I really enjoy all of the fan fiction you guys have posted on here, and I thought I might give it a try. I've never shared anything I've written before, so we'll see how this goes.

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It started out like any other day in our home in the Great Wood: sunny, cheerful, but uneventful. I finished my chores at home and my first shift at the apothecary, and Mistress Byrd gave me half an hour of free time. I grabbed my bow and arrows and looked for my best friend, Howell. I spotted him with a bag slung over one shoulder, heading down the main street, and caught up with him, carrying my bow and makeshift quiver.

“Do you have a minute? I need to make more arrows,” I asked him.

He turned and grinned. “Sorry, Cassie, I can’t. I need to deliver these shelves for Master Carver as quickly as possible. Maybe over lunch?”

“Okay,” I replied, a bit disappointed.

“That reminds me,” he said, “I have something for you.”

Intrigued, I watched as he pulled out a leather item that seemed to be a bag. As he handed it over, I realized it was a quiver – a beautiful one. He’d carved flowers and vines all the way down it, and the leather was soft but strong. “This is gorgeous. Thanks so much!” I hugged him, which made him smile, and swapped my old quiver for this one.

I got to the forest surrounding our village and turned back to watch Howell disappear inside a house. We’d grown up together, made mischief together, and helped each other through times of loss and sorrow. We were best friends, and I really did love him. Although nothing official had happened yet, everyone expected us to be married as soon as he finished his apprenticeship with Master Carver.

As I set about the task of gathering stout straight sticks fit to be made into arrows, I realized that archery was just a game to me. True, I was pretty good, but I had never had to use my skill in earnest. Howell’s gift reflected that fact, because this intricate quiver was certainly not designed for war. It worked, but it was too fancy to be anything but a pretty accessory. Hopefully, I’d never have to use my skill for anything but play. There were rumors that wolves were slowly inching back into the lands surrounding Natalia, but King Jupiter had created peace, and no one expected it to end anytime soon. I thought the wolves might be the figment of the imaginations of some young bucks looking for amusement, nothing more.

But as my half hour drew to a close, I heard something that froze my blood. It was not someone’s imagination. It was the unmistakable howl of a wolf. I’d never heard one before, but my father had described it for me and my siblings when he came home from fighting with King Jupiter’s army. Shrill and piercing, an off-tune warble from deep in the throat. My ears flattened against my head and my fur stood on end. It came from the direction of my village.

No! My mind cried desperately. Please, no! It’s not possible! But the screams that reached my ears proved otherwise. Half of me wanted to go back and try to help, and the other half desperately screamed at me to run. That side won. You’re no good to anyone if you’re dead. I felt sick as I bolted northwest, away from the only home I’d ever known.

Green leaves and shrubbery raced past, sticks scratching my face and arms, tears making tracks down my face, heart pounding in my ears. It didn’t seem real. It seemed like a nightmare. I struggled with this reality that perhaps, everyone I knew was dead or dying right now: my parents, siblings, friends, Mistress Byrd, and Howell. While I knew there were able bucks there, they had no warning. Had this happened before? Did anyone have a warning? Were there other towns, ransacked and burning, dotting the Great Wood? I prayed King Jupiter knew, that he could stop them before it was too late.

After several minutes, I was breathing hard, and my sides burned. I paused, listening carefully for pursuit. I couldn’t hear anything, so I figured no one had seen me. Looking up at the morning sky, I marked the position of the sun and headed east and a bit north. I could take a roundabout route to the First Warren, which was east of my town. The town that was now destroyed. Sobs threatened to choke me, and I forced myself to breathe and focus on heading the right direction. One step at a time. The problem was that every step leading away from my home seemed to place a heavy weight on my shoulders, and I couldn’t shake it.

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Let me know what you think, and if there's anything I could improve in. I appreciate feedback!