CHAPTER THREE: THE BORDER OF JUDGMENT

The instant I couldn’t answer, the forest transformed, without any noise or violence.

But I sensed it right away.

Seeing the two warriors standing before me in a manner that gave me goosebumps, their focus sharpened.

I felt a choke forming within me.

Mud puddles were formed as rainwater from my torn cloak fell to the mud-splashed floor.

“I…” I said shakily. “I don’t have”…. The sentence remained unfinished. It only became true after speaking it aloud.

I was nothing but lost in the whole world.

The grip of the taller warrior tightened around his weapon. “Say your Pack again,” he commanded.

My hands clenched at my side. “I don’t have one.” There was silence. Long and

Deadly.

The second warrior took a look at me, studying my bloodstained arms, torn cloak stitching, and exhaustion.

Then he changed his face.

“You are a Cirgee survivor,” he whispered softly.

Painfully, the word stabbed at my heart.

Cirgee… It isn’t my home anymore but now only a grave….

His eyes tightened further. “Cirgee fell?” I swallowed hard.

The words burned going down…“Yes.”

One simple word altered everything that happened next.

Both warriors straightened instantly.

It wasn’t a question of fear but of readiness. The taller warrior took half a step closer.

“Step back from the border.” “Look, I’m not here to create any trouble alright.” “Not for you to decide.”

His icy tone frightened me once again.

Raising my hands slightly, I showed him that I wasn’t dangerous, not minding how I was shaking. “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I didn’t even know that this land existed. I just”. Survived. The word choked me.

The second warrior’s eyes flashed dangerously. “What caused Cirgee to be conquered?”

Violent images hit me hard in the head. The bloodbath in the sacred ritual.

Warriors turning against each other.

Lucan standing next to burning grounds laughing.

And Luna Thiala screaming behind the stone door. I tried to calm myself. “During the Sacred Moon Rite, Cirgee was invaded.”

The taller warrior glanced at the other warrior. He raised one arm up.

It was a sign.

Something responded from deep within the woods. My heart sank.

We had more wolves coming towards us, and new fear gripped all the muscles in my body.

“I’m Harmless! Why this ... ? ” The second warrior continued to stare at me.

“You don't get to decide what happens here.” Footsteps began to draw nearer among the trees. Evenly and unhurriedly yet so full of authority and confidence.

The two border warriors moved out of the way without hesitation. Then I saw him. He didn’t seem to move in any sort of way meant to intimidate anyone.

He just moved in a way that showed the power he already had. He is tall, broad-shouldered, confident, and causes a chill to fall over everyone near him.

His black garments appeared to be clean despite the muddy and wet forest. Wolves around him stayed far enough back to show respect without being told.

But his eyes stopped me; he was calm and observant rather than cruel like the others.

As if he knew everything about me before I even tried to hide anything. He stood a few feet from me.

Silence surrounded us as the warriors who were following him did not speak. Kieran sized me up for what seemed like a minute before addressing me.

“Come forward.” His voice was not very loud. But somehow my body reacted to those words immediately. It was tense.

One of the warriors standing next to him gave me a wary look. “Alpha Kieran…”

Now I knew his name.  Kieran.

I took a hesitant step forward then  another. The dampness of the earth under my feet suddenly seemed too heavy to walk away from.

Kieran took his eyes off of me. “What is your name?”

“Ana.”

“What is your Pack?” Once again my throat threatened to close.

“Cirgee.”

There was a slight stir among the warriors standing behind him. Kieran stayed blank-faced. “Tell me about Cirgee.”

The mere utterance of its name made me want to fall apart. But still I uttered it. It's Destroyed.

The rain kept falling through the canopy of the trees. No one spoke. Kieran watched me intently, analyzing my every word and movement to determine my motives.

He addressed me once again. “Explain yourself.” My fingers trembled slightly from exhaustion and the cold.

This happened during the Sacred Moon Rite," I replied carefully. "The initial attack originated from within. Later, the rogues infiltrated our camp from the eastern gate."

A picture of Lucan’s smiling face appeared once more in my mind as he sat near the bonfire while Cirgee

was burning.

"Our warriors attacked each other. Our Pack crumbled before we knew anything was happening.”

"And your Alpha?"

"He was killed in the process."

Kieran did not flinch but there was a coldness in his eyes now. “And you escaped alone?”

“Yes.”

That time, only a faint echo emerged as a result of my answer, followed by another long silence.

An elderly man appeared behind Kieran. 

“Alpha Kieran, this poses great danger to us. A survivor from the Pack which recently fell can easily be used against us as a bait.”

The mere mention of the word bait made me cringe. “I am telling the truth,” I hastened to add. “I didn’t have anywhere else to turn.”

He paid me no attention. “Lucan Graves has been after a chance to gain access to our lands for years. It cannot simply be assumed that this girl just happened to come here.”

Kieran was silent as he watched me and measured me. His eyes moved quickly to the tattered silver stitches on my cloak. The last remaining sign of Cirgee’s marking.

His gaze met mine after a moment. “You possess no active scent of the Pack.”

I swallowed. “Nothing remains for me to carry.”

“She is unclaimed,” the elder continued ominously. It took some time before I could find my voice. “Yes.”

The elder’s face turned dark. “She is vulnerable to challenge anyone can manipulate or force a claim. Allowing her access into the territory endangers the wolves you control.”

Silence seemed to fall with the heavy, foreboding words.. Kieran was not yet ready to speak.

Droplets of rain trickled from above us as the other warriors stayed frozen around me.

Kieran then gazed right back into my eyes. And for the first time since his arrival

his tone deepened.

“Do you know what befalls a lone wolf?”

My throat grew dry and I could shake my head. 

“They become prey,” the elder stated coldly. I felt fear creep through my body. not from the words but from the expression on each one’s faces except Kieran’s.

Kieran continued to stare straight at me. “Why did you enter Greenwood territory?

I held back the fear rising within me as I locked eyes with him.

“I crossed because I wanted to survive.”

For just a second, something indescribable passed across his face.

And then once more silence reigned. But finally, Kieran spoke out. “Bring her in.”

Tension erupted around us.

“Alpha…” the elder started urgently.

Kieran never glanced over at him. “I gave you an order.”

It was spoken in such a way that left no room for further disagreement.

Two of the warriors moved closer to me slowly but deliberately. They did not drag me, but they certainly weren’t gentle.

“move faster.” One of them motioned ahead. I hesitated. And then I saw the inside of Greenwood.

Is this where safety lies or will there be another danger? I don’t know.

But what lies behind is only darkness, blood, and death.

So I took a step forward. Just by placing my foot in, I felt like somehow, Greenwood was aware of it.

The two warriors walked closely on either side of me, leading me deep into their territory.

Every single set of eyes watched me like I was their enemy, their suspicion, their distrust, and their fear. 

Nobody spoke. The rain continued pouring through the trees while exhaustion dragged heavier against my body.

My legs began to shake. I tried hiding it but it continued. The world tilted suddenly beneath me. My vision blurred.

One of the warriors cursed quietly. “She’s collapsing.” I forced myself to keep walking. I would not fall here, not in front of strangers.

Not after surviving Cirgee, but my body stopped listening. My knees buckled violently.

Before I hit the ground, strong hands caught me. The entire forest seemed to go still.

The last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me was someone whispering in shock; “Alpha Kieran!..”.