The sun was already high when, startled by the roar of the wind and the distant song of so bird, I felt my pulse quicken at the nape of my neck.
I had followed the footprints for hours: small, feminine steps, as if another adolescent heart was also struggling to return ho.
Those footprints now led into a narrow path through the thicket, where the trees ford an almost impenetrable tunnel.
"Almost there..." I whispered with dry lips. "I’m on the right track. Almost there."
My steps pushed to walk faster. Every crackling branch under my boots reminded I was no longer alone in this voracious forest.
Still, my mind kept dreaming of a reunion that was beginning to take shape on my horizon.
Suddenly, the air changed: it slled of stale smoke and sweat. A laugh tore through the silence. I turned my head and glimpsed a clearing not far away. Carefully, I advanced through the underbrush. I saw extinguished fires and armor scattered on the ground: the remnants of an improvised camp.
And there was the group.
Six n dressed in rags, weathered faces, ard with daggers, hand axes, and worn-out bows.
And...
Before I realized it, they had surrounded with ease, completely blocking the path.
"A brat... looks like we’ve found sothing interesting" grunted one of them, flashing a smile of splintered teeth. "Tonight’s going to be fun."
My sword rested at my belt, but my fingers trembled. My heart pounded in my temples. Run? Fight? The weight of that steel scread at not to surrender.
"Don’t co closer..." I tried to keep my voice steady.
"Silence!" spat the biggest man. "We’re taking you to camp. You’re still young, but your face is pretty. You’ll make an excellent toy.
His accomplices approached with ropes and sacks. A bow was drawn, aid directly at my chest.
In that mont, mories of Dad flooded in: his advice, his faith in . I felt cold sweat down my back. I stepped back… and the world echoed with my cry:
"Don’t co any closer!" I shouted, crossing the sword in front of .
The most aggressive of them lunged with an axe. I turned and blocked the blow with the hilt, making him growl. The sound of steel against axe rang out like a battle cry.
I ran to a tree and used a branch to propel myself; I dodged another strike and, with a deep slash to his arm, managed to disarm him. Blood and fury. The man writhed, dropping his weapon.
Others lunged with knives. I defended myself with everything I had learned: blocks, feints, quick slashes. I felt the weight of the steel and the lack of breath, but I didn’t give up an inch.
And then I noticed sothing strange: none of them used magic. Although their bodies radiated an average amount of mana and affinity, it was clear they had never learned to channel it properly. They were brutes, unable to use their mana.
That gave a chance. Or so I thought.
A third bandit managed to corner against a dead log. He raised his dagger to deliver the final blow. I closed my eyes, expecting the cold of the tal...
Then I heard it: a deep, prolonged howl.
The bandit hesitated, as if the sound pierced through him. I opened my eyes and looked toward the clearing’s entrance. A silhouette stood out in the gloom: an enormous wolf, with white fur, claws the size of daggers, and blue eyes.
The bandits backed away in fear, dropping their weapons. I had never seen an animal so large and majestic. Its chest rose with a soft pant, but its gaze... its gaze was so pure and fierce it seed to rule the forest.
The wolf howled again, calling . It was as if it recognized . My knees trembled; my pulse returned to my throat.
The bandit tried to flee, but the wolf leapt with impossible speed: in an instant, he had the man in his jaws. A bloodcurdling scream. Then, silence.
The others looked at each other in horror. One by one, they fled down the path I had co, leaving alone with my savior.
The wolf approached slowly. Its aura wasn’t threatening, but protective. I rembered the promise I made to Dad: not to give up. I reached out a hand. Tentative, trembling.
"Thank you..." I whispered. 'Thank you for saving ."
The wolf howled one last ti, as if sealing a pact. Then, it turned its head toward the dark heart of the forest, as if inviting to follow.
And without thinking, I followed the wolf. My steps grew lighter. For the first ti, I felt no fear.
I felt hope.
Because under that sky of purple leaves, amid shadows and dangers, an unexpected ally showed that there were still forces of nature on my side.
And while the leaves whispered my na, I knew I was not alone in my quest to return ho.
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