CHAPTER 4
THE VOICE IN THE FOREST
Training began before sunrise.
Aldric took Elena into the northern woods.
"Your power isn't ordinary wolf magic," he explained.
"What is it?"
"Royal blood magic."
Elena frowned.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is."
He taught her to focus on the mark.
At first, nothing happened.
Then the trees began to whisper.
Elena stepped back.
"I hear voices."
"Don't listen to all of them."
"Why?"
"Because some are memories."
"And some?"
"Warnings."
A branch snapped.
A wolf emerged from the trees.
Elena froze.
It was enormous.
Its fur was silver-gray.
Aldric stepped between them.
But the wolf did not attack.
Instead, it lowered its head.
Elena felt the mark burn.
The wolf walked toward her.
Aldric whispered, "Impossible."
The wolf touched Elena's hand with its nose.
A memory appeared.
A woman running through the forest.
A baby in her arms.
Aldric's queen.
She was crying.
Behind her, soldiers were approaching.
She handed the baby to an old woman.
"Take him east."
The vision changed.
The baby was hidden.
The queen turned back toward the palace.
Elena screamed.
The memory vanished.
Aldric stared at her.
"You saw her."
"Your queen?"
He nodded.
"What happened to her?"
"I believed she died that night."
Elena looked toward the silver wolf.
"She didn't."
Aldric went still.
"What did you see?"
"She gave someone a baby."
His voice dropped.
"My son?"
Elena nodded slowly.
"But there was something else."
"What?"
"The person she gave him to wasn't taking him to safety."
Aldric's eyes hardened.
"Who?"
"I couldn't see."
The silver wolf suddenly turned toward the eastern mountains.
Aldric followed its gaze.
"Then that's where we go."
Elena looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because the past has just given us a direction."