Chapter 15: Unknown Woman
After delegating the task of surveying the wolves, Kaelor crouched near the edge of the cliff as each Dreadclaw returned and relayed their count from the sectors he had assigned.
"A total of eighty-two wolves," Kaelor muttered, voice grim. "With their leader, that makes eighty-three."
Below, many of the wolves lay resting in the moonlit basin, their breaths heavy and even, like beasts awaiting orders. Yet none of them, not even in sleep, seemed weak. There was a dreadful harmony in how they moved, how they lingered, quiet and ominous.
"We need to prepare for battle, My Lord," Hound said, his voice heavier than the silence surrounding them. Even with his usually unshakable tone, Kaelor sensed unease laced in his words.
"I’d rather we leave them be, at least for now," one of the Dreadclaws proposed, his eyes locked on the colossal white wolf resting by the pond. The others nodded in agreement, Kaelor included.
It was the sensible choice.
Why challenge an entire army of beasts with just seven warriors?
Even with strength far above normal men, none of them would survive being overrun, not against a coordinated pack like this. And once they fell, the defenseless town behind them would be next.
But Hound shook his head slowly, his glowing eyes narrowing.
"It’s not an option," he said, voice sharp as the edge of his saber. "Did none of you notice how silent the forest has been? We moved through the night, and met almost no resistance. Few predators. Fewer prey. The forest seems dead."
He raised his clawed hand and pointed toward the white wolf. "It means one thing: this pack has either killed or driven others, out. This part of the Wilderness is theirs now."