Excerpt: Book one of A fairly broken tale

It was fall. Harvest was finished and air had turned crisp. The proud ancient trees that had stood green in the summer had turned into the vibrant oranges, yellows and reds, their gnarled arms reveled to show their marks of age. Through the years the trees had seen much of the village and knew what the people did not. If the trees could have spoken they would have warned the mother and child not to be out at this night, and they also would have told them about the beast that was stalking them.
As the two the wound their way down the faint path, the trees watched silently, the only way trees do, fearful for the two as the young girl skipped along, her red cloak fluttering in the breeze, blissfully unaware of the approaching danger.
“Estelle, stay close to me, and don't wonder off the path,” the mother called, but the beast kept its attention to the girl, drawing closer.
Flitting like a gray ghost, it slunk behind the trees, just off the path, watching the girl. They were close to the village; only a few more minutes and they would be out of the forest, and out of the beast's reach. One of the trees creaked in vain to warn the two of the danger they were in, the girl turned around, and following her movement, her mother also glanced back as well.
“Sweetheart, it’s just the trees talking, we are almost,” the mother's voice trailed off, for when the pair had turned their back, the beast had circled them and was now in the path ahead of them. “Estelle, I want you to stay calm and back up slowly.”
“Mama, the wolf-”
“Just back up slowly” her mother was fearful, the beast could sense, but her voice remained strong, the trees watched as the attack unfolded before them.
The beast watched with blue eyes as the child backed up closer to its mother. Then without reason, he lunged forward, a flash of gray, sinking his fangs and claws into the girl’s leg. She screamed as the wolf knocked her onto the path and her own blood sprayed into her face. She could smell her own blood, the sickly-sweet, copper scent, and a rushing sound in her ears as she passed out. Her mother ran towards the beast with dagger raised in the air and plunged it into the beast's chest. The creature cried out in pain and released the child; it jumped back, blood oozing from its chest and jaws, and ran off into the forest.