Shifter Universe # 2: Darkness

2. Dashful Rescue

ATHELYNA

"Athelyna!"

A heavy sigh.

"Athelyna!"

At her mother's stern tone, Athelyna jolted awake, senses on high alert. Panicked eyes scanned the nearly empty room until she spotted her mother, hands on hips, dark eyebrows twisted, and nose wrinkled in annoyance.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, her mother tried to hide her frustration. "The sun has been up for a while, and here you are, asleep again. You are supposed to help the others and tend to the garden today."

Running her fingers through dark, tangled hair, Athelyna nodded quickly. "I am sorry, Mother."

Once again, she had failed in her task. It wasn't intentional, but luck never seemed to favor her duties.

Before Athelyna's feet touched the ground, her mother had vanished, off to attend her own duties. It was hard to blame her for the frustration. Every day, Athelyna seemed to mess up something different.

She had good intentions, she tried, but when it came to a healer's duty, she wasn't gifted. The odd one out, never quite belonging.

While rising to her feet, she grabbed her attire from the ground, quickly slipping on the white clothes. Her hands roamed until she found her ribbon, tying her hip-length hair into a braid, bangs swept to the side.

Then, she rushed outside.

The village buzzed with activity as people tended to their tasks. Attempting to appear calm, she hurried to the unoccupied garden. No one else could tend to it today, and she failed to be there on time.

Perhaps it was a fortunate turn of events; at least, no one was there to reprimand her for another failure. She knelt, dress turning brown with dirt, tending to the herb-filled ground, vital to their healing powers.

Without them, they were lost.

Athelyna stifled a yawn, working until the sun stood high, trapped in the monotonous routine. Most never left the village; solo journeys were forbidden, deemed perilous.

In these moments, Athelyna felt a stark contrast from others.

The village, their only sanctuary, should not be their only world. She dared to explore beyond, returning unharmed. The world was beautiful, but her mother's restrictions kept it at bay.

She dismissed their fearful stories. The world offered more than their tales suggested. In two nights, at eighteen summers, she questioned the truths they imposed. Were they entirely innocent in this war?

As she weeded, thoughts strayed to the discoveries she missed. Her hair, caught in the breeze, obscured her unhappy expression. The repetitive task reflected her longing for more.

After pulling the weeds into a neat pile, Athelyna stood up, brushing dirt off her knees, scanning for a basket. Rushed that morning, she had forgotten hers. As she looked around, her gaze drifted to the little forest near her village.

That night changed her life, proving her right. Though young, it left a lasting impact. The forbidden world didn't harm her, contrary to her mother's warnings.

Hoping to see the boy again, she waited in the bushes every morning but eventually stopped, realizing the risk wasn't worth it.

He may not have known she existed or desired friendship, but she daydreamed of it. Few peers befriended her; perhaps shifters, understanding difference, could. She doubted their evil reputation; maybe they were as weary of fighting as her people.