When the Sky Catches Fire

When the sky catches fire, there are parts of Hüter Forest all the villagers from the nearby village avoid. In the past, only the most daring and powerful men wandered the area to uncover its tightly guarded secrets. Over the years, fewer and fewer men volunteered to uncover those unexplained mysteries. The villagers heard the tales about the forest's curse. It took hold of anyone that was deemed unworthy who dared to wander beyond the imaginary border. The villagers never saw the trespasser again and with their disappearance, several lineages died off.

The village women begged the leaders to discourage the men from answering the ominous call. They needed their husbands to protect their homes. Without the continuance of their family line, there would be no village, so the leaders heeded the women's appeal. In doing so, the villagers forgot the importance of the burning sky; only their fear of the unknown remained.

As time went by, their fears escalated. During the burning sky, the villagers hid in their homes. Years had passed since anyone attempted the challenge of the burning sky.

The worried villagers forgot, without a challenge there could be no Guardian. No Guardian meant no guide. Having no guide meant no-one traveled through the woods to attend the market auctions. Missing the auction meant no seeds. No seeds meant fewer vegetables. Fewer vegetables meant less meat; their crops decreased every year. The decrease meant less nourishment for the villagers and the forest scavengers. The village needed meat. It needed seeds. The villagers needed the auction. They needed a guide. They needed the Guardian. The village needed brave men.

It wasn't just the women who were afraid; as the rumors grew, so did the concerns and fears of the men. Several tales circled throughout the village. It was the stories of a large plum-colored creature devouring those who breached its borders that hindered the village men. Seeing lineages disappear, more and more men stayed behind, ignoring the call. The decision of a few young men allowed the older men to reject the challenge without being seen as traitorous or cowardly.

The villagers stopped sharing The Guardian's story. They forgot there were other creatures living in the forest besides the prowling beast. Creatures that one day might leave the shelter of the trees and the darkness sheltering them to scour the village.

While hidden deep inside their homes during the burning sky, the villagers heard terrible sounds coming from the forest. Cries, screeches, and wailings. No one dared to look out their windows to see what caused the terrifying sounds filling the air; instead, the villagers trembled as they huddled together inside their dwellings. After an awful night of horrible wailings, some villagers swore they heard voices demanding the guardian show himself. It was terrifying, especially when no one else heard the voice.

Generation to generation, they passed down warnings to hinder curious residents from straying away from the safety of the village. Callie wasn't afraid. She wanted to know what took place in the forest when the sky caught fire, even if it meant she could never return home. She hoped to understand the curse. Callie would never know what took place in the deep forest unless one of her male friends told her. The village leaders did not permit women to take part in the calling; not during her father's time, or his father's, and definitely not during his father's. Even if the women could, they refused to risk their lives for something so dangerous. Women did not battle; they took care of the children, the crops, and the village. The men did all the hunting to supply meat: squirrels, rabbits, pheasant, turkeys, and mainly deer, for the village. Being natural warriors, only men were permitted to volunteer to enter the forest during the burning sky.

To prove herself capable, Callie tried to join the hunting expeditions on multiple occasions, but the leaders denied her every time. The experience was not hers to have. Arguing that her strengths were equal to her male classmates did not work. Usually, she persuaded her father with her puppy dog eyes to get what she wanted; in this situation, his refusal stood firm.