Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Whispers Beyond Silence
The White Wolfin
The horses took their leave of the village slowly, a few hours after dawn greeted the day with gray skies and cold air that stung the face.
Adira sat comfortably, or somewhat comfortably, against the king, his arm secure around her waist as they rode deeper into Driochmor.
He glanced down at her, having done so often since mounting his horse. He was concerned and it stirred her heart to know he cared. She smiled softly, letting him know she was fine. And she was, just a bit sore from last night and this morning’s lovemaking.
She had woken to his touch, though it was more than his touch that had woken her in unimaginable ways.
The memory of it brought warmth to her face.
His touch had been gentle but hurried. They hadn’t the privacy of the whole night ahead of them.
They could not take the chance of being discovered, and yet he had taken the chance, his desire for her too strong to ignore. And she had felt the same.
She had wanted him with the same eager need and though it had been a brief joining, it was no less satisfying than last night. And it was now the reason he kept glancing down at her.
When he had placed her on the horse earlier, she had grimaced from the slight discomfort, and he had seen it and scowled. His eyes had immediately searched the area and she knew why. He looked for the healer.
She had almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but thankfully she had thought better of it. It would not be at all proper for her to touch the king. She had felt a chuckle rise in her chest thinking how she had touched the king last night, and he had not minded at all.
A good shake of her head and a glance toward the nearby villagers had been enough of a reminder that no one could know they had become intimate.
That seemed to annoy him even more, but then, of course, it would, since he was king and unable to do anything about it. Helping her would expose them and only make matters worse.
So now they both suffered in silence, though it warmed her heart that she did not suffer alone. The king shared in her discomfort.
Seger rode toward them, reining his horse to ride beside Dravic.
“My king, forgive me, but I cannot help but question Ernach’s loyalty when talk spreads of his disloyalty to King Halric. How can we be sure he does not lead us into danger?”
“We are in Driochmor. That is dangerous enough,” Dravic said. “And your task is to make sure we remain safe, not question your king.”
“He’s right about that,” Fiora said as she suddenly flitted between the two men. “Touch the wrong plant, say something to the wrong creature and the next thing you know… you’re a fly-eating toad or the fly.”
Seger’s mouth dropped open as if he was about to speak but he just stared at Fiora.
Fiora laughed. “That’s good. Practice catching flies in your mouth so you don’t starve when you become a toad.”
“Enough, Fiora!” Dravic snapped. “No one is being turned into a toad.”
Fiora planted her hands on her tiny hips. “Oh yeah, then tell that to all those toads the evil witches collected.”
“Evil witches?” Seger asked, then shut his mouth tight.
“Then there are the trolls,” Fiora said. “There are small ones and enormous ones, but all ugly and dumb though mighty strong.”
“Enough, Fiora!” Dravic warned again.
“Just preparing you,” Fiora said with feigned innocence. “Oh, I forgot the plants, the trees, the flowers. Touch the wrong ones and…” She shook her small head. “You’re a goner.”
Adira watched the exchange and knew from the twinkle in the fairy’s eyes and her playful smile that she had to be teasing them.
A burst of cold air swept past her, stinging her cheek. She thought nothing of it, not at first. Not until the cold settled more heavily around her as if it almost hugged her.
Then she heard it. She remained still, unsure if she had imagined it.
She glanced at the forest surrounding them. The same strange whispers she had yet to understand seemed to linger at the edge of her awareness, but this was different.
This had not been a whisper.
The wind had carried a sound to her. A sound meant to be heard. But she could not hear. So, how was it that she heard this sound?
Her eyes moved toward the fairy. She was laughing as she continued to tease, her tiny face bright with amusement. Could it be her laughter? But how did she know what laughter sounded like if she never heard it?
Her gaze shifted toward Seger. She easily distinguished sighs, from light to heavy ones, having watched people for years. She had seen him sigh heavily at Fiora. Had that been what she heard?
She cast a quick glance at the trees, perhaps it was the flutter of bird wings. But no birds flew overhead or moved among the branches.
Adira lowered her gaze. What was happening to her? She heard the sound. No one could tell her otherwise. It was as if someone shut a door against the sound before she could fully grasp it.
She knew silence. It was her companion since she’d been born.
Hadn’t it?
Or was silence all she could remember?
Adira did not have time to question the thought further.
The change in the king came first. His body tightened behind her, his arm drawing more firmly around her waist—not enough to hurt, but enough that she felt the shift from concern to alertness.
She hurried to look at the others. The others had changed as well.
Seger was no longer watching the path ahead. His attention moved slowly from one side of the forest to the other, his hand resting near his sword. The warriors around them had become still, their relaxed posture gone.
Even Fiora was quiet.
That alone caught Adira’s attention. The tiny fairy hovered near them, her usual amusement gone as she looked toward the trees.
“What is it?” Dravic asked, hearing an odd sound rumbling through the forest.
Fiora did not answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed where all attention was fixed, on the forest.
“Wolfin territory.”
Seger’s head turned sharply. “Wolfin?”
Adira looked between them, watching the reaction on their faces… fear.
Fiora slowly nodded. “Aye, and it is not a place anyone enters willingly. The witches even avoid it.”
“Explain,” Dravic commanded.
The fairy looked at him, then back toward the trees. “The Wolfin are not ordinary creatures. They have their own land, their own rules, and they do not tolerate those who trespass.”
Seger’s expression hardened. “And you failed to mention this before?”
Fiora gave him an offended look. “Ernach planned the route.”
“And I was careful,” Ernach said, joining them to ride alongside Seger. “We are not on their territory.”
Fiora turned wide eyes on him. “They are off land? Why?”
“How bad are these creatures?” Seger asked.
“They can tear a man apart with only two bites,” Fiora said.
Seger stared at her. “They can?”
“Aye,” Ernach confirmed, shuddering. “And I have no idea why the Wolfin are here.”
The sound grew louder in Adira’s head. Whatever worried them was getting closer.
She pressed herself closer against the king, her hand slipping beneath his cloak to rest low on his chest.
He glanced down at her. There was no fear in his eyes, but there was worry.
He turned his head quickly and her attention followed, as did everyone else’s, to the forest just ahead of them.
Dravic brought his horse to a sudden halt, and Seger immediately followed, turning in his saddle to issue a command to the men behind them.
The movement was swift, disciplined, but Adira felt the change that had passed through the group. Moments before, they had been traveling deeper into the forest, their attention divided between the path ahead and the conversation around them.
Now every warrior was alert.
The horses sensed it as well. Several shifted uneasily beneath their riders, their ears turning toward the trees. One gave a low whine, another stamped against the snow-covered ground, but the king’s stallion remained perfectly still.
That, more than anything, told Adira how serious the moment was.
A sound moved through the forest. At first, it was barely there.
A low growl.
Then another answered.
The noise rolled between the trees, growing louder until it seemed to surround them. It was not the sound of one creature, but many, each one joining the other until the forest itself appeared to vibrate with the warning.
Adira felt the king’s muscles grow taut. The warmth that had surrounded her only moments before disappeared, replaced by the man she had seen command warriors and face danger without hesitation.
She turned her gaze toward the trees. Something moved among them.
At first, she saw only shadows, and then the shadows stepped forward.
Gray fur appeared between the dark trunks, followed by black forms moving silently through the snow.
They were massive creatures, far larger than any wolves she had ever seen, their gold eyes focused on each person as if they were choosing their target.
Their powerful bodies moved with graceful and purposeful strides that sent unease through even the bravest warriors.
They did not rush. They did not need to. They knew they had them surrounded.
One stepped onto the path. Then another emerged from the opposite side. More followed until the forest seemed filled with them.
Adira looked around. There were too many. Even with all of the king’s warriors, even with their swords and their courage, there were simply too many massive wolves.
She spotted Seger’s hand tightening around his sword.
“My king…”
Dravic’s gaze moved slowly over the creatures surrounding them. His expression revealed nothing, but Adira knew him well enough now to recognize the careful calculation behind his calm.
“Hold.” The king’s command was firm and confident.
The warriors obeyed.
The creatures continued forward. Their lips pulled back, revealing sharp teeth beneath their thick fur. The deep growls continued, warning them, testing them.
The horses shifted again, their fear growing as the creatures drew closer.
Adira felt the king’s arm tighten around her.
They were surrounded, and the growling grew louder.
Dravic continued to assess the situation, unsure whether the growling was a warning or a challenge. Did it even matter?
The creatures did not attack. They remained where they were, watching, waiting, as if they knew something the warriors did not.
Dravic studied them carefully. “Why do they not attack?”
Fiora looked toward the creatures. “They wait.”
“For what?” Dravic asked.
“Their leader.”
Seger’s gaze remained fixed on the wolves. “They follow a command?”
“Aye,” Fiora said. “The Wolfin do nothing without their leader’s command.”
The words did not ease the tension. If anything, they made it worse.
The creatures surrounding them were not acting on instinct. They were waiting for a decision. A decision that belonged to something far more powerful.
The growling faded until the only sound remaining was the restless shifting of the horses and the soft crunch of snow beneath their hooves.
Adira held herself still, feeling the tension that had settled over every warrior around her. The creatures that surrounded them had not left, yet something had changed. The anger that had filled the air moments before had vanished, replaced by something far more unsettling.
Waiting.
A movement beyond the trees caught her attention.
At first, Adira saw only the faint shift of white against the dark trunks. Then the creature stepped into view.
Adira forgot to breathe.
It was unlike any wolf she had ever imagined.
Larger than the creatures that surrounded them, yet there was a grace in the way it moved that made its size seem almost impossible.
Its thick white coat shimmered against the gray landscape, untouched by the snow that clung to the forest floor.
Its eyes held an intelligence that went beyond any beast, watching, studying, understanding.
The warriors around her did not move.
Even the horses seemed to sense they stood before something unlike anything they had faced before.
The creature moved forward, and the wolves surrounding them lowered their heads in respect as she passed.
Adira watched as she walked through the gathered warriors, who instinctively parted to allow her passage. The creature did not hesitate. She did not threaten. She simply moved with the certainty of one who belonged to this forest and had no reason to fear those who entered it.
“Do not touch your weapons,” Dravic ordered as the large Wolfin approached him.
Every man there stilled, their hands lingering near the handles of their weapons, though dared not touch them.
Adira stared at the magnificent creature, struck by the power and confidence she carried.
The king’s arm remained firm around her waist, his chin slightly tilted, and his shoulders drawn back. And to Adira’s amazement, his heartbeat remained steady against her hand. He showed no signs of fear, and she realized he shared the same power and confidence as the Wolfin.
Adira watched as the white wolf and the king held each other’s gaze.
“I wish you and your kind no harm. I seek only information,” Dravic said, his voice firm and filled with authority.
The Wolfin stared for a moment longer, then she backed away slowly. Before turning, she bowed her head low as if honoring the king. But her gold eyes were not on the king, they were on Adira.
That was when Adira heard the words clearly.
Welcome home.