The village was called Silentree. Known as the last village you could stay in before you stepped into the Kar, the village was, despite its name, quite well-known. Situated at the edge of the Kar, it was a waystation that any woodsman, trapper, and hunter had to stop at before entering the great forest.

The Speaker knew the town well. When she was just the human slave named Useless, the group her mistress Kyla commanded had stayed in Silentree before going into the Kar. The town has over 10 houses with the biggest being the inn that was also the local tavern. There was a small stable nearby that the Speaker remembered well. She slept there with the horses while her mistress slept in the inn.

A gentle breeze swept across the trees and the Speaker smiled. She was going to enjoy destroying that stable. The Speaker looked to her right at the sole road leading to the village. Although she could not see them, the Alpha had placed the Chieftain and his Ratlings there to cover the retreat the humans would make. The Speaker would have been more comfortable if a few werewolves were with the Ratlings but she could understand where the Alpha was coming from. Although the Ratlings had proven useful in scouting the village, they were weaker than the werewolves and would not be as effective in the battle so putting them in a position out of the main battle made sense.

The attack plan was simple. Outside the road, Silentree was surrounded on all sides by the Kar forest. The Alpha would lead 20 of his werewolves in the main attack from the east. Coming from the forest, they would hopefully reach deep into the village before a defence could be mounted. When the villagers run, the Beta would then lead the remaining werewolves on a secondary attack through the small village field to chase them down. Any humans who managed to escape them would have the Ratlings to contend with on the road.

It was the simple classic chase down of the wolves. To the Speaker, the tactic was simplistic but should work without any issue. The humans were simple villagers with only a few hunters there at best. Outside that, the village was undefended. There wasn’t even a fence around the village. The humans weren’t expecting an attack because well, who would want to attack a village so near the no man lands that was the Great Kar Forest?

Snow began to fall and the Speaker looked up at the Twins. The twin moons of Ioplon were bright and round this night. Zrucs was high in the night sky while Prih was already rising in the east. The Beta and the rest of the werewolves were nervous but the Speaker felt at peace as the snow fall lightly on her fur.

In the past, any battle she was in was at the behest of others. Tonight, as she was waiting patiently for the attack to begin, she was here because she wanted to. The humans who attacked and stole from the Creator deserved death and the Speaker was more than happy to be the instrument of their end.

A wolf howled in the night and the Speaker’s smile got wider. It was beginning.

The Speaker heard a scream. The cry was heard by the humans and several of them came out of their houses to investigate. There was a shout followed by more screaming. The Speaker stole a look at the Beta. He was getting ready for the chase but he was still waiting. Then the Speaker saw it.

Women and children were fleeing while the men were running in the opposite direction, towards the screams. The Beta ran, and the Speaker was only a step behind. Her group crossed the vegetable field in moments and the Speaker saw her first prey.

A woman running for her life but she was slowed because she was holding the hand of a small boy, no doubt her child. It was such an easy kill, the Speaker almost felt embarrassed as she leapt at the duo. Called it motherly instinct or self-preservation but somehow the woman felt the danger behind her and turned around. The woman’s eyes shone with fear at the sight of the Speaker but bravely, she pulled the child behind her.

It was her final act in this world.

The Speaker landed on the ground and ran on. All around her death came to the humans as the werewolves tore into the humans. The Speaker heard angry shouts and screams and looked in the direction where the Alpha’s group were. At the other end of the village, a line of woodsman and hunters had been holding their own against the Alpha’s group but now some of the men had broken away, rushing to defence of the women and children.

In another life, the Speaker would have found the men admirable. Now, she just found them foolish. Without them in the line, the Alpha’s group was now clearly getting the upper hand. The Speaker turned back to her duty and ran. The women and children were running for their lives but they had no chance against the speed of the werewolves.

In moments, the Speaker ran up to another woman who somehow had time to put on a hood before running out of her house. The woman turned to see her death approaching and the Speaker could smell the fear off her. The Speaker slashed the woman’s neck open and the woman raised her hands to the wound in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood. She fell to the ground and her blood turned her little hood blood red.

“Biddy!”

The Speaker turned to the man who screamed the woman’s name. A young man holding an axe, the Speaker silently thought the man must be the young woman’s brother or husband. The woodsman looked at the Speaker with rage on his face before launching himself at her.

The Speaker immediately knew the man had some training as a warrior as he handled the axe with a certain skill. She also knew he was out of practice. His sweeps and thrusts were slow and after a few moments, gaps appeared in his defence. After a sweep that was just a little too high, the Speaker dropped to all fours and leapt at the woodsman’s legs. The former warrior tried to step back but he was too late. The Speaker tackled the woodsman to the ground and bit his throat. She tasted live human blood for the first time and the feeling was intoxicating. The Speaker bit harder and turned her head forcefully upwards. She had ripped the young man’s throat apart.

Panting, the Speaker stood up unsteadily and looked around. She was filled with disappointed. The battle was over. All around her, the humans were either dead or dying. Her first battle as a werewolf and she only had 3 kills. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough.

Then she heard a cry.

The Speaker looked at the direction of the cry and saw that it was coming from the young boy who had been saved by his mother. Still filled with battle rage, the Speaker began to walk towards the boy. As she slowly approached the boy, the boy saw her approach. He looked at her and on his face was a mixture of fear and defiance. The Speaker was by now right in front of him but the look on his face did not change. He was brave.

The Speaker raised her arm and just as she was about to go for the kill, something hit her from the side. The Speaker fell to the ground and rolled to her feet. She looked up and saw her attacker. It was the Alpha.

The Speaker was surprised and puzzled. The Alpha turned to his human form and after a quick look around to see that there was no danger, the Speaker did the same.

“No. Kill. Children.” The Alpha said.

The meaning was clear but the Speaker did not understand the reason. “Wolves kill children don’t they? Why not now?”

“Only. When. No. Choice.” The Alpha said. “Only. When. No. Better. Choice.”

The Speaker shook her head. The Alpha did not understand humans. “This is not a better choice! A parentless child will just be taken as a slave.” The look the Alpha gave the Speaker prompted her to continue. “I’m had been a slave to humans before. Trust me on this Treznor, it’s more merciful to kill the boy right here!”

The Alpha shook his head. “No. Usli. There. Is. Better. Way.” He looked at the small boy. “Creator. Bring. The. Children.”

At the sound of the Creator’s name, the Speaker remembered something. An order she did not understand but would nevertheless obey. “Oh, and remember to get at least one live pig!”

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