Chapter 44: The One Who Came for Ash

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The One Who Came for Ash

For several days after the confrontation in the western forest, the Blackfang settlement slowly returned to a fragile sense of normality.

The damaged watchtowers were being rebuilt, the broken sections of the outer barrier were reinforced with thicker branches, and the hunters resumed their regular patrols.

The wounded wolves were recovering as well, although some still carried bandages made from strips of cloth and medicinal leaves that Mira had prepared.

Life was moving forward again, but nobody had forgotten the crimson eyes that had watched them from the forest.

Ash had not forgotten them either.

He had changed since that encounter.

He could not explain exactly how, but something inside him remained restless.

Whenever he approached the western side of the settlement, the relic beneath his fur became warmer.

Sometimes the warmth was barely noticeable, like sunlight touching stone. At other times, it became hot enough to make him instinctively pull it away from his chest.

The red symbol inside the blue relic had not disappeared.

It remained there like a warning.

Ash had also begun dreaming.

Every night, he found himself standing on the same ancient battlefield he had seen when he touched the Dreadborn armor fragment.

Snow covered the ground, and thousands of footprints crossed the frozen plain.

Blackfang wolves stood beside Silver Lynxes, Ice Bears, and Great Eagles while the Dreadborn formed a distant line across the battlefield.

But every time Ash tried to look beyond them, something prevented him.

Sometimes a thick mist covered the creature standing behind the Dreadborn.

Sometimes the entire battlefield shook before he could see it.

And sometimes he heard a voice calling his name.

He always woke before he could understand what it was saying.

On the fourth morning, Ash woke suddenly with his heart pounding.

He looked around the den.

The other wolves were still asleep.

The pale light of dawn entered through the narrow opening, spreading softly across the stone floor. Ash touched his chest and felt the relic slowly cooling beneath his paw.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

The dream remained fresh in his mind.

He had seen the same symbol again.

The symbol from the ancient ruins.

The symbol that had appeared on his relic.

But this time, it had been carved into the chest of the enormous creature hidden behind the Dreadborn.

Ash stood and quietly left the den.

Mira was already awake.

The elder sat near the edge of the settlement, sorting several dried herbs into small bundles. She looked up as Ash approached.

"You look tired."

"I had another dream."

Mira stopped working.

"About the battlefield?"

Ash nodded.

"And the thing behind the Dreadborn?"

Again, Ash nodded.

Mira remained silent.

Ash sat beside her.

"Why can’t I see it?"

Mira slowly tied one of the herb bundles.

"Perhaps because you are not supposed to."

Ash looked at her.

"Or perhaps someone buried those memories because they were afraid we would discover the truth."

Mira’s paws stopped moving.

She did not answer.

Ash watched her carefully.

He had expected an explanation.

Instead, he received silence.

And somehow, that silence frightened him more than any answer could have.

Before Ash could ask another question, a loud cry came from the center of the settlement.

"Where are they?"

Ash immediately stood.

Several Blackfangs rushed toward the sound.

A female wolf was searching frantically around one of the nearby dens.

"My cubs are gone!"

Rowan arrived moments later.

"How long?"

"I don’t know," the mother answered, her voice trembling. "They were sleeping beside me when I woke up."

Rowan immediately ordered the hunters to search the surrounding area.

The settlement became chaotic.

Every den was checked.

Every nearby shelter was inspected.

Ash followed Rowan toward the eastern side of the settlement.

There were no signs of a struggle.

No blood.

No broken branches.

No damaged shelter.

Then Ash saw something.

Two tiny sets of pawprints disappeared beyond the settlement’s eastern boundary.

He crouched down.

"They walked out."

Rowan looked at the tracks.

"That doesn’t make sense."

Ash studied them carefully.

The cubs had not been dragged.

They had walked willingly.

Aren appeared beside him.

His golden eyes followed the trail.

Then his expression changed.

"There are others."

Ash looked closer.

At first, he could see nothing.

Then the pattern became clear.

Several larger footprints overlapped the cubs’ tracks.

Someone had deliberately stepped over them.

The tracks were not random.

They were placed directly on top of the smaller prints.

"They’re hiding the trail," Ash said.

Rowan’s face darkened.

"Dreadborn."

Aren slowly nodded.

The word spread through the nearby hunters.

Several wolves immediately began growling.

Rowan turned toward the settlement.

"Prepare a search party."

Mira arrived before he could move.

"No."

Rowan looked at her.

"They took two cubs."

"I know."

"Then we bring them back."

Mira’s eyes remained fixed on the forest.

"That is what they expect you to do."

Rowan’s jaw tightened.

"So we leave the cubs?"

"No."

Mira looked toward Ash.

"They want someone to follow them."

Ash understood immediately.

"They want me."

Mira did not deny it.

Rowan’s expression became troubled.

Ash looked at the trail.

"If we don’t go, they may move the cubs."

"They may not hurt them," Mira said.

Ash looked at her.

"How can you know that?"

"I can’t."

Her voice softened.

"But if they wanted the cubs dead, they wouldn’t need to lure us anywhere."

Ash knew she was right.

The Dreadborn had already demonstrated that they preferred control over destruction.

Rowan finally made his decision.

"I’ll take six hunters."

Mira shook her head.

"Three."

Rowan frowned.

"Three isn’t enough."

"Six will look like an army moving through a trap."

Rowan remained silent.

Mira continued.

"Take Ash and Aren. If the Dreadborn are watching, they will expect Ash to come."

Ash looked at Rowan.

"I’ll go."

Rowan studied him for several seconds.

"Stay behind me."

Ash nodded.

"I will."

Aren quietly stepped beside him.

Within minutes, the search party left the settlement.

The forest looked peaceful beneath the afternoon light.

That was what made it frightening.

There were no birds.

No squirrels.

No distant calls from hidden animals.

The forest had gone unnaturally quiet.

Rowan raised his paw.

Everyone stopped.

Aren lowered himself and touched the snow with one paw.

"They’re close."

"How many?" Rowan whispered.

Aren looked toward the trees.

"I don’t know."

They continued.

The cubs’ tracks led deeper into the forest, but the larger footprints gradually disappeared.

Someone had covered them.

Ash looked around.

"They don’t want us tracking them."

Rowan nodded.

"They want us following the trail they prepared."

After nearly an hour, they reached an abandoned stone structure.

It was almost completely buried beneath snow and vegetation.

Only the upper half of a stone doorway remained visible.

Rowan signaled everyone to stop.

Ash smelled something familiar.

Smoke.

Someone had recently used the place.

They entered carefully.

The interior was larger than it appeared from outside.

Broken stone pillars surrounded a small chamber.

And there, sitting together near the far wall, were the two missing cubs.

They were alive.

They were frightened.

But they were unharmed.

Ash immediately moved toward them.

"Stay there."

The cubs looked at him.

One began crying.

Rowan checked the room.

"No one else."

Aren sniffed the air.

His fur rose along his back.

"Too quiet."

Ash stopped.

Something was wrong.

The cubs were alive.

There were no enemies.

There were no traps visible.

The entire situation was too easy.

"Rowan."

The older wolf understood immediately.

"Everyone back."

They turned toward the entrance.

A deep rumble echoed through the stone chamber.

Then the doorway collapsed.

Snow and stone crashed down behind them.

The hunters jumped backward.

Rowan’s eyes hardened.

"We’re trapped."

Outside, footsteps began circling the structure.

One.

Then another.

Then several more.

Ash looked toward the broken walls.

The Dreadborn had been waiting.

The cubs had never been the target.

They had been the bait.

The first Dreadborn appeared through a gap in the ruined wall.

Then another.

Then another.

Ash slowly counted them.

There were eight.

Perhaps nine.

The snowfall outside made it difficult to see the exact number.

They surrounded the ruins without rushing.

Every movement was coordinated.

Every entrance was covered.

Rowan immediately placed the hunters around the cubs.

"Stay together."

Ash stood beside Aren.

His heart was beating rapidly, but he forced himself to remain calm.

The Dreadborn were not attacking.

They were waiting.

Then one creature stepped forward.

Ash recognized it immediately.

The same Dreadborn he had fought in the western forest.

But this time, something was different.

Most of its bone armor had been removed.

Only a few pieces remained around its shoulders and forearms.

It was deliberately making itself lighter.

Faster.

The creature walked into the ruined chamber.

Its crimson eyes settled on Ash.

"You came."

Ash stared at it.

"You took the cubs."

The Dreadborn glanced toward them.

"They are unharmed."

"You used them to bring me here."

"Yes."

There was no shame in the answer.

No anger.

No hesitation.

Ash felt something cold settle inside him.

"You could have asked."

The creature smiled.

"You would not have come."

Ash clenched his claws.

Rowan stepped forward.

"You will not touch him."

The Dreadborn looked at Rowan.

"I am not here for you."

Rowan’s expression hardened.

"You attacked my hunters."

"And they survived."

"You keep saying that as if it makes what you did acceptable."

The Dreadborn tilted its head.

"You are still thinking like a predator defending territory."

Rowan growled.

"And you are?"

The creature’s crimson eyes moved toward Ash.

"A hunter."

To be continued...