Aot:The Silent Witness

Chapter 17: Shadows in the Wild

The forest was restless. The distant crackling of campfires and muffled voices from the Marleyan soldiers' camp clashed against the eerie silence of the woods. Ymir moved carefully, her steps light against the damp earth, but she could feel something in the air—something watching.

Then, the growl came again.

Low. Deep. Close.

She froze, her breath steady but her muscles coiled, ready to move.

The Marleyan soldiers searching the forest stopped too, rifles raised as they scanned the shadows.

"You hear that?" one of them muttered.

"Yeah." His companion tightened his grip on his weapon. "Could be a bear."

Another growl rumbled through the night, followed by the unmistakable snap of branches. But this wasn't a bear.

From the shadows, a pair of glowing amber eyes emerged.

Then another.

Then more.

Large wolves stepped into the dim light of the camp's torches, their fur thick and rugged, blending into the darkness of the trees. They weren't ordinary wolves. Each one stood at least as tall as a man's waist, their muscular frames heavier than the lean, wiry wolves Ymir had seen in the past. Some of the larger ones, their thick coats bristling, could easily weigh over two hundred pounds, their heads level with a soldier's chest when they stood firm on all fours.

The soldiers stiffened.

"The hell?" one of them whispered. "They're huge."

One of the wolves took a slow step forward, its muscles shifting beneath its dark coat. Unlike the lanky wolves of stories, these creatures moved with quiet confidence, their broad shoulders and powerful legs built for taking down prey far larger than a lone human.

The leader of the search party took a cautious step back. "Forget it. Let's move."

"But what if someone's out here?" one of the younger soldiers asked.

The leader shot him a look. "Then let the wolves handle it."

None of them argued.

Slowly, carefully, they retreated, their rifles still raised but their pace quickening.

Ymir didn't move until their footsteps faded completely.

Only then did she shift her attention to the wolves.

The largest of the pack stood just a few feet away, its golden-amber eyes locked onto hers. It didn't bare its fangs, didn't growl—just watched. Assessing.

Ymir held its gaze, reading its posture. The pack hadn't attacked the soldiers, and they hadn't attacked her either.

They were waiting.

For what?

The lead wolf huffed softly, then, just as silently as they had appeared, the pack slipped back into the trees, their massive forms melting into the darkness.

Only when they were gone did Ember finally speak.

"Well, that's new."

Ymir exhaled, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "Let's move."

She turned and disappeared into the night, leaving behind both the soldiers and the silent, watching eyes of the wild.