Chapter TWO

As Millia woke to the gentle caress of morning light in the courtyard, she felt a sense of déjà vu enveloping her, much like every day since she had become Kenny's wife. The air carried the familiar scent of their wolf clan, mingled with Kenny's earthy aroma and the comforting fragrance of the wooden surroundings, reminding her of their intimate nights.

With a sigh of relief, Millia found everything unchanged in the room. Yet, she couldn't shake off the weariness weighing on her, head still heavy with the remnants of last night's revelry. How had she returned home? The memories eluded her, leaving her anxious about Heidi's well-being.

In the dining room, the dying embers of the fire greeted her, alongside a spread of bread, but Kenny was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had left early to prepare for the anticipated visit from the southern tribe.

As she brewed a pot of tea and nibbled on bread, Millia found her appetite diminished by last night's indulgence. Nevertheless, she needed sustenance for her upcoming visit to the temple.

A knock on the door stirred her from her thoughts. Could it be Mrs. Bell? Millia hurried to answer, only to find Ellie, Kenny's loyal attendant, looking visibly distressed. He rushed to inform her of the arrival of the southern tribe, but Kenny was conspicuously absent.

Millia's heart skipped a beat. Where could Kenny have gone? Even if he ventured out for a hunt, he wouldn't have done so alone. Strangely, Ellie's anxiety helped to steady her nerves. According to tradition, she could step in to fulfill some of Kenny's duties.

Rushing to change into a somber black robe, symbolizing their wolf clan, Millia grabbed a simple black gemstone ring before hurrying to the tribal hall with Ellie and the guards.

Inside, the hall remained cool despite the burgeoning heat outside. The walls adorned with trophies of the wolf clan's valor created an ambiance of solemnity. Everyone awaited the arrival of the southern tribe.

Choosing to ignore Gabriel's inquisitive gaze, Millia turned her attention to the awaiting visitors. The leader of the southern tribe, a weathered warrior, stood with his sons and clan members, prepared to discuss their visit with Millia.

Milia eased her stride, deliberately slowing her pace and adopting a composed demeanor. With an air of casual confidence, she headed straight for her fellow tribespeople, nodding to Elder Gabriel before turning to face the newcomers. She paid no heed to Gabriel's skeptical gaze.

The leader of the Southern Cheno Wolf Tribe was a towering warrior, around forty years old, with hair as stiff as steel spikes and a face etched with several prominent scars. His rough palm bore a ring inset with a fiery red gemstone, the unmistakable emblem of the wolf tribe's leader. Behind him stood two young men, one a spitting image of him, the other with darker skin and curly hair tied in a ponytail. Around a dozen tribal members, both men and women, accompanied them.

Milia's arrival caused a brief pause in the proceedings. Before Gabriel could make introductions, the imposing man with the fiery ring spoke up icily, "Where's Kenny?" He shot a cold glance at Milia, his companions mirroring his indifferent expression. A figure resembling a messenger chimed in, "Leader Thomas, I confirmed yesterday that we would arrive early at the city-state of Lawrence. Kenny's leader assured us he'd be waiting outside the city gates to greet you. Elder Gabriel, you were there and heard it, right?"

Clearing his throat, Gabriel attempted to ignore the messenger and turned to introduce Milia. Indeed, they were Thomas, leader of the Chino tribe, his eldest son Walga, and another young man named Ethan, a guard. Marpol, the messenger, and other warriors stood nearby.

Milia instructed Ailey to bring out the tribe's prepared welcome gifts and present them to the visitors. These gifts, local specialties from the Lawrence Forest, were savory preserved meats seasoned with unique herbs, highly esteemed throughout the land.

Turning to Thomas, Milia offered a brief apology, "I'm sorry, but Kenny's leader has other commitments in the castle today." She added, "But I believe today's meeting will proceed smoothly."

Thomas snorted, "What could be more important than our annual gathering as agreed upon a year ago? Our alliance with the old leader has lasted for centuries. Ethan, haven't you visited Kenny's leader several times?" Ethan, the mentioned youth, rose from his seat at the table. He hardly resembled a guard, dressed in a crumpled robe, his eyes filled with defiance. He seemed akin to the troublesome young wolves in the tribe, often causing headaches for the elders.

Ethan stood tall, challenging Milia, "I'll be witnessing this meeting. It's a pact between Kenny's leader and me."

Milia raised an eyebrow at his odd response, while Thomas simply turned away, ignoring him. Ethan indeed seemed like a troublemaker from the tribe, and his presence as a guard at the meeting remained puzzling. Both sides exchanged cold pleasantries, and the initial meeting concluded abruptly due to Kenny's leader's absence. Gabriel and several elders escorted the Southern Cheno tribe members out of the council chamber and arranged for their lodging in a clean, spacious courtyard, far from the central square in their city-state. Before departing, Thomas declared they would wait there until Kenny's leader met with them to commence the formal gathering.

Milia breathed a sigh of relief, waiting with Ailey in the council chamber for Gabriel's return. She asked Ailey, "Why weren't you aware of the leader's plans for today?"

Ailey shook his head. "Indeed, the leader met with their messenger yesterday, and I was present. What Maglor said is true. The leader also mentioned he'd be waiting for them outside the city gates near the port early this morning. We all went early, and everyone was there, but Kenny's leader didn't show up. Elder Gabriel sent me to find you and bring you to the council chamber."

This is getting stranger, Milia mused, pressing her finger against her lips, trying to recall last night's events. The last time she remembered seeing Kenny was in the evening, just before she left to meet Heidi. He was at home, meticulously caring for his cherished longbow, quietly sharpening the arrowheads with intense focus.

But when she woke up this morning, she found herself at home, with a gap in her memory. It felt odd, but maybe she just had a bit too much to drink. How could it be related to Kenny's disappearance anyway?

Deciding to seek answers at the temple later, Milia was interrupted by Elder Gabriel's arrival. He had always been displeased about Kenny's insistence on marrying Milia and hadn't been the most courteous to her.

"Do you have any idea where Kenny went?" he inquired.

"No, I don't, but I believe he'll be back soon," Milia responded firmly.

Gabriel's demeanor softened a bit, his eyes showing a hint of approval. "Then let's split up and search for him. Thomas and his group won't leave just yet. But they'll only talk to Kenny." Gabriel sighed. "You haven't been involved in tribal matters before. There's a lot you don't know, but now..."

"Now I can start handling these things. While Kenny's temporarily absent," Milia replied without hesitation. She wasn't entirely clueless about Lawrence Castle's affairs. Kenny had briefed her on some matters. In this small city-state with just over a thousand residents, repairs were ongoing at the river port, plans were being made for spring crops, and conflicts with the southern tribes needed resolution.

Gabriel shook his head. "You don't grasp the complexity of the situation. We've had several serious conflicts with the southern tribes, resulting in the loss of over a dozen warriors. Now, tensions are escalating due to trade disputes along the border."

"They're provoking war, underestimating our strength," Gabriel said indignantly. "What does Kenny think?" Gabriel paused for a moment. "I think we should wait for him to return before discussing it further. I'll go organize the guards and returning hunters to search for Chief Kenny outside the city-state." With that, Gabriel left.

Milia turned to Ailey again. "Would you join me in asking Heidi, the priestess, for information at the temple?"

Ailey nodded, feeling somewhat uneasy. His routine involved following Kenny around and only returning to his warrior home at night, where he lived with other young unmarried wolves in a three-story wooden building near the city wall.

Leaving the council chamber, Milia and Ailey headed towards the temple on the west side of the city-state. It was close to noon, and people nodded in greeting as they passed, the day seeming just like any other. It appeared that news of Kenny's disappearance hadn't spread yet.

The temple comprised three separate stone houses, with the middle one slightly larger for holding moonlight ceremonies. On the right was the residence of the priestess, Heidi. Milia and Ailey climbed the three steps and knocked on the door. The arched wooden door creaked open, revealing Heidi's lively short hair and round eyes. She looked vibrant, showing no signs of being drunk.

"Milia? What brings you here?" Heidi warmly invited them into her priestess residence. The room was neat, with just a bed and some curious artifacts on the table and wooden shelves on the wall, mostly books. Bundles of old books and scrolls filled the space, resembling a scholar's study more than anything else.

Sitting down at a wooden table in the dining room, Heidi served them hot tea and homemade butter cookies. "Heidi, do you remember how I got home yesterday?" Milia inquired.

"Why, you weren't even tipsy yesterday, and I regret not sharing more berry wine with you," Heidi chuckled.

Milia glanced at Ailey, hesitating a bit. "But, wasn't there someone else who joined us for drinks?"

As her longtime friend, Heidi caught Milia's subtle hesitation. "Don't worry, you were perfectly composed yesterday, and nothing untoward happened."

Milia felt a bit relieved. "So, it wasn't you who escorted me home?"

"No," Heidi raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Wasn't it Kenny who came to fetch you?"