The Merlinian Legacy (working title)

Chapter 14: Enchanting Consequence

Over the weeks the nomadic Alpha Pack spent tracking Alaric and his mysterious new mentor, Seren found herself more intrigued than frustrated by the cryptic trail they were following.

"What are they seeing that we're not? Their path is like... a puzzle with half its pieces missing," she murmured aloud, studying the faint, shifting traces as though trying to decipher a hidden language.

The trio's trail zigzagged unpredictably, veering off established roads and cutting across forested areas, only to set up camp on secluded beaches as if they had no fixed destination in mind. Sometimes it seemed they were moving backward, then forward, taking detours through groves or winding along coastal cliffs. The longer she examined it, the more Seren felt it was less a path and more like brushstrokes across a canvas, each turn hinting at a bigger picture she couldn't yet see.

She tilted her head, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Maybe they're not going anywhere at all. Maybe they're... moving just to move."

"Or maybe they're making sure we have no idea where they're headed," came Alderwyn's voice, sharp and amused. The druid priestess had just shifted from a fox back into her human form, brushing dirt from her hands. "It almost seems deliberate," she said thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes at the faint marks on the forest floor. "Like they're trying to spin us in circles."

"Or," came Raina Redcloak's voice from behind them, her crimson cloak trailing as she stepped forward, "the witch's instincts have taken over. If she is as old as she claims...She's lived through too many hunts and chases. Evasion must be second nature by now." There was a calculating flicker in her eyes, as though trying to piece together the puzzle.

Seren glanced back at the ash-laden earth, her thoughts winding in sync with the strange trail. "So... they're not just wandering. They're practicing evasion?" she said, a curious light in her eyes. "Almost like... weaving a web."

Alderwyn nodded, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "And they're doing it well. It's as though they've turned their trail into a maze."

Raina's mouth quirked up in a grin, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination. "Then we follow like shadows. Let them see why werewolves were once the best witch-hunters." She laughed softly, the sound edged with an old excitement. "Guardians we may be, but we never forgot the hunter's craft."

Alderwyn raised an eyebrow, her tone both playful and probing. "Weren't you the guardian Queen Morgan modeled her curse after?"

Raina's grin softened into something almost nostalgic. "I chose a different path back then, yes, and it did grant me an exemption from that curse." She shrugged lightly, her tone edged with amusement. "But even a guardian has to think like a hunter sometimes."

Her gaze drifted back to the ground, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes. "There's something else," she said, her earlier confidence shifting into a quiet unease. "A scent... one I shouldn't be smelling. A presence that should have faded long ago." Her voice dropped, filled with disbelief. "A figure known as the 'Black Knight'... but that's impossible."

Seren's eyes widened at Raina's tone. "Impossible... but you think it's him?"

Raina's voice lowered to a near whisper, her gaze distant. "If it's truly him, it changes everything. But we won't know until we catch up." She smirked, a glint of determination returning. "We can't let the trail grow colder."