Daughter of the Night - A Book of The Moon People: The Moon People, #0

—1—

Alpha Ulric

There were few things Alpha Ulric enjoyed more than watching his daughters play together. He did not know that just a few moments distant—just beyond the long grass and fragrant bushes that covered the southern plains—something approached that would herald an end to these days of happiness. But for now, he was content. Away from the rest of his pack, there was nothing to concern himself with but his two girls chasing after the white butterflies that bounced from flower to flower.

A smile lit the alpha's strikingly handsome face as he tilted his neck back to feel the sun shining upon his skin. Yes, these were good days. His pack was growing great indeed, rich with new life and strong with many warriors. By the time of the next great gathering he would lead a clan powerful enough to defeat any enemy and secure any alliance he pleased. Truly, he was a man favoured by the spirits. Though his ice-blue eyes held a coldness that struck fear into followers and rivals alike, they did not reflect the warmth Ulric felt in his heart, for how could someone as blessed as he ever succumb to the kind of bitterness that plagued lesser men?

Breathing in the fragrance of the summer grass, he rested back against the hillock to watch his daughters again. The elder of the two was nearly of the age to be considered a woman, but she still enjoyed sharing in the childish games of her younger sibling, and Ulric had not the heart to stop her. She was favoured by the spirits too, that one, as her mane of long black hair foretold. Children blessed with the wisdom of the night in their hair often rose to fulfil great destinies, and Ulric had no doubt that his elder daughter would follow in his footsteps. She showed great potential as a seer, learning the ways of healing and divination from her mother even faster and more astutely than apprentices twice her age.

Ulric chuckled as the girl sternly instructed her younger sister to hold the butterfly she had caught more carefully. Already she was beginning to take charge of others, adopting her father's ability to command along with her mother's sincere wisdom. The younger girl smiled, tossing the white-winged insect into her sister's face with a giggle before dashing off through the grass. The pair chased one another for a while until the elder finally changed shape, clothing peeling away into a coat of fur as she adopted the form of her wolf and tackled her sister to the ground with a bark of delight.

The younger girl grumbled in protest, ever jealous of her sibling's ability to call upon her inner wolf, but before long she was smiling again as she clambered upon her sister's back, ready to race up and down the plains faster than her own two legs would allow.

A grin spread across Ulric's face as he pulled himself upright and allowed his body to shift into the canine frame of his own wolf, a huge and savage beast by comparison to his elder daughter's, but the alpha could not have been gentler as he loped up behind the girls and pounced upon them. They fought back valiantly, pummelling their father into submission with a pair of feather-light fists against his side and a set of ticklish teeth tugging at his ear. He flopped to the ground and rolled over in a show of submission, then allowed the pair to ride on his back as he put his legs into the ground and showed them the exhilarating speed of a fully-grown adult wolf. It felt good to run, and it felt good to hear the laughter of his daughters in his ears. But before Ulric could turn around and carry them back home to the den as he had planned, something steadied his momentum and brought his paws to a cautious halt.

His younger daughter yanked upon his scruff in protest, still giggling as she urged him to run on again, until a warning growl from Ulric silenced her. Something had stirred her father's attention, and the girls knew that the time for games and laughter had passed.

The turning of the wind brought the scent of other wolves to the alpha's muzzle. Wolves, and blood. After lowering his hindquarters so that the girls could dismount, he rose up on two legs again, shielding his eyes from the sun as he scanned the horizon to the north. The scent had been familiar enough to confirm that it belonged to a band of his own hunters, but the crimson tang that accompanied it was not the blood of freshly killed prey.

Ulric's expression darkened. Cutting a brown swathe through the sea of rippling grass, three wolves approached from the north. For a few moments one of the group appeared to be moving strangely, before his approach revealed the body of a man slumped over his back, writhing and wailing in pain.

Wait for me, Ulric instructed his daughters, who acquiesced in silence, the elder wrapping her arms around the younger's shoulders as their father took the shape of his wolf again and hurried north to meet the group.

The taste of blood grew thicker in the air. A man's blood. The scent of torn flesh and exposed organs. Though Ulric's kind could heal grievous injuries far more readily than their wolfless kin, they had to survive them first. And the scent filling Ulric's muzzle was ripe with the promise of death.

The trio of hunters scuffled to a halt as their alpha rose up before them with a growl, reverting from the shape of his wolf and motioning for them to do the same. The pair flanking the bearer of the wounded man followed suit, their faces pale and slick with perspiration as two bare-chested men appeared to take the place of the beasts that had stood there a moment before.

Forgive us, Alpha, the first of them panted, falling to his knees immediately as Ulric's cold eyes fell upon him. We tried to fight, but they outnumbered us, we were cowards—

Hold your tongue, Ulric barked, stepping forward to look at the wounded man. He was young, barely even of age. A promising apprentice hunter named Carim. The colour was nearly gone from his skin, his whimpers of pain falling from ashen lips as he writhed upon his companion's back, slumped stomach-down over the wolf's spine.

Help me lift him off, Ulric said.

We must get him back to the seers!

Do you think he will live that long? Ulric glared at the hunter, who promptly shrank back beneath his alpha's gaze and moved to help grip Carim's shoulders.

The wounded man let loose a sickening scream as they eased him down in the grass, exposing the deep gashes of a wolf's claws that had opened up his belly. Fang marks dimpled his shin around a gruesome break that had pushed bone through flesh, and blood seeped from half a dozen more wounds littering his broken body. Ulric knew how to bind cuts and staunch bleeding, but the knowledge of how to save this man was beyond him.

Turning back the way he had come, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled for his eldest daughter. Though the thought of exposing her to such brutal violence sickened him, he had no choice but to call upon the one person who might save Carim's life before the last of his essence bled away. Any remaining trace of Ulric's carefree pleasure evaporated as he saw the girl bounding toward him, now oblivious to the butterflies scattering from the grass as it crushed beneath her paws.

Before she could reach the bloody scene, Ulric hurried forward to stop his daughter, kneeling down to take her by the shoulders as she reverted from the shape of her wolf.

My daughter, he said, fixing her with a gaze that she would come to know well in the years that followed. The gaze not of a father, but an alpha. What you see here will frighten you. I cannot tell you not to be afraid, but your fear must come second. Before you let it take hold of you, remember what matters most. Remember your pack. He gripped her shoulders more firmly. Today you must be a seer to your clan. Can you do that?

The girl's eyes were filled with fear, but she nodded.

Good. Carim is badly hurt. His wounds are deep, and he is dying. Tell us what you have learned of healing, and we shall do whatever we can to save him.

But a seer's knowledge is not to be shared with the men, the girl said.

That does not matter now. He will die if we do nothing to help him.

Another cry of pain from the maimed hunter sent a shiver up Ulric's back. Before his daughter could shy away, he stood up and steered her forward, leading her to the bloody scene by the shoulders.

Be strong, my daughter, he silently implored. Her body was stiff, frozen in fear. Ulric was not privy to the lessons she had learned from the other seers, but he knew she had never been exposed to injuries of this kind before. He could only hope that she had the knowledge required to tend them, if not the experience.

We must put his leg right, she said after a moment, her voice thin and quivering.

The men looked to Ulric for confirmation, and he gave them a nod that held more confidence than his heart possessed.

Do as my daughter says.

The group knelt around their wounded companion, listening to the girl's hesitant instructions as she told them where to put their hands, when to push, and when to pull. In the back of Ulric's mind he was already burning with the need to know what had happened. Who dared attack his hunters, and to whom must he now direct his retribution? This went beyond a boisterous challenge between warriors, and it could not go unanswered.

Two of the men had to hold Carim down as Ulric and the other pushed his shin bone back into place, drawing another horrific cry from the man that trailed off into silence as his eyes glazed over and unconsciousness claimed him.

His pain was too great, one of the hunters said in a voice that was just as sickly as his pallid complexion.

I know, Ulric's daughter replied. I hoped it would be. It is the only way to make him still for what is to come. Once the urgency of the situation had taken over, the girl's fear had dissipated, giving way to the kind of sturdy focus that always seemed to take hold of talented seers in such moments of need.

Though his trepidation was great, Ulric could not help but watch with pride as his girl, soon to be a woman, took charge of the four men and instructed them in the task of saving their fallen companion's life. Making use of the hunting supplies that had dropped from the wolves' backs when they changed shape, she washed Carim's wounds clean and explored them with her fingers, then stripped down animal sinew into thin strands and did her best to stitch the gashes closed using a fragment of sharp bone as a needle.

By the time she had finished, the girl's hands and clothing were soaked red with blood, streaks of it lingering upon her brow where she had wiped her sweat away. It felt like half the afternoon had passed in tense silence as the men watched her work, but despite Carim's lidded eyes and deathly pallor, his chest continued to rise and fall until his wounds were dressed and his leg bound up tight.

We must not move him, Ulric's daughter said, wiping her hands on the grass. Not until he has started to heal.

The alpha nodded to one of his men. Go to the den and fetch my mate. Bring Carim's sisters too, with food and water, and wood for a fire. If he is to live then we must tend him out here.

When the hunter had departed Ulric put his hands on his daughter's shoulders again and turned her to face him. Gone was the girlish whimsy that had filled her sparkling blue eyes just a short while earlier. She was sincere and determined, her fear overcome. Barely a woman, and yet already Ulric could sense the fire of a den mother burning within her. Such a daughter. Such a blessing.

The alpha's pained smile creased his face, filled with such pride that it was all he could do not to embrace her in front of his followers. You are every bit the seer your mother is, Uriel. One day the leaders of every clan will know your name as the daughter of Alpha Ulric.

Uriel's eyes fell in a show of humility, her cheeks colouring at her father's praise. A rustling of grass betrayed a third pair of eyes watching them, and Ulric glanced over to see his younger daughter peering out anxiously from the undergrowth. He wondered just how long she had been there watching.

I told you to stay back, Adel, the alpha said. You must learn obedience like your sister if you wish to become a great woman like her. He gave the smaller girl a stern look, though his heart longed for nothing more than to sweep both his daughters into a hug. Adel peered back at him with a frown, as she often did after being reprimanded.

A sigh fell from Ulric's lips. One perfect child, and one who still struggled to grasp the most basic tenets of respect for her alpha. Perhaps it was time he began treating her less as a daughter and more a member of his clan. Though she might never match her sister's talents, at the very least he hoped Adel could learn something from Uriel.

Take your sister and go clean your clothing, he instructed his eldest. The river is just east of here. Go on. I will call for you if Carim wakes.

He rose to his feet and watched his girls go, sad to have lost the rest of his afternoon with them. It was rare an alpha had little else to do but enjoy the company of his kin, and it might be many days before he had the chance to do so again.

Uriel is growing into a fine young woman, one of the hunters said.

So she is. By the year's end I must find a suitable mate for her, Ulric replied.

Any of the young men would be honoured to join with the alpha's daughter. Perhaps even a man of status from another pack? You could invite great allies to your side at next year's gathering if you sought a mate for your daughter from outside the clan.

Ulric shook his head. No. She deserves a man she cares for, from among her own kind. He glanced to Carim, still pale, though almost peaceful now as he slumbered. I can think of one young hunter who should be very grateful to her.

If he ever wakes.

Ulric's expression darkened. If he does not, those responsible will lose two of their own in return. Tell me how this happened.

The two remaining hunters looked to one another uncomfortably, their shame evident on their faces.

Warriors of Alpha Kotal's clan. We hunt with them sometimes, when we are far to the north near their territory.

These ones were impatient, the other man said. We share everything we kill, half to each pack. But this time there were more of them than us, so they demanded we take less.

Ulric ran a hand through his hair, clenching his teeth in anger. And you fought them for this?

Carim said he would challenge their leader for all of the meat or nothing. We tried to make them stop after he broke Carim's leg, but there was nothing we could do. Their leader said it was punishment for insulting his clan's honour.

Fools, Ulric growled. Over meat? You know I cannot let this go unanswered.

Let us go back with more of our warriors, one of the men said. We will prove ourselves worthy this time! Alpha Kotal's clan will pay with blood of their own.

I care not for your need to prove yourselves, Ulric replied, silencing the man with a sharp gesture. What of my need? You were fools. Kotal is a warrior. If he thinks my clan is weak, he will try to take more from us next time. Now you force me to spill more blood to prove him wrong.

Forgive us, Alpha.

Ulric shook his head, gazing across the plains to the north. The horizon vanished into a tangle of overgrown land that marked the end of his territory. The northern plains began somewhere beyond, over which Alpha Kotal ruled from his isolated den atop a stone outcrop. There was nothing he wanted less than to make his next decision, but he knew there was no other way. Blood called for blood, and he could not afford for his clan to be seen as weak. Not when they were on the cusp of greatness.

You will go back with more warriors tomorrow, he said. Track down some of Kotal's wolves, and maim two of them.

The men nodded, their eyes burning with determination. What if Carim dies this night, Alpha?

Then kill them instead. Ulric turned away, closing his eyes in distaste. But... not youngsters. Take the one who did this to Carim, if you can.

It will be as you say, Alpha. We shall not return until it is done.

Ulric continued to stare out over the plains as the sun began to dip, suddenly regretting the decision to send his daughters away on their own. His territory was safe, but would it always be so? The thought of one of his own girls suffering Carim's fate made him shudder with anger. Alpha Kotal would pay for his aggression, and that would draw an end to it. The clan of Ulric was the greatest power this side of the mountains, and they would not be preyed upon by their rivals. He refused.

He was alpha, and this was his will.

—2—

Sister and Brother

What Adel saw that day on the plains had frightened her. Carim lived, but not every warrior that followed after him was so fortunate. She understood little of what happened in the seasons to come, only that a man named Alpha Kotal, who lived in a land far away to the north, was their enemy now. Her father's warriors went to fight him often, painting their bodies for war and partaking of the seers' magic draughts to fill them with courage before they left. Adel did not like it when the warriors went to fight. Sometimes they came back happy, and the clan celebrated and feasted long into the night, but other times they returned wounded, or not at all. The pack became sad then, and her father grew angry. Before long more warriors would go out to fight, and once again they would hope to celebrate with a feast upon their return, rather than a pyre to burn the bodies of those who had fallen.

For the first time in her life Adel was happy for winter to come that year, for the men stopped going out to fight once the snowfall came. The clan retreated to their winter den in the south, packing their belongings and hiding themselves away in a cluster of caves near the base of the mountains. Adel missed the sun and the warmth, but she was happy that her father had time to play with her again. Though he still seemed sad and angry often, he began to smile again as the cold season drew on. When the snow started to melt, Adel sat in her father's lap outside their cave to watch the sun rise and set, the pair filling their hours with the natural beauty of the plains around them.

I like the sun, she said one morning. Why does everyone always sleep when it comes up?

We are a people of the moon, Adel, her father explained. The sun spirit is powerful, but his light was not meant for us. Our time is the night. You will understand once you feel your own wolf stirring within you.

Is that why everyone is happy this winter? Because the sun has gone away?

Ulric went silent for a long time before answering, and