To the White Wolf | Fenrys (ToG)

Chapter 10: I Missed You

Rifthold smelled just as I remembered it. Actually, not much had changed besides the brand-new castle built in place of the destroyed Glass Castle. It was beautiful, a white marble and white structure that had glowing sapphire blue windows. It reminded me of a snow fort.

The other change was the addition of a tall cylinder building that I identified as the Torre of the North. It took my breath away as I flew over it.

I knew the owl was the symbol of healers, but as I circled around the building at dawn, the healers that occupied the courtyard pointed at me and cheered. I sent a wave of wind towards them that was soft but enough to ruffle their hair.

I flew into the city and landed on the roof of some old apartments. The same musk lingered. The streets and alleys were still busy with people going on with their own business.

I also noticed that the only thing different about the outside of my old home was a new window. I wish I could have seen into it, but curtains obstructed my view. I was half tempted to go knock on the door and ask the people living there for a tour.

I tried not to focus on the alley outside the apartment window. The alley where my mother and I went our separate ways. My heart raced at the memory.

I rested on the roof in my owl form. The occasional pigeon bothered me, but I slept through the night. I was exhausted for flying with little to no breaks. If I stopped, I might have ended up turning around.

After I woke up, I made my way into a dress shop and bought a lovely ivory dress that seemed like something the Adarlan ladies would wear. My dress was worn by travel and smelled a bit like the outdoors and sweat.

I pulled water particles out of the air and rinsed my face before I put the dress on in the bathroom of the dress shop. I tried to look presentable, especially since I was meeting the King.

I debated whether I should fly into the castle or walk but decided on flying. I would have felt vulnerable walking into the castle with the guards seeing me approach.

I flew into the skeleton of my mother's once grand gardens and shifted from my owl form. The garden was a mess, with broken stone benches, statues, and fountains. The rows of flowers were non-existent, the only proof of what they once were the corpses of bushes and leaves.

I sighed as I snapped a twig off a skeleton bush. I didn't turn as guards approached me on heavy feet.

"You are trespassing on Royal Grounds." One of them said, I turned to see three guards with their swords drawn.

"I would like to schedule a meeting with the King," I said and snapped another twig.

The guard that had spoken looked at one of the other two and jerked his head in the direction of the castle. Then he said, "If you wanted an audience with the King, you must send in a formal request. If you do not leave the grounds immediately, I must place you under arrest for trespassing."

"My request was granted." I smiled at him, he looked nervous and I tried to show less of my canines. I took a seat on a bench with a broken backrest, "And if you arrest me, the Queen of Terrasen won't be happy."

The guard that had spoken swallowed loudly and then looked back at the castle as if an answer would arrive. It was easy to sense the unease these humans felt towards fae. It was different in Terrasen, humans seemed to love the fae there. Here, they seemed scared of me and I was only half.

We waited until two men approached us. One was the guard returning and the other was a finely dressed male with short brown hair and a scarred face. I recognized him from a dream and guessed who he was instantly.