Isher Notra

The Silver Knight:

"I think this is a good spot!"

They had been walking for almost ten minutes, which felt like hours. Captain Tash called him for a private conversation away from everyone else. Since Wolves have an outstanding hearing, they needed to go far away.

While they walked without speaking to one another, the Knight's mind was running with questions. Was she mad? Was it about the Human? Did she not like Stella? Why isn't she saying anything?! It was driving him insane!

"Calm down, Knight! You can handle this!"

Finally, the captain stopped walking. They were next at the border between the Sampiens and the Ganvi Woods, the Kara River. The soothing noise of the running water did a lot for his nerves, but the piercing stare of his superior officer made that go down the drain.

"S-So..." He was sweating bullets under the helmet. "W-What do you want to talk about, captain?"

The Wolf kept quiet for a few seconds. She frowned as if it took a lot of effort to speak. "I... wanted to thank you first."

The hero didn't respond, waiting for the captain to elaborate. It took a few more seconds, but she eventually did.

"For saving my pup. Again." That last word came with a hint of frustration. If it was directed at him or herself, he wasn't sure.

The Knight saluted. "No problem, ma'am! Only a day's work for a defender of this forest!" He gathered the resolve to perform his signature pose to her.

Tash... gazed upon the spectacle with an annoyed stare. She was never into the hero's eccentric mannerisms. Although she never directly criticized those to his face. Behind his back, perhaps.

She closed her eyes. "Well, I also appreciate that you went out of your way to go after my daughter, even though you had a Human to escort to the castle."

Then her eyes opened, following a spine-chilling scowl. "Though you should have brought backup when you were about to deal with the likes of Grýla!"

Oh, man...

Before he could process it, her gratitude turned into a lecture. "Seriously, what the hell were you thinking?! You should've called us way before that witch threatened to blow my daughter into pieces!"

The worst part was that she was right. The prospect of encountering these legendary Ogres made him forget what truly mattered, his mission.

Stella and Lien's possible death was on his hands.

The only thing he could do was bow. "I'm sorry, captain. I am willing to go through the consequences of my miscalculation."

Tash huffed, and her expression softened. "Look, Lien likes you a lot, and you were about to let yourself die to save her. So, I'm willing to let this slide."

The hero kept bowing. "Thank you."

"Alright, so straighten up already!" She commanded.

After that can of worms was sealed shut, the Knight's mind sparked with a question. "What will happen to the Jólasveinarnir?"

Tash explained. "I've contacted the Hoof Herd to break that wall and carry the witch to prison. Leppalúði and Jólakötturinn are missing, but the Soaring Flock is already working on that."

"What about the Lads?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Even though they're hundreds of years old, by Ogre standards, they're still minors. They won't be imprisoned, only sent to an orphanage, if no one else can claim their custody."

It was quite a headache keeping up with the Monoke's different lifespans. Some lived for about a hundred years, others slightly lower, like Wolves, and a few who lived for hundreds if not thousands of years! The Ogres fell into the latter.

They had to be careful not to put someone below the age of criminal responsibility in jail.

The fate of the Lads made the Knight feel slightly guilty. Being separated from one's parents definitely couldn't be a pleasant experience. Hell, he missed his every single day.

He wondered if they were okay.

"But I brought you here to discuss something else." That caught the hero's attention. "Or rather, someone."

Of course. Stella...

"Knight," The hero immediately looked at her with anticipation. "What is your impression of the Human?"

"Oh, Stella? She's been nothing but amazing throughout our time together!" He started reporting his impression of the Human and didn't know when to stop. "She's a bit rough around the edges and can be too willing to put herself in danger, but she is a good person and even made a few Monoke friends! Including your..." He finally hesitated, but it was too late to back down. "...daughter."

Her deadpan expression could be even scarier than her angry one. "Yeah, I noticed." Her emotionless voice had an underlying tone of annoyance.

The captain sighed. "It's just... Of all the Monoke that Human could find, it had to be Lien!?" Hearing her venting her frustrations to him was an alien experience.

She waved her hands. "Don't get me wrong, I trust the queen's judgment, but..." She covered her face with her paw. "Why am I saying this to you? I'm sorry."

The Knight reassured her. "It's alright! Your concerns are totally valid!" He started speaking with his regular voice. "I understand you're unsure of her, but trust me, that child cares deeply about Lien. When I told her about going with me for her rescue, she did not complain. In fact, she pushed hard for us to get to her as soon as possible!"

He sighed. "I know I put your daughter in danger. But this was not Stella's fault. I was the one who had the idea of going directly to them. Again, I am deeply sorry."

Tash took a few steps away from him and quietly gazed upon the flowing river with her arms around her back. Her tail was slowly swishing from one side to the other.

The Knight was worried about the captain's thought process. He didn't want Stella and Lien's friendship to go sour. However, he knew Tash needed to think about her next move alone. Interjecting further would only bring unwanted consequences.

After a few minutes, Tash weirdly opened a new discussion. "So, the Human will be going straight to the castle?"

The hero didn't mind, however, and decided to go along. "No. My armor and equipment need replacements. I cannot risk her safety without being in top condition."

She nodded. "Good call. We never know if Grýla alerted the Tizohi's Chosen. They might be waiting for the right moment to strike as we speak."

The mention of that organization gave chills through the Knight's spine. "You think they're already coming for her?"

Tash explained her point. "The time we are spending in this respite is enough for them to have prepared a plan for attack. That girl is the first Human to arrive after they made themselves known, so it's hard to say."

The Knight put his hands on his helmet as if he was suffering a headache. "Where should we go?"

Tash pointed in the direction contrary to the river's stream. "We follow this river, we reach Pantsti, our closest stash. You can replace your gear, and I can drop Lien home." She huffed. "This time, I will put a tight leash on that girl!"

The Knight was about to agree, but then he remembered something. "There's a problem. Stella has spent the night awake and drank from the pego jam without Saniya training. I doubt her nap will make all of that worn off."

"Alright, it makes sense. But where are we gonna take the Human?" The captain questioned.

The hero gazed at the distance, in the same direction as Tash pointed out. Then, an idea flashed in his mind. "I got it!"

After ten more minutes of walking through the woods, the two guards joined the rest of the squad, all sitting and forming a circle around Stella.

Speaking of the girl, she was... imitating his signature pose?! And it was an impressive imitation as well! The grace, her remarkable equilibrium in standing on one foot. He was almost brought to tears!

He and Tash kept themselves at a distance, curious to see where this goes.

Tarb was finding the spectacle particularly funny. His laughter outshined everyone else's, much to the captain's displeasure. The Knight wondered why she agreed to be in the same squad as her brother.

"That Knight is quite the character! But in my day, the Dragon's Guard had some actual dignity! Seriously, it feels like we become a circus nowadays!" The bulldog-like Monoke ranted.

Euraidd snorted. "Big talk for a lazy sack of drool!" Hufen tried to hold her laughter.

That remark touched a nerve on Tarb. "Have some respect, kid! Your rookie ass can't even comprehend the efficacy of using drool as a weapon! I once fought valiantly against a bunch of Spiders with my hands and legs tied and only escaped because of my spit!"

"That's kinda impressive, actually." The Knight whispered.

Tash whispered back. "If only he would shut up about it."

Lien interjected. "So that's why mom said your biggest quality is making the enemies trip all over you!"

Everyone laughed at the pup's commentary. Even Tash begrudgingly smiled. That put the Knight at ease.

Of course, the only one that didn't take this very well was Tarb. "Well, missy! You can tell your mom-"

Tash finally made their presence known. "You can say that to my face, brother!"

Everyone froze, including Tarb. They reacted like they had been caught with their hand on the cookie jar. It was very humorous.

As always, Lien took the initiative. "Hey, mom!" She ran towards her and ambushed her for a tight hug! Tash was a badass, but she was not above returning her daughter's affection. Seeing these two together was always adorable.

"How was your nap?" The captain asked.

The pup broke the hug. "Pretty good!" Then she grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her towards the circle. "Hey, you never talked to Stella!"

Tash was expectedly unsure. "This is not necessary."

"C'mon! You have to meet her!" She gritted her teeth and pulled her mother with all her might. Eventually, the captain gave in and complied.

The hero slowly approached to see what these two's first interactions would be like. For sure, she would take his words into account, right?

The captain stared at the Human for a few seconds. It was as awkward as one would expect.

Stella was sweating bullets. "Uh... Hi?" She weakly waved her hand.

Tash finally spoke. "Human. Do you care about my daughter?"

Stella's eyes widened, and the Knight facepalmed. This was seriously the captain's first question?

They were doomed.

Lien saved the day once again. "Of course she does! We are a pack, after all!"

Tash's body tensed, and her eyes narrowed. Even the Knight was taken aback since Stella never mentioned this detail.

The hero knew that a pack was a sacred bond in Wolf culture, the ultimate form of camaraderie. That meant the two girls couldn't be forced apart.

That could definitely work in their favor. However, Tash's reaction was concerning.

Well, it was the Knight's turn to salvage this mess!

"Hey, we bring good and bad news!" Everyone's attention was redirected at him, except the captain's. "The bad news is that we're not going to the queen's castle yet!"

The Lycan Squad was clearly taken by surprise. However, Stella didn't seem to care much. "What about the good news?"

The hero rested his left hand on his hip and raised his right index finger. "We will go to Pantsti! Lien's home!"

Stella smiled at the revelation while Lien howled and fist-bumped the air. "YES!"

"However, we must get you and Lien to a place where you can properly rest." He warned.

Stella shrugged. "Fine by me. Where is this place?"

The Knight triumphally raised his fist in the air. "We're going to Padda's house!"

Lien and the other Wolves started nodding and saying stuff like "Yeah, that makes sense" and similar phrases.

Stella, on the other hand... "Who?!"