What Are You Laughing At?!

The day is young as Haydée wanders underneath the canopy of grapevine cathedral. Fall has changed the once vibrant greenery into flashes of fiery oranges, vivid reds, and sunny yellows. It is beautiful, breathtaking really, and the young leader does her best to keep her attention on the scenery around her. However, her mind keeps pulling her in, reminding the young woman that, not that long ago, her father had lost his life not too far from here. Then, as its ultimate betrayal, it continually burns the image his mutilated corpse over the leaves above her.

A low, strange, cackling laugh sends her dark thoughts scattering as she pulls to stop and turns her gaze to the area around her for the source of the sound. Hay had been so lost in her thoughts that she had failed to realize a group of spotted hyenas have been trailing after her, obviously thinking she is an easy meal. Anger flares in her chest, at them, at herself, but mostly at the unfairness of the events that had stolen her father from her. Without thinking, she releases a call for help and charges toward the nearest one, ready to kill. It cackles, dancing away from the small wolf while striking out and seeking to grab her scruff.

Now, Haydée did not come unprepared since she associates this place with death and basically all things bad. As the hyena reaches for her, it instead, receives deep bite from the girl’s dagger. It blinks in surprise stumbling backward as blood flows from its face and she holds the antler hilt firmly in her mouth. She swings around to ward off the other two trouble makers but, even with her knife, the girl knows that the odds of fending off 3 large hyenas by herself are slim to none.

Hopefully, someone from the pack will arrive to help her soon. The girl silently vows to herself that Ethne will not lose another wolf here. A deep growl fills the air as the hyenas’ lunge toward her and Haydée does her best to parry and dance away from danger.


"Haydée Kedieo"