r: Liora Th

ra

ht came colder

leaves, and the wind cut sharp, l

t light

in my belly no longer growled, it had gro

f wea

w

rest. I no longer masked my scent

l... no

mething ca

roots below, whispered in the hush between each foot

ind. In the bon

oward an unfamiliar piece of sky... as

follo

, leading me deeper, farther. To a place n

. Even the owls h

saw a

some great force. Moss blanketed the ground like offerings,

... or

here I f

El

loak of crow feathers and smoke gray fur. His beard was coarse as b

through me. Aro

ame,"

hadn't ma

I asked, sharpe

ou'd come. They always do, the

utious. My wolf stirred und

are

er. A w

stone. "You can call me Marlek. I

come for

d like a raven's. "Then why

eath caught

s. Not mournful. Not gri

n't come, she paced ins

sound. Waiting

you want

d. "But you want

Inside was ash, shavings of root, someth

to make

w cle

w what you're

, I

e was ol

n it walks in with

ke a storm. Not af

first. You won

d forwar

you've helped th

ed them," he replied

itness," I growle

nce

thickens the air. That wa

has a cost," h

alread

and creaking,

only made a

d into the trees, vanish

foll

center was a stump, carved with runes older than any name still spok

it

ed. "What

e," Marl

ged girl... and become something els

ready f

one who ca

struck lik

sa

owl. Smoke curled upward, thi

forgotten prayer

eat

di

me, down my throat,

lf leaned

it hi

si

tning to

lo's

betr

od on m

al

made o

cream in th

ttered and bl

d. Pull

that?" I c

ed. "One of many. But it wai

dreams. I wa

t, black as obsidian, slick with oil,

od. If you want the old strength

d at th

do I

his time, there was so

er, not

and w

art of you

the d

did not

it acros

d, bright a

ood fall ont

shifted

ss rec

unes

cient stirred be

sn't

sn't

was

hap

ini

knew

r smiled

egun."

ro

led. But in its pla

nt moon etche

sky had b

s, where vengeance waite

him bleed,"

ay, already fadi

" he

ake him b

circle long af

er called me Lio

ered Liora t