Page 12 of A Storm Rises

As Avalynn suspected… She chuckled as Lily skipped away. “I will.” Her little sister had plenty of time to become a warrior princess. Maybe another day.

The gravel path wound through a variety of towering oak trees. Their mossy, gnarled branches crisscrossed overhead. They cast patterns of shade and light with each of Avalynn’s steps. Beneath the green canopy rested rows of towering rhododendrons with clusters of pink and lavender bell-shaped flowers. In the distance loomed the blue-hued mountain tops. The challenge lay before her eyes. Summit Range. Her destiny had been defined.

Avalynn’s heart raced at the sight of the hunting ground. A triumphant purple glow gathered in her chest. She would be out there soon—winning.

Stepping along, a whistling whoosh buzzed past her ear. She ducked, and another arrow whizzed over her head. It thudded into a tree trunk. She darted for cover and crouched behind a concrete bench. Who in thunderation was shooting arrows at her? On palace ground no less? “I will have your head!”

“I will have yours first!”

She peeked over the back of the bench. She spotted a tuft of red ducking between the bushes. Kragar and another surprise training session. The Master of the Blade loved spontaneous encounters. “Stop, Master!” A third arrow sailed her way, brushing the hair on top of her head. “I am weaponless!”

“Enemies do not care if you are weaponless!”

She spotted a cluster of rocks. She lunged, rolled, and snatched two fist-sized chunks. She righted herself with a hop. Her sharp eyes found the fourth arrow racing straight for her. The thin wood spun. The sun glinted against the silver arrowhead. She threw her makeshift weapon. Aim on point, her rock collided with the arrow’s tip and knocked it to the ground. She held the other rock at the ready. She had bested the dwarf Master Kragar and was eager to do it again.

He popped out from behind a magnolia cluster. Half elf, half dwarf, and she also suspected part troll, Kragar stood almost five feet and a half and wore all green, like an overgrown, maniacal garden gnome.

She lowered her rock. “Have you lost your mind?” She could’ve killed him or vice versa.

He grabbed his sides and bellowed. “Of course, I have lost my mind!” He flicked his long red beard. It landed next to the clump of red hair atop his head. “You should lose yours sometime.” He left the misplaced and wayward beard wisp. “It is way beyond liberating.”

Avalynn shook her head with a chuckle. “Master Kragar, this is not the time for jesting.” She joined him on the path. “Have you heard from my father?” Perhaps Kragar had further information her father wouldn’t part with.

He fastened the bow to the sheath at his waist. “I have.” He stashed his arrow in the quiver on his back. “You are going into the hunt, like you have always desired.” Patting her back, he slung his axe onto his shoulder. “Your time has finally come.”

A deep breath and her lungs expanded to their fullest. Kragar believed in her and understood her desire to succeed. “I will show them all.”

“I have no doubt. You are House Stromm’s best chance.” He clicked his tongue and winked. “Does not hurt that I have trained you.”

She laughed. “No, it does not.”

The green open space was not set up for target practice or agility training. Instead, a large crate rested in the middle of the field. Inside, a small beast circled. Master Kragar spread out his arms, as if presenting her with a special treat. “Feast your eyes.”

She approached the crate. “Ooh! Is that what we are hunting?”

Kragar nodded. “It is.” He made direct eye contact with Avalynn. “The hunters will see it as a group after arrival.” His grin conveyed a secret advantage. “But you are a Stromm. You will see it now.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And you can ask all the questions you so desire.” He leaned in. “Make them count.”

She crept closer to the crate. Every hunt featured a different animal. Elk. Boar. Goblins. Harpies. What animal would be featured this year? Inside the crate, a beast the size of a small wolf circled. Its long bushy tail curled up to its back. Its dark fur shimmered with an iridescent, ethereal glow reminiscent of the midnight sky. She had never seen this creature.

Kragar tugged the back of her tunic. “Not too close.”

“I will keep my distance.” She bent down and looked inside the crate. The creature zipped from the back of the cage to the front. She stared into the beady and molten eyes that looked her over like doomed prey. “It is beautiful. And I sense it is smart. What is it called? And where is it from?”

“It is a Shadowblood Fox.” His thick eyebrows rose and peaked on his rippled forehead. “They come from the far north. Cunning. Quick. Not to be fooled with…or trusted.”

Her fingers twitched, wanting to pet it, but she knew better. The deadliest creatures roamed the far north. Like dragons. Poor Engrendorn. She moved closer. “The name ‘shadow’ must come from its dark color. But what does the ‘blood’ part mean?”

“Good question,” he said with a smile.

The Shadowblood Fox hissed, and its fangs elongated. Its eyes flashed red. It jabbed a long paw through the bars and swiped, missing Avalynn’s nose by a fingernail. “Whoa!” She tumbled onto her backside. That vicious creature almost took her snout right off her face.

Kragar slammed his fist on the top of the cage and growled. “You will be dead soon enough!”

The fox scampered to the far end of its crated prison.

Avalynn checked her face and felt no blood or slashes. The fox failed to make contact. “That was way too close for comfort.”

He peered back at her and snarled. “You alright?”

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