Deep in the snowy mountains. In the heart of the dense dark forest, is the little village of Lupine. Crudely named because the village was known for two things. Its lush pine trees and wolves. No one knows who settled in the area of Lupine first. The humans, or the wolves. The only thing known is that since the start of Lupine Village, there has always been attacks from the wolves. Every full moon, they came. They killed dozens of villagers. Dragged off kids in the night and then they would retreat into the forest. Despite the hardship, Lupine endured. Those that survived built a wall around the small village. The woodcutters worked tirelessly to get it up before the next full moon. However, not everyone was happy about the construction of the wall. In one of the cabin homes that had managed to survive, lived a small family that had settled here in the hopes of avoiding the narrow-minded people in the big cities. Jack sat on the second floor, his legs hanging off the edge as he leaned on the wooden rail. He was watching his grandmother and father argue in the living room below. His mother was busy washing dishes in the sink, trying to avoid the family drama going on behind her.
His Grandma paced before the crackling fireplace that both warmed and lit up the room, shouting at her son angrily. "The wall will keep them out sure, but it will cage us in here! Don't you see that? There are better ways to handle this!" His father paced behind the rocking chairs set before the fireplace, snapping back. "Ma, there is no talking to them! Maybe in your day they did... but they don't want to talk now." His Grandma huffed out bitterly. "In my day, we LISTENED. Think of your family! You can't mess this up. There is nowhere for us to go!" His dad waved a hand at her, heatedly stating out. "The wall will be finished soon. You'll just have to live with that. Think of your grandson! This will keep him safe!" His Grandma tossed up her hands, blurting out louder. "Oh, sure! Safe from one monster to fall victim to hundreds more INSIDE! People are cruel! You cage them and they get worse!" Jack swallowed; he'd never seen them fight like this. His family rarely fought, until his Grandmother had started living with them. Over the years, the fights had been minor... until now. From the kitchen, his mom threw down a dishrag and whirled around to snap out. "Rowan! Stop! If you don't like it here, then LEAVE!" Jack's heart fell to the pit of his stomach.
He was really close to his grandmother. His parents were always working. They barely talked to him, but his Granny had always been there. His Granny lifted her chin proudly, replying in a cool and stern tone of voice. "Maybe I should. I'm not afraid of the woods. I was born in them. I'll be safer there than with you." His mother stormed toward her, but his father stepped in to stop her, cutting in firmly. "Stop this! No one is going anywhere! We are all safe here! This wall will keep the wolves out! No one is going to hurt anyone again!" Jack's mother pointed a stern finger at his Granny, blurting out. "You ruin everything! We left the city because of you! You love the woods so much? GO DIE IN THEM!" His dad pushed Jack's mother back carefully, shouting at her. "Don't say that about my mother!" His mother started to cry, shouting at her husband. "Don't you see?! We had a good life, until SHE moved in with us! We were chased from the city because of HER! And now she wants us to side with the wolves?! She's insane!" Jack looked at his Granny, who looked up at him with gentle green eyes. His Granny had long straight white hair that was braided down one shoulder and she wore a red hooded cloak over her shoulders that she'd made.
His Granny had been an odd old woman. She had always spent more time in her garden or talking to plants over people. He'd never seen her afraid of anything except people. She said it was because she didn't trust them. His father moved to stand between them, trying to get a handle on the situation as he said to everyone. "Let's just give this plan a chance. It can work. We can be safe." Granny shook her head, telling her son without emotion. "No. I won't live in a fence. Stay here if you want... but I won't cut myself off from the woods." His mother shrugged out to her. "Those wolves will kill you in those woods! And for what? Because you can't admit when you are wrong. Because you think they won't come for you!" Granny pulled her cloak around her better, retorting seriously. "It's not about being right or wrong. It's where I feel safe. The wolves may come for me. But I'd rather it be THEM, than the selfish people you call 'friends.' What's the point of living if you are stuck in a cage for the rest of your life?" Granny turned toward the door and Jack bolted up to his feet. His dad called out to his mother, but his mom grabbed him to say bitterly. "Let her go. It's what she wants!"
Granny fearlessly stepped out onto the covered porch and Jack practically jumped down the ladder to run to the door. Both of his parents called out to him as he bolted from the house and down the steps to hug his Granny. He held her tight, begging her not to go. Kneeling in the snow, she cupped his face. Brushing away his tears with her thumbs, when she told him warmly. "Little Jack. Listen to me. There are many things in this world to be afraid of... but there are many wonderful things to see as well. Don't let others tell you what to fear. Don't be afraid to live. Trust yourself." Jack held onto her wrists, pleading with her shakily. "Don't go... Ma, didn't mean it." Granny kissed his forehead, whispering to him. "It's better this way. You can always come find me." Jack sniffled, mumbling out. "How will I find you?" Granny smirked, her hands dropping to his shoulders as she told him. "I'll mark the trail in red ribbon." Jack was tormented with fear that something would happen to her, and she seemed to see it plainly on his face. Removing her red cloak, she put it on him and told him warmly. "Here. This will ward off evil. I made it myself. So, you know it will." Jack shook his head, trying to take it off as he told her. "No, you'll need it."
His Granny chuckled, brushing a hand over her bone bead choker that he'd never seen her without. Giving him a bright confident smile, she informed him coolly. "I have this. And I can make myself another cloak. Don't worry about me." Granny gave him once last kiss on the cheek, then got to her feet. Glaring at his parents in the doorway, she told her son firmly. "John, you keep my grandson safe." Jack wanted to follow his Granny out of the village, but his dad grabbed his shoulders and held him firmly against himself. Watching his mother go, his dad called after her. "You don't have to do this, Ma." Granny only waved without looking back. Sighing, his dad steered a young Jack back into the house, informing him gruffly. "She's a stubborn old woman. She'll be fine. I'll make sure that she got to my father's old cabin in the morning." Jack reluctantly went inside, where his dad told him to get ready for bed. Kissing his wife's cheek with a disheartened look, he sighed out. "With any luck. We'll all sleep soundlessly tonight." Curling up into bed sometime later, Jack winded up his little music box that his Granny had gotten him for his birthday years ago. It played a beautiful Celtic lullaby that always helped him sleep. Only then did he lay down to try falling asleep.
His dad locked up every shutter and bolted every door, gesturing for his wife to head into a little closed off bedroom downstairs. His dad never slept on a full moon. Tending the fire to keep it going, his dad only paused when the sound of a loud bell rang out throughout the village. The heavy deep sounding bell was a last call warning for people to get inside. Tonight was a full moon and the hunt would soon begin for the wolves. This would truly test the wall that had been finished only just today. Yet, all Jack worried about was his Granny. The house fell into silence as the bell stopped ringing. Everyone was too afraid to make a sound. Taking the rifle off the mantle above the fireplace, his dad stared at the door and listened. The locked shutters rattled softly in the snowy whistling wind outside. The fireplace wood popped and crackled in the hearth. Then in the distance, a low sound started and grew into a cluster of mournful howling. Jack closed his eyes tight, a single tear running down his cheek before he pulled his warm blanket over his head. The screams from last time, still resonating in his mind. He didn't want to go through that again.
The howls faded out and then... there was just more silence. Had the wall worked? Jack waited with bated breath, but as the hours ticked on, Jack felt safe. His body slowly shutting down to sleep. Everything was fine. Until Jack jerked awake from a nightmare. He always seemed to get them on a full moon. His body was just too tense. His mind too active. Glancing down at the living room, he saw his dad sleeping in a rocking chair that was facing the front door with the rifle across his lap. There were still no sounds of distress. Everything was calm. Jack started to lay back down, until he heard the soft creak of a porch floorboard. Jerking up, he stared at the door with wide eyes. Something sniffed under the door, then stopped. Jack's blood froze in his veins. He couldn't move. He couldn't scream. He didn't want to believe it was real. The thing moved away from the door and Jack thought that he was fine, until the window shutter by the front door was pulled out slowly to keep it from rattling in the wind. Jack could see the furry humanoid fingers and long sharp black claws. These weren't the wolves that his parents had made them out to be. These were smarter. Bigger. A long claw slipped between the small gap between the shutters, slowly heading up toward the latch.
Jack began to pant heavily as the thought seeped into his mind. They'd gotten past the wall. It hadn't kept them out. As he watched the claw reach the latch, he tried to force himself to say something, but it came out in a breathless whisper. "Da...?" The claw silently lifted the latch, and Jack thought his heart was going to beat itself out of his ribs. As the latch was silently moved off the holder, Jack heard the soft purring growl. Opening his mouth, he inhaled sharply as the shutters were pulled open. Standing outside was a large grey wolf that stood on its hind legs. It's eyes glinting in the firelight as it bared its teeth, letting thick drool stream down from its parted jaws as it locked eyes on his dad. Leaning into the window, it put its paw-like hands on the ground quietly. Crawling inside like a stalking predator. It was covered in fresh snow and its front paws and muzzle were caked in dirt. Walking silently toward his dad on all fours, its long bushy tail curled behind it to keep from hitting anything it passed by. Jack thought his dad was the target, until the wolf cautiously moved in the direction of the ladder and the bedroom door below. Jack leaned forward on the bed to see which direction it was going to take, but the bed creaked from the shifting of his weight.
The grey wolf stopped in its tracks, its head jerking up to lock its bright yellow eyes with Jack. Jack's whole body tensed up so tightly that he couldn't move. The grey wolf crept up the ladder toward him, its mouth closing as it stared him down. Jack scooted back slowly, watching the grey wolf's large ears perk up like it was waiting for him to make a move. His parents had told him that the wolves tended to steal kids, but his first thought was to grab his red cloak. Jumping off the bed, he ran for the cloak and covered himself in it. The wolf moved closer, until a loud 'BANG' sounded from outside in the distance. Howls started to pierce the night from nearby areas, followed by barking and people shouting. From below his dad got up and yelled out. "JACK!" Jack didn't see it, but he heard his bed creak and a loud 'CRASH' as something jumped on and off his bed, before going through his shuttered window on the second floor! Peeking out of his cloak, he saw the shutters were broken open, letting cold wind and snow inside. His dad thundered up the ladder, yelling out in distress. "Jack?!" Jack pulled the cloak off himself, hugging it to his chest from the corner of his room.
Noticing him, his dad rushed over and pulled him into a hug. Kissing his head, his dad panted out. "Oh, thank goodness. Are you ok?!" Jack nodded, before his mom screamed out. "What's happening?! John?! Jack?!" His dad picked him up into his arms, sliding down the ladder to meet up with her. Handing him off to her, he pointed to the cellar door under the kitchen rug and told them in a rush. "Go! Now!" His mother started to cry but carried him down into the food cellar. Huddling up in the corner, Jack hugged only the cloak. His Granny had been right. It had saved him. Hadn't it? Waiting in the cellar, they listened to people screaming and the sounds of gunshots for a time. Then after what felt like hours, it was quiet again. Jack heard his dad somewhere out by the porch, ask someone else. "How did they get inside?" The man replied breathlessly. "A hole! The bastards dug their way in! Is your family safe?" His dad's reply was calmer now when he answered. "Ya. Shaken up, but fine." As his mom held him close, she muttered out mostly to herself. "I hate when she's right..."
By morning a town meeting was held that Jack wasn't allowed to attend. Yet, without anyone to stop him. He snuck over to listen from outside the window. Desperate for help, three messengers were to be sent out on the fastest horses to call for aid. Over the course of the next few months, out of the three sent, only one would succeed at the cost of his life, upon exiting the miles of dense forest. Having been hunted the entire way. The message had been heard though and within the course of a few years... The Huntsmen had arrived. This time would be different. Jack stood on the wall, watching the caravan of Huntsmen make their way toward Lupine's gate. His red cloak fit better now that he was no longer a young boy, but a man in his twenties. The fresh snow fell over his large bright red hood. Drawing the attention of the men who rode on horseback alongside the carriages. They were all armed for a fight. Some looked like they had fought wolves along their journey here. Seeing them only gave himself more confidence. There was a life outside the walls, and he wanted it. Turning away from the wall, Jack slowly made his way down the steps as they entered the village. He didn't care what it took. He was going to become a Huntsmen. They were his only ticket out of this place. To Be Continued...