The Rise of the Fire Moon

  9.

  Sunrise

  The rosy glow of dawn was spreading along the horizon when Tir and Palva padded into the redoubt. They had said nothing to each other the whole way back, but neither of them noticed or cared. Palva’s mind was swimming with questions about the prophecy and what was to come, while Tir’s thoughts were heavy with sadness over the loss of his pack. However, both were put in better spirits at the sight of dawn. It had been a black and dead-silent night, and both of them were glad it was over.

  As the two weary and windswept wolves crept their way through the redoubt, other wolves began popping out of dens, and the crisp morning air buzzed with questions. But Palva did not pay any of them any mind; it was Alpha Liyra they needed to see. And so they brushed past the others without a word, heading towards the mound of tumbled stones which served as the stairway to Liyra’s den.

  But Liyra was already waiting for them, sitting atop a mossy boulder and watching them as they approached. Palva stopped in front of her and looked down at the ground.

  “Who is this you bring with you, Palva?” Liyra demanded, leaping from the boulder to stand before them. “Not another stranger?”

  Palva looked up at the alpha in surprise.

  “It’s Tir, Liyra,” she said, trying to stifle her amusement. “Don’t you recognize him? He’s clean now.”

  Beside her, Tir gave a small noise of disgust. He was glaring down at his dusty paws and refusing to meet the alpha’s eyes.

  Liyra almost fell over with surprise. “Oh, well—so it is!” she said, recovering herself. “Very sorry, I didn’t recognize his scent as it had always been smothered by the tang of ash. And his fur—why, it’s brown! But Palva, how under the sun did you manage…?”

  Palva shot her a significant look. “That we will discuss later,” she said. Then, she looked down at Tir and raised her voice so he could hear.

  “But now, Tir has something to say to you. Tir?”

  Tir said nothing, shifting his paws in the dust and glowering at the ground. Palva sighed.

  “Well?” she prompted.

  “I wish to join your pack,” he mumbled without looking up.

  Liyra exchanged looks with Palva. “Oh my.”

  Only now did Tir look up, and he glared at Liyra with unspent hatred. “It is not because you want me to!” he said. “It—it’s only because I have nowhere else to go.”

  Liyra nodded as though she understood. She moved closer to Tir, staring straight into his eyes and examining his face. He glared at the ground.

  “Why did you run away?”

  “To find my family,” Tir growled.

  “And?” Liyra asked, though Palva could tell she already knew.

  Tir did not answer.

  Liyra sniffed and released him, proceeding to pace to and fro before them with her tail waving like a silver flag.

  “Well,” she said. “I suppose you may stay with us. But only on the condition—”

  “Wait a moment!” Tir said. “I won’t beg you to let me stay.”

  “Don’t set conditions, Liyra,” Palva growled from behind. “Don’t pretend you aren’t glad he came back.”

  Liyra looked surprised. “Of course I’m glad! But I want it to be clear that he may not go off on his own.”

  “Why are you glad I returned?” Tir asked. His eyes were narrowed. “What do you want with me?”

  Liyra ignored his question, and Palva tried to give him an apologetic look, but he was glaring at the ground again. There was a long, awkward silence.

  “Tir went in the forest,” Palva said, sensing it was the right time to mention it. Liyra’s ears pricked in interest.

  “Oh, yes?” she said, wheeling around to face Tir. “How was it?”

  Palva saw Tir’s brow furrowing again, as he struggled to find the right word for his nightmarish visit to the forest.

  “Dangerous,” he said.

  “Oh?” Liyra said. She glanced at Palva. “How so?”

  “He met the white renegade, Liyra,” Palva said, before Tir could answer. “A she-wolf, apparently.”

  “But Captain Leron said—”

  “You can’t expect Leron to get his facts right every time, Liyra,” Palva said. “Leron didn’t investigate as he should have—he admitted it himself. And good for him that he didn’t. This is no natural wolf.”

  “So she is hostile?”

  Tir looked up, enjoying her unease. “Very,” he said.

  “Show her your neck, Tir,” Palva urged.

  Tir bristled as he regarded Liyra, unwilling to expose his throat.

  “Don’t be foolish,” the alpha snapped. “I won’t hurt you. Let me see.”

  Without taking his eyes off of Liyra, Tir lifted his head so Liyra could see the deep gouges in his brown fur where the renegade’s fangs had latched on tight.

  Liyra was startled. “She tried to kill you!”

  “Of course,” Tir said, trying to sound careless. “But she didn’t manage.”

  Behind him, Palva snorted, and Tir felt hot under his fur.

  “I don’t know why, though,” he admitted, avoiding Palva’s eyes.

  Liyra moved around him, examining his many cuts and new wounds from his scrap in the forest.

  “But some of these make me wonder,” the alpha said in surprised puzzlement. She nosed a long gash down Tir’s side. Tir winced. “No fangs could have done that,” she murmured.

  “He tells me she was fighting with her claws, Liyra,” Palva said. “She fought him using her paws like an extra set of fangs.”

  “Her claws?” Liyra said, astonished. “But—why, only the lynxes would. No natural wolf has ever—”

  “This is no natural wolf, Liyra. There is reason to believe this renegade has lived alone her entire life—which, of course, would make her all the more dangerous. It could be that she has no concept of common mercy and morals.”

  “And is territorial, it seems,” Liyra muttered to herself, pacing. “Rya’s tears, all we need is a territorial renegade.”

  “Only in the forest,” Tir spoke up, shuddering at the memory of the dark trees. “She said only the forest was hers, and she’d skin any fields wolves who would try to take it from her. And if you come in her forest, you being the alpha, she said she’d kill you, too.”

  “Did she?” Liyra said absentmindedly. Then she sighed and sat down. “I suppose we will just have to avoid the forest. Territorial renegades are more trouble than they’re worth. The plains are good enough for us, anyway.”

  Palva nodded, relieved. “Leron will want to drive her out,” she said in a warning tone.

  “Captain Leron, Palva,” Liyra reminded her. “But he will have to listen to me. We do not need any more trouble.”

  “Good,” Palva muttered. “It’s always nice to see some sense around here.”

  Liyra shot her a sharp glance, but Palva pretended not to notice. The alpha shook her head, giving a very impressive, weary sigh. She straightened herself and turned to face Tir, who was still glaring.

  “Very well then,” she said in a lofty, business-like tone. “I thank you for coming back, and your information on this hostile renegade was most useful.”

  Tir was not sure whether to thank her or not, and compensated by shuffling his paws.

  “Your training will begin tomorrow,” Liyra continued, and Tir’s head shot up in surprise, eyes narrowed. “Oh, yes,” she said, raising her brow. “We must have your Placement as soon as possible. Tomorrow, you will go on a patrol with Captain Leron and Sirle to assess your scouting abilities as a Sentinel. Be ready.”

  Tir nodded, and looked away, trying hard not to let Liyra see how nervous he was feeling. And strange, too—for as much as he missed his old pack, and as much as he resented Liyra for holding him prisoner, it would be good to have a place in the world again. He didn’t fancy the wandering, lonely life of a renegade, anyway.

  “Shall I get him a guide, Liyra?” Palva asked. “To show him around a bit? His pack was mu
ch different from ours, he tells me.”

  Liyra nodded. “Fetch Nerasa. She’s been avoiding work all morning. Before his Placement, he will need to know a bit more of our ways and rules.” She paused to give Tir a stern look. “And mind you respect them,” she warned. “There will be no more nightly wanderings.”

  Palva gave a derisive snort, and she steered Tir away before he could open his mouth and give another angry reply.

  “Come,” she muttered. “The day’s not over yet.”