After March began, the weather grew a little clearer, though the mornings were still rainy with biting winds howling through the treetops.
Above the Forbidden Forest, the curtain of rain wove itself into a hazy veil. A peregrine falcon soared over the rolling sea of trees, and its outstretched wings tore through the cold air and droplets. Its irises gleamed a calm, steely gray beneath the dim sky.
Suddenly, the falcon folded its wings and, silent as a shadow, alighted upon the jutting trunk of a pine. Tilting its head, it peered downward.
A wolf cub was slipping through the undergrowth, crouched low with its gaze fixed intently on a gray hare not far ahead.
Most of the rain was blocked by the thick canopy above, so the forest floor remained relatively dry. The hare nibbled at tender shoots beneath dead leaves, and its ears twitched in constant vigilance. It lifted its head from time to time to scan its surroundings.
After edging closer step by step, the young wolf suddenly sprang forward and its claws swiped fiercely at the hare.
But in the instant it leapt, the hare kicked off the ground in a bound, dodging the attack. It ricocheted off a tree trunk and lashed out with its hind legs, striking the wolf square on the nose!
"Awwooo!"
A yelp of pain rang through the forest. The wolf rolled across the ground, clutching its nose with its forepaws, and its eyes brimmed with tears.
Startled by the howl, the hare froze for a moment, then bolted in a blur, vanishing into the thickets.
From behind an oak tree, another wolf cub bounded out. Seeing its companion in such misery, it burst into raucous laughter.
"Morris, why didn't you block it for me?"
"This was your hunt, Rayne!"
The two wolf cubs squabbled as they tumbled about, rolling through the forest like two fluffy whirlwinds.
The falcon dropped from the tree, and just before reaching the ground, its body elongated. Wings stretched into arms, talons into legs, and a black robe unfurled in the wind before settling gracefully around him.
The two wolf cubs instinctively pressed close together, wary. Rayne hid behind Morris. But suddenly, he saw his brother leap forward and circle the wizard excitedly.
"Wade! Wade! Long time no see—what are you doing in the Forbidden Forest? Did you come to visit me?"
Morris bounced up and down as he spoke.
Wade crouched down, ruffling Morris's head with a smile. "Morris, how have you been lately?"
"Great! Father said I'll soon be able to hunt on my own!" Morris replied proudly with excitement.
Rayne stared in shock. His older brother wagging his tail at a human, like some kind of dog? Outraged and bewildered, he shouted, "Morris!"
"Oh—Rayne!"
Only then did Morris remember his little brother standing nearby. He hurried to make introductions:
"Wade, this is my youngest brother, Rayne… Rayne, this is Wade—the wizard I told you about, the one who saved me. Wade Grey."
"Hello, Rayne." Wade nodded with a warm smile.
"A wizard?" At the word, Rayne's gaze softened slightly, but his expression remained wary.
In his mind, wizards were villains, more dangerous even than centaurs. This one might have saved Morris… but what if he had another purpose?
Wade turned his gaze to Morris and asked, "Morris, do you know if there are other wolves nearby? I'm looking for one with a ring of white fur around its mouth and a triangular scar on its right ear. It should be older than you."
"Of course I know—that's my sister, Rosa!" Morris asked curiously, "When did you meet her?"
"I saw her in a dream," Wade replied. "Can you take me to see her?"
"Of course!" Morris agreed cheerfully. "Rosa should be at home right now. I'll take you to her!"
"Morris!" Rayne immediately bounded over, leaning close to his brother and whispering anxiously, "You're going to bring a wizard back with us? To our home?"
"Don't worry!" Morris patted his little brother's nose with a soft paw. "Wade's a good man!"
Rayne's face was full of disapproval, but since Morris had already started leading the way, he had no choice but to follow. As he ran, he kept stealing what he thought were discreet glances at the wizard.
To Wade, those expressions and little gestures were all too obvious. He gave Rayne a smile. At once, Rayne's fury flared up, he bared his teeth and growled low in his throat.
[You may fool my brother, but you won't fool me!]
Then came a sharp smack on Rayne's head.
"Show some respect to my savior, Rayne!" Morris scolded loudly.
They walked for nearly half an hour. After passing through a thicket of mushrooms, the view suddenly opened up—
A few crooked trunks formed a natural barrier, over which branches, fishing nets, and vines had been woven into a crude roof. Low walls enclosed the area, and stones were stacked at the entrance to form a semi-underground den.
From nearby branches hung bundles of herbs—including dittany—as well as tools like bows, daggers, and axes.
A white wolf lay on the ground, while several wolf pups of varying coats romped at her side, including one with a ring of white fur around its nose.
Catching the scent of strangers, the wolves immediately stood alert, bristling in defense. But when they recognized Morris and Rayne, they froze in surprise.
"Wade Grey?"
Their father—the werewolf Lucas—stepped out from the shadows, draped in a shaggy fur cloak that made him look almost like a wild man.
He shot a hard glance at his two sons before turning to Wade with a hint of wariness, "Why have you come?"
"I've come to speak with the young lady there, to inquire about something." Wade extended a hand gently in her direction as he spoke.
"Me?" Rosa looked around in surprise. "Why me?"
"Miss Rosa," Wade crouched slightly and asked, "I once saw you in a dream, near the marshlands, where you encountered a gray-brown toad. May I ask if that really happened?"
Rosa's surprise deepened. "I did see a toad that just woke from hibernation yesterday… Did you truly see that in a dream? That's so strange!"
Rayne whispered to Morris, "He said earlier he met Rosa in a dream—I thought he was bluffing to trick us! But it's true!"
"Yesterday?" Wade frowned.
Could that scene in my dream have been… a live broadcast?
Steadying himself, he asked, "Where did the toad go afterward? Can you still find it?"
"It didn't want to play with me, so I let it run away… Toads don't taste good anyway."
Rosa hesitated, feeling as though she had done something wrong. She snuck a glance at Wade's face. Seeing that the wizard wasn't angry, she went on:
"But I think I know where it was heading—it hopped off toward the castle!"
Wade smiled. "Where exactly did you see it yesterday? Could you take me there?"
Rosa looked to her father for approval. When he gave a slight nod, she said, "Of course. Come with me."
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------