A howl in the night, 

Cuts the silence in two, 

A howl in the night, 

Makes you ask ‘who?’

It is a lonely hunter, 

That stands on the field, 

It is a lonely hunter, 

That hasn’t yet killed

                            - From “A Werewolf Howl” by Anna Turtle

        It was a few years ago, when the woman was just a child. “Papa, can you teach me how to hunt?” she asked curiously, wanting to join the fighters.

        “No. Don’t ever ask me that again, you know we don’t allow our women to fight.” He replied sternly.

        “But why, Papa? Why can’t I learn how to fight just because I’m a girl?”

        “Because that’s our way, sweetheart. We aren’t like the other Wolf clans, and you know it.”

        “What if I posed as a boy, Papa? Would I be allowed then?”

        The older wolf sighed and pondered his daughter’s question, “Alright, then,” he conceded, “Just don’t let your mother find out. She’d be furious.”

        Just then, an older female wolf showed up, “Furious about what, dear?” she asked calmly.

        “Oh um…” he sighed, “Our daughter wants to learn how to hunt and fight.”

        “Then let her,” she replied.

        “So… You’re okay with it?” he asked timidly.

        “Of course. If she learns how to hunt and fight, then not only will she be able to hold her own in a fight, but she’ll also be able to help provide food – specifically for us. Because you’re going to teach her in secret.” The mother stated.

        The father sighed in relief and looked at his daughter’s excited face, “Well, it looks like we’re all on board with this, sweetheart. We start tonight after the rest of the clan is asleep. That way we can move quickly and silently, with the council being none the wiser.”

        Back then, everything was fine. Back then, she still had her clan and most importantly, her parents.

        The child squealed excitedly and hugged both her parents, unable to wait until the clan went to sleep.

        “Tch. Whatever. I don’t need them now, I’m better off without them,” she muttered to her fireplace, as she dried her eyes for the millionth time.

        A few hours later, dusk fell, and she got her wish. “Hey, pumpkin, c’mon, let’s go.” Her father whispered in her ear as he woke her from her nap.

        Moaning softly she stirred as her eyes popped open, excitement filling them to the brim. “Really? Is it really time?” she asked in a hushed, excited voice.

        Nodding quietly, she got up and got dressed in the hunting gear of her clan. Together, they silently left their hut, bows and quivers at the ready. “Hush now, sweetheart,” he told her softly, “be quiet and stick to the shadows as close to me as you can.”

        She simply nodded as she attempted to imitate her father as they slowly but surely made their way to the forest. “Alright. We can move a bit faster now, but keep as quiet as you can, love. We can’t let them know what we’re up to out here,” he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

        She nodded quietly and sped up, keeping pace with her father. No sooner had they sped up than they had run into a clearing, “Halt, Rafe. You’ve no business being out right now and, more importantly, not with your daughter.”

        “Tch. Should’ve known you’d be waiting for us, Trmin. How did you find out or, better yet, how in the hell did you know?”

        Trmin replied simply, “You forget how well our hearing is as wolves, Rafe. Much better than when we’re human, you of all people should’ve anticipated this.”

        Rafe simply nodded and turned his attention to his daughter, “I’m sorry, Ember, but you need to go. Run as fast as you can, far away from here. Eris and I’ll hold them off.”

        “But, Papa! What about mama?” Ember cried.

        Rafe shook his head and then pointed behind Ember, “Look, sweetheart. Your mama, Eris, will be fine. Trust in us, mija. Trust in us.”

        Ember dried her eyes one last time and turned, bolting as fast as she could. Trmin sent a few guards after her, demanding the child be caught, but Eris was there in a flash. “Go after my daughter, you shan’t. I and my husband will be your opponents,” she said coldly, producing several daggers from her pockets.

        Rafe stood beside his wife and nodded, “Yea, we’re the last defense between death and freedom for our clan and you know it, Trmin. What Ember holds within her is the only thing keeping us alive. You kill her or do anything to take that away from her and all is lost.”

        “Tch. I expected this of you, Rafe, but not your wife. So you’ll be our opponents, huh? Hope your claws can do more damage than your bark!” he yelled, the full moon breaking free of the clouds and all but Eris instantly shifting.

        Eris smiled coldly, her eyes changing colors as she controlled her transformation, only going partway. “You will learn the fatal mistake of not learning to control your transformation, Trmin, my husband and I will kill you and then we’ll go find our daughter and start our own clan.”

        Meanwhile, Ember had managed to get as far away as her feet could carry her. She fell, her feet all but bleeding and her legs too sore to move. “No. I can’t…. I can’t die here,” she murmured softly, “I must go, they’ll be upon me any second,” were her last words that night before she fell fast asleep into a deep, dreamless sleep.

        As Ember fell asleep, her mother and father had done what they promised, they’d killed Trmin and his guards, but at great cost to themselves. “Well… we did it, Eris,” Rafe murmured quietly, the multiple injuries he sustained all but forcing him to bleed out, his regeneration powers not moving quick enough.

        Eris nodded, a smile on her face, “I bet Ember’s fallen over and asleep from exhaustion by now, dear. Trmin and his guards can’t hurt her now, but my one regret is not being able to be with her anymore. We’re going to die anyways, aren’t we, Rafe?” she asked softly, her own injures slowly killing her.

        Rafe nodded silently in reply and closed his eyes, reaching his hand out to hold his wife’s, one final time.

        “Rafe, I’m glad I got to meet you. I’m glad I met you and joined with you, and that Ember is our offspring. I’m so glad I got this life to live and that I got to live it with you. I’ll see you in the afterlife, Rafe, and we can watch over our child from there.” She murmured softly, squeezing his hand tight, already feeling the rigor mortis kick in, “Goodbye, Ember. I’m sorry we couldn’t keep our promise. Hold your head high and always know we’re watching over you.”