Page 10 of A Dream of Snow

Fenling immediately turned, racing over to help San. I ran toward Quen and Bran, but by the time I got there, they’d dispatched their charimont. With a deep breath, we stepped back from the blood-stained snow. This time, we’d managed to come through without any more injuries.

“Okay, so the forest has far more dangers than just Karehl,” Bran said. “The sooner we get this over with, the better.” He glanced at the bodies of the charimonts. “We don’t want them around camp. Their smell could attract other, more deadly, prey.”

“We should hitch them to the back of our horses and drag them away into the woods.” I knelt down to examine one of the huge beasts. “Too bad we can’t use the hides, but this isn’t a hunting trip. Not in the usual sense.” I admired the creatures. They were powerful and canny, and difficult to take down.

“Good idea. San, fetch some rope.” Bran knelt by the nearest beast and, when San returned with the rope, they tied the charimonts together, spreading the weight between their horses. Then, they rode out of camp, leaving Fenling, Quen, and me behind. We waited anxiously until they returned. After that, we once again took watches—this time Bran allowed me to volunteer for the first watch, since Quen needed his strength to heal up, and the rest of the night passed without incident.

By morning,we were growing antsy. By our calculations, it wouldn’t be long before Karehl showed up. Of course, if he did something out of character and stayed his ground at his camp, we’d have to travel to find him. But every instinct I had told me that Bran was right—Karehl wouldn’t be able to control himself. He’d be too anxious to secure the throne by eliminating his brother.

Fenling and I stoked the fire while San and Bran scouted the woods around camp again. As she handed me a large piece of wood, she sat back on her heels.

“They’re on the way,” she said. “I can feel it. I’m no witch, but as you know, in the Pack, we have a Pack-wide connection. And blood family creates an even stronger bond. As much as I don’t like it, I can sense Karehl—like I can Bran. Especially when I’m trying to. And right now, I sense him. He’s not far away. I think they rode through the night.”

“And they’re nearing us now?”

“Yes, so we should prepare. I’m guessing we have a few hours, so we should rest for a time, while we still can. I’ll tell Quen. Bran should be feeling his brother approach, and I imagine that’s why he wanted to scout around.” Fenling stood, dusting her gloves off. “Come.”

I followed her over to Quen, who was looking alert.

“I sense him too,” he said, looking at Fenling. “You want to rest up?”

Fenling nodded. “What about you?”

“I’ve been resting since I got hurt yesterday. I’ll keep an eye out while you two sleep.”

Even though we’d slept the night before, being out in the elements made even moving harder, and I realized I was tired. I crawled into the tent, with Fenling following me.

“Tell me, why didn’t you sense Karehl when he was disguised as Sparrow?” I asked.

“Magic. It can cloak and interfere with the Pack connection. Giselda was a powerful witch. Rest now. Quen will wake us in time.” She laid down and pulled the blanket over her.

“So, when we wake…”

“The challenge will be on,” Fenling said.

I turned over and curled under the blankets. “Let’s hope the gods are on our side.” As I drifted off to sleep, I tried not to think about the coming battle.

We gatheredaround the fire for one last meal before facing Karehl. All four of the wolf shifters were uneasy—they could sense the prince nearby.

San handed out bread and dried fruit. “Eat. We’ll need energy and this is light enough not to slow us down during battle.” He motioned to me. “Eat now, we don’t have much time.”

I carried my food over to Bran and sat beside him. “I’m ready,” I said. “I have your back, Bran. Whatever happens, I’ll be with you.” I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder.

He slipped his arm around my waist. “Tell me, what do you want our wedding day to be like? Traditions be damned. Whatever you want, you’ll get.”

I frowned. “Shouldn’t we leave that for when we win? For when we know that?—”

“No,” he said, cutting me off. “I don’t want to wait. I want to set out plans now. I want to make certain I know everything you want. I want to think about the future, because the present is so fragile right now. If we talk about the future, we cement it. We make it happen. So tell me, what do you want for our wedding?”

I inhaled slowly, then let out my breath in a foggy stream. Everything around us sparkled, pure and icy and beautiful.

“I’ve never actually thought that far. When my father killed the bear, I knew no man from the village would dare marry me. I was bad luck—my family was anathema. We were pariah, shunned until my father died. So I put aside all my hopes and wishes for the future and let them go.” I slid closer into his embrace.

“Then think now…what do you see forus? I know you’re not a witch, but you have friends who are. And I think there’s something inside you waiting to blossom out, some power that you haven’t found yet.”

His voice was soft, and when he spoke, I could almost believe that he was right. I wanted to believe it—weallwanted to be special. Yet, while I wanted to be powerful and have the wisdom Ashera did, I doubted myself. Maybe in fifty years I could be as strong as she was, but right now, I felt very small in a very big world.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “But…our wedding. I think I’d like to have it during midsummer, in the forest, when all the world is humming and bright. With the roses in bloom, their scent blanketing the night like some exotic perfume. I want a dress of hunter green, soft to the touch and flowing, with gold embroidery for the trim, and a crown of woven flowers on my head. I want a cloak that sparkles in the sun. And I want Fenling to stand by my side when you and I take our oaths.” The words poured out of me like a hidden fountain suddenly tapped.

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