“Stay here.”
She nodded, squatting down with a solemnity I did not expect from one so tiny. “OK.”
“And don’t move.”
She pointed at her own chest. “I be good.”
I had no reason to believe her, but I believed her.
The woods opened before me, the cold air slicing deep into my lungs. Frost clung to the edges of my scales, but Iwelcomed the bite. It sharpened focus, honed instinct. I sank low to the ground, claws digging silently into the snow.
The northern forests were full of prey—large, silent beasts with antlers like branching bones; quick-footed hares that moved like shadows; thick-furred boars that tasted better than they looked.
I liked these woods. They were too cold for witches, and even the heavier-furred lykoses.
“Show me something with meat,” I murmured into the cold.
A snap of a branch came from my left.
Then another.
I stilled.
A bull elk stepped between the trees, breath steaming in heavy bursts. Its eyes were dark, unblinking. A massive creature, draped in winter-thick fur and crowned with antlers large enough to break a draken’s ribs.
Perfect.
I lunged.
The elk bolted, snow exploding beneath its hooves. It was fast—faster than I expected—but I was faster still. I cut sideways, leaping between trees, claws raking frozen bark as I angled ahead.
The elk swerved.
I pivoted.
Its hooves struck my forearm, but pain meant nothing; I grabbed its neck and dug my claws in deep. It screamed, a harsh, ragged sound that died quickly as I snapped its spine. It crumpled, its blood steaming against the snow.
For a moment, I stood there breathing hard, heart pounding, staring down at the kill. I was again in the fighting pits, staring over my opponent in victory as theybled out on the sand in front of me. The crowd roared, and the guards stepped forward to reward me by wrapping me in chains and throwing me in my cell to survive another night?—
I shook my head.
Once, I would have eaten this entire animal. Alone. I would have torn strips off its hide with no care for anything but survival, attacking anyone or anything that tried to take some ofmyfood.
But now?—
I thought of her small voice, her little hands, and her trusting eyes. I bent down and tore the choicest chunk free from the elk’s flank, warm and rich and dripping. Then I gathered the rest, slinging the carcass across my shoulders, and carried it back.
She hadn’t moved.
She sat exactly where I left her, tiny hands clasped around her knees, arms and legs tucked close for warmth. When she saw me, her face broke into a brilliant, relieved smile that hit me like a spear.
“You came back,” she said simply.
Something inside me cracked wider. “I said I would.”
I set the elk down and tore off a small, soft piece, cooling it quickly with a breath of frost before placing it in her hands.
She sniffed it, then bit in with sharp little teeth.
