Chapitre 15

"Nice work, Eschwald. I'm really impressed with your survival skills," Delta Ivan said, putting a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you," I replied. Normally, the best days always go by the fastest, but Astor's absence slowly started to gnaw at me. I could hardly sleep last night and now the sun was sinking towards the horizon again.

Delta Ivan retreated to his little hut. My wolf growled after him as if to ask him about Astor's whereabouts again. What if he didn't come back? I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Had something happened to him? The sky turned dark and gray clouds moved over the horizon.

I sauntered over to my sleeping quarters, which was mostly branches and was separated from Lukes and Ulfs. I climbed in and lay down on the floor.

The campfire was a pile of ashes, casting golden shadows on the tree trunks. I tossed and turned, but couldn't find a good position to sleep. My wolf didn't do me any favors either with her restless nature. I closed my eyes.

The chirping of crickets and other insects vibrated across the forest floor. A chorus of snoring warriors settled into the night. The smells seemed stronger than ever. I took my uniform and sniffed it. Aside from today's sweat, a faint note of my scent hung on the fabric.

I sat up.

the potion

I needed the potion.

Otherwise, tomorrow everyone would be wondering where the smell of a she-wolf came from and it wouldn't take long for me to be identified as the cause.

I slipped out of my sleeping place as quietly as I could. A few soldiers were still awake and gave me a quick look before turning their eyes to the sky again. I snuck out of the camp.

Astor's scent could hardly be smelled since yesterday. If it weren't for my she-wolf, who would freak out at the slightest sign, I wouldn't know where I would have to go. Now and then I stepped on dry branches, which gave a loud cracking noise. Instead of going to the berry bushes, I turned towards the campsite.

A gentle breeze blew against my neck from behind, as if trying to propel me faster in Astor's direction. Had something happened to him? At the thought, I took a step faster through the forest.

Suddenly there was a whoosh and my heart skipped a beat. I froze and looked around. The dark shapes of the tree trunks with the bushes prevented me from seeing far. But the noise remained. It grew louder with every second, like a wave coming at me.

An attack?

I couldn't smell anything because the wind was blowing from the north. My eyes widened as I saw paws through the night. Many paws.

Without hesitation, I spun around and sprinted at full speed towards the forest camp. My legs pounded against the ground and the rush of countless attackers followed me.

"Charge!" I shouted as the first roosts came into view. Some of the warriors got the reaction I wanted. They jumped to their feet, shaking each other awake while I stopped in front of the dead fire.

"There, listen!" I gasped, and everyone fell silent. The roar grew nearer. As if the sound of approaching troops had awakened an instinct in them, the warriors stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the camp. I could barely see past them. It was a shambles.

"What's going on here?" Delta asked Ivan, falling silent as he saw the spectacle. And then what the night had hidden was revealed.

Foxes.

The wind ruffled their rust-colored fur as they slipped lithely between the trees.

"Out of the way!" shouted Edgar and broke through the wall of bewildered warriors. As if the forest animals had recognized him, they came towards him and finally I understood. They brought new mail. that had been hung around her neck.

"Abbels, this is for you!"

The tension eased from us as the storm of foxes slowly eased. One stopped in front of me and looked at me expectantly. I knelt down. My fingers slid through the fur, which was silky soft. I grinned as he made a high-pitched noise, like a laugh.

I untied the string around his neck and read the name. The scroll was torn, as if the sender had hurried.

Dohn.

"Hey Ulf, this is for you," I said, and he immediately walked towards me. There were probably no pictures of Alice in there. There was relief on his face as he unrolled the paper.

I focused back on the fox who had to lie down from the long journey. There were soldiers everywhere with letters in their hands. The night's rest was completely forgotten. Ulf's posture froze next to me and I looked up. His brows were drawn together tightly as his eyes quickly scanned the lines.

"What's going on?" I asked, getting up. But Ulf didn't seem to hear me. I caught a glimpse of the paper. The ink was completely smeared and suddenly ended up in the middle. I could barely read the writing.

"Hey midget, this one is for you!" Roan called, stepping towards me through the confusion. He handed me the paper, but his smile faded at my expression. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head and looked at Ulf.

"Where did he go?" I asked, scanning the place. His black-grey hair was gone.

"What's happening?"

Luke came towards us.

"Wait here," I said, and put the letter that was addressed to me in the breast pocket of my uniform. On any other day I would have opened it immediately, but not today. Something was wrong led the course and dived into the forest, mingling with that of Delta Ivan.

The wolves' voices grew fainter with each step into the night, until they were only a whisper in the distance. Then there were new sounds and I stopped behind one of the trees, far away from Ulf and Delta Ivan. But the voices almost seemed to scream, completely distracted.

"Somebody has to do something!"

I had never heard Ulf so upset. I leaned closer against the rough tree bark.

"Don't forget your position, pup! Alpha Udyr knows what he's doing and we're not just going to war!"

"You have Alice! They've crossed the border yet again and now they've kidnapped someone! Next week is her fifth birthday!"

What?

My wolf growled at Ulf's words. Had Riverclaw kidnapped his daughter?

“We are here in the training camp! The real warriors will take care of these matters, understand?"

Delta Ivan's voice left no room for discussion. A stifling silence fell over the summer night. He couldn't just let that happen, could he? I stood petrified by the tree.

"Yes, Delta Ivan."

I could hardly understand Ulf as hard as he had clenched his teeth.

"Get your wolf under control, pup. We don't need another failure."

I would have liked to come out of my hiding place and tell him what I thought. How could he be so merciless? This was about his daughter. He couldn't just accept that.

She was only four.

What did Riverclaw want with her? Did they want leverage against Alpha Udyr for more territory? I thought of the drawing of the little girl standing between her parents with a big smile on her face.

She must be incredibly scared. Not only had her father been gone for months, now she wasn't home either.

"Delta Ivan-"

Suddenly, hands grabbed me from behind and before I could scream, one slid over my mouth. His grip was tight and a hot tingle slid over my body.

"Who is listening to other people's conversations here?"

My eyes widened and any fear evaporated. He rolled me over in his arms and stared down at me.

Astor.

****

Suddenly hands grabbed me from behind and before I could scream one slid over my mouth. His grip was tight and a hot tingle slid over my body.

"Who is listening to other people's conversations here?"

My eyes widened and any fear evaporated. He rolled me over in his arms and stared down at me.

Astor.

"I thought I had trained you better to pay more attention to your surroundings," Astor said, and my cheeks immediately became hot. He wasn't there for a minute and he was already making my wolf purr like a kitten.

Against my instincts, I put my hands over his and pulled them from my hips.

"Where have you been?" I asked and Astor's expression darkened immediately. I wanted to take the words back.

"There was a lot to do in the warehouse, including getting rid of your letter," he whispered, glancing behind me. I spun around. Loud footsteps came towards us. Suddenly Astor pushed me against the tree. He was so close that I could feel his breath on my forehead.

My wolf internally jumped up and down at the smell that surrounded us. Less than ten meters away, an angry Delta Ivan stomped past us, heading back towards the camp. When he disappeared, I breathed a sigh of relief. Astor pulled away from me.

I immediately darted around to Ulf, who was now standing alone in the forest. He ruffled his hair. Then his eyes focused and a shimmer mixed in. I slapped a hand over my mouth as his bones snapped. Not a second later a gray, slim wolf stood in his place.

The paws began to chase noiselessly across the forest floor. I took a step forward, but he had already disappeared into the undergrowth. He wanted to go home.

"Damn," I whispered, turning to Astor. "We have to go after him!"

"Not so fast," Astor whispered, holding me by the back of my uniform.

"We have to help him," I said, desperate at my powerlessness. "Let me go!"

Suddenly, the air fled from my lungs as he easily leaned me back against the tree, blocking any exit. I grabbed the uniform over his chest with my fists and tried to push him away from me. He was like a rock that didn't move an inch.

"Calm down. I'll let you go when you calm down. Take a deep breath, in, out."

I imitated him and the fresh oxygen did some things to calm my heart. My thoughts were still racing at full speed. Ulf wanted to go to his family. He had directly disobeyed Delta Ivan's order. That could cost him his head.

"Dana."

Warm hands tore me from the performances. Astor's eyes bore into mine. I was completely lost in his steady gaze.

"You can't help him like that. We need to keep cool, okay?" he said, his soft voice uncharacteristically soothing. "All right?"

I nodded. He looked satisfied with my silent answer. His fingers smoothed my strands out of my face and I closed my eyes for a moment. I had to keep calm. That was the only way I could help Ulf. Ulf...

"We have to go after him," I said firmly. "He wants to protect his daughter."

"That was one of the reasons I left. Riverclaw has crossed a boundary. There is no way back. Alpha Udyr has made his decision."

"You spoke to Alpha Udyr?" I asked, almost scared.

"Yes, and he won't watch any longer. The warriors on the frontier are ready and waiting for reinforcements."

"Wait, they want to conquer all of Riverclaw?" I asked. "And what reinforcements? Alpha Udyr doesn't mean us, does he?"

"The warriors of the capital have already gone. None of us should go, but Dohn doesn't give me a choice. You listen carefully now: we will join the warriors in twos. I rescued your bag from the tent. It is in front of the entrance to the camp. You get them and wait for me there, understand?"

I nodded.

Astor didn't wait a second longer, but swept towards the forest camp. I looked after him. He hadn't answered my question. But right now he was the only one I could trust and that thought scared me.

Small branches snapped beneath me as I followed the scents to the camp. The eyes of the owls lurked above me, the only witnesses in the night. I burst out from between the trees onto the dirt track. The grass under my shoes was bone dry.

We were all lucky that the flames hadn't spread across the vervain field. The moon shone on the charred surface where deadly flowers had lived just a few days ago. It hadn't completely burned down. A thin purple stripe separated us from Ice Claw.

I came closer and as Astor had promised, my bag was in front of the entrance. I crouched down and rummaged around in it. My fingertips touched cool glass. I pulled out the potion, which was little more than two sips. The trip was my chance to refill the bottle.

I uncorked the cork and held my breath.

The contents of the bottle still left a disgusting taste like bitter vegetables. My body shook once as if to get rid of it that way. Through the keen ears of my wolf, I heard Astor from far away. The moon gave him a silver shadow in which he confidently marched towards me.

"Are you ready?" he asked, the silver from above making his skin appear flawless, like cool marble.

"Yes," I whispered.

"We are in a hurry. The road is long and we will take the route via the capital. You cannot transform. Someone might recognize you," Astor said, and I nodded. He took the backpack from my hand and pushed it onto his back. "Go."

He started jogging and I ran alongside him. Our size difference didn't make it easier for me to keep up. We followed the path, further away from the western forest and into the heart of Silverblood.

The camp behind us disappeared into the horizon.

I couldn't tell how long we were gone. We had passed fields, some sleeping villages and now we were stuck in a forest that seemed to have no end for ages.

"I hope you know the way," I said to lighten the mood a bit. Astor's mouth turned up.

"I know every corner of the territory, every hiding spot," he replied. I couldn't tell if it was from the jog or his words, but my heart started beating faster.

"You could never find me in the western forest," I said, and his eyes lit up as if he was up for the challenge.

"When this is all over, we'd love to test your theory. But I have to warn you. I'm a good hunter and your scent is easy to read."

"We'll see about that," I replied, smiling. He didn't stand a chance if I hid in the treetops, or in the underground cave, or-

My thoughts broke off at the sight that presented itself before us. The trees thinned out into a city with a huge castle in the center.

The White Palace.

The moon bathed it in cold light while the small spiers soared into the sky. The houses that had gathered all around were nothing compared to the marble. I felt like taking a break and going to the palace just to see it up close.

Alpha Udyr lived there.

"Dana, come on," Astor said, snapping me out of my admiration. He was a few yards ahead of me and I scrambled to catch up. We passed the vast fields on the outskirts of town, grain swaying in the night breeze.

The people were real masters of architecture. It was hard to believe that a king had ruled this palace before the Great Reversal, a time when werewolves still lived in the forest.

We dove back into the forest.

The running was slowly straining my heart, which was pounding up and down in exhaustion. Camp training got me this far, but endurance still wasn't my friend. I gasped and despite the night I could feel the sweat running down my back.

"How long?" I asked out of breath and Astor turned to me. Suddenly he stopped and grateful for the break I did the same. I put my hands on my knees and tried to calm my breathing.

"We still have a few hours to go."

I groaned at his words and dropped my head. Some hours? The route had looked shorter on the map. A yawn escaped my lips.

I had come this far for having slept so badly the last few nights. A rustling snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Come here."

His words made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He gave me the backpack and I put it on my back.

"What did you- Ah!"

A scream escaped my lips as, without warning, Astor lifted me into the air. By reflex, I clung to him like a burr.

"Hold still," he grumbled and my movements stiffened. Not a second later he was carrying me on his back through the forest. His stride quickened so that he was now running faster than before. His hands buried themselves in my thighs and held me tight on his body.

My fingers, still clenched in his shirt, relaxed after a few minutes and I rested my head on his shoulder. There was a bit of Astor's earthy smell in every new breath. My wolf purred. If I hadn't been so tired it would have bothered me, but my bones were grateful for the relaxation.