His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 19: To Ulfstad

Sneaking out of a highly guarded palace is considered hard. The security is tight, with guards patrolling exits. The timing between a shift change is no longer than one minute. I know this because I have observed their routines for years.

New recruits have also never caused any issues and do not mess with the guard change. Once one patrol has left the area, another is within the vicinity in less than 90 seconds. But I have had years to master my little escapes—little because I know nothing further than the forest beyond the wall, the snowy mountains in the distance, and the nearest town, Ulfstad.

Leaning against my palace wall, I waited in the shadows, watching the guards leave their station and march on their patrol. Nearer the walls, they were in their wolf forms, whereas those by the gates remained as humans to communicate with others. My eyes were trained on the back of the two gigantic fluffy grey wolves.

"Twenty," I murmur as their forms become somewhat smaller in the distance. Tonight, the weather was calm and had high visibility—a con when one needs to sneak out behind Weres in their wolf form with super hearing.

Slowly, I crept forward, eyes darting between the backs of the other Weres and where the new guards would soon appear. "Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven," I counted in a hushed whisper, barely audible but enough to keep my focus as I dug my hands into the snow-dusted ground around one of the bushes in front of the wall.

I tried to breathe evenly as my heart pounded brutally against my ribs. The bush came free from the ground and a small smile tugged on my lips as I moved it aside, revealing a small hole in the wall. I crawled in backwards, dragging the small bush back into place. In the pitch black tunnel, I focused on the bush, scraping the snow around it.

"Sixty." Sweat droplets trickled down the back of my neck. 80 seconds was the maximum time I stayed in the hole in the ground. It took me 10 seconds to leave the area without alerting the guards inside the walls.

Those guarding outside the wall were on a different patrol; they were less frequent because nobody was foolish enough to sneak into the palace, and there were always guards on the other side.

Shuffling backwards through the tight tunnel, I ignored the sense of claustrophobia that always tried to quicken my breathing and kicked out behind me so the wooden block, enchanted to look like the wall, dropped.

"Eighty." I put the block back up, ensuring it was sealed back into place and backed away slowly. My footprints were light, the crunch of snow barely noticeable, and if so, many would think it was a small animal.

With a sigh, I wandered into the depths of the forest, careful to hold onto the bark with my gloved hands, counting my steps between the trees and how many I passed. The dense forest was almost pitch black; without a wolf, my sight was as useless as a human’s. At least I still had brains and could carry out these plans without such senses—the silver lining and all.

Twenty minutes passed, and the sound of water crashing against rocks indicated I was at my next checkpoint—Thunderfall. The waterfall was so large and loud at times that it sounded like the rumbling noise of thunder. We were very literal with our names at times.

The louder it became, the quicker my steps until my boot banged into a stump. With a wince, I squatted and picked up the oil lamp and matches inside the cut-down tree trunk. Yes, I was pathetic enough to set all of this up for myself. Yes, I did sell my jewellery for such items.

Without this occasional escape from reality, I would have cracked many winters ago. Books were my comforts but when that sense of restlessness seeps into my bones, I venture into the night of Ulfstad. This scenic walk which was filled with horror stories was peaceful to someone like me who lives in my own personal hell.

Phantoms and ghosts are nothing. Real monsters are in blood and skin that smile at you while stripping away the very essence of yourself. No, these woods that many rarely venture into at night are a sanctuary. In the shadows, I find solace, where silence speaks louder than screams, and the darkness welcomes me as its own.

The soft glow of my light provides some light as I pass Thunderfalls, the snow blanketing its surroundings, and the water by the rocks near me almost pitch black. I stay clear from it in case a certain children’s story was correct about what lies beneath its waters. I would surely die a tragic death because I was never allowed to learn how to fight.

After a while, the dense forest and roots started to fan out, and I hid the lamp behind a tree before tightening my hood to conceal half my face. Dim, soft light from the town’s buildings provided enough light for me to see the path. I dusted down my clothing from crawling along dirt in the tunnel and joined the lively atmosphere of Ulfstad.

Boots dig into the solid snow along the path. Here only the main street paths have been salted. Compared to the palace, the streets are lovely, full of chatter, boisterous laughter, play fighting and real fighting-- the local guards are quick to break them apart.

"You wanna act like an animal? You know where to go!" The guard roared into the other man’s face, hand fisted in his collar. The man, whose face had dried blood on the side of his temple, trembled, eyes glimmering between beast and man.

I sidestepped the drama, passing drunkards who catcalled and whistled after me. My features were hidden, so it was clearly drunken male behaviour, a must to gain attention for a potential mate, more likely a bedfellow for the night.

I was not one to judge. I’d already lost my purity to a man known for beheading his enemies because they stepped over the pack line.

Rounding the stone and woodbeamed structures, I huffed when the bookshop was shut. It was too late, so it wasn’t unusual.

But I didn’t fancy going into the Huntsman lodge, it was full of hunters, ruffians, with quests. They sold and brought information among other antiques and various weapons. The Huntsman was a guild.

I needed a map of our surroundings and information about travelling to the fjords.

Was I that desperate? Theo’s wounds flashed across my mind. Yes. Yes, I was.

I slowly approached the Huntsman, pausing when I felt someone’s gaze locked on my back. I turned, and someone had just moved out of my line of sight. I searched the area until my eyes landed on a man with familiar features, recognising him as someone from the palace.

We stared at each other. I don’t remember who he is. Is he one of many nobles in the groups that waltz by? What was he doing here? Ulfstad was for ruffians.

Tugging the cloak lower on the top of my head, I ignored him and turned to face the Huntsman again. I inhaled deeply, trying to grasp courage from the pit of my stomach. Straightening my shoulders, I stepped forward. I was a tiny woman walking straight into the wolf’s den.