The Family - part 2

Piercing the thick mist from a window, I watch a stream of hunters drift by with no care for the ice on their shoulders or wolves at their heels. These stalkers of man wander daily through our homes in search for blood; in fear of little out there, though they are sought for death themselves.

We lay in hiding for many days at a time, knowing the skill of those that walk the fields in our precious nights. Yet for all this time our families have survived the desolate plains of the land, finding refuge where we can and defying the wishes of those that would see us fall.

Brushing against me, the thick bush lines my coat in a carpet of icicles. As I peer into the storm and witness the endless waves of crystalline rain pulsing towards the earth, my family rests for the day, packing food and blankets for the night ahead. The rustle of leaves and snow in the night haunts my children through their dreams and keeps our guards wide awake, if the howling wolves are not enough.

I am among the guards for tonight. We desperately await nothing, hoping for a threat to emerge so that we may prove our worth... though we pray for endless peace tonight and for all nights to come.

I step with hesitation towards the pitch black, where the forest conceals it's guests and our sight is taken from us. A flaming torch dissolves only the closest shadows, providing a narrow gap for our guards to watch the night. We shiver as the leaves flicker with the flame, casting an army of dark figures upon us...