Chapter 405 The march

Chapter 405: Chapter 405 The march

Talia’s POV

We marched for hours, and the valley fell away behind us.

I did not look back because there was nothing behind me but the home I might never see again.

The sun climbed higher, and the green lands stretched before us like an open road.

Nothing happened. There were no attacks, and no arguments. Just the steady rhythm of boots on earth and the low murmur of voices.

We moved at a steady pace with the warriors on the outside, the healers and supplies in the center, and the scouts ahead and behind.

I walked at the front with Kaelen beside me, and we did not speak much because there was nothing to say that had not already been said. So I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and I listened to the sounds of the army around me: boots on earth, the clink of armor, and low voices murmuring.

The sun burned overhead, and the dust swirled around our feet. It coated my throat and my tongue, and I coughed more than once. But I did not complain, because complaining would not change anything.

We stopped at midday to rest and eat, and I sat with Kaelen, Jax, Silas, and Cain.

No one laughed, and no one told stories. The wolves ate in silence, with their eyes on the horizon.

"I think this is the first time I have seen you without something clever to say," I said to Jax.

Jax shrugged. "Even I run out of clever things eventually."

Silas snorted. "That will be a first."

Cain said nothing. He just ate his food and stared at the horizon.

I ate because I knew I needed my strength, but I did not taste the food.

We sat in silence for a while longer, and then Kaelen stood. He offered me his hand, and I took it.

Then we resumed the march, and the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. I noticed that the grass was growing thinner and the trees were growing sparse, but I did not comment on it because there was nothing to say.

After long hours of walking, we made camp for the night, and fires were lit as wolves gathered in small groups to eat and rest.

I walked through the camp and spoke to warriors, thanking them for coming and telling them I was proud to fight beside them.

I saw a young wolf sitting alone by a fire. He could not have been more than sixteen. His hands were shaking, and his eyes were wide.

I knelt beside him. "What is your name?" I asked.

"Peter, Luna." He responded.

I nodded slowly. "Peter, are you scared?"

He hesitated, then he nodded.

"I am scared too," I said. "But we are going to be okay. Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Because we are not alone," I said. "We have each other. And that is the most powerful thing in the world."

He nodded, and he tried to smile. I squeezed his shoulder and moved on.

The fire crackled behind me, and I walked deeper into the camp.

I saw an old wolf sitting with his back against a tree. He was sharpening a blade that had seen better days.

"You have fought before," I said.

He looked up at me. "Many times, Luna." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Are you scared?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I am too old to be scared. I am just tired."

I nodded. "I understand."

I left him to his blade and his memories, and I kept walking.

I saw Piper sitting with a group of healers, organizing bandages and supplies, and I did not interrupt because she was busy and focused.

She looked up once, and our eyes met. She smiled, and I smiled back, then she returned to her work.

I watched her for a moment longer, then I moved on.

The camp was settling now. The fires were burning low, and the voices were fading.

I returned to Kaelen, and we sat by the fire.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Tired," I answered. "Scared, and ready. I am feeling all of it at once."

He nodded. "Me too."

I leaned into him, and he wrapped his arm around me. The fire crackled, and the stars watched.

We did not speak again, we just held each other.

The night passed slowly. I watched the stars fade one by one, and I listened to Kaelen’s breathing, and I thought about what was coming. I did not sleep.

The second day began the same way: we rose at dawn, ate quickly, broke camp, and resumed the march.

But the landscape had changed.

The grass was thinner now, and the trees were dead. The air was colder and heavier, and I could smell it: ash, decay, and something older that I could not name.

The army grew quieter. The jokes stopped, and the voices fell to whispers.

I could feel the change in the wolves around me, and I knew the fear was settling in.

Wolves glanced over their shoulders. They walked closer together, and their hands hovered near their weapons, as every sound made them flinch.

"Did you hear that?" a wolf behind me whispered to his companion.

"I heard nothing," the other replied.

"That is what worries me," the first said.

At midday, we stopped to rest, and I sat with Kaelen. Then I heard it: raised voices, and angry voices.

I stood and walked toward the sound with Kaelen following. A group of Stoneclaw wolves were arguing with a group of Silver Ridge wolves, and a Stoneclaw wolf was shouting while a Silver Ridge wolf shouted back.

I stepped between them.

"What happened here?" I asked.

A Stoneclaw wolf pointed at a Silver Ridge wolf. "He took more than his share of water, Luna. We have been watching him, and he has been hoarding supplies."

A Silver Ridge wolf stepped forward, his face red. "That is a lie. I took what I was given, and nothing more."

The Stoneclaw wolf scoffed. "You took enough to last you a week, and at that rate, we will run out before the battle is over because of you."

The Silver Ridge wolf clenched his fists. "You are just looking for someone to blame because you are scared."

I raised my hand before the Stoneclaw wolf could respond. "Enough."

Both wolves stopped, but their eyes were still locked on each other.