After a couple of hours, I pulled out one of the sandwiches that Edeline had made us. After throwing it to Ash, who caught it expertly between his teeth, I rummaged around for one of my own. Just as I took a bite, Spear flew lower in the sky, landing in a field of blazing red poppies.
He turned back into his human form and scrabbled around in his pack for something to wear. “I think this is a good place to stop for lunch. I see that you’ve already started.” He grinned at me as I held onto my half-eaten sandwich. “Don’t worry; it was your sandwich that prompted me to stop. I saw you eating when I turned my head and decided it was way past lunchtime.”
The five of us went through so many bottles of water that I was glad I’d brought an extra bagful. As the others chomped down on their lunch, I waded through the poppies to see if I could see the sea. I could hear it and I could see the gulls that squawked over it and yet, it was just out of view over a small hill. One day, I would come back and see it properly when I could actually spend some time there.
“You okay?” I heard someone say behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know it was Ash.
“I’m just thinking how nice it would be to spend some time by the ocean. I’ve never seen it before today.”
“You haven’t?” He sounded surprised.
“You have?” I asked, equally surprised. I’d gotten the impression that he didn’t leave the mountain much.
“A few times. I’ll bring you back someday.”
Lunch was over far too quickly and I found myself packing all the bags as the others turned back into dragons. It had been decided that Ash would take the lead now to give Spear a break. Spear had told him to follow the coast for a few hours until he came to a large forest, and it was there that he should land.
I jumped on his back and he took off with the others behind him in a V-shape. Instead of following Spear’s directions, he headed out to the sea—a five-minute detour at most—and flew low over the water. I knew he did it for me. I could smell the salt as the sea sprayed up at us thanks to Ash dangling his feet in the water. He dodged the fishing boats, giving the fishermen quite a fright in the process and then began to rise again, heading slightly inland. It had been a dangerous detour—any of the fishermen could have attacked—but it was one I was grateful for. As long as I lived, I’d never forget feeling the sea spray cooling my face. The rest of the journey was long and uneventful. I occasionally caught glimpses of the sea to my right, although Ash stayed away from it, preferring to stay away from prying eyes, high up over land.
After a good few hours, I finally saw the forest we had been looking out for. What started as a tiny thin strip of green on the horizon soon became an expanse of trees that went right to the horizon line. To the left were high, gray mountains; this was presumably where the other dragons lived. Ash landed at the tree line and turned back into his human form. I threw him his clothes as the others landed.
“Here, check where we need to go,” shouted Spear, throwing me a map as he got dressed. I opened it up to find a simple, hand-drawn sketch, no doubt drawn by Oak. A line down the right-hand side of the paper represented the sea, and a huge expanse of scribbles showed the forest. He was never going to make it as an artist that was for sure.
He’d drawn some small buildings to the left and as I looked over, there they were, part of a small village about a kilometer away on the edge of the forest. A dot drawn in red about ten centimeters into the forest was marked with the word “Wolvren.” If the scale was correct (which I doubted it was) we were about five kilometers away from the Wolvren village. Flying through the trees would be impossible, so it seemed we would have to walk. I took one of the water bottles from the bag and downed it in one gulp, feeling the still-cold liquid ease my throat. I threw another bottle at Ash and pulled one of the bags onto my back. As we had drunk so much water and eaten our lunch, we were now down to one bag each to carry.
The forest was dark, and with the map being pretty much useless, we took the most worn path, hoping it was created by people—or wolves—and not just some other creature of the forest.
“They are this way,” said Spear, taking the lead along the dark path. His voice echoed, sounding eerie. Even though it had been red hot outside the forest, in here it was dark and damp with an unnatural haze.
“How do you know?” I whispered, although I wasn’t sure why. The Wolvren were still a long walk away from us.
“I can smell them,” he replied. I looked at Ash, and he nodded his head. I’d known that the dragons had unusually good eyesight but I’d not known about their keen sense of smell too. I took a deep sniff, but could only smell the damp moss that clung to the bottom of the trees.
The trail was well-worn and, thanks to the canopy of the leaves, cool enough to be comfortable. Yet there was something wrong that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Yes, the forest seemed to have its own climate entirely, which was odd in itself, but there was something else strange about the place. I kept my eyes open, grateful to be surrounded by dragons. Even so, I kept one hand on my sword, ready in case anything should attack. It was then that I realized what it was that was strange. It was the complete silence of the place. I strained my ears to hear but the only sound was the quiet footsteps we were making through the forest. There was no birdsong or the sound of small creatures scurrying through the undergrowth, both of which I would expect in a forest like this. It was almost as if the whole place was dead and the trees were figments of my imagination. I reached out and ran my hand along the trunk of one as I passed, needing to know that it was real. The bark was cold and damp as if it had been rained on recently. The whole place gave me the creeps.
I’d loved to spend time in the forest near Dronias as a child and could happily spend hours climbing trees. Here, I just wanted to be away, back in the sunshine. We each took it in turns to lead, alternating every fifteen minutes or so. The scenery never changed—just endless damp trees leading off in every direction.
When it was my turn to walk in front, I could feel Ash walking just behind me. The path was too narrow to walk two abreast, so we had to walk in single file. I kept my eyes on the ground, afraid that I’d somehow accidentally lead everyone the wrong way. Not that it mattered with their ability to follow scent, but I didn’t want to be the one to mess up. The deeper we got into the forest, the colder it grew. I had to wrap my sweater tighter around myself to keep out the unrelenting damp.
I was just about thinking we should give up completely when I stepped on a branch. I’d stepped on many since entering the forest, but this one was the first to make a sound. The others had been damp and had bent rather than broken under my feet. It gave a loud crack as my weight snapped it in two, making my heart leap. I had just gotten my breathing back under control when there was a large flash of purple light and another crack, this time much louder. My hand pulled out my sword with me barely thinking about it, and Ash ran in front of me to shield me from whatever it was.
“What was that?” he whispered as the light continued to glow. The mist clung to it as though the light was a solid object, pulling it in.
“Magic!” hissed Spear behind me.
I steadied myself, my sword held out in front of me as both the light and the smoke cleared. In its place was a man, but this was no ordinary man. He was at least seven feet tall and had long, gray hair. His face was slightly pointed as were his ears, giving him a lupine appearance. This was most definitely a member of the Wolvren.
I held my sword toward him as Ash readied himself for an attack.
The wolf-man sneered at us. “Your sword cannot handle the soul of a wolf!”
Chapter Twelve
I lowered my sword. Not because I thought he was right—although with the magic I’d just witnessed, he probably was—but because I didn’t want to appear to be confrontational.
“We came here to see Morganna!” I said, standing my ground. Behind me, I could feel the energy running through the group, each of them ready at a moment’s notice to
fight if need be. I didn’t know how it had happened, but at some point over the past few days, we’d begun to work as a team, and the few of us that were on this journey had become almost one. I knew what they were all thinking and I didn’t need to look behind me to know that they still were ready to defend me.
“Dragons aren’t welcome here!” he replied menacingly, his features set in a growl, his hackles raised and his jowls set back, baring his teeth. If it was scary on a wolf, it was even more disturbing on this wolf-human person. It was an unnatural expression on someone who stood on two legs. His teeth were pointed, his two incisors slightly longer than the others.
Then, I did something that even I wasn’t expecting. I walked toward him. I could feel the fear in Ash even though I didn’t feel it myself. This wolf-man was ready to rip my throat out and could in a second, but I hoped that by showing no fear, he would respect me. It was a theory! Only time would tell if it was a good one.
“I’m not a dragon,” I said, sounding as brave as I could, “but I think you already know that.”
I was standing not five feet away from him now and although the strange purple light had dissipated, I could feel the crackle of magic around us.
“You are either very brave or very foolish,” said the wolf-man, but his features were now showing an expression of interest rather than one of anger.
“That’s a maybe, but I need to speak to Morganna and I know she is living here in this forest.”
“I do not know where you got your information, but I can assure you that only my people live in these trees. I would imagine you have seen for yourselves that no other living creature calls this place home. There is a good reason for that. My kind are carnivores and will eat anything that dares enter this forest. We are a large pack and, as you can imagine, very hungry. There have not been many so foolish to enter here for a long time.”
“You aren’t going to eat me,” I said, hoping it was the truth.
“Hmm,” he replied thoughtfully. “You are so sure of yourself. Is it, I wonder, because you believe your dragon friends will save you? That they will turn into fire-breathing killing machines and flame me before I have a chance to kill you?”
For the first time since the wolf-man appeared, I turned to look at my fellow men. Ash was still standing where I’d left him, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. The others were not far behind him, their bags on the ground. They were all poised to turn into dragons, just waiting for the wolf-man to make his move. It made me feel ashamed that he was right. I had been brave because of the men behind me. I turned back to him.
“They will not turn into dragons if you give them no reason to.”
“They will not turn into dragons at all. Not in this forest, at least. I see that you haven’t done your homework about my pack. Has no one ever told you that you should find out everything about your enemies before heading into their territory?” He was laughing now. I didn’t know what was amusing him, but it was wasting both of our time.
“Just let me speak with Morganna and we will be on our way,” I said.
He ignored my words and began to tell me about himself instead. “Shifters do not usually carry magic beyond the ability to shift. I assume your dragon friends here can only do that. As you have already seen, my pack has magic that would be considered unusual. I have to admit that as the Alpha wolf, the majority of the magic belongs to me, but there is also a spell on this forest to protect us. It allows only the wolf to shift into their animal forms. We’ve had enough problems with dragon shifters in the past that I’m afraid it was a necessary precaution. Your friends here will not be able to transform until they are outside of the tree line. I’m afraid you and your sword will be no match for me.”
I had no idea if he was telling the truth or not, but I’d seen enough magic from him to believe what he said was true. “You bought your magic from the Goblins on Triad Mountains!” I replied.
For the first time, he looked surprised. “So, you have been doing your homework after all. How did you know? Oh never mind, how you know is irrelevant. As long as you understand that you can’t beat me.”
“Look, Mr. Tough Wolf,” I said, bridging the gap between us. The crackle of magic intensified. “I understand your need to come across as this big bad wolf, but why can’t you get it into your stupid head that we are not here to fight you. I have no interest in beating you in a fight, nor do I particularly care about where you procure your magic. I’m only here to speak to Morganna!”
I stood within touching distance of him. I wasn’t sure who was more shocked at my outburst, him or me. The already silent forest managed to become quieter still. He stood at least two feet taller than me, so I had to crane my neck to look him in the eye. No one moved for an eternity. I stared at him without blinking, determined not to back down. I didn’t need to look behind me to know that Ash had his mouth open in shock. The only sound I could hear was the unnatural boom of my heart pounding. I was under no illusion that the wolf wouldn’t hear it too.
After, what felt like a hundred years, but could only have been a few seconds, he began to laugh. Not just a chuckle but a full-on booming laugh that echoed through the forest.
I stood, waiting patiently for him to stop.
“In all my years, I have never known anyone to come into my forest and speak to me this way. It is actually rather refreshing.” He clapped his huge, paw-like hand on my shoulder. I heard the others step forward to save me.
“Stop!” he commanded. The magic intensified again, and I knew he’d put some kind of shield between me and the others. “I’m not going to hurt her so there is no need to try and fight me. I’ve already told you, you cannot win. I like her. She shows spirit. I’ll eat anyone, but it would be a shame to eat someone with so much courage, no matter how misguided it may be. I very rarely do this, but I will let you all leave this forest with your lives.”
The invisible shield was gone and the crackle of magic disappeared, allowing me to step back and join the others.
“I need to speak to Morganna,” I repeated. He seemed to have forgotten the reason we were here in the forest in the first place.
“That is impossible. I know everyone in this forest. All are in my pack. Not one of them is named Morganna. Morganna is not a wolf name.” He stepped back then as if he was going to leave us.
“I want to speak to her!” I said again, this time more forcefully.
“It was funny the first time you tried to be sassy, but don’t push your luck. I’m letting you all leave unharmed. I suggest you do just that before I change my mind.” He turned and began to retreat into the forest. As if a spell was broken, the others came running toward me. Ash enveloped me in his arms.
“It’s time to go,” he said. “At least we tried.”
I looked up at him. I could see the disappointment in his eyes but I could also see the relief. He’d been scared. His one form of defense had been stripped from him, and it had affected him. The others all shared the same look of relief, even Spear. I tried to imagine how I would feel without my sword. Probably as naked as the day I was born. I’d carried it by my side since I’d turned eighteen. It was almost a part of me.
“We didn’t try hard enough,” I replied. I knew he didn’t want me to, but I turned away from him and followed the path that the Alpha wolf had taken into the forest.
Chapter Thirteen
I ran along the path as quickly as I could. He hadn’t just evaporated into a puff of purple smoke, so I knew he wasn’t using magic to get away, and yet I couldn’t see him in front of me. He was stealthy as was right for a wolf, but it only made me run faster. I could hear the footsteps of the others following me, their heads no doubt coming to the same conclusion I had already arrived at: We were running directly to the Wolvren home.
“Julianna, stop!” I heard Ash shouting behind me but I ignored him. I couldn’t stop. I knew the Alpha wolf was not telling me the truth about Morganna and I knew that this would never be over without her, or
at least her sword.
“What are you doing?” He was there, the Alpha. I hadn’t seen him in the dark and had almost tripped over him. “I told you to leave!”
I knew being “sassy” would not help me now. I needed to come up with a different tactic. “Look, I’m grateful that you’ve given us the chance to escape and I don’t want to disrespect your wishes, but I really need to speak to her. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where she is.”
“You are—”
“I know what you said,” I interrupted him, “but you don’t understand how important it is that I—we—speak with her. Her sword holds the souls of many dragons, possibly hundreds. They are trapped in there and will be until the end of time unless we let them out.”
“This does not concern me. I already told you that I do not like dragons. I only spoke to you before because you are not one, but do not test my patience.”
“It’s not just the dragons. Morganna herself was done a great injustice. My people treated her badly. More specifically my own father. He lied about her, forcing her to leave the town she knew as home.”
“If your people treated her badly, if your own family forced her out, why would she want to speak to you?”
“So you do know her!” I exclaimed. Okay, he’d not said as much, but if he didn’t know her, he wouldn’t be asking questions.
“I’ve already told you. I do not know her.” He sighed. “This is wearing thin. You need to leave.”
“I’m not going until you tell me the truth.”
He bared his teeth again, pulling back his lips. His eyes took on a madness I’d not seen in him before and I knew I’d lost the battle. He stepped toward me, growling. Something grabbed me from behind and I realized it was Ash, pulling me away from the beast.
“Come on. We need to go. We can try again later.”
“I can’t just leave. This is our only chance!” I replied, but I was scared.
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