MOON BLESSED

In moments of life and death, nothing really mattered, except for survival. Sophie was in her house, surviving, while her pack burned to the ground.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched the battle unfold outside her window. Flames danced in the middle of the darkness, casting eerie, frightening shadows on the faces of the pack members as they fought for their lives. She felt helpless, trapped in her own home while her family and friends battled against a rivaling pack.

The scene outside was chaotic and harrowing. The once tranquil clearing that surrounded their homes was now a battlefield, illuminated by the hellish glow of the fire. The flickering flames painted the night with an ominous red hue, their crackling roar almost drowning out the cries and snarls of the combatants. Sophie’s eyes darted from one corner of the window to another, trying to make sense of the frantic movements, but it was a blur of violence and desperation.

She could smell the thick smoke from her room, could see the way it curled upwards and disappeared into the clouds, like a sacrifice to the Moon Goddess. She could feel her Wolf, Sae, panting and pacing inside her mind, aching to hop out and join in the battle.

"Not now, Sae." Sophie murmured. "Clara told us to stay in the house, and that is what we shall do, eh?"

What does Clara know about real battle? Sae countered. You are a werewolf, Sophie! Act like one!

Sophie had heard that statement from different wolves so many times, that she was tired of doing so. Be a werewolf, Sophie! Be brave, Sophie! Why can you not be more like your sister, Sophie?

In anger, Sophie snapped at her wolf. "We shall stay in this house, and that is final. I do not care about you or your stupid thirst for battle!"

Sae fell silent for a moment, before retreating into a corner of her mind, sulking.

Then, a sudden bang from downstairs shattered the tense silence, jolting Sophie from her thoughts. Fear gripped her heart as she whipped her head towards the door. Had the enemy finally found their way to their house?

But then, through the noise, she heard a familiar voice coughing and calling her name. Without a second thought, Sophie bolted from her room and hurried down the stairs.

There, in the hallway clouded by smoke and darkness, stood Clara. Clara's face was smudged with soot and streaked with blood. Strands of her long blonde hair were plastered to her face with sweat. She looked tired, yet determined, as she staggered towards Sophie.

"Sophie, thank the Moon, you're alright," Clara gasped, her voice raspy from smoke inhalation. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they come in here?"

Sophie shook her head, relief flooding through her at the sight of her sister. "I'm fine, Clara, just a little scared."

Clara's hand found Sophie's cheek; her hand was slippery with blood, and her touch was warm against the coolness of Sophie's skin. "We have to go, Sophie. The enemy is coming closer, and we can't stay here any longer."

Sophie's stomach heaved with fear at Clara's words. She glanced around the hallway, searching for any sign of their parents or Alpha Liam.

"What about mother and father?" She asked. "And Liam?"

"Our parents are safe, they've gone to the safe house," Clara assured her. "And Liam... Liam is still out there, leading the fight."

"Thank the Moon...."

"Sophie, we have to go!"

Together, they crept through the darkness, their footsteps muffled by the crackling of flames and the distant sounds of battle. Sophie clung to her sister's arm in fright.

Finally they reached the back door of the house. Sophie spared one last glance at the burning wreckage of their home, and tears pricked at her eyes.

"Come on, Soph." Clara whispered, tugging at her wrist.

With a silent prayer to the Moon, Sophie followed Clara into the night.

*********

The two sisters ran deeper into the forest, their breaths ragged and their hearts pounding in their chests. They had been running for hours; Sophie could tell, as the moon was now high in the middle of the sky.

Her legs felt like lead weights, and her chest hurt with every strained breath she took. She wanted nothing more than to stop and rest, but she knew that she couldn't.

"Come on, Sophie, keep moving!" Clara urged. "This is not the time to rest!"

But Sophie could barely lift her feet, and her muscles burned with exhaustion. She stumbled, nearly falling to the forest floor, but Clara's firm grip on her arm kept her upright.

"I... I can't," Sophie gasped as she fought to catch her breath. "I'm tired, Clara. I can't run anymore. My legs are killing me!"

Clara's eyes flashed with impatience as she looked at her younger sister. "Do you know what will happen to us if we stop? They will find us and kill us! You can run, Sophie. You have to. We need to keep moving, or they'll catch up to us."

But Sophie shook her head. "I'm sorry, Clara. I just... I can't do it."

Desperation seeped Clara's voice as she knelt beside Sophie. Her hands gripped her sister's shoulders. "Listen to me, Sophie. Mother and father are in a safe house just outside the pack's border. The enemy is behind us. Do you want to get to mother and father, or do you want to be meat for the enemy's sword?"

"I....no, I don't."

"If you give up now, if you stop running, they'll find us. They'll... they'll do to us what they did to our pack."

Sophie's blood ran cold at Clara's words, and the memory of the massacre sending a shiver down her spine. She knew Clara was right, knew that surrender was not an option.

With a loud grunt, Clara pulled Sophie to her shaky feet. "You are stronger than you think, Sophie. We are stronger together. Now, come on. We can do this."

Clara's eyes burned with a strength that surprised Sophie. She could feel warmth seeping into her bones, and she knew that Clara was lending her what was left of her own energy.

With a deep breath, she summoned every ounce of strength she had left and began to run once more, her sister by her side, their footsteps echoing through the forest as they raced towards safety.

In a matter of minutes, they burst out from the forest. They reached the edge of a ditch, and staggered to a stop. Clara's heart lurched at the sight of the yawning gap that stretched out before them. It was at least twelve feet wide; wider than they had anticipated, too wide to leap across, even in their wolf forms.

"We can't cross this," Sophie murmured. "What are we going to do, Clara?"

Clara chewed her bottom lip, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. Finally, after a tense moment of silence, she spoke.

"We'll have to slide down the side of the crevice and take shelter in the ditch," Clara said. "It's our only option for now."

Sophie's heart raced with fear at the thought of hiding in the ditch, but she knew Clara was right. With a nod, Sophie slid down the steep slope until she landed at the bottom of the ditch with a soft thud.

Looking up, she watched as Clara turned back towards the forest; crouched, snarling and ready for action. 

"What are you still doing up there?" Sophie called out. "Come down! Let's hide before they find us!"

"They're coming!" Clara yelled in answer.

"Who's coming?" Sophie asked, but she promptly got an answer. From the distance, the sound of horses whinnying reached her ears.

The enemy had come for them!

Sophie was frozen in fear as the sound of the enemy horses reached her ears.

“Sophie..Sophie,You need to hide now. Clara called out to get her to focus on hiding for her safety.”

“I’m scared. What about you? Won't you come and hide with me? Sophie asked with a shaky voice,trembling in fear.”

"I'll stay here and cover for you, Sophie." Clara reassured her. "Don't worry. They won't be able to reach you in the ditch."

Reluctantly, Sophie nodded. With a final glance back at Clara, she ducked into the shelter of the ditch and waited in the darkness.

Suddenly, an arrow flew past Sophie, whistling as it traveled through the air. Then she heard a loud, pained yelp and a sickening thump.

"CLARA!" Sophie screamed. She darted out from her hiding spot, looking around wildly for her sister. And then, she saw her.

Clara lay at the top of the ditch's mouth, unmoving.

The sight of her sister on the ground filled Sophie with so much terror that she sca