The woman stared at the sword sitting in its scabbard. Alexander bowed his head low, with his arms outstretched. In his hands lay the sword she had eyed earlier.
Darius had vanished with General Silas to gods knew where. Alexander, the Commander, had brought her to one of the buildings that were part of the resting quarters.
"My lady, please wait here for me," Alexander said, his boots crunching against the gravel as he scurried behind one of the buildings.
Serena laced her fingers together and cast her gaze toward the treeline. She had noticed more wolves than the previous day. It would not have struck her as strange, if not for the fact that they were mostly idle. She bit her lip, lost in thought.
"I am back," Alexander announced, with a sword in its brown scabbard.
Serena focused on the sword and noticed the golden hilt. It was the one from the armoury that she had held. The man stepped closer and presented the weapon to her.
"This is a gift," he said lowly. "It is my pleasure to present it to you as an extension of Alpha Darius and General Silas."
Serena’s breath caught in her throat just for a second. She had forgotten all about the sword. Darius had remembered, or was it Alexander? It did not matter just now.
She ran her hand across the leather and picked it out of his hands. Serena drew the sword and held it up. The sunlight reflected off the steel brilliantly. She smiled and sheathed it back.
"Thank you," Serena said.
Alexander nodded eagerly. He clasped his hands behind his back, and a moment of silence passed between the two of them.
"I am curious to know more about Crimsonclaw... it’s so far away."
There was this air he held about himself; it piqued Serena’s curiosity. It had been with her ever since. He was a commander, which alluded to the fact that he was competent enough to be elevated to such a high level at a young age.
Serena recalled that he said his father was a Shadewright, just like Darius.
"That is natural," Serena said with a light smile. "But I will answer your question if you answer mine."
Slipping on the mask and acting out the persona of a high-ranked delegate from a famously ruthless and militaristic pack got easier by the second. Perhaps it was the accent or her father’s stories that gave her courage.
"Of course, my lady. That seems like a fair choice," Alexander agreed. "What is your question?"
"Why did you join the warriors of your pack?"
A gust of wind pulled a leaf from a nearby branch. It clung to her cheek, and she peeled it away slowly, watching his face. Alexander adjusted his lapel and put his hands to his back once more.
"What a question," he muttered.
He kept his eyes fixed on hers and exhaled. "Well, I joined the military to avenge my mother. She is still presumed missing after so long. It was the next best option, seeing that I was unfit to be a scout."
There were things he left unspoken, and that was clear to Serena. Perhaps it had been a rogue attack. She was beginning to grow uneasy with that information.
Her mind drifted to Livia, whose parents were brutally killed. The attacks sounded vicious and relentless, which was an odd thing to her.
Rogues were feral, yes, but rarely that organized. For stragglers to harass a Cardinal Pack, much less breach its territory, was nearly unthinkable. Such boldness usually spelled death or dismemberment.
Serena cleared her throat and nodded. "I see. I will hold up my end of the deal. What is it you wish to know?"
"Does it ever stop snowing?"
Of all the things he could have asked, that wasn’t one she expected.
Legends always surrounded Cardinal Packs, curses, blessings, or maybe a mix of the two. The East of Kaldora had once been declared uninhabitable, until Crimsonclaw clawed itself out from the white wastelands. Some still argued those wolves weren’t descended from the great ancestral pack at all.
Fenros- minor wolf god of the hunt and war, and to some, of bloodshed, was said to have made them. That was the story. Wolves born of treacherous terrain, bred not only to survive, but to rule it.
Serena lifted her gaze to the sky. They would never experience the joys of spring and summer, for it constantly snowed in the East.
"I see," Alexander murmured, his voice tinged with something wistful. "I would like to visit it someday. With my mother."
Serena offered him a small smile. His resolve was inspiring. "Would you leave the military once you find her?"
Alexander shifted slightly in his spot. "That I do not know. I want to paint more. I am sure of that."
Serena nodded, and in her peripheral vision, she caught someone approaching rapidly, a woman with tightly bound hair and in comfortable grey tunics.
"Ambassador. Commander," she greeted. "I am Alice Fern, Squad Commander of the Vanguard. I was sent here by the General to escort you to the meeting you are to have."
The woman turned to Alexander and nodded curtly. "Commander, you are ordered to round up the warriors to the main grounds. Wait for further instructions."
Serena looked at her, then said a small goodbye to Alexander and nodded to Alice. The woman walked briskly, and Serena matched her pace.
A meeting? She had not been told about any such thing... yet another decision made involving her without her knowledge. She exhaled and focused on walking as quickly as Alice did.
"A speech?" Serena echoed, looking between both men.
General Silas stood with hands folded behind his back, gaze steady and unblinking, like he was evaluating her, while Darius rested his chin in his hand.
"Yes, you will be leaving Ficus today, and since we want to familiarise you with the people... you would have to give a speech."
Serena looked at Darius with knowing eyes. He knew why that would not be easy. This wasn’t just an inconvenience- it was a test of how well she could sell the illusion.
An impromptu speech was so blindsiding, but it was not Exile Serena Ever who would be giving the speech. Oh no, it had to be Ambassador Serena Evers. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI~Fire.net
"I see. And this was decided when?" Serena asked.
"About an hour ago," Darius answered.