The woods were dark, the full moon hidden behind clouds, making everything more sinister. Hooting sounds as well as howling carried the villagers’ steps to Masha’s Babushka’s isolated house. 

The Huntress has fallen.

Masha could hear the surrounding Wolves’ call and feel their pride. She responded with a powerful warning, sending her message on waves of strong emotions. 

A new Huntress has risen to hunt you all down.

As in response, the howling crescendoed until whimpers were heard. The villagers looked around, confused and scared.

Masha just smirked.

However, she stopped as soon as an acrid stench assaulted her nostrils. She reeled back, wondering what was that. But then, all the dolls found their place inside the others. 

It came from the looming house. 

For a moment there, Masha found herself afraid of the house, as though it towered over her, menacingly.

Full of bad memories, overflowing.

Threatening her foundation.

Yet, along with Annika, and her own mother, Masha entered the house and turned to face the mistress’s bedroom. 

The most heart-wrenching part of this was that the awful odour came from her Babushka’s corpse.

Despite having already seen her beloved Grandma like this, Masha’s heart squeezed so tight she gasped and winced on the spot. Seeing her spread out like a fallen star, bloodied and so… vulnerable, open to everyone, against her will. Sacrilege.

Annika turned to Masha, who was now leaning against the door frame, head swimming. The chieftain offered her a lopsided smile.

‘’I’m sorry.’’

Masha’s blood curdled and goat-milk skin crawled as her mother stepped in the room and screamed her haunting horror out at the despicable sight. She covered her mouth with her hands and started sobbing uncontrollably. Masha frowned, her heart beating wildly, as though trying to escape from its cage and embrace her mother. She turned to hug her with one arm.

Annika’s lips were thin, and her eyes focused straight on the old Huntress. She whispered something unintelligible, then closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. Out of respect.

Then, she whipped around and ordered in a curt voice, ‘’Send all the men away.’’

Her eyes bore into Masha’s, as silent but heavy words were exchanged between them.

‘’Masha, as the new Huntress, go forward with the purification ritual and the proper preparation of the body. May she leave in dignity.’’

‘’Goodbye, Nadia. It was an honour. Rest in peace now, will you?’’

Masha’s eyes flung open as Annika’s sorrowful last words to Babushka resounded in her head, carrying an emotion deeper than mere collaboration.

As Masha opened her mouth to inquire about how to prepare the body for the purification ritual, a lady from the village rushed into the house.

She nodded awkwardly and stared at the floor, mumbling apologies for the disruption she caused, before her voice rose high enough everyone present heard her insistence.

“The Volkhv has arrived."