The Quiet Crown - Part 1
Morning returned like something fragile and newly made. The clouds that had lived above Shadowvale for months were gone, leaving a sky so blue it looked unfamiliar. Dew jeweled the grass; smoke rose from the hearths without the smell of fear in it. For the first time in longer than I could measure, the pack woke to ordinary sounds-pans, laughter, pups arguing about chores. I walked through the village with no escort. Wolves nodded as I passed, some shyly, some with the steady gaze of equals. The air itself felt changed-lighter but grounded, as if the earth had leaned how to breathe again. A child tugged at my cloak. “Luna, Is the Moon happy now?” I crouched beside her. “She’s resting,” I said. “Even the brightest light needs to sleep sometimes.” The child thought about that, than ra
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