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PROLOGUE

The Wolf and the Doe

Deep in the forest of Franside, in the land of Othon, there lived a young sorcerer. For years, he had lived on his own, practising his magic all alone. Although there was a small village five kilometres or so from his home, the sorcerer had not been there in a decade, and he had not spoken to another individual in nearly the same amount of time. On a cold, blustery day in late October, that would change - and lead Othon into a centuries-long disaster. It was caused by such a simple thing - the kindness of a young doe picking her way through Franside.

The doe, Eras, had wandered off the trail on the scent of some delicious aloberries. She had assumed they were close by, considering how strong the smell was, but she still could not find the bush that supplied the supple, delicious red berries. Eras supposed the cold had made her usually sharp sense of smell inaccurate.

'This damn cold', she muttered to herself.

Although the first snow hadn't yet fallen, the people from the town had been preparing steadily. All week, Eras had seen stacks upon stacks of wood, safely nestled under porches. The fishers had been hard at work pulling salmon from the nearby lake, and the fast, young gatherers like Eras were regularly running in and out of the forest, bringing home baskets of various berries and greens.

Eras lifted her nose to the air and sniffed, briefly drinking in the tantalising scent of aloberry. They had to be close by! But where?

Suddenly, a twig snapped nearby. Eras quickly whipped her head around, looking for the source of the sound. Then, almost like smoke, a silvery-black wolf emerged from the nearby brush.

'Who are you?' said the wolf, almost accusatory.

'M-me? I'm . . . I'm Eras', replied the doe.

The wolf surveyed her briefly, then swiftly turned and walked away without a further sound.

'Wait!' Eras exclaimed. 'I've never seen you in town before.'

'There is a good reason for that', the wolf said, stopping and turning his head.

The wolf's eyes were a sharp, piercing blue, giving Eras a feeling almost like she'd swallowed ice. He wore a long, dark coat that looked like it might be homemade. The wolf's long fur was a sort of grey-black, and it shimmered like water in the dappled light.

'What's your name?' Eras asked.

'My . . . name?' the wolf looked puzzled, as though he'd never been asked that question. 'I'm Arkher. I live out here. In this forest.'

'Here? Why not in the town?' replied Eras.

'They would hate me. You would hate me', Arkher said sombrely.

'That's not fair. I don't know the first thing about you', said Eras, shaking her head.

The doe reached over and tugged Arkher's paw gently.

'You're going to the town', Eras stated.

Arkher looked at his paw, lost for words. It had been a long time indeed since anyone had touched him gently, like they cared. However, he knew the facts - there was no way he would go to that town. Eras, on the other hand, wouldn't take no for an answer.

'Come ON!' she yelled, pulling on Arkher's paws with all her might, her hooves digging into the dirt.

At last, Arkher sighed and began to move, following Eras' energetic tugging. They walked back through the woods, with Eras keeping an eye out for the path. When the two burst onto the trail, Arkher wrenched his paws out of Eras' grip.

'I cannot go to that town', he said quietly, trying to slip out of Eras' reach. 'It's too dangerous, for all of you.'

Annoyed, Eras said nothing and grabbed the wolf again, pulling him along the path. The one thing all the townspeople said about Eras: she was feisty and stubborn, and once she got an idea in her head, she wouldn't accept anything else. This time was no different - she would not let the wolf stay out in the cold all alone.

At long last, Eras and Arkher reached the edge of the forest. The hustle and bustle of the town reached their ears, and they picked their way through the last of the trees. The wolf and the doe could hear the clanging of metalworkers, roaring fires from the chefs, the depositing of wood, and the rattle of wooden trolley wheels. Beneath Arkher's paws and Eras' hooves, the dirt turned to cobblestone. Eras' hooves made a distinctive clacking noise on the road as she walked briskly towards the town centre.

Near the middle of the town, there was a stack of flat, makeshift crates full of multicoloured berries and other fruit. Eras opened the small satchel against her hip and emptied it into one of the crates. While she did this, a large, muscular middle-aged rabbit stepped out from one of the nearby buildings.

'Ah, Eras! You're back! Find any of them aloberries?' said the rabbit earnestly.

'No. This cold is making it hard to track smells', Eras replied sadly.

'Ho, that's a bloody shame', the rabbit mused. 'And who's this young chap?'

'That's Arkher. He lives all alone in Franside, did you know about that?' Eras said, pointing to Arkher, who shifted uncomfortably.

The rabbit squinted at Arkher, inspecting him, then smiled.

'Well, if you's able to lift a cart and work the fires, you're perfectly welcome here! My name's Coren,' said the rabbit.

Arkher again twitched slightly, before forcing a smile - something he hadn't done in years. Coren took Arkher by the shoulder and led him away, leaving Eras alone.

The doe sat down on a nearby bench. Although she was one of the more energetic gatherers, running back and forth between the town and the forest all the time - nearly three kilometres one way - took its toll on her. Soon, she figured, she'd be like the elderly grandmothers who spent their time sitting by fires and complaining about their aching joints. Still, the townspeople needed gatherers like her or they'd go hungry over the winter.

All the ground in the area was hard and rough, and it was nearly impossible to plant crops. No matter how long the town council had debated over possible solutions, the earth remained stubbornly infertile. The nearby lake provided plenty of fish, as it was fed by a large river from the north, but some of the town's inhabitants (Eras, for one) couldn't eat fish - they needed plant-based food. In Eras' opinion, it gave her a job to do. She hated sitting idly.

The soreness in Eras' legs had only just begun to fade when a loud crack like a thunderclap ripped through the air, bringing her out of her reverie. The doe jumped to her hooves, frightened. Eras steeled herself and ran towards the noise. It had occurred at the centre of the town, and when she arrived there, she stumbled upon a shocking sight.

Coren was shouting at Arkher, who had his eyes averted and seemed almost afraid.

'YOU FILTHY, LYING BASTARD!' roared Coren, his eyes displaying a hatred Eras had never seen there. 'BRINGING YOUR DIRTY, DISGUSTING MAGIC HERE!'

'What's going on?' Eras cried.

'This - filth - is a sorcerer! Complete, utter scum!' Coren spat angrily.

Eras glanced at Arkher, who continued staring at the ground.

'I - I don't understand, Coren', replied Eras.

'You - you have no idea', said Coren. 'The fear we lived in, back when the sorcerers lived in the High City. We were terrified they would come here and wipe us out!'

'AND YOU! YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!' Coren shouted, turning back to Arkher.

'Coren, just stop! He wants to help -' Eras began.

'Shut up! You've no idea what you're talking about', one of the other adults said scathingly. 'He's plotting to kill us all, like the others did.'

Coren grabbed a knife from one of the chefs and began waving it at Arkher.

'I'll gut you like a fish', rumbled Coren.

For the first time, Arkher looked up, and Eras saw that blue-purple sparks were dancing in his eyes. Eras tried to tug on Coren's sleeve, trying to get him away.

'You are the rotting, rancid -' Coren began furiously.

'Enough.'

Arkher's voice rumbled like that of an earthquake, echoing around the town. His paws were now coated in an indigo flame, casting an unnatural light upon the town centre.

'Arkher, no!' yelled Eras, but it was too late.

The wolf raised his paws and the blue flame shot forth. Eras dove to the ground, and when she looked up, Coren was gone, reduced to a pile of blackened soot. Before she could react, the azure flame erupted again. Eras felt a wave of intense heat above her head, and she could hear the crackling of magical energy.

As sudden as it had come, the flames vanished. Eras leapt to her hooves, intending to confront Arkher, who was walking away. Around them, there were piles of ash and bone. Some of the houses had caught fire, sending waves of smoke across the town centre.

'OI!' Eras cried angrily.

The wolf turned his head and stopped. His eyes had returned to their normal, icy blue colour.

'Don't make me destroy you', said Arkher menacingly.

'You've killed them all!' Eras said, tears welling in her eyes.

'I told you they'd hate me! You should've left me alone!'

Eras rushed at the wolf, hate in her eyes. She tried to tackle him, but he simply stepped aside.

'I'm sorry you made a mistake', Arkher said simply.

Indigo flames erupted around the wolf, glowing brightly. Eras shielded her eyes, and when the fire vanished, the wolf had gone. Eras sat on the ground, surrounded by fire, ash, and death, with tears now flowing from her eyes. It was many hours before she moved again.