Fay came out of the trees bloodied all over. Her robe had already repaired itself, the array stitching cloth and seam back into place.
But her knee was another matter. The purple bruise still stood out, ugly and swollen where the heavy wolf had dislocated it.
People gasped at the sight of the wolves.
Fay flicked her whip through the air in a sharp warning, telling them there was nothing to see.
It did not help. The huge wolf skull at her whip tip flailed when she moved, and fear crawled into faces.
"These animals are tamed by me," Fay said, voice raised. "You have nothing to worry about."
Relief went through the camp in a long shudder. Who would have thought such canines could be tamed at all, much less twenty nine of them.
Eyes followed the wolves with a mix of awe and dread.
Radeon waved Fay over. He did not praise her. He did not scold her.
His attention was already on his woodwork, on the planks he was shaping for the massive hauler.
