Episode 2

When night fell and most of us had gone to bed, they attacked. They ambushed us, slaughtering both women and children. A large number of men had joined the army, and the ones left had been taken by surprise.

I had tried my best to hold the fort, killing as much as I could. I was skilled with the bow and arrow, and though my mother regretted my military inclination, it had come in handy. I heard the screams of my people being torn from limb to limb, and I was helpless, unable to save them all. Remembering my mother, I ran back to the Hall of Alphas, hoping to protect her. Pushing aside the flap that served as her door, I ran in only to find an empty room. My mother was gone. 

Shouting a battle cry at the top of my lungs, I charged out of the room, wielding my bow in the air. I saw red and was ready to maim anything and anyone in my way when I heard my mother call my name from behind me. Her calm voice sent a chill down my spine and I spun on the ball of my heels. My mother was held captive by two huge lycans, one swinging a big blade in one hand. She looked peaceful and unperturbed despite their rough treatment of her.

 "Miatta. Is that her name? How sweet," the one in front mocked, probably their leader. He wasn't their Alpha, however. I had heard stories about the ruthless lycan, and the man before me couldn't be him. That meant my father and his army had been lured out of their pack to a slaughtering ground. The rest of us were merely collateral damage. 

 "Let her go or you will be sorry!" I warned, hiding my apprehension behind a loud voice. 

 They burst into laughter instead, and one pushed my mother to her knees, keeping her there with a big hand on her shoulder. She made no complaint, silent as death. I was so angry with her. If she could foresee the future, why didn't she warn my father not to leave? Why did she let our people get ambushed? Many questions filled my mind while I sought a way to free her.

 "Surrender your weapons, princess, or we will hack her to pieces. You don't have to believe me, but I'll do it," their spokesman threatened, and the two goons howled in solidarity. I tried to meet my mother's eyes, but she seemed to be looking elsewhere; her thoughts were probably separated from her body. I just needed a word from her, a word of reassurance, and I would take on the bastards.

 "Do as you are told, dearest. Stand down," she whispered in my head instead, her lips unmoving. I was not shocked at her unwillingness to fight back. Her gentility was her decision, but she can't ask me not to do anything. 

 "Mother!" I called, pretending not to have heard her instructions.

 "Stand down, Miatta!" She shrieked this time around, and my bow fell to the ground on its own accord. She was not one to raise her voice. 

 "Good. Now go get her, boys."

Two more lycans appeared from behind me, binding my arms behind me. I was tossed onto the lap of my mother, who immediately received me into her bosom. She was warm and smelt of the forest, the pinecones and the blueberries she loved to eat. She was not as agitated as I was, and I tried not to be afraid. I was safe with her and I knew it. The rest of their ambush team assembled with the wolves of our pack left held as hostages.

 "Any message from the Alpha yet?" A lycan asked, impatient to be gone. Their leader quirked his long ears and listened, waiting for something neither of us could hear. 

 "The Alpha is on his way, and with him are his captives. We are victorious!" He growled, shaking his fist in the air. Members of his pack howled in succession, waving their weapons in the air, their battle cries filling the atmosphere. My father was alive and well, but he had lost the war. The Black Fur Pack had fallen.

 "Wake up, little one," my mother beckoned, her sweet voice bringing me to awareness. Immediately, I opened my eyes and saw her smiling down at me. Was it all a dream, I wondered. She shook her head in the negative, reading my thoughts. We had lost the war after all. However, we were in my bedroom, and there was no sign of the lycanthrope anywhere.

 "We have to hurry, dear," my mother said, tossing my clothes into a bag. "Delay is dangerous." I was confused and wanted some answers, but my head felt like it was filled with wool. 

 "What's going on, Mother? Why the haste? Are Father and my brothers safe?" 

 "They are," she answered, ignoring my initial question, but I had not noticed at the time. I was overjoyed that the other half of my family had returned safe and sound. I had feared for the worse. She worked in silence, picking up things from my room and shoving them into a leather bag. Was I going somewhere?

 Suddenly, the flap in front of my room moved aside and my father walked in, accompanied by a lycan. I withdrew instinctively, wondering what was going on. My mother stopped her packing and left the room, dropping my bag at my feet. Just outside stood my two brothers, heavily guarded by more lycans.

 "Father, welcome," I greeted, rising to my feet and bowing my head slightly in obeisance as was required of me. He kissed me on the forehead, a tight smile on his lips. 

 "May I have a word with my daughter?" He directed his question to the lycan who had come in with him. The monster nodded once and gave us some privacy, but he stood within earshot. My brothers joined us, entering my room with grim looks on their faces. 

"Sit," My father gestured towards a tree trunk that served as a seat. I reluctantly obeyed, noting that none of them sat down either. They hovered over me in awkward silence.

 "Daughter," he began, walking around me solemnly. "Do you know that you can put an end to this war, that you can put an end to our people's suffering?"

Me? That was my first thought when he brought up the topic. How could I save my people, little as I was? However, if there was such a way, I was ready to do whatever it took.

"What do you mean, Father? Tell me what I have to do and I will do it immediately," I assured him valiantly, unaware of my fate. He exchanged odd looks with my brothers and came to stand before me.

 "Then it is settled then. You are to be given away to the Red Bone Pack as an alliance gift. The arrangements have been made and..."