From that night on, Elena never feared the dark woods again. And on the night of the full moon, she always left a small wooden flute on the stone wall at the edge of the trees.
The Wolf tilted its massive head. It stepped forward into the light, sniffing the air. Elena squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact of crushing jaws. Instead, a soft, familiar whimper cut through the cold air. [S1E4] The Wolf
Elena’s younger brother, Leo, had disappeared into the brush just before sundown, chasing a stray lamb. Disregarding the panicked cries of the village elders, Elena ignited a heavy iron lantern and plunged into the tangled web of ancient oaks. From that night on, Elena never feared the dark woods again
Elena froze. She raised her lantern, the flame flickering wildly in the sudden, biting wind. Yellow light washed over the gnarled roots of a massive willow tree. There, standing just beyond the golden reach of her lantern, was the Wolf. It stepped forward into the light, sniffing the air
The giant creature looked from the sleeping boy back to Elena. It let out a low, huffing breath that smelled of pine needles and iron. It bowed its head slightly, nudging Leo's wooden flute with its wet nose.
A low, rhythmic crunch of frozen leaves. Not the frantic scattering of a lost child, but the measured, heavy tread of an apex predator.
Elena didn't waste a second. She knelt down, gently gathered her sleeping brother into her arms, and backed away slowly. The Wolf stood motionless, a silent sentinel in the dark, watching them until they successfully breached the edge of the forest and reached the safety of the torchlit village.