From Out of the Woods

The raid had been a disaster for Haydée and she had ended up walking away with more wounds that will undoubtedly turn into scars. Worries pull the earthen fae from her warm bad, driving her out into the early morning light and into the Wraith’s Wood. Thoughts swirl as the mist that hangs low in this eerie place greedily swallows up her form; the shadows and her meager height working to camouflage the young woman’s frame as she slips silently beneath the dark canopy of trees. Here, hidden from prying eyes, the small wolf allows herself the luxury of reflecting on past events while wandering alone.

Whispers of curses and spirits that roam through this land, moaning their pain out to the world, are often shared around crackling fires on warm summer nights, underneath a blanket of stars to wide-eyed, eager children. But those days are far behind Haydée and no longer does the young woman believe in those ghost stories that once made this place taboo. Birds trill in the branches above her as the trees reach their broken, bent fingers down toward the small wolf, beckoning her onward as she traces trails previously unknown to her.

Pools of sunlight bravely brake through the thick canopy, spilling their early morning rays onto the ground below and illuminating the beauty in the world around her. Twists and turns are taken without a pattern as Haydée willingly loses herself in the labyrinth of trees as she goes, confident in her ability to find her way home when the time comes. Suddenly, ahead of her, an oasis appears in the form of a meadow, cutting a large swath of light into the darkness of the surrounding lands.

Pulling to a stop at the edge of the tree line, Haydée hesitates to leave the aninmoity that the dark has to offer her and the small wolf quietly admires the serene scene that lays before her. Suddenly a form, not too terribly far from her, breaks from the shadows out into the morning light and, for a moment, the young woman stands there, shrouded in the darkness and watches as the taller man carries the carcass of a deer draped over his back. Curiously, she watches as the earthen male drops their prizes, the dull thud of the dead body hitting the ground reaching her in her temporary hiding place.

The man then moves to the clear waters of the hidden lake, drinking deeply as Haydée continues to silently observe. For a brief moment, she is self-conscious of the scars that not only mark her face but the back of her neck as well. Summoning up her courage, the young woman finally breaks from the trees, offering a soft, ‘woof’ to alert the stranger of her presence. Everything about her speaks of the smaller woman being nonthreatening and she keeps her stance open and loose so he knowns she does not mean to attack him.

Moving close enough to the male so that they can easily converse without shouting, Hay comes to a stop and warmly says, “Hello there! Mind if I take a drink as well?” One tiny paw jaw juts out toward the still waters beside them as she politely asks his permission. While he may not own this lake, the young woman knows that some strangers can be more… territorial than others and she would rather not risk getting yet another wound to add to rapidly growing collection of scars.


"Haydée Kedieo"