“I’m really very sorry Rhoslyn, but I'm afraid that it simply can’t be helped.”

She had heard this excuse, and many others like it, for nearly all of her life.

“While I don’t have a problem with your service myself, your presence here is a distraction to many of the other men.”

“But I-”

“Now, now girl, it’s no use trying to change my mind. You have border patrol tonight, and due to the current circumstances you will be patrolling as a single unit. This is your last duty as a Knight of Cholerny, so behave in a dignified manner, and please don’t whine; it's simply not attractive."

She lowered her head, and he mechanically patted her shoulder.

“Consider the situation; it’s actually much better this way. You’ll make someone a fine wife someday, and you’ll deliver them strong, healthy boy children that you can be proud of. I'm sure of it.”

With that, he left her standing alone by the village gate.

Rhoslyn had never posessed the desire to make someone a fine wife.

She wasn't at all interested in bearing anyone strong male offspring.

All she wanted to do was protect what she cared about.

She wanted the right to defend her home just as men do. She had done nothing to provoke the mistrust of the men, but then again, she never had; just being a woman was enough. Though the fact that she was more qualified than most of them most likely deepened their dislike for her.

She cursed in anger and unsheathed her sword. It had been her father’s, but she was more than strong enough to wield it. She swung it hard and felled a small tree in front of her. Breathing heavily, the sword fell to her side and she leaned her head on a tree and began to cry softly. She never dared cry in front of the men, but the frustration was finally too much for her to bear.

Suddenly, over the sound of her quiet sobs, she heard something else.

Something very large was moving amongst the trees, and she was completely alone.

It wasn't at all that she was frightened.

On the contrary, she was eager to encounter and destroy a ghoul, hopeful that any sort of triumph would lead her superiors to reconsider their decision to remove her from service. Only recently had the village council consented to allow trained warriors to patrol the perimeter of the forest, and they nearly always moved in pairs. Truth be told, they were mostly drunks, thieves and former outlaws, but no one else was willing to do the job, despite the fact that the council still refused to admit that the ghouls had become a legitimate problem. 

Rhoslyn grabbed one of the lit torches attached to the wall sourounding the village and walked slowly toward the sound. It wasn’t merely an animal rustling through the leaves, she's heard that too many times to be mistaken. She had heard similar sounds before, and it was that of a large creature feeding, she was certain.

She flung out her torch, sword at the ready, and did not see the sort of face she expected. Unlike a ghoul, the eyes reflected in the light of the torch, but did not possess a ghostly incandescence. She found herself suddenly feeling very disappointed. 

“You’re no ghoul."

He looked at her and tilted his head in confusion.

"You’re a werewolf, aren’t you? Or at least something like one?"

His gentle appearance caught her completely off guard, and his eyes put her in mind of a kitten she had as a child. To her surprise, he seemed almost embarrassed.

He spoke softly and gestured around himself.

“I'm sorry about all of this. I suppose you'll be wanting to fight me, eh?"

She sighed, sheathing her sword and offering a hand to help him to his feet. He looked at her in confusion.

“You are a wolf, aren't you? I hold no personal grudge against your kind. I know how it feels to be judged unfairly, so I prefer to give those with an unfortunate reputation the benefit of the doubt before I make a decision on their character.”

He was quite a sight, kneeling down in the forest floor holding what was once a large rabbit. His hands, neck and face were completely covered in blood. She winced slightly when he finally grabbed her hand and hoisted himself up without warning. He was only a bit larger than her, and she wagered that with her weapon, she could protect herself if she needed to.

“There are still many deer in this forest, why do you feast on such a small creature?”

He wiped his mouth on his hands, and his hands on his trousers, which accomplished nothing other than smearing the blood further.

“Thank you, but I don’t eat deer.”

"Oh? That's-"

Their conversation was cut short. For the second time in one night, Rhoslyn heard a sound that made her blood curdle. This time, however, it was of the so