7. Attack
seven
Attack
*AZADEH*
T ynan gasps when a bubble of light engulfs us. “What is this?!” he breathes, his voice barely audible through the storm. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him grasping Shayan’s arm, to hold him and pull him further down.
Ita’s eyes widen when the bubble stretches over us all until it has safely ‘tucked in’ everyone beneath it. Huge amounts of snow blow over us, and I am sure had we been without protection, this would have been our end.
Werewolves are not invincible, and being buried alive under so much snow… I don’t know if all of us would have made it.
The snowstorm passes as fast as it came, and the bubble gets smaller again until the light disappears inside me. As if I were a puppet and someone else pulled my strings, I let my eyes wander to the forest to search for the woman, but she isn’t there anymore, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad sign.
My attention returns to the little group as Shayan gives my arms a gentle squeeze. He looks at me, and in his eye, I can see both pride and gentleness. I hope it means he thinks I made the right decision.
“Was that you?” Ita asks into the silence, completely spellbound.
And here it comes. I already brace myself inwardly. At least I had a few hours without being judged and feared, but unfortunately, not too long for me to get used to it.
“I… yes,” I admit. “But I don’t know how it works. It happens by instincts and-“
“This is amazing!” Ita exclaims.
“You mean to say, you can produce a protective bubble and shield everyone from any danger?” Royan asks. “Ita is right, that’s incredible.”
“No surprise King Gillean is so excited to have you around and wants you to feel as comfortable and happy here as possible,” Ita agrees. “He clearly wants you to stay here.”
“You wouldn’t happen to be in search of a husband?” Tynan asks with a grin, just to be smacked by Royan. “What? I’m just asking and making her aware that here-” he gestures towards some of their warriors who come running towards us, “there are a few suitable options.” Tynan grins. “So, what do you think, princess?”
“I am afraid that’s not possible for now,” I say, feeling a bit flustered.
“No one will marry anyone,” Shayan huffs.
“But-”
“I’m starting to want to put you over my knee,” Royan growls at Tynan.
“You wouldn’t,” the other man glares.
“Dare me!”
“Alright guys,” Ita furrows her brows. “I think the princess has had enough of your antics.”
“I think so too,” Shayan says while pinning Tynan with a glare. Again, Tynan looks at him with a pitiful expression, truly like a lost pup.
I smile slightly as I stand up to follow them inside again. “I don’t know… they are kind of fun,” I say, making Tynan beam at me while Royan smiles.
“Don’t encourage them further,” Ita groans.
I wave at Royan, who stays behind, and he shows me a warm smile and a thumbs up. While I follow the others back to the town, it fully settles in that this was the first time I wasn’t shunned for my gift.
*ENDELLION*
Early in the morning, I take off to check on the pack houses that are spread around the town and its outskirts. Not everyone likes to live in the middle of the town, or rather, pack. Some prefer their privacy. The recent blizzard unfortunately did damage to some roofs, and we are trying to help the town and pack to build everything back.
My younger brother Nevyn accompanies me. Ever since he turned eighteen, he’s shown more and more interest in pack affairs.
“Thank you for taking me along, brother,” he says.
I look him over with a frown. “Just dress warmly, Nevyn.”
“I’m a wolf, though,” he points out.
“I know.” I smile at him. “But you only recently got your wolf, and it will take a while for him to grow into his whole strength.”
“You’re right.” Nevyn shakes his head and accepts the coat I hand him. He pulls his long hair in a bun and wraps a scarf around his neck. “I tend to forget. Since I got my wolf, everything feels so surreal, but in a good way.”
“I know the feeling,” I admit. “When I connected with Caspian for the first time, I felt so powerful, like I could take on the whole world. It’s an empowering feeling.”
We leave the castle from one of the side doors. The guards have already cleared the road of the snow, and we can walk comfortably. Once we reach the outer parts of the pack, it will get more difficult, though. There are smaller paths there, and I’m sure the warriors and guards haven’t had the time yet to clean all of them.
“It’s going to be a long walk,” I tell Nevyn.
Nevyn’s face falls. “I’m not that weak.”
“That’s not what I said.” I frown. “It’s just going to be a long walk, that’s a fact. I didn’t want you to complain about getting bored.”
“Oh,” he blinks. “I’m not getting bored.”
“Who told you you’re weak?” I demand to know.
He shrugs. “Everyone.”
“Who is everyone!?” I ask him, sharper than I intended to. When he doesn’t answer, I soften my tone. “You are not weak, Nevyn,” I say empathically.
“But look at me. I’m of alpha blood, and yet I look so… skinny.”
“You are athletic,” I point out. “There is nothing wrong with that. You just have a different body build.”
“In school, some used to say I’m a vampire’s child,” he admits.
I don’t even need Caspian to feel anger bubbling inside me. “So, they think their king went behind their queen’s back and betrayed her?” I ask coldly.
“They probably just wanted to hurt me,” he says. “Don’t worry. I never fell for their tricks.”
His words don’t set me at ease at all. Had I known my brother would have been subjected to bullies, I would have intervened for sure. For a while we walk in silence, soon leaving the road and fighting our way through a snow-covered side-path. “Nevyn, do you think you are weak?”
“I’m not like you or Caelan, or Flinn. And Alana is tougher, too. I’m a man, I shouldn’t be so…” he pauses. “Meek. I’m not a good fighter.”
“Who cares what you should or should not be?” I ask. “Did you never consider that you might have other strengths? Not everything revolves around fighting.”
“It’s easy for you to say that. You are tall and muscular, and everyone finds you either attractive or scary.”
“They find Caelan scarier,” I point out. “And they find Flinn smarter. It doesn’t mean that I’m not strong or not smart though.”
“I don’t get your point,” he says.
“My point is that there is always going to be someone who is a little better at something than you are. But just because someone else might be stronger, it doesn’t make you weak. Strength comes in various shades. You barely just turned eighteen and you are already keen to support us in our duties. Your diligence and hard-working nature will take you further than if you were a lazy guy with strong fists.”
The blizzard has knocked over a tree and it’s blocking the road, so I make Nevyn go to the other side and help me pull it off the road so that the wolves living in that part of the pack can come and go as usual.
“And now-” With a growl, I push the tree aside. “Tell me at least one thing you like about yourself.”
“You are not really going to make me do that?” Nevyn groans.
“Absolutely. If you don’t, I will tell Caelan you want a private sparring session with him.”
“You wouldn’t!?” he glares.
“Well, it’s up to you to take the risk,” I say with my best poker face on. I would never subject him to Caelan’s training. Caelan used to have difficulties to adapt to those who are just beginning and who might need more guidance. A fact Flinn calls him out for a lot. He doesn’t mean harm, it’s just… who he is.
“I guess I study quite well,” Nevyn concedes. “I have a good memory.”
“Yes, you are smart,” I tell him. “You resemble Mom.”
My words seem to have improved his mood because his head lifts up. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes, I really do.”
“Mom is a strong woman,” he says.
“Meanwhile, Eibhlin and Alana are like Dad,” I point out.
He laughs. “They really are, and they are such whirlwinds.”
“And they have no filters,” I say. “So, what else? Don’t be modest.”
“I, I think it’s kind of cool that I got my wolf so early,” he points out with a shy smile. “Most of my former schoolmates don’t have their wolves yet. And Kilah doesn’t have hers yet-” He pauses. “Not that it’s something bad! I’m sure Kilah’s wolf will wake up soon.”
I laugh. “I told you not to be modest. You got your wolf earlier than any of us. The rest of us got ours between nineteen and twenty. It is special to receive your wolf so early.”
“I know, it’s just, don’t tell Kilah I said that,” he says. “I know how it feels to think you are inadequate, and I don’t want anyone to feel that way, especially not my own sister.”
“Don’t worry, whatever you say is between the both of us.”
He smiles shyly. “But it is cool, isn’t it!?”
“It is,” I reassure him. “See, that’s what I meant. Not everything revolves around fighting skills.”
His mood seems to be lighter as we continue our walk. We reach one of the first houses that are in this more deserted area. A young omega is shoveling away some snow. I recognize him as one of our lumberjacks. Nevyn and I talk a while with him and assure him that soon some warriors will be up here to help. Other than the massive amount of snow, he and his mate don’t face any problems. Nevyn and I continue to the next few houses where a few children are playing outside. A she-wolf is outside watching them. She tells us they have a shortage of warm water, so I promise to send our pack witch up here to help them. We continue that way for the next few hours before we return to the castle.
“How do you know everyone?” Nevyn asks curiously. “You always know who you are talking to.”
“It’s important to know your subjects,” I tell him. “I try to remember as many names and faces as I can and mingle with the people.”
He nods before eyeing me. “Say, Endellion-”
I detect that he is going to ask something he doesn’t quite know how to approach. “What?”
“About the Desert Princess-” he pauses. “Dad said, through the new agreement with King Naseem, he invited her to stay with us for a while and maybe become an advisor here.” He frowns. “My gut feeling tells me that isn’t all of it.”
“Your gut feeling and your experience with our father,” I chuckle.
He grins. “So, there is more to it?”
“Yes, but nothing I can tell you about.” I look at him insistently. “I expect you to keep this to yourself, Nevyn.”
“Of course.”
As if on cue, our father and Quinn pass us, leading their horses towards the forest. “Are you going for a ride?” I ask them.
Dad looks less than thrilled. “Quinn persuaded me to ride through the fresh snow. We will further try to reach Gamma Ita, Tynan and Royan. They should have met the Desert Princess by now.”
“They have to be on their way back to the royal pack now,” Quinn agrees. “I suggested to the Alpha King that we should meet them halfway.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” I agree. “She will feel more welcome that way. Do you want one of us to accompany you?”
“Ah, pup.” Dad makes a dismissive gesture with his hand before Quinn can even react. The poor beta actually looked like he wanted to accept my offer. “Your old man doesn’t need any protection. We are fine by ourselves.” He waves at us. “Keep up the good work, boys.”
When they have ride off, Nevyn chuckles. “Sometimes I feel sorry for Beta Quinn.”
I do, also, but I don’t say it out loud. Instead, I gesture towards the vast training area behind the castle. “Come, Alana and Kilah are training their riding skills there. Let’s watch. Alana is a fantastic horse rider.”
“She promised she would teach me some tricks, too,” Nevyn says.
Every member of the royal family has to be a good horse rider. Caelan, Flinn and I trained our horses for battle, but Alana has a more artistic approach to horse riding. She is truly gifted.
*AZADEH*
After sleeping in a warm bed and getting served some hot porridge and tea the next morning, I’m ready to continue my journey. By now, my anxiety and curiosity have started to balance each other out. I didn’t expect these people to welcome me so warmly, and I certainly didn’t expect the guards assigned to me as bodyguards to still accept me so openly after they got a hint of how different I am.
Not even I know what I am capable of. Yet they didn’t even falter a little.
“So, the people from the Everlasting Desert do know how to ride?” Tynan asks me curiously.
“The warriors and nobles do,” I explain to him. “But mostly the males.” I pause. “And here?”
“Everyone knows how to ride,” Ita explains. “It’s mandatory to survive here as the distances are huge, and sometimes we need to run from the weather.”
“And creatures?” I ask.
Ita looks at me before she sighs. “There is no use in lying about it, but most of it is rumor. It's not like we constantly battle it out with mythical creatures.”
“But the woman I saw yesterday,” I point out. “You, Tynan and Royan know something, don’t you?”
“Not really,” she says. “It’s more like… there are rumors and sightings. People see things, and rumors spread.” She pauses. “I personally haven’t seen anything yet.”
The woman in white comes to my mind again. It must have been something the locals talked about, or it wouldn’t have gotten such a strong reaction from Royan. I wonder if Ita is telling me the whole story but I shrug it off for now, though. There will be better times to ask her more about this.
We all mount our horses again. Most of my warriors who crossed from the Desert over the borders with us will return. They were only supposed to accompany me until this point. A few will continue with us to provide some protection. Royan is in his human form this time, while Tynan shifts to his wolf form.
The ride to the capital is going to take us a whole day, so we try to set off early. Simin is so much in awe when we ride into the sunrise, and the snow is glittering beneath the few sun rays. It’s a beautiful view indeed, and I revel in it. It helps to distract her from her fear of horses.
Soon, we reach a road that leads us further into the country. There are little towns we come by, or rather packs, as the wolves call them. They seem to run similarly to our towns with a governor ruling, just that they have an Alpha. And as the governor has to answer to my father, they have to answer to Alpha King Gillean.
We only stop briefly to eat something in a pack. While the people there look a bit rougher than the ones at the town close to the border, they are polite and friendly and treat me with a surprising amount of respect.
“It’s because you are a princess,” Royan explains. “Werewolf or not, you are of high rank, and they respect that.”
The hours fly by, and soon, we ride through a vast forest. It seems to be a quiet and peaceful place, but I can’t shake off the eerie feeling creeping up to me. “Shayan,” I whisper.
“Yes?” he rides closer to me.
I don’t want to alert our werewolf companions, so I keep my voice low. “I just feel something,” I confide.
Shayan looks at me in worry. “Elaborate, Princess.”
“The hairs on my arms,” I whisper. “And on my neck, they are standing up, and it’s not because I’m cold. It feels like someone is watching.”
“Watching?” To my surprise, Ita rides closer to us. She heard me?! Wow, she must have great hearing.
Royan rides towards two of their own warriors; the men dismount from their horses and disappear into the forest. For a while, nothing happens. We just continue in silence until I can hear the cracking of some branches. I don’t think much of it until Royan returns to me and grabs the reins of my horse, his eyes gloss over. “Werebears!” he bellows. “Warriors, don’t play heroes! Protect the human warriors! I’m staying with the princess. We’ll take a run!”
I have barely been able to process what he said when his horse picks up its pace. The warriors flock around us while some others fall back to protect my men. “Is there anything I should do?” I ask as Royan’s and my horse easily outrun the others.
“No, Princess, just keep up the pace! I’m your protector, don’t worry.” I toss a glance back, the breath hitching in my throat. “And don’t look back.”
“Too late,” I blurt out.
Behind us, I can see huge creatures descending from the woods. Some wolves are surrounding them, trying to attack them. Ita falls back and seems to tell them something. They withdraw and soon follow us, with the bears hot on our heels.
“What are they?” I breathe out.
“Werebears,” Royan says grimly.
My mind runs wild. There are more shifters out there?! I thought there were only wolves, but now… there are werebears as well, and unlike the werewolves, I do feel scared of them!
With Royan leading us, we ride out of the forest and into a huge, white field of snow. One of the bears catches up to us, but Ita appears at our side. I can see how the sun reflects on a blade she is holding. She throws the knife into one of the bears, making him hiss and growl in pain and anger.
It worked in our favor as he falls back again.
“Faster!” Royan commands.