Chapter 4: Four Coppers a Bundle

The Alpha crossed the square slowly, and the crowd opened in front of him.

He was a heavy man with a grey beard, and for two years he had been polite to me and nothing more.

"Yvaine Halstead," he said. "What have you done to my son?"

"Nothing, Alpha."

"His wolf is gone."

"Then ask him where he's been," I said. "I haven't touched him in a week."

It was true, and I watched it land on the Alpha's face.

He had not known I had stopped.

Neither, I think, had Tobias, until the morning his wolf would not come.

"You will attend the hall tonight," the Alpha said. "Your father will bring you."

"I'll attend if I choose to."

His hand shot out and closed on my braid.

"You will attend," he said, "or I'll have the wardens carry you."

"Let go of her," said a voice from the north gate.

The patrol wolves turned.

Hamish Rathbone stood just outside the gate posts, on the border stones, which is exactly where an Ashfall Alpha was allowed to stand.

He had not stepped one inch onto Cedarvale ground.

The Alpha let go of my braid.

"This is not your pack's business, Rathbone."

"I'm only a neighbor with good ears," Hamish said. "She asked you to let go, and that sounded like a request."

I did not wait to see how the Alpha answered.

I walked out of the gate, past the border stones and past Hamish, and followed the river road to the mill without looking back.

He fell in behind me at a respectful distance.

At the cottage I opened the door and stopped.

On the floor of the single room somebody had left a folded blanket, a wooden bowl of stew, and a candle.

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