Page 4 of Stormbinder King
Then the man in front of me was hopping out to the bank and tying the outrigger on a stake driven into the dirt.
He deposited me unceremoniously onto the ground and pointed through the leaves to where I could see a gate, its wooden posts high and sharp.
A guard came out, a grim man with a beard, and he waved us in immediately.
There was no opportunity to make a run for it even as the slanting sun made dark shadows across the heavy trees.
Now that I’d seen the wolf.
What else could be in the forest?
The gate creaked open and we were ushered inside.
And it was nothing like I’d ever imagined could exist in this strange, savage world.
There were a variety of well-made wood and stone buildings, surrounding a neat clearing in the middle of the village, but what caught my eye was up in the air, lovely dark-wood and moss-green roofed treehouses nestled in the lush leaves of the thick trees.
The whole village was so beautiful it had almost a fairytale-like feel to it, the heavy drops of liquid rolling down each treehouse roof, creating an ethereal fog.
Then I felt a tight grip on my shoulder, and I was being marched firmly into one of the wooden buildings and toward one of the bathtubs.
There was a unique smell that I couldn’t quite pinpoint in here, mixing with the trays of crusty bread. There were savory cheeses and slabs of meat, but I thought of the boar and shuddered.
How was I supposed to get home again?
The scene in the forest had frightened me more than I wanted to admit.
I kept replaying that moment when I met the eyes of the silver-furred wolf.
What could I possibly have in common with such a wild creature?
I must have imagined the electric zing of connection I felt.
“I don’t belong here,” I croaked to my attendant. “This is a mistake. I need someone to take me back where I was found.”
She was very tall and beautiful, like the other women in the village, with sharp cheekbones and a long, silver-blonde braid.
She turned around and glared at my voice, her eyes narrowing as she examined me.
What did she see that make her frown with such disgust?
It wasn’t like I was that hideous, surely. Long, thick blue-black hair, large azure blue eyes, and bronzed skin with freckles. Unlike the tall, goddess-like women in this village, I had high, perky breasts and small, defined curves.
Unremarkable in general.
“You’re right,” she said, to my relief. “You don’t belong here.”
With a sharp, harsh movement she shoved me toward the door, and I thought for one second I was free before another tall, lovely woman stopped me.
“Aurelia. Orders are to bring all the women in.”
“Not this one,” Aurelia said, and I could tell from how she breathed that she was very angry.
Why?
What possible reason could she have for being pissed at me?
“All means all,” the other woman said, turning me firmly back around.
