Page 25 of Winter's Dragons. Frozen Flames
Delivering messages was a big change from what our parents had earlier suggested. Still, they understood the necessity, and the promise of more information sweetened the deal. Brigid even smiled, visibly relieved at being able to join her own young on his mission. "Very well, Your Majesty," she offered, her eyes glowing with resolve. "It will be as you say."
Cassia acknowledged Brigid's words with a nod, shot Kerryn and Raijin one last look and then waved her hand. The balcony doors burst open at her gesture and she stalked out of the room. I followed her in silence, knowing that there was very little I could do at this point but be there for my female.
Carried by the strong winter winds, we met up with the group of nisse in the bailey. Cassia's confidence in them had not been misplaced. The nisse had indeed procured everything they needed for the intervention, having mobilized at a miraculous speed. It was a shame they could only travel this way when inside a particular home. If they left the location in question, their powers were greatly reduced, bound to the owner of the household they served. The healers could assist the amarok pack without Cassia being present, but Cassia's magic was still the fastest way to get to our destination.
Today, Cassia's blizzard was particularly fast, and we arrived at The Bridge of Melting Snowflakes in record time. I hadn't actually been here before, although Cassia had told me and my fellow dragons that once things settled down a little more, she'd introduce us to every garrison and every single area we needed to be aware of.
The structure itself was somewhat similar to The Bridge of Frosted Leaves, ice and flowering vines entwining in a creation that bound together two realms as different as night and day. But it was not the bridge itself that was my focus. Snegurka didn't seem to have passed it, and she had unleashed her viciousness onto the amarok pack. The garrison itself had been completely destroyed, to the point that I could not tell what the building had looked like before Snegurka's attack. There were no bodies in sight, but blood tainted the snow crimson, and the scent of pain, anger, and death shrouded the entire location.
My beast stirred inside me in response, urging me to track down the perpetrator of the crime. I reminded myself that I could not act until Cassia gave me leave, lest I make things worse than they already were.
The amarok Alpha was already waiting for us when we arrived. "Your Majesty, thank the gods you've come," he said as he bounded toward our group. "We feared you might not get the message in time."
"How serious was the attack, Alpha Panuk, and when did it occur?"
"Roughly three hours ago, Your Majesty. We've lost three males and two females so far, and we have several other injured. For the most part, we were able to evacuate our young before the storm hit, but several pups were hurt, regardless. Those who've lost their mothers are not coping well. This way, please."
Without being bid, the Alpha guided us down a small, well-trodden path, toward an evergreen forest. The trees had obviously taken damage, as several uprooted firs lay upended in snow drifts and splinters of wood littered the icy ground.
Several gigantic wolves lurked in front of the forest, pacing to and fro, carefully monitoring the area for any sign of intruders. Even from the distance, I could sense their agitation and despair. After all, if Snegurka chose to attack again, they would likely not be able to change the outcome too much, beyond providing a delay for the females to escape.
Despite the fact that we were of an entirely different species and they couldn't shape-shift, I empathized with their plight. I couldn't do much for my female either, and I was stuck having to watch her shoulder a duty she should've never had to bear.
The amaroks bowed as soon as we came within view, displaying the same deference and relief their Alpha had. "Your Majesty, welcome to our pack."
"Welcome to our pack. You honor us with your presence."
Cassia barely acknowledged their words, disregarding all formality in favor of sweeping past them and entering the actual territory of the pack. I could not blame her, as the smell of blood had become stronger as we'd approached the forest. Even if Alpha Panuk hadn't already reported the extent of the damage to his pack, the scent alone would've had me on edge.
The amaroks had chosen to stash their wounded and dead just beyond the tree line. I could not see any pups nearby, and I assumed they might've been hidden in a different location.
Cassia took a quick look around, her keen, icy gaze assessing the situation with ease. "Alpha Panuk, the most serious of the injured are here, correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the amarok leader answered. "We could not move them any further lest we accidentally kill them in the process."
"You did the right thing. Do not fear. We will provide aid to the wounded, and your fallen warriors will be avenged." She waved for her nisse to come closer. "Alva, we will need two groups of healers, one for the injured here, and another for the pups."
Alva didn't need to be told twice, and within less than a minute, she and several other nisse were already tending to the amaroks. A smaller group, led by Viveka, took up position behind Cassia.
Satisfied with the actions of her subordinates, my female turned toward Alpha Panuk again. "Now, where are your females and pups?"
"They are being sheltered in the dens. The injured ones are under the care of our older females, but there is not much we can do."
The amarok dens turned out to be an intricate labyrinth of underground caverns so large it could've held an incipient dragon clan. We found the females clustered together in the central cave, attempting to aid their wounded young. A small white pup had been hit hardest in the attack. I could not tell where the damage on his body originated from, but it must've been severe, as his fur was covered in blood, and he was having trouble breathing.
Two of the nisse scrambled to deal with the less wounded pups, and the rest of them focused on the most seriously injured one. They knelt by his side in a circle that perfectly mimicked the form of Chronikos, attempting to save the life of the tiny wolf. Unfortunately, even powerful magic had its limits, and in the pup's case, those limits had been reached.
A few minutes after our arrival, Viveka looked up at Cassia, shaking her head. "I am sorry. There is nothing more we can do."
Next to her, a female amarok, probably the pup's mother, let out a mournful howl. Cassia pressed her lips together so hard they went white. "Oh, I think that's not quite true. I won't give up, not as long as there's still a chance."
She dropped to her knees next to the pup and gently took him in her arms. The small amarok let out a whine and curled closer into her embrace. She passed a steady, pale hand through the white fur, whispering, "It's all right, little one. You're safe now. It's not time to join the gods just yet."
My heart hurt, not just for the amarok pack, but also for Cassia. She loved her people so much, and she would see this loss as a personal failure.
Something rebellious rose in my chest as I watched my female cradle the small, furry body in her arms. Cassia was right. This was not over yet. No matter what Viveka had said, even if neither Cassia nor I were healers, I did not believe in giving up any more than Cassia did.
I joined my soulmate on the ground and wrapped my arms around her middle. Perhaps I could do very little to aid her, in practice, but at the very least, I could be there for her, emotionally.
A strange haze settled over me, and warmth bloomed from my fingertips, right over the point where I was making contact with Cassia's body. Cassia's breath caught. She pulled the amarok pup a little closer, all the while leaning against my chest. "Emmerich..."
"Shh, I'm here, treasure. I'll never let you go." We might have our problems. We might all be struggling to adjust to the bond more than I would have liked. But we were hers, and she was ours, and we would never be separated.
A bright, white glow engulfed our bodies, and I held Cassia even closer, doing my best to provide my soulmate with the comfort and aid she needed. It was a shame that, in my zeal to assist my mate, I didn't notice the newly arrived female presence until it was much too late.
