The courier had been on the road for hours. The path from Dawn Veil’s medical outpost was narrow, winding through trees and open fields, shrouded in the mist that seemed to hang around everything in the morning. The sun had just started to rise, the light soft and pale, barely pushing through the thick foliage.
She arrived exhausted, her horse tired, the bags strapped to the saddle heavy with sealed messages. The small outpost had always been a place of peace, but today it hummed with curiosity. A few children peeked out from behind fences, and the older wolves watched her closely, their eyes full of questions.
Without hesitation, she asked for Aria Hartfield, the healer who had earned a reputation among them. She was quickly shown to the garden, where Aria worked, hands deep in the eart
