terrifying heights of the Grey Peaks to the claustrophobic silence of Shino’s outpost was a blur for Gabriel. He remembered the smell of ozone and wet fur, the sensation of being hauled upward by a grip that felt like steel wrapped in velvet, and then—darkness.
When he finally blinked his eyes open, the world was no longer grey and vast. It was warm, orange, and smelled deeply of dried cedar and sage.
"You’re awake," a voice muttered. "Try not to bleed on the rug. It took me three moons to weave that."
Gabriel sat up with a groan, clutching his ribs. He was lying on a low cot covered in thick furs. Across the small, circular room, the girl from the cliff was silhouetted against a small hearth. She had removed her heavy leather mantle, revealing a lithe, athletic frame clad in tactical forest-green tunics. Her tail flicked idly near the fire, tracing patterns in the ash.
"Where am I?" Gabriel managed to rasp, his throat feeling like he’d swallowed the mountain dust.
"My outpost," Shino replied, not looking back. She was meticulously cleaning her bow with a piece of oiled silk. "It’s carved into the 'Blind Man's Crag.' It’s the only place within ten leagues that a Manticore can’t scent and a human can’t find."
Gabriel looked around. The walls were lined with hand-drawn maps, bundles of strange herbs, and racks of arrows tipped with various stones. It wasn't a palace, but it felt... solid. Safe.
"My guards," Gabriel said, the memory of the ambush crashing back. "The Captain, the footmen—they were supposed to protect the carriage. I need to get back to them."
Shino finally turned, her golden eyes piercing him with a look that made him feel incredibly small. "Your guards didn't lose that fight, Prince. They surrendered it. I watched them pull the perimeter back. They didn't even draw their steel until the monster was already on your door."
Gabriel went cold. "No. Captain Vane has served my father for—"
"Captain Vane is likely counting his gold by now," Shino interrupted, her voice flat. "Human loyalty is a fragile thing, Prince Ober. It breaks the moment the price is right."
The silence that followed was heavy. Gabriel looked down at his hands. He was the heir to a throne, but here, in a hole in the side of a cliff, he was just a boy who had been left to die.
"I have to get to Oakhaven," Gabriel said, his voice trembling but determined. "General Kael is stationed there. He’s loyal. If I can reach the city, I can stop whoever is trying to seize the crown." He looked at her, truly seeing the cat-like ears and the sharp, intelligent curve of her face. "I'll pay you. Whatever you want. Gold, land, titles—"
Shino let out a short, dry laugh. "I’m a Cait Sith. What use do I have for human gold? I can’t eat it, and it makes too much noise in my pockets when I’m hunting."
She stood up, walking toward him with a predator's grace. She stopped inches away, her height shorter than his, but her presence far more imposing.
"I was supposed to be exploring the Untamed Wilds this season," she said, leaning in. "But your little 'accident' just brought a lot of heat to my territory. There are mercenaries in those woods now, and they have your scent."
Gabriel swallowed hard. "Then what do you propose?"
Shino’s tail gave a decisive snap. She reached into a small leather pouch and pulled out a shimmering, translucent stone—a Seeker’s Stone, cracked and dull.
"I found this in a ruin a year ago," she said. "It’s supposed to lead to the Great Library of the First Clans, but it’s missing its heart. I know the Royal Treasury of Ober has the other half. It’s been sitting in your vault for centuries, used as a paperweight."
Gabriel blinked. "The Star of the West? You want a crown jewel?"
"I want the knowledge inside that library," Shino corrected. "The jewel is just a key. You get me into the vault, and I’ll get you to Oakhaven alive."
Gabriel looked at her outstretched hand. Her skin was tanned, her fingers calloused from years of drawing a heavy string. She was his only hope, and she was as dangerous as the forest she lived in.
He reached out and took her hand. "Deal."
Shino’s grip was firm, her eyes flashing with a spark of something—not greed, but the thrill of a new, dangerous trail.
"Then eat," she said, tossing a piece of dried meat onto his lap. "We leave at dawn. And Gabriel? Try to walk quietly. If I hear your boots clanking against every stone in the valley, I might just leave you for the wolves."
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