The Runestone Guardians book 1: Secrets of Sølvefalske

Chapter 4 The Crows

A shattered home laid before her. Ylvana learned to walk in the living room and caught her first fish on the dock. Time could never erase the memories of her laying in the lawn, counting the stars with her mother.

As she walked closer, fragments of glass crunched under her boots. Looking inside from the front step, she saw it was just as messy with scattered furniture and black walls. The whole place reeked of Crow.

Månen was a soft weight on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do this," she whispered.

"Crows lit a match after they finished ransacking," Chris said. "The fire took off parts of the roof, but luckily it started raining."

Kiva sat cross-legged in the grass with Pine on her lap. "This has been happening often. Not all the cabins are as lucky."

"When I join the Wolves, I'll get 'em back for this. I'll make them regret ever stepping foot here!"

Holding back tears, Ylvana rested her forehead against the cabin logs, imagining her home in one piece again.

Movement flashed in a glass triangle. Mo screamed, spreading her wings as a shield. It did nothing to stop the band of Crows from surrounding them.

Firyali shoved Chris and Kiva into the saddle. A slap to the hindquarters made Frostbite take off at full speed. With the two civilians safe, she focused on Ylvana, but the Crows had formed a wall between them.

A girl strutted forwards with a taunting sway of her hips. "I've seen this one in a fight. She's a legend." She drew her sword, matching Firyali's pose. "But are you legend enough to go one against six?"

Firyali sized up each opponent. She stood no chance against so many armored soldiers. Her eyes found Ylvana's, who mouthed: 'go', and she retreated. The Crow girl laughed, calling her a coward.

Now, Ylvana could work on saving herself. She dove under someone's arm, but a hand encircled her elbow. Thanks to the reflexes she learned in training, she grabbed the warrior's pinky finger and ripped it backwards. He let go but threw a punch. As his fist collided with her jaw, she leaned back. Though the blow hurt, it hadn't knocked her out. Another Crow twisted her arms behind her, shoving her on her knees.

Månen flapped and bit at the attackers. Two of the warriors shifted into crows and crashed into her, ripping out feathers and forcing her to retreat to the sky.

"Please," Ylvana said with a shaking voice. "Let me go." Pleading sounded pathetic, but she had to try everything.

The Crow who threatened Firyali laughed. "I never thought the Wolf Princess would beg for her life!"

Wolf Princess was what the other trainees called her since she was a Shifter, but how did the Crows know that nickname?

"Surtra!" a man barked. "Enough banter! Get her onto a Vesper before backup arrives!"

Instead of the typical black armor, he wore Sølvefalske white. He was a guard from the front gate. Ylvana's stomach knotted thinking about him walking into the castle, unnoticed. How many other spies were there?

An itchy rope cut the circulation in her wrists. Kicking and screaming only angered them. Her last plan was to shift, but with her arms bound, she wouldn't make it far.

A cloth smashed over her mouth. Fatigue crept into her body, pulling at her eyelids and weakening her limbs. She lost the fight to a powerful sleeping potion.