The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Hammered Down.

After a short period of peace for the villagers, the wolves came back.

Hungrier.

Angrier

Scarier.

Despite the human sacrifices of dozens of lawbreakers, the bloodshed worsened every year. Each winter, the killings grew more frequent, more brutal. It was as if the appetite of the beasts could not be satisfied by tainted, immoral flesh; only the blood of the innocent would suffice. In response, The Defenders tightened their patrols, dividing themselves into three shifts to guard the village around the clock. Mia was among the few chosen to join the elite seven Nightwatchers, stationed in the outskirts from sundown to sunrise, the most dangerous hours.

But she wasn’t afraid. Instead, she trained harder than ever.

Each morning began with a run. After breakfast, she’d head to the Equestrian Center to train with her horse, Brave Ice Rose, for a few hours. Her horse was once simply called Brave Rose; but it changed the year the river forgot to flow and froze solid. The villagers marveled at how the ice held their weight without cracking, yet none dared to bring a horse onto its surface. None, except Mia. With patience and trust, she trained Brave Rose to glide across the frozen river, as gracefully and silent as a swan. Not a hoof slipped. Not a crack formed. Her remarkable act didn’t stay secret for long. Soon, other riders, proud and envious, led their horses down to the riverbank, determined to mirror her mastery. One by one, they tried, but none could coax their mounts across the ice as she had: the moment hooves touched the surface, the ice gave way, and the spectators rushed to pull the riders from the freezing water. They honored her in public, but in private, the sting of being overshadowed by a girl never truly faded, especially among the candidates who had failed to earn a place among the elite seven Nightwatchers.

Fortunately for them, the opportunity to apply as a nightwatcher came quickly. The night shifts were exhausting, and after four nonstop weeks of patrol, the current guards realized they needed a break and reinforcements. Little did they know, something far more deadly than hungry wolves was waiting for them. Something invisible. Something in the air that reeked of rottenness. People shut their windows tight, but the stench still crept in, seeping through cracks, weaving into their clothes, and sinking deep into their skin. Soon, the villagers discovered the air carried more than just a stench, but a disease. The children were the first to fall ill, then the elderly. Before long, nearly a quarter of the population developed large, swollen lymph nodes that refused to fade, no matter how much medicine the healers administered.

And then the healers began to fall sick, too.

Whispers turned to accusations, and accusations to violence. What future could there be, when none of them were likely to survive the next nine months? And yet, despair clung to hope: young men and women, driven by fear and instinct, scrambled to find wives and husbands to form a family. Morever, a desperate measure was to be taken: one morning, the Defenders gathered in the main square as Rune addressed them with a solemn decree.

"For now, we are safe from the wolves," he began, his voice steady, "but I fear the true cause of this catastrophe lies deeper…perhaps hidden among the trees of the woodlands."

A murmur ran through the crowd, but Rune continued without pause.

"The current nightwatchers are relieved of duty. Tomorrow, I will announce the names of a new, re-energized team. This time, I’m choosing eight. Eight brave souls to venture into the forest. Two to the north, two to the east, two to the south, and two to the west. We are better trained now, better armed, and our instincts are sharper. This time, we will take control of the forest and find out what the cause of this disease is.”

The truth was, even if no one had the courage to challenge Rune openly, doubt hung heavy in the air. Few believed the threat came from beyond their borders. What everybody knew for a fact was that bodies kept piling up, and the village slowly began to lose its grip on sanity. Misery festered like the sickness itself, and they became fanatical for someone to blame. Someone inside the borders. 

Who? 

Who is the nail that sticks out?

A girl who, although was already grown, refused every man that came to her.

A girl with skills that belonged to a man.

A girl with the heart of a man.

A girl who was untamable as her fiery red hair.

Mia Hansen.

The girl had made it clear: she would’ve much rather ventured into the wild with her Brave Ice Rose than stay behind tending to the sick. But everyone knew the truth; the hypocritical chief would never send his precious princess into the woods. Not even if her skills surpassed the rest. Not even after she publicly begged to go.

That, more than anything, enraged the villagers.

Because sending her stubborn ungrateful ass off into the forest to never return would’ve been perfect. But no. Instead, someone else had to take her place. Someone else was sent in her stead.

“You have no idea how much that bitch annoys me.”

Outside the stables, a plan was beginning to form. 

“Don't you think she is a curse on this world?.”

"Somebody like her is a threat. She is useless and not serving her purpose."

"Imagine our women somehow start to be like her?"

“We gotta get rid of her.” 

"Forever."