Dusk was slowly settling in on High Valley Farm. Children ran around the central pasture, reaching for the fireflies that flickered in the misty twilight. Parents chattered amongst themselves as they watched from their doorways, waiting for their partners and older children to come home. Slowly, the older farmhands trickled in, finished with their tasks for the night and ready to take a good, long rest.

Oskan Kemal was not among them.

"There," his older sister Sena said, putting the finishing touch on his braids. "You know, you're going to have to learn to take care of it yourself one day."

"I know. I will," Oskan replied, placing his wide-brimmed hat on his head. "Thank you, though."

"My pleasure." Sena planted a small kiss on Oskan's forehead. "When are you heading out?"

"In a minute. I need to double-check my supplies."

"Good idea. Check in with me before you head out?"

"Of course. I know."

"I know you know. It's just…"

"…habit," Oskan finished her sentence.

Sena shook her head, a small smile appearing on her face. She gave Oskan a playful smack before slipping out of the room.

Oskan let himself linger for just a moment before opening up his knapsack. Before leaving on patrol, he always liked to make sure that he knew exactly where he'd packed each of his supplies, particularly his lighter. He preferred not to hold it or keep it in his belt loops; that way, if he banged into something in the dark, it wouldn't fall and get lost.

Oskan wasn't scared of the night. But the last thing he wanted was to be alone in the darkness.

A little flame could go a long way.

As he completed his checks and closed up his bag again, he heard a flurry of footsteps thundering down the stairs. A moment later, his second-youngest sibling, Asli, swung herself around the door frame. "Oskan!" she shouted excitedly. "Are you on patrol tonight?"

"Yep," Oskan replied, hoisting his pack onto his back. "I'm just going to check in with Sena now and then I'm heading out."

"Can I come with you?"

"No."

"Oh, come on. Please? Please? Please?"

"Not tonight, Asli," Oskan replied, sliding a hunting knife into his belt loop.

"Why not?" Asli whined.

"Because you're still too young."

"But Kaan and Elif and Nazli and Mirac and Omer and Altan would let me go with them!"

"Well, I am not Kaan or Elif or Nazli or Mirac or Omer or Altan. And I want to go on patrol on my own."

"But that's not FAIR!"

"Life isn't fair."

"SENA!"

Oskan scoffed as Asli ran out of the room, returning a moment later with their older sister at hand. "What's all this about?" Sena asked.

"Tell Oskan to let me go out on patrol with him! I'm nine years old already – I'm gonna be learning how to patrol, like, next year. I wanna go out!"

"Oskan," Sena said, pulling Oskan to the side. "What's the problem?"

"I just don't want to take her! I like being on my own when I patrol. I don't want to deal with looking after her, too."

"Oskan, she's not a baby. She's nine years old. Asli can look after herself too."

"Sena, come on."

"Just take her out for a couple of hours, like your first loop of the property or something. Then she can go to bed and you have the rest of the night to yourself."

"Ugh," Oskan groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine."

"Yay!" Asli exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Asli scampered off, returning a moment later with a pack of her very own. Eagerly, she dragged Oskan towards the door, flung it open, and ran out towards the woods. "Asli!" called Sena. "Stay with Oskan. Don't run too far off."

"Fine," Asli yelled, trudging back towards her siblings.

"And Oskan…"

"What," he deadpanned, stomping out of the house.

"Just… just watch her."

Oskan didn't respond. He just slammed the door shut behind him.

Their first stop was the storehouses, nestled just between the central pasture and the forest that surrounded High Valley Farm. Oskan wove his way through the buildings, checking to ensure that each door and window was closed and locked; Asli followed excitedly behind, chattering in her brother's ear the entire way. When they reached the last of the supply buildings, Oskan noticed that the door was still open. He peeked his head inside to find one of the older farmers talking with a pair of younger farmhands. "Sir, I'm here to lock up," Oskan announced.

"Oh, hello, Oskan. Are you on patrol tonight?"

"Yessir," Oskan replied, stepping into the barn. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The man wavered for a moment, then asked, "How comfortable are you with going into the forest?"

Oskan heard a small gasp from behind him but chose to ignore it. "It doesn't scare me. I have a torch and my lighter."

"You're a brave young man." He paused, then continued hesitantly, "If you get the chance tonight, then… we're worried there might be an issue with the drainage system that supports some of the acreage out west. I've been meaning to get out there, and if it's too much trouble…"

"Say no more," the boy cut in. "I'll give it a look."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely. If I'm old enough to be on patrol, I'm old enough to do every part of patrol."

"Well, I'm much obliged to you, boy," the farmer said.

"It'd be my pleasure."

Oskan stepped aside to allow the other men to leave the storeroom. As he did so, he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to find his sister staring back up at him, pallid-faced and wide-eyed. "Do we have to go into the woods?"

The boy pondered this for a moment. Technically, no; he could wait to go and check the drainage system until after Asli went to sleep. But if Asli asked to go out on patrol with him, she was going to get the full patrol experience. And sometimes, that meant going out into the woods at night.

"We won't be out for that long," Oskan reassured his sister. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Unless you want to go back home."

"No!" Asli exclaimed indignantly, standing up as tall as she could. "I'm going with you."

"Then let's go."

So, side by side, they set off into the forest.

At first, things were alright. Sure, it was a little bit dark, and sure, the trees' shadows were quite menacing, but as long as Asli stayed focused on her brother's figure, she could be just as brave as him. But the deeper they went, the darker it got – and the more scared Asli became. Soon enough, she could barely see Oskan's back at all.

Asli's breathing quickened. Each rustle of a bush sent shivers down her spine; every gust of wind prickled at the hairs on her arm. She reached out to try to grab her brother's arm, but her hands met nothing but air. "Oskan?" she called quietly. "Where did you go?"

But the only response was a low, soft growl.

"Oskan!" she exclaimed. "Help me!"

No response.

Asli frantically started looking back and forth, desperate for any sign of Oskan – or of where the noise was coming from. But it was so dark and the shadows were so long that she could barely see in front of her face and the breeze was so strong and the noises were so loud and-

"BOO!"

"Ah!" Asli screamed, jumping backward – into Oskan's arms. "Oh. Oskan," she breathed, relieved. "Was that all just you?"

Oskan couldn't help himself from letting out a laugh. "Yep! It was all me. Did I getcha?"

"Yeah, you did," Asli replied. "Is it my turn to try now?"

"Yes," Oskan sighed. How was she not scared enough to go back home yet? "If you want to try to scare me, you can."

Asli let out a little nervous giggle. "You're on."

As the two continued onwards, the forest grew denser and darker. No longer could they walk side by side; instead, the woods forced them single file, Oskan in the front and Asli close behind. Every few minutes, Asli would let out a little squeal or shriek or blow a little on her brother's knee - clearly, an attempt to scare him.

It wasn't working.

At first, Oskan played along, whirling around in surprise only to giggle alongside his sister when there turned out to be nothing there but her. But her antics quickly grew tiresome to Oskan; it took every ounce of willpower he had not to snap at her.

Oskan would be so glad when she was out of his hair.

After some time, Asli's little noises were overtaken by the sound of rushing water. Eagerly, Oskan picked up the pace; the sooner he reached the river, the sooner he could check the drains, and the sooner he could get back to the central pasture and deposit Asli back into Sena's care.

He was just a few meters from the river's edge when he heard Asli shriek again, a bit louder this time. Oskan just rolled his eyes. "Cut it out, Asli," he called out, pushing onward towards the water. "We're going back in a bit."

For a moment, the forest was silent. Eerily so. Then he heard two noises that made his hair stand on end.

The first was a low, slow growl.

The second, a bloodcurdling scream.

Without hesitation, the boy bolted towards the sound. As he got closer and the screaming and growling grew louder, panic started to set in. He burst into the clearing from which the noise came, but he couldn't make anything out.

Anything, that was, save for the piercing eyes of a wolf.

Automatically, he pulled his knife out of his belt and flung himself at the wolf. He pulled its body towards him, stabbing and stabbing until the growling petered out. Panting, he looked around for any others, but he couldn't see anything else in the darkness.

It was only then that he realized how still - how *silent* - the clearing had become.

With shaking hands, the boy reached into his pack to pull out his lighter. He flicked it on, the small flame dancing on its tip more than enough to illuminate the woods around him.

More than enough to illuminate the tiny, bloody body sprawled out on the forest floor.

He let the flame go out.

Maybe, if he got her back to the farm fast enough, there was a chance he could save her. Maybe if he could get her home, someone could tell him it wasn't as bad as it looked, someone could staunch the blood loss and help her heal.

He reached down to pick her up - and her frail body all but fell apart.

So did he.

The boy fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as Sena's words echoed over and over in his mind – "Watch her." His job was to watch Asli, to keep her safe; his sisters trusted him to do just that.

He was reckless. He was stupid. He knew better.

This was all his fault.

What was he going to tell his family?

How was he going to face them?

(He couldn't.)

The boy wiped the tears from his eyes. He lifted up the wolf's carcass and dragged it to the river. Using his knife, he tore a few strips of cloth off of his shirt, then stuck them in the wolf's mouth.

Then, he lit his torch and started walking away from High Valley Farm.

He knew he couldn't go back home.

Past that, the boy didn't know what to do.