Maia: 6 years old
I wake up and yawn, stretching my arms high above my head. I’m sitting in a large hollow tree trunk. I have no idea why I’m here or how I got here. I feel soft moss under my feet and crawl out from the tree. Animals and critters in the forest gather around and approach me. They gently nuzzle their noses against my legs, and when I sit down on the grass, they curl up on my lap. There are rabbits, foxes, squirrels, deer, elk, birds, and mice. They follow me around and do not leave my side. I feel safe and loved in this forest, and I want to live here forever. The forest is my home, my safe place, my everything.
I play a game of hide and seek with my new friend, a fox I name Ember. I introduce myself to him. ‘I’m Maia,’ I tell him. Ember nudges my head playfully with his and then runs in circles. He leaps at me and falls on my chest, and as we both roll backwards, we notice the entrance to a cave hidden by a curtain of vines.
In awe at its magnificence and beauty, thousands of glow worms illuminate the cave. It’s mesmerising and magical to view. The cave's walls are overgrown with green vines and purple flowers. The cave is filled with a sweet floral scent.
Ember and I follow the trail of glow worms through the cave until we can go no further and must turn right, where the cave ends. Sunlight shines through a rectangle-shaped hole in the wall. It is a perfect window that lights up this part of the cave.
I approach the hole to look at the water flowing over it outside. It’s like a waterfall. I let the water fill my cupped hands and drink it. It’s cold, delicious and refreshing.
‘Ember, I think this cave will be our new home,’ I say, smiling, and look down at Ember, who rubs his head against my leg, agreeing.
Collecting moss, bark, and leaves, I make a soft bed from the materials. Next, I roll three tree stumps into the cave and make a table with the large stump and two stools to sit on with the two smaller stumps. ‘This will do just fine,’ I say, proud of myself.
It feels like home. Ember approaches me with a violet flower in his mouth and drops it on my lap.
‘Thank you, Ember. It’s such a pretty flower. It's the same colour as my eyes,’ I smile and look down at Ember's sweet furry face.
Lying on my bed with Ember snuggled up next to me, I listen to the sound of the waterfall, the birds singing, and the breeze blowing through the trees before drifting off to sleep.
Maia: 18 years old
It’s rare to see other humans in the forest, and when I do see them, I follow them quietly, without making my presence known. I sit up high in a tree and listen to their conversations to learn what I can about the world outside the forest.
They speak about werewolves and how much they loathe them, that they are unnatural beings who should be eradicated. They say werewolves are ferocious and dangerous, that they kill their own young.
After hearing these conversations, I fear werewolves, and I wouldn't dare approach one if I ever came across one.
My forest is the only land neither king rules. It’s neutral land between two opposing kingdoms, and most people do not dare to enter.
The humans say it’s only a matter of time until war breaks out between the two kingdoms: West Wallow, the human realm, ruled by King Fenris, and Moon Crest Valley, the werewolf realm, ruled by Alpha King Damon.
They speak about how Alpha King Damon still hasn't found his mate and Luna of his kingdom. Werewolves are blessed with a soul mate the Moon Goddess selects. Upon one’s eighteenth birthday, they can sense their mate if they’re nearby.
At twenty-four, being mateless is rare, and Alpha King Damon may not find his fated mate. The humans speculate that perhaps his mate has passed away before he has had a chance to meet her, or maybe the Moon Goddess has cursed him, and he will be mateless indefinitely. A mate by his side would increase his strength and the power of his pack. They discuss King Fenris' intentions to conquer Moon Crest Valley by slaughtering the werewolves.
Everyone is eager for King Fenris to marry, so they will have a queen and heirs to the throne. Without heirs, the people of West Wallow worry about what will happen to them if something happens to their king.
Until now, I have survived on the forest’s offerings my whole life. But lately, villagers and soldiers have come into my forest for food, gathering enormous harvests of fruit, herbs and mushrooms, depleting my food supply dry.
It’s becoming harder to find food, and I worry there won’t be enough left for me to eat. The animals are hunted, killed, and used for meat and fur. It’s heartbreaking finding my friends’ bodies scattered through the forest. They’re creatures I have lived with my whole life.
Ember and I go to his old den to find the remains of other foxes. I’m devastated and inconsolable. Ember looks at me, and his eyes glaze over. I see and feel the hurt in his eyes. I collapse to the ground, hold Ember close to my chest, and cry into the warmth of his neck.
‘I'm so sorry, Ember,’ I cry.
Grey clouds darken the sky, and heavy rain begins to pour down on us. The raindrops roll down my cheeks and merge with my tears.
‘The sky is crying with us,’ I say. When I manage to stop crying, the rain settles.
Humming and singing a sorrowful song, I feel like my heart brims with a pain that will never go away.
My home has been gradually destroyed, my friends have been killed, and I’m no longer safe in this forest. I look down at my hands and see a soft glow coming from my palms. I hear rustling in the bushes in front of me.
Shocked by my presence, two men and a woman can't believe what they’re seeing. Both men wear tunics and breeches and have knives in their belts. The woman, who wears a dress and a shawl, carries a long, thick stick with dead rabbits tied to it.
The anger inside me builds, and I feel an all-consuming, all-powerful energy course through my veins. A force of energy expels from my palms in the form of a gust of wind as I unknowingly manipulate the wind and yell at the human invaders.
‘Get out of my forest and never come back!’ I scream. The gust of wind almost knocks them over. They run away quickly and out of sight.
‘Did I just do that?’ I ask Ember.
***
Arriving at their village, panting and out of breath, John sits down on a bench and looks at Fay and Ed. Fay rests the stick with rabbits against a stone wall and sits beside John and Ed.
‘Did you see that? I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl. Her voice was so angelic, her skin glowed, and her eyes were violet. She was scary, but boy, was she beautiful.’ John says. Fay nods and agrees with him.
‘She summoned the wind and almost blew us away,’ Ed
says.
‘She did. She must be a Goddess or a Princess. Why would she tell us to get out of her forest? She doesn’t own it.’ Fay says.
‘Maybe she lives there? I’ve never seen her in any of the villages. I’d remember a face as enchanting as hers.’ Ed says.
They tell everyone in the village about what they have heard and seen, and a few of their neighbours believe them. A few of the villagers have heard her beautiful singing voice many times in the forest while harvesting food and hunting.
All the villagers refer to Maia as the Forest Princess, and children beg their parents to tell them the story of the Enchanted Forest Princess.
MaiaThe following day I climb a tree near my cave and watch a woman holding a wicker basket. She kneels on the ground, plucks a few mushrooms from the soil and puts them in her basket. There goes my dinner. The woman, unaware of my presence, wanders off, and my stomach rumbles. I'm so hungry.I reluctantly follow the woman, knowing I need food. After a few hours, we reach the edge of the forest, and I watch the woman, with her basket, walk through a grassy field toward a small hill. I freeze at the forest's edge, admiring the clear blue sky, the grassy field, and the small hill ahead.‘I've never left the forest before. I need to know where they’re taking all my food,’ I tell Ember.Taking a deep breath, I step into the field of grass and exhale. I had been nervously holding my breath.‘Okay, that wasn't so bad,’ I tell Ember. Ember steps forward. ‘No, Ember. You must stay here. If anything goes wrong, I don't want anything bad happening to
I lean against a stone wall to catch my breath and wait for my stomach to settle. Then, composed once more, I notice a group of children playing a game, laughing raucously and enjoying themselves immensely.‘Hello. Miss?’ A young woman with a posh accent says. She has long dark-brown hair and brown eyes. She appears to be in her mid-twenties, and two young girls hold her hand.‘Hello,’ I nervously reply, saying hello to another human for the first time in my life. It’s odd yet liberating. I shade my face with my velvet hood, so she does not see my violet eyes.‘Is everything okay?’ She asks. I nod.‘Yes, I'm fine, thank you.’ I say.The woman tilts her head to the side, frowning.‘I'm sorry. It's just that you’re not wearing any boots, and it's not very ladylike or customary for a young lady to be barefoot in the street,’ she says. I look down at my feet, and boots were not something I thought about when I stole the clothes from the stall. I’ve seen the forest visitors wearing boots b
Alpha King Damon Women in all shapes and sizes, wearing all sorts of colours, gush and gape at me and run their fingers along with my vest as we dance at a ball held in my honour. Their behaviour would be socially unacceptable anywhere else.Damn you, Eric! I know you have told these she-wolves I might have to choose my own mate, get them off of me before I release my wolf and start ripping their heads off! I tell my Gamma Eric via mind-link.Sorry Alpha. You might have to consider it. If the rumours are true and King Fenris attacks Moon Crest Valley, you’re stronger with a mate and Luna. Eric mind-links back.Not if she isn’t my true fated mate, now get them away from me, Eric, before it’s your head I rip off.‘Ladies, ladies. Let the Alpha King compose himself. Being surrounded by your beauty is overwhelming for him. Let me escort you all to the drink table, where you can tell me your progress with Alpha King Damon.’ Eric says as he winks at me and ushers the she-wolves away. I cro
Beta TroyThe forest is the most serene, harmonious place I have ever seen. Trudging through thickets and bramble, I hear leaves and twigs crunch under my boots. The forest has a sense of magic about her. She truly is enchanting.Halfway through the forest, I hear the sound of trickling water. Feeling quite thirsty after such a long trek, I follow the sound and eventually find a stunning waterfall. I hold my flask underneath the stream for a while to fill it before having a drink.In the distance, someone with a very melodic voice sings a very beautiful song.I make my way toward West Wallow in human form and arrive a few hours later. Had I been in my wolf form, I would have arrived sooner, but going undetected by the humans when war could be approaching, is extremely crucial.I wander around the market in Wellmore and buy some of the juiciest fruit I have ever had. The King’s soldiers stop at stalls with carts and place half the contents on t
In Wellmore, the villagers are angry and on edge. They’re complaining about a tax hike and a food shortage, having cleared the forest of food. The market stalls are only half-laden with edible goods, from which I steal some apples and a loaf of bread. I sit down on a bench, and eat an apple, storing the loaf of bread in the hessian bag I kept from my first visit. Standing on Vivian’s doorstep, I knock on the side window and wait patiently for her to come to the door. ‘Maia! I'm so glad you’ve come to visit us. Come in,’ she says, smiling and standing aside so that I may go in.‘You’ve come at the right time. I’ve just boiled a pot of tea,’ Vivian smiles.‘Oh. That sounds lovely. What is tea?’ I ask her, and she pauses.‘Have you always been homeless and alone?’ She asks, pulling out a chair for me to sit in.‘No. I live with my friend Ember,’ Vivian places a warm drink on the table in front of me.‘This is a cup of tea. Be careful. Sip it slowly. Don’t burn yourself,’ Vivian caution
King FenrisArriving at the training fields, my most trusted knight, Sir Hugo, and I hop down from our thoroughbreds and tie them to posts with rope. Thousands of soldiers are in training. There is a cacophony of sounds: swords clashing, axes and maces thrown at wooden targets, tree stumps, and men grunting with exertion.A few hundred archers shoot at targets from varying distances and nod at me as I pass behind them. There is lots of yelling as men practice their war cries or call out to one another. A few training casualties hobble around with injuries to their ankles, knees, and feet.My Commander in Chief, James Boroughshaw, is stationed outside a makeshift tent and is observing the jousting closest to us.‘My King,’ James says as he kneels before me.‘Commander James,’ I nod, and he stands back up.‘I require an update of our progress,’ I say, sitting down in a wooden folding chair and accepting the glass of brandy Squire Thomas hands to
Maia‘Maia,’ Grace says.‘Yes, Grace?’ I smile at the young girl in front of me.‘Can we come to your forest and meet Ember one day?’‘Sure. I’d love to show you my home. And I'm sure Ember would love to meet you,’ I say excitedly and smile.‘Perhaps when this war is over,’ Vivian says, exhaling and folding her hands in her lap. The girls nod and run off again.‘Vivian?’ I say. ‘Where’s your mate?’ I ask.‘Only werewolves have mates. Humans have husbands. I had a husband: it was love at first sight. His name was Derrick. We were married a few weeks after meeting and had our girls not long after. When they were two, he died in a mining accident. The mine collapsed and killed him and twenty other men,’ Vivian says, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.‘Oh. I'm so sorry,’ I say, watching her dab her eyes.‘I don't know if I could love another man. I know Derrick would want me to. He’d want the girls to have a father, but I just haven't be
Beta TroyIn Shadowguard, a slave auction is about to commence. Twenty-five children between the ages of five and fourteen stand side by side in a row, with their hands tied with rope. They’re bruised, dirty and malnourished. A man walks toward a small cage, and a growl emits from within it.Excited and shocked, the crowd is divided between those who view the wolf pup as a commodity and those who view him as an animal to be feared.The auctioneer drags the young boy out of the cage and demands he stands. The boy is so exhausted and weary that he falls over into the dirt. I’m disgusted but must know the fate of this poor boy.After lunging at the crowd of spectators, the auctioneer punches him hard in his stomach, winding him, and knocking him over. I make eye contact with this young soul—defeat and grief blaze in his eyes.‘A real genuine wolf pup! Not just an ordinary wolf pup! This one has Alpha blood. He’ll be the strongest farmhand you’ve eve