“Oh.” Susie’s eyes widened. “I suppose you wouldn’t have known.” She hung her head a little. “Tensions with the Bear People have more or less exploded. Mark says more and more soldiers are being sent to the northern border. War seems imminent.”
I didn’t want to believe that. “Surely there’s something to be done to keep the peace?”
“The Bear People have made demands but those demands are impossible to fulfill.”
“What are they?” I asked.
Before us, out on the lawn, Elva sat on the grass with the two wolves, Night and Silver, in sitting in front of her. They were all looking so intently at each other, it was like they were having a conversation. I wondered what they were saying.
Focusing on that was less heartbreaking than thinking of the reality of war.
“They want their princess back,”
