They traveled many miles through the mountains without further incident. Orin kept his distance, and at this Shawna was both relieved and irritated. She tried to approach him once, but he brushed her off by claiming that he had to go hunt. They were walking a winding path through the forest when Mira whirled around, planted her feet, and lowered her horn. There was chattering and laughing just around the bend behind them. Antares crouched, lightning crackling from his tail, and everyone stood still. Shawna untied her sword and raised it. Orin did the same a few feet in front of her. Lula hovered near her, sprinkling dust, and holding her nose with both hands.
“Do not sneeze,” Shawna hissed.
“Aye wohn’t,” said Lula, right before she sneezed.
When the voices rounded the corner, the sun reflected off Shawna’s crystal blade straight into the first man’s face.
“Agh!” he yelled, shielding his eyes, while his two companions drew their weapons in defense.
“Who are you?!” demanded a rough looking young man, stepping forward with his axe raised. Then he saw Mira.
“Unicorn,” he said breathlessly. His other companions looked just as shocked, and terrified.
Mira flared her nostrils, clearly surprised at their encounter, and raised her horn slightly.
“Tell us who you are,” said Antares, baring his fangs.
The three men diverted all their attention to the large lion-beast surrounded by curling red energy. The axe of the youngest man was trembling.
“You are in danger of us, not the other way around,” said Antares. “Tell us who you are, or else I will not have to hunt later tonight.”
He grinned, and lashed his tail, sending sparks in every direction.
“Please,” said the youngest, a teenaged boy with long dark hair. “We’re just out hunting. We’re from a nearby village.” The older man who had first spoken stamped on the boy’s foot and he stopped talking, now looking more worried than before.
Antares glanced at their leather arm and shin guards, their intricate axes curved with gilded wolf-heads, and growled even more threateningly.
“We’ll let you pass through, but keep to the ridge,” said the man. His eyes were glued to Mira. “We want nothing to do with you, so just let us part ways.”
The last man, the eldest, who had not said a word, was staring at Orin. He lowered his axe, and the lines on his forehead deepened.
His voice was a whisper. “It can’t be.”
His companions glanced between him and Orin. Orin only continued to glare back. The man tucked his axe into its leather loop, and took a small step forward. Everyone tensed. Mira stamped her hoof in warning, but her eyes told Shawna that she didn’t feel any real danger in this man’s heart.
“You can’t be Elias’s son.” He stepped closer, and Orin began to raise his sword. Something jangled at the man’s belt and reflected the sun. Orin froze, captured by the shining objects.
“And you.” The man set his deep eyes on Mira. “I know you as well, unicorn.” Mira slowly raised her head, but said nothing as he turned back to Orin. “You look just like him.”
“Stop,” Orin said, raising his sword defensively.
The man didn’t step any nearer, instead he began to smile, and opened his palms in a gesture of peace.
“Orin,” he said.
Orin almost dropped his sword. Shawna opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, and slowly lowered her own sword.
“How do you know me?” Orin said quietly.
“My name is Faolan, Alpha-don of a small village in the Agonian range. As your unicorn here”—he nodded at Mira—“knows quite well.”
Everyone turned the shock on their faces from Orin to Mira. The man folded his arms, and the other two men put away their axes, obviously unconcerned that Antares would eat them anymore.
“You.” Faolan pointed at a very puzzled Orin. “Are Orin, Elias’s son, there’s no doubt of it.”
Faolan’s eyes brimmed with tears, but he blinked them away quickly and cleared his throat. “Your father was my brother, a great man, and Beta-chief, or second in command. I never thought this day would come, but Zev’s song has brought you home.” He swept his arm around. “If these are your friends”—though he didn’t look like he believed it—“they may come along too.”
Orin stepped aside as Faolan walked past him, patting him on the back, and gesturing for them to follow. Orin looked at Shawna. In his eyes was the same numb disbelief she had felt when told about a world, a life, she had never known was hers. She was about to step towards him, but he turned and followed Faolan. She felt a little stung. They both were, after all, apparently orphans.
The other two introduced themselves as Garn and Lan, and they kept pace behind them all, still cautious despite Faolan’s warm welcome. Mira inclined her head at Faolan, subduing her suspicions for the moment in light of their odd predicament. Shawna had learned it was rare, or maybe even unheard of, for a unicorn to be tricked by deceit.
“Your home?” said Shawna when she caught up to Orin. “But I thought you said you—”
“I don’t care what you thought. Stop asking me questions.”
It felt like he had physically smacked her. She let him walk away from her.
Lula fluttered down to her shoulder. “I guess big-lips only uses them to kiss you, and then to yell at you. How romantic.”
“Thanks for the observation.” She said it with a bit more spite than she had meant to, but Lula took it graciously.
“Well, I mean,” said Lula, “you are really powerful. Who am I to say who you can kiss or not. You could turn me into a gnat if you wanted to.”
“Forget about it. You’re right.”
Lula looked relieved. “Oh good. Not that you would…turn me into a gnat…right?”
Shawna smiled, then glanced up at Mira a few paces ahead, and then at Orin. She knew he either hadn’t been telling them the truth, or didn’t even know it himself. It was apparent he didn’t know these men, though they knew him and Mira. She watched them both, and bit her lip.
They reached the village a little before sundown. Chimneys were just beginning to smoke, and baked fish made Shawna’s stomach growl. Antares growled in response to the sound and looked around, ready to pounce, until he realized it was her empty stomach. She couldn’t help but give him a little amused smile. He puffed himself up, and swiped a giant paw at Lan who yelped and stumbled backwards over a log. Antares looked pleased.
All the people seemed to be inside their homes preparing meals. It wasn’t until Faolan walked up to a large bugle with a wolf’s jaws opening wide at its other end, and blew a tremendous sound that everyone began throwing doors open. Families poured into the earthen square, gathering around Faolan’s company and the newcomers. Children stared wide-eyed at Mira, and mothers stared wide-eyed at Antares, clutching their children close. A few young men were staring at Shawna. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, and was grateful when Orin caught their stares and they looked away.
“Everyone,” shouted Faolan when about sixty people had amassed. “Someone has come back to us. Beyond all our beliefs, he has found his way home.” He clapped a calloused hand on Orin’s shoulder. “This boy. This is Elias’s son, Orin. Orin has come home, blown by the fates of the Howling Winds.”
There was a wave of murmuring and pointing. Faolan raised his arm, and slowly the talking died.
“I know it is hard to believe, but as you can see, it is true.” He cleared his throat, his voice cracking with emotion. “Let us celebrate this miracle. Call the wolves!”
Call the wolves? Shawna looked around at the tall dark forest beyond the firelight.
“Did he just say, ‘call the wolves?’” Lula said, alighting on her shoulder. “I suppose you should be grateful for eating nothing but those skinny rabbits that Orin catches. I wouldn’t eat you.” She winked, and Shawna smirked back.
Four men walked over to four small
er wolf-head horns surrounding Faolon’s, and one after the other blasted hauntingly beautiful notes. The sound reverberated through the falling night. A few minutes later, actual wolf howls faintly answered. Shawna felt her spine tingle at the primal calls.
There was a lot of chatter, and people shoved forward for a look at Orin and his strange friends, though a wide birth was given to Antares because he kept growling and glaring at everyone. One little fearless girl, however, tottered right up to Antares and wrapped her arms around his leg before he realized what was happening. She could barely put her pudgy arms around his big furry leg. She sat down and patted his paw that could have whacked her into oblivion. He lifted his paw and “ha’ruffed” menacingly at her, but she only giggled. He was stunned into silence and glanced around for help.
Everyone wanted to see Orin and talk to him. Mira, Shawna, and Lula soon found themselves at the edge of the mob. Not wanting to create a scene, Antares finally stood up and marched away. The crowd moved aside like royal subjects, or timid deer. But he wasn’t going to escape so easily. Something grabbed his tail and he whipped his head around, teeth bared, to see the persistent child latched on and scuttling after him like a crab. He tried thrashing his tail around, but she had a grip like a crocodile, and only squealed with delight when she was lifted into the air. The little girl landed in a cloud of dust, hair sticking straight up from his electricity, and proceeded to yank on his tail. Antares did not have a cruel nature, but he was seriously deciding on eating her. He had a toothy scowl across his face when her mother finally came to the rescue.
“Mia!” she screeched.
THWACK!
The woman’s boot collided with his jaw, and his scowl was whacked off his face. A wail of disappointment pierced his ringing head as Mia was swooped away. He blinked. He’d just been booted in the face by a scrawny human-creature. With a very prideful, “harumph,” and a twitch of his sparking whiskers, he turned tail and disappeared into the woods, his red glow swallowed by shadows.
“I really thought he was going to eat that kid,” said Lula.
“Well, not yet at least,” said Shawna.
“Come,” yelled Faolan from across the crowd, waving at them. “Follow us to the Howling Hall and share our food. You must be famished.” His voice was fading as he and everyone else were dispersing to gather a feast for Orin’s home-coming.
Shawna looked at Mira, who flicked her ears as a well-why-not sign. They followed the crowd towards the middle of town, and Shawna nearly fainted from all the delicious smells wafting around the night air. Baked plum pies, meat pies, nut pies, fire-roasted vegetables, cured meats, huge hunks of pungent cheese, and honey-soaked fruits were laid out before them when they walked under the huge carved doors into the hall. It was quite a magnificent hall for such a quaint little village.
Around the entrance must have been a hundred wolf skulls all decorated with paint and braided leather. It was stunningly horrific. As she stepped inside, she was further impressed. The wooden walls inside were completely covered in carvings. The wood was rich and gleaming, making the reliefs of people, wolves, and day-to-day scenes look alive. Or were they? She stopped and stared at a large life-like statue of a wolf and jumped when it turned its yellow eyes to meet hers.
“Oh,” said Lula, fluttering above their heads. “It’s a wolf!”
They hadn’t seen the wolves arrive, and the sight of one made her heart race, not just from apprehension, but also from their deadly beauty. The wolf was very handsome with golden tawny fur nearly the same color as the wood walls, yellow eyes, and black tips on its muzzle, ears, and legs. It was perhaps fourteen feet away and looked at them without a trace of fear. In fact, the wolf seemed very interested in them, Shawna especially. She felt the light weight of her sword and gripped it more securely. Her attention was caught momentarily by the loud peal of a musical instrument, and when she looked back the wolf had gone.
As people filed into the hall, laden with delicious plates of food, music began playing at the far end. It felt primal and fierce like the wolf howls. Shawna was drawn to it as if her soul had always been waiting for such a sound. She and Lula made their way to the musicians and watched as villagers started dancing a warrior-like dance, even the women. The men, and a couple of women, played medieval looking instruments to the pounding rhythm of drums. Then, as the bagpipes, woodwinds, and stringed instruments thrummed and roared, a group of men started singing in deep, growling voices. The words were mysterious to her, but she felt their meaning nonetheless: strength, honor, loyalty, and fearlessness, like the wolf.
“I’m afraid weapons are not allowed in the Howling Hall,” Faolan said, moving his way towards her.
She turned away from the hypnotizing music and dance to face him. “Oh, I-I’m sorry.”
“This is a sacred place of celebration.” His eyes widened. “But what an unusual sword.”
Shawna saw Lula watching him, probably offended at the thought of his grimy hands touching her magnificent creation.
“You have no scabbard.” He said it as a statement, not a question, and she realized the thought had never crossed her mind. She had just been using the cloth strap Orin had given her.
“May I?” he asked, holding out a very clean, though rough, hand.
She handed him the hilt. The blade flashed in his eyes by amber torch-light. He examined the clear blade, hilt, and small carvings with great interest. Shawna noticed there was a new carving within the blade that hadn’t been there a day ago. The image of Kryos was now entwined with Karuna. The iron figure of Karuna, an image of her natural-self, not the monster she had been, was also rearing and reaching upward.
“Fairy skill,” he said. “Quite powerful as well.” He glanced up at Lula, and she allowed herself to smile somewhat smugly. “How ever did you come by this, if I may ask?”
He seemed like such a kind man that Shawna opened up without thinking and answered, “The Monoliths of Kryos.”
Everyone within ear-shot went silent, and soon it spread like a ripple until the entire hall was so quiet you could hear the sputtering of burning coals. Faolan’s eyes widened, and he nearly let the sword fall before she caught it from him. Orin shoved his way forward, a fang-adorned goblet in hand.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking at everyone’s faces before settling on Shawna’s.
She felt hotter and redder than the flames from the fireplace near them. Mira came up behind her shoulder.
“Does this bother you?” Mira asked of Faolan, her voice saturated with such tranquility that everyone slowly relaxed their shoulders and faces. One woman began to smile, looking tipsy, obviously very easily persuaded, or else very drunk.
He stammered, “Well, no, it’s just…just how did you get out alive?”
Shawna stood up a little taller, and raised her eyebrows, daring him to say, but you’re just a little girl.
Instead, he said, “There are horrible beasts there. And you survived? And obtained this sword, the likes I’ve never seen before.”
“They aren’t horrible,” she said, but thought about how pants-peeing afraid she had been at the time. “Antares isn’t a monster, and he came from there.”
This was the wrong thing to say. Mira even bumped her with her head. “You shouldn’t have revealed that!”
“Yeah, well, too late now. Thanks for not stomping on my foot,” she mumbled.
She hated being reprimanded, especially in front of Orin. There was an uproar like tiny flames suddenly gorging themselves on brittle twigs. Faolan took a giant step back, fear showing in his eyes this time.
“This is my fault!” he bellowed above the clamor, raising his arms for silence which took awhile, but when it finally quieted he continued. “This is my fault for bringing these strangers amongst us, even though Orin vouches for them. I thought the creature wreathed in light might have been dangerous, but I had no idea what he truly was.”
“He’s not dangerous,” Shawna said angrily.
“He’s one of the beasts from the Crystal Valley. Of course he is!” Faolan was fuming, his chest heaving with quick breaths.
She hadn’t realized that they had all been slowly backing away out the door until she heard a chorus of snarls behind them. She, Mira, and Lula turned around to see that they were hemmed in by a thick circle of wolves. They had nowhere to go. Anger welled up inside her from all this miscommunication and assumption.
“We are not dangerous!” she shouted, throwing her sword to the ground at Faolan’s feet.
He stared at her, then at the sword, his eyes narrowing before they fell on Mira.
“It seems to me, unicorn, that it has been about sixteen years since the last time I saw you. Interesting how the two events followed one another.”
Mira ignored Shawna’s and Lula’s questioning looks, and steadily returned Faolon’s accusing one.
“I came for a specific reason,” she said, head held high.
“Did you?” His tone was biting. “All we saw was a black unicorn galloping towards a cottage in ruins. Next we knew, monsters seen from the Monoliths attacked our men. Luckily, we had the power of the Golden One to protect us.”
“We only went there to—” Shawna interrupted, glancing at Mira, but she saw that she was going to receive no help this time. “We went there because we’re on a journey, a very important one. We had to find Sirr…someone who could help us. Kryos and his clan are not monsters. They want to help us and you!” Her last words caught their attention. The wolves were still baring their fangs but had ceased snarling.
“Help us?” said Faolan, his chin raised so that he was looking down his nose at her. “Why would creatures that have tried to devastate our forests and village want to help us?”
“What? What do you mean? They haven’t—”
“Don’t tell me what I haven’t seen, girl!” She jumped at his anger and clenched fists.
Lula clenched her fists as well and looked about ready to get into a fist fight with his nose. Shawna gave a slight shake of her head and, with a scowl, Lula reluctantly crossed her arms. Some of the villagers were murmuring their agreement with their village leader, their stares accusing. Orin tried to push his way between them, but others shoved him back. He too looked ready to fight, yet they were surrounded, and his sword lay secured within the hall. Faolon’s eyes glinted.
“For sixteen years, dark creatures have come from the valley of the Crystal Monoliths, and each time the Golden Wolf has protected us.”
Mira’s ears suddenly perked forward at this and fixated on Faolon as he continued speaking.
“Without the wolves,” he said in a quieter but stern voice. “They, who have blessed us with their loyalty and protection since the creatures first appeared, those monsters would have destroyed us then. However, despite our patrols, despite the power of the Golden One, the creatures have been growing stronger.”
“But, I don’t, how could—” she started to stutter until she realized what he was talking about. “Those creatures, they aren’t Kryos and the soleons. Those are molochs! I’ve seen them. You have it all wrong.”
“You’ve seen them? Where?” It was a whisper, but his eyes screamed alarm.
Mira’s horn began to glow. She pawed the ground, and tossed her mane. Shawna had a sinking feeling about all this. She swallowed.
“No…nowhere near, just in the distance…once, far away…other mountains…” Her voice trailed away.
“She’s telling the truth,” Orin shouted from the crowd.
She saw him trying to push his way through again, and her heart surged to her throat.
“Just let us leave in the morning,” Orin said. “If you fear for your village we’ll leave. We’re not here to bring you any harm.”
Faolon shook his head and waved for Orin to be silenced. Several men shoved him away as he continued to protest.
“You’re lying.” His eyes pierced through Shawna, and she knew he was already convinced that she’d brought their worst nightmares on her heels.
Just as Faolon opened his mouth to perhaps give an order to capture them, the tawny-gold wolf she had seen earlier leapt with ease over Faolan’s shoulder and landed right in front of her, level with her startled expression. Faolon and everyone behind him grew quiet. All the wolves lay down in front of this black-faced one with the piercing yellow eyes. Shawna remained perfectly still. The wolf gazed straight into her eyes, and she saw specks of gold in the darker rings of its irises.
Lula started having a fit of sneezing, speckling some of the wolves below her with fairy dust. They growled at her when pink spots appeared in their fur. The yellow wolf threw his head back and howled. It sounded more like chords of a song Shawna could almost remember than a wild howl. It was melancholy yet lovely.
This seemed to settle the matter. The other wolves stood and sauntered back through the throngs of people into the great hall. The villager’s whole demeanor changed in a heartbeat. Everyone followed the pack inside and started to chatter as if the whole event had never happened.
“Well,” Faolan said, looking at the wolf in front of him. “Zev, alpha of the wolf pack, has decided the matter despite who you really are, or whether you’re telling the truth or not.” He sounded actually relieved and nodded at Zev. “He would have killed you if you meant us harm.”
Shawna reflexively took a step back while the wolf’s eyes followed her. Mira was looking at the wolf, Zev, as if seeing him for the first time. He calmly returned the look, then dipped his head at her, and she snorted in surprise. Shawna realized they had been privately conversing.
Faolan, oblivious to the exchange, spoke to them. “You may stay for awhile and continue your journey in a few days.” He paused. “Unless you feel the need to leave earlier.”
He turned heel, pulled Orin along with him as if he feared they would take him with them, and left them standing there with Zev. Orin looked back at her, but then turned and walked inside before she could even say anything. She wasn’t sure if she was still angry at him or not. Zev walked past her, and she followed his path until she saw something red glowing in the distance.
“Antares,” Mira said, turning to face him along with Zev.
Antares nonchalantly padded up to them, licking his whiskers. Shawna saw they were slightly stained with blood. He had been hunting. Zev bowed his head to Antares, then rose and loped off into the night while seven other wolves materialized from dark corners around the village and streaked after him.
“Is it true?” Mira said to Antares so that everyone could hear her thoughts.
“Yes. They’re scouting the mountains right now.”
“Is what true?” Shawna said.
“The molochs that escaped from the Monoliths are amassing and heading our way,” said Antares. “Those creatures that attacked us before were only a few.”
“A few?!” she shouted.
Some young men near the doorway turned to stare. She blushed and looked away, convinced that they thought her strange and best to be avoided.
“Why are we staying here? We should leave,” she said. “They don’t want us here. Isn’t that obvious.” Except for his grace, Orin.
“We must keep this amongst ourselves,” said Mira. “They will certainly believe that you have something to do with the molochs if they hear it from us.”
“This is ridiculous. Let’s go get Orin’s spoiled royal butt, and get out of here. Aren’t we supposed to be finding the third realm?”
Mira suddenly whirled on her, ears pinned back.
“Do you think this is some game we brought you along to play? An amusing adventure from your human fairy tales? This is as real as the other world you knew. Each of us real and alive! Each of us risking our lives to protect you. If anyone’s ‘spoiled’ I’m looking at her as we speak.”
Shawna stepped back in total shock at Mira’s vicious tone.
“Well.” She was shaken. “I…I know. I mean, I know this isn’t…a game. I didn’t
mean…” She didn’t know what she meant. She pursed her lips, noticing how dry and cracked they were.
“If anything’s ridiculous,” said Mira, “it’s the reason we’re all here on this journey in the first place.”
At first Shawna wasn’t sure if she had heard her right. Then the inside of her chest felt like it was beginning to burn with a rage she never knew was there.
“Wait,” she said, stepping forward. “Did you just say that you think all this is pointless?”
Lula was looking between them, opening and closing her mouth like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Antares looked bored.
“Are you saying we went all that way to find Sirrush for nothing?” The anger was catching fire in her throat. “First you accuse me of not taking this seriously, of being a spoiled brat, and then you say you don’t believe in what we’re doing? Don’t tell me this is all pointless…this whole amusing adventure”—She was starting to yell, but she didn’t care who was listening—“you took me away from my family, my life, because you believed in something, in me!” A throng of people was beginning to edge around them. Mira was clearly agitated as Shawna continued. “You believed in me. And now you’re telling me you don’t anymore?”
“I never said—”
“You don’t!” shouted Shawna. Mira snorted and threw her head back. “If you did you’d believe that I could do this!” She dropped her hand, her rage subsiding as quickly as the pain now rising as it dawned on her. “You think I can’t do this.” Mira’s shifting ears, prancing, and heavy breathing told her just that. “If you knew what Sirrush said to me—”
“I know many things, girl. I chose my path, and it led to you.”
“I see.” Shawna’s face was working to stay composed. “I see that secrets are best kept by dragons and unicorns. God forbid if anyone else keeps secrets, otherwise they might just be impaled by your horn. Shall I tell Orin, then?”
Mira’s eyes flashed and her nostrils flared. She struck the ground with her hoof, sending sparks as glaring as the whites of her eyes.
“Orin’s unpredictable,” said Mira. “He could change everything. You can not tell him whatever Sirrush told you.”
“You know?”
“I only know that it concerns you both, that is all.”
Shawna felt the tension leave her shoulders. Mira would do as she promised and run Orin through if she knew what Sirrush had said. She ran her tongue along the bottom of her teeth and took a deep breath.
“What if I don’t believe Sirrush? What if I don’t believe any of this?” Her eyebrows jerked up. “If you’re so worried I’ll ruin everything, then maybe you should have never rescued me in the first place.”
“Quiet, girl!” Mira reared in rage, striking the air with her hooves. The crowd gasped and stepped back. “How dare you accuse me of such things.” Her ears were flat against her skull. “I do not regret saving you and bringing you to this world. It was my charge to protect you.” Her nostrils flared. “If you knew what I know.”
“What?” Shawna snapped, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She tried to rearrange her face into pure anger, but she couldn’t stop those betraying tears.
“If I knew what?” Her lips trembled. “What is it that you won’t tell me? Why can’t you tell me?!”
“The same reason you cannot tell him!” Every emotion melted from Shawna’s face, save one of disbelief. Mira exhaled, lowering her ears to the side. “Knowledge of one’s own fate can be more dangerous than the molochs. Imagine what Orin would do if he knew what Sirrush had told you.” Shawna slowly nodded, and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Then why did he tell me?”
“Most likely to see what you would do. He is a dragon. Why a dragon does what it does is beyond any of our understanding.”
“Do you think he wanted me to tell Orin?”
“I think he wanted to see what was more important to you. Orin, or the reason you’re here.”
The gravity of their purpose, of her purpose, truly sunk in. It didn’t matter what Sirrush had said, what anyone believed, or didn’t believe. What matters is what I believe, what I do. She glanced over her shoulder and finally noticed the throng of strangers watching. Orin was nowhere in sight.
Mira stepped closer to her. “Ava—don’t give me that look. It is your birth name—It is because I believe in you that I say these things.”
Mira dropped her head. “What I regret is bringing you into a fate you don’t deserve. For no matter what I do…I won’t be able to protect you.” She raised her head, looked at Shawna for a moment, then turned to walk away.
Shawna raised her hand. “Wait.”
Mira stopped. Shawna walked over to her and wanted to say something, but all she could do was throw her arms around her tall neck. She felt Mira rest her chin over her shoulder, and she smiled. Not only did Mira and everyone else believe in her, but she truly believed in herself for once. She would do what she had been brought here to do, or die trying, but not alone; never would she be alone.
“Go,” said Mira, pushing her with her nose. “You’re hungry. I can hear your stomach grumbling like Antares, and I’m so hungry even your hair looks appetizing.”
“Hey,” Shawna laughed as Mira lipped her hair before walking over to the sweet-grass the villagers had piled near the doors for her. Lula fluttered over to Shawna.
“Wow,” she said, landing on her outstretched palm. “I didn’t want anything to do with this at first either. When Capella told me you’d be coming, and there was this insane quest I…” She continued talking, but Shawna wasn’t listening.
She was staring at Orin near the Howling Hall’s entrance. Faolan was talking loudly to him about the village and his future there, but Orin wasn’t listening to him either. He was glancing whenever he could at her. Every time his eyes locked onto hers, she felt like the air blazed between them. Faolon noticed Orin’s diverted attention, threw his arm over his shoulders, and steered him away.
“Are you listening?” said Lula.
“What? Sorry, I…what?”
“I said that I wasn’t even going to come on this silly let’s-all-get-eaten-by-monsters-quest until I met you. I liked you, how you talked back to Capella.” She giggled and looked down at Shawna’s palm, tapping it with her tiny bare foot, hands behind her back. “I knew you’d be a good friend. You looked like you could stare down a dragon if you had to, or worse, a unicorn.”
“Thanks,” said Shawna, feeling more determined and hopeful than ever before. “I’m really glad you came with us. Someone has to smack Capella for me when this is all over.” They burst into laughter and walked back in to rejoin the celebration.