated it, hated the way it felt, the way it sounded.

She prayed to the Goddess of Nature for forgiveness.

She gathered up the hide and headed back to Vianna, her home. The journey was long from the forest and back to Vianna. By the time Mae enter to borders of the lively city the was half way through its descent. Mae hadn't anticipated it would take the whole day to find one wolf, and yet here she was barely making her way into the city.

She would take the pelt to the buyer and then head home. She had no desire to stay out longer than necessary. And she was tired beyond belief.

The streets were getting dark, but not dark enough that she couldn't see the people walking about. With the night coming the streets were busy once again with citizens from a wide demographic.

She found the buy and made the trade, wasting no time on mindless conversation with someone she knew nothing about other than they were tailor who need fur hides for the next winter. She was out as soon as she handed over the hide and the tailor told her the money had already transferred to her bank account.