does not spook easily,” he told her. “There is something there.”
Fangs, Handsome said, and claws.
“It’s an animal,” Nia translated, taking a couple of uncertain steps toward the trees. “Put that away.”
“What are you doing?” Saeran hissed. “Get back here. Get behind me.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Behind you?” she repeated, puzzled. “I am supposed to protect you, Highness.”
“Nia, stop,” he said.
She didn’t listen. Not even when something rustled a short distance off. The prince swore and came to her instead. Nia could feel him at her back, his blade shining next to her. She put her hand over his on the handle and made him lower it.
Neither of them wore gloves and the touch of her warm hand on his cold one jolted Saeran. He didn’t know what to do first. The horses needed calming before they panicked and trampled them to death, or ran off and left them here. It would take a day to get back to the castle on foot. The snow came up to Saeran’s knee in the shallow parts.
But he couldn’t leave Nia unprotected. She had no armor or weapons, and when she lowered to her knees in the snow, he was certain she’d lost her mind. “What are you doing?” he demanded. Brandishing his dagger, wishing he’d taken his sword instead, he waited for the beast to appear.
“Come forward, brother,” Nia called out. “You will not be harmed.”
“Must you?” Saeran growled at her.
“I must,” she returned, her gaze never leaving the trees.
A massive gray wolf stumbled out of the shadows, easily half the size of a draft horse. No wonder the animals panicked. Handsome reared and Saeran had to duck to escape his hooves. He expected to be trampled, but then Stardust slammed into Handsome from the side, somehow subduing the mount and moving him out of the way at the same time.
Saeran didn’t know what was going on, but he turned his attention back to the bigger threat. The one with a maw large enough to crush a man’s skull in a single bite.
But something was wrong. The wolf was licking his snout again and again, his legs stumbling over each other. If Saeran didn’t know better he’d say the beast was drunk. He moved forward raising his blade. “Get back, Nia.”
“Put that away,” she told him again, never taking her eyes off the wolf. “He couldn’t harm us if he wanted to.”
As if to agree with her, the beast whined, almost falling over with the next step. Nia held out her hands in a sort of welcome, and to Saeran’s utter shock the wolf came to her, ears flat. The beast sat down as soon as he was within reach, shivering and huffing as the whines continued.
“Tell me what ails you, brother,” Nia said, and if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes Saeran never would have believed. The wolf was weeping.
At a loss for words, he lowered his blade and watched as woman and beast stared at each other. The wolf licked his snout and shivered, and his front legs were bowed as if he could barely support himself.
Nia sucked in a sharp breath. “Will you allow me to look into your mind?” she asked.
Another soft whine.
Nia placed her hands on either side of the wolf’s head and looked into his eyes. “He has been poisoned,” she said for Saeran’s benefit. “He ate from a carcass left in the woods. It’s…killing him. I can’t…I…” Nia released the wolf and circled her arms around him for a moment. “I am sorry, brother. Will you let me take your pain away?”
The wolf lied down with his head in Nia’s lap, one of his paws reaching for her hand. Tears in her eyes, Nia grasped his paw and placed her other hand over his eyes. “Sleep,” she whispered. “I will see to it your pack does not suffer as you have. Be at peace.”
The great beast closed his eyes with a sigh and Saeran watched his chest rise and fall while Nia stroked his fur. It didn’t take long. Within moments the wolf became still, expiring quietly beneath the wizard’s touch.
For a
Fangs, Handsome said, and claws.
“It’s an animal,” Nia translated, taking a couple of uncertain steps toward the trees. “Put that away.”
“What are you doing?” Saeran hissed. “Get back here. Get behind me.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Behind you?” she repeated, puzzled. “I am supposed to protect you, Highness.”
“Nia, stop,” he said.
She didn’t listen. Not even when something rustled a short distance off. The prince swore and came to her instead. Nia could feel him at her back, his blade shining next to her. She put her hand over his on the handle and made him lower it.
Neither of them wore gloves and the touch of her warm hand on his cold one jolted Saeran. He didn’t know what to do first. The horses needed calming before they panicked and trampled them to death, or ran off and left them here. It would take a day to get back to the castle on foot. The snow came up to Saeran’s knee in the shallow parts.
But he couldn’t leave Nia unprotected. She had no armor or weapons, and when she lowered to her knees in the snow, he was certain she’d lost her mind. “What are you doing?” he demanded. Brandishing his dagger, wishing he’d taken his sword instead, he waited for the beast to appear.
“Come forward, brother,” Nia called out. “You will not be harmed.”
“Must you?” Saeran growled at her.
“I must,” she returned, her gaze never leaving the trees.
A massive gray wolf stumbled out of the shadows, easily half the size of a draft horse. No wonder the animals panicked. Handsome reared and Saeran had to duck to escape his hooves. He expected to be trampled, but then Stardust slammed into Handsome from the side, somehow subduing the mount and moving him out of the way at the same time.
Saeran didn’t know what was going on, but he turned his attention back to the bigger threat. The one with a maw large enough to crush a man’s skull in a single bite.
But something was wrong. The wolf was licking his snout again and again, his legs stumbling over each other. If Saeran didn’t know better he’d say the beast was drunk. He moved forward raising his blade. “Get back, Nia.”
“Put that away,” she told him again, never taking her eyes off the wolf. “He couldn’t harm us if he wanted to.”
As if to agree with her, the beast whined, almost falling over with the next step. Nia held out her hands in a sort of welcome, and to Saeran’s utter shock the wolf came to her, ears flat. The beast sat down as soon as he was within reach, shivering and huffing as the whines continued.
“Tell me what ails you, brother,” Nia said, and if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes Saeran never would have believed. The wolf was weeping.
At a loss for words, he lowered his blade and watched as woman and beast stared at each other. The wolf licked his snout and shivered, and his front legs were bowed as if he could barely support himself.
Nia sucked in a sharp breath. “Will you allow me to look into your mind?” she asked.
Another soft whine.
Nia placed her hands on either side of the wolf’s head and looked into his eyes. “He has been poisoned,” she said for Saeran’s benefit. “He ate from a carcass left in the woods. It’s…killing him. I can’t…I…” Nia released the wolf and circled her arms around him for a moment. “I am sorry, brother. Will you let me take your pain away?”
The wolf lied down with his head in Nia’s lap, one of his paws reaching for her hand. Tears in her eyes, Nia grasped his paw and placed her other hand over his eyes. “Sleep,” she whispered. “I will see to it your pack does not suffer as you have. Be at peace.”
The great beast closed his eyes with a sigh and Saeran watched his chest rise and fall while Nia stroked his fur. It didn’t take long. Within moments the wolf became still, expiring quietly beneath the wizard’s touch.
For a
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