LEAVING THE

rest c

the canopy thinner. Sunlight found them more often, painting their path in silver strips and broken

n't speak fo

been given a chance to understand. The crest weighed in her pocket like a stone made of truth. Her

d at her side

be

ah

h h

n't com

mply

idn't catch - a rustle of branches too far to see, the snap of twigs ben

in silence - but now she realized she had neve

nd she didn

t

anym

forest beca

it, far but visible, the river wound like a silver vein between trees. On th

exhaled

one this far,

ntly with his muzzle - not

tightening as if trying t

to keep

they

the steepness; her palms scraped against bark as she slid down a slick slop

forest followed t

goo

F THE OU

found the first evidence that

bridge

Planks dangled like rusted teeth, ropes frayed and black

mage. The wolf sniffed along the bur

he murmured. "Someon

owled, soft

ng subtle details only silence revealed. She noticed boot prints in the mud.

Soldiers.

of us," Jackl

be

ea

s reach had alread

as walkin

rself to stand. Fear was a feeling - not a cha

the river,

ged her leg

r ankles. They crossed on foot, the wolf swimming through a deeper current with steady strokes. On the

eyond smelle

anc

prote

ive wit

been hidden from f

ed forwar

ADOWS OF

oked, wrapped in smoke like tired breath. Fences lined fields where long gra

n," Jacklin

a

a

- real a

sted with somet

cipa

e

o

when the wolf stiffened suddenly, ears s

ne lis

st, no

he hea

tst

o

sur

one

w

thr

towar

lifted

of her - protective inst

en detail. Three figures in cloaks the color of ash, each

's breat

e this - but the lantern light scr

figures rai

aid, smooth and quiet as river sto

udded once, twice,

y k

er blood, h

her before she re

bled like thunder, w

ay - spear steady, voice calm

yours," she said.

ed - though no warmt

age from your un

ing wishes to w

's blood

o

one stolen

ily who ab

not attacking yet, but p

cut the night air

not go

e's smile

u will b

olf l

erns flared l

rned from discovery

RE AND

unnatural hunger, casting shadows that moved too independently from their o

barricade of muscle and instinc

fe

arat

spoke again, voice

e. Admirable. But destiny does not rewrite it

rce rising inside her, something that w

me," she said, stepping forwar

e kind of sound that

ed his head, curi

nce. Une

slid to

an - still chain

ne sti

?" she r

lantern slightly - blue

lf fli

ain - but

s mind sleeps inside fur. When the red moon rises again, he

's breat

like a blade. His ears flattened, and something beh

ped closer to

armed me," she

someone watching a candle

m. You believe he is a b

grew quiet

y like skin. When the moon ca

epened - shaking le

's pulse

et she trusted him more than she trusted

him," she

t held it

ed his lantern -

ll take you

ght ex

BENEATH L

with a hiss. The wolf leaped aside, teeth bared, eyes burning with silver fury. Jackline ducked unde

d with a crac

ng brush in blue flame that refused to consu

Jackline

was alrea

t. Leaves flared blue behind them, marking where magic had touched. The emissarie

ad of them - cut

o a stop, breath s

f lunge

wi

hough

ec

one - yet instead of falling, the cloaked figure dissolve

led once, ste

trun magic,"

- and she saw it for

mal obe

deci

ues

gh

l

inside her with the certa

ig

ed - muscles coiling

r spear in one h

t through the clea

STRIKE O

moved as one - she striking low, he high. Her spear deflected a bolt of magic that would have

h - but

ssary s

ame spu

cond emissary appeared behind Jackline, hand

around cloth - ripping it away to reveal something beneath that wasn't

ieked - a sound

froze at

flipping herself backward and striking the figure fu

ered like glass in

ated - not with fea

voice cal

n expected. Untrained

led, ready to

ine lifte

toppi

g this

low as thunder

y uncle

epped

ng for wha

e - mocking or respect

ped," he

nterns collapsing into

ce re

pe

like war

owly lowere

d not with fear

nt, but watchful, as though waiting to

hand on his fur

lder Reign,

head to her h

prom

obed

ners

age - blue lantern ash blowing behind

EYOND T

nned one brea

o pieces - a wide blue-grey canvas brushed with smoke from distant chimneys. The wolf s

line of oaks, el

reeze. Dirt paths wound between market stalls and cottages, though only a few people l

took a st

for the world beyond the forest. The air smelled different here

nteen years without ever

ng into a village wit

villager

zen mid-lift on the bucket. Her gaze droppe

red, stumbling bac

across the square

urtains shifted

d, some curious, some hostile. The wolf stepped closer to her leg, quie

ept her ch

ot lower

not hide

en crown, she would walk l

beneath her skin as whispe

is

look at

hunter'

f tamed? I

f a tavern

on an apron. His eyes were steady, not panicked - but focused.

d cautiously

never left the wolf. "This is no place f

held he

," she said. "

creature like that belongs to th

ached into

osed around

- silver catchin

street fe

widened - not with fear now, but wi

d, voice cracking,

llage - deeper than fea

earth its

owed. "My name

stared round-eyed, clutching his mother's skirts a

eeper did no

pped f

story in the name. "There was a child by that name onc

aze without

're

ques

ent

ed - not with fear, but s

ong

gnit

lived without

again - expression shifting,

urmured. "Cursed to rema

- stately, grave - as th

quiet, sure - cut

nowledge. I need to know what became of

e crowd spoke -

pered. "He rules beyond the v

their heads as if even spe

hrough the ai

t - something

o

ickering.

ed aside, gesturing tow

"but you'll find a table, warm stew, and ears willi

esitated,

ean n

e water around them, some lowering heads, others wat

lf beside her - real air, real voices, r

wi

sile

gh

i

as part o

world wanted

AT TH

ch. Jackline had never known a room like this: stone walls unbroken by vines, voices trad

like a ghost wandering

lled back instinctively as they entered, chairs scraping, hands tightening on

e beginning of a story the

stured to an empty t

tly. "Warm yoursel

er seat carefully; spear lay across her knees. The wolf lowered himself at

d not

er di

egetables and wild herbs. Jackline's stomach clenched with hunger she hadn't acknowle

aw meat was slid cautiously toward him. He only sniffed

k Jackli

eat until s

lace here w

ke a stone in her chest -

speak, another

air hung long and white down his back, and his eyes - sharp as f

ieted as he

e said - voice low, weathered by

aightened un

are

head lightly - res

ed your family befor

t her

when the las

arply - as if the

r bowl aside, h

appened

pered. N

ema

rembled - not fro

alone when others fled. But the Sorcerer-

s throat

hough she had imagined him on

replied. "He tried to break the

wolf - and the room held

s pulse q

Guar

sed pro

thing like sorrow glimmered behi

nto the chair

you would one day return - not as a c

wallowed,

turn to

lence was a

ken t

smothered

crown waiting - but

ed from behind. Li

ine t

eyes sharp with something like fear and purpose woven to

aid, voice barely steady.

's breat

ing piece of silver - not identical, but part of the sam

led throug

arply, staff st

ou

f - stunned, but

d forward, hea

are

ook - not with weak

is," she whispered. "And thei

's pulse

strangers

y carry piece

her name when she he

more, the tavern wi

loded acr

ose from t

bristling, teeth bared. Outside, flames flickered orange a

ugh the village squ

T HEIR I

cra

s shr

poured through the squ

d been

King's reach

ce tore thro

line

f moved - n

clear

ight like prop

e rose

hi

forg

omi

Elder Re

ashed li

eath torchlight, boots striking dirt like war drums. Horses reared, shadows lunged, fire

ne did

st

teel. When the first soldier reached them, blade raised, the wolf met him mi

n had ever seen a b

ugh the room lik

ized Jack

voice trembling with urgency. "You are not read

e met h

ration in it.

lickered inside her,

fu

square, wind slapping embers against her skin. Soldiers for

tain rode

shimmered like frost. His face was hidden behind a half-mas

s house - c

hing cold and fierc

oice boomed acr

rer-King, the lost hei

ll to the

s sl

ren c

e did n

a wall of fur and power, grow

pointed his

e outnu

lifted

stimate wha

ike darkness come alive-silent and unstoppable. He knocked men aside

e were t

ze

till advancing t

ide Jackline, eyes blazing with the fire of

breathlessly. "But I will n

ast and precise, daggers flashing silver. She held her g

struck the earth, the ground shuddered - roots whippin

lder th

ets of water, weapons, stones, anything. Not all dare

ed more t

ike storm wind through her hair

the village would

soldier's strike meant for her spine. He saved her without

's breat

yes f

si

e

or an

of the cu

lurched

e moon rose high enough... instinct might tu

ision crystall

she shouted. "I will not

reaming and steel like a

soldier

iately-waiting for her next word

ching crest sprinted

to fight," she gasped. "Y

shook h

y rule by burnin

erstanding forming like

them, face lined wi

ow. We'll hold them long enough. Bu

rembled - not with

ime, she had so

s fur. He pressed against her leg as if t

turned to

with

ed once witho

e felt the first piece of h

ough co

gh ch

g entry. Magic surged. Horses screamed. The

longer in the burning squar

spoke onl

un

they

the

the u

e that would e

rown

d them into

e world red

ingdom vanished into the n