The Lord ✔️

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Winter In Findrut

Winter in Findrut. It was cold, it was dry, and prey was scarce. Frost hung off the leaves on the trees, and the snow formed a thick blanket above the ground. Pine cones were scattered across the ground, and the branches bore nothing, just some very few leaves. There was one elk herd every sixty miles, and the shadows of two wolves who traveled the plains.
Princess Andromeda dragged herself across the ground. Her coat was damp with the liquid, musty snow, and her eyes were drowsy. She struggled not to fall asleep right there.
"Come on," her brother, Hunter, urged her from behind. "It's our only chance to do this, Andromeda. Queen Cora—Mother will return shortly, and she'll never allow us to hunt. You know that very well, as much as I do."
Andromeda sighed. "I know," she said. "But we've been tracking this elk herd for ages now, and we still haven't found it."
Hunter gave his sister a soft smile, one that usually melted all her nerves. However, panic still danced inside of her at the thought of missing her once chance—possibly her only chance—to find, hunt, and kill an elk. She knew how to, of course: she'd taken lessons—but she'd never put those skills to practice.
Andromeda and Hunter reached a dryer spot, under some large oak trees. It was covered by large shadows, which made it the perfect place to hide. Andromeda collapsed down onto a small pile of moss, beneath the canopy. Hunter, who had always garnered more energy, sat next to her quietly.
"Can we rest?" Andromeda asked, her voice coming out in a mumble. The words sounded strange to her ears—she had always been in one in charge. No matter what, Hunter listened to her. Now, it seemed like the roles and been flipped.
"You don't have to ask, 'Dromeda," Hunter said. He shifted closer to her, so she could feel his thick, dark grey fur brush against hers. She smiled, knowing that he still went by the unspoken rules of the royal wolves of Findrut: the older you are, the more respect that you deserve. She felt pride surge through her.
She didn't have to ask Hunter to wake her up in time. He always did, no matter what. Not a second too early, not a second too late. She relaxed, turning her head so she was facing the back of the canopy.
Her eyes had nearly fluttered shut, but something had caught them. There was a strange relic, hidden by pine nuts and leaves, and covered by the grass that somehow remained. She edged slowly towards it. Why did it seem so familiar? Why did it seem as if she had seen it before? She peered closer.
It gave her a strange feeling, and Andromeda stood, facing her brother. Hunter stared right back at her. His gaze was confused, and it wasn't like Andromeda could blame him. A moment ago, she had asked his permission to rest.
"There's no time to rest," she said, her voice coming out stern. Hunter nearly smiled. "We've got to go. Cora's guards will start patrolling at nightfall, and if we slack of like this, we'll be too late. They'll find us, for sure. Come on, get up, get up!" Hunter didn't hesitate. He followed her command.
There was something inside Andromeda, something pulling her. It gave her this newfound energy she could not explain. She had taken off before Hunter could blink, letting her legs run as fast as they could carry her.
"Andromeda!" Hunter yelled from behind her. "Wait!" It was hard to hear him, as the snow was blowing right towards him in a whirling mess. Andromeda was too excited to even comprehend what he was saying—she had spotted the Quartz Elk Herd on the horizon, grazing peacefully, without any cares.
Hunter's eyes flew open when he saw them. The snow couldn't blind him anymore, and Andromeda knew that. She didn't stalk the herd like she had been trained to do. She caught Hunter's weary glance, but waved it off.
She just ran, ran like the wind. She charged at her prey as they began to scatter, picking out an injured cow elk. Adrenaline rushed through her veins: it flew, and she flew. She felt on top of the world—it was a feeling she had never felt before, not once. She advanced, and then, finally, for the first time ever, Andromeda pounced.