Edge of the Forest - Before Dawn
The night was silent, the sky painted with a faint blue as the stars slowly retreated before the coming sun. Kael stood alert, his body tense. A low rustling in the bushes had caught his attention moments ago. Lyra stood beside him, her breath visible in the icy air, spear clutched tightly in her hand.
Then it emerged.
A wild dog scruffy, thin, and alone, wandered into view. It sniffed the snow, tail twitching with disinterest.
Kael lowered his stance and sighed. "Just a stray."
Lyra let out a laugh, a sound that echoed through the trees like sunlight in the dark. "You looked ready to take on a warband."
Kael turned to her, smiling faintly. "Better safe than sorry."
She wiped a tear from her eye as she tried to stop laughing. "I swear, the way you mo
