Chapter Seven

It was in the wee hours of the morning when she heard it; when it roused her from her sweet, dreamless slumber.

Hazel's eyes shot open to the sound of a deep and lyrical howl, bellowing from the forest. The sound sent chills down her spine, she felt everything in her body shiver and at the same time she felt as though her spirit had been made aflame, burning with curiosity and excitement. 

Her heart pounded in her chest and that immense feeling was back again, the one that came from deep in her chest and willed her towards the forest. 

Immediately, Hazel threw herself out of bed, discarding the covers behind her, not caring as they slipped over the edge of the mattress and landed in a heap, half way onto the floor. She darted towards the French windows that lead out onto her balcony and hurriedly slid open the door. 

She shivered a bit as the cool night air hit her all of a sudden, but she quickly grew used to it. There was no way she had time to gather herself a jumper wither way, not when she had been so abruptly woken by a wolf's call. 

What had stirred her most thoroughly wasn't the howl itself, but the striking familiarity of it. Hazel knew that somehow, somewhere, she had heard that howl before, heard that voice. Hazel found herself almost wanting to hum to herself as she looked out over her balcony towards the line of trees that framed her back garden.

Just then, her eyes caught something. A glimmer or a shine of something catching the light of the moon.

She gazed down at the forest floor, eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of life. A long moment passed and Hazel was almost ready to give up looking and tell herself that she had most likely imagined the wolf's howl and the glint from behind the trees.

However, as Hazel's as she looked over the scene once more, she saw it. There, dead ahead, hidden in a shroud of shadows and branches were a pair of bright green, glowing eyes.

Hazel forgot how to breathe.

It was there, it was a wolf, a Moon Wolf. Not just any Moon Wolf either. Hazel hadn't thought about her dreams being connected to all of this, to the forest or to the stories of the Moon Wolves and she felt almost stupid for not connecting the dots sooner. This was not just any Moon Wolf; this was the wolf from her dreams, the one that had watched her for so long, waiting for her, singing with her in their forest clearing as she danced amongst the wildflowers.

Hazel didn't dare wait another second after meeting the wolf's gaze. It stared up at her, it's eyes holding something within them that she could only describe as a profound affection.

Hazel ran back into her room and pulled on a pair of trainers. She ran down the stairs, all the way down to the back door and threw it open, panting as she frantically searched the tree line for any sight of the wolf still being there.

She stood on the back porch, trying desperately to see through the dark. She had to see her wolf again. She knew that it was the same wolf from her dreams, it had to be. She would know those green eyes anywhere.

"Please!" She called into the darkness. "Please don't go! I came, I came, I'm here! Please, I have to see you!" 

A long silence stretched out around her, enveloping her. The only audible sounds left were the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves coming from above. For a moment everything was still.

"Please! I know you're the one in my dreams, I know it!" She tried again, but all she was met with was silence.

After a while of just sitting on the porch, waiting for something, anything to happen, hoping to catch another glimpse of those green eyes, Hazel headed back inside the house. She felt her heart weighing in her chest. 

Maybe she had scared the wolf off when she had called out to it. She had just been so desperate to see it again, to meet that wolf that had been watching her in her dreams, waiting for her, beckoning her to go closer. Though, a large part of her doubted that such a large and imposing wolf would be even a little bit scared of her. Perhaps, it just didn't want to be seen.

Hazel didn't have the answers and as much as it bothered her, she knew she wouldn't be able to find them that night. She re-entered her room feeling almost hollow with the weight of her disappointment. She didn't want to wallow, didn't like the way she felt, knowing that the wolf had gone without really meeting her. She knew that it was probably silly to feel slighted by a creature she had never really met, but it had hurt her none the less, that it hadn't stayed for her.

She had spent so long dreaming of those eyes, that voice that rang out through the trees. She had built up some kind of expectation within herself and to have them dashed so easily had wounded her. She hoped that next time they met, she would be able to greet her wolf properly, that she would finally be able to reach out and touch it.

She had always come so close to it before, in her dreams. It always left her heart souring but at the same time longing for more.

Hazel got back into bed and as she drifted into an uneasy rest, she hoped that she would dream of her wolf and that she would have another opportunity to meet it in person.

The following morning, Hazel awoke far later than she had intended. The sun was already nearing the centre of the sky and Floss was whining impatiently for breakfast and nudging Hazel with her nose.

Hazel gave her dog a quick apology and checked her phone for the time. To her horror, she saw that it was almost midday and she had managed to sleep through her alarm; this was odd for her, since she had never had a problem waking to it before.

She supposed that it was her racing thoughts that had most likely messed up her sleep schedule. With any luck, she would be able to correct that the next morning. She didn't want to make a habit of waking up in the afternoon and certainly didn't want to miss too many of the forest's beautiful mornings.

She quickly got out of bed, put on her dressing gown and headed downstairs to the kitchen with Floss following eagerly behind her.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry I got up late today." Hazel apologised as she filled up Floss' food and water bowls.

Immediately Floss was eating her breakfast and happily ignoring whatever Hazel chose to do next. So, she went about making her own breakfast with the few supplies that she had managed to bring with her. She made herself a quick sandwich and made her way into the living room, breakfast in one hand and phone in the other.

When she sat down and took her first bite, she sighed in content. She hadn't realised how hungry she had been until she had actually eaten something. She practically wolfed down the first sandwich half after that and opened up the browser on her phone. She would need to order herself some plates and cutlery, as well as some other household necessities as soon as possible. She most definitely needed to get her hands on a good toaster and maybe a microwave.

She hadn't really thought much about it before, but something about the thought of all the domestic shopping she needed to do filled her with a sense of glee. She was excited to buy things that she really like to fill up her home. She was excited for the tea towels, the appliances, choosing dinner plates and some nice new mugs and glasses.

Before she ordered too much though, she did want to check out some of the local shops. She remembered Luna mentioning something about a ceramicist that worked in town and sold all sorts of things. Hazel knew it would be more expensive than buying online, but getting something that's handmade and from a local small artist would have a lot more sentimental value and individuality.

She quickly placed her order online for some tea towels and cutlery, as well as a new toaster, microwave and a set of glasses. It would hopefully arrive within the next couple of days, given that she had paid a bit extra for express shipping.

Hazel finished up her breakfast sandwich and went back upstairs to change into some of her new clothes. She wore a simple cotton camisole and a pair of light wash high-waisted jeans with some ankle socks and her new trainers.

She quickly tied her hair back into a ponytail and made her way out to her back garden, phone in hand. Before going into town for her dinner set, she wanted to take some footage and pictures of the forest for her blog. She didn't want to wait too long before getting back to work.

She quickly snapped some shots of the trees and got some close-ups of the wildflowers before heading back inside, already planning out what her article would say in her head.

Hazel liked to plan her posts as much as possible before hand, so that it could look as organised and aesthetically pleasing as possible. It also allowed her to properly put all of her thoughts and observations in order. She even kept a special notebook for planning things out, almost like how one might write the plot outline of a short story.

She would edit her photographs and write up her article after she got back from town.

All of a sudden, a knock came from her front door. Not expecting anyone, Hazel made her way curiously to the door and took a peek out through the little round window before pulling it open. On the other side, was none other than Luna. Surprised, Hazel didn't say anything right away, leaving Luna standing a little awkwardly before her, smiling lightly. 

"Hey Hazel, you okay?" Luna greeted.

"Y-yeah, sorry, yeah, come in." Hazel replied, taking in Luna's appearance. She was wearing a floral blouse, tucked into some light mum jeans and a pair of yellow converse trainers. Her golden hair was pulled into a single plait that fell over her left shoulder. 

"I thought I'd pop by to see if you wanted any help with anything, or maybe just wanted to hang out for a while." Luna explained, looking happily to Hazel as she stepped inside.

"I was actually just about to head into town to see if I can buy some plates and dishes from the ceramicist that you mentioned yesterday. But yeah, I would love to hang out today!" Hazel replied, suddenly feeling very light-hearted.

"Oh, that sounds like fun! Mind if I tag along?" Luna asked, that beautiful smile of hers painting her face with joy.

"Of course! I'd love you to come! We can pick up some snacks afterwards and then come back here. We can sit in the room at the back." Hazel said, vaguely gesturing towards the room behind her that lead out to the back porch.

"That sounds perfect." Luna said, eyes lingering behind Hazel, seemingly at the back porch, which was slightly visible from the hallway, through the glass doors.

"I'll grab my wallet and we can go." Hazel said brightly. 

She quickly grabbed her handbag, made sure she had her wallet and phone safely inside it and made her way back to the door. She shot Luna a grin before locking the door so they could make their way into town. She decided to leave Floss at home, planning to take her for a walk later in the day.

She would have considered letting her into the back garden while she was out, on a long lead so she couldn't wander too far, but she didn't want to risk it knowing that there were wolves in the forest. Her wolf might be good to her, but she didn't know how many others there were or how they would react to her energetic Samoyed.

Besides, Floss had seemed to be happily sleeping in the living room after her breakfast and they wouldn't be out for very long. 

Luna and Hazel made their way up the gravel path and towards the town centre, chatting as they went. Hazel was curious to learn more about Luna, so she listened attentively as she talked and tried to ask her lots of questions about her interests and hobbies.

Hazel found out the Luna enjoyed doing crochet in her spare time as a hobby. She made all sorts of things, from blankets, to scarves, jumpers and place mats, and other things. She used locally sourced yarn from the sheep at Alex's family's farm. His mother would spin and dye the wool herself and it was always amazingly high quality.

Hazel found herself amazed. She definitely wanted to see some of Luna's work and she was impressed too, by Alex's mum. She was fascinated by the prospect of one person working so hard to spin and dye all of that wool on her own. Hazel made a decision then that she definitely wanted to attend the next local craft fair, so that she could check out all of the handmade items.

Luna agreed to show her some of her inventory of crocheted products that she had ready for the next fair. She brightened immensely at the prospect of getting to show off her work, which Hazel didn't think was even possible. How could someone who was already so bright and bubbly  become so much more so? She was like the sun, beaming her rays of light and warmth over everything and everyone that surrounded her.

Their walk passed pleasantly, the sun glowing above them in the sky as they went. As Hazel peered over at Luna, attempting to be subtle in her staring, she spotted that the beautiful girl had a pale smattering of freckles dusting her nose. It must have been the sun that brought them out. Hazel once again found herself flushing a light pink, thinking about just how pretty Luna was.

Luna just kept talking, seemingly not picking up that Hazel had been staring at her quite unsubtly despite her efforts to be discreet. Either that, or she was choosing to ignore it or just let it slide. Hazel couldn't really complain, if anything she was glad that Luna wasn't calling her out for it. 

Soon enough, they arrived in town and Luna pointed the way to the ceramics shop. She seemed to get a bit more excited to show Hazel the store at they approached, grabbing Hazel's hand and dragging her over to the entrance. 

"Here it is!" Luna exclaimed.

Hazel blushed furiously at having Luna's hand in hers. It had been such a casual action, and it felt simultaneously so natural and so exhilarating. She couldn't stop thinking about how perfectly Luna's hand fit in hers. Her skin was so soft and smooth despite working in a stable every day mucking out stalls and tending to the horses. She must have had a good moisturiser, Hazel thought.

Brought out of her thoughts by Luna tugging at her hand lightly, Hazel finally looked up and took in the front of the store. It was small and quaint, but it looked beautiful. The outside was painted in a glossy shade of teal, some of the unique ceramic pieces were displayed in the window and Hazel immediately knew that she had made a good choice in going there instead of ordering her plates online.

Above the glass doorway, the store's sign read 'Anika's Ceramics', in a cursive black font over a white background. It looked like it had been hand-painted and the calligraphy of the working was incredibly pretty. Hazel, once again, found herself amazed at the craftsmanship of almost everything she had seen in Fernwood so far. 

So much was handmade, hand-crafted, with so much care and effort and skill poured into it. Luna had told her of the local café and bakery had the most delicious things she had ever had the pleasure of eating and a homemade elderflower presse that was just to die for. Hazel was beyond excited to discover more of the amazing things that the town and its people had to offer.

They headed inside and Hazel looked around in awe. Everything that was displayed on the shelves was spectacular. The shapes were all distinct and beautiful, the different colours of glazing drizzled together in intricate patterns over each piece were spectacular and stunning. The whole inside of the store was breath-taking. 

"I know. Beautiful isn't it?" Luna said, and Hazel finally tore her eyes away from their surroundings to look at her as she smiled warmly, a soft look in her eyes.

"It really is, I'm honestly spoilt for choice." Hazel admitted, smiling back at her.

"Anika, the shop owner, she makes everything herself. She's really a talented lady. Her husband, Shin is a woodcarver. He makes these amazing bowls and figures. Anika has a section for his work over in the back of the store by the till." Luna said, guiding Hazel over to the wooden pieces.

Again, Hazel was blown away by the sheer intricacy and care put into every piece. The bowls were beautifully varnished and had spirals of flowers carved and engraved along the sides, some of them having sun and moon motifs decorating them alongside the floral carvings. Hazel found that she really wanted to talk to the couple behind these designs.

She would definitely be talking about them on her next blog post. She found in that moment that she wanted nothing more than to be able to promote the business for them. 

"Oh, hello." A voice sounded from behind the counter and Hazel looked up to see a tall, elegant woman. She had deep dark skin, warm brown eyes and gorgeous tightly curled hair that flowed town her back and over her shoulders. She had on a long-sleeved dark green top tucked into a high-waisted, ankle-length black skirt and a long knit cardigan. She was almost otherworldly in how pretty she was. "Welcome to my shop, you must be new here. Did Luna drag you over?" She greeted pleasantly. 

"Oh, um, yes, actually I just moved. I came to get some plates and bowls. I'm Hazel, by the way." She replied, reaching out to shake hands with the willowy woman. 

"A pleasure to meet you, Hazel. I'm Anika. I make all the ceramics here and my husband, Shin makes all of the wood carvings." Anika said, a fond look passing over her features as she thought of her husband.

"Your work is stunning, yours and his, I mean." Hazel commented, looking around the store again. "Say, do you have an online shop as well? I would love to promote your business on my blog." she asked.

"I do actually. I have a website that my husband and I use. We have some business cards here." She said with a smile, handing Hazel one of the cards from a little container on the counter, next to the cash register.

Hazel grew excited to be able to share this little shop with all of her followers. She hoped that it would bring Anika and Shin some more business. 

She took her time to look around and choose out some pieces that she wanted to bring home with her, while Anika and Luna chatted together and waited. She picked out four plates, four bowls and a couple of pasta dishes, as well as four mugs and brought them to to the counter.

While Hazel paid for the items and watched Anika carefully pack them into a recyclable bag for her, she thought about how lucky she was. She was in a new town, already having made two new friends and she had been welcomed by the locals with open arms. Everyone she had talked to had been kind and friendly, making her feel more at home than she had ever felt before.

She had really made the right choice, the best choice she could have made, and she found that in that moment, she couldn't be any happier.