The Lunation Trilogy: Winters End

Fire

The wolf ran through the fights creating a graphic scene. Wolves and Elves alike stopped for a mere moment to witness the burning fur and flesh that fell off of the wolf. It had no sense of rolling in the snow that would have surely saved it from its own skin peeling off and around it as it finally gave into death. The gruesome image would forever be etched into her mind. She caught herself being alike everyone else and shook her head to clear her mind. She had to focus.

While some had picked up back where they had left off, others stilled remained dead still in their tracks staring off at the burned body. Asari managed to grab her arrow and took aim at the wolf closest to her that still stood still. With a whisper of a prayer to the Gods she released the arrow and watched as it fell short and to the left.

"Dammit!" A leg twitched from the body, sending those that still looked on all jolting back into reality. With the arrows being rushed and the bow being left-handed, she had no confidence that she would make her mark. "Calm down and adjust. You have no time to panic."

Asari took a deep breath and ran towards the fire. She nocked another of the arrows, or tried to, and lit the end with the flame from the fire. Taking aim, again she released the arrow at the closest wolf to her. The wolf called out in pain as the arrow struck its hind leg. The flame slowly grew wild along the wolf's fur. This one had some intelligence though and rolled into the snow to kill the flame. It turned to where the arrow flew from and found nothing, Asari had already leapt from the spot and moved towards the fight to her right.

The knife she held in her hand came from one of her closest friends as a child. Neka had been her childhood crush and had gifted her the weapon after carving their names into the tree. It had been his fathers he said, he had no use of it though. The knife given out of love and friendship was now used out of hatred and protection. If only she had been able to protect him from drowning, he would be beside her. But if he had been beside her now, he'd only be a distraction, and she couldn't afford that now.

The gift did its job and slashed her nearest opponent in the stomach. The elf looked at her and nodded his thanks before running off towards the woods. If she could, she was going to try to get most of the attention to herself. That way, her people and Duran's wolves could try and make a run for it. Hope was all she prayed for now.

Duran and Sans were nowhere to be seen. Igniting the next arrow, she pulled it back and aimed for the next target. The biggest fight was just ahead of her. Three of Sans' wolves circled around one of Duran's, their haunches raised and ready to strike. Asari let the arrow go, this time it hit her mark in the head killing and lighting the wolf next to it on fire. She had to move quickly while they were panicking. She danced around maws that snapped at her; two wolves focused in on chasing her as she ran towards the three ahead.

"Now now pretty one, don't go doing something stupid."

The sickly voice of Sans almost made her falter. Her slight misstep gave one of the wolves chasing her an opportunity to sink its teeth into the back of her calf, ripping out a chunk of her skin and muscle. She screamed out in pain, blood poured out from her leg as she limped away as fast as she could. Adrenaline coursed through her, driving her to move forward. The two wolves still alive ahead of her turned their focus to her, just as she had wanted. The fire hadn't killed the one, but it definitely slowed it down. She turned left, pulling their attention away from the rest of the group.

The smell of singed fur was revolting.

"Where are you going Little Elf?" Sans called. Asari knew he was calling her out to distract her, to say give his wolves a greater chance to take her down. There she stood, blood pouring from her leg and her now reopened wound on her arm. Scratches littered her skin like shooting stars, crimson clinging to her like a coat of arms. The wolves chasing her stopped, encircling her in their death ring. They each took turns nipping at her, none of them taking the killing blow. Two in front of her parted, leaving the perfect walkway for Sans to walk through and take his calm stance.

"Oh Little Elf, you didn't think you and yours were actually going to get away, did you?"

"Enough with the playing around, Sans. Just get it over with." Asari spread her legs shoulder width apart and bent her knees. Her knife in her death grip, her eyes never left Sans. Out of her peripheral vision she could assess most of her and Duran's folk were able to escape. Those that had been left alive, that is. The field was littered with bodies, enemy and friend alike.

"My Master will be incredibly pleased at the outcome of today. She overestimated you, like I had
assumed she would."

"I thought the Great Alpha of the Ice Ridge Pack answered to no one. What a pity that even the most mighty fall."

Sans growled and leapt towards sari, dropping her to the ground and onto her back. She scrambled to get him off of her, managing to get to her knees.

"You'll do good to remember who finished this kill." Sans spoke, the wolves around him howling and bouncing around with excitement.