CHAPTER 8
THE FIRST SIGNS OF CIVILIZATION were upon them. What Lenore had first thought to be orbs of light in the distance turned out to be an organized assembly of lampposts and lanterns hung on low branches.
The lanterns emitted a glowing yellow that softly illuminated their surroundings, each one working to light a safe passage by the town’s entrance.
Scattered small blooms grew around the lampposts and between the cracks of the established road ahead.
As the group passed by, Lenore could see tiny little figures hovering by the glass of the lanterns, dancing to melodies unheard.
Those creatures, Lenore knew. They were pixies, with their otherworldly skin colors and three sets of insect-like wings.
Each beat of their wings caused a shimmering cascade of glittery dust to fall, fading away before it reached the ground.
Large trees formed a protective barrier on the outskirts of the town. Branches far above them intertwined into natural arches, amplifying the perception of security. Specially made lights embedded in some cracks in the wood reminded Lenore of pointed crystals.
A distant wolf’s howl echoed through the terrain. Soon enough, a chorus of howls followed behind. Lenore held her arms close.
The kirin continued forth toward the largest gap between the trees.
Brynn waited by the entrance, already in her human form.
An aged stone statue of a wolf was next to her, holding a lantern in its mouth.
Its tail curled around its base until the tip of the tail jutted outwards at the bottom.
Patches of moss clung to the stone, staining parts of it dark green.
A wooden arch was fastened between the trees just above.
On the right side, Lenore could make out a carved-out panel that was inscribed with a howling wolf.
Thick clusters of leaves hid the rest of the arch.
Drooping branches on either side reminded Lenore of outstretched claws, framing the archway with beastly prowess.
The kirin slowed to a stop right in front of the archway. Edmund hoisted himself off the beast right after, dropping to the ground with ease. He offered a hand to Lenore.
“You’ll be walking for the rest of it,” Edmund said. “Someone will take the kirin back to the barn.”
Lenore nodded and wordlessly took hold of his hand. She scooted forward to slide off the saddle. It was a clumsy landing as she slid off, her legs like jelly when they made contact with the ground. Edmund’s grip tightened to keep her steady.
Lenore groaned quietly in pain. “Thank you,” she mumbled, “but honestly, you can abandon me here. I can’t move anymore.”
An exasperated snort left Edmund. “You made it through an amphroga attack, you can do this simple task.”
“No, I can’t,” Lenore complained. The ground below her never looked so appealing, pebbles and all, to lie down on. “I thought I could, but when I touched the ground... ugh.” She winced as she shifted her weight between her legs.
“We could take a little break?” Brynn suggested. “We’re late already, we can just sit here.”
Edmund scowled. “We have a mission we need to complete properly after all the delays. The sooner she goes through proper introductions, the faster it’ll be over. I don’t think loitering around for a bit will fix her legs.”
“Well then, maybe you should carry her!” Brynn placed her hands on her hips.
“Everyone can tell she’s been through a lot, so nobody would bat an eye.
” But the moment she said that, her lips thinned briefly, almost like something troubling had just crossed her mind.
Lenore saw the way Edmund’s frown sharpened at Brynn.
He turned his attention back to Lenore, his glare disappearing into a look of reluctant surrender.
“Don’t make a peep about this then, since you refuse to walk.”
Lenore gaped at him, not having expected he’d listen to Brynn’s absurd request. She vigorously shook her head from side to side.
“No! That’s—okay, I’m sorry for complaining.
I’ll walk.” She walked a few steps forward, biting her lip all the while.
“How long will it take to, um, get to where we need to be?”
Whatever troubled Brynn, she quickly masked it with a grin. “Well, at your current pace with your human legs, likely twenty minutes.” She playfully twirled as she walked around Lenore. “Will you be okay?”
Lenore’s face paled. She turned back to Edmund. The time it took far outweighed her potential embarrassment.
“Please carry me.”
The faintest red tinged Edmund’s cheeks. It was fortunate for him that the lantern’s light was too dim for anyone to see. In a gruff voice, he muttered, “You are high maintenance.”
“In your own words you called me a city dweller. Forgive me for not being able to rough it out,” Lenore retorted.
She sighed. “It wouldn’t be too hard if it was only a five, ten minute walk but...
I need help, okay? Is that so wrong?” She looked up at him with big doe eyes, lips pulled together in a sad pout.
“Urgh. Did I ever say no?” Edmund exhaled through his nose. Without another word, he scooped Lenore into a bridal carry. A small squeak escaped Lenore, and she held her hands tightly when her feet no longer touched the ground.
“... Put me down.”
“What?” Edmund’s head snapped down to look at her in disbelief.
“I thought it was worse to walk for that long, but I changed my mind!” Lenore pressed her splayed hands against her cheeks. “Just put me down, I’ll crawl there!” She squirmed nervously. Next to her, she could hear Brynn guffawing away.
“I’m not putting you down if you think crawling is any better.” In response to Lenore’s squirming, he tightened his hold on her. “This isn’t pleasant for me either.” He began to walk, carrying her through the entrance and into the place Lenore would now have to call home.
“Just enjoy the view, Lenore,” Brynn said. Behind her, the kirin followed as she held the reins. “I don’t mean to brag, but I’d say our pack has one of the nicest territories in the land.”
Lenore listened to Brynn’s words. She turned her head, taking in the first glimpse of her new home. She gasped softly.
Brynn beamed. In a cheerful tone, she announced, “Welcome to Lunavie!”
It was a fascinating blend of overgrowth and architecture.
Mossy lumps of dark stone were scattered around the cleared road ahead.
Tiny sparkles of blue light floated around the stone and the surrounding area.
Sprouts of wildflowers peppered the edges of the road and the grass.
Similar lampposts, akin to the ones outside, were installed all across the town.
“Those aren’t fireflies, are they?” Lenore questioned. Her hands fell away from her face. She wondered for a moment if it was pixie dust, but concluded that the sparkles of light lasted far longer than the dust.
“Starflies,” Brynn answered. “The stones have minerals that attract them. They really do look like a field of blue stars, right?”
“They do.” Lenore’s eyes lingered on them for as long as she could before eventually looking away to stare in wonder at the architecture ahead of them.
Dark wooden buildings with arched windows welcomed her.
Moss covered almost every roof, and flowering wisteria nearly hid some homes, a waterfall of purples and blues over the dark mahogany.
On top of island-like mounds were trees, their exposed roots dangling down to the ground. Among their intertwined branches were strings of lit lanterns, bathing the group in warm light. Lenore watched as a brown wolf leapt from mound to mound, her eyes wide in awe as he landed right before them.
“Welcome back, Vesren. Hello, Brynn,” said the wolf. He bowed his head. “We didn’t expect your travels to be this long.” His green eyes then went to Lenore.
The same flicker of apprehension that passed through Brynn’s eyes when she first met her flashed through his. Lenore’s stomach twisted with discomfort. The way Brynn looked right before they entered Lunavie surfaced in her mind.
The wolf’s eyes stayed on her. “Everyone was getting concerned that there might’ve been something wrong…”
With me. Lenore tried to smile through the uncertainty that festered within her. The nightmare she had before clawed at her.
A monster.
The wolf’s eyes peeled away from her. “... With the journey,” he finally said, though his gaze strayed back to Lenore a moment too long before he continued. “There’s blood all over you two. What happened?” He blinked, as if noticing just now that Edmund was carrying her. “Are her legs injured?"
“There were unforeseen delays,” Edmund said. “Take the kirin, Hans. It has the new whelp’s things—”
“Whelp? Already slapped a label on her, eh?” A new voice entered the conversation.
A dark-purple wolf leapt down in front of them as Hans, now in his human form, led the kirin away.
The casualness of the wolf’s tone suggested a familiarity between him and Edmund.
He yawned, shaking his head as he added, “It’s hours after midnight.
I thought Auden sent you to guide her straight back here, not drag her through the thorns. ” His nose twitched. “Or waters.”
The dark-purple wolf’s gaze on her was different.
It was almost analytical, scrutinizing her without the wariness the others had.
Whatever emotions he held were buried in the black orbs of his eyes.
The faint glow of lanterns only intensified the lack of color.
His tail flicked, and he looked away, leaving Lenore to wonder what his conclusions were.
“Supposedly, Auden sent me,” Edmund replied with a twinge of annoyance.
A heavy sigh left the dark-purple wolf. “Not this again.”
“Would the Caernith really send the Vesren on a fetch quest like this?” Edmund’s brows drew close together. “It’s convenient how Auden is asleep nearly every time I’m being told by his mate that he’s sending me on errands that a Gloamryn should do instead.”
“Well, when he is awake, he doesn’t seem to disagree with the orders.”
“Azelf, you can’t really be denying this.”
“I think it was good for you to do this. Probably helped make you a better, well-rounded Vesren for all of us. Look at you already carrying our newest pack member! Although, that does bring me back to being concerned about what you did to make her like this.” He grinned toothily as Edmund answered with a scowl.
“Anyway, sorry to toss that suspicion of yours into the night, Eddy, but our Caernith is waiting for you all. He’s looking forward to greeting the newest member of our pack. ”
Edmund raised an eyebrow. “He’s better?”
“I think it’s better to say he’s… awake. Our good pal has been downing all kinds of concoctions just to give a proper greeting for tonight.” Azelf turned the other way. “As soon as we heard you’ve returned, I was sent to rush you guys to him.”
“And was it Auden that sent you personally?”
“Yes, actually, he did.” Azelf glanced at Lenore. “So… want me to take her off your hands? You look awful, no offense. Both of you two do.”
“I know,” Lenore replied in a small voice. “Just avert your eyes from me.”
“You didn’t have to say it like that, Azelf!” Brynn complained.
Edmund’s brow twitched. “I’ll deal with her. Just go on ahead and let Auden know we’re heading to them.”
“Alright then, see you all soon.” Azelf broke into a run, leaving the trio behind to follow his tracks at a brisk pace.
“Our Caernith is one of the kindest werewolves I know,” Brynn said. “So don’t worry about needing to give any sort of big impression!”
Edmund grunted in agreement. Lenore nodded tightly, holding onto the belief that their words were true.
It didn’t stop her stomach from being a jittery mess of nerves.