Side Story 4.49 - Holding On

Jhoanna's POV

After a couple of minutes, the sound of pounding hooves and snapping twigs grew louder until, in a burst of ragged breaths, the scouting party burst back into the packhouse. Their eyes were wild, and splatters of mud and blood marred their fur. One young scout staggered forward, voice trembling. “Luna! The northern ridge—it's not just a few stragglers. There's a whole force—organized and vicious. They’re swarming our border, and… one of our scouts was injured pretty badly. We lost contact with two others!”

A collective gasp filled the room. I gripped my son even tighter, his small body an anchor in the rising tide of dread.

I looked around and saw that only Uncle Henry and Uncle Xander were here. “Where’s Hans?”

Both of them exchanged looks.

“Uncle Henry.. where is my m