The Trail

Prologue

Asena hummed to herself as she slipped the last of the food she had prepared into her satchel. She had stayed up most of the night cooking being otherwise unable to sleep. It wasn't uncommon for her to have sleepless nights. Staring at the moon as she drifted off into her thoughts.

'Have I got everything this time?' She thought to herself.

The black haired girl shrugged and pulled the hood up on her red cloak and started walking in the direction of the woods. Waving to some of the villagers as she headed off. She hesitated only for a second at the edge of the forest before venturing in and disappearing from view.

There had always been an unspoken rule, only talked about in hushed whispers or stories to scare children. One was never to stray from the trail. A great evil lived deep in the woods but luckily a spell was cast on the trail preventing whoever or whatever it was to step foot on the trail, or even to leave the seemingly endless forest. The people of the village, that was located near the forest, seemed to live in a state of apprehension, as if they expected the spell protecting them to simply fail one day. Asena never understood their fear about the trail, but she did notice their slight distaste towards her.

If only she had known why.

Her name was Asena, she had no family aside from her grandmother. Her hair was long and black and as smooth as silk. Her eyes were an unnatural and captivating gold. She was beautiful, she was as strong willed as they come, and she was cursed.

Unbeknownst to her the black mark of the howling wolf on her back marked her. She was to be given the creature that lurked in the woods. The villagers despised her, but they treated her kindly and acted nice in fear of losing their precious sacrifice.

To them she was merely a way to appease the beast. A way to further ensure their own safety. They were careful not to let her know that though. They couldn't risk her trying to run, so they kept her in the dark for the past twenty years, never giving any hints as to what the future had in store for her. Never letting on that they would offer her to the monster, to save themselves.

All in fear of the Big Bad Wolf.