As the tall grass surrounding the river was illuminated by the sunlight, the light also lit up a tall white wolf drinking from the flowing water. Zalia barely moved, she barely breathed. Her newly fletched arrow was drawn back in her bow, and Zalia inched closer, closer, closer. The wolf finished drinking and stood, its head raised regally. Zalia felt her heart lurch at the beauty of the scene, but she had a job to do. A few moments later, Zalia was cleaning a blood-splattered arrow and hauling the corpse back to her shed.

It was half a Moon-Cycle since the New Moon festival, and the Full Moon was in two Sun-cycles. Although there was to be another festival, Zalia wasn't to attend. Even apprentice wolf-hunters knew that Full Moons were the time when wolves howled, and packs ran.

Zalia stopped mid-skinning, suddenly starving. It was almost noon, meaning she was to sleep soon, and Zalia hadn't prepared any meal. Which meant... "Wolf's-Head Inn," Zalia sighed aloud, wiping the knife on a rag.

Wolf's-Head Inn was probably one of the most famous Inns in all of Mistmoor, which was the most popular fife due to the High King's castle being just up the way on Wildwind Hill. It was originally run by Mary Loo before she left to be the head cook at the Castle Wildwind, and since then the food had noticeably gotten better. Zalia often swung by there to deliver a chunk of venison or to eat a cherry pie when she was on a long-term hunt.

Trudging into town, Zalia swerved around two bread-sellers, waved to a fellow hunter, and smacked a man trying to sell her rotten fish. Finally, the large two-story Inn with the famous white-wolf head came into view. She pushed open the door and abruptly stepped to the side as a pickpocket was thrown out. Smiling, she strode in.

"Zayleah!" an auburn-haired woman with a thick accent shouted.

"Shanna!" Zalia cried back, hugging her friend. Shanna was the owner of the Wolf's-Head Inn, as well as an aspiring writer. She had moved from the Far Isle years ago to seek her fortunes and found herself cleaning for Mary Loo. Although her accent had gotten much better, she called Zalia "Zayleah" as her pet name. On more than one occasion, Zalia had helped her break up fights and make sure the offenders thought twice before starting another one.

"What brings my Koltan-Geresh here?" Shanna asked, using the Far Isle name for wolf-hunter.

Zalia grinned. "My feet and my stomach," she laughed. "Any chance I can get a chunk of the wolf-meat I gave you yesterday?"

Shanna shook her head. "No, Koltan-Geresh. It is all gone." She put on a straight face and said mournfully, "much persons tasty fox-food munch." Zalia punched her arm, and Shanna laughed. "Fine, fine! But yes, Zayleah, it was eaten quickly."

Zalia sighed. "Then get me something hot, tasty, and CHEAP!"

Shanna shook her head. "No paying for you, Koltan-Geresh. Your food is free." She signaled to a fair-haired girl with sparkling brown eyes, who nodded and dashed away. "So, Geresh du Koltany, can I expect you to bring me more meat soon?"

Zalia sighed. "Not sure, uh, what's that Far Isle word for cook again?" she asked, grinning at Shanna.

"Bulek," Shanna translated. "Seriously, Koltan-Geresh, work on your memory. Your brain can remember locations and patterns, but not Far Isle vocabulary?" Shanna shook her head, sending auburn curls bouncing. "Not acceptable, Zayleah, not acceptable."

The blond-haired girl set a steaming plate of mashed potatoes and mutton in front of Zalia. "I hope you enjoy, Koltan-Geresh." She bowed and whisked away.

Zalia glared at Shanna. "Hey, bulek, have you been teaching them Far Isle words?"

Shanna merely laughed. "Oh, no, Zayleah. That's Jene, my best cook. She has a talent for words, unlike you," Shanna teased, knocking her knuckles against Zalia's head.

Zalia ducked. "Bulek, no teasing until this Koltan-Geresh has had some-some, uh," Zalia scrambled for the word.

Shanna raised an eyebrow. "Litak?"

Zalia nodded. "Yes, litak." Shanna burst out laughing. "What?" Zalia demanded, but Shanna only shook her head.

"Eat up, Zayleah. Eat up."

->->->->O<-<-<-<-

Post-delicious-meal-at-Shanna's, Zalia returned to her cabin and attempted to sleep. Although she tossed and turned for a while, she finally fell asleep to troubled dreams of headless wolves and dancing brooms. Strange dreams, to be sure.

Finally, Zalia awoke to the darkening sky. Throwing on her wolf-leathers, she snatched her bow and headed out. The crisp night air was cool, with a touch of wind that lifted Zalia's hair and whipped away again. The leaves crunched under her feet as she strolled down the lane. It was Night-chill, when all the leaves were set afire and fell from the trees. The harvest would be coming in soon, and Zalia would set aside meat for the Ice-chill.

Stars glittered overhead as Zalia finally found herself at the howl-filled woods. Shadows flickered back and forth as bushes rustled and tree branches moved. The last few fireflies of the star-cycle zipped and blinked, filling the trees with stars. Breathless, Zalia stepped into the forest, gazing around her in wonder. A dark shape zoomed by, a wolf with black fur. It's pelt was dotted with resting fireflies, so the wolf looked like the night sky made flesh.

For a still moment, the fireflies went dark and still. Then a single wolf appeared on a rock and howled. The trees exploded with light as every single firefly leapt into the air and turned on its light. In the flash of light, Zalia could see the wolf clearly.

It was the last golden wolf, the female who had escaped.

Zalia snatched up her bow and arrows and ran for the beast. The wolf saw her coming and easily danced away from her silver knives. Zalia stabbed and cut, but each time the wolf was just barely out of reach, it's mouth hanging open. "STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" Zalia cried, flinging herself at it. The wolf whuffed and stepped aside.

Zalia stopped, panting and tired. "Moons, you don't get it, do you?" Zalia cried. "I need to kill you! The High King, Luptas, needs m-" At the mention of Luptas's name, the wolf's ears peaked, it's eyes wide. It dashed away into the woods, and the fireflies abruptly blinked out. Zalia sat there, alone in the dark and quiet, doubting what she had just seen. "What was in that food?" she wondered aloud.

->->->->O<-<-<-<-

Lazy sunlight filtered through the leaves as Zalia rolled over. Up above, the shifting fire-colored leaves turned the forest into a kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, and golds. Zalia say up lazily, stretching. She looked around, wondering where she was. In a flash, the incidents from the night before slammed back into her brain. The wolf. The fireflies. Luptas's name.

Zalia scrambled to her feet, brushing leaves off of herself. A pigeon flew down on a branch, cooing softly at her. Zalia growled, snatched a rock, and threw it. A bundle of feathers floated down around her. With a snarl and a hiss, Zalia stalked off through the woods, back towards her cottage-on-the-river.

Zalia was in a grouchy mood for the rest of the day. When she went into town to buy some bread for her soup, she nearly broke a man's jaw. He was trying to pickpocket her, but still. After paying the bakery owner, Zalia grabbed her bread and browsed through the rest of the market.

As she passed the jewelry shop, her eye caught on a piece. She walked up to the owner and held up the armband. "When did you make this?" Zalia asked urgently.

The store owner smiled. "A few weeks ago. It's based on a phenomenon I've seen in the woods, always before the Full Moon festival. It's whe-"

"I know," Zalia cut in. "How much for it?"

The owner hesitated. "I've never really sold it, because of the wolf, but... five silver?" Zalia slapped down ten, causing the jewelry maker to gape. "Are you sur-". Zalia was already gone.

Finishing her bread, Zalia clutched the armband tighter and headed back into the forest. She found the clearing from the night before, and, sure enough, the golden wolf in the middle of the falling leaves.

"What did you do last night?" Zalia asked it, stopping at the edge of the clearing. The wolf let out a breath, snorting. Zalia shook her head. "Fine, keep your secrets. But just know I'm not the only one to notice." With that, she threw down the armband and stalked away.

Unseen to her, the wolf, went up and sniffed the armband, cocking it's head at the scene on it.

The silver armband showed a rock jutting into the sky, with a wolf on there, howling at the moon. Around it, crystals set into the silver caught the light like fireflies, illuminating something Zalia hadn't seen. The wolf's eyes widened. for when the light hit the crystals just so, the refracted beams lit up thin indentation.

The indentation of a wolf-hunter.