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-Fatebound-

Chapter One: Cry Wolf

...

"Raven, you need to focus. At this rate the only way you'll ever be able to kill a Lycan is if it were to die of pity. Now pick yourself up and try again."

Raven Tethras scowled as she slowly rose back her feet, gently nursing her bruised hand and brushing her raven black hair out from in front of her eyes. She dusted herself off and lifted her wooden practice sword off the ground, her bright green eyes gleaming as she looked up at her instructor.

"Maybe if you didn't swing your sword at me like I was a Lycan then I might be able to actually return the offense. At this rate you're going to break all the bones in my hand!" the ten-year-old girl retorted, kicking at the ground in frustration. "I don't even understand why I have to keep doing this. I'm no good with swords, and besides, I don't even want to go into the military."

Raven's instructor tapped his foot on the ground in an impatient manner. "We've been over this before, young lady. Your father, the Master-Commander, has dictated that if the Lycans continue to be a threat to Arturia you should be capable of properly wielding a blade. Children don't have time to be children during times of war." The knight raised his own wooden sword and pointed it at the girl. "You come from a long line of well-respected warriors, even if you don't want to follow in their footsteps then the least you could do is learn their craft. There's no shame in knowing how to use a sword, even if you don't plan on wielding one."

Raven rolled her eyes. "I don't need to know how to fight with a sword. I'm quick with a dagger and I never miss with a bow. My forebears may have been good with a sword, but I'm not." She swung her sword a few times through the air, still scowling. "Swords are heavy and ungainly, they require a specific build to properly be used. I'm small and light, I'd be better suited working as an archer or a scout."

"Very well, then," the knight said. He lowered his sword. "If you refuse to continue with your lessons then I'll have to inform your father once he returns."

Raven's face went completely blank. "My...my father is returning to Royce? Why didn't he send me a letter letting me know? Why didn't my mother tell me?" She looked up at her instructor, her face pale. "Okay, I'll keep practicing. Wh-When does he plan on arriving?"

"He isn't expected to arrive for another fortnight. Now, raise your sword and try to hit me." The knight raised his sword again and held it at the ready. "We only have a few days to get you at least somewhat proficient with a sword. If you can't block some attacks and land a few of your own by the time that your father arrives then we'll both have hell to pay."

"Then let's hope that you're as good a teacher as you claim to be." Raven said, moving to hold her own sword at the ready. "Could you at least not swing as hard? You might be training me to fight Lycans, but you don't have to fight like one."

"You need to be prepared for what's out there. If I don't put enough force behind my attacks, then your body won't be able to properly adapt. The Lycans don't hold back, so neither will I. Just be happy that we're practicing with wood, and not the real thing, otherwise at this point you would have died eleven times."

...

Raven walked away from the training field and headed back to her home, a reasonably large village known as Royce. As she walked, she gently fingered a silver ring that hung from a chain around her neck. The ring had been a gift from her father on her last birthday, a family heirloom that had her family's motto inscribed along the band. "Sword and Virtue." She scoffed.

Father treats it more like religious doctrine...

Raven walked down the worn dirt road, heading for the manor that was her home. As she was walking she passed a platoon of armed guards, something that wasn't uncommon to see when living in Royce. It had been that way as long as she could remember, ever since the Lycans arrived on the northern shores of Arturia.

It may have happened long before she had been born, but it was a story that every Arturian knew. It had been twenty-six years since small island colonies in the northern oceans started going completely silent, with ships that were sent to investigate reporting the colonies being completely deserted and destroyed...or not reporting back at all. These disappearances continued for a year, even after the other colonies had been forewarned.

The humans of Arturia were forced to live in fear and suspense as the unknown force continued to wipe out the kingdom's northern colonies, and it wasn't until the King deployed a contingent of ships from the Royal Navy in an attempt to track down the entity that the Arturians had a name and face for the force that had been terrorizing them.

Contact had been made with the Lycans, a massive militaristic empire that spanned a third of Arcadia, a massive continent located far to the north of Arturia. The Lycans were a race that resembled a cross between six to seven-foot-tall humans and canines of varying species. They were strong, relentless, and determined to expand their borders. From what little knowledge the Royal Navy had managed to gleam, the Lycans had previously been at war with the other two empires that inhabited Arcadia, the vulpine Vulpes and the feline Cait, only to be defeated and forced to sign a treaty that barred them from continuing their plans for expansion in Arcadia. And that's when they focused their attention southwards, towards Arturia.

In the beginning the war had been completely single sided, with the Lycans crushing all opposition that they met. The Lycans were prepared for war long before it even started, the small contingent of ships the King had sent being destroyed by the invaders' massive fleet. It wasn't until the Lycans reached the mainland on the continent's northern peninsula, where they found an army waiting for them. It was at that point that the tide of the war seemed to even out. While the Arturian military had not been able to push the Lycan off Arturian soil, they had been able to prevent the invaders from spreading further south from the peninsula.

Which leads things back to the current day, twenty-five years later, with the Lycans still rooted deeply on Arturian soil, constantly losing and gaining ground. Royce was located just south of the northern peninsula, the only thing standing between it and the Lycan hot-zone being an Arturian military fort. It was at this fort that Raven's father served, protecting the kingdom by leading the resistance against the Lycans. Attempts had been made in the past to secure military aid from both the Vulpes and the Cait, but both empire's monarchs refused to go to war with the Lycans again.

Raven shook her head vigorously. We don't need those stupid animals to win.

She made her way back to her manor. While the Tethras' weren't exactly high-ranking in regard to the hierarchy of nobility, they were the highest-ranking nobles in Royce, granting them a justified claim on the largest manor in the village. It was impressive in its own rights, being built with expert masonry and standing with three floors. It was the only home she had ever known so she had nothing to complain about.

When she arrived the only people that were home were the servants, leaving her to conclude that her mother was mostly likely out socializing with the other noblewomen that inhabited the village. That was something that had been going on for as long as she could remember too. While her father had her practicing her swordsmanship, she had her studying to be a proper woman, or at least, she was whenever she was home.

Deciding she would rather not wait around for her mother to return, Raven had one of the servants fetch her favorite bow and a quiver of arrows. Archery was one of the few things that brought her some peace of mind, helping her escape from the hysteria of the war crazed village.

She may never be good with a sword, but there was one thing she did know for sure: her arrows never missed.

...

"Where did you learn to do that? We've been training for two weeks straight and not once have I ever seen you use that move."

The knight that had been serving as Raven's instructor picked himself off the ground, having just had his legs unceremoniously swept out from under him by the young girl. The long-anticipated day had arrived and Master-Commander Donnic Tethras had arrived at Royce. Not wanting to disappoint her father Raven had doubled her efforts at getting better with a sword.

"That's because I didn't think of trying it until just now." she responded. "It... just kind of came to me in the middle of the fight."

The sound of clapping could be heard. "Very good Raven. That was some pretty clever thinking on your part."

Donnic Tethras slowly approached the sparring pair, his sabatons clanking with every step. The Master-Commander was an intimidating man, in human standards, standing at an even six feet, short black hair and beard, and a set of broad shoulders on top of a muscular build. He was dressed in a set of heavy steel plate armor, a decorative inlay of gold was sprawling across the armor, signifying his position as Master-Commander. Hanging from around his waist was a long-sword, its hilt and scabbard also inlaid with gold. The cross guard was forged in the shape of a pair of dragon's wings, with the head of a horned dragon and a large ruby set in the middle proper. The sword was named Wyrmstooth, another heirloom of House Tethras.

The knowledge that she had managed to impress her father sent a small rush of pride through her body. He wasn't easily impressed, especially when it came to her.

"That's enough for now. Sir Gentry, I would like for you to lead a patrol along the outskirts of the forest, keep your eyes out for anything out of the ordinary. Raven, I would like for the two of us to go out for a ride and talk about how things have been since the last time I was here."

Raven dusted herself off and looked up at her father. "Y-Yes sir." She managed to stammer out as she handed her practice sword over to her trainer. "But...Wouldn't you rather spend some time with mother? It's been some time since you were last here and I know that she's missed you..."

It wasn't that she didn't wish to spend some time with her father, but she was simply afraid of where their talks might lead. The two of them had never had the best of relationships, what with Donnic spending most of his time up at the fort and Raven starting to develop her own opinions on how she would like her life to go. That had always been a major point of contention for the two of them. Donnic had made it painstakingly clear that his desire for his daughter was to live the same life as any noble-born female: to receive a formal education, marry, and then spend the rest of her life giving birth to and raising her children. Raven, however, had vehemently rejected that idea.

No, she desired something different. Something more independent.

Growing up in a town where war was always the main topic of conversation, Raven had instead decided to spend her time in the company of her books. Wild romanticized stories of adventure had made up most of her childhood, allowing her to escape from the chaos of the real world. Raven longed for the ability to go out on an adventure and star in a story of her own. She didn't know how, but she knew that she would one day have that adventure.

"I intend to spend time with her as well, but there will be plenty of time for that later. There is much that I would like to discuss with you and I think that it would be best if we got it out of the way as soon as possible." He said as he reached out and gently placed his armored hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Come, it has been quite some time since we last spent some time together."

Any protest Raven might have had died once she noticed just how earnest her father sounded when he spoke about spending time with her. Perhaps this time they would be able to spend some time like a normal family.

...

It had been nearly two hours since the father and daughter pair had set off on their horses, and Raven was starting to grow a bit saddle sore. They had gone about riding around the town before heading off in the direction of the cliff that overlooked the settlement. Most of the ride had been filled with silence, interrupted only a few times with the occasional batch of small talk, which was causing Raven to start feeling rather apprehensive. If her father really had something important that he wanted to talk to her about then he was really taking his time bringing himself to say whatever it was.

The sun was starting to slip beneath the horizon as the pair reached the overlook, washing the sky with a warm orange light. It was at this point that Donnic slipped off his horse. "I've always loved coming out here. This view has always helped take my mind off...things."

Raven could see where her father was coming from, the sight stretching out before them really was peaceful, more than enough to convince one that there wasn't a war taking place. She slipped off her horse as well and moved to stand beside her father, though she remained silent, deciding instead to let him keep speaking.

"Things have been...quiet back at the fort, and that has given me some time to think. I know that we left things on a...a sour note the last time I was here, and I've had time to reflect on it." The black haired knight said as he looked over at his daughter. "I understand that you desire a less traditional life for yourself, a more...independent life. I also understand that I was rather...against your wishes and desired for you to live a more 'proper' life."

Raven remained silent as she looked at her father with her full attention. She had never seen her father second guess himself like this, never seen him compromise with anything. To have him standing before her saying that he had reconsidered what he had originally been so incredibly rigid about left her speechless.

"After much deliberation, I have decided to come to you with an offer." He continued after a brief pause. "When it is time for me to return to the fort, I would like for you to accompany me. If you are able to complete one month of the most basic of basic training, then I will allow you to enroll once you are of suitable age."

While his face had remained as stoic as it always was, Raven had noticed an odd sadness in her father's eyes. Did it really pain him that much to let her live her life the way she wanted to? No, she knew better than to think like that. No parent would willingly sit back and alloy their child to put their lives in danger, especially not when they were in the position to insure said child was able to live a better, safer life. She was already reprimanding herself for thinking such things.

"If that is what it takes to prove myself..." Raven began, thinking very carefully as to how she wanted to proceed, "If that is what it takes to prove myself, then I accept. I know that you want the best for me father, but this is what I want. I want to help defend the kingdom and help you take back our home."

"Then so be it. I expect nothing but excellence from you if you expect to become a soldier, as it'll take nothing short of excellence to defeat an enemy like the Lycans."

...

It had been nearly a month since she'd left Royce with her father to begin her training up at Fort Ironwood, and Raven was really starting to feel the effects of her father's merciless training. Her very first day there had been filled with more training exercises then she had ever had to do in her entire life, and that had only been the beginning. An hour was all she had been allowed to rest her weary muscles and wolf down a quick meal before he had her out in the field once again, this time to refine her fighting techniques. By the time she was allowed to retire to her rather bare bones cot, her muscles felt as if they were on fire.

Raven yawned as the sound of the morning bell cut through the air, signaling that it was time to get started with the morning routines. She swung her legs up out of her cot, shivering involuntarily as her bare feet met with the cold stone floor. After a month of relentless training, Raven had begun to grow accustomed to life at the fort, but the odd bone chilling cold that came with every morning. With a small sigh she made her way over to a washbasin that sat in the corner of her room. Her father might not have shied away from treating her any differently from any other standard recruit, but he had had the foresight to let her have her own private room, even if it was little more than a glorified closet. With another sigh, she dipped her hands down into the cold water of the basin before bringing them back up to scrub against her face, preparing herself for another day of vigorous training.

Twelve hours later, Raven found herself sitting on a bench off to the side of the training pitch, eagerly gulping down water from her waterskin. She could already feel new bruises forming on her arms and legs where she had made the occasional mistake when trying to defend herself. Melee combat was still proving to be one field that she was particularly lacking in, still showing a natural preference for her skills with a bow. However, despite her shortcomings, she had clearly been improving. Where once it had taken weeks to learn how to do even some of the more simple maneuvers, now it only took her a matter of days. She was adjusting, slowly growing used to the trials that had been given to her, with life at the fort growing more and more familiar to her with every passing day.

So why couldn't she shake this ominous feeling that something horrible was about to happen?

Her question was answered just a few seconds later when an explosion cut through the air, followed by a blast of scalding hot air.

Raven yelped in surprise as she scrambled away from the smoldering wreck of what had once been a supply cart and over to the nearest source of cover. She watched in horror as another fireball came arching over the fort walls before crashing into the side of one of the barracks. All around her she could hear the sounds of alarm bells ringing and soldiers shouting even as more fireballs came hurtling over the walls to cause even more destruction. In such a situation as this, her father had given her explicit instructions to seek him out in order to receive further instructions. Steeling herself, she darted out from behind cover and sprinted in the direction of the fort's keep.

She was jostled here and there by soldiers that were making their way to their posts, having to duck for cover or skirt around smoldering ruins on her way to the keep. What had once been a calm, quiet evening had erupted into all out chaos in a matter of seconds, and absolutely no one seemed to have been prepared for it.

And that was when the horns started. A cold, harsh sound almost like a howl mixed with a roar cut through the air like a hot knife through butter, leaving an almost maddening silence in its wake before the next burst sounded out.

Raven felt her blood run cold. She had heard that sound before, but never like that. Once, when she was very young, her father had shown her a Lycan war horn that he had taken from the remains of one of their raiding parties, even blowing on it a bit so that she could hear what it sounded like. The sound it had made terrified her back then, but to hear it now being used for its intended purpose, it took every last drop of her willpower to keep from curling up into a ball.

Despite what everyone had believed to be a controlled, heavily monitored stalemate, the Lycans had somehow managed to amass a force large enough to assault the fort without any word being relayed back to them.

She felt sick, and it was taking everything she had for Raven to keep her composure. This is not what she had been expecting when she had accepted her father's offer. Despite all the confidence she usually felt from all of her training as well as her personal practicing, at this very moment she felt like nothing more than a mere child trapped right in the middle of the most adult of situations.

She finally stumbled into the entrance hall of the keep, collapsing onto her knees and panting heavily as she tried to regain her bearings. Her rather rudimentary armor as well as her face were already stained with soot, and her eyes were tinged red from all of the smoke. Struggling back up to her feet, she made a mad dash for where she believed the forts war room was. If her father was anywhere, it would definitely be in there. Pushing past the large wooden doors that separated the room from the rest of the keep, it took every last ounce of strength she had to keep from collapsing again as she was greeted with the sight of her father and his lieutenants gathered around a table that held a model of the entire fort.

The minute he saw her, the Master-Commander pardoned himself from the circle and hurried over to his child. "Raven, thank the Maker. You're not hurt, are you? I was going to come and find you as soon as we figured out how to deal with this situation."

"F-Father...the Lycan's.... What are we going to do?" She managed to pant out, looking up at her father with wild, confused eyes.

"Me and my men are going to stay behind and do what we can to hold the Lycan's off. You are going to ride back to Royce." Donnic said as he helped Raven back up onto her feet. "Come, I've already sent a squire to prepare a course for you."

Maintaining a tight grip on his daughters' forearm, he steered her out of the room and back out into the entrance hall. Rather than going back out the same door that Raven had entered from, which led out to the fort's training pitch, he instead led her out in the direction of the main courtyard, where the fort's two gates could be accessed. He was filled with a sense of determination and urgency that he had never felt before, the desire to get his child out of harm's way driving him forward.

They had just made their way out of the keep with an explosion much louder than any of the ones before it filled the air and deafened all those who had been too close. Where once the fort's northern gate had once stood was now nothing more than a smoldering hold, only a few burning, splintered pieces of wood clinging to the frame to remind them of what had once been there.

And like water rushing in through a burst dam, the Lycans charged into the fort.

It was like something out of a nightmare, Raven watching as massive, shaggy furred beasts dressed in rough, jagged armor laid waste to all who tried to stop them, their bloodlust driving them forward to cut through soldier after soldier. The surprise attack had left the fort in shambles, the responding defenses having been easily put down by the beast's coordinated attack, the few soldiers that remained doing their best to slow the wolves' advance. The safety of the walls had been their greatest asset, and now that was gone.

SHHNK

"Raven go! Get to the stables!" Donnic yelled as he released his daughters' arm and drew his sword. "I'll do what I can to keep them off of you, but do not, under any circumstances, stop running!"

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Raven watched as her father advanced forward to meet the advancing wave of Lycans, swinging his sword to block a blow from a particularly menacing wolf before bringing the blade back around to sever the beast's head clean from its shoulders. Small skirmishes were starting to break out like that all around the courtyard, knights and soldiers doing their absolute best to fight back against their attackers, some faring better than others, but for every Lycan that fell, it seemed like three soldiers went down with it.

Stifling a sob, the girl made a mad dash in the direction of the stables, doing her best to bob and weave around the savage fighting. More than once she actually had to stop and completely reroute herself in order to ensure that she kept out of the thick of things. Past all of the terror, a part of her wanted to stay behind and help her father, to ensure that he was safe, but more than that was her desire to follow her fathers command and make it back to Royce. She knew better than to doubt him. Her father had been in battles like this before and had always emerged victorious.

Her train of thought was suddenly derailed when a massive weight came barreling into her, knocking her clean off of her feet and down onto her feet with enough force to knock the air out of her lungs. Her vision blurred as she struggled to regain her breath, instinctively pushing her hands out just in time to stop the same heavy mass that had tackled her from crushing her under its much greater weight. She struggled to keep the Lycan away from her as its jaws snapped a mere inch away from her face, its rancid breath filling her nose as she finally managed to inhale again. In her current state she wouldn't be able to hold out for more than a minute.

In an act of pure desperation, she let go with one hand in order to grasp at her belt, her fingers wrapping around the hilt of her dagger before she jerked her arm back, pulling it from its sheath. Screaming out her defiance to die there, she struck out with her blade, managing to angle it past the collar of his armor and plunging it right into the wolf's throat. The effects were instantaneous, the beasts grip on her going slack and his body going oddly stiff as he grasped desperately at the hilt that was protruding from his neck.

Seizing the opportunity, Raven mustered up the last of her strength and shoved the Lycan off of her, scrambling back to her feet to watch as his struggling grew weaker and weaker until they eventually subsided, the massive wolfman going still, his eyes staring blankly up at the sky. She covered her mouth with her hand, haunching over as her stomach immediately twisted itself into knots. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her hand still clamped firmly over her mouth, she crouched down and tugged his dagger back out of the now dead Lycan, the blade making a sickening wet sound as it slipped free before she tucked it back into its scabbard. That had been her first time killing, and even if it had been in self-defense, she had not been prepared for it. Taking a few deep breaths to help regain her composure, she stumbled away from the fallen Lycan, continuing on her way to the stables.

Pushing through the door with everything she had, Raven was relieved to see that the stables were completely deserted, save for the horses. The horse that her father had ordered be prepped for her was waiting for her in its stall.

At that moment the full weight of everything that had happened came crashing down on her, the girl making it to a stack of hay to sit down just before her legs gave out. Burying her head in her hands, she sobbed uncontrollably, all of the emotions she had been struggling to keep down welling up all at once. She wanted to curl up in a corner and cry, scream and throw stuff at the wall, and simply sit down and give up. However, none of those options would actually help her in this situation. Despite still being a child, years of growing up with regular military exercises had helped to instill her with a certain amount of discipline. Letting her emotions get the better of her simply wasn't an option. Rubbing desperately at her eyes with her knuckles, she whipped away her tears as best as she could and pushed herself back up to her feet.

Returning to the horse, Raven went about making sure the saddle was properly secured. It was an adequate steed, strong muscular legs and just enough body weight to ensure that it would be able to move pretty quickly. However, despite the situation that she was in, she couldn't help but think that her horse back home at Royce was better. The fact that she was thinking about something so trivial brought a bitter smile to her face.

"Way to sort out your priorities Raven..."

BANG!

She jumped in surprise as the door to the stables was booted open, instinctively reaching for her dagger once again. If she was going to die there, then she wasn't going to go down without a fight. However, the blade slipped out of her hand and clattered down when her father, and not a horde of bloodthirsty Lycans entered the stables. He was looking incredibly worse for wear, his hair matted to his head with a mixture of sweat and blood, and his armor and face completely stained with blood and mud. However, despite the absolute state of disarray he was in, it didn't appear that he was actually injured.

"Father!" Raven exclaimed, rushing forward to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace. It did her so much good to see that he was okay, already starting to feel so much calmer now that she had his arms wrapped around her. "I tried to get here as fast as I could...One of them attacked me and...and I had to kill it..."

"It's okay Raven, it's okay. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you and that it took me so long to get here." The Master-Commander said as he pet the top of his daughter's head, doing his best to move a few stray strands of hair out of the way. "But it's a good thing that you were able to defend yourself. It's you or them, and your life is so much more important than theirs."

The knight let go of her and instead moved his hand to her back, ushering her back over to the horse. "We don't have time to waste. You need to leave, now." He said as he lifted her up onto the horse's back. "You need to get back to Royce as fast as you can. Do not, under any circumstances, stop for anything. Once you get there, I want you to signal the alarm for the village to retreat, then get your mother and make way for the capital. Your mother's sister lives there, she should be able to look after the two of you until I'm able to return."

"But why can't you come with me?"

Donnic didn't answer at first, instead focusing on leading the horse out of its stall before picking up an oddly shaped bundle from the floor. "Someone needs to stay here and lead the resistance against the Lycans, at least long enough to buy you enough time to make it back to the village. Once we've done all that we'll evacuate through the tunnels underneath the fort. I *will* see you again in the capital, I promise."

Handing his child the bundle, which turned out to contain her bow and quiver, the knight opened up the stable's large barn doors before giving the horse a sharp slap to the rear. Before she even had time to say anything else, Raven found herself being whisked away in the direction of the southern gate, which had been opened just enough in preparation for her to slip buy. Casting one a desperate look over her shoulder in an attempt to catch one last look of her father, she could only watch on in despair as the massive wooden gates closed behind her.

...

The dusk was slowly starting to slip into dawn, a faint pink glow starting to rise up over the horizon as Raven finally urged her horse to stop. Slipping down off of its saddle, she stumbled a few feet away from it before collapsing at the trunk of a tree. Despite her wishes to follow her fathers' command to not stop until she reached the village, neither she nor the horse had it in them to keep going. She hadn't stopped at all during the night, urging her steed to keep going until she was sure that the fort, and the Lycans, were far behind her. She still had at least another half a day before she would reach Royce, so what harm would there be in taking a small break. Curling up at the foot of the tree, she rested her head on top of her hands and closed her eyes, allowing her exhaustion to finally win as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Her dreams were filled with flashes of a burning forest that no matter how long she ran, she could never find a way out. Trailing behind her, close enough for her to feel their hit breath on her heels and hear their jaws snapping shut as they just barely missed her were the ever shifting, monstrous forms of wolves, their eyes glowing a deep, crimson red as they chased her. She would occasionally see the shadow of what looked like another person ahead of her, but they would always disappear before she could manage to catch up to them. She could feel the wolves inching closer, they're hot breath on the back of her neck. Any second now and she would feel their sharp fangs latch on to her.

She awoke with a startled yelp, her hands instinctively drawing her dagger from its scabbard and waving it around wildly in front of her, doing her best to ward off the demons that had chased her through her dreams. It took her a moment to realize that she was still resting safely at the foot of the tree and not lost in the middle of an endless forest. No wolves, no shadowy figures, and no threat of immediate loss of life. Her arm fell back down to her side, her dagger tumbling onto the ground below as she took deep, steadying breaths in an attempt to calm herself back down. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Raven looked up to see her horse grazing lazily a few feet away.

Struggling back up to her feet, her muscles screaming in protest, the girl stumbled back over to the horse, reaching out to grab hold of the saddle and hoisting herself back up. She had already wasted too much time, time that she didn't have to begin with. Still groggy and barely conscious, she gave the reins a flick and urged her horse onward. Even as she rode, determination and fear working to help keep her awake she couldn't but feel an insistent, gnawing sense of dread in the back of her mind.

That feeling would eventually turn out to be justified.

She could smell the smoke long before she saw the fires. Bursting out from the forest she was immediately greeted with the sight of her village in flames. She was too late.

The sun had just slipped underneath the horizon, allowing the blazing inferno to light the rapidly darkening sky with an eerie orange glow. What was more disturbing however was the silence. Aside from the sound of the crackling flames the village was completely silent. No screams, no cries for help and no sounds of battle. That did not mean that there weren't signs of it. Bodies lay strewn across the ground, more and more of them appearing the deeper she went into the village. What few soldiers that had remained in the village as well as whatever men that had decided to try and fight back had obviously been no obstacle for the Lycan hoard.

Raven choked back a sob, these had been people that she had once known, people that had watched her grow up, who's children she had once played with. That's when it hit her: all the bodies she had seen so far had belonged to men. Where were the women and children? Had the weak resistance been enough for them to flee or had she simply not found their bodies yet? She gave her head a violent shake, she couldn't allow herself to think like that. The only thing she could afford to worry about was getting back to her home and finding her mother.

She gave the reins another flick, desperately urging her steed to move faster as they raced through the desolate streets. The deeper into the village she ventured the more destruction and carnage she was exposed to. More bodies began to appear, those of women and children amongst them, many of them laying face down in the blood-soaked earth with arrows protruding from their backs. They had tried to flee only to be butchered.

'Mother is okay, she has to be okay.' The young girl thought to herself, the fear swelling inside of her. 'She would have made it out in time or...or hidden in the cellar until it was safe.'

Her horse turned the last corner and her home finally came into view. Like the rest of the houses and hovels in the village the once proud manor was ablaze, the inferno having caused the roof to cave in on itself. She could see that the door had been kicked in so hard that it had almost been knocked completely off of its hinges. The invaders had searched the manor, though whether it was to loot the building or search for the inhabitants was unknown.

All of this was of no concern to her. She hadn't expected her home to be left unscathed, not after all the destruction she had seen on her way there. No, what made her blood go cold and her body numb was what she saw in front of the manor.

Slipping down from her horse, Raven slowly made her way to the crumpled form of her mothers' body. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, her face coated in dirt and her body was visibly bruised. A dagger lay discarded on the ground not too far from the body, one that Raven recognized as her mothers'. The woman had died fighting, something that gave the girl a small amount of satisfaction, a welcoming warmth that briefly cut through the cold, suffocating grief.

Raven didn't know how long she knelt before her mothers' body, too exhausted and shocked to cry. It wasn't until she heard the sound of footsteps and guttural growls that she finally stirred. The Lycans had returned and were rapidly closing in on her. Through her grief, Raven felt a hot, bubbling fury boil up within her. She was going to kill them and avenge her mother.

Snatching up the dagger from the ground, the girl rose to her feet and rapidly whipped around, blade out and ready to strike...only for an armored fist to collide with her stomach. The air immediately left her lungs, the dagger slipping from her fingers to clatter uselessly on the ground once again. Gazing up weakly, she was able to catch a brief glance of one of the lupine invaders before she felt something hard collide against the side of her head and everything went dark.