Single Part
The candlelight flickered softly, casting dancing shadows on the walls of the spacious room where the Marquess sat in a deep velvet armchair. Her usual authoritative attire had been replaced by something simpler, yet still elegantly refined, reflecting a rare moment of rest.
Liam, much younger at the time, lay across the Marquess's lap, his light brown hair spread across the dark fabric of her dress. His eyes, always so curious and bright, were now half-closed, the exhaustion of the day beginning to overcome his small eyelids. Even so, he seemed to fight off sleep, determined to savor every second of the Marquess's company.
She observed the young boy, a slight smile curving her lips, as her fingers glided through his hair in a smooth, rhythmic motion. There was something soothing about the gesture, something that brought comfort to both her and him. The silence between them was filled only by the distant crackling of the fire in the hearth, creating an atmosphere of peace and safety.
After a moment, the Marquess leaned in a little closer, her soft, gentle voice breaking the silence almost imperceptibly. "Liam." she called tenderly, her voice full of the kind of warmth that few were privileged to hear.
"Would you like to hear a bedtime story?"
Liam opened his eyes slowly, as if the very sound of her voice was enough to temporarily push back sleep. He looked up, meeting the Marquess's gaze, and gave a small, sleepy smile.
"Yes, Mother." he responded in a dreamy, soft voice.
"Tell me that story again!"
The Marquess nodded, pleased with his answer, and adjusted Liam on her lap, making sure he was comfortable. She looked at the shadows dancing on the walls, as if searching through memories for the right words, the perfect way to tell the tale.
"Once upon a time..." she began, her voice adopting an almost hypnotic tone.
"There was a great forest, and within it lived a pack..." the Marquess continued, her voice adopting a softer tone as her fingers continued to glide through Liam's hair.
"And in this pack, there was a little she-wolf, small and curious, who always sought out adventures and mysteries in the vastness of the forest. But one rainy night, no matter how hard she tried, the little wolf couldn't fall asleep."
***
The little she-wolf, near the fire, gazed up at the dark, stormy sky, but something drew her attention more than the rain and wind: the moon. Even hidden behind the heavy clouds, the full moon seemed to shine with its own light, captivating the little wolf's gaze with an almost hypnotic pull. She sat, her wet paws sinking softly into the mud, and stayed there, admiring the silver glow that broke through the clouds.
The rain continued to fall, heavy and persistent, but the little wolf hardly noticed. Her eyes were fixed on the moon, and she felt a growing desire, an uncontrollable curiosity that pushed her to explore the unknown. "Why does the moon shine so brightly?" she whispered to herself, her eyes wide and attentive.
"What could be beyond it? Maybe... maybe someone on the other side of the forest knows."
But before the little wolf could make any decision, a towering figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, moving silently through the muddy terrain. It was her mother, a majestic wolf with light fur and piercing eyes that carried the wisdom of many moons. She approached the little wolf with a firm but loving look.
"What are you doing out here, my little one?" the mother asked, her voice soft but tinged with concern. She lowered herself to the little wolf's height, her eyes locking onto her daughter's.
The little wolf hesitated for a moment, but soon replied, excitement clear in her voice. "I was looking at the moon, Mom. It's so beautiful… And I was thinking… what if I went to the other side of the forest? Maybe there, I could find out if there's something behind it, and how I could get there!"
The mother wolf tilted her head, her eyes hardening slightly at her daughter's words. She took a deep breath, letting the rain slide down her fur and drip softly to the ground. "My dear..." she began, with the patience of someone who has faced many difficult nights.
"The other side of the forest is not a place for us. There are dangers there that not even the strongest wolves can face. And the light of the moon, as beautiful as it is, is not worth the risk of crossing to that side."
The little wolf frowned, her young and curious spirit refusing to accept the explanation without resistance. "But Mom, I'm strong! And if I'm careful? Maybe I could discover something no one else has seen..."
The mother sighed, a sound that blended with the incessant rain, before stepping even closer to the little wolf, gently touching her muzzle with her own. "I know you're brave, my little one. But there are places in this world that we simply cannot go, no matter how much we want to. It's not just about strength, but about understanding our limits and respecting the dangers that exist if we go there."
The little wolf, still reluctant, lowered her ears, her eyes fixed on the ground. "But… what if one day I need to go there? What if there's something really important on the other side?"
The mother looked at her daughter tenderly, licking her forehead softly to comfort her. "If that day comes, you won't be alone. But for now, let's go back home, where it's safe and warm. There's still so much for you to learn before thinking about facing what lies beyond our forest."
With one last glance at the moon, the little wolf slowly nodded. Her mother guided her back to the safety of their den, where the shadows of the forest couldn't reach them. Together, they disappeared into the darkness, as the storm continued to rage outside.
***
The Marquess continued the story with a darker tone, her eyes fixed on the young face of Liam, who seemed lost in every word.
"But it wasn't always safe there…" she said, her voice softly grave, as if each word carried ancient memories.
"Our forest, despite all its known dangers, still offered a safety that the other side couldn't. However…"
***
The little wolf was nestled in her bed of hay, wrapped in the warm protection of home. Her dreams were peaceful, filled with images of playing in the mud and the security of her parents' arms.
Suddenly, a howl cut through the night like a blade. A sharp, desperate sound echoing from the depths of the forest. The sound was unlike any other howl the little wolf had ever heard, something that made her chest tighten with fear. Her body moved, and her eyes snapped open. She sat up, feeling a chill run through her fur.
Her parents were immediately alert. Her father, an imposing wolf with dark fur, rose from where he was lying, his eyes glinting in the darkness. Her mother stood beside him, her face marked with worry.
"What was that, Dad?" the little wolf asked, her voice trembling.
"What I feared... They've come to our forest." Her father's voice was deep, but filled with an urgency she rarely heard. He looked at his wife with determination.
"I need you and our little one to hide in the dense forest, now."
"But Dad...!" The little wolf jumped from her bed, running to him, clinging to his fur.
"Don't go, please!"
Her father lowered himself, placing a comforting paw on his daughter's head, feeling his heart heavy with the plea in her eyes. "I have to go. I'll protect you and your mother, as I always do. Now, go."
The little wolf's mother was at her side in an instant, gently pulling her away from her father. "He will come back to us." she said, her voice filled with a calmness that tried to mask her own fear.
"But we need to be quick now."
The little wolf hesitated, her eyes still fixed on her father, but finally yielded to her mother's insistent gaze. "Okay…" she murmured, her voice weak, as she followed her mother.
Her father gave one last look at them both, full of love and fierce determination, before turning and running outside. The darkness swallowed him as soon as he left.
The little wolf and her mother headed out, their paws moving quickly over the rough terrain. The dense forest was ahead, its thick trunks and intertwined canopies offering some hope of a hiding place. The little wolf's heart pounded wildly, fear growing with every step they took into the forest's darkness.
Suddenly, a different sound echoed through the air. A piercing caw, like that of a crow, but laced with something insane, uncontrollable. They stopped abruptly, and the little wolf felt the air grow thick, heavy. From the shadows, a crow with black feathers emerged, but there was something wrong with it. Its eyes were red like embers, and it moved erratically, as if it were a puppet being pulled by invisible strings.
"What...?" the little wolf began to ask, but her mother was already moving.
"Run!" her mother shouted, pushing the little wolf behind her.
But before they could move, the crow swooped down on them like lightning, its sharp claws and aggressive beak aimed directly at the mother. She tried to fend it off, but the bird was driven by an uncontrollable fury, striking with inhuman strength.
But before the raven could strike, a dark shadow emerged from the trees, swift and silent. With a guttural growl, the wolf pup's father lunged at the bird, colliding with it with all the strength of his body. The raven let out a high-pitched screech as it was thrown away from the mother, but it quickly recovered, hovering in the air with its wings spread wide, feathers as black as night. Its red eyes glowed with hatred as they locked onto the wolf.
"What are you doing here?!" the wolf pup's mother shouted, her voice filled with fear and relief at the same time.
"Protecting you!" the father growled back, never taking his eyes off the raven.
"Run now! I'll hold this thing off!"
But the wolf pup couldn't move, paralyzed by fear and shock. Her eyes were fixed on her father, who seemed gigantic in front of the raven, a protector determined to do anything. The tension in the air was palpable, and every muscle in the wolf was taut, ready for the fight.
The raven let out a piercing cry and launched itself at the wolf again, its claws and beak ready to tear into flesh. The wolf reacted with precision, dodging to the side and striking with his jaws. He managed to grab one of the raven's wings between his teeth and bit down hard, tearing feathers and flesh. The raven screeched in pain but didn't retreat.
Instead, the bird began flapping its wings furiously, its claws raking the wolf's face and side in a flurry of quick, deadly strikes. The wolf growled, ignoring the pain as he kept his jaws clamped down on the raven's wing, trying to immobilize it. But the bird was strong, much stronger than it seemed, and its claws found the wolf's neck, making a deep cut.
The wolf pup's mother watched the scene, her body tense, ready to act, but knowing she needed to protect her daughter. "Please, run…" she whispered to the pup, almost inaudible, the desperation in her voice clear.
The wolf pup's father finally let go of the raven, stepping back for a moment, but only to launch another attack. He jumped, his front paws striking the bird, trying to bring it down to the ground. The raven, in response, beat its wings hard, the momentum carrying it upwards, out of the wolf's reach, but close enough to deliver a devastating blow with its beak, driving it deep into the wolf's side.
The wolf pup's father let out a howl of pain, but even so, he didn't retreat. He leaped again, trying to catch the raven in mid-air, but the movement was slower, the wound stealing his agility. The raven, sensing the weakness, seized the opportunity to strike again, its claws tearing into the wolf's open side.
The wolf staggered, his paws slipping on the ground, but his eyes never left the bird. "Run!" he roared with all his strength, his voice echoing through the forest.
The wolf pup's mother pushed her daughter, finally breaking the paralysis that held her. "We have to go, now!" she said urgently, pulling the pup, who still hesitated to leave.
"But daddy…" the pup began, her voice weak, tears streaming down her face.
"He wants us to live!" the mother responded, her voice firm despite the panic.
"Come on, quickly!"