5. Meeting the Wolves
five
Meeting the Wolves
*AZADEH*
“ P rincess,” Shayan approaches me with a frown on his face. We have stayed overnight here to regain some strength before we continue our path. “I checked out the way ahead of us, and I’m afraid our carriages won’t fit through.”
Simin and I exchange a gaze. We have just had some tea and breakfast, keeping to ourselves inside the tent so as not to bother the warriors with my presence. At Shayan’s words I stand up. “Can we get the luggage through?”
“Yes, we can attach it to some of the horses,” he assures me.
“Then, it’s fine,” I say. “Simin and I can ride, too.”
“But Princess,” he looks torn. “Azadeh, I can’t ask you to-“
“Of course, you can,” I smile. “I might have grown up secluded from everyone else, but I am still a Desert Princess. I am not going to ask everyone to take a massive detour, just for their spoiled princess.”
“You are anything but spoiled,” Shayan insists.
“Let’s continue on our original path,” I tell him.
A hint of respect flashes in his eye and he smiles at me. “Very well, Princess.” He steps out of the tent with me and Simin following him. “Everyone, the Princess has decided to join us on horse. We will leave the carriages behind and ride the rest of the way.”
His statement earns me a few curious gazes, but as usual, they keep their words to themselves. The few who have looked at me, make sure to tear their gaze away. Well, it can’t be helped.
“Azadeh,” Simin whispers, shifting around nervously.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, just…” she pauses.
“Oh, I forgot. I’m so sorry.” I squeeze her hand. Simin is scared of horses and of riding, ever since that traumatic incident she faced as a young girl. “I am sure General Shayan will keep an eye on you,” I gentle her. “And if you can’t do it, we will take the detour. We can still-”
“No,” Simon says. Her voice trembles, but she looks firm. “We won’t make a detour for me. In this new life I want to tackle my fears.”
I leave it at that, taking her at her word.
Shayan looks more than a little annoyed that I decide not to ride next to him, but he gives in eventually. Meanwhile, I mount the white horse the warriors prepared for me. It’s been a while since I went out for a ride, but I should be fine.
Once we set off, I realize Shayan was right. There was no way we could have passed here with our carriages. It looks like there had been a storm and some rocks had crashed onto the road. We barely make it through on our horses, and Shayan eventually takes the rein of my horse to carefully lead me through the dangerous terrain, before returning and doing the same with Simin.
Our ride is peaceful until lunchtime. More and more the landscape is changing. We are past the sand deserts and stone deserts, our path leading us over mountain ridges now. We pass the border of the Everlasting Desert, the guards only tossing us a few wary glances while we pass through, before we enter no-man’s land. It’s getting colder, but at the same time the vegetation changes too. The rich green lush oases with their fruit trees in between the deserts are behind us now, so are the various types of cactus plants. The vegetation here is somewhat simpler than what I’m used to in our oases, but it still looks pretty. Moss, cushion plants and grassland are everywhere, before we descend again and find ourselves in a needle tree forest. It’s the first time for me to actually see a forest, and I can only watch in awe at the birds and little animals shuffling around.
Soon, however, we are met by the first snowflakes. “Snow,” Simin whispers in awe. “I’ve seen pictures…”
“Seeing it for yourself is different,” I agree.
“It will get colder soon,” Shayan tells us. “If you are cold, tell me. I have prepared a few blankets.”
I’m already starting to feel cold, but thanks to the warmth my horse emits it’s manageable, and I know it’s only getting worse from now on. I want to hang in there for as long as possible, and allow my body to adapt.
The temperature drops more and more the further down we descend from the mountain, which is mind boggling. It should be warmer down here than on a mountain, but I assume that’s what the Kingdom of Eternal Ice is about; snow and cold. Soon the snowflakes get thicker, covering us in white, before we make it to another needle forest. Once out of it, Shayan stops to hand both me and Simin a blanket.
He looks at me with a frown. “You are shivering,” he chastises. “I remember I asked you to tell me if you were cold.”
I feel somewhat flustered. “I’m sorry, I wanted to give my body the chance to adapt first.”
“Let’s continue,” he says. “We’ll pass the border to the Kingdom of Eternal Ice soon and will be in the safety of the kingdom. I don’t feel safe resting in no-man’s land.”
We follow his lead again. To my relief the snow has stopped, but when we finally leave the forest, I’m met with an image I could have never have imagined in my wildest dreams. “Stop,” I tell the group and ride ahead onto the edge of the forest, which ends on top of a hill. In front of me everything is white, just white. The sun is coming out, and the snow glitters slightly. In the far distance I can see a village with steam coming out of the chimneys. To the left there is another forest, covered in thick snow, but in front of us it’s just a desert made of snow.
“I have never seen anything like this,” I say, my eyes wide. “You have been here before, General Shayan, am I right?”
He nods. “It’s truly breathtaking the first time you see it.”
“It’s cold, too,” Simin whispers from behind us.
I smile at her words. “Let’s continue, then.”
Shayan continues to lead us through the snow, picking up the pace now, as the path in front of us is free of any obstacles. Before we can reach the small village, I saw from the distance, we find ourselves at the borders, finally. There is a huge number of guards there, patrolling the whole area, which makes sense seeing how there is such a vast snow desert between them and our borders. It’s a vulnerable spot.
“Welcome, Princess of the Desert,” a man bows at us with a smile, the other guards following his example.
“Thank you,” I say, not sure how else to respond. I didn’t expect them to talk to me or even look at me.
The man’s eyes gloss over and soon I can see a man and a woman approaching us. The man isn’t wearing a shirt, which should make me feel embarrassed, but all I can think about is how he doesn’t seem cold at all. Next to him there is a female warrior clad in athletic clothes and pants - another unusual sight for me - and with them is a huge wolf.
“Not sure about letting so many men enter,” the shirtless man grins and winks at me and Simin. “But these two beautiful flowers may come and stay for as long as they like.”
The woman elbows him.
“Just kidding,” the man laughs. “I don’t mind some pretty men either. Why choose?”
“Forgive him, Your Highness,” the female warrior looks at me and bows. She clears her throat. “Princess Azadeh,” the woman greets me with a warm smile, “and General Shayan. We are here to officially welcome you to the Kingdom of Eternal Ice.”
Shayan descends his horse and approaches her, shaking her hand. “Gamma Ita,” he smiles.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise,” she smiles at me when she turns her head. “We are beyond excited to host you here, Princess. King Gillean sent us here in person to make sure you will arrive safely, and that you have all you need.”
“Thank you so much, Gamma Ita,” I say, relieved that Shayan helped me study the wolves’ hierarchy and their history. This is not what I expected at all. I didn’t expect such a kind and warm welcome, and certainly not a personal guard from King Gillean.
She seems to have sensed my curiosity as she proceeds to introduce her two companions. “These are two of our elite warriors,” she tells us and points at the shirtless man with his wild dark-brown hair. “Tynan here will accompany us in his human form. And Royan-'' She points at the wolf who has stopped further away from us. My eyes widen at the sight. He is bigger than any wolf I’ve ever seen, he has to be a werewolf. I can see Simin’s body tensing, though her eyes still stare at the creature in curiosity. “Royan will stay in his wolf form to protect us further.” She grins. “He will be happy to have the attention of two unmated females on him.”
I blush a little. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to stare,” I stutter, feeling more than a little awkward at suddenly being forced to interact with someone.
“Don’t worry, I told you, he likes it,” she chuckles. “It’s usual for someone who sees a werewolf for the first time to stare,” she grins. “At least you didn’t stumble and fall like your general did.”
“Excuse me,” Shayan frowns at her.
“Is that true?” Simin giggles.
“He did,” Ita chuckles.
Meanwhile, Tynan smirks and takes a step closer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess. I’m even happier now that I won the bet, and was allowed to stay in my human form to meet you for the first time.”
He sniffs the air, frowning slightly. Something in his eyes flashes when he looks around, almost like a predator that searches for his prey. To my surprise it’s not really an intimidating sight though. I don’t feel any danger from this man, just curiosity.
Ita smacks his arm. “Keep focused, Ty,” she growls. “The king said no dirty comments to the Princess or her friends, and no advances from any unmated wolves towards her unless she asks for it.”
She just growled!
Instead of being terrified, I’m weirdly fascinated by these people. Ita and her companions seem nice and polite, if a little rough around the edges, but welcoming, and certainly nothing like I imagined. Of course, it’s just two werewolves out of a whole population of them; though there are said to be humans living in this kingdom too.
Well, only time will tell.
Ita and Tynan lead us towards the small village, where we will rest for the night before reaching the main town tomorrow. I feel my heart thumping like crazy when we get closer. There are people flocking towards the main square and the entrance of the town, making my anxiety rise to new levels. Are they here to get a glimpse of the psycho princess? Or are they here to chase me away; or to catch a glimpse and then run like my own people do?
“We are here!” Tynan yells towards the townsfolk. He grins like a child before a huge snowball hits his face. He grumbles as he wipes his face of snow. A bunch of young boys laugh and run around, throwing more and more snowballs at him. He growls playfully before charging at them.
I find myself smiling at his antics, while Simin bursts into helpless giggles.
“He really is a good warrior,” Ita says to Shayan.
Shayan’s lips tug slightly as he fights his amusement. “I believe your word, Gamma Ita, please don’t worry.”
She leads us further to the town and soon there are voices buzzing. “Look at them,” a teenage boy yells to the town’s center. “It’s the Desert Princess!”
Soon more and more people are coming out of their houses. Tynan holds some of the children back, so they won’t get between our horses. Some of the men look at me curiously and with the same glint in their eye Tynan displayed earlier when his eyes flashed, until Ita glares at them and they lower their gaze.
“I want to see her,” a girl whines and crawls through the legs of the adults to be in the front row.
Her mother is right on her heels. “Don’t do that, Fiona.”
“But I want to see the princess!” she whines. Instinctively I smile at the little girl, before dread settles in. Her mother is for sure going to pull her away from my gaze, but to my surprise the little girl just beams and waves at me. “She looked at me, Mommy, she smiled!”
I spontaneously decide it’s time to get off my horse, quite literally. I don’t want to come here like a celebrity. This kingdom is going to be my home, whether I like it or not, that’s my new reality. I want to get to know the people on their level. Shayan mutters something beneath his breath when I descend. He signals something to his warriors before getting down himself and helping Simin down as well. The warriors will remain at the outskirts of the town not to bother the inhabitants, but Shayan, Simin and I are to follow our private werewolf guards.
Simin comes running after me. “Wait for me,” she calls out, accidentally bumping into one of the men. “Oh sorry,” she blushes.
The man just laughs loudly. “A pretty woman may bump into me any time.” He flashes a smirk towards Ita. “Though my favorite is ignoring me.”
“Your favorite is going to kick your ass if you don’t behave,” she huffs.
He makes puppy eyes at her. “You know I only have eyes for you.”
“Until you meet your mate,” she retorts. “Besides I’ve already told you, you are not my type. You are actually far from it.”
The man sighs dramatically, while another young man approaches us, this time however choosing Tynan to flirt with. Tynan sniffs the air once more, and shakes his head. “I’ll have to decline,” he says politely.
“You never decline when we ask you to join us for a drink,” the young man blinks.
“Well,” Tynan stutters, “things change.”
“What about me?” a young woman asks with a wink.
“Sorry,” Tynan says, looking flustered.
“Ah, you are boring, tonight,” she whines.
“You heard him,” Ita intervenes. She sounds firm but I can see her tossing Tynan a curious glance. “Just get moving, everyone.”
She waits for everyone to leave before she turns to look at Simin and me, as we catch up with her. “Is this a town or a pack?” I ask her.
“Both,” she tells me. “Most packs here are self-sufficient, though not all of them are built like a town. This is one of the bigger packs.”
“But they are all under King Gillean?”
“He is their Alpha King,” she verifies.
“The people here, they are really nice,” I tell her quietly.
She smiles. “Are you surprised?”
“I don’t know much about shifters, just what I read in books and what I was taught,” I admit. “I didn’t expect them to be so friendly when they saw me.”
“You thought we would devour you?” Tynan asks as he jogs towards us. I’m surprised he heard us.
“No, that’s not it,” I turn to watch the townspeople who still cheer and wave. “It’s more…this.”
“But, you are a princess,” Ita says surprised. “Surely people everywhere react that way?”
“It’s different,” I say solemnly.
“They have been very excited about your visit,” she tells me. “The Kingdom of Eternal Ice is quite secluded from the other kingdoms and realms, and it’s the first time an actual foreign prince or princess has visited us. To them it’s all very exciting and exotic,” she winks. “You should see them when one of our Triplet Princes visits.”
Tynan rolls his eyes. “It’s like every unmated woman in the town turns crazy then.”
“You are one to talk,” Ita huffs.
“Mates,” I say. “You have said it a few times. It’s the equivalent to a husband or wife?”
“Yes and no,” she explains. “Mates are connected through a bond our goddess gifted us with.”
“So, it’s true?” Simin beams. “I thought it was just a legend. How romantic!”
“That is unless you are mated to a brute like Tynan,” Ita grins.
“Excuse me,” he splutters. “I would make a fantastic mate! I would serenade my mate day and night, and hunt for them, and bring them the fur and head of my prey. And then we would spend the night together just like the goddess made us to.”
“Covered in blood from your hunt?” Shayan asks, much to my surprise. Simin looks a bit flustered, but I can’t help a grin.
“That’s what I meant,” Ita grins at us. “He is barbaric.”
I watch them in awe as they continue to bicker while leading us to an inn.
“And Princess,” Shayan puts his bionic hand on my shoulder, “what’s going through your head?”
“A lot of things,” I admit. “Do they truly know who I am?”
“Of course.”
“Have they heard the rumors?”
He nods.
“I’ve been more prejudiced towards them than they towards me,” I say.
“You didn’t know better,” he says.
“But what about the king and his children?” I want to know. “Certainly, it’s going to be different once we are with the nobility.” My chest churns at the thought of once again being confined to a castle without being allowed to go outside and meet other people.
Shayan tilts his head. “Why don’t you just wait and see?”