Chapter 33

S carlet blinked awake to a knock on the door. Wulfric grunted, and her eyes opened. Who in the devils was knocking on her grandmother's door? No one but the Robins knew it was here.

At the reminder of the Robins, she pushed Wulfric off her and sat up. She found her pack discarded by the door, and she called out, "Who's there?"

She reached inside and pulled out her red and green cloak. Feeling swiftly, she slid the daggers free and stood behind the door as the knocking stopped.

"Excuse me, is Luna Scarlet or Alpha Wulfric inside? We've come with a message from the alphas."

Wulfric sat up, crouching and standing all in one fluid movement. The ripple of his muscles still took her breath away, but he strode to the door all in his naked glory without a care in the world.

He eased the door open and peered outside, then stepped back and opened it. "What's going on?"

Scarlet grabbed a cloak from the hook by the door and tossed it around her shoulders.

Four Growlers stood in the doorway, but they weren't Dragon Claws. One put a fist to heart and bowed his head.

"Ironpaws alpha, the message." He handed Wulfric a letter, but Scarlet reached out and opened it, stepping closer to the dying firelight to read aloud.

We thought it might be a good idea to show the ice monster to the dragon king. It might help convince him of the seriousness of the ice age and the evil one who can usher it in.

Take these four with you. They are all former turned, and might help convince them that we're not all monsters ourselves. They also have the list from the Ironpaws of family members, towns, and ages. The other tribes will have their lists ready within a few days as well. We will send messengers to the druid's cottage in five days. If we do not have replies or if no one is there to meet them, we'll send a contingency of soldiers to the two settlements to find you. Don't want the dragon to eat you, after all. ;)

Sincerely,

Nightstalkers

Scarlet looked past Wulfric, who peered behind the group too. Together, they saw the litter with the ice monster wrapped tightly in frozen blankets. She sighed and waved her hand.

"Well, come in if you're cold. Wulfric made a stew. I'm going to get dressed, then we can head to Hartsgrove."

"The dragon's lair," one of the Growler's whispered.

"Shit, I'm more worried about stepping into the druid's cottage. Are you sure she's not home?"

Wulfric chuckled and waved them inside while Scarlet grabbed her pack and went to the washroom under the stairs. She tried not to eavesdrop as she dressed, but it was hard.

"Did you see her antlers?" one asked.

A slap could be heard through the door, and a pained bark echoed out. "Mind your manners. That's our Luna, you Duskkeeper."

"Enough. There will be no fighting among tribes. We need to show a united front with the dragon, and that won't happen if you disparage one another. That applies to my Luna too, am I clear?"

"Yes, alpha," rang out in unison. Scarlet tightened the drawstrings on her vest and frowned. She was now dressed except for her socks and boots.

She threw open the door and marched into the living room. They were all seated at the kitchen table, sipping directly from bowls.

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm going to the Queen of Busparia to get rid of these antlers and rabbit ears. Yes, I am a Growler," she flicked her red Growler's tail. "But I can also shift into a rabbit and deer, as you might've seen already. Do any of you have a problem with that?"

One man's jaw dropped, but the others just bowed their heads and shook them. "No, Luna."

She felt some of the fight go out of her and nodded. "Very well. My horse is in the barn. I'm going to check on her. If she's fit for travel, I'll hook her up to the litter. You can all travel as shifted if it'll keep you warmer. Wulfric, find them some extra clothes if they need it."

Wulfric nodded and put his bowl down. "Sure, but they each came with a pack already."

"That's fine then. I'll be back," she said, throwing the red and green cloak around her shoulders and stepping out the door. She winced as she realized she still didn't have her boots on, but she wasn't going to go back in there yet. She'd made a spectacular exit and didn't want to ruin it.

She winced. Gods, that was something Eirwyn would say. She must've picked up more in the past six months than she'd thought.

She walked through the clearing, the crunch of ice and snow quickly making her feet numb. She struggled to open the door, pressing against the wind, but a big hand grabbed the edge. She didn't have to look to know it was Wulfric. He held the door open while they both slipped inside.

Light filtered through the tall windows along one wall, and Rain nickered, tossing her head over the stall's door. The smell of manure and piss made her want to gag, but Rain kicked at the door.

"I know, girl, I'm sorry I was gone so long. Are you ready for a run?" Scarlet stomped to the stall and opened it. Rain nearly bowled her over, nudging her with her big head. Scarlet laughed and rubbed her jaw and neck, reaching for the bridle on the wall. "I'm so sorry, girl. Let's get you out of here, yes?"

Wulfric held something out. "For gods' sake, Scarlet, put on your boots before you lose some toes."

He reached for the bridle, but she jerked away from him. He grabbed the brush instead. "Never mind, I'll brush her first."

She tightened her boots and went to the far corner's tack room. She lit the lantern but ultimately found a bag of dried apples. When she stepped back out, the door to the barn was open and Wulfric was leading Rain out by the bridle.

Her brows rose. "She likes you."

He smiled. "Don't sound so surprised, love. I'm great with animals. It's people who have a problem with us."

Scarlet shook her head. He was so much more than the monster she'd thought. She cleared her throat and fed Rain an apple as she nodded to the cottage.

"Do you think the others will be alright going into Hartsgrove?"

He nodded as they walked to the litter. "I do. Two of them are betas, one from Duskkeepers and one from Nightstalkers. The other two are mine, and they've always longed for Busparia. I talked to them a little, and they're the most keen to ask about their families. All of them were from villages near the forest."

She frowned and nodded. Now that it was time for the mission, she didn't want to delay. She hooked up the litter to Rain, who was more than ready to run.

"I wonder if a monster like this is responsible for the attacks in Busparia, instead of the Dragon Claws," she said.

He shrugged as he slowly looked back and forth through the trees, alert to the danger that was the Feral Forest even in the protective bubble around the cottage. "Does the dragon have mages who can identify the thing? The Elders just called it an ice monster."

She scoffed. "Does he have mages? What king doesn't have mages these days?"

He arched a brow but didn't respond, so she let it go. Still, it did make her worry about what else was out there. They remained on high alert as they set out for Hartsgrove. It was a grueling day. She strapped a pack to each of the Growlers' backs, and they ran next to her on Rain. They reached the river, just a stream at this point in the forest, and made camp for the night.

Knox had set up a protective bubble at that exact spot for stops just like this one. The Growlers tried to outdo each other in hunting dinner, and they feasted on pheasant, squirrel, lynx, and boar. She snuggled into Wulfric's arms while the other four Growlers all piled together on the other side of the fire.

The next morning, they set out at dawn at a steady pace. They fought assassin vines and ran from spiders, but it was all expected. One of the Growlers cried about the spiders, and the rest of them laughed about it after the fact, ribbing him.

When they stopped for a quick drink before they got too far into giant eagle territory, she got off Rain to use the bathroom. The others guarded the horse and litter while eating jerky as she stepped out of sight in the woods. Wulfric was too deep in conversation about war stories to follow her, thank the gods.

She'd just pulled her pants up when a sound to her right made her pause. Wulfric and the others were still to her left on the trail, just out of sight. She slipped around the trees to her right, daggers out as she stalked silently to the sound. The aura shone behind a tree, and she moved to flank it.

A figure stepped out from behind a tree with hands up, a bow in one. She rocked on the balls of her feet, but didn't let down her guard. She could feel Wulfric's presence moving closer.

"Striker," she said softly.

"Huntress," he said with a nod. "Do you need help with the Growlers?"

She straightened and arched a brow. "Seriously? You've been trailing us for a quarter of an hour. Does it look like I need help?"

He shrugged, lowering his arms. "What was I supposed to think?"

She pursed her lips and spun her dagger in one hand. His eyes watched it warily, but he didn't move. She smiled softly, feeling the familiar pleasure of seeing someone realize how deadly she was.

"I'm fine. I'm escorting him to meet with the Feral King to broker a treaty. What news of Busparia?"

The man's brows rose, the white scar on the side rising with it. "Busparia's winter has gotten worse, but I'm sure you can tell. It's worse here in the forest too."

She tossed the dagger and caught it easily. "The Feral King is in Hartsgrove?"

He nodded, so she continued. "Take a message to the dwarves for me. Ask if they've figured out how to make the pocket mirrors work yet. They've had months, and the Growler will need to communicate with his tribe. The mirrors would be ideal. If they work, bring them to me at Hartsgrove within three days."

"Aye, Huntress. As you wish." He turned, but paused with a frown. "Are you sure—"

"Yes," she said, daggers now held easily at her sides in each hand. She arched a brow. "You can stop in Vidrland and have the Guild Master meet me in Hartsgrove too."

He sighed and nodded, then disappeared into the trees. She didn't bother watching him leave. They were all trained to be shadows in any environment.

She walked back toward the trail and came out in front of Wulfric. He tugged his shirt down over his head before meeting her gaze.

"Who was that?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Another Hunter."

He tensed, so she continued. "He's going to deliver some messages while we go talk to Knox. We should be there in a few hours, if you're ready."

He grunted and followed her as she mounted Rain. He'd probably overheard the entire conversation.

The trail took a circular path around the spider den and the flytraps, and soon they came to the eagle's nest. She looked into the trees above with a frown.

"Something wrong, bunny?" Wulfric asked into the stillness.

Her stomach knotted. "We need to make it past the eagles, then we'll reach the wall."

He opened his mouth to retort, but the screech of an angry bird echoed in the frozen winter land. An icicle fell from a tree and crashed to the ground next to them, spooking the horse.

She murmured to Rain even as she tugged the horse to go faster. "Come on, we have to hurry. We can't beat them all. Growlers, run!"

"Beat them—" Wulfric panted as his claws and jaw elongated. He roared as the first eagle dove at them. The Growlers ran ahead, leaping and snapping their jaws at it. Wulfric crouched and jumped, and Scarlet held tightly to the reins as the horse lengthened her stride.

Another screech and the flap of wings sent frigid air beating down on her. She ducked and tugged Rain to the left of the trail. The giant eagle was bigger than Rain, and Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief that it wouldn't be able to cart her away on its own.

She raced parallel to the path, Wulfric's snarls behind them combined with the barks and snarls of the Growlers ahead of them echoed in her ears. Her heart beat louder and louder until it drowned out the sounds of the eagles themselves. A glimpse of the helrose wall ahead gave her hope.

She yelled, "Look for the gap in the wall!"

An eagle grabbed one of the Growlers in its large talons, but it twisted and swiped and bit. The eagle dropped it when it was barely three feet off the ground, and he hit the ground hard. He rolled and stumbled to his feet, joining Wulfric behind them.

She tugged on the horse's reins harder and swiped with her dagger as another eagle reached for her. The eagle's claw dug into her shoulder, and she screamed in pain as it pulled her from the saddle. Her bones cracked, and she swiped up with her dagger, stabbing it in the tendon.

It screeched and dropped her, but she was already changing, magic enveloping her like a cocoon. Swift in deer form, she shot past the leading Growlers to the helrose wall and searched for the opening. Rain and the others followed her on thundering hooves, the litter bouncing wildly. When she found the tunnel's entrance, she skidded to a halt. The three front guard Growlers flanked her, but she didn't fear them.

Rain didn't stop, turning automatically and racing inside along the passage to safety. Scarlet glanced back, two eagles still circling the trees to her left as Wulfric watched the back of the injured and limping Growler.

Magic swirled as she watched him jump over the Growler's back, the other Growlers beside her racing back down the path to help their alpha. She needed to help too. A snap of bones and blinding pain, then she panted and took off running with a snarl. Big red paws covered the ground quickly for a Growler, and her gaze sharpened on the battle.

Wulfric swiped a great paw at the eagle that held him in its claws, and one of the Growlers leaped onto its back. It spun, throwing the Growler to the ground. It landed with a thud and a sharp whine of pain and laid still. Another Growler surrounded it, standing guard while the eagle circled with a loud screech. The fourth Growler escorted the injured one to the gap in the helrose wall.

Wulfric didn't stop, but turned his head and bit into the bird's leg. Even from there, Scarlet heard the crunch of bone breaking, and the scream of the eagle as it let go.

Wulfric fell, twisting in the air from a higher angle than the other Growlers who'd fallen. Her heart raced and magic swirled with her fear, but she fought it. Before he could hit the ground, the other eagle caught him.

Scarlet's heart raced faster, and a red haze settled over her eyes. She would not let him go. He was hers, and she would fight for him as she'd vowed. She jumped onto a tree and used it to launch herself higher and higher as Wulfric clawed, bit, and scratched at the attacker.

Scarlet pushed off the closest tree and landed on the eagle's back, her fangs plunging into its neck. The taste of feathers made her gag, but she didn't let go. Her claws dug into the back of the giant eagle as it screeched and twisted in pain.

Scarlet, jump now.

The roar in her head surprised her enough that she jumped. She barely saw Wulfric tumbling through the treetops before she crashed into them. Pine filled her nostrils. Bark scratched her Growler fur. She slammed into a branch, then all went black.