Under A Divided Moon

Rhys’ pov Something was wrong, the moment the wind around me changed. I picked up the scent before the northern border came into view, sharp, unfamiliar and definitely out of place. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and alert, it was as if it could sense the danger but my mind couldn’t get a name yet. The closer we got to the border, the stronger the scent became. Not human. Not Stormhaul. Something else. Then the trees fell silent. I stopped dead. Silverpine. The name surfaced in my mind like a warning and suddenly every instinct in me was screaming, we were not alone. i slowed, the forest surrounding me became eerily quiet even the wind that made the leaves rustle had disappeared making the only noticeable sound out footsteps against the debris covered paths, my gaze fell a symbol carved into the bark of the blackened tree. i stepped closer to get a better look, at first glance it looked like an ancient symbol meaning whoever marked the tree didn't want it to be easily recognized. Kruz, my second, stepped beside me. "you've seen this before, haven't you?" he hesitates for a second. "once" "where?" my brows furrowed his eyes remained fixated on the symbol "duskveil" that caught my attention immediately. a duskveil mark had no business being on this side of stormhawlor any side and even if they had to they don't leave things where they could be found making it extremely unusual "we'll deal with that later" i dismissed the subject turning back to the path, Kruz followed. "how many?" I asked "just one set of tracks were found" "just one?" he nodded, "one wolf" i glanced over at the trees ahead, "that's deliberate" Kruz didn't answer. he didn't need to. nothing crosses the stormhawl border by accident, infact nothing crosses the border at all. "let’s split up, have the guards check farther in the mountains. I'll keep heading straight" "alright" he said before disappearing between the trees. i followed the clear tracks leading me into the dense forest. whoever left them made no attempt to cover their prints or hide their presence, it was clear against the moist ground leading deeper into my territory. they were not leaving. they seemed to know where they were going. they definitely wanted to be found. "Whoever you are," i called into the space surrounding me. "I'm giving you the option to reveal yourself this instant and lessen your punishment." intimidation usually works, nobody wants to face the wrath of stormhawl but i got nothing back. not even a sound. just then i caught a whiff of something unfamiliar, not silverpinesomething I'd never smelled before. my wolf reacted causing me to turn in direction of the scent. a sound came from the bushes. i stopped. a wolf stepped into the clearing, female. silver. not black. not grey. silver from her nose down to the tail, her coat luminous beneath the moonlight. every moment radiating light as if she was a carrier. she was clearly smaller than me but there was something about her stance that made that fact completely irrelevant. she didn't seem to be afraid of me. that was the was the first thing I noticed when she stepped out, second was how my wolf went still. completely. that never happens. not alert or threatened. just still. the feeling was completely foreign mine. the word took me by surprise, it came from somewhere deeper than i could imagine. instinct. i paid no attention to it or at least I tried she lifted her head and looked directly at me. something beneath my skin burned. I stepped closer to her she didn't move, most people did. then a distant howl broke the deafening silence between us. her eyes twitched. the call was for her. she turned towards the sound, then another howl came. louder. she responded silverpine. her pack was calling her back. before I could I react, she raced past me almost like she didn't want to be caught here by someone from her pack. "Wait!" I called moving after her. she turned baring her teeth, not aggressively but as warning. I stopped and our eyes met again before she turned to disappear into the forest. a few minutes went by with my body stuck in place after she'd disappeared and my wolf hadn't settled either, she was mine. i had no name to place her with. i had no idea why she crossed my territory. i didnt know why my moon mark still burned beneath my skin. but i was certain about one thing i am going to find her.