Savage Rising: Eternal Forest Saga - Book 1

Chapter 1

"If we are to build a new pact, it must be founded on love and compassion. No longer can we hope to hold peace together with the brittle ties of mutual distrust. We must see ourselves, now and forever, as siblings of her forest, created with her love, and bound by her to one destiny."

Shimmer: The signing of the new Tri-leaf Pact

"Useless dog."

He honestly didn't know why he kept the mutt around anymore. He was a cute old thing, with his long white fur adorned with black splotches, but the roof over his head and the meals he received were all in exchange for a single purpose: to keep the sheep from wandering out of the clearing and into the trees where he couldn't protect them from predators.

Taking a moment to look up from his worn-out book, Zehlyr was just able to see the white, fluffy tail of an overly curious sheep disappear into the trees. He sighed as his eyes darted to the west, taking a moment to confirm he knew where the dog was. Indeed, there he lay, sprawled out on his side in the grass and enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, his legs twitching sporadically as it slept. Zehlyr shook his head. Perhaps he was dreaming of wrangling sheep.

A nervous chill ran up his spine while he rose to his feet. He set the book on the grass. It was an adventure he'd read more times than he could count, but it was still far more interesting than getting up to do the work of his useless sheepdog, not to mention safer. Brushing a few strands of his golden bangs from his face, Zehlyr turned to a young man behind him. He was lying on his side and carving a small piece of wood into the crude shape of a dragon. Zehlyr opened his mouth to speak, but it was a useless gesture.

"Shadow let another one wander off?" the other boy asked without looking up from his work.

Zehlyr nodded. His gaze turned back towards the trees. "I don't know why we keep that blighted dog around," he said. "All he ever does is sleep."

"And every herding family in Meadowgold knows it, too," the other boy said. "That's why no one would be goblin-brained enough to buy him from us." He stuck his knife into the soft soil and set his unfinished masterpiece on the grass against the hilt. A groan escaped his lips as he stood. "I suppose you want me to go after this one."

"I did get the last," Zehlyr responded.

"I carried all the supplies up here this morning," the other boy protested.

"The heaviest of which was that block of wood you're working with."

The other boy opened his mouth but no words came out. Zehlyr smiled as he watched him search for another retort. "Well...I'm older," he finally said.

Zehlyr rolled his eyes as he threw his head back. "You don't get to use that for everything, Cherin."

The other boy smiled. "The longer you argue, the further into the woods that sheep gets."

Zehlyr's lips pulled tight as his head dropped in a gesture of defeat. He hated the idea of losing another debate to his older brother, but should they lose a sheep, the wrath of their parents would come down on his head harder than Cherin's, and his older brother knew that. Like it or not, being the older brother did grant Cherin some benefits, and he wasn't above exploiting them.

"Fine," Zehlyr said, admitting defeat. "But you're going to get the next one."

Cherin gave a half-hearted nod while returning to his sculpture. He knew Zehlyr's words were an empty threat. This was an argument they had many times whenever they watched the fields, and it always ended the same way.