Check out my latest installment of Wolf Head:
Caught

Here is a snippet of the Chapter:

The sun shines brightly, golden rays stretching invitingly through the warm blue sky. The harrowing night is passed, and the children of the village pull off their shirts to drink in the life-giving light. The troubles of the beast disappear, its terrifying nightly howls forgotten in the breaking out rough and tumble play. Adults too, losing their adornments and unveiling their heads, let the reassurance of day touch their skin. Yet, upon some heads veils remain.

Tachi walks through the village cowled, and before her the shepherd leads with his thin woolen veil disguising his features. Adopting this precaution upon hearing of her death at the hands of the wolf, Tachi passes for another unfortunate shepherd divested of a flock. This apparent fashion faux pas proves its merit as the objectionable Daniel runs past them in terror.

His shoulder, bumping her as he flees the terrible old man with glowing eyes, knocks the priestess back a moment, and she lets out an unwary, an undeniably feminine, complaint. The sound escapes her before she can think to stifle it, and though he does not pause to consider, Daniel hears.

The two walk on, entering the town’s center where an old priest and a spear-bearing hunter sit side by side. Tachi, frozen a moment upon seeing this wizened member of her order, stares mutely. The shepherd continues toward the hill, unmindful that his companion lags behind. She feels his presence retreating from her; yet she cannot move, nor take another step.

Half filled with joy, she thinks to call out toward this elder, but stifling her cry, the other half with guilt smothers. Unwashed, she feels the dirt of her enslavement cling to her skin, and thinks she still smells the pigpen’s odorous stench emanating through her clothes. The disgrace of the past three years falls over her like thick smoke filling the air, surrounding her in an unbreathable morass.