Witch in wolf's clothing - Namaari

Chapter 37: Attack at the Border

As Tazzym suddenly pulls away, a look of urgent concern crosses his face. His body tenses, and he curses under his breath. “s**t, there’s a rogue attack at the border. Stay here,” he orders, his voice sharp with authority and fear. Without waiting for a response, he dashes toward the door, his footsteps echoing as he disappears.

I’m momentarily frozen, the weight of his words sinking in. But the urgency in his voice snaps me out of my daze. The adrenaline surges through me, and I know I can’t just stay behind. With a determined nod, I quickly shift into Noali.

Noali bursts out of the fitness room, as my voice echoes in her mind, calm and focused despite the urgency. “Take a bow and arrow with you. We might need it if there’s a dark witch involved.”

Noali shifts direction slightly, heading toward the archery range. She snatches a bow and a quiver of arrows in her mouth, securing them with practiced ease before sprinting across the training field. “Follow the scent of Tazzym and Zyméo. It’ll lead us to the border where the attack is happening, I instruct.”

The scent trail is strong, a mixture of the two Alphas and the other warriors, cutting through the air. Noali races through the dunes, her powerful legs carrying her swiftly across the sandy terrain. She continues along the coastline, the salty breeze ruffling her fur as she heads toward the grasslands. The grassy expanse transitions into a dense, shadowy forest—one of the few wooded areas on the pack grounds.

As Noali enters the forest, my thoughts grow more intense. This is the border between Silvermist and Driftwood packs. The rogues must have slipped in through the narrower pack grounds. I hope there aren't too many casualties over there.

Howls and roars pierce the air, growing louder as Noali approaches the border. The scene is chaotic, a frenzy of movement and sound. Pack warriors are locked in fierce combat with rogue wolves, their forms a blur of fur and fangs under the dim light. The metallic scent of blood mingles with the earthy smell of the forest floor.

Noali’s sharp eyes spot Talon and Zoltan on the far side of the battle. She begins to move toward them, but a rogue wolf lunges at her from the side. The sudden attack forces her to drop the bow and quiver from her mouth. With a guttural growl, she spins around to face the rogue, teeth bared and muscles coiled for the fight.

The rogue snaps at her, but Noali dodges, her movements quick and agile. She counters with a powerful bite to the rogue’s shoulder, her fangs sinking deep. The rogue yelps and tries to shake her off, but Noali’s grip is firm. With a swift, brutal motion, she throws the rogue to the ground, her claws raking across its side.

The rogue struggles beneath her, but Noali's strength and determination are unwavering. She delivers a final, decisive blow, her jaws closing around the rogue's neck with a crushing force. The rogue goes limp, and Noali releases it, her eyes already scanning for the next threat.

“Noali, are you okay?” I ask, feeling a rush of concern for her.

“I’m okay,” Noali replies, though there’s a tension in her voice. “But did you feel that? These rogues are much stronger than ordinary wolves.”

“Yes,” I respond, my thoughts racing. “Nester mentioned something similar during the last attack on our kingdom. He said they might be getting strengthened somehow by dark witches. Be careful. Can you see if there's a witch nearby? They usually stay at the back of the battle, surrounded by a few rogues.”

Noali scans the chaotic scene, her sharp eyes searching for any sign of a dark witch. Occasionally, a rogue wolf lunges at her, but she manages to dodge or snarl them away, and often, a warrior wolf jumps in to fend them off.

Finally, Noali spots something unusual. “Namaari, do you see that? There’s a dark witch in a tree, surrounded by three strong rogues. We can’t reach her like this.”

“I see her,” I reply, my heart pounding. “She’s casting a spell. She probably strengthens the rogues with it. Find my bow and arrow, Noali. I’ll see if I can take her down from a distance.”

Noali sprints back toward where she dropped the bow and quiver. The urgency of the situation fuels her speed. She dodges past warriors and rogues, focusing on her task. The air is thick with tension, every second feeling like an eternity as she races against time.

She reaches the spot where she dropped the bow and quiver. Shifting back to human form, I quickly grab the bow and an arrow, nocking it in one smooth motion.

I hope my aim is true, I think, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I draw the bowstring back, my eyes locking on the dark witch. She’s still chanting, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. The three rogue wolves around her are alert, guarding her fiercely.

I focus, blocking out the chaos around me. The tension in the bowstring matches the tension in my body, coiled and ready. With one last breath, I release the arrow, watching as it flies straight and true toward the dark witch.

The arrow flies through the air, hitting the dark witch in the shoulder. She screams in pain, but manages to stay perched in the tree, clutching the wound. I see the rogue wolves below her starting to charge toward me.

"s**t," I mutter, quickly nocking another arrow.

“Namaari, can't you use a spell or something?” Noali's urgent voice echoes in my mind.

“Noali, I've told you before, dark witches are called that because they use black magic, which is much stronger than regular witchcraft. That's why my mother forbade it; it always comes with a price. My spells barely affect them, as if they have a protective layer against normal magic.” As I speak, I let the arrow fly, taking down one of the charging rogues.

“What about casting a spell on the rogues here, then?” Noali suggests.

“You're not helping, Noali. In my pack, yes, I could, but I need time to cast large spells, and normally my brothers protect me. Here, I'm... alone. And time is something I don't have right now.” I quickly nock another arrow, drawing the bowstring back as I aim at the second rogue, wounding it severely.

The third rogue is dangerously close. “Besides, Noali, if I use my full witch powers here, the pack members might turn on me too. They hate witches, remember? Speaking of witches...” I see the dark witch climbing down from the tree, trying to escape. I concentrate, murmuring, “This time, make it count.”

Just as I want to release the arrow, the third rogue lunges at me. Before it can bite, a massive wolf leaps in, tackling the rogue away from me. It's Kaino, Kaynim's wolf.

A surge of relief and gratitude washes over me. Kaino wrestles with the rogue, giving me the precious seconds I need. I focus on the fleeing witch, adjusting my aim. "You won't escape this time," I whisper, letting the arrow loose.

The arrow flies true, hitting the dark witch squarely in the back. She lets out a final, agonized scream before collapsing to the ground. A wave of relief washes over me as I see her motionless form, but it’s quickly replaced by a sharp pain in my side.

I instinctively press a hand to my side and feel the sticky warmth of blood. Looking down, I see my hand smeared with crimson. The rogue wolf must have clawed me when it attacked, but the adrenaline had masked the pain until now.

Kaynim, now in human form and completely naked, rushes over to me. His eyes widen in alarm as he takes in the sight of my wound. "Princess, are you okay?" he asks, his voice laced with concern.

I manage a weak smile, though the pain is intensifying. "I'll be fine," I say, wincing as the words leave my lips. The reality of the situation starts to set in, and I can see the worry etched in Kaynim's face.

He kneels beside me, his hands gentle but firm as he examines the wound. "You're hurt," he states, his tone a mix of frustration and worry. He rips a piece of fabric from some discarded clothes he finds on the ground, pressing it against my side to stem the bleeding. "We need to get you out of here. Now."

Kaynim stands up, ready to lift me, but I stop him with a plea. "Please, I can manage. Go help your brothers and pack members."

He glances toward the ongoing battle, a mix of determination and reluctance in his eyes. "They have the upper hand. They'll manage. I need to get you to the pack doctor." He turns back to me, only to be attacked by a rogue wolf that sinks its teeth into his shoulder.

Kaynim's scream pierces the chaos, and without thinking, I grab an arrow from the ground. I leap at the rogue, driving the arrow through its neck. I push the rogue off Kaynim and shout, "Oh my goddess, Kaynim! Someone, help!" I press my hand to his shoulder, blood pouring out.

Noali's voice echoes in my mind, urgent and insistent. "You can heal him a little with a spell, Namaari. No one will notice with this chaos. If we don't do something, he could bleed out. Please, help our mate."

Kaynim's eyes are closed, his face contorted in pain. He's barely conscious. Desperation fuels my actions as I look around, making sure no one is watching too closely. I whisper the incantation as softly as possible, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on my own bleeding flank. I focus all my energy on the spell, and my hands glow faintly.

The wounds on both of us don't heal completely, but the bleeding slows significantly. The immediate danger is averted. Kaynim's breathing steadies, and his pained expression softens slightly.

I take a shaky breath, relief mingling with the lingering pain. "You'll be okay," I murmur, more to reassure myself than him. "We'll both be okay."