Chapter 8 - The Solstice Hunt
The morning of the Solstice Hunt dawned cold, bright, and relentlessly clear. Across the Northern Realm, the annual hunt was a sacred tradition—a test of endurance, tracking, and survival where the elite of pack society ventured deep into the snow-covered wilderness of Frostfang Pass to prove their mettle.
This year, however, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension.
At the base of the pass, a convoy of royal guards on armored war-horses and elite warriors clad in heavy steel armor assembled around the royal pavilion. King Rowan stood beside a magnificent black stallion, meticulously adjusting the straps of his leather breastplate.
A moment later, Evelyn stepped out of the royal tent.
She wore a custom-fitted hunting tunic of deep midnight blue, lined with thick white wolf fur to ward off the biting mountain wind. Her dark hair was braided neatly back from her face, and at her hip hung a slender, finely balanced silver dagger—a gift from Rowan, who had insisted she learn the basics of self-defense over the past two days.
Rowan turned, his gaze softening instantly as he looked at her. "Are you warm enough?"
"I'm fine," Evelyn smiled, though a slight flutter of nerves remained in her chest. "Though I suspect riding a horse through a mountain pass will test my balance more than scrubbing floors ever did."
"You'll do brilliantly," Rowan assured her, stepping closer and gently adjusting the collar of her tunic. "Remember, you don't have to prove anything to anyone out there. Just stay close to me."
Further down the line, sitting astride a pristine white mare, Clara Vale watched the interaction with a look of pure, concentrated venom. Her father had whispered the details of the plan to her the night before. She knew what was coming. She knew the southern rogues were already waiting in the narrow ravines ahead, armed with the Blood-Moon Bane.
"Let's move out!" Chancellor Vane commanded, raising his standard high.
The convoy surged forward, entering the towering stone gates of Frostfang Pass. The towering cliffs rose on either side like jagged teeth of gray stone, draped in thick, untouched snow. The air grew noticeably colder, the wind howling through the narrow ravines with an eerie, whistling shriek.
For the first hour, the journey was uneventful. The crisp mountain air filled Evelyn’s lungs, and as she rode beside Rowan, she began to relax, marveling at the majestic beauty of the frozen wilderness.
Then, the horses began to restless.
Evelyn’s mount tossed its head, letting out a nervous whinny and stepping sideways into the snowbank. Further down the line, other horses began to rear, their eyes rolling back in terror.
"Halt!" Rowan shouted, pulling his stallion to a sudden stop and raising a hand to signal the convoy. "Hold your positions!"
Before the guards could draw their weapons, a low, vibrating growl echoed down from the snowy ridges above.
It wasn't just the sound of wolves. It was a cacophony of dozens of beasts—their voices warped, distorted, and dripping with an unnatural, foaming rage.
"Ambush!" a guard yelled from the front.
From the snowy cliffs on both sides of the narrow pass, massive mountain wolves leaped down into the trail. But these were not normal pack animals. Their eyes glowed a sickly, bruised purple; thick, black foam dripped from their snapping jaws, and their fur stood on end with unnatural static energy.
The Blood-Moon Bane.
"Defend the King and Lady Evelyn!" Chancellor Vane shouted, drawing his broadsword as chaos erupted across the pass.
Guards clashed with the frenzied beasts, steel ringing against bone and ice. Rowan instantly spurred his horse forward, his heavy sword flashing in the pale sunlight as he cleaved through the first wave of attackers, ensuring Evelyn was shielded behind him.
"Stay behind me, Evelyn!" Rowan roared over the deafening noise of snarling jaws and clashing steel.
Evelyn drew her silver dagger, her heart pounding frantically. But as she looked up at the ridge above, something strange happened.
Through the chaos of the frenzied pack, one massive alpha wolf—its fur matted with dark blood—broke past the frontline guards and lunged directly toward Evelyn’s horse, ignoring Rowan entirely.
The horse reared in panic, throwing Evelyn backward into the deep snow.
"Evelyn!" Rowan shouted, spinning his horse around, but he was too far away, blocked by a swarm of rabid beasts.
The colossal rogue wolf landed heavily in the snow just feet away from Evelyn, its purple eyes locked onto her with mindless slaughter. It bared its razor-sharp teeth, letting out a deafening, blood-curdling howl as it prepared to leap for her throat.
Clara Vale watched from a safe distance behind the guards, a triumphant, wicked smile spreading across her face. Now, she thought. Let her prove her divine blood.
May you like
Evelyn scrambled backward through the snow, her back hitting the cold stone wall of the cliff. She raised her silver dagger, her hands trembling.
The rogue wolf leaped into the air, its jaws wide open, descending directly toward her.
