Long ago when I was just a child I became cursed, cursed to
  walk the ground on all four legs as a beast. A wolf with fur
  as white as the moon that had forced me to turn each month.

   It took long nights and harsh winters to finally be able
  to control myself as I passed through the nightly curse. No
  longer would I be subjected to kill and slaughter those who
  I did not wish to harm. 

   The people of my land said that when a child born of moon
  took on her true form and walked her way, one paw at a time,
  back to the town which she was born that the curse on the town
  would be broken. The land would flourish, crops would grow,
  and water would be replinished.

    Ever since I turned for the first time the people worshiped
   me, the called me their Princess, and they called me a
   savior, yet I felt anything but.. 

   When I would turn, I would become a blight to the land.
  Killing the livestockto feed my inner beast. One cold night I
  had nearly taken the life of a young child in my village..
  That act alone drove the people of the village to send me
  away. They told me that when I could act like the Princess
  and Savior they knew I could be, that I could return again.

   So I left, I ran as far as I could, and never wanted to
  look back. I found myself at a Tavern one day and drank the
  whole shipment. When I couldn't drown my sorrows enough, I
  left the tavern in my regal dress, and began to walk on..

   Suddenly though, I could hear the sound of sword against
  sword, and the smell of blood drifted to my nose and the 
  beast inside me awoke with a start. I followed the sound
  to find a woman with dark green hair battling with a lot
  of thug like men, all carrying poorly made swords, and 
  satchles of stolen goods on their belts and backs.

   I watched as one of them snuck up behind her, and burried
  a dagger into her back and as I heard the sound escape from
  her lips something deep within the beast started to burn
  with rage, but before I or the beast could act she was
  swinging violently and ferociously at the men, cutting
  them down until only a few of them stood and one saw me 
  watching from the tree's and came after me, and I screamed
  as loud as I could, not sure why but soon as I did the green
  haired woman came after my assailant and cut him down with 
  a mightly blow.

   The woman looked around and when she saw it was just the
  bodies on the ground and us, she fell straight infront of
  me but before she could fall I grabbed her in my arms and
  drug her away with all my strength to an abandoned home in
  the woods I had passed by on my way to the Tavern.

   I took her armor off to see scars littering her body, but
  I didn't let this stop me. She saved my life.. this beautiful
  warrior.. She saved me. The people that I used to call family
  never showed me this much care before. Now, here she is,
  laying infront of me, bloodied and bruised from fighting off
  all of those bandits, and then the one that came for my life.

   She had awoke, and I told her my name, yet just like that
  she was gone again, back into the folds of sleep. I tend to
  her wounds twice a day, fetching water from the river down
  wind.. I traced my fingers over her scars as she slept and
  I hoped she would only wake up just long enough to speak
  with me, just to tell me something, anything! Anything
  about her that would show me the way that I needed to go.

   Soon she was healed enough to stay awake for longer
  than a few moments, and we spent time getting to know each
  other. I still cared for her each day, and found myself 
  falling in love with this woman. We had so much in common,
  yet we were complete opposites.. She was hot, and I cold.
  I was a Poet, she was a Warrior. So many differences, yet
  I could see it in her eyes she felt the same way about me
  as well.
 Many moons had passed, and each night I would leave the
 house to run free as the beast. Even if I did not have a
 choice to turn, I had the choice to turn away from her, so
 I did not hurt her.

  Yet one night when I returned home I came to find that she
 had left. Gathered her armor, and some food from the house
 that we had gathered together, and I knew she left for good..

  Panic race through my heart as the wolf and myself burst
 out through the front door and immediately ran into the woods
 to search for her, yet there wasn't a footprint, or a track
 to follow.

  Many moons again had passed, yet they passed slowly..
 I lost control of the beast, and let her roam free as she
 wished, waking up around a pile of carcases. Depression was
 weighing heavy on my heart. I was not complete without her.

  Every night that I turned into the beast and I searched for
 her, yet found nothing. On a cold winter night I saw a
 campfire in the distance in my wolf state and quickly turned
 back in hopes of sharing warmth with someone other than the
 cold night floor. When I approached the fire and the clearing
 it sat in, I could smell... I could smell *her*... the woman
 who has been in my dreams every night since I met her, she 
 was here..

   I stepped on a twig and what followed the snap was
 her voice, demanding whomever was out there to show themselves
 and I did. Stepping into the light, I could feel my heart
 pounding as everything I said only came out as a stutter, she
 looked just how I felt, and now we were together. She took
 a few steps towards me and placed a finger on my lips and
 whispered..

 "I love you too, Tani.."




Kriaza DarTanis
Wife of Charlene