Maple Moon: The Moon Goddess‘ Gifts

Prologue (Norah) I have no idea where I am. I have no idea how I got here or who brought me here. There is no one here, just me. I think. What in the Moon Goddesses name is going on here? I don’t remember much anyway. Going to sleep in my own bed. Troubles finding the right position, anxiety, fear, exhaustion. I did go to sleep after all. I just didn’t wake up in my bed. I woke up in absolute nothingness. A bleak field with tree stumps. It’s foggy and gray - everything is gray. Still it’s kind of blinding, so I try shielding my eyes with my hand, looking around for something. Did something move over there? It’s just a vast field - no end in sight. A few little hills, that’s it. Is this even real? Maybe I am still dreaming. I pinch myself. Ouch. Definitely real. I try to reach my wolf - she seems dormant. My calls for her seem to echo in my head. Maybe getting up will give me a good starting point, maybe exploring my surroundings will, too… I shakily proceed to stand on my legs. Touching them brings a new sensation though: what the hell am I wearing? This scruffy white dress thing is definitely not my nightgown. „Hello?!“, I shout coarsely. My voice sounds strange. I swallow, clear my dry throat, my mouth feels icky from sleeping. „HELLO?!“, I try again. Nothing. My hair falls loose around my face and shoulders. Strange. I always wear a braid for bed. Did I forget? - well, apparently someone dressed me, so they probably took out the elastic, too. Why would anyone do that? Where am I? „Mom? Dad? Richard?“, I know it’s pointless. I still can’t bring myself to stop trying. „David? Alexander?“ Nope. Definitely alone. Next to me, there is a bag. How did I not see it? Made of the same material as my dress, only it’s brown. I touch it, carefully pick it up. A bottle of water. Three loafs of bread. Well, at least I’m not starving right away. I take a small sip from the water before slumping my bag over my shoulder, starting to walk. Slowly, carefully. I don’t feel safe. But how would I? Where’s my family? Our house? Our pack? I just walk through the field, the floor feels cool and gravelly under my bare feet. No shoes? Really? I walk for what seems an eternity, but since there’s no sun, no shade, no nothing, I can’t really keep track of what time it is. Everything seems frozen in place. A black lining on the horizon keeps me going as I walk, at some point it starts to grow. Maybe my route to freedom. There’s still hope. I‘m passing small hills and more tree stumps. No signs of other people. Nothing‘s alive in here, it seems. Except for me. No source for water, too, for that matter. Am I supposed to die? While pondering that question I see, that the black lining seems to be the entrance to a forest, only it’s not green. It’s in fact black. How inviting. Moving faster, I try to reach it. Maybe it’ll carry me to freedom. Hopefully it will. I reach the first line of trees and scout my surroundings. Nothing. No sound, no smell, no movement. A sense of fear seems to grab me and keep me from moving further into the blackness of the forest. „Courage, Nori!“, I mumble to myself. And then I take a step into the blackness. It all happens so fast, I can’t even comprehend what came first. The claws that slit my arm right open, clearly aiming for my throat? Me, being pulled backwards by two hands that mean I’m not the only one? I close my eyes. Kind of hoping I would faint, but it doesn’t happen. Someone is dragging me of. I can’t place the smell, and I just squeeze my eyes shut. After a while the person lets go of me and tends to my arm. „You know, you can open your eyes now.“ Female. A woman, or a girl? The voice sounds surprisingly gentle. She saved me, I guess. I open my eyes just a little bit. I see blonde hair, a lot of it. Not much more though. I sigh. This seems to amuse her because she chuckles. „I‘m not going to hurt you. I actually just saved your a*s. Maybe you can just say thank you and tell me who the f**k you are?“ And I already like her, whoever she might be. I comply and give her a full look. She’s close to my own age, a little frail. Fair complexion, big blue eyes and sleek, shiny light blonde hair. Her face is exquisite. She is so beautiful, it makes me want to hate her, but it also makes me want to love her. “My name is Norah.“, I tell her. “Who are you?“ She just looks at me, not saying anything at first. She seems to study me in detail and at some point I start feeling stupid. Just when I want to ask her what was wrong, she finally smiles. Again, I’m taken aback by her beauty. “I‘m Rosie.“