*Wolf Hunter*

**The clouds above her seemed whiter than the snow itself. Rieka stared up at the sky. She wasn’t sure if a snowstorm would be approaching soon. If only the sun would come and cease this never-ending winter. The surface layer of snow was melting, but not quick enough for her. She stared intensely at the crossbow that was clipped to the leather quiver. A few arrows peeked out of it. How was she supposed to take down the very thing that's been threatening her little village for ages. Here wasn't even deemed to be her calling in the first place. Usually, the youngest man in a family would hunt down a wolf. But since she is an only child, Rieka had no choice but to complete the hunt. She would be a disgrace to her chief and family if she wasn't able to complete a simple task such as this. To everyone the only intellect a wolf had was in its fangs. They only killed. Nothing was special about them. Nothing at all. Was it her own choice to be here right now freezing to death? No. It seemed her father decided her life.

She held the bow and checked the string, it didn’t seem like it was going to break. The icy wind blew past her hair and sent a chill running down her spine. Rieka trudged across the snowy landscape and paused for a moment to glance up at the sky. She watched a few snowflakes start to fall from above before there was an enormous blizzard all around her. Huddling closer, she tried to vanish into her hood to escape the cold. The snow brushed against her face turning it red before blue. This was not the normal type of blizzard, it was what her father always warned her about. The death blizzard. It caused a major loss in her village once before she was born. Now she finally felt what her people felt. Rieka reached out helplessly at the blinding snowfall to find her way in through the white-out. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself. She would find and kill a wolf and bring it back to the village. Her father would be proud and bestow her with honor. All she needed to do was survive one blizzard. Soon, the wind died down. But the snowfall still lingered, and it wasn't until the forest that everything was finally quiet.

Rieka crept across the snow. While trying not to make the crunching noise from under her boots wake up the whole forest. An owl cried from somewhere deep in the trees, and a howl split the sky silencing the owl. Reaching into her quiver she pulled out the sharpest arrow and loaded the bow. She passed by a trading post where hunters sold wolf pelts for silver, and a friendly hunter waved as she walked. "Going to catch a wolf?" He hollered. Yeah, do you know where's the best place to look? She responded. "Those dang wolves are probably by Four Trees. I've heard there's a den near there!" He answered. Rieka paused for a moment to listen, and a weak howl came from far down the forest. She continued her walk before the hunter hollered once more. "Watch out for those iron traps! A few of my buddies set them up a little while ago!" He shouted. The sun peeked out a little bit and the sunlight reflected off something. A piece of metal peeked out a bit from under the snow. She walked over to it and picked up a stick from nearby. Lunging over Rieka swept the snow off from where the shine came from. Just as the hunter had said, there laid an iron trap. Hidden and waiting to be stepped on.

Rieka glanced up at the magnificent massive branches that grew from the four trees. The snow weighed heavily on the limbs, and sepia sticks were poking out from the snow below. The snowfall resumed. On the side of one of the trees was an animal stuck in an iron trap. Rieka warily approached it, crossbow out and aimed. Hands trembling, she dropped the bow. It landed with a thud, and the arrow sprung out and hit part of a tree. A wolf laid on the ground, leg caught in a trap. She had seen an animal in distress before but never like this. He froze at the sight of her. He looked longingly into her eyes. Blood matted his leg turning its white fur to red. His fur was beautiful white into speckles of gray. He weakly lifted his head and stared at the crossbow that laid on the snow. Without a thought, she reached her hand out towards the trap. The wolf growled briefly, eyes dangerously watching both of her hands. The wolf didn’t move. She moved slowly and picked up one of the sepia sticks. Then lifting the iron trap open carefully, she lodged the stick in place, keeping the trap up. With a quick leap, the wolf was upon his feet, limping on his paw. From where she was the paw didn't look broken. He looked bewildered. Then suddenly gave a mini howl that sounded kind. Maybe he’s responding with a thank you or something.

Rieka gazed at him once again and barely saw him behind the snowfall. The snow was coming down a little heavier than before. Behind the howling of the wind. Behind the wolf himself. A few more wolves that looked almost like him stood behind him. She squinted her eyes and saw their figures. Silence filled the air for a brief moment. She didn’t see it until the rescued one started walking away, and they walked after him.

The crossbow laid half-buried in a heap of snow. The arrow still stuck in one of the Four Trees. Her eyes beamed with wonder, her hair blew in the breeze. There was something special about those creatures. Maybe it was the fact that everyone hunted the wolves, and didn’t see them as she now did. She kicked the crossbow at the tree and watched the wood shatter like glass. Deep down she hoped that her father, her chief, her family, and that pack leader saw that. Because from now on instead of killing the wolves for ancient revenge and money. Rieka would protect them.**