I recognized the first town we encountered. Not the buildings, many of them were torn to the ground, but the location and the barren fields surrounding the outskirts. It took me a moment to put a name to the town.

"This is Whenfair. This was where we used to get our flour..." I explained in a hushed voice. "But it wasn't like this..."

Half the buildings had been leveled, their remains scattered in a path of destruction. It appeared as if some great force tore its way through the center of the village. It must have happened some weeks ago, judging by the timbers half frozen in the melting snow and the casual way the people strolled past. They still hadn't noticed us; we were well hidden in the trees.

It was better to not be noticed. We should have slipped around and headed straight to Obria, but I couldn't shake the curiosity as to what befell the town.

The lycans would draw too much attention. "I'm going by myself,” I announced.

"No." Cyrus and Cerberus said at the same time.

I sighed. "Whatever did that could be a threat. We need to know what it was."

"Then I'm coming with you," Cyrus volunteered, following my actions as I slid from Cerberus's back.

"No." I held up a hand to stop him, then sent him a sly smile. "A lone woman is more likely to loosen men's tongues."

"They will recognize you, My Lady."

My gaze softened. I ran my fingers through the fur if of the alpha's cheek. "Not without my mask. Besides, I'll stay in your sight. I'm just going over there." I pointed to an area that seemed to have become the makeshift town center, the original being in the heart of the destruction. Before either of them could argue further, I slipped my mask into my traveling bag and jogged down the short slope.

I soon stood alone in the junction between roads, surrounded by the villagers I once terrorized. I bit down the instinctual horror at being in such a situation and concentrated on the task at hand, looking as lost and innocent as possible. However, the first one to approach wasn't an interested man, as I predicted, but a woman about my age, perhaps a bit older.

"You're not from around here, are you?" She asked. She wore a loose, though still fitted outfit comprised of black and brown fabric and accented with a camouflage pattern. Her clothes, coupled with her dark skin and frizzy, ink black hair, made her ideal for blending into the spring foliage. The pack slung over her shoulder and many pouches sewn onto her pants told me she was a traveler as well. "Journeying through the mountain villages?"

"Yes, though I'm afraid I'm not sure which one this is..."

"Whenfair," the woman supplied. "Where is it you're heading?"

I deliberately chose a village on the opposite side of the area. "Stressil, I have family there."

The woman gave me a regretful smile. "Well, you've really lost your way then."

I sighed. "I was afraid of that..."

She hesitated, as if suspicious, then held her hand out. "I'm Shirah, by the way."

I made a conscious effort to keep from hesitating as well. We both had gloves on; there was no need to worry. I took her hand and shook, sending her a friendly grin in return. "Sophie." I glanced back to the ruined building behind us. "So, any idea what happened here?"

"I asked the same question when I got here."

"And?"

Shirah bit the inside of her lip. "You don't happen to have any money, do you?"

I blinked. "No." Cyrus had all the money we brought. I hoped she wasn't asking for a bribe. I hadn't thought of money buy information. Usually, a little acting or the threat of Cerberus was enough to make people talk.

She shrugged. "That's alright, in that case, let me buy you a drink. This little cafe here serves some nice coffee."

"Coffee?" I asked as we strode through the door. It wasn't smart to go in a building where Cerberus couldn't see me, but I was intrigued by the offer of a drink previously banned in Askance.

"Yeah, it's imported from Detris." She led me through the tables set out in a dining area. I was careful not to brush anyone as I passed. "Howens rebuked the ban as soon as he got in office. It's just about the only thing we can be grateful for in his reign."

The table we sat at was in the corner, not far from the back door. The area was mostly unoccupied. It was the table I would have chosen, private and with an easy exit. It seemed Shirah and I had similar tastes.

As soon as we were seated, a waitress waltzed over with a couple of cups of steaming black liquid. I supposed it was like the taverns of Preene; there was no need to ask for which drink we came for. I copied Shirah and added some of the sugar and milk provided.

The taste was unlike anything else I had before, sweetened by sugar and made creamy by the milk. But what I most liked was the way the warmth of it slid down my throat, spreading throughout my chest before settling in my stomach.

The waitress was gone and Shirah leaned over the table, speaking in hushed tones so we wouldn't be overheard. "It is my understanding that Whenfair claims to belong to the territory of the Lycan Mountains, not Askance."

I bit down on the lip of my mug, causing my teeth to scrape unpleasantly on the porcelain. "But I thought the Lady of the Lycan Mountains was a cruel dictator," I said, wiping off the coffee I had managed to splash on my cheek.

Shirah nodded solemnly. "True, but not as much as Lord Howens. Besides, she hasn't been heard from in nearly a year. Right now, they're just trying to escape the draft."

Worse than me? It was true Whenfair had been one of my more submissive towns, and so suffered very little of my wrath, but surely they didn't look fondly on my demand for tribute, only to have it burned on the mountaintop. Surely he could do no worse than me.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I remembered the destruction of the town center. Had that been Howens doing?

But, instead I asked, "A draft? For an army?"

"The first few months he was alright, and with the Lady and her lycans gone, the people around here were hopeful for a peaceful winter." She shook her head. "But as soon as the season hit, he became worse. He demands much more than the people can supply, and that every man, even some woman, join his army." She stared into her coffee, pausing a moment before continuing, "There are rumors going around that he plans on fighting Preene. We might not know much about it, but everyone knows Preene is twice Askance, at least in population. That's why they're so desperate to avoid the draft."

I took a few sips of coffee. "And what does this have to do with the destruction outside?"

Shirah pursed her lips, frowning. She started to speak, stopped, started again, then stopped. Finally, she simply blurted it out. "The villagers told me it was a bear."

I scoffed. "A bear? A bear couldn't do that." It would take a pack of lycans a week to cause as much damage as outside.

"That's what I thought too, but they insist when they refused the draft, Howens unleashed a giant bear on them." She sighed. "I wouldn't have believed them, but a lot of the villages on the border have the same story."

It was my turn to stare into the swirling liquid of my coffee. There was no way a bear could have done that. Even a grizzly of unusual size wouldn't have the strength to rip a building's frame from its foundations. That would require one of the old world's machines.

And if Howens controlled that much power, it was quite possible he could level our army.

"What about you?" Shirah suddenly interjected. "Are you traveling with anyone?"

"Huh?" I picked up my head. "Oh, yeah. I am."

She considered me for a moment. "Can I join you?"

I actually laughed at that. "I'm afraid you really wouldn't want to."

"Embarrassing, or rough sort?" She eyed me with a knowing sidelong glance. "Or lover?"

I couldn't stop the heat coming to my face. Why was I suddenly thinking of Cyrus? "Rough sort," I answered before she got the wrong idea.

She smirked, then shrugged. "I don't mind the rough sort. It's better to be with them than run into them, I say."

We both chuckled at that until my attention was caught by the sound of a closing door. I looked up to the bar, catching sight of the cook who exited the kitchen. I recognized him. I knew that hobbling walk, for I had been its cause. Judging by the way his face paled when he met my eyes, he recognized me as well.

"Hello, Henry," I said quietly. He heard me though, or at least knew what I said.

"You said we could stay free," his voice was a whisper, but in the sudden quiet of the cafe, I heard every word.

"I did." I didn't bother keeping my voice hushed this time. Everyone was already listening anyway. "Meeting you here is pure coincidence."

"Henry?" One of the men seated on a barstool asked, looking from me to the cook and back again. "Who is this?"

Henry swallowed before answering. "She is the Lady of the Lycan Mountains."

In an instant, the quiet of the cafe became a dead silence. I stood up. I wouldn't deny it. All my time in Preene, I had kept my past a secret, an unanswered question that only Cerberus knew the entire truth. I wouldn't run from my past this time.

"Now Queen of Preene as well," I announced, loud, clear, and confident. I reached in my travel bag, pulling out my mask and tying it to my face. "Perhaps this will jog the memory of those who have yet to recognize me."

There was a full minute of nothing save tension in the air. Then, an explosion. Everyone was talking at once, some fretting, many yelling. They were screaming in outrage. I thought back to the man preaching my name like that of a goddess. It was almost comical how different people's reactions could be.

"Ridiculous!" A feminine voice above the others. I turned to see Shirah balling her fists. "You've been claiming her as your leader, yet you reject her now that she is here?" Somehow, she managed to catch the attention of the crowd. "I know she did some bad things, but if she really is Queen of Preene, she is our best chance of fighting Lord Howens!"

"She set her lycans on us!"

"They killed my son! They ate him!"

"But she doesn't have the lycans now. Perimone killed them all."

Though the statement twisted my insides into a knot, I smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that..." I drew a deep breath, then threw my head back.

A hand clamped over my mouth, trapping my howl in the back of my throat. I snarled and bit down on the flesh of the palm. The voice which cried out was definitely female, and familiar. I had little time to think on it before the thumb and index finger clamped around my nose, closing off my nostrils.

I struggled to breathe. The person's grip loosened, no doubt from the poison, but stayed firm. They had felt its effects before. I ripped my gloves from my hands, casting them away and reaching back to grab at the rough skin of the woman behind me. Within the moments she released me and fell to the floor.

Rosie. The open wound Thorn gave her had healed into a nasty scar. I wasn't sure she was still breathing. I didn't care. I had never been fond of my former nurse.

A savage cry. I looked up just in time to get sprayed in the face. Shirah shoved the man away, yanking her little dagger from the side of his neck. She flicked the blood from its double-edged blade before tossing the weapon. It stuck in our next attacker's thigh.

"You've cast your lot in with me now," I remarked, frantically searching for my own daggers hidden in my travel pack. I should've kept them in easy access. I cursed my own stupidity.

Shirah had somehow produced half a dozen throwing knives, flinging them this way and that. I was more interested in the thin metal ring she twirled around her finger. My curiosity was sated when she released it and the ring buried deep in a man's chest. We rushed out the opening created to the back door.

"Whatever. I always get mixed up in the wrong sort anyway," she huffed as she pulled yet another set of throwing knives from one of her pouches. "You wouldn't happen to me needing an assassin or bodyguard would you?"

My fingers closed about my whip. I yanked it free, not thinking as I leapt at the man behind Shirah. The leather looped around his neck, allowing me to pull myself up onto his back. The man released the mug he had raised to clutch at the leather. He stumbled. I let go, rolling out of the way as he fell back.

Somehow, in all the commotion, I spotted a dark form in the woods. But those woods were on the opposite side of the village, far away from the slope Cerberus and Claw waited on. Even so, I could swear it was a gray lycan.

I was quickly distracted by the need to defend myself. It was probably just the villager's mythical bear.

"Hardly," I drew in a deep breath, and howled. The answering howl was immediate. Screams announced the lycan's arrival. I grinned at the confused girl by my side. "But seems they'll lynch you now, you can come along."

My albino guardian burst from around the corner. He clawed wildly at anyone unfortunate enough to stand in his way. My fingers found fur as he galloped past, allowing me to vault on his back. We skid to a halt and turned to see Crimson Claw bound around the corner, Cyrus brandishing his saber. Upon seeing me on Cerberus they whirled around and began clearing a path back.

I reached out, grabbing Shirah's arm as we passed. I yanked her up onto my guardian's back. She screamed, but held tightly to Cerberus's winter coat as he ran up the steep slope. I could feel him labor under the added weight, he just managed to keep pace with Crimson Claw the short way back to camp.

At the first sign of slowing, Shirah released her hold. She rolled through the snow, jumping to her feet and pulling another throwing disk from her pouches. Neither of the lycans paid her much attention.

Cerberus bucked, throwing me off into the snow. I tried to sit up, only to find him standing over me. He snarled, exposed teeth inches from my face.

"What were you thinking?"