Lyra's POV
The clearing was quiet, really quiet. The air felt heavy after everything. Ash and burnt stuff were still there from where the shadows had gone wild. My silver fur had a faint glow, like my wolf didn't want to relax yet, still feeling the crazy energy from before.
Kaelan was next to me, big body shaking, fur on end. He was breathing hard, but steady. I touched my head to his, and I could feel our connection, strong like a heartbeat. The shadows were gone, but I could still feel something weird in the air, like a warning.
The Riverbend warriors came out of the trees slowly, holding their weapons low but looking around a lot. Mira kneeled down, touching the burnt ground and talking to herself. Elias was still on edge, looking at the forest like he didn't trust it.
Aeryn came up, looking calm but tired. "It's not gone," she said quietly. "It's broken up… but still tied to him."
