Chapitre 14

The hatred that had waned over the last few weeks was back in full force. Loud shouts came from outside and footsteps thundered across the floor. what happened there? Mael skillfully ignored it and kept walking towards me.

"Dana..."

"You're not a man," he said, looking my puny frame up and down. "Why didn't I notice? Maybe I underestimated you. Anyway, I'm curious what General Astor and Delta Ivan have to say about that."

I lifted my head a little higher. I had to stop him. My fingers around the dagger began to sweat.

"I only did what was necessary to protect my family. I'm not here because I enjoy it so much."

Mael didn't seem to like the sarcasm in my words. He approached me. Loud screams ripped through the tent and brought him to a standstill. Were we attacked? Mael stalked to the exit.

"What the great ah!"

He opened the tent and got on his knees.

Smoke drifted past him. Mael screamed as the fumes touched his face and hands. It burned his skin and turned it red. The dagger slipped from my fingers and hit the ground with a thump. Now the screams were no longer dull, but vibrated right on my eardrum. I backed against the tent wall.

What was going on here?

I looked around frantically. Was there a fire outside? Mael thumped the ground unconscious. The smoke kept creeping towards me. He was poisonous. How am I supposed to get out of here? Loud roars echoed through the fog. Mael lay motionless on the floor. Angry blisters formed on his skin. But that wasn't what fear poured into my veins.

His heart lay still in his chest.

soundless

He was dead.

The view outside was cloudy like dirty water. My wolf fidgeted as my chest tightened. I had to get out before the smoke trapped me. But how?

"DANA!"

I've never been so grateful for Astor's voice fighting its way through the smoke. Suddenly I felt a hot pain on my hands. I howled and lunged forward. Fog drifted through the cracks under the tent.

A familiar feeling, like acid eating through your skin.

Verbena.

"DANA!"

Not a second later Astor was standing in the entrance. His elbow hid half his face and his searching eyes froze when they spotted my small form on the floor, encased in smoke.

He passed the toxic fog and came to a stop in front of me. A gray blanket draped over his arm. He crouched down next to me, his eyes set. He wrapped the blanket around my body and I hugged her to me. It was big enough to go over my head.

Completely enclosed, he lifted me into his arms.

"You have to hold your breath!"

I threw a hasty look at Mael. His body was no longer recognizable. My acidic stomach contents climbed up the walls of the esophagus.

"The letter!" I yelled, pointing to the piece of paper he was holding. Astor grabbed my hand and pushed it back under the covers.

"Hold your breath now!"

With these words he pushed the fabric completely over my face so that I could only feel his strong arms holding my body. I stopped my breathing and held the air I had in my lungs.

I snuggled closer to him, away from the deadly smoke. Without hesitation, he began to run. In the darkness of the ceiling, I had no sense of direction and had to trust Astor's hasty steps to lead us to a safe place.

The longer it took, the louder my lungs screamed for oxygen. I could not anymore. Desperately, I grabbed Astor's shirt and tugged.

"Equal!"

I narrowed my eyes tighter.

It was like being back in the sinking lake. Only smoke, not water, would fill my lungs and suffocate. I struggled in Astor's grasp when he suddenly stopped and ripped the covers off me.

I immediately gasped for fresh air.

I breathed in and out greedily. My heart was completely overwhelmed. I looked back at the camp, only visible through a gray curtain.

Quite the opposite of the verbena field. It burned brightly and created the gray plumes that the wind carried to the tents. Like a fire in the black night, it lit up everything around it. We stood apart in the wide field.

My eyes sought Astor's, who still carried me in his arms. I pressed against his chest and slowly, as if I was fragile, he set me back on my own feet.

"What- what happened?" I gasped.

"We do not know it. While eating, smoke suddenly entered the tent. Delta Ivan and Edgar brought the group to safety, but two were missing..."

I looked at the bone dry floor.

Mal was dead.

The vervain had completely disfigured him. A rock pressed down on my stomach as I thought of the picture of his corpse. He had not been granted a peaceful death and although he wanted to betray me, I felt guilt on my shoulders. He had only been in the tent because of me.

I shook my head.

"Come on, we need to get back to the others," Astor said, and as he took my fingers in his, my mind snapped. A tingle ran up my arm. "It's not your fault, alright?"

I nodded.

To my wolf's disappointment, he let go of my hand as we neared the forest trees. Excited voices came towards us between the tree trunks. The smells of the troupe led us to a small clearing in the middle of the forest.

"Dan!"

Before I could react, a force was thrown at me and I stumbled backwards. Luke had his arms wrapped around me and I could hear a growl from the side. He immediately broke away from me and looked at Astor. He gave me one last look before turning and marching to Delta Ivan.

"Glad you're alive, midget," Roan said, patting my back with his strength as if to make sure my lungs were clear of smoke.

"Let him take a deep breath first," Ulf replied, but the relieved look betrayed the worries he had had.

"I've never had such a great welcome. Where would the wild wolves be without me?" I said and tried to smile, which must have looked a little cramped due to the shock.

"Listen!"

Our back and forth stopped abruptly when Astor took the floor and the attention.

"You all responded well. This was the only way we could almost all get out unhurt. Good work," he said, and some nodded in agreement. "We won't be able to enter the camp for a few days, at the earliest after the next rain. The smoke will take time to clear. That's very good for our next task Mission: Survival in the wilderness. As warriors, you must learn the basic techniques needed. We will set up camp here."

I looked around. Most seemed to like the idea, especially Luke. His eyes shone brighter than the stars in the night sky.

"I've always wanted to sleep outdoors like a real wolf," he whispered.

“We will distribute the work. We need food, water, places to sleep and a fire."

The troops were slowly moving. Ulf and many of the other puppies went looking for water. Luke joined the hunters who wanted to make the forest unsafe.

"Looks like we'll set up camp then, dwarf. Where's Mael?" Roan asked, looking around. His words made my blood run cold. His former friend was gone.

"I am sorry. We were both in the tent and when he ripped open the door the smoke poured in. He did not make it."

Roan looked at me in surprise.

"He is dead?"

I nodded silently.

"Oh... We've known each other for ages. We grew up together," Roan replied, lowering his thick eyebrows. "What should I tell his family?"

"You won't tell them anything. I'll take care of that," a new voice replied. We spun around to Delta Ivan. Even with the incident, his expression remained sharp as he looked me up and down. "You're lucky you're wolfless, Eschwald. "

"Where's General Astor?" I asked uneasily, unable to make out his form anywhere.

"Of your concern, warrior," he replied. "The work doesn't do itself here."

With these words he turned and marched to another group. My wolf felt uncomfortable at the thought of Astor not being here. I turned to Roan, but his eyes were glassy.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"You burned yourself the night Mael tried to throw you into the vervain field. You are not immune to verbena. How come you made it out and Mael didn't?"

His eyes pierced me and I suddenly became aware of his size again. He was still a brute and Astor wasn't here to help me.

"So, dwarf?"

***

"There aren't many wolfless people in the world," I stammered while my head searched for a solution.

"How come Mael is dead and you aren't?" Roan asked, unperturbed by my stutter.

"I'm a little embarrassed," I said, bowing my head. "General Astor got me out of there with a blanket. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him. But the thing about Mael is true. We heard screams outside and he did ripped open the entrance. The smoke hit him immediately. He got on his knees and screamed. It wasn't long before he was unconscious."

In my head, the scene played out again, like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. The sight of Mael's disfigured corpse was burned in forever. Roan nodded in concern.

"What should I tell his siblings?"

"He had siblings?" I asked.

"Yes, nine pieces. He was the eldest of them all," Roan replied. "He took care of her and when Alpha Udyr's order came, he went with him without hesitation. His family was very poor. He didn't always have it easy with his father, but ..."

Roan's voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's like the moon goddess herself punished him for shoving you in the vervain..."

I nodded thoughtfully.

“Abbels, Eschwald, why are you standing there?! Join us!"

I flinched at Delta Ivan's voice and we immediately walked over to the other soldiers. I looked around furtively.

Where was Astor?

"Good job!" Delta Ivan shouted.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Even at night it was much too warm here. We had worked through without a break and the result was impressive. Small huts covered with shrubs stood everywhere. A fire blazed in the center around which we had gathered.

There was no sign of Astor far and wide.

The puppies had set up a water reservoir under Ulf's supervision and filtered water from the lake for it.

Loud rustling sounded behind us and the hunters emerged from between the trees, still in their wolf form. I immediately recognized Luke, who was carrying a rabbit between his teeth. He and the others laid their prey in front of the fire before disappearing.

"Very good!" exclaimed Delta Ivan. "Anyone with a knife can start preparing the meat."

I looked around. All were still busy with their new sleeping quarters. A pleasant breeze filled the summer air, carrying with it the scent of nature. Something sweet had mixed into the tracks of the animals. Astor's trail lay very faintly above it.

"Roan, come with me. I've got an idea," I whispered to him, and he eyed me for a moment before his footsteps followed mine. Astor's trail quickly disappeared in a different direction.

Had he gone back to the camp?

"Where are you going?" Roan asked. I followed my nose in a different direction. The bushes thickened and my eyes scanned the forest floor.

"There!" I yelled, stopping. My senses hadn't failed me. Raspberry and blackberry bushes lined the trees. "They're even ripe."

Roan thundered past me and started tearing the little berries off the plant.

"Hey, leave me some," I said as I watched him stuff handfuls into his mouth.

"Need I remind you that our dinner was interrupted by a fire last night?" he asked, mouth full. I walked up to him and gave him a light butt on the back of the head, which had little effect.

"May I remind you that I didn't see any of the dinner last night?"

"Oh, dwarves don't need that much."

"Now don't be so greedy. I'm sure Luke and Ulf want something, too," I replied and started picking the bushes. Roan grunted and did the same. His paws fit significantly more than mine. The smell of roasted meat wafted towards us from the camp.

"Let's go back," Roan said, speaking from my heart. My mouth watered into a reservoir. I hadn't eaten in almost a day. We strolled through the woods until the makeshift cabins came into view. The place was still a big mess save for the meat, which was browning crispy over the fire.

Some soldiers were already sitting around the camp with a piece. Astor hadn't returned yet. My wolf began to worry as I surreptitiously looked around. Delta Ivan stood by the flames and gave everyone some of the food.

Luke was already munching his prey comfortably and still managed to overwhelm Ulf with his words. Roan and I approached them and placed the captured berries in a piece of tree bark, which served as a plate.

"Uh, dessert!" Luke shouted.

"Take care of it," Roan said before we joined the line at the fire. Some of the soldiers had already hung the animal skins out to dry.

"Here's the reward for hard work," Delta Ivan said, handing us a makeshift plate with food steaming on it.

"Thanks. Where's General Astor anyway?" I asked, and my attempt at sounding casual caught Delta Ivan's eye.

"He has something important to do and won't be back until tomorrow night. We will all train together for the day."

I nodded. I couldn't help the heavy feeling that settled on my chest. Why hadn't he let me know? Roan and I went back to the others. Why was I so interested in what he was doing? This damn bond between us...

I slumped against one of the vacant tree trunks and lifted the steaming hunk of meat to my lips. My wolf growled contentedly when I bit off a piece.

"I wonder where the letters are," said Ulf, who had already eaten his meal.

I munched on my food uselessly. My mind wandered to Astor. Should I follow his trail? Maybe there was a reason he was gone. Had he returned to the camp?

"Hey midget, do you want some berries now before Luke eats them all?" Roan asked, nudging me. I hastily grabbed some of the raspberries before Luke could take them and stuffed them in my mouth.

"Hey!"

"You really live up to your nickname, Nag," I managed to choke out from behind my mouth.

"My nickname is saw, got it? That sounds strong."

"Whatever you say," said Ulf, clasping his hands behind his head and enjoying the summer rays through the trees. The insects had also slowly woken up and were flying through the air.

"Enough break!" came the voice of Delta Ivan.

"What break? We didn't sleep a single second last night," Luke whispered, but stopped as soon as he caught the delta's gaze.

"There is a problem?"

"No, Delta Ivan!" he yelled, all fun gone. I wonder how the elite trained with him?

"In order. Today's program is survival training: making fire, gathering food and surviving in the great outdoors."

A part of me almost rejoiced at the announcements. Dad had shown me how to make a fire and I knew everything there was to eat in the forest. Actually, I could also hunt, but only in wolf form. Could you even catch a rabbit in human form?

"What are you grinning at, midget?" Roan asked, looking less than thrilled. Fighting was probably more his thing.

"We're finally doing something I'm good at," I replied.

Too bad Astor wasn't here...