The morning mist hung low over the forest, curling through the trunks of ancient trees and settling over the soft moss that carpeted the forest floor. Aria rose before the sun, the cool air filling her lungs, her wolf stirring with energy beneath her skin. The training yesterday had pushed her beyond limits she had not thought possible, and yet she felt that today’s regimen would demand even more. Every muscle, every sinew, every sharpened sense had become part of a symphony of alertness and anticipation.
Mara slept quietly beside her, breathing softly, her small form curled against the warmth of their shared blanket. Aria watched her daughter for a moment, noting how fragile she seemed compared to the dangers that surrounded them, and yet how precious and fierce her spirit already was. P
