Moonrise

Chapter Three

Mornings had always been Ellette's favourite part of the day. Freya, who was always an early riser more so because it had been expected of her, was more of an evening person. As for the twins, well, if they could sleep all day and night for all of eternity then they would probably consider themselves as lovers of mornings, afternoons and nights. But on this particular morning, Ellette and her sisters were up before dawn, and already on their way to their grandparents' cabin before the sun even had a chance to finish its ascension in the sky.

Despite the short cut her and her sisters had taken, their journey was taking too long for Ellette. Perhaps it was because she was far too anxious to return to the wolf's side to check upon its current state. Or maybe it was because Nissa and Raisie were chatting far too loud and much too quickly, and that required a specific mood that Ellette just could not find herself in. It could have also had something to do with knowing that during the entire walk, Freya's watchful gaze had remained fixed upon her, and Ellette was simply just waiting for Freya to say whatever it was that she undoubtedly wanted to say.

But the twins only continued to talk, Freya only continued to watch her, and Ellette only continued to stomp through the snow as fast as possible.

". . .and Mother said that we must be extra careful," Ellette heard Nissa say after daring to actually take a listen to the conversation. "Father does not want us to know, but Mother said that another girl went missing on the eve of Moonrise."

"There seems to be a lot of things that Father does not wish us to know, is there not?" Normally, Ellette would have been much more guarded about letting things like that slip past her lips, but, on that morning, she did not bother with such efforts.

"He only wishes to protect us, Ellie," Freya added.

In response, Ellette threw a brief glance over her shoulder at Freya, who was about ten feet or so behind her with the twins on either side of her. She could tell it was not an argument that Freya sought, just another attempt to convince Ellette that their Father—though sometimes harsh in personality and far too set in his own ways, which were often the old ways—loved his daughters and only wanted the best for all of them.

"I know, Freya."

Truly, she did. But sometimes Ellette just wished their Father would let her determine and decide what was best.

"Ellie," Raisie started, "do you think maybe we should have told Father about the wolf? And Mother, too?"

Ellette stopped immediately, and turned to face her sisters. "Absolutely not!"

"They would understand, would they not?" Nissa joined her twin's reasoning. "Because we only wished to do a good thing—"

"And that is what they have always taught us—"

"Because it is our way and—"

"I do not think they would be mad—"

"At least not too mad—"

"No," Ellette said firmly. "I mean it, you two. We cannot tell anybody. Not Mother, and certainly not Father. Not a soul. Promise me."

The twins looked at each other then back at Ellette. Their eyes lowered to the snow and both simultaneously released a much too dramatic sigh.

"Not a soul," Nissa said first.

"Not a soul," Raisie repeated.

"Not a soul," Freya unexpectedly joined the pact.

Ellette's eyes shifted from the twins and onto Freya. She had not needed her eldest sister's promise because she knew that Freya was the least likely to tell anybody about the wolf. It had been written all over her face since the previous night that she would have no qualms about carrying on as if the beast had not existed at all. But, just as it was Freya's way, she had kept her opinion of the situation to herself, and, for that, Ellette was content.