The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(7)

Chapter 3



We stayed the night. My skin crawled as I tried to help with the cleanup. Odin and Fenri kept shooing me away and telling me to watch over Bearen, who was on the mend but just tired and sore. After all, the healing process was painful. I wasn’t talented at taking away pain, and I myself felt drained and sluggish. So after numerous requests, I collapsed on the ground and stared at the bonfire that lit up the night sky.

The smell of the dead burning made me want to retch, so I pulled a spare piece of cloth and tied it around my face. Odin had counted thirteen bodies, and saw the tracks of at least two that had escaped back into the forest.

“Well, Thalia, my girl,” he had said to me earlier. “It didn’t look good for us. Fifteen to six were not good odds.”

“Seven. Fifteen to seven,” I countered, raising my eyebrow at him, daring him to dispute me.

“Aye, girl,” he chuckled. “Fifteen to seven, and they had the high ground advantage and an archer. We would have been hard put to come out on top without more casualties.” Odin solemnly looked past the bonfire to the wrapped body of Forsk that was slung over one of the horses.

Aldo had gone on ahead and brought him back to camp. He would be brought back to the village and his body given to his family.

A sad howl filled the night, which made Odin jump and curse. “Darn wolves,” he swore. “They are what tipped the scale in our favor, and I’m grateful, for if it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have made it. But why do they continue to hang around?” He walked away and picked up a stick and threw it into the woods, screaming.

The wolves spooked Odin and many of my clansmen. They wouldn’t understand that they were there because I asked them to stay and guard us. I was already getting strange looks from Eviir, Gotte, and Hemi, who were kept in the dark about what I had done to heal Bearen. They knew something had happened, because they saw him go down, but no one wanted to voice aloud any speculation. Because what I had done, no matter how good, or how right it was, went against everything they believed in. I knew deep down that it was too soon to tell them about the wolves.

Bearen was propped up against a stump and was staring into the large bonfire. He hadn’t spoken since I healed him and I wasn’t yet ready to address the situation either. I was a coward. I also hadn’t seen to the other small injuries of my clansmen. They set to bandaging and stitching up each other’s wounds with practiced ease. Thankfully, they were only light flesh wounds.

The men had stripped down anything of value from the dead bodies and found nothing to signify who they were or what clan they were from. They could have just been a band of mountain bandits, but Fenri didn’t think so.

“We came this way four days ago, and saw no sign of bandits. We don’t tolerate them on our lands. Most people know better than to trespass. This was something else.”

He was right. I had to agree. But that was hours ago, and now all I wanted to do was sleep and I felt my eyes start to droop when I felt another touch in my mind.

Nothing’s out here but rabbits. Want to chase rabbits. Rabbit is good.

I felt my mouth start to drool at the thought of eating rabbit, but the flavor that came to my mind and mouth was not cooked rabbit, but raw and bloody. I coughed to try and clear the taste out of my mouth. That was weird. I can usually see through Faraway’s eyes if I wanted to, and we can sense each other’s feelings, but this was the first time I had shared taste. And with the wolf, no less.

Ughhh, I grimaced. Ummm, that’s all right, you don’t have to share with me.

My answer was a panting laughter. But since the wolves were still here and hadn’t run off, I decided to ask him how he was able to get the pack to come and stand guard if he wasn’t the alpha male.

I did not give them a choice. I made them come.

A confused set of images flooded my head.

I don’t understand?

Vorl is good Alpha for the pack. A mental image of the brown wolf I had originally tried to ask for help popped in my head. He is strong and fierce. When I leave here, Vorl will be leader again.

You took over the pack, just to help us. How could you do that?

You needed me. You needed us. I’m strong.

Where are you going?

Another panted laugh filled my mind.

I’m searching.

For what? He didn’t answer. Will you be able to control the wolves to guard us until we leave? You’re not leaving before then are you?

Yes, we guard as long as you are here.

Thank you.

Ja, burning humans make us hungry. We hunt rabbits but still guard.

And then he was gone out of my mind. I was still confused on what exactly the wolf was, when Faraway decided to interject.

Don’t worry about him. He knows his duty.

What duty? I don’t understand.

He’s a guardian. He’s on a journey to find his chosen one. Though, I think he was a little disappointed to find out that you already had me. I am after all, the finest guardian.

You mean there are more like you?

Faraway snorted. Of course there’s no one like me. I’m—

How many more? I interrupted.

My horse became silent and refused to speak further on the subject, but it was the most he had ever disclosed about guardians. And knowing that the grey wolf was a guardian and was watching over us, eased my mind.