Prologue

The sounds of a fierce battle were reverberating among temple hallways.
Distant explosions.
Orders yelled from afar.
Pained screams.
The loud clashing of swords and shields.
The clamor was like a raging river, smashing and pushing against ancient stone walls, spilling into the darkest corners and drowning everything in a dreadful cacophony.

In one of the residential chambers, seeking refuge from the horrors outside, was a little girl hiding in a closet. Her tiny hands were clutching her ears, desperately trying to block out everything happening on the other side of the door. Tucked in a corner, she could be easily mistaken for a bundle of clothes, if not for her eye-catching snow-white hair.

A sudden explosion had shaken the girl’s hiding spot, causing her small, frail body to tremble uncontrollably. Burning tears filled her silver eyes, so she squeezed them shut, stopping them from falling. She didn’t understand why the Temple was under siege, nor what these men clad in black wanted from her Goddess, but she promised her mom that she would be brave and wouldn’t cry, so she wiped her nose with her sleeve and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

In that very moment, the door opened with a loud bang, and two sets of footsteps entered the room.

The little girl jumped and let out a quiet whimper. With an inaudible poof, a pair of wolf ears and a fluffy tail popped out. She was still too young to have full control over her transformation, so every time she felt scared or excited, animal features would appear. Worried that she will be found out, she hugged her knees and squeezed herself even further into the corner of the closet, as if trying to become a part of it.

- Search everything. She must be hiding somewhere - said an unfamiliar voice, and the footsteps started moving around the room.

The stomps stopped in front of the closet. The doors moved with an ominous squeak, but before the intruder could see the inside, a third set of footsteps came in. Sharp clangs cut through the air. The men screamed and fell on the floor with a heavy thud.
- Mommy!
- Eira!
The wolf-girl saw a familiar face through a gap and rushed out to meet her mother.
- I hid like you told me! And I was brave and didn’t cry!
- You did very good, honey - the woman caressed her daughter’s cheek.- But I’m going to need you to be brave a bit longer, okay?
Eira nodded and wrapped her pudgy hands around her mom’s neck when she picked her up.

The woman carefully stepped over the bodies of the assailants she defeated a moment ago and left the room carrying the girl in her arms.
Eira took a careful glance at the men on the floor. On their black, hooded uniforms, she noticed a blood-red emblem depicting a human skull with a broken pentagram between its jaws. Encircling it were the words in Common Speech declaring their motto:

No gods before men. All men before fey.

The mother and daughter came to the inner plaza where the defending forces of Faolán were regrouping between enemy attacks. A once peaceful place for rest was now consumed by chaos.

Soldiers rushing to follow hastily given orders were quickly passing each other, just barely avoiding collision. Doctors were desperately trying to help the wounded in a makeshift hospital in the corner of the plaza.

In the middle of that was a tall, imposing man. His impressive armor, decorated with wolf likeness, was covered in blood and scratches, showing that he also took part in the battles. Beside him, stood a lanky young man with fiery hair. With a serious expression on his freckled face, he was listening to the instructions the other was giving him.

- Conall!
- Aoife! You found her!
- Daddy! I was hiding like mommy told me and then bad men came but mommy got rid of them! Mommy is so awesome! - Eira clung to the imposing man like a koala.
- Yes, your mother is truly an amazing woman.

Aoife enveloped her husband’s warm hand, gently stroking her cheek, with her own. The couple gazed lovingly into one another’s eyes. This brief heartwarming scene would be their last moment together.

- Fergus, do you remember everything I told you?
- Yes, My King! - The ginger boy flinched suddenly hearing his name - I’ll take Eira and we’ll hide away from the city. I’ll keep her safe.
- Good. Good. - Conall’s expression softened as he spoke to his daughter - My Little Wolf, Mommy and Daddy have some things to take care of, so we need you to go with Fergus, okay? You need to stay close to him and make sure you listen to everything he says, yes?

Eira looked at her father with glistening eyes. She didn’t want to go. She wanted to stay with her parents, but she knew that there must’ve been an important reason why they were sending her away. She swallowed her bitter tears and nodded with a quiet “okay”.

King Conall’s heart ached seeing his barely six year old daughter trying to make a brave expression, despite the fear and sadness painted all over her little soft face. He too, didn’t want to separate with his only child he loved so much, but there was no time to falter. The Temple was under vicious attacks. No matter what, the Goddess had to be protected. The only thing he could do for his family as the King and the Keeper of the Heavens was to make sure his daughter gets to safety. Away from the city, away from the cultists, away from the danger.
He gave a sign to his subordinate that it’s time.

Fergus took a step back from the group and, in the a blink of an eye, turned into a wolf big enough to carry the little girl on his back.

- I want you to take care of something for me.
- Conall took off a round pendant that he always wore on his neck and passed it to Eira. - This is an amulet our family received from the Goddess centuries ago. Keep it close to you, and She will always protect you. No matter where you are, no matter how dire the situation, as long as you have it with you, the Goddess will keep you from harm.

Eira looked at the pendant her father gave her. It had a big moonstone tucked between a wolf and a fox made out of shiny silver. She felt a faint trace of magic radiating from the gem.
Once Queen Aoife and King Conall gave their daughter last hugs, Fergus darted straight towards the forest.

Their silhouettes shrinking into the distance the further they got was the last image Eira had of her parents.

-----

By the time the wolf and the girl reached the woods, the sky was painted red by the setting sun. They were quite far from the city, but the sounds of battle still lingered in the air. Even the loud hum of the river they were following couldn’t muffle it.

Eira squeezed her hand around her father’s pendant and quietly recited a short prayer to the Goddess her mother taught her some time ago. She hoped that, with Her help, the invaders will be defeated and the three of them will be reunited soon. Her “Auntie Goddess” was the mightiest and the wisest among gods after all.

Fergus was galloping through the dense forest, swiftly evading every roadblock in his way. He was known among his peers to be the fastest and most agile, which he took great pride in. Now, being given such an important mission from the king he admired so much, he was running faster than ever before. That’s why, when an inhuman shriek cut through the dark forest carrying the incapacitating feeling of loss, he had no way to save himself from tripping and falling into the river, taking the girl with him.

Freezing waters rushed into Eira’s nose and mouth, spilling into her lungs with a burning sensation. She tried swimming to the surface, but the vicious current of Gealach River pushed her down, denying her the air she so desperately needed.

With every passing second, she felt her limbs getting heavier, unwilling to follow instructions until they became completely numb. As her thoughts grew hazy, the unbearable pain in her lungs started fading, just like her heartbeat.
While her consciousness was slowly drifting away, the pendant on her neck lit up, enveloping her in a familiar warmth.

- Wake up, Little Cub. There’s so much greatness you have yet to achieve. - A gentle voice like a blanket wrapped around Eira’s weakened heart lending it its strength.

With the fog in her mind cleared, the feeling in her arms and legs came back. Wasting no time, Eira begun swimming to the surface.

She gasped the cool night air, enjoying each breath like never before in her short life. The current in this part of the river was much calmer, allowing her to look around and orient herself. Realizing she wasn’t far from the shore, she sluggishly swam towards it.

Once on land, violent coughs shook her body, trying to purge the water from her lungs. Her chest was aching, her limbs felt numb and she was freezing, but she was alive. Eira looked at the moonstone pendant. The light was gone and there was no sense of warmth left in the gem, which made her wonder if the voice she heard was real. She pondered over this for a moment, and then gave her thanks to the Goddess. Eira thought that in the end, it’s better to trust in divine intervention than to risk being rude to the omnipotent being.
Suddenly, she realized that she had no idea where Fergus was. The girl stood up uncertainly on her weak legs like a newborn foal and searched for her friend.

Further down the shore she noticed a big shape washed by the river.
- Fergus! - After what felt like eternity, she managed to limp to the place where she saw the giant wolf. - Fergus, get up! We have to go!
She called out to her friend few more times, but no matter how many times she asked and begged, she heard no response.
- I’m so scared… and cold… Fergus, don’t leave me… - Eira’s little body finally reached its limits. Her eyelids grew heavy. She curled up into a ball next to the wolf and fell asleep.