The First King

By the morning, the tension that lingered in the air was as thick as the fog on the ground. The silence around the camp was deafening. The soldiers and warriors were on edge as they steered away from Konrad and Rowan. The only one who seemed oblivious to the situation was Prew. While everyone else seemed to be in a state of dread, she was excited. The thought of not having to immediately go to Pedarus, but to a wolf pack made her eager to get on the road.

But, Prew was not unaware of what had transpired the previous night. She had heard the growling and heated whispers. Though she could not make out all the words being said, she had heard her name. Konrad and Rowan were arguing about her. And, knowing the Beta, he was probably fighting for her honor. But it was not Rowan’s opinion that mattered to her. No, there was something within her that cared what Konrad thought. She did not know if it was because he was her husband or, perhaps, if it was because she was drawn to him. Though there were times when he was crude to her, she could not easily forget the moment of gentleness that he showed her on their wedding night. It was a moment that, deep down, she wished would happen again.

“Is everything ready to go?” She inquired of Konrad once the camp was packed up.

“I suppose it is,” he mumbled as he looked at Prew. Her copper eyes radiated with a hint of warmth as the light of the sun hit her. It caused a lump to form in his throat as he tried to find words to speak. “Just… go get on that beast of yours.”

She flashed him a smile before turning away. With a loud, piercing whistle, Meeka came trotting up to her. Konrad watched curiously as Prew tossed a woven blanket on his back. Her left foot pressed against a nearby tree, giving her the leverage she needed to climb up on her stallion. Konrad was surprised that she did not ride with a saddle, reins, or anything else for that matter. Instead, she used gentle nudges of her heels or hands to control the giant beast. And then her thighs, they gripped the horse, helping her to keep balance.

“You better say your incantation soon because I am tired of you gawking at the human!” Nero snapped angrily.

“I’ll ride a horse if you keep it up,” Konrad quipped.

“Sure, let’s see what Alder says when the King of Kings shows up to his pack on a horse.”

“Werelia Inttum,” Konrad grumbled under his breath.

The moment he shifted, Nero instantly took over. The wolf bolted down the road, creating distance between them and Prew. Unlike Konrad, Nero was not susceptible to human whims and emotions. He was made to love only his mate, to love only Lorelei. But wolves were never truly wolves. They were humans that the Goddess Bil blessed. Nero was merely a spirit placed within Konrad’s soul. They were two separate beings with their individual thoughts and emotions. And for Nero, he despised Prew. Her presence was a distraction to Konrad.

Though Nero traveled quickly, he kept his ears and eyes open. The Frostpaws hunted and controlled a large span of woods that lay at the bottom of a cluster of mountains. And tucked within these peaks was the home of the Witches of the Sacred Mountain. These witches were not known to attack humans or wolves, but he was still wary of being so close to them.

After some time, he and the rest of his group arrived at the edge of the encampment for the Frostpaws. As Prew dismounted from her horse, she could hear the hooting and growling of the wolves that were beginning to surround them. Rowan remained in his wolf form as he walked beside her. Nero shifted back to Konrad as a large man approached them.

“Alpha Alder!” Konrad called out. “This is my wife, Prew, and we-”

“I know who you are. What do you want, Konrad?” Alder questioned stiffly.

“Well… we-”

“We need some of your warriors to join us to fight against the witches and vampires,” Prew interjected, getting straight to the point.

“I don’t care about your fight,” Alder shrugged as he crossed his arms.

“It isn’t just our fight,” she argued as she glared at him. She was tired of hearing that same phrase. Only foolish men would ignore the destruction that is happening beyond their borders.

“My pack has stood the test of time for hundreds of years. We have fought vampires, witches, humans, and other wolves—any creature of creation we have killed. My warriors fear nothing; they will fight anything. But as their Alpha, I will not bend the knee to someone with an arrogant King of whatever title.”

“So, you know what Konrad and I have been doing?” Prew inquired as she stepped forward. “So you know that we are trying to take down the threat in the East jointly?”

“I do know, and like I said, I don’t care,” he retorted as he glared at the girl.

“Do you want to go and be blood bags or sacrifices?” She questioned as she held Alder’s gaze. “Or do you not have a preference? One would be a quick death, while the other you suffer for several days, if you’re lucky. Is that what you want? Because that is what will happen. You say that your pack has stood the test of time, but what is happening in the East is nothing like what you have fought before. And when you fall, there will be no words of sorrow or grief said for your people. How would it feel to know that your legacy can crumble away, turning to dust under the feet of others?”

The corner of Alder’s lips began to curl upwards until there was a smile across his face. A chuckle rumbled through his chest until it finally escaped his mouth. Prew was taken aback to hear him laugh. Her face grew hot as she listened to the sound. She thought he was making fun of her, which irritated her. She had to deal with the prideful humans who scorned her for over two weeks. And now Alder finally pushed her over the edge.

Prew unhooked her bow from her quiver and then drew an arrow. Once she had the arrow pointed at his head, the sound of laughter was replaced with the sound of growling. Konrad ran up to try to pull her away, but her feet dug into the ground. She was not budging, not without a fight or an apology. As more of his wolves surrounded her, Alder finally held up his hand, calling for silence.

“Such a ferocious human,” Alder remarked as his wolves began to back off. “I like that spirit of yours; it is so wild and untamed. How did you come across such a fine female specimen, Konrad?”

“Luck of the draw, I suppose,” Konrad answered hesitantly as he focused on Prew. Her drawing a weapon on an Alpha while on his land was a dangerous offense. It made his heart race as he thought about how he would protect her. They only have six wolf warriors and four human soldiers. Realistically, he could not keep her safe. “Lower your weapon, please.”

“No, let her keep it drawn on me,” Alder instructed. “Let her arms get tired.”

“Don’t antagonize her!” Konrad warned. “I’ve stood on the same end of her arrow as you. She will not hesitate to maim you.”

“Or kill you!” Prew added angrily.

“Ah, and what a sweet release it would be to die at your hands,” Alder mused as he walked closer until the tip of the arrow was pressed against his chest. “Perhaps we can make a deal?”

“I’m listening,” she hissed.

“I will agree to give you my warriors, but first, you must fight me to prove that you can be the Queen of whatever,” he explained with a devious smirk. “If you win, you get half of my best men and women. If you lose, then I get to kill you for the thrill of it.”

“No!” Konrad shouted.

“I’ll do it,” she stated as she lowered her bow.

“No!” Konrad repeated as he turned to Prew. Was she out of her mind to accept a challenge against an Alpha? Especially one as large as Alder. He reached over and gripped her arm, pulling her roughly to him. “Absolutely not!”

“I’ll leave you two love birds to discuss,” Alder chuckled as he walked away. Everyone else cleared out, giving Prew and Konrad space and privacy.

“Yes,” she insisted as she pushed on Konrad’s chest, forcing him to step away. “He made me the offer, so this is my decision. Not yours!”

“And if you die, then what am I to do? How do I go home and explain to your father that I let you get killed?!”

“You act as if you get a say, and you don’t,” she argued. “This is my life, my choice. Should I die, you tell my father that I died happy. And should I die, you can marry your mistress.”

“How do you know about her?” Konrad questioned, his voice barely audible.

“The moment you brought it up, I knew there was someone else,” she lied. Prew had assumed he did, but they had not spent enough time together for her to confirm it. But now she did. “So, hope that I die, so you can be with her.”

“Prew,” he murmured as she began to walk back to Alder. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to face him again. “I do not want you to die. Please reconsider what you are about to agree to do.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Y-yes,” he answered, confused by her question.

“Then trust me to do this,” Prew stated as she placed a hand over his heart. “Please.”

“Alright,” he caved as he released a heavy sigh. Konrad leaned his head forward until their foreheads were pressed together. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.

After a few seconds, Prew pulled away from Konrad. She walked up the small hill to where Alder stood.

“I accept your challenge,” she told him with confidence. “But I request there be ground rules. You cannot shift into your wolf, for that would be an unfair advantage to me.”

“A reasonable request,” Alder commented as he looked at the bow that was still in her hands. “Then we shall fight with weapons, but not with a bow. If I can’t use my primary weapon, neither shall you.”

“What do you propose?”

“Bring me two staffs!” He yelled out to his pack. Several people went running, but one returned with the requested sticks. Alder took one, and Prew took the other. “Well?”

“I can fight with this,” Prew replied as she ran her hand along the smooth surface. She had trained with a staff before, but it was not her strong suit. She glanced at Alder. He was tall, with a broad chest and shoulders. His legs were like the trunks of trees, but his ankles looked thin and bony.

“Any more objections?” Alder questioned Konrad.

“None,” Konrad grumbled as he kept his eyes on Prew.

Alder led the young Queen to a small clearing. People were standing around, anxiously awaiting the fight to start. They were cheering for Alder, who raised his staff in the air as he paraded before the crowd. Meanwhile, Prew had her eyes on the ground. There was a thin layer of snow, but she could make out the small rocks beneath it. She kicked her foot at the ground, confirming the existence of the pebbles. Thoughts ran through her mind as she gripped both ends of her staff. She knew that she would not be the first to strike, so she prepared to be defensive.

And true to her thoughts, Alder suddenly stopped showing off and quickly ran at her. He took his staff, swinging it over his shoulders, and slammed it down toward her head. Prew raised her arms, using her staff to block his blow. She noticed that he let his staff slide down his hands before swinging it upward. Her arms dropped as she followed his movements to stop his attack.

Alder chuckled as he stepped back, pulling his staff backward to prepare for another strike. Prew lifted her stick, hitting it against his as she once again blocked his attack. Alder’s smile was fading as he pulled back again and attempted to thrust his stick at her chest. Prew jumped back and hit the end of his staff with hers, causing one of his hands to lose its grip.

Once he regained control of his weapon, Alder grunted as he ran at her. Their staffs hit one another in the air again, but Alder forced hers down to the ground. He swung his staff up, aiming for her face. She leaned to her right, causing him to strike her left shoulder instead. Prew hissed in pain as she slid away from him. There was yelling from the crowd as she retreated.

Alder gave her no time to catch her breath as he ran after her. He brought his staff down on her, and when she blocked it, he sent the end of his stick to her stomach. Prew coughed as she was pushed backward from the impact. She fell to one knee, but she kept both hands on her staff. All she needed to do was block to keep him from getting another hit in. But his swings kept coming until he hit hard enough to make her drop her staff. Her hands went to the ground quickly as she tried to catch her breath.

Alder could not stop himself from boasting to the crowd as she lay partially on the ground. While his attention was on everyone else, her fingers fumbled to find several pebbles. Once Alder finally looked back at her, she took one stone and tossed it directly at his face, hitting him just above his eye. Alder stepped back, growling as his hand went to the bleeding cut.

This gave Prew enough time to grab her staff and return to her feet. Now, she had the upper hand as she swung her weapon. Alder quickly raised his stick in the air to block her, but rather than aim for his head, she went for his legs. Without anything to stop her, Prew was able to send a strike against the tendon on the back of his ankle. Alder yelled out as pain radiated up his calf. He could not put much pressure on the heel of his right foot, but it would not last long. His wolf was healing him; he just needed to hold out for a minute or two.

Alder repositioned his hands with his staff still in the air before bringing it down again. Prew blocked his attack, but with him off balance, she was able to parry his attack. With his staff pushed to the side, she brought hers straight down, striking the knuckles on his hands. Alder dropped his weapon as he winced in pain. Prew quickly kicked away his staff before hitting against the back of his left ankle.

With both tendons searing with pain, Alder fell backward onto the ground. Prew placed the end of her staff on his chest as she gave him a smirk.

“Do you yield? Or shall I kick a dog while he is down?”

“Fine, I yield,” Alder groaned as she pressed the stick further into his sternum.

Prew kept her stick firmly against his chest as she knelt down beside him.

“I’m sorry, Alpha, I don’t think I heard you.”

“I yield!” He shouted so all could hear. Alder’s pack was silent at his words. The only sounds came from the warriors who traveled with Prew as they cheered for their Queen. Konrad walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” He questioned worryingly. Alder would heal quickly from her attack, but it would take Prew days, if not a week or two, to heal.

“I’m sure I’ll have a nasty bruise on my abdomen and shoulder in the morning,” she huffed as she stood up straight.

“What I would give to see them,” Alder chuckled as he sat up. He ran his hands down the back of his ankles, feeling them as the pain was slowly fading. “I’d like to amend my original offer.”

“What?!” Konrad growled as he looked down at the man.

“Don’t worry, you still get half of my warriors,” Alder assured as he slowly moved to face them. He moved one of his legs up until he knelt down on one knee. “But, should the day ever come that you die, Konrad, I want to be the one to take your place. I want to be the one who marries your Queen.”

“Fine,” Prew said before Konrad could even gather the words to speak. Konrad’s head turned to look at her. It angered him that she quickly accepted the offer without even so much as consulting him. As Konrad gripped her arm, Alder stood to his feet with a laugh.

“Good! Now, let us eat! I have worked up quite the appetite!” Alder exclaimed as he walked away from Konrad and Prew.