THE HIDE

d, the noise of movement outside caressed his ears. The sense of unease had carried

wake with his troops. Relief washed over Zayne's chest at the view of his father's broad back, his assured gait,

door. Liora was already there, her hands claspe

sation from damp moss, while his own features bore witness to fatigue. Liora reached out,

He looked down at Zayne and smiled faintly. "The

orting aroma of fresh bread and herbs doing little to lift the weight th

he understood the creases of Orion's eyelids, the slight droop of his should

urged gently, her

ion in the room. He wanted to ask questions, to figure out wh

their voices low but urgent. Zayne feigned work at setting the t

. "Tracks near the river, too fresh to ignor

iora asked, her voi

ion replied. "But if they come in force. He trailed off

of stability and inevitability. Now however, for the first time, he caught a glimp

Liora turned to Zayne with a small, strained smile. Just stay in toda

ing the day turned into he paced the small house, his mind whirring. He always wanted to be

nes of amber and gold. Liora was hard at work in the kitchen, her

, leaving his footsteps as light as snow on his way along the road's edge of the village. The air wa

ss the dark. At the beginning, he observed only the swaying of the l

orest, a pair of glowing

blink-just watched him with an unsettling stillness. A low, guttural growl

with it. This was his first glimpse of the danger Orion had

nd him made him whirl around. Liora s

shly, grabbing his arm. "W

sting one last glance toward the forest. But

rong. "It's not safe," she said, her voice trembling slight

ng home. The weight of what he had seen, and the realizatio

stance. For the first time, Zayne truly understood the gravity of what lay

ld face it, with his father