CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 343 FINDING THE CARAVAN AND MARY

"It’s a good thing this little stream is here," Zion said with a faint sigh of relief. "We almost lost the main group earlier. The ground before this was as dry as stale bread; not a single track was left behind. We’re lucky we followed right after them; there’s still a faint trace of their scent lingering around."

"If we had stayed back any longer, the wind would’ve carried it away, and finding them again would’ve been nearly impossible."

He patted Addison’s shoulder, silently signaling her to stand so they could continue their search.

After patting Addison’s shoulder, Zion also reached out to help her up before asking gently, "How are you feeling?"

"I’m okay. We can keep going," Addison replied, brushing the dirt from her clothes. Then she looked at him with a hint of concern. "What about you? You took worse injuries than I did. Are you really alright?"

She asked partly out of politeness, but also because she couldn’t help worrying. After everything they had just gone through, continuing the chase right away meant Zion and the other wounded warriors might still be pushing themselves past their limits.

"Are you worried about me?" Zion asked teasingly, his tone light but his gaze deep and magnetic. The mischievous glint in his eyes made Addison’s heart skip a beat, and she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable under his stare.

There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel... squishy inside, as if her chest had turned soft and unsteady.

Unable to meet his eyes any longer, Addison quickly turned her back to him and walked toward the warriors instead, pretending to check on them just to escape his teasing gaze.

"Let’s move!" Addison ordered, her voice firm as she pretended not to notice Zion’s lingering gaze on her back. It wasn’t the time to dwell on the strange fluttering in her chest or the tingling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel oddly restless.

Unfortunately for her, avoiding Zion wasn’t really an option. They were short on time, and she had no means of transport. Once Zion shifted into his wolf form, she would still have to ride on his back, and that was exactly why she worried about him.

He had only just recovered from his injuries, and carrying her again could put a strain on his body.

Yet, when Zion finished shifting, he simply crouched down in front of her without hesitation, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Addison bit her lip but didn’t waste any time. She climbed onto Zion’s back, settling herself carefully before giving him a small nod. A deep, resonant howl tore through the air as Zion took off, followed by the other warriors who had shifted into their wolf forms.

Together, they sprinted at full speed, following the faint trail that marked the direction the rest of the caravan had taken.

After running for another half hour, Zion and the warriors caught the sharp scent of blood in the air. The metallic tang grew stronger with every step, and soon, the distant clash of battle reached their ears.

Realizing that the fight couldn’t be far, Zion raised his head and let out a powerful howl, a signal to announce their approach. If the group ahead was indeed their caravan, they would recognize his call and know that reinforcements were on the way.

Without slowing down, Zion pushed himself harder. Even with Addison on his back, his strides remained powerful and steady. The urgency of the moment fueled him, and before long, he had outpaced the other warriors, racing ahead toward the sounds of battle that echoed through the trees.

The other warriors tried their best to keep up with Zion, but an Alpha’s speed was something few could match. Before long, Zion had surged ahead, leaving them trailing behind. Addison pressed herself closer to his back to steady her balance, yet she didn’t remain idle.

The metallic scent of blood in the air grew thicker, and her eyes narrowed; the battle ahead was close. Without wasting a second, she reached into her magic bag and pulled out the same dagger still tied to a rope.

This way, even while riding on Zion’s back, she could strike from a distance and deliver a swift sneak attack to support their people the moment they entered the fray.

Before long, Zion caught sight of a clearing ahead, and the stench of blood grew stronger with every stride. He kicked up a cloud of dust as he accelerated, bursting out of the forest in a powerful leap.

The sight that greeted them made both him and Addison grit their teeth in anger. Several of the animals tied to the rear of the caravan lay dead on the ground, their blood staining the earth.

The younger warriors, battered and bloodied, still stood their ground, forming a defensive circle around the elders and children to keep them safe.

The coachman of the caravan wagons fought desperately beside their carts, wielding whatever weapons they could to defend their cargo. The mission was all they could think about.

Despite the loss of several of the animals, they refused to surrender, protecting the remaining animals and each other with every ounce of strength they had left.

At the forefront stood Alpha Hue’s daughter in her wolf form, her dark brown fur now matted with blood and bristling with arrows like a hedgehog’s quills. Yet, despite the pain she must have been in, she remained steady on her feet, refusing to fall, her fangs bared as she shielded the caravan with the last of her strength.

She embodied the very definition of an Alpha’s pride and tenacity. But when her weary eyes caught sight of Addison and Zion charging into the clearing, a flicker of relief crossed her gaze.

Her body wavered, legs trembling as if the strength holding her up suddenly vanished. Perhaps it wasn’t weakness, but the release of tension, she had fought until the very moment she knew help had come, and only then did her body allow itself to crumble.

...

More Than an Hour and a Half Ago

The moment Addison instructed her to follow the caravan, Alpha Hue’s daughter, Mary, took off at full speed. Halfway through, she shifted into her wolf form, her powerful limbs carrying her faster than the wind.

All she could think about was reaching the caravan and protecting everyone in it, just as Addison had commanded.

Fear gnawed at her. What if the caravan was already under attack? What if she was too late?

Fortunately, after nearly ten minutes of running at her full speed, Mary finally caught sight of the caravan in the distance. They were moving quickly, the wagons rattling along the uneven road, but they seemed unharmed.

Relief washed over her. She sprinted ahead and took her place at the front, scanning the surroundings with sharp, alert eyes. The young warriors running alongside the caravan, still too young to have awakened their wolves, gripped their weapons tightly, tension written all over their faces.

Yet, when they saw Mary’s familiar form leading the way, they collectively exhaled in relief, comforted by the presence of an Alpha’s strength among them.

When the young warriors caught Mary’s sidelong glance, their backs instinctively straightened. She didn’t utter a single word as she passed them, yet her gaze spoke volumes; it was a silent reminder that her presence wasn’t an excuse for them to relax.

She was there to protect and support, yes, but they still had their duty to fulfill. Understanding that unspoken message, the young warriors grew more alert, tightening their formation and running beside the caravan with renewed focus, like true escort guards.

After another half hour, everything still seemed fine. Mary’s sky-high anxiety and taut nerves finally began to ease as she started thinking she might have been overreacting.

Maybe she was just imagining that the caravan would be targeted, that the earlier attack had been part of some bigger plan. Now that she was traveling alongside the caravan, things didn’t seem nearly as dire.

What mattered most now was reaching the meeting point with Alpha Zion and Princess Addison. The problem was, she didn’t know the exact location, so she couldn’t risk straying too far ahead.

Instead, she decided to leave clear tracks behind for them to follow later. Fortunately, that wouldn’t be an issue; the ground was slightly moist, and the caravan’s wheels and hooves left deep marks in the soil. The mule carts carrying the elderly and children pressed heavy, clear trails, and even the animals walking behind left visible prints.

Relieved, Mary turned her attention to finding a safe place, somewhere not too close to where the fight first broke out, but not too far either. That way, even if a few ogres managed to slip past Zion and Addison’s encirclement, they wouldn’t be able to easily find her or the caravan.

Then, while Mary was deep in thought, she suddenly heard a loud thud behind her.