Moonbound: The Rejected Healer

ertain light. Elara didn't notice the burn marks beginning to crisp the corner of one ancient parchment. Her fingers hovered above the

closed her

e third warr

had stopped reco

ilent and chosen. Always the border scouts. The wolves who roamed closest to t

why

e chill

through the silence, rough from la

aged parchment beneath her fingertips, where an etc

hem," she murmured. "Somet

s and symbols. She didn't speak for a moment, just s

from beyond the borde

piraled rune carved into stone, found just days ago near the northern cliffs. "I saw this on a

eath hitched as she studied

No. It's not meant to protect.

assed between them,

triple the patrols. If some

ir so suddenly that the parchment flu

a frowned. "Elara, th

was quiet, but it carried something harder than steel. "

lenched. "It'

doing n

ssness. Purpose. The same fire that had once drawn Kael's gaze

way first. "I'

faint nod. "We

Kael stood in silence,

e laughed louder than thunder and boasted about taking down three rogues in a single night. Now, he couldn't lift his hea

, fists clenched

ftly, not bothering to mask the weari

n't have to. The silence wa

s had come

four. Border gua

ame the tremors. The blank stares. And finally... t

" Kael ask

Twelve hours. But

ightened. "I

's old. Ancient, even. It doesn't strike like

firmary doors. Outside, the wind stirred

strong enough to stop

admitted.

throat

ar

r than any shadow. Her absence had become a wound, qui

ome back," K

kind to ignore a sickness like this. If Moonshadow's

ers curled

bborn as winter. She would chase the truth of this illness down to th

uld do it

long moment, silence press

and walked to

Sterile. The fire in the he

awer he hadn't t

had dropped the day she'd crossed the Nightfang border for the last time. It was small,

lm, the cool stone p

ered, "Fo

he expecte

vival would demand more than strat

Her mind.

things no one

at beside the bed of a chil

ain. His small voice broke as he muttered nonsense, ri

his skin, th

t. For the darkness

lt it

. Not chan

magic, etched with precisi

st, the fastest, the watchmen of both

on of

orway. "The scouts are r

rushing the boy's hai

d this," she s

nodded

houghts drift

er. To the plac

n who had thr

if she could e

knew o

e dark didn't care w

that the wol