The Great Northern Forest, near Phelan Coill

Kurt stepped out from behind the tree, trying his best to calm his nerves. The wolf he had heard earlier was standing there – its large golden eyes staring at him.

“She wont hurt you,” the man standing beside him said, “as long as Im right here, anyway.” The wolf growled deep in her throat but made no move to hurt the prince.

Kurts gaze went from the wolf to the man and he noticed that their eyes looked the same. Wild was the word that came to mind. Both boy and wolf had deep golden brown eyes, both sets of eyes were staring at Kurt. He was mesmerized. This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him in his short life.

The North Road to Castle Sunvale

Prince Kurt was tired. He had been on his horse for almost a week, riding for most of each day before sliding to the ground to set up camp for the night. He was expected to wear his royal garments and sit tall in the gold-encrusted saddle as he rode along beside the other young royals in the long train.

His father, the King, was moving his household to the North for the summer where the climate was cooler for his new bride. Queen Arianne was a Northerner and the hot sun made her ill. Kurt didnt mind that his father had remarried – his mother was gone for many years and he knew the king was not only lonely, but was expected to have a queen. She was a nice enough woman, young and pretty but very shy. She spent her time embroidering or reading with her ladies-in-waiting.

The castle they were riding to was an old one, owned by the kings grandfather, King Leo the Great. It was now the home of the Duke of that district while the king was away, and the royal household hadnt lived there for many decades. Prince Kurt had never seen it. He tried to think of this as a grand adventure, something to look forward to, but he missed his real home too much. Hed had to bid goodbye to his friends and to the boy he had longed for.

Cyril was older than Kurt, a boy with blond hair and big brown eyes the color of a deers. He was the bastard son of one of the kings distant cousins and his father was rumored to be a priest, but there was no official proof of that. Cyril had come to the castle to learn swordsmanship and he was quite good at it. He would smile at Kurt when the young prince came by to watch, but friendship between the two was forbidden. Kurt was a prince and Cyril was there only because his relationship to the king afforded him a place at the training camp of young royals.

It was especially hard for Kurt to leave because in his enthusiasm at saying goodbye to Cyril, he had thrown his arms around the older boy.

“Goodbye, Kurt. We will meet again, I promise,” Cyril whispered into Kurts ear, hugging him breathless and then moving a few small inches to kiss Kurts lips long and hard before letting go and striding away, back to the training camp.

Kurt had stood still in shock, seeing Cyril now with different eyes. The young prince was old enough to know what went on in a bedroom. It wasnt something shielded from youngsters, they would need to know some day, but love between boys was not usually spoken of. It was not forbidden, but to carry on the Royal bloodline Prince Kurt would one day be required to marry a woman and have children. There had to be a queen to bear the heirs to the Throne of Lourienn or the Kingdom would be no more. That was Kurts obligation in life and he knew he would have to follow the rules when he was grown. For now, he could dream and his dreams were filled with visions of Cyril.

The King kicked his horse and fell into stride with his son. As he rode beside Prince Kurt, they began to discuss all the things they saw along the wide road to Castle Sunvale. They were about two days from the castle and everyone was perking up a bit. It had been a long ride and even the ladies that rode in the coaches were tired of the road.

“You will love the castle, son. I remember it from my childhood when I would spend the summer season with my grandparents. There are fields of golden grain, mountains with snow-capped peaks, and wide rivers running across the land. The people are a bit strange – stoic and quiet – but respectful just the same. They are industrious folk, hard working and loyal to our banner,” King Burtram told his son.

“It sounds lovely, father,” the Prince said formally. He was ever conscious of his appearance in front of their people and only let his guard down when he and his father were in private audience or when he was alone with his bodyguard, Puck.

“There is a place to the north of the castle, The Great Northern Forest, a wild place that I am asking you not to go near. The people who live there call it Phelan Coill, and it does not belong to us. Its inhabitants are not friendly with the people of Lourienn. In spite of that, we are under treaty with them. As per the agreement, we do not to step foot on one anothers land and you must respect that. There are other places, other forests where we can hunt. Do you understand me, Kurt?” the King asked.

“Yes, Father. I wont disobey you,” Kurt promised. He had no intention of going into some dark forest with wild animals and even wilder people. “Phelan Coill? What does the name mean?”

“The Wolf Forest in the old tongue. Kurt, I know you are coming of age and this summer you will start training in swordsmanship and other defensive arts. You may feel that because you are brave and of royal blood that you are above the rules – but I will warn you that you will come to regret it if you cross me, my son or not. Be sure you understand what I am telling you,” Burtram emphasized.

“Yes, father,” Kurt replied with a bow of his head.

King Burtram knew Kurt was a kind and obedient son, but he also knew that ideas get into a young mans head and sometimes they let these ideas take the place of good sense. Crown Prince and Heir Apparent to the throne were not sure reasons to keep Kurt from having the same dreams as any boy. The King smiled at Kurt. Of all of his children, Kurt held the warmest place in his heart. For this reason he was a bit more stern with the boy. He didnt want to be seen having favorites.

Burtram had now been married four times. His first wife, Idrina, was the symbol of the union between his own kingdom and that of the neighboring one. Most royal weddings were the result of some kind of political negotiation and Burtram had been brought up to expect this. A year into this marriage, Idrina had given birth to a girl and sadly died two days later of child bed fever. Burtram had hardly begun to know her when she was swept from this life.

The small but healthy baby girl had thrived under the care of a wet-nurse and was now a very outspoken and beautiful young lady, though she was small in comparison with her siblings. Rachel was his first-born and in spite of being female, she never let anyone forget who she was or how much power she possessed. Her fathers biggest worry was that she would be given in marriage to a man that didnt cherish her and might use force to make her comply with his rules. He felt guilty that he hadnt loved her mother as much as she deserved, but Burt was young and did his best in the face of doing his duty. He hated that Kurt would be expected to do the same.

Burtram had married Elizabeth next. This had been the love of his life and every day spent with Elizabeth was amazing and wonderful. She had given him Kurt but was unable to have more children. Burtram didnt mind, he had two children and that was enough. He lost Elizabeth when she was thrown from a horse and her neck was broken when Kurt was eight years old. Burt still mourned his lady love, but once again His duties as King came before his personal feelings and he set his sadness aside to rule his kingdom.

His heart broke on the day he lost his Elizabeth and he vowed to himself never to marry again, but he was the King and many things were expected of him. When he visited a neighboring kingdom a few years later, he met Carole and they were married. Although it was a political marriage, he did come to love Carole very much. She gave him a son, Finnegan. He and Kurt were only a few years apart in age and were good companions when they were small, but Kurt was now at the threshold of manhood and Finns baby games were beneath Kurts dignity. He was still kind to his little brother, but they had different lives now. Finn lived in the royal nursery and played with the other children and their nannies while Kurt was expected to live in his own suite of rooms and start training as soon as they moved into Sunvale Castle.

Carole had died of the morbid sore throat just three years ago and Burtram mourned her as he had his other wives. He had been forced to marry for the fourth time - he was a King after all. His new bride, Arianne, was twenty-two when her father walked her down the aisle of the church and gave her into Burtrams waiting hand. He had a fondness for the girl, though love wasnt the word he would use if he were truthful. She was well aware that she was an obligation for Burtram, but she accepted her fate with grace and lived in her own world most of the time. Burtram had suspected she was with child after six months of marriage and he decided to take her back to the North - to the climate she was used to. He thought perhaps she might be happier near her own family. He may be a mighty King, but he had a kind heart.

Castle Sunvale, Northern Lourienn

Kurt heard the trumpets long before he saw the castle on the North Road. He had been lagging behind the group of Royals where he had been assigned to ride, and had to kick his big black horse, Navigator, into a brisk trot to get back into his place as he rode onto the Sunvale Castle grounds.

King Burtram was riding at the head of the parade, Kurt and the other young men behind him. The Prince put on his Royal smile and waved at the crowd as they called out to him. The long string of newcomers rode all the way around the castle so everyone could see the King, riding his gray stallion and surrounded by guards in uniforms and men with the Banner of Lourienn flapping in the breeze. Kurt was tired to the bone, as was everyone in the train, but he put on a brave face and waved at the cheering crowd. By the time they followed along the north side of the castle grounds, the crowd had thinned out and only a few people were there. Most were waiting on the west side of the castle where the drawbridge led to the huge gates at the entrance. People congregated there to get another peek at the Royal Family.

As Prince Kurt rode behind his father, he caught a glimpse of a young man standing by the trees – dressed in skins and a hunters dark clothing. Although he was in the shadow of the trees, Kurt saw that the young man was smoothly muscled with curly black hair and a few days growth of beard. Prince Kurt did a double take as he thought he saw a wolf sitting at the mans feet. The mans eyes locked with the Princes for a brief instant before Navigator reared at the sudden jerk on his reins. Feeling the big horses shift in balance, Kurt startled but hung on tightly to the saddle with his knees. By the time Navigator was once again settled with all four feet on the ground, Kurt turned to have another look, but the man and wolf were gone.

The excitement of the crowds and all the ceremony soon filled Prince Kurts mind as he met new people, ate at the large feast, danced to the music provided for the Homecoming of the King to his familys Northern home. As the most eligible bachelor in the land, Kurt had many admirers that day among the girls and women of Sunvale.

It was very late before the Prince was escorted to his new suite of rooms. He was barely able to bid his older sister, Rachel, goodnight before he was practically dragged to his bedroom by his friend and bodyguard, Puck, who had been his companion since he was a young boy. The last thing he remembered was Puck bidding him a good night before settling down to his own cot in the guard room outside Kurts suite. Kurt was asleep in mere minutes, letting the exhaustion of the day take him away.

Phelan Coill - The Forbidden Forest

Blaine Staghunter was the youngest son of a very wealthy merchant in the village of Phelan Coill, a quiet village just to the north of Castle Sunvale. It was in the part of the land that the Lourienns called The Forbidden Forest. The village had seen good times and bad, lean times and fat. It had thrived decades ago when King Leo of Lourienn lived at Sunvale Castle nearby. The village elders expected times to be on the upswing in terms of wealth and prosperity as the old kings grandson, King Burtram, made it his permanent home. Phelan Coill wasnt under the jurisdiction of Lourienn, but they held a treaty and both kingdoms prospered, even if they did not like each other.

Anders Merchant, Blaines father, was a busy man and employed four of his sons in his business; a business that took him away from home for many months at a time. While Anders was gone on his travels to procure and trade his merchandise, which was most of the time - Blaine and his mother, Agnes Merchant, lived with her brother, Edward Staghunter. Because of this close tie, Blaine had taken his uncles name, Staghunter, much to the dismay of his father. But then, most things Blaine did were at odds with the way his father thought he should act.

Edward Staghunter was a tall, robust man and earned his living as a trapper and hunter, often providing the Castle Sunvale with food. He sent his rich furs with his brother-in-law, Anders, to be sold on his merchant travels. Edward had never married. He had been betrothed to a beautiful and kind girl when he was young, but she died and his heart was broken. After that he never wanted to have a wife.

Edward knew Blaine was small for his age and would have a hard time keeping up with his father on these long trading sojourns. Blaines size and dexterity with a knife made him perfect for being a hunter – he could dig out the den of an animal and climb into the place to capture or kill his prey. Blaines age made him a liability to his father on long trips, too, being ten years younger that his next oldest brother, Cooper. Because Agnes was Edwards favorite sister and he wanted to please her so much he took Blaine in to teach him a trade.

It was a few summers ago that Edward taught Blaine how to dig into the den of an animal, then crawl inside to dispatch it. Blaine had been terrified at first, but he didnt want his beloved uncle to be angry with him, so he took the dagger Edward gave him and killed his first prey, a badger, when he entered the animals den. Over the next years Blaine had lost a few fights with fierce animals and had the scars to prove it. He was now the best den digger in all of the kingdom, or so his uncle told him, but there were few to compare himself to since Blaine had never been farther from his home than the edge of the Great Northern Forest.

Last year Blaine was following a she-wolf. She was thin and looked sickly, her ribs and backbone sticking out. Most new mothers in the wild looked skinny and malnourished when they had a litter of babies, but this wolf looked worse than most. She was probably trying to feed her starving litter. She had become a nuisance to the village, taking livestock such as chickens and small goats, and Edward had sent Blaine to take care of the problem.

Blaine tracked her into a small arm of the forest that bordered a field of grain. Most wild creatures wouldnt make a den so close to men, so she must have been desperate. Blaine saw her go down into her den and he started digging. He carried a small spade-shaped shovel for this purpose and he was quick, finding a branch in the tunnel that led most directly to the den. He took his dagger in hand and crawled on his belly down the shaft to the den. He expected a fight, but the she-wolf was so bad off she gave up – falling dead as soon as Blaine confronted her. She had tried to feed her young, but most of the litter were dead.

As Blaine reached to the back of the den, he heard some sniffing and shuffling and gripped something soft. Taking it in his hand, he tucked it into his jerkin and crawled back out of the tunnel. Blaine found just the one pup that looked to still be alive. He left the carcass of the mother with her dead litter, her fur was in such poor condition that it wasnt worth the time it would take to skin her.

In the sunlight, Blaine took the tiny morsel of feisty wolfling and set it down in the sun. Blinking, the pup sat and looked up at the large human that stood over it. Blaine reached down to rub its chin and it bit him with tiny but sharp milk teeth. The first name that came to mind as he nursed his bitten finger was Satan, but upon closer inspection he discovered this was a female and adjusted her name to Santana.

“Well, arent you the scrappy one?” he laughed and picked her up again. She was near weaning age, so he took out a few scraps of rabbit that he had caught that morning, cutting them into tiny bites and fed her. She licked the pieces of fresh meat and chewed each one, swallowing quickly to look for more. When shed had enough, Blaine put her in his pocket and took her home.

He showed the tiny wolf pup to his uncle and got a pat on the back.

“I have no use for this pup, and if you keep her as a pet, you are in charge of her welfare. Dont make me regret it,” he said gruffly, but with kindness in his eyes. He had no wife or children of his own but he loved Blaine as if he had fathered him.

“I wont, Uncle Edward. Ill take good care of her and one day shell be my best friend,” he assured his uncle.

“I hope so, Blaine. Okay. Now go wash for supper, your mother has been cooking and she doesnt like to be kept waiting.”

Blaine did as his uncle told him and took care of the little she-wolf. His little Santana was his close companion and hunting partner now and he felt much less lonely, especially when his father was gone.

The life of the people in this northern part of the world was very routine. They got up knowing what was expected of them and went about doing it. Blaine did as expected of him every day and having the distraction of the tiny wolfling made things more interesting for him. He knew he was forbidden to step foot out of Phelan Coill and the surrounding forest, but that directive was lost in his mind as time wore on and when the trumpets sounded to welcome the King of Lourienn to Castle Sunvale, Blaine was standing at the edge of the forest to see the parade of royals as they rode around the castle.

Santana had growled deep in her throat on that day. Blaine knew better than to let anyone see him and was cautious until Santana went a few steps too far. Hed had to call her back, just touching her ruff as the new king rode by. Blaine looked up as the parade of royals passed in back of the castle. His eyes locked with one boys eyes – they were deep blue and the boy looked back at Blaine. He had never seen eyes that color. They were like the summer sky – multiple shades of blue with tiny bits of golden sunshine glinting through the sparkling blue. Blaine knew at that moment he had to find the owner of those eyes.