Bloodmoon Huntress (Novel)

**Bloodmoon Huntress** is the second graphic novel of *The Dragon Prince*. The story is set years before the events of Book One and is considered canon. It revolves around young Rayla's experiences after her parents left to take on their duty. It is available for purchase through Amazon as Kindle, paperback or hardcover.

## Plot

Every Moonshadow Elf child knows the scary stories of the Bloodmoon Huntress, the evil sorceress who steals your blood on the night of the Harvest Moon. Everyone also knows those legends are not true.

But for young Rayla, whose parents recently left her behind to fulfill their duty as members of the elite Dragonguard, this autumn is scarier than most. Her guardians, Runaan and Ethari, are still getting the hang of the whole parenting thing, and no one will tell Rayla what Runaan does for a living. She spends most of her time exploring the forest outside the Silvergrove.

When Rayla discovers a young Skywing Elf in danger just hours before the Harvest Moon will rise, the scary stories become real. Can she stop the Huntress before the moon reaches its zenith?

## Summary

On the day Tiadrin and Lain are leaving to serve the Dragonguard, in order to protect the egg of the Dragon Prince, the two say their goodbyes to Runaan, Ethari, and young Rayla. Despite their daughter's lack of understanding as to why they have to leave her, the pair reassures her that this is their duty to fulfill for Xadia and that she will one day understand their decision. Although Runaan and Ethari emphasize on the importance of their duty again, Rayla can not help but to conclude that she has been abandoned. When the three return to their home, Runaan and Ethari are once again unable to convince Rayla that she has a home and a family in them during her parents' absence.

During breakfast, Rayla notices a wound on Runaan's hand and inquires what has happened to him, though is met with dismissal when Runaan leaves the room. To lighten the mood, Ethari invites her to his workshop to show off his latest tools, including special arrows and playful gadgets. The necessity of the arrows sparks interest in the current Harvest Moon, a night Ethari explains to be an opportunity for Moonshadow Elves to cast powerful enchantments, as Moon magic is at its peak. As Rayla notices an implied danger to the mentioned night, Ethari further explains that the Harvest Moon is also referred to as the "Blood Moon". While Rayla expresses her excitement about the legend of the Bloodmoon Huntress associated with the Blood Moon, she is told that the protection of the Silvergrove fails to protect its inhabitants during this night. Finding hypocrisy in Runaan being allowed to leave, Rayla tries to further inquire about what it is he exactly does out there, but Ethari only reassures her that he will wander the forest in his Moonshadow Form and that his training will keep him safe.

On a later day, Rayla runs into Runaan on his way to work again and notices a pair of blades in his bag, causing her to rush to Ethari to speculate about Runaan's job again, only to be further shut down. As a token of reassurance, Ethari gifts her a pair of Wingalings, a device that will alert her new guardians in times of peril.

On the night of full moon, Rayla follows Runaan into the forest where she finds him together with Ram, Skor, Callisto, and Andromeda. When Andromeda fails to activate her Moonshadow Form, he explains that assassins need to understand the balance between life and death, and to value life despite taking it, asking to remember a loved one with each strike of their weapons. When Andromeda fails again and Runaan assures her that Moonshadow Forms are difficult to master for all assassins, Rayla finally discovers his profession, though is ordered to return home once spotted. At home, Runaan and Ethari explain what it means to be an assassin and that it is Runaan's duty to serve, just as it was Tiadrin and Lain's duty to join the Dragonguard. Rayla claims that she would never abandon anyone or kill anyone like they did and the night ends with the two of them storming off.

Despite continuously arguing, Rayla is allowed to watch the next training session of the band of assassins under Runaan's tutelage. After sparring with Runaan, Andromeda begins to chat with Rayla about how Runaan values life the most out of all of them, which is expressed in the way he fights, striking with utmost care, aware of what it means to take a life. She continues to explain that sometimes life must be taken for the greater good.

Back at home, Runaan wonders if he made a mistake by choosing to become an assassin, though is met with support and affection by Ethari, who assures him that his choices will never affect how he feels about his lover. As Rayla had witnessed the scene, she asks Ethari the following day whether the killing aspect of Runaan's job truly does not bother him. Ethari explains that love sometimes requires dangerous acts and that, even though he worries, he knows that Runaan chose this life in order to protect what is important to him.

During the day of the Bonbon Fire held in the Silvergrove and thus the day of the Blood Moon, Rayla vents to an Adoraburr at the river, almost catching on to what it means to love someone enough to protect them when her fuzzy friend almost falls into the water, only to be interrupted by a rustling noise. Suddenly, a Skywing Elf boy stumbles across her, who quickly introduces himself as "Suroh". He explains that his caravan had been attacked and that his family is held captive inside a mausoleum inside the Moonshadow Forest, where an evil sorceress plans to use his family's blood for a ritual during the Blood Moon. Rayla promises to help him by alerting Runaan and Ethari and invites Suroh into the Silvergrove, though he stays behind due to his hurt trust towards Moonshadow Elves. Rayla tells her guardians about what has happened, though since they can not locate Suroh anywhere, Runaan decides that Rayla must be lying for attention and the issue is dropped. After failing to convince two guards to help her, Rayla tries to sneak out of the festival and decides to try and unlock her Moonshadow Form. After remembering the things she loves and the souls who have touched her life, she succeeds in becoming invisible and leaves the Silvergrove once again.

Rayla encounters Suroh at the mausoleum again, where the Bloodmoon Huntress is about to sacrifice his parents, causing him to yelp out and to alert the sorceress of their presence. When she disappears, the two children enter her lair to free Suroh's parents. However, when Rayla takes one of the blood vials placed onto a nearby altar, the Bloodmoon Huntress appears again, urging her to return the vial. Rayla flees with the vial, causing the huntress to chase after her and dispose of her in a river, reclaiming the vial in the process. To avoid being further attacked, Rayla re-enters her Moonshadow Form to vanish from the huntress's sight. During this exchange, the Wingaling alerts Ethari's counterpart and him and Runaan manage to save Rayla before she drowns. Together, the three decide to take on the enemy again.

Back at the mausoleum, the Bloodmoon Huntress has recaptured Suroh after his family's escape and prepares to use him as a sacrifice for her ritual after consuming a vial of blood. She is quickly interrupted by Runaan while Ethari and Rayla prepare an arrow for the upcoming fight. The Bloodmoon Huntress, now named as Kim'dael, threatens Runaan if he does not give up his blood for her to consume, though through a bow attack from Ethari and a slash of his own, Runaan manages to provide enough time for Suroh to be freed. A fight ensues in which Kim'dael promises to continue her slaughter no matter what, though she is eventually defeated by Ethari's and Runaan's collaborative effort and the use of their enhanced magic. Swearing to return, the huntress vanishes without a trace. When Suroh finally meets Runaan and Ethari directly, he asks whether they are friends of Rayla's, but realizing them to be her home, she corrects them to be her family. As a measure of safety, the three Moonshadow Elves destroy the enchanted altar, fearing the danger may not be over for good.

Unable to sleep, Rayla sits outside, when she is joined by Runaan. Finally understanding what it means to want to protect someone as an assassin, she asks Runaan to become her mentor and the two schedule their first training at dawn. Giving their new family another chance, the three share a happy embrace.

## Trivia

* The Moonstrider and Shadowpaw appearing in the story are the same ones that are given to Rayla and Callum when they meet Ethari in "Ghost".
* Spells included in the graphic novel are "Liga Et Annecto", "Lumen Terebramus Acuto", and a cut off ritual spell starting with "Morde At Vitam".

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Barnes and Noble Listing
2. ↑ Amazon - Bloodmoon Huntress