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Mum and Da made them promise to stay behind. Newt had sworn, the same as she always swore to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, then ignored it once their supervision waned.

This time was different though, and Newt could feel it. Mum and Da had left them to go fight, and none of the reassurances that they'd be safer here stopped her from shaking, or slowed the aching pounding of her heart. "Here" was dark and cold and just outside there were terrifying monsters come to swallow the whole world.

Mum and Da were the smartest and fastest and sneakiest. They could win against anything—even witchcraft and bad fae.

But…

Doubts crept in like the drip drip drip of meltwater. Da was still hurt. And what if Mum's buckets and bottles weren't enough to stop the bad magic? So many of the others had already left to fight, too. What if everyone left and no one came back and she was alone forever?

That couldn't happen…right?

Childish fears weren't easily swayed. Snuggled hidden down in her blanket nest, Newt let out a tiny, scratchy whine. She wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything. She was brave and fierce, just like Mum and Da. Sneaky like Naya. Clever like Mir.

So when her siblings began to disobey, and left to follow Mum and Da through the portals, Newt knew there was only one thing left for her to do. She had to go too. To keep them safe, and help her family.

No matter how badly her legs shook.

The spectral Visitor pointed the way, looking so sad and tired Newt almost felt bad for growling at him as she approached. She didn't wait to see his reaction. Before she could talk herself out of it, Newt pushed forward and passed through the portal.

The air around her felt sticky. Sharp. Her nose twitched at the stinging smell of unfamiliar things, at the metallic scent of blood, and the stale, mustiness of a cellar. There was power here. Something old. Angry.

Newt felt it tremble in the ground beneath her as the land heaved. She felt it dance across the tips of her fur, crackling like lightning, as she locked gazes with the chained wolf.

Power. Fear. Anger.

Wide eyes searched for familiar faces as Newt crept closer, belly to the ground, ears flat. So far nothing had noticed her directly. Even the wolf trapped in glowing chains had passed over her as the whole island trembled with his pain and rage. Fighting was more chaotic than Newt expected. Louder. Nothing at all like wrestling with her siblings. And there were so many strange wolves.

In the fray, she spotted Da. Locked in battle with the captive wolf, a streak of angry red backlit by sickly, cold blue.

Newt could do this. She would do this. Being the biggest and strongest didn't matter, Da had told her. If you were smart, and fast, you could hit them where it hurt before they ever saw you coming.

Putting on her bravest face, Newt scurried close, easily slipping around bodies and ducking beneath heavy looking chains. Her heart stuttered, clenching in fear. The air hummed. All the fur along her spine bristled, and her tail rose as Newt closed in on her target.

Darting forward, Newt put every lesson she'd learned to the test, and clamped her jaws down on the weakest, most vulnerable part of the wolf she could reach.