The following morning, we resumed our journey after a quick breakfast. There was a subtle shift in our formation; Aldea now rode at the vanguard alongside Zoe, their bickering of the previous night replaced by a professional vigilance. Darryl remained as our sole outrider beside the carriage.
The day passed without disturbance, a remarkably safe trek through the shifting landscape. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, we halted once more to make camp. As before, Louis strictly forbade me from sleeping in the tents, insisting that the carriage was the only secure place for a Princess.
The next morning began much the same, but the air felt... different. Heavier. We were deep in the outskirts of the kingdom, the woods pressing in on either side of the road.
Suddenly, a voice—hollow and resonant—echoed within the chambers of my mind.
{בּוֹא….בּוֹא….בּוֹא….בּוֹא…}
I sat bolt upright, looking at my companions. "Did any of you hear that?"
Aalis looked at me, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Hear what, Your Highness? We heard nothing."
{בּוֹא…בן אנוש…בּוֹא…}
"Are you quite serious?" I asked, my heart beginning to hammer. "You truly hear nothing?"
"Nothing but the wind and the wheels, my lady," Aalis replied, her voice tinged with concern.
"It is coming from outside," I insisted.
{בּוֹא…בּוֹא…בּוֹא…}
The voice was insistent, pulling at my very soul. I leaned toward the front window. "Louis, stop the carriage! Stop it this instant!"
The carriage lurched to a halt, the horses whinnying in protest. Louis jumped down from the box, looking around with his hand on his sword. "What is it, Your Highness? Why have we stopped?"
I stepped out onto the dirt road, the woods on the left side of the path seeming to pulse with a strange light.
"Do none of you hear that voice?" I asked again, looking at their bewildered faces.
"We hear nothing," Louis said firmly.
"I swear it... someone is calling." I held up a hand. "Everyone, be silent for a moment."
The world went still. The birds stopped chirping; the wind died down. And then, it came again, clearer than ever.
{בּוֹא…בּוֹא…בּוֹא…}
It was coming from the dense woods on our left. Without another word, I turned and plunged into the undergrowth, driven by a compulsion I couldn't explain.
"Your Highness! Caroline!" I heard Louis shout behind me, but I didn't stop. I chased the voice through the thick briars and ancient trees, moving faster than my new body should have been able.
I burst into a wide, hidden glade bathed in an ethereal light. There, in the centre of the field, stood a creature of nightmare and majesty. It was a giant wolf, its lower body covered in fur as white as a winter drift, which blended into a deep, blood-red across its upper back and head. It was surrounded by smaller woodland creatures—squirrels, birds, and insects—all sitting in a peaceful trance.
The wolf rose, its yellow eyes locking onto mine. My breath hitched; my body began to tremble, rooted to the spot by a primal fear.
{בּוֹא…}
As the voice echoed again, my legs moved of their own accord. I walked forward until I was standing face-to-face with the beast. It lowered its massive head, its hot breath ruffling my hair.
"M...ay... I... know... who... this... majestic... being... is?" I struggled to force the words past my dry throat.
The wolf lifted its head slightly, its gaze searching mine. "It seems you do not comprehend the tongue of the ancients," it said, its voice now shifting into a language I understood. "I shall speak in your common dialect."
"My thanks... for your... consideration," I stammered, still fighting the instinct to flee.
"You need not be afraid, human," the wolf said calmly. "I am Geri. I am a spirit. The fact that you can hear my call suggests you are the one the Gods have sent. Tell me, which of the Great Ones sent you?"
At her words, the crushing weight of fear suddenly evaporated. I stood tall and exhaled. "It was Sagesse, the Goddess of Wisdom, who sent me."
"Ah, Sagesse. So that Goddess finally decides to move," Geri remarked. "As you see, human, I am a spirit of this world. You stand beside me... do you desire my power?"
"The Goddess told me that a spirit might set a task before accepting a master," I said, remembering the warning. "May I know what task you require of me?"
"You humans have such calculated thoughts," Geri chuckled.
Suddenly, the glade vanished. We were standing in a void of total darkness.
{My name is Geri,} her voice echoed directly in my mind. {Sister of Freki. I am known as the Greediest One, and my sister as the Ravenous.}
Two shimmering images of wolves appeared before me, changing and shifting as she spoke.
{Our creator was a lonely soul. He fashioned us to protect and accompany him through every season, every obstacle, and every battle. In time, he found a beloved—a woman to share his life. We were glad for him, at first. But my sister did not trust her. Freki could scent malice and ill intent from hundreds of miles away. She told me the woman was the most hideous creature she had ever encountered.}
The scene shifted to a dark, snowy wood.
{I doubted my sister. I chose to believe in our master's choice. The woman showed me affection, driving a wedge between Freki and me. One day, Freki vanished. I asked our master, and he said she was with the woman. But I felt it—the bond between sisters. I felt her in agony. I followed that scent until I found her in the snow... she was covered in blood and scars. I was horrified. Before I could even ask who had done this, I felt a terrifying presence approaching. I grabbed my sister in my jaws and ran as fast as my legs would carry us. I felt such guilt for not listening to her.}
Geri paused, the darkness shimmering.
{We found safety, eventually. Freki told me it was the woman—the master's beloved—who had tortured her. She said we had to part ways, for the woman and her descendants would hunt us forever. She said our master had been bewitched beyond saving. Before we parted, Freki made me promise: if I ever found a new master, I must find her, so that we might take the woman down together. Hundreds of years have passed, and I have heard nothing from my sister.}
The void collapsed, and Geri appeared before me in the glade once more.
"Human, I shall accept you as my master, provided you agree to three conditions."
"What are they?" I asked.
"First, you shall help me reunite with my sister. Second, you shall help us take down the one who harmed her. And third... you must allow me to harbour doubt toward you."
"Why the third condition?"
"I do not wish to repeat my history," Geri said solemnly. "I once believed my master could do no wrong, and it led to tragedy. I wish to doubt you, to warn you if you stray, so that I might never be blinded again."
I nodded. "You may doubt me whenever you wish. If I go insane, if I step beyond the line of what is right, you have my permission to kill me."
"You are... an interesting human," Geri said, raising a massive paw. "Take my foot, and the contract shall be sealed."
I reached out and grasped the thick fur of her paw. A brilliant, illuminating light erupted between us. When it faded, a mark had appeared on the back of my right hand—a single, blue wing.
"It is done," Geri said. "You are my master. I shall teach you to use my power in time."
"I look forward to it. But we must hurry—my people will be frantic."
"Fear not," Geri replied. "When you entered these woods, you entered a different realm of time. An hour here is but a minute to those outside."
"Regardless, we should return. And... you might want to resize yourself. You're a bit... large."
Geri concentrated, her form shrinking until she was roughly the size of our carriage.
"Still quite big," I noted.
"Hop onto my back," she commanded.
I climbed into the thick fur of her neck, and she leapt forward. She moved like a bolt of lightning. We burst through a shimmer of light, and suddenly, the carriage and my stunned companions appeared before us.
Louis and Darryl immediately drew their swords, their hands shaking as they took a defensive stance.
"YOUR HIGHNESS! STAY AWAY FROM THAT MONSTER!" Louis bellowed.
Aalis and Ame were huddled together, terrified, while Elpis and Cailean cowered behind the carriage.
"Withdraw your weapons, Louis! Darryl!" I shouted from Geri's back.
"Your Highness, get down from there!" Louis warned, his voice cracking with fear.
"It is quite alright," I said. {Geri, put me down, please.}
Geri lowered herself, and I slid to the ground. I walked over and squeezed her shoulder. "See? She is perfectly friendly. There is no hostility here." I looked at the petrified Ame. "Ame, come here. Look! Her fur is incredibly fluffy."
Slowly, Louis and Darryl lowered their blades, though they didn't sheathe them.
"Is it truly safe, my lady?" Louis asked, stepping closer.
"Yes. Look." I patted Geri's head, burying my hands in the soft fur. "She is like a giant cloud."
Ame and Aalis approached with hesitant steps. When they finally touched Geri's belly, their expressions shifted from terror to pure, unadulterated delight.
"Oh! It is fluffy!" Ame squealed.
Soon, everyone was surrounding Geri, patting her and marveling at her coat. At that moment, Aldea and Zoe galloped back, having noticed the carriage had stopped. They skidded to a halt, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT?" Aldea shouted. "WHY IS EVERYONE TOUCHING A MONSTER?"
I waved them over. Once they felt the "magic" of Geri's fur, even they were bewitched. Geri looked particularly proud of herself.
"Everyone," I announced, clapping my hands. "This is Geri. I trust we shall all get along."
As the excitement died down, Louis pulled Aldea aside. "Do you know of such a beast, Aldea?"
"I've never seen the like," Aldea admitted, "but there is a myth. A tale of two wolves who betrayed their creator and left him to die. But the myth said they were far larger than this."
{It seems the legends are twisted,} Geri's voice echoed in my head.
{Tales change over a hundred years,} I replied. {We shall find the truth when we find your sister.}
I walked to the centre of the group. "It is time we moved on. I shall ride with Geri."
"Is that safe, Your Highness?" Louis asked.
"Perfectly. In fact..." I looked at the two sisters. "Ame, Aalis, would you like to ride with me? There is plenty of room."
Ame's face lit up like a sunbeam. And so, with the three of us perched atop the giant wolf, we continued our trek. The carriage followed behind, flanked by our outriders.