The Moon She Waited Under novel · Chapter 13 of 24
Chapter 13: The Oldest Law
Osric took us up to the ring at noon, and he made Lucan wait outside the stones.
"Challenge law is older than the pack house," he said, leaning on his stick at the center slab. "So you'll hear it from me, once, and then you'll hear it again from your own blood."
"Tell me," I said.
"The challenge is answered at moonrise on the third night. The champion fights the challenged inside this ring until one yields or can't stand."
"Corwin against me."
"Corwin against a wolf who has shifted once, in a panic, with half a valley watching." He didn't soften it. "Ilse can't win this, Dessa. No lesser wolf has ever beaten a Moon wolf and kept the seat."
"Then why would she bother?"
"Because she doesn't have to win. She only has to keep you from standing here."
I looked at the slab, with its old grooves worn smooth by a thousand hands.
"A challenged wolf who isn't in the ring at moonrise forfeits the seat," Osric said. "And a Moon wolf with no seat and no pack belongs to no one. Any Alpha who offers her a place may claim her."
"Corwin offered me a place two days ago."
"He's still offering."
Lucan stood at the edge of the stones with his arms folded, and his jaw worked.
"Let me stand for her," he said. "I'm the Alpha. I'll fight him."
"The challenged's champion must be her mate," Osric said. "You're not."
"Then I'll be whatever the law says."
"No," I said.
He looked at me.
"You don't get to fix this by being the one who bleeds for it," I said. "You can stand there and watch."
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