One: How Ria Met Damien

The little girl, no older than eleven, watched in horror as the men threw the torches into her home. Her cottage burned against the night sky with her parent's dead bodies still in their bed. The heat from the flames stung her face and glowed in her amber, tear-filled, eyes. Her wavy brown hair hung lifeless and her fair skin was paler than usual. She wanted to cry out for help from the men, but they already told her to stay back or they'd throw her in the flames.

She turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her until she came to an abandoned building. She stopped and caught her breath trying to sooth her fiery lungs. When breathing became sweet instead of painful she walked through the doorway. It's once great door lay in shards of rotting planks some of it still clinging to rusty hinges in vain.

She welcomed the darkness as it swallowed her up, remembering the brightness of the fire. She felt around with her hands through hallways and in and out of dead ends. She came to a small space surrounded by bars and she began to crawl on her knees too exhausted to stand. She felt the stone floor and chains that clinked when she touched them, but she also felt something furry.

She gasped and pulled her hand back, but curiosity urged her to touch it again. It was warm and soft with a few burrs and twigs caught in it. She gently brushed them out when she'd find them and she stroked the soft fur. Then it made a deep rumbling sound and moved out of her reach. She blinked and could make out a large dark figure curled up in a ball.

She inched over to the creature and felt it once more. She found comfort in touching it. Then it moved again, but this time it moved closer. A high pitched whine made her jump, but a moist, warm tongue caressed away her fear and licked her salty tears.

"Good puppy," the girl cooed stroking it's shaggy head. "We can sleep together tonight and keep each other warm."

She lay down and hugged the dog close. It was much larger than her and she could feel powerful muscles under its thick coat which frightened her, but the dog threw his paws over her and nuzzled her hair making her feel safe.

"Thump, thump, thump." The dog's tail hit the floor happily.

She nestled her face into the dog's pleasantly musty fur and slept.

Morning came too quickly for the girl, but she was pleased to feel her furry friend still there.

It wasn't a dream!

But her mood soon sunk, if finding the dog was real then her parents did die and the villagers did reject her. She whimpered waking the dog who rolled over rumbling in his throat. The girl rose and rubbed her sleepy eyes yawning away the haze. She turned to get a proper look at her new puppy and screamed.

The next thing she knew, a large paw was covering her mouth muffling her cry.

"Please don't scream! I don't want them to find me!" A boy's voice begged.

The girl tried to break free of his grasp, but he was too strong.

"I won't hurt you!"

She relaxed and the creature released her. They sat there staring at each other for a good long while each one studying the other's every feature.

The girl was astonished to find that her beloved dog wasn't a dog at all. He looked like a wolf that could stand up like a man. He was very large and had a man-like chest and torso with powerful arms and large paws with extended dew claws for use as thumbs. She could tell he was a juvenile with bright inexperienced yellow eyes and immature features. His coat was a deep chocolate color lighter at his muzzle, cheeks, belly, and inside his legs. His left arm was white from his paw to his forearm like he's wearing a sock. He had a mane-like scruff running down his back and covering his shoulders.

She had heard tales of wolf monsters from her mother and father. They killed sheep and cattle, even rumors of them stealing away young virgins to eat were told across the countryside, but oddly the girl didn't feel any fear. His eyes seemed kind and afraid.

"Who are you?" she asked calmly.

"Damien," he answered.

"I'm Ria." She stood and lifted the hem of her dress bending her right knee and crossing her other behind it in a graceful curtsy with her head low.

Damien laughed, and Ria's face turned red. "What are you laughing at!" She placed her hands on her hips. Damien smiled up at her and his sharp canines made her shiver.

"You looked like a stork trying keep from peeing!" Damien said bellowing.

Ria's mouth dropped open and she narrowed her eyes at him. "It's a curtsy, and any civilized woman does it!"

Damien chuckled. "Do civilized women have to pee all the time?"

"Ugh!" Ria pushed Damien's shoulder and he tumbled to the floor giggling. Suddenly Ria felt giddy and soon was on the floor beside Damien laughing and rolling.

"Do you want to come with me to the forest?" Damien said after they settled down.

Ria thought about it and nodded. "I guess so. I don't have anything else to do," she said sadly remembering that she had no family to go home to.

Damien guided her through what he told her was an abandoned jail, and into the forest. She held his paw and stuck close to him until they got to a spring.

Damien released her hand and lapped up the clear water with his pink tongue. Ria stepped up to the water's edge and cupped some of the liquid in her hands bringing it to her lips. It trickled over her tongue and soothed her dry throat. Ria guzzled it thirstily and drank until she feared she'd burst.

"Why are you like that?" Ria asked sitting on a rock.

Damien blinked and looked down at his paws then back at her. "I'm a werewolf."

"I know, but don't you feel like looking like me sometimes?"

Damien frowned. "Like a human?"

Ria nodded.

"I can't, I only look like a human on a full moon."

"Oh." Ria scuffed her shoes on the pebbled ground. "How come people say that werewolves come out on a full moon then?"

Damien's shoulders drooped. "I'm different, I'm an oddball," he said sadly.

Ria thought about this and stood up with her chin in the air. "Me too. I'm an oddball too." Ria said proudly.

Damien's furry brow creased. "How?"

"My parents got a sickness and died," she explained. "I didn't get sick, but the villagers told me to go away and never come back. They think I'm cursed because I didn't get sick too." Ria looked down sadly.

"I'm sorry," Damien said.

A long silence followed and neither of them knew just what to say. Damien began to fidget and shift uncomfortably.

"I gotta go use a tree," he said.

Ria blinked at him in confusion. "Use a tree for what?" She wrinkled her nose.

"I gotta go pee!" And with that he rushed off to use his tree far away leaving Ria blushing.

After a few moments Ria decided to wade in the spring. She inched out to the water's edge, slipped off her shoes, and dipped in her toes. The water was cool and clean on her feet. She wiggled them pleasurably and stepped out further lifting her dress to her knees. She burrowed her toes in the pebbly bottom and inched out further until suddenly she slipped.

She fell into a drop off and couldn't get out. Pain needled through her lungs as she swallowed water trying to breathe. She thrashed and paddled with all her might, but soon her muscles gave out. She screamed for help only to have her head pushed back under. Fear raced through her and darkness inched its way through her body as she stopped breathing.

Ria woke to find Damien stooping over her. He looked scared and his fur was drenched.

"Are you okay!" He gasped.

Ria choked some water out of her mouth and nodded. "I think so." Ria sat up and grabbed Damien's neck burying her face in his soggy fur. "Thank you!" she cried.

Damien awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. "You're welcome… I thought you were dead."

Ria sat back on her heels and wiped salty tears from her eyes. "Will you be my friend …? Forever…?" she moaned in fear.

Damien nodded. "I promise… I promise I'll protect you always." Ria cried and buried her head in Damien's chest and she knew that he wasn't lying.