The Unhappy Heart (Book 1 of The Wolfheart Trilogy)

29. No Greater Love

The sun had barely just begun rising, as the group of seven started their journey back to the forest camp. As it slowly peeked over the hills, it lit up the cold fog that hung heavily in the air.

Andrea walked behind the others, slowly taking in the sight around her. The picture before her, was eerie and unfamiliar, not at all like the place that she had first found comfort and refuge in. As she glanced back over her shoulder to the hills where she had once roamed with Ruffian and watched the cows graze, she realised they were not rolling hills of freedom as she had previously thought.

 Staring at them now in the growing light, she saw them for what they truly were. They too bore many scars, each with its own bitter tale. What she had previously thought to be rocks littered across the plains, were the ruins of some great building that had once stood proud and tall. 

And glancing back to the people in her company, she wondered at the land and all its history. Dagen walked proud and tall, but the closer you looked, one could see the uncertainty in his eyes and hesitance in his step. Torrin, who had slowed his steps to walk faithfully by her side, still cocked his head to the side at every noise, and shied back against her at any sudden movement. It broke Andrea's heart as she came to the sorrowful realization, just how far his curse had crept into his blood. Torrin had been a wolf for almost 7 years. Nothing was going to cure or change that. She knew it by the husky broken voice and the submissive eyes. Even if cured, Torrin would never be free of his animalistic behaviors. He would feel vulnerable and unfamiliar in his human form for too long, but surely, he would also despise the wolf body in which he had been confined to all these years.

Although Andrea had found reason and adventure in this world, she knew she could not truthfully say it was any better than the world she had tried to run from. Hugo and Blade were proof that running away solved nothing. She glanced at these two now. 

At the same moment, Blade who had raised his foot to step over a large tree root, got it caught against a small shrub and stumbled. With his hands bound before him, he had no chance of regaining his balance and fell heavily to the ground with a pained grunt. Hugo was by his side in an instant, helping him to sit up. Blade however, continued to hunch over, his face turning pale as he gritted his teeth together. As Andrea caught up with them, she noticed his arm had been badly cut by a fallen branch. Harriet was already by his side bandaging it up.

"I am sorry, Carter," Hugo murmured, grasping his old friend's hand. He seemed to start in shock, and Andrea followed his lowered gaze to see that Blade had gripped his hand tightly back.

"Home is where the heart is, Steve." Blade's eyes were fixed on Hugo's face, his tone strangely desperate. "Take your niece and go home. There is nothing for you here any longer. Although our paths diverged long ago, I wish no evil upon you. I would have it that you at least survive this." His grip tightened, his knuckles turning white as Hugo's fingers slowly darkened. Blade's eyes glinted, though whether it was of remorse or something more menacing, Andrea didn't know. "I am sorry, Hugo."

With those cutting cold words, Blade twisted Hugo's arm painfully to the side, and smacked his head down against the other man's jaw. As Hugo fell back, Blade snatched the confiscated knife from his belt. He sprang to his feet, and disappeared into the fog. Dade stayed with Harriet, as Dagen gave chase. Andrea hesitated to help Hugo to his feet, before they both followed with Torrin not far behind.

Despite Blade still having his hands bound before him, he was still at the advantage of knowing the woods better that Andrea and Hugo. Dagen's sight seemed to have weakened, but considering the thick fog, it didn't seem to make much of a difference. He soon realised where the captain was heading.

"Andrea, he is going to the soldiers' hut. The one we raided to rescue Torrin."

Andrea immediately remembered that night which now seemed so strangely long ago. But she could barely see the path in the fog, and all the trees and undergrowth looked the same to her. All to soon however, she stumbled onto the end of the trodden path and saw the silhouette of the hut below.