- What do you mean? - Urum flared up.

- There will be no one who will not be affected by the future war, and if we choose the side of the witches again or stay away, history will repeat itself. – concluded the shaman.

There wasn’t a single werewolf left who remembered the times three hundred years ago when they sided with Lillian in the fight against wizards. This was the last time werewolfs took sides and obediently followed orders.

It was when the witches threw them to the mercy of an enraged Raphael, when he destroyed most of them, that the werewolves isolated themselves and did not enter into other people’s conflicts.

But the current generation knew everything from the stories and legends that were passed down in each family from generation to generation.

This is what laid their inner confidence that they are alone in this world, isolated in these frosty lands, where magicians and witches do not set foot, not to mention ordinary people.

- But isn’t she a witch? - someone shouted from the audience, pointing at Thea with his hand, but the shaman only grinned, maintaining mystery in his behavior.

- You don’t look like cowards, but your behavior suggests the opposite and it doesn’t fit at all with stereotypes about brave brave werewolves. - Thea added fuel to the fire.

- Shut your mouth, you pathetic witch. - The man who questioned her growled, but after that, his mouth was instantly sealed with a solid ice crust, forcing him to close his mouth.

Raphael grinned, pleased with this theater of the absurd.

He didn’t even have to interfere, because Thea was doing just fine without him.

The rest of the werewolves squinted at their colleague and did not become indignant.

- So, what will be your decision, Marcel? - The shaman turned to the Alpha.

- Have you seen what will happen if we join? – he returned the question to him.

- Many will die. - Hambu answered without delay and again negative sentiments spread throughout the hall. – But at least not everything, as it will be if we refuse.

The audience plunged into an eerie silence.

Hambu enjoyed unquestioning authority among the pack, so his words were like a blade pointed at the throat. He instantly cut off all options, forcing him to accept the only one, even if it did not suit most of those present.

- You saw for yourself that this mysterious girl is strong. Klaus had fought many here while his training was going on, but was there anyone who could defeat him so quickly and so easily? – he paused, letting me speak, but everyone was silent, because there was nothing to say. - She will be able to preserve our race and not only ours. This girl will lead us to peace and tranquility.

Warmth spread through Thea’s chest when she didn’t hear any more exclamations of indignation. There was still a very long and long way to go to their mutual camaraderie, but it was already good, especially when Marcel finally expressed his final decision that Thea could count on werewolves.

Irma was the one who insisted that the party that accompanied them on the road to Norland join Thea on her further journey.

So they would be able to keep in touch and find out all the important news, in addition to the fact that it would be an additional protection for the princess.

Thea wanted to refuse such wasteful help, but Irma was unshakable, and in addition to the raging pregnant hormones, she also had a short temper and did not tolerate unnecessary arguments.

In the end, Thea had to agree. Fortunately for her, the male werewolves from the squad were already more loyal to the presence of witches around them, especially inspired by Thea’s power.

Exhaling nervously, she tried to calm her raging heart rate when the meeting ended. She wanted to follow Irma to help Klaus, but she was refused.

At first it upset her, but it turned out that he was taken to the lake to restore his vitality, because even Thea’s unstable healing magic was not as good as healing water. She only hoped that Adeline would not hear about Klaus’ wounds, and he would recover quickly.

- Well, everything went more than well. They didn’t even give me the word. - Raphael stated. – You did even better than me.

- It was difficult. At one point I thought everything was gone. – she answered dejectedly. - Why did you make Klaus attack me? Why didn’t you do it yourself?

- He volunteered. Besides, you react to my presence in a different way, it is unlikely that you would feel danger. - he pressed her head to his shoulder, rubbing her smooth snow–white hair and kissing the top of her head.

- Oh, I completely forgot. – suddenly she started up as if scalded and grabbed his hand, ran with him to catch up with the werewolves, who had not yet managed to go far enough.

- Sir, Hambu. – she screamed at the back of the werewolf and he stopped, turning to her. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

- Yes, Miss Theanna? - He gave her a good–natured smile.

- Could you tell me what it is? - She took out of her pants pocket a folded paper that Eugene had given her and handed it to the blind man.

It was so strange to see him staring with his blind eyes at the painted pattern, as if he could really see it just like she could.

- Sorry, but I do not know what it is. - He handed the paper back, but Raphael literally intercepted it in the air.

A crazy smile began to slowly spread across Raphael’s face and it caused goosebumps in everyone present, especially after he started laughing.

A laughing immortal demon? What could be worse?

- It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this. - he held the letter to his nose, inhaling its fragrance, and at that moment his eyes flashed brightly.

- Do you know what it is? - Thea asked hopefully.

- Oh, yeah, baby. It’s more than you can imagine. Where did you get this?

- My mentor gave me this before we left Lourdes. - she replied.

- Is that so? – he drawled. - I would like to personally meet this mysterious mentor of yours, because it is almost impossible to get this thing, if not absolutely impossible.

- So what is it? - Thea couldn’t stand it, outraged. – How long can you keep the intrigue?

- No intrigue, dear. This is a personal invitation to the elf kingdom. - his face lit up.

After the massacre that took place three hundred years ago, the elves isolated themselves and blocked all the passages to Eriad. The kingdom of the elves seemed to have simply ceased to exist. And it was possible to get into it only by the personal invitation of the king.

Who was this Eugene that was able to get an invitation?

Raphael was extremely inspired by the fact that he had such a rarity in his hands, which was worth more than all the gold in the world, more than all the jewels. Of course, not more expensive than the crown of Artemis, but it was worth a lot to be able to contact the elves.

Ivrim, the great king of the elf race, was as old as an ancient mammoth, but through his years he accumulated great wisdom, not to mention the incredible strength of the elves themselves, who were as strong as wizards once were.

Therefore, holding in his hands this rare value in the form of a crumpled piece of an elven invitation, he could not suppress the inner excitement that was not reflected on his face.

Elves were famous for their ingenuity and ability to make exclusive things. One of them was the crown of Artemis itself, which King Ivrim gave before the wedding so that it would be put on her head.

Every thing that was projected from this artifact adopted these powerful and somewhat dangerous properties. This was what made the sword created from the artifact so invulnerable and deadly.

- Incredibly simple. - Raphael was glowing with enthusiasm. -When do we leave?

- It is unlikely that the elves will arrange a celebration in your honor if you show up to them. - Marcel reminded Raphael.

- They’ll have to put up with it, because I’m the only one who knows where the entrance to the elf kingdom is. - Raphael said smugly. - So when do we leave?

- Are you sure there won’t be any problems with this? - Thea was puzzled by the thought that the elves did not want to see Raphael on their lands.

- I’m never a problem, honey. - he smiled and licked a sharp fang.

- The statement is doubtful. – she said. – I think the sooner the better. Let’s go tomorrow at dawn.

She decided to postpone this issue for the future. There was another option that if there was only one invitation, then only one person would be able to enter, but this was just her assumption, because she had never had dealings with elves in her life.

The next morning, waking up early because she couldn’t sleep all night, Thea noticed that Raphael was not in bed again. For the second day in a row, he disappeared before she even had time to wake up and the experience of yesterday alarmed her. Could he be planning something reckless again?

She got out of the warm bed, dressed in Irma’s clothes and went downstairs. Raphael wasn’t there either. Where could he have gone?

Thrusting her feet into her boots, she grabbed a blanket from a chair and went outside.