Bound By Faith Divided By Blood

Chapter 1.

There were murmurs in the village. Elera could hear them as she walked through the market to get food items.

“I tell you, I saw it with my own eyes… he changed. Right there,” one of the market women said with certainty.

“Change into what?”

“A wolf. A very big one.”

Another woman scoffed, shaking her head. “You’ve been listening to too many old tales. People don’t just turn into beasts.”

But a third leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Then explain the goats. Drained of blood.”

A few of the listeners believed, some didn’t, but Elera didn’t join in the conversation, even when the woman selling goods leaned in and asked, “Have you ever heard of any such thing as humans turning into wolves or humans sucking human blood?” She only shook her head.

She was the daughter of Zach, one of the elders in Peace Village, and one of the things her father had taught her was to abstain from listening to or spreading rumors… unless this wasn’t one.

She could feel it.

After she was done in the market, she took her goods and started on her way home with one thing in mind: leaving for her favorite spot after she was done cooking. Then she felt it. The woman who had just passed her was a werewolf. Elera was human, but she had grown up sensing energy. She turned to watch the werewolf woman walk through the village like every other human before she continued on her way home.

“Elera,” her father called immediately as she got into their courtyard. She turned and saw him dressed.

“Father, are you going out?” she asked, and he adjusted his elder cap.

“There’s an urgent elders’ meeting that was just announced,” he said.

“But you haven’t eaten,” she said, and he smiled.

“I’ll come back to eat,” he said and headed for the door, but stopped and turned back. “Elera,” he called, and she turned from where she was offloading what she had gotten from the market. “Stay at home. There are some rumors in the village,” he said, and she nodded.

He left the house, and she smiled, hurrying with the cooking. When it was ready, she packed her father’s meal in his room and then walked out of the house. He told her not to believe in rumors, yet he was saying she shouldn’t go out because of them. She had been feeling the presence of extraordinary beings, but none of them had come close to hurting her because they didn’t know she knew they were extraordinary, and she hadn’t had reason to let them know.

The hills were her favorite. She would sit there and watch the neighboring villages till sunset. However, the hill was outside their village and in the midst of the woods. As a child, her father restrained her from leaving their small village located in a secluded valley, but growing up, she started leaving without his consent and made sure to return before he got back from the river, where he sold his fish.

On this day, however, as Elera exited the village and moved quickly through the woods on her way to the hill, she caught a very unpleasant smell, the energy instilling fear in her. She paused, wondering if it wasn’t just the effect of the day and the rumors getting to her, then took a step to continue her journey when suddenly, from behind the trees, werewolves lunged out.

They were rogues.

She staggered back, turned, and immediately started running, but away from the village and further into the woods, while screaming loudly. They charged at her, and as her leg crossed a wet log, she tripped and fell. They were right behind her. She started her final prayers and closed her eyes as they got closer, but just as they snarled to attack her, there was a thud.

She popped her eyes open. One werewolf was dead right in front of her, and the other two were running away into the woods. She screamed, terrified, and scrambled to her feet when she noticed the arrow in the werewolf’s neck, and just at a distance stood two young men, both of whom were staring at her. One held a bow and an arrow, his eyes fixed on her, but she was scared.

She grabbed her silk gown and started running back to her village, repeatedly looking back. They were not chasing her; they were just standing there, watching her go.

Once Elera got home, her father wasn’t back yet. She ran to her room and got on her bed, breathing heavily from having narrowly escaped death.

The next morning, Elera stood by her father’s door, waiting for him to come out.

“Good morning, Father,” she said when he stepped out.

“Morning, my daughter. How was your night?” he asked.

“It was fine,” she replied with a small smile, though she hadn’t slept a wink.

Zach reached for his pouch, already assuming she was there for money.

“No, Daddy, I don’t want money,” she said quickly.

He paused and looked at her properly. “Then why are you standing by my door this early?”

Elera hesitated for a moment. “I’m ready to learn your business… I want to start learning how to be a fisherman.”

Her father froze and turned back to her. It had been years since he had asked her to learn, hoping she would one day take over, but Elera had never been interested. She had always preferred her freedom, taking care of the house and moving about as she pleased.

“What did you just say?” he asked.

“I want to learn your business,” she repeated.

“Oh heavens,” he exclaimed dramatically, then broke into a smile. “Alright, come with me. Finally, this day has come.”

Elera smiled and followed him toward the stream.

As her father talked about the work ahead, her eyes kept darting around, scanning their surroundings.She wasn’t there because she wanted to learn.She was there because she couldn’t stay home alone. What happened yesterday had planted a fear in her… and it hadn’t left.