There's no North, East, West or South in this is fiction. Instead it's:

-North = direction of the night

-East = direction of the rising sun

- West = direction of the setting sun

- South = direction of sun's peak

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Chapter 2

“…I’m wondering if I could get some leftover meat from the previous hunt.”

“Nnn, I’m sorry Cee, there’s none left. Oh but, if you wait, I could give you some of this deer meat.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll come pick it up later. Can I have some dried fruits instead?”

“Sure. Be back in a sec.”

No more meat? Wasn’t the previous hunt two days ago?

“I’m ba~ck! I added some freshly picked veggies in the mix.”

“Thank you Aderyn.” Circe smiled for her friend’s generosity. “You should probably get back to work. I’ll see you later.”

Aderyn bid her farewell before returning to her job. Circe on the other hand stared onto the fallen dusk and the lanterns illuminating the edge of the platforms. Something doesn’t feel right. She started to walk towards her home taking the rarely used stairs and slopes instead of the sliders and the baskets to make her way home. The meat shouldn’t be this scarce. The previous hunt was two days ago. And the deers…that wasn’t their usual feeding ground. Circe actually didn’t need to get any meat today. In fact, she didn’t need to replenish their provision at all as two people and a soladis go through them quite slowly. She went to the food storage to ascertain something she noticed during today’s hunt. Eventually, she reached the furthest platform where her home was. As she moved passed the curtains hanging over the doorway, she saw her father sitting at one end of the table, several parchment sprawled over it and, at his opposite end, a cooked meal.

A wry smile spread over her lips. “I’m back father”, she greeted before hanging her tools and weapons near the doorway and storing the platter of food in the kitchen.

“Welcome back Cee”, he said in return as she sat down in front of the bowl. “So how was it today?”

“It was okay. I was slightly nervous since it’s been a while but that’s all…I still didn’t find my soladis though.” Although she was worried about not finding her partner, something else worried her as well.

“…Did something happen?” Her father stopped writing and looked deep into her eyes. She put her spoon in the bowl and was about to say something…But I was mostly distracted today. She spent most of the hunt trying to find her soladis then focus on the hunt itself. And I haven’t been part of the hunting group in a long time. The deers might’ve changed hunting grounds during my absence she though and closed her mouth.

“It’s nothing father.”

“…If you say so.”

There’s no hunt tomorrow. The leader of hunting group said so himself. And either ways, there was never several hunts scheduled one day after another. I’ll go look around tomorrow.

Early morning of the next day, she prepared her satchel with some dried food. Her father had already left for work at the meeting hall and, with a bow and arrows on her back, she went there as well. The meeting hall took up the space of a whole platform and was located just above their house and in the middle of the village. Circe jumped into the basket between the two platforms and pulled herself up as she watched the birds fly pass her and the people with morning duties slowly making their way to work.

“Father”, she called as she entered the meeting hall. He sat at the desk where parchment and papers were organized into a pile with Shae perched on the wooden handle near the desk. Her father’s eyes landed on the bow on her back as he greeted her. “I’m going above cliff for a while. I’m not planning on going too far.” Circe noticed her father’s brow creased a bit in displeasure.

“What are you going to go do up there?”

“Nothing father. I’m just going for a stroll.”

“My hard working daughter who doesn’t take a break even when told to, going on a stroll?” Circe stared back at her father, determined to go. I need know what’s going on. For the sake of the village. “Fine but Shae is going with you.”

She smiled and nodded a ‘thank you’. “Let’s go Shae.” The bird flapped its wind and flew out the nearest window and Circe left through the doorway. They both went their separate ways but met up above cliff. The hawk was the first one to arrive there and as soon as Circe stepped onto the grassy plain, Shae swooped down and perched on her shoulder. She flinched as her claws dug into her shoulder but didn’t shoo her away. They walked along the grassy plain toward the small creak towards the direction of the rising sun. Again, along the way only a few animals appeared, all small in size and capable of disappearing within the tall grasses. Fallen grasses, sign of passing of larger animals were spread out but, for some reason they all seem to be heading in the same direction. It’s as if they were fleeing something. But what would cause them to flee. Circe stopped in her tracks. The surrounding was quiet. The only sounds that can be heard are the chirps of the insects. Could there be a foreign predator she surmised. But, although the chances are not impossible, it is highly unlikely. No, it is too early to conclude that. Let’s not be hasty. She started moving again.

After walking for a while, the sound of water came to her ear. I that same instant, Shae flew off of her shoulder towards the direction of the creak. Probably surveying the area, she thought to herself. Being a source of water, the area around the creak was a gathering of many different animals both small and large. It was a good hunting spot because of that, but it was also necessary to be cautious in order to not get trampled on. But this time around, the creak was devoid of any beast.

Circe furrowed her brows. Now she was sure that something was wrong. But what? Footprints of animals were too faint to make out. This hasn’t happened just overnight. This has been going on for a while.

“Rawk”

The calling of a hawk snapped Circe out of her thoughts. She looked in the direction of the sound to find Shae perched on one of the small trees surrounding the creak. She stared at the animal as it stared back. Circe had no way of understanding Shae as it wasn’t her soladis but her father’s. But Shae was always there as she grew up and she came to somewhat understand the bird in her own way. So Circe sighed as she stopped staring. “Alright, you win Shae. Let’s return to the village.”

Back at Gannet’s Roost, Circe didn’t have time to relax and think about her findings. As the chief-to-be, she was immediately put in charge of several tasks at her return. Shae on the other hand left for her partner’s side. In the end, she wasn’t let go until late into the night where she made her way home with the help of the surrounding lanterns and spend her remaining time preparing her satchel and her weapons for tomorrow’s hunt before going to sleep.

The hunting group was standing in the same place they had where they hunted the mother and her fawn. On their way there, Circe made sure to pay close attention to her surroundings. The deers seem to have moved even further than the last time. When she asked the leader of the group, he said that last hunt was the first time he saw the deers in that area. The hunting birds’ behavior from few days ago also confirmed that. But, that was not normal. Changing feeding grounds so quickly wasn’t normal at all. None of the soladis are acting up so it can’t be the sign of a coming storm or disaster. Circe pondered as she kept following the group. The area doesn’t show any sign that a disaster already happened. They came to a stop in an area further away from their last hunt. The deers were surrounded by thicker forest trees as they rested and fed. The hunters did the same before steadying themselves for the hunt. That would leave a group of foreign hunters as the cause.

A loud growl and the scream of deers pulled her attention to her surroundings. Everyone stared wide-eyed as the frantic deers ran into the thicket of trees while the remaining deers fell prey to the jaws of the grey beasts. Everyone from the hunting group was made aware of the situation by their soladis who were also in a state of panic. Only Circe remained, watching the scene unfold. One of the beast, the leader of the group, stopped and directed its gaze towards a thicket of grass and bushes where the hunters of Gannet’s Roost were hidden. Everyone fell into panic and cold sweat poured down their backs as they gathered their stuff together and fled the area according to the assistant leader’s instructions. Even with the numerous sound of panic surrounding her, Circe stayed still. Her eyes met of the golden eyes of the beast as they stared at each other.

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“Circe, Circe!” She snapped out of her daze and saw the leader calling for her from a distance with her satchel in hand. She took up the spear lying on the ground and ran, just like the rest, towards the cliff.

A crowd formed on the platform of the meeting hall after seeing the panic-stricken hunters coming back early from their hunt and empty handed. Meanwhile, the hunters stood quietly behind their leader, assistant leader and Circe as the former two re-told the events of the day. The chief of the village listened attentively in his seat.

“…I understand”, the chief replied to their story. “Is there anything else to report?”

“No, chief”, the leader answered for his comrades.

“Then the rest of the hunters may leave. The leader and assistant will stay.” The hunters nervously looked at their soladis and each other before glimpsing at their leader. After getting their leader’s approval as well, they slowly left the meeting hall. When all the hunters had left and ignoring all the noise outside, the hunting party’s leader was the first to speak.

“Sorry about the trouble chief”, he said with a melancholic grin.

The chief sighed, his left hand now pressed against his forehead. “Tell me about it!” He sighed again and stared passed the three people in front of him; towards the curtained doorway. “Will your hunters be okay?”

The leader grinned. “Don’t worry about them. They’re a little spooked, that’s all. Come tomorrow, they’ll be rearing to go back up top again.”

“I see. That’s a relief, and not. Access to the above cliff is forbidden from now on until this problem is solved. The hunting party will be temporarily dissolved. Instead, starting tomorrow, I want the members to accompany the foragers and the fishers outside. Only those two groups, no one else, understand?” The chief glared at both the leader and his assistant.

“”Yes!!”” They both replied. And they left to tell the chief’s verdict to the rest leaving Circe alone with the chief.

“Good. Hunting right now is too dangerous but we can’t go completely without any food. But we also can’t leave the wolves alone.” The chief sighed again as he talked to himself. “Circe, could you spread the news to the rest of the villagers.”

“Yes, father.” Circe turned around and walked towards the curtained doorway. Just before she was about to leave, her father called out to her.

“Cee, did you…” she stopped and stared back at her father. “No, nevermind.”

The news about the wolves spread like wild fire and so did the restriction to journey above cliff. The two went hand in hand as they spread fear and panic. Later in the evening, a council was called in order. The chief of the village along with the leaders and assistant leaders of all the groups all came together in the second room of the meeting hall. They argued into the night as Circe ate and went to bed without waiting up for her father. Morning soon came and she greeted her father.

“Tired?”

The chief sighed. “Yes”, beside him Shae was dozing off on the back rest of an unused chair, basking in the morning light of the sun. “Sorry Circe, I need you to take care of a lot of things for me.”

“No need to apologize father.”

With that said, Circe spent her days settling fights that have been brought up from strained nerves, mistakes and small disasters caused by the lack of sleep and any trouble ignited by the villagers fears. But the villagers weren’t the only one suffering. The stress of their partners was making even the soladis nervous. Because of that, she also had to go looking for missing soladis which made their partner panic even more which created more mishaps. In the end, she went back home very late in the night, tired and hungry with no sign of her father in the house. Tehuti was probably busier than she was so, without complaint, she ate her share of cooked vegetables and left a plate out on the table for whenever her father returned before going to bed. Sleep quickly took her to dreamland as she dreamt of a pair of golden eyes watching her as she watches it.

The next morning Circe woke later than she normally does, still feeling those pairs of eyes on her. Her father on the other hand had long gone to work leaving behind a plate of breakfast. A bitter smile swept her face. It was only her and her father now, her mother died a long time ago. Having only each other left in the family, it was an unspoken promise to sit at the table together as least once every day but they hadn’t done so in the last few days and, it seems today as well. With a sigh, she quickly finished her breakfast and readied herself for another busy day. But as soon as she left her house, she felt something was amiss. The surrounding platform, including the one which held their house, was too quiet. No birds, whether soladis or not, where to be seen. Just then, in the corner of her sight, she sees Shae soaring in the sky towards the above cliff. Circe didn’t stop to think; she immediately followed after that hawk taking the only basket-lift on this platform up towards the upper floors. She barely landed before she ran towards the slider. In a hurry and without stopping for a breath, she made her way all the way to the top. A crowd of people surrounded the second topmost platform. Circe stood at the edge of the crowd, scanning it to find her father. When she didn’t find him nor did she spy Shae, she instead found Aderyn. With no one better to ask but her closest friend, she pushed her way through the crowd to her.

“Aderyn!”

“Circe!? Where were you?”

“That’s not important right now. What’s happening? Where’s the chief?” She asked while looking into Aderyn’s nervous dark circled eyes.

“W-wolves”, her gossiping friend stuttered. “One of the wolves is up there. Your d-dad went there with Shae.”

“Did anyone else go with him?”

“N-no.”

No!? What is father thinking! ...Wait, just one wolf came…

…

Circe drowned out the sound of the crowd as she looked towards the lift. “…Aderyn.” She spoke without looking at her friend. “Have everyone return to work. Much time has passed since the day has started; they have no time to waste.”

Aderyn nodded in response and opened her mouth to day something but Circe didn’t wait to hear her and pushed her way to the lift. With practiced movements, she pulled herself up to the top most platform against the crowds surprise and protest. There she saw the hunting leader and assistant leader were waiting on stand-by along with their soladis. Greeting them but ignoring their protest, Circe made her way up the ladder. The broad back of her father came into view with Shae perched on his shoulder. He doesn’t turn to look at her but a quick shuffle of his head showed Circe that he knew of her presence. Taking a deep breath, she quietened her beating heart which was in a fury since this morning. She looked passed her father’s back to where his gaze was directed and as soon as she did, her eyes met a par of golden eyes similar to her own, similar to the one from her dream. The silver-grey beast ignored Tehuti and kept staring at her. She stared back as her heartbeat quickened. Tehuti, finding the wolf’s reaction weird, frowned as the leader of the pack ignored him.

“Father.”

The calmness in her daughter’s voice made Tehuti, the chief, question the situation he was in. Even though before, the thought of looking away from the beast in front of him was impossible, now he turned to face Circe.

“I think…I just found my soladis.”