Before the storm
1324 Words
CHAPTER FIVE
Before The Storm
Cassien
The scent of pine flooded my lungs as I ran.
Snow scattered beneath my paws.
Six more wolves fanned out through the trees.
Behind me, Kael, my closest friend, kept pace
with effortless ease.
We had been running since dawn. Even with a
wolf’s endurance, the palace was half a day’s
journey behind us, but no one suggested
slowing.
Every heartbeat wasted here was another
heartbeat, a rogue remained unaccounted for.
Streams were seen ahead, the mountain air
heavy with the scent of another wolf who just
passed here.
Kael darted ahead, his silver grey coat flashing
between the pines.
Show-off.
He glanced over his shoulder, tongue lolling in unmistakable amusement.
I answered in a low growl and pushed harder, the ground disappearing beneath my paws.
Even now, Kael refused to let a race go to
waste.
I decided to beat him, it was times like these I
enjoyed most about riding freely.
Out here, there were no council meetings.
No nobles watching every word I spoke.
No reminders that one day the kingdom would
be mine to protect.
Out here, I wasn’t the Crown Prince.
I was simply another wolf running beside his
pack.
A breeze carried the scent of blossoms
through the trees.
I used to associate the flowers with her.
My stride faltered.
For one moment, I was somewhere else
entirely.
I reached for the memories before I could stop
myself…
…and it slipped away like mist.
Kael slammed his shoulder into mine.
I stumbled.
“Focus”, his golden eyes seemed to say.
We reached the final ridge, and the Border
Keep came into view before us.
After shifting back into our human forms, I
looked around.
It wasn’t beautiful.
It wasn’t meant to be.
The fortress had been carved into the
mountainside itself, its grey stone walls rising
from solid rock as though the mountain had
decided to grow armour. Time and countless
battles had left their mark. Deep claw grooves
scarred sections of the outer wall, while newer
stone patches stood out where damaged
fortifications had been hastily rebuilt.
Watchtowers overlooked every approach, their
signal fires burning despite the morning sun.
Wolves stood atop them in human form,
scanning the endless forest beyond with bows
already strung.
Inside the walls, the keep pulsed with
controlled urgency.
Soldiers crossed the courtyard carrying crates
of arrows, coils of heavy chain, and bundles of
medicinal herbs.
Blacksmiths hammered glowing steel without
pause. Healers hurried between the infirmary
and the barracks with bloodstained cloths
draped over their arms.
Nobody stood idle.
Nobody laughed.
The Border Keep had the uneasy rhythm of a
place preparing for another attack.
“So, this is the famous border I’ve heard so
much about.” Kael said from beside me.
“You’re welcome for bringing you along by the
way.”
“You should be thanking me, your grace. Who would have kept your brooding self company?”
“Isn’t he a brooding young prince, Mara?”
Mara was one of our best trackers and a trained and skilled fighter but a woman of few words.
“I prefer not to answer, Alpha.”
“You’re no fun.”
I ignored his chatter and focused on Commander Rowan coming out looking very much wounded.
“My prince, I see you have gotten word of the rogue attack.”
Walking with him inside, I noticed there were healers walking past carrying bowls and bowing when they saw us along with young wolves training in the courtyard.
A wounded young guard tries to stand and salute me.
I immediately knelt and gently pushed him back down.
“Heal first.”
The guard started apologizing.
I interrupted him.
“You already did your duty.”
“As you can see, the attack on us has destabilized the camp, we have failed to protect the one thing we swore our lives for.”
I stopped and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Start with the first mistake.”
“My prince?”
“Every battle is lost long before the first body
falls.”
“I think it would be better if I showed you.”
He led the way out of the camp to where the
damage was.
Something caught my eye, just as we were
about to go.
Against a stone wall stood something
unexpected.
Not statues
Not graves.
A wall of names.
Hundreds of them.
Some weathered by decades.
Some freshly carved.
Fresh flowers rested beneath the newest
names.
“The Wall of watchers.” Rowan said.
“Every wolf who falls defending the Veil earns their place here.”
“Their names remain until the mountain itself
crumbles.”
Stepping closer, I traced the newest name with my fingers and commit it to memory.
We continued walking and knew we had
reached instantly.
There were deep claw marks on the trees.
Smashed barricades.
“Your scout said they were not the rogues we have encountered before.” I said, looking at the c*****e.
“Yes, these ones were larger, faster, they were outnumbered but still managed to get the better of us.”
“How many?”
“Three.”
We got closer and froze.
The veil stretched before us.
At first glance, it looked like nothing more
than empty air suspended between two
ancient stone pillars.
Then, I looked again.
The world… wavered.
The air rippled as though invisible heat rose
from the earth, bending the mountains
beyond into distorted shapes. Sunlight refused
to settle there, breaking into fractured colours
that vanished almost as quickly as they
appeared.
Even the forest seemed to know better than
to approach.
The trees nearest the Veil twisted away from
it, their branches leaning in the opposite
direction despite the still air.
No birds flew overhead.
No insects buzzed.
Even the wind fell silent.
Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to
turn back.
Wolves trusted their senses above everything.
Mine had never betrayed me before.
Today…
They whispered that something was terribly
wrong.
As I stepped closer.
The rippling air became calmer.
Almost..
Recognizing me.
Then suddenly, it flicked violently again.
I immediately stepped back.
For some reason, I couldn’t get closer.
“Why can’t we get closer, Commander.”Kael
spoke up.
“That’s the strangest thing, we were able to
get closer when we tried to stop him, and we
could.”
“But after some time, it pushed me back with
such a force, as if protecting itself from us.”
“Wait, do you smell that?” Mara asked, sniffing around the air.
“Rogue?” Kael asked.
“Not just that.”
Everybody turned their head toward her.
“You said, only one wolf crossed.” I said,
looking at Rowan.
“It was.”
“The scent is mixed with strong moon magic,
someone from the other side is trying to get
closer to this place.” Mara said.
“What? A human with moon magic.” Kael
scoffed.
“We would have to meet with the moon
goddess to tell us more, all I know is what I
smelled.”
“The moon goddess will not see us except if it
is a full moon.” Kael said again.
“Then we will have to wait. Since the Veil has
been compromised, Lunareth as well as the
Human world will not be safe for very long.
More wolves will try to cross.”I said.
“We need to tighten security here and rebuild
the walls.The palace will send reinforcements.”
Commander Rowan nodded. “Thank you, my
Prince.”
“You four, head back and inform my Father, I
will be back to report the news.”
I turned to Rowan and asked.
“Where did they retreat?”
Rowan hesitated.
“North.”
Rowan looked at Kael.
Then Mara.
“If you’re going after them…”
… you better leave now.”
- Writer
