Heirs of Merlin: The Hidden Princess and the Tree of Life

Chapter 7

The big wolf just stared down at Veka sternly. Then he rolled him over with one paw and picked him up by the scruff of his neck without a word.

Veka protested to the treatment immediately. "Put me down! I'm going to tell Mom!"

"What are you going to tell me, my son?" another sky wolf with a more feminine voice asked as she helped Alex and Lana out of the bush they had landed in and joined them.

Veka's ears fell flat against his head in defeat, and he stopped struggling. "Nothing."

"Welcome, heirs of Merlin. I am Asara and this is my mate, Seto," she addressed Samantha and Alex. Then she spoke to Lana. "It is good to see you again, Princess."

"Um...Have we met before? Do you know who I am?" Lana asked eagerly, taking a few quick steps forward.

She nodded. "We have met once, a long time ago. You were only a baby when Mariana came to us for the last time." Her ears flicked, and she looked to the sky. "The weather is changing. Please, come with us. It is not good to get caught in a storm without shelter."

The sky wolves led them to where the forest gave way to mountainside and carried them on their backs up to a large cave higher up. Veka was carried like a puppy by the scruff of his neck when the first raindrops started to fall. He had been pretending to be a dog for so long that he had forgotten how to fly.

The place was huge and littered with stalagmites and stalactites. Natural gemstones embedded in the walls reflected faint sunlight from somewhere higher up. Two dozen or so sky wolves watched the children curiously, even the three smallest pups ceasing their play to observe the new, strange creatures.

Asara introduced them and assured her pack that they were trustworthy. She also explained to the children that although heirs of Merlin had been their friends and allies for a long time, the war and its aftermath had left all denizens of Ildathach on edge. Some even felt betrayed that they had not done more – that legendary Merlin himself had not appeared to put a stop to the ambitions of the Dragon King.

The young ones quickly got very close to the children and wouldn't budge after they figured out that hands were really great for petting and scratching itchy spots. Veka tried to bully the one attached to Lana away to keep all the petting for himself, but one stern look from Seto made him settle down next to her with a pout.

"You still look very young to me, but I assume your arrival means that it's time," Asara addressed Lana. She watched the girl for a moment, then added, "You seem confused."

"I don't understand," Lana admitted. "Everybody thinks I can somehow save Ildathach. How?"

"Ahh, I'm sorry. You did say that you don't know who you are." She looked fondly at the little pup who was in seventh heaven with Lana rubbing her belly. "It is easy to forget everything while watching the little ones."

Then she turned her head to look at her mate. "Seto, it's rude to have private conversations in company."

Seto just yawned widely and returned his head on top of his paws.

She huffed in frustration. "Be that way then."

"Are you...telepathic?" Samantha asked curiously. Seto hadn't said anything. But they had already encountered multiple beings that spoke directly to their minds.

The puppy on her lap instantly noticed that the petting had ceased and whined loudly for attention until Samantha resumed.

"Yes, almost all magical beasts are," Seto stated in a fairly indifferent tone. "More often than not, we understand each other without saying a word."