AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Out of the mists, a soft voice said, “Lady Camille. What are you doing here?”
I recognized the voice and—almost in tears—dropped to my knees. “Lord Howl, please, please help us. There’s a dragon after us and we can’t run any farther. Please, give us shelter.”
Within seconds, a low whistle went out and we were surrounded by wolves. Howl, the Great Winter Wolf Spirit, stepped out of the mist, lean and muscled, in thick pelts of white, with a headdress of bone and silver adorning his head. He was dark and his hair long against his back, and a wild feral gleam filled his eyes.
“You are hurt.” A statement, not a question. “Come, we will take you to safety. And then you can explain why you are out here at the ends of the world.”
Several of the wolves transformed then, into dark warriors who gathered both of us up into their arms, and quick as the wind, we were racing back to Howl’s lair, and to safety.
Chapter 14
Howl’s lair was pretty much as I remembered it from just a few days back. A labyrinth of welcoming, warm caverns, with bathing pools and the smell of roasting meat filling the corridors. My stomach rumbled, but beneath the hunger I felt weary, beyond any movement or will to go on. I’d used up all the stamina and endurance I’d ever possessed.
I introduced Hanna to Howl, who had shed his outer pelts. With leather buckskin pants and a bare chest, he was pretty much dressed the same as last I’d seen him . . . except the headdress was different. He had long dark hair, gathered back in a ponytail, with eyes just as dark.
“Howl, please, meet Hanna. She saved my life.” Even as I spoke, something gave way inside, and I slid to the floor, unable to stand.
One of the largest white wolves padded forward to press her nose against my side. I knew who it was. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, she transformed. She was short, about five five, and sturdy; with eyes that glimmered ice blue, Kitää had hair as silver as Smoky’s. Dressed in a white pair of soft leather pants and matching tunic, she knelt by my side and stroked my hair.
“You are hurt,” she said, and I burst into tears as Kitää, Howl’s wife, the Queen and Mother of the Katabas Wolf People, gathered me in her arms and rocked me gently.
I leaned into her soft body, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep, but one of the warriors raced in, kneeling at Howl’s feet. Howl motioned for him to rise. “What news, Taj?”
“Lord Howl, the dragon at the top of the mountain has gone on a rampage. Fire is raging in the upper forests.” Taj, who by the coloring of his hair I guessed was a gray wolf, was standing at alert. The rest of the pack picked up the scent of his worry off him and began to mill around, in both wolf and human form.
I let out a little cry. “Hyto. It’s Hyto. He’s made a dreyerie for himself up there. He’s been there about five years, though—from what I understand.”
Howl turned to me, slowly looking me up and down. “Indeed, the dragon has been living there five years. But you say it is Hyto? The White Demon?” And then he paled. “You have come from there. Is Iampaatar up there with him?”
I shook my head. “Hyto captured me.” Stopping as a lump rose in my throat, I tried to keep my panic at bay and slowly showed him my collar. “He kidnapped me. This is his mark. He was trying to lure Smoky here, to destroy him.”
Kitää gasped. “He caught you?” She looked into my eyes and I opened my heart to her, telling her everything that had happened with a single look. As her expression fell, she ducked her head, shaking it gently. “Oh my child, you are truly hurt.”
Nodding, I forced the tears back. “Yes . . . But Hanna helped me escape, and Hyto is furious. We saw him raging early this morning, from the boulder field on the Skirts of Hel.”
“We have to get you out of here,” Howl said. “Before the dragon rains fire down on my people. That collar can lead him to you—once he comes out of his rage long enough to remember it.”
“I don’t want to put you in danger,” I whispered. “But I don’t know if I can make it down to the portals on my own. I could barely make it here. I am hurt, bruised sore through.”
“We don’t have time to stand on ceremony.” Howl motioned for Kitää to help me.
Hanna started to protest, but I shook my head at her. “It’s okay. Howl won’t harm me.” I stripped out of the garments, now soaked with sweat and the scent of fear. As I winced, peeling off the underlayer of lighter clothing that had stuck to some of my open wounds, Kitää let out a sharp cry and Howl shouted.
“You poor child.” Kitää hurried forward, examining my back. As she circled me, her gaze fell to the dark bruises and raw skin between my thighs and she raised her eyes to meet mine. “He has grievously injured you.” She turned to Howl. “He has violated her, as well as beaten her.”
Howl let out a low growl. “We will help you get safely home. I will not let him take you from our midst.”
I inhaled a deep breath, shuddering, and as we stood there, a low shimmering caught my attention. “Someone is coming through from the astral—over there!”
The warriors of the tribe swiftly moved into position, weapons to the ready. As we waited with pent breath, three shapes flickered into view and I shouted with joy, as Rozurial, Shade, and Vanzir stepped in off the astral.
I stood there, staring at the three of them, naked except for Howl’s collar. It didn’t matter to me that I was naked—I’d been so exposed the past few days that it was beginning to feel normal.
And then I saw the expressions on their faces as they took in the bruises and welts on my body. Vanzir let out a sharp cry, as Shade began to rumble. Roz hurried toward me and gently draped his duster around me, but the inner pockets were full of weapons and I moaned as something sharp and pointy scraped a sore spot. He quickly pulled it away from my shoulders, but by then Kitää had found a luxurious fur drape and slid it around me.
All the adrenaline that had been keeping me going suddenly vanished, and once again I lost my balance and tumbled forward, into Roz’s arms. He gathered me up and Kitää led him over to a soft pallet of fur pelts. As I tried to catch my breath, she motioned to a serving girl and soon I was holding a cup of hot broth, propped up by Roz, who was sitting behind me, with me leaning back against his chest. Vanzir and Shade knelt nearby.
“You’re safe now, Camille.” Shade took my hand, but I pulled away. Too much attention was making me feel weak. “What’s this?” He fingered the collar, then let out a sharp hiss. “Evil! What evil do you wear?”
