CHAPTER 121 - Kidnapped

Lyra I stood at the edge of Wolfsong territory, my white fur darkened with dirt so that I couldn't easily be spotted. The decision to venture back into my old homeland wasn't made on a whim. I knew the risks, but the need for information, the desire to protect those I cared for outweighed the danger. The familiar forest loomed ahead, dense and foreboding. The trees towered above me, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers against the darkening sky. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a huge contrast to the now familiar comfort of Moonshadow territory. An eerie howl echoed in the far distance, far enough away where I wasn't worried about being caught. Still, I wondered who else had a mission in these woods. I stepped forward, the whisper-crunch of leaves beneath my paws undetected in the sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees. Still, My ears strain to catch any sound, every rustle of leaves or snap of twigs. I