BLOOD OF THE MOON

The forge blazed with furious light, its heat licking at Elise Thorn's skin as she hammered molten iron into the shape of a curved blade. Sweat dripped from her brow, but she refused to falter, each strike of her hammer precise and deliberate. The clang of metal against metal reverberated through the small, smoke-filled workshop, a sound that steadied her nerves.

"Focus on the curve, Elise. It's not a club," her mentor, Old Joren, barked from his seat by the hearth. His one good eye glinted with sharpness that belied his years.

"It'll cut just fine," Elise shot back, though her lips twitched into a smirk. She respected Joren's skill but wasn't about to let him get under her skin. Not tonight, of all nights.

Ravenspire was unusually quiet for the eve of the Blood Moon. Normally, villagers would be bustling about, preparing charms and barricading their homes. But this year, an eerie tension hung in the air, heavy and stifling. Elise tried not to think about it. Superstitions, she told herself. Nothing more.

A loud crash broke her concentration.

"Elise!" Her younger brother, Will, burst into the forge, his small frame trembling. His face was pale, his chest heaving from the sprint.

"What is it?" Elise demanded, setting down the hammer.

"It's-it's the wolves. They're close!"

Joren stiffened, his gnarled hands gripping his cane. "Close? How close?"

Will pointed toward the woods beyond the village. "I saw them near the old mill. They're bigger than normal wolves... and their eyes..." His voice trailed off, fear stealing his words.

Elise felt a prickle of unease but quickly pushed it aside. "Stay here with Joren. I'll check it out."

"Don't be foolish," Joren warned. "You've heard the stories. If it's them, you'll not survive alone."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Elise snapped, already grabbing her newly forged blade. It was crude, but it would suffice.

The air outside was sharp and biting, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. Elise's boots crunched against the frost-covered ground as she moved toward the edge of the village. The trees loomed ahead, their dark silhouettes swaying gently under the silver glow of the rising moon.

Her pulse quickened. Will's description echoed in her mind-wolves with glowing eyes. The stories of Ravenspire were full of such creatures, but she had always dismissed them as tales to frighten children. Yet, the unnatural stillness of the forest made her doubt her skepticism.

A low growl broke the silence.

Elise froze, her grip tightening on the hilt of her blade. Her eyes darted through the shadows, searching for movement. The growl deepened, reverberating through the trees like a warning.

A pair of glowing amber eyes emerged from the darkness.

Instinct took over. Elise raised her blade, her heart pounding in her chest. The wolf stepped into the moonlight, its form massive and menacing. Its fur was a dark, mottled gray, and its fangs gleamed like polished ivory.

"Get back!" she shouted, hoping her voice would mask the tremor in her hands.

The wolf didn't retreat. Instead, it prowled closer, its movements deliberate and predatory. Elise swung her blade in a wide arc, but the creature dodged effortlessly, its speed blurring the edges of its form.

The next moment happened too fast.

The wolf lunged, its jaws snapping inches from her arm. Elise stumbled, barely managing to twist out of the way. Pain seared through her side as she hit the ground, her blade skittering out of reach.

"Elise!"

Will's voice jolted her back to the present. She turned her head just in time to see her brother racing toward her, a look of pure terror on his face.

"Stay back!" she screamed, but it was too late.