In the depths of the forest, Ulfran knelt motionless in front of Juuhra, waiting in silence. Juuhra stepped closer, grabbed his arm, and whispered in a low voice:
"You don't need to follow me. It's enough if I take you."
Without any effort, he started dragging the wolf behind him. Ulfran's body left a trail across the wet earth as it was pulled along.
Within minutes, four sentinels arrived from the other side of the forest.
Massive, broad-shouldered wolves burst through the branches with savage grace, halting for a brief moment at the sight of Juuhra.
They instantly recognized the wolf being dragged by him as one of their own. Worse, other wolves lay motionless nearby. This wasn't a simple violation — it was a direct threat.
Their bodies tensed under instinctive alarm. None retreated, none advanced. Eyes met, then heads tilted back toward the sky.
