By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter 4

I triple-checked Milly's saddlebags to ensure nothing would dig into her sides and did another circuit of the camp before the light faded. The fire was extinguished, all my supplies were packed, the few pots and dishes Shane left at this campsite had been cleaned and tucked back into their hiding places.

Everything was ready. We were just waiting for Shane.

The sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains, and if tonight was like the last two nights, he'd appear shortly after it set. I was impatient to get going, but just for the sake of following the rules, I didn't plan to leave the camp until he showed up.

Right around the time I expected to see him, Shane emerged from the forest and asked, "Ready?"

As I swung onto Milly's back, I replied, "Yes, and here's some dinner for you." I lightly tossed the rolled-up bread wrap to him as I rode past, having learned he didn't really like people in his personal space.

Since he always had stew cooking at each campsite, I'd taken it upon myself to cook us something to eat as the night began. It was nothing fancy – just a piece of flatbread wrapped around whatever meat Shane had left.

I grinned as he bit into it and did a double-take at the baked fish inside. He had picked a camping spot beside a river yesterday, and fishing had alleviated my boredom. He did make a good stew, but it was the only thing he knew how to cook, and I was fond of fried fish.

I clucked at Milly, and she sped up to a fast walk. At her age, she wouldn't trot very far, so I didn't even try, but I wanted to make the most of the remaining light and a fast walk covered more ground than her usual amble.

Shane disappeared into the forest, still eating the wrap. Even though this was the fourth night of our travels, I still hadn't seen a glimpse of his werewolf form apart from when he'd delayed the knights. As dark as it was under the trees, that didn't particularly surprise me.

I set the base of my spear on a holder I'd attached to my stirrup. I hadn't needed the weapon yet, but I felt better with it in my hand. Taking a deep breath of the evening mountain air, I gazed up at the sky, ready to trade the boredom of daytime waiting for the boredom of a long, tedious ride.

The terrain was rockier as we climbed the mountain slopes, and I often had to guide Milly away from patches of gravel and rocks. The thin trees crowded against each other, stunted by the poor soil. Most branches had coniferous needles instead of leaves, but together they prevented most of the light from reaching the ground. Wisps of mist were already starting to emerge between the trees, drifting above the moss-covered rocks.

Soon, I wouldn't be able to see any of this. Just dark silhouettes with less dark shadows. As much as I wanted to light my small storm lantern so Milly could walk faster, I didn't have much oil. I hadn't planned to travel at night, and there hadn't been time to buy more. Luckily, the moon cast enough light for Milly to see.

I sang softly to myself as darkness fell. As much as I appreciated silence, being surrounded by it almost all day and night was just a bit too much. Milly was also more relaxed when I sang, although she never reacted to the presence of the werewolf I knew was circling the area.

The faint rustle in the bushes ahead had me peering into the shadows, wondering if Shane had spotted the war party again and wanted us to use a different path.

A large, furry, four-legged shape eased out of the trees. Something about its body language didn't seem right.

I stopped Milly, who snuffled the air, then shook her head and took a step back, finally noticing we had company. As the large canine came farther out of the forest, it became clear that this four-legged beast was not the werewolf I'd seen days ago.

Raising my voice, I called out, "Shane, you missed something!"

I leveled my spear in the dire wolf's direction, dismayed that my shout hadn't even made it pause. If it got closer or started making noise, I doubted I'd be able to hold Milly back, and if she ran, it'd surely give chase.

I quickly scanned the forest around us in case its packmates were waiting in ambush. Even if they weren't nearby, a lone wolf could still be very dangerous, especially if it was desperate for a meal. My dagger and makeshift spear felt woefully inadequate against such a predator.

A low growl came from the beast in front of me as it slowly approached. My heart hammered in my chest as I kept the spear pointed at it, waiting for its charge. Seconds dragged on impossibly slowly as I waited for the inevitable attack.

The growl deepened as it tried to goad the mule into running. Milly tossed her head against my tight hold on her reins, backing up a few more steps. A ripping snarl came from the side, and I jerked my head to face the sound, halfway expecting to see one of its packmates launching the attack.

A blur of brown fur streaked out of the shrubs – right at the dire wolf. It hit with enough force to send them tumbling into the bush as snarls filled the night air. Milly reared and tried to bolt, but I yanked back on the reins, forcing her to circle instead of running.

My attention was torn between Milly and the clashing wolves. Even as I looked on, the dire wolf decided that a scrawny mule was not worth this sort of fight. After a few more rolls, it managed to rip free from the werewolf's hold and fled into the trees.

Shane shook out his fur – he was definitely bigger than the dire wolf had been – and stood on his hind legs as he turned to check on me. Even with the distance between us, he was taller than me. It was too dark to see if any red blood marred his fur. If nothing else, he didn't look like he was in pain, although I wasn't sure how anyone could walk away from such a fight without injuries.

Since my hands were full keeping Milly circling instead of running, I called out, "I'm fine. Once I get Milly calmed down, I'll keep going."

With a nod, he took off after the dire wolf. It took me another minute or so to calm Milly down enough that she finally stopped trying to run.

I stroked her sweaty neck and murmured, "You're okay. It's gone now."

After a few more assurances, I tapped my heels against her sides, and she reluctantly minced forward with her nostrils flared and her ears twisting to pick up any sounds.

It was quite a while before she relaxed and plodded onward as she normally did, although her ears kept twisting side to side more frequently than usual. I also remained vigilant in case more wolves were lurking around.