Oath of Allegiance

Sabine's POV....

The wind carried the scent of iron and ash long before the horns were sounded.

War always announced itself like that—quietly at first. A tightening in the chest. A heaviness in the air. The wolves felt it before the mind could name it.

I stood at the edge of the training grounds, my daughter pressed against my chest, her tiny breaths warm through the fabric of my cloak. Li