Sadie
EACH DAY WE TRAVELED NORTHWARD, KEEPING TO THE craggy shoreline and densely packed forests where no human trails existed for miles in any direction.
It was slow-moving, often having to cut a path large enough for the wagon to travel through, but we needed to get as close to Highwick without detection as possible .
. . which was particularly challenging when we had a giant red dragon in tow.
In the evenings, Haestas took to the sea to hunt upon Navin’s instructions, bringing back everything from squid to massive fish to whales. And when the dragon was feeling particularly benevolent, she would share her kills with us, taking the onus off me as the primary hunter of the group.
As we sat around the midday campfire, drying out our rain-sodden clothes, Navin sang a little tune to Haestas as she slept curled up in the clearing, tucking her snout under her leathery translucent wing.
I wasn’t certain if dragons were nocturnal by nature or if Navin had made Haestas that way.
It was much easier to travel covertly with a dragon who hunted at night.
No more taking to the skies when the sun was high.
Svenja perched on the log beside me and Timon plopped down beside her. They each ate a bowl of steaming fish stew.
“Not long now,” Timon said through a mouthful of food. “We’ll be rolling up into Highwick in less than a week.”
“Do you think your Queen is ready?” Svenja’s eyes darted to mine and then back to her bowl.
I let out a long sigh. I was constantly being peppered with questions from the whispering wells.
Calla and I would commune frequently through them.
Whenever we stopped at a well, Navin would sing the magical songs, and we’d connect.
But so far, Calla’s news had been incredibly bleak.
The Ice Wolves were a third of their original size, recovering from a civil war that had shaken their pack.
They were not the robust military we needed against the Silver Wolves.
Even with our natural fighting instincts, the Silver Wolves had been trained since infancy in strategy and formations.
We didn’t just hunt as a pack, we learned to destroy our enemies as pack, and in a battle of sheer numbers versus skill, skill would win, especially in the home territory of Highwick.
Pressure mounted every day. I knew Calla was counting on the Songkeepers and Haestas to be key players in this attack. My overly confident promises were beginning to feel like lies.
“I think Calla will do everything in their power to secure their throne and help the humans of Aotreas.”
“How diplomatic,” Svenja replied with a huff. “I don’t know why a Wolf queen cares at all whether the humans have a good life or not. No Wolf has cared about us before. Let alone to the extent of being willing to fight a superior foreign power just so humans had freedom.”
“No Wolf has ever been like Calla,” I said softly.
Svenja snorted. “I’ve heard that before.”
“No, you haven’t,” Navin cut in.
“The other packs need Nero neutralized just as much as the humans,” Asha added, her words confident even with her high squeaky voice.
“Aye. There’s more at stake,” Timon retorted.
“Olmdere can’t just shut its borders and watch the rest of Aotreas fall to Nero.
Half of the kingdoms on the continent are in disarray while Nero sits pretty on his throne waiting for the world to crumble and seize the ruins.
The Golden Court Queen must do something. ”
I was about to open my mouth to reply they were doing something when a scream rang out through the forest. We were all instantly on our feet, Navin’s singing cut short. I turned in the direction of the scream and ran.
“Sadie!” Navin shouted after me, muttering a stream of curses, but I didn’t care—I kept running.
I narrowed my focus, scenting them in the air: humans. Not good. I prayed the cause of the scream was anything other than Nero’s Wolves.
It was only over the side of the next hill that I found them—a group of scraggly-looking humans.
One had slipped into a ravine between the hills and was desperately clinging to the clumps of grass on the steep slope to keep them from falling in.
I appeared through the trees on the other side of the ravine and judged the distance across—not too far.
The humans all looked at me in unison and froze. I didn’t know if they could tell just from the sight of me that I was a Wolf, but if I jumped across the ravine, they surely would.
Still, the slope was too steep for the humans to climb down and rescue the girl.
I’d been trained my whole life to make quick decisions, that even the wrong one was better than stalling, and so I decided there was no other choice; I leapt.
There was nothing but open air under me for a brief, gut-wrenching second and then I landed on the other side.
The humans gasped at the death-defying jump, but I was focused on reaching the girl before she lost her grip.
I grabbed her by the back of her belt and hauled her up into the awaiting arms of an elderly woman.
She scooped the girl up and held her tight to her chest, whispering soothing words of comfort.
The Songkeepers started appearing through the forest on the other side of the ravine, shouting at one another to go around and cross closer to the shore. I didn’t look back, though, not as I climbed up the rest of the way to flat ground and came face-to-face with a dozen sets of wary eyes.
I had a sudden terrible feeling like I might be shoved back into the chasm.
“Are you one of the Silent Blades?” an elderly man asked. He looked me up and down, his mouth set firmly as he pushed a child behind him.
My brows knit together, and I shook my head. “I am not.”
“Don’t believe her,” another said.
“Why would I save you if I was trying to harm you?” I growled, which only made them all retreat another step. Fucking Moon, I had no finesse in these situations.
Fortunately for me, the Songkeepers finally reached us. Navin practically collided into me, holding me at arm’s length to check me for injuries. “Are you okay? What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I wasn’t going to let a child fall to her death,” I said, stepping out of his grasp and adding more mildly, “I’m fine.”
The humans watched, darting wary looks between us.
“I know you,” one of the humans said, pointing to Navin and then spotting Ora in the distance crossing over to them. “Yes. You’re part of Galen den’ Mora.”
“We are,” Navin replied, his heavy breathing slowing as he realized the humans weren’t going to attack me. “We are traveling northward.”
He was met with a chorus of “nos” and admonishments.
“The north isn’t safe,” the woman who held the girl said.
“Nero’s Silent Blades are patrolling all of the human towns now.
Controlling our food, our words, our prayers.
Any dissent and . . .” She looked down at the girl and decided not to finish her sentence.
But we knew. We’d seen Nero’s destruction when we crossed the border and found Rockford reduced to ash.
The stench still clung to me even now. “We cannot survive in Damrienn anymore, but neither are we allowed to flee.”
“They told us we could seek refuge in Olmdere only to burn our boats once we were at sea,” another said. “We’ve come from Allesdale and are fleeing to the south, hoping the Wolves won’t follow us.”
The old man eyed me and lifted a knobby, crooked finger. “Is she a Wolf?”
Navin moved to stand in front of me and I rolled my eyes. “She saved that child’s life,” he said.
“She will rat us out to her King the second she gets a chance. I knew we weren’t safe coming this way.”
“We couldn’t stay in Allesdale, Fredrick,” another replied.
“Nowhere is safe anymore, Alice,” the other said. “Not while the tyrant King lives.”
“I am trying to kill Nero,” I said, stepping out from behind Navin. I could see him cringe at my words. “I would love nothing more than to see him pay for all he’s done. I’m Sadie Rauxtide, member of the Golden Court.”
Their eyes flew wide at that. “The Golden Court,” they whispered amongst one another as if I spoke of some paradise beyond their borders.
“The land of the golden trees,” said the elderly woman. “Where humans sit on the Queen’s council.”
My soul ached at the hollowness in her voice. “It should be that way here, too,” I admitted, throat constricting. “You shouldn’t have to leave your homeland to be free.”
“And who will lead us, then?” the man asked. “What Wolf would take the throne of Highwick? Who could we trust to keep such promises.”
“Maybe there shouldn’t be a throne at all,” I muttered.
I thought the humans would cheer, or at least agree with me, but instead, they all seemed disconcerted by that idea.
Did they still want the Silver Wolves’ protection even now after they’d had generations of anything but?
Or did they want human royalty in the Wolves’ stead?
I didn’t know. I was a soldier, and all of this was beyond me.
Ora pinched their side as they hustled over to us. “Come, come, we have a fire going and plenty of stew to share,” they said, beckoning the people over. “We will help you find your way to the temple of knowledge. It’s hidden in the forest. It will be a safe place for you.”
The group murmured their thanks, following Ora’s encouragement. They all looked so exhausted they might drop where they stood. Relief crossed their mud-streaked faces at the mention of food and fire.
Ora in their ever-welcoming way started to lead the group to the safer ravine crossing when they paused and looked over their shoulder. “Oh—I should mention.” They looked at Navin and then back to the group.
“It’s nothing to worry about, but we have a dragon traveling with us.”