Their last hope

Prologue

The cold, frigid, air of December whipped across the desolate plain, the clearing going on and on for yards and yards. A gnarled tree with sap as black as night and bark as rough and torn as Vietnam after the cold war era. The tree stood naked against the wind, its roots stretched far beneath the hard crust of the Earth. Atop the tallest branch, a crow was perched. Beneath it was 3 others, all dead still. Their talons glistened against the hard cascade of light from the full moon, their beaks smooth and pointed like the tip of a battle ax. Their dark silhouettes standing out in the muted grey of winter's night.  A woman with red clay stripes painted on her body emerged from the northwest side of the clearing. Her skin is tanned and eyes are green.  Her black hair has feathers woven in it, a reminder of the curse laid upon her her long ago. Her bare feet crunch against the untouched snow, cracking the still silence. The black birds wait patiently, heads cocking to the side. The girl was not cold despite having little clothing on, her immortality had blessed her with an invulnerablity to the climate and its many changes. She glared at the moon, she had grown to hate its mystical properties and how the moon goddess was worshiped as a noble and fair deity, but she new the truth. As she got to the base of the tree the ravens launched into the air, morphing midair and landing on the ground in their human form crouching.
"You were gone for quite awhile," the leader, Maiara, observes, "Were you successful?"
"No I was not. I tried to reason with her; she would not listen to me. She was too clouded by grief, fear, pain, and vengeance to listen to reason."  She reports
"Then, she has sealed her fate. We must proceed with our contingency plan." The master of sacrificial magic and formidable warrior, Dahteste, spoke.
"No! She was in pain, I got close...perhaps I could reach her this time. This is why I came back, to ask for your permission Maiara." The teen bowed her head respectfully.
"You would not be asking had you foreseen a future that would ensure no wolf be slaughtered at her hands." The speaker of all tongues and genius potion creator, Elina, pointed out.
"The future changes-" the teen starts
"Enough, Haseya, the answer is no. You had your chance and lives were lost, needlessly, there is no saving the girl."
"I saw it in her, she wants to be saved." The teen with the gift of seeing the future, Haseya, begged on behalf of the girl she had come to know.
"I spoke to her dead mate." The last of the Nokomis Crows and Speaker of the dead, Catori, revealed.
"What did he say Catori?" Haseya demanded
"Everything except sorry for what he did to her." Catori shrugged "He was very angry, and so young."
"He deserved death" Haseya hissed
"He was a child! 17 years old, and only knew what he had been taught. Death was not a befitting punishment." Catori snapped her bright golden eyes swirled with rage
"He raped her." Haseya narrowed her eyes
"He was her mate, rape is not possible." Dahteste scoffed
"It was rape, I would know." Haseya stepped toward the warrior ignoring the shine of the werewolves teeth that studded her attire.
"The bond makes it impossible-"
"Are you questioning the accuracy of my report?" Haseya balled her hands into fists
"Nobody is questioning you, Hase, now step back." Elina places a hand on the teens shoulder
"Yes...step back little one, before I mistake your bleeding heart for a challenge." The battle-hungry woman sneered
"Stop it now, before I am tempted to silence both of you." Maiara got between the two and stretched her arms out to push the two away from each other, causing both of the to reel backward from her channeling of the wind to give her strength.
"The contingency plan will move forward," Maiara gave a stern look to Haseya "We need to gather everything we need for the spell."
"We need a sacrifice, the same one that started the curse." Dahteste spoke "There is only one left of the species, the wolves made sure to wipe out the race in case we ever tried anything. But I know this last one has all makings to shift, it is only a matter of time."
"Then we must be ready when she turns, the wolves will kill her on site, Dahteste, reach out the hunters. They will be on our side on this matter." Maiara looked to the blue eyed Apache  woman who nodded and shifted into the large black bird and flew off.
"Elina, you and I will gather all the ingredients and create the incantation needed for the ceremony. Catori, we will need the help from the ancestral plain if this is to work. Find a place where our ancestors could gain a foothold." Catori grunted in approval and flew off. Elina watched the clairvoyant Hopi witch fly into the distance, her gaze hard with slight distrust toward the spirit-speaker who seemed to challenge the young Haseya, despite the young premonitionist having proved herself long ago.
"And you, Haseya, will keep watch of the sacrifice. She must not be put in harms way before we get to her." The young Navajo stiffened at her assignment, knowing full and well she was being tested.
"What is the girl's name?" She asked Maiara
"Serena Whelan," The Tupi woman answered as her and Elina started to walk away, but turned to give Haseya a reassuring nod. Haseya watched as Elina turned and crouched to the ground. Haseya silently wished her Cheyenne friend luck.
"Do not fail a second time Haseya." Maiara warned before crouching next to Elina to shift.
Haseya watched the pair take off, their large wings flung the air toward her, whipping her hair back.
Leaving her alone in the clearing to the sobering thought: if they fail....millions will be slaughtered.