Zombie wolves weren't the only dangerous things that existed outside the safety of packs.
Before the shattering of the Moonstone, rogues were the villains of the bedtime stories mothers told their pups at night.
These packless wolves were either exiled for vile offences or they ran away, usually after refusing to submit to their Alpha.
Some banded together in pseudo-packs to pillage and destroy existing packs.
They answered to none of the rules that governed werewolves, and that made them more dangerous.
Several Alphas killed them on sight and Lira was warned to not interact with them. Yet there she was, making plans to travel with one.
"How long are you going to keep staring at that map for, Red?" the stranger drawled from the ground.
He was blithefully yanking out blades of grass from the ground and placing them on a heap beside him.
They were still at the clearing, still at the tree stump.
Lira tore her eyes away from the map and looked at the stranger. Some of his dark hair had fallen into his eyes and he didn't bother to push it back.
He didn't look like a rogue. Not that rogues had a particular look, even if they did, Lira wouldn't know.
"I can't find Silverstone on the map." Lira said after a beat of silence.
The stranger got up and stood right behind her. He was close,so close that if Lira moved back even an inch,her back would touch his chest.
He leaned in and peered into the map.
"That's cause your map is old. It doesn't reflect the name change."
"Name change?" Lira asked with wide eyes.
"There was a bit of conflict a few years ago and Northridge turned into Silverstone." He touched the point on the map which said Northridge. "We're supposed to go here. It'll only take a few days."
Lira took a deep breath and it was the same as last time.
Nothing! This man didn't have a scent.
He wasn't leaving anything on her stuff either. Lira gently bent down to her backpack, swiftly brought out a dagger and brought it to the stranger's neck.
He immediately raised his hands up. But he didn't seem scared.
"That's no way to treat your saviour." he held her face while a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You're not my saviour," Lira seethed as she pressed the dagger to his jugular. "You're a rogue. You're also not stupid. There's no way you really think I'm an Alpha's daughter.
"Even if you did, you'd kill me in retaliation. There's no way you're dumb enough to believe my 'Alpha father' would grant you anything other than death."
"You're right. I know you're not an Alpha's daughter." The stranger said. His expression didn't change and that made it somehow worse.
'He must know who I am.' Lira thought, nearing a full blown panic.
She had assumed he was going to steal from her,kill her then possibly eat her but it was even worse.
"Who sent you?" Lira demanded. "You were the one watching me before. Why couldn't I hear or smell you?"
The stranger sighed like he was incredibly bored. "I told you before. I was merely sent by the need to steal. I was out of supplies plus you were alone with that useful cloak. And I'm an excellent hunter. So I can move silently and dull my scent."
"No wolf can erase their scent." Lira said.
"I used a spell." The stranger replied.
"That still doesn't explain why you lied to follow me." Lira grabbed his collar. "You know what I'm going to Silverstone for, don't you?"
"Look I don't care about your stupid pilgrimage, alright?" The stranger said, exasperation leaking into his voice. "The simple truth is that I need you to follow me somewhere."
Her eyes narrowed and he said," I saw your robes, I know you're a priestess. You guys are the only ones who can travel in-between packs without a permissive seal. I need to see someone at Maindelandt and you have to go through Silverstone, you can't travel around."
He slowly but firmly grabbed the hand holding his collar. "I have no intentions of hurting you or taking your life."
In a fluid motion, he grabbed her other hand, pulled it away from his neck and shook the dagger out of her grip. "If I did, you'd already be dead."
Lira glanced backwards at the dagger. Truthfully, she didn't need it. She could just blast him away, though it would be at the expense of all the trees behind him.
Lira jutted out her chin, "How can I trust you?"
"You shouldn't," he replied. "You shouldn't trust anyone out here. Don't let your guard down either."
"You say that but expect me to travel with you?" Lira let out a dry chuckle.
"Yes, because we're both getting something out of it." He stepped closer to her. "I get to go to Maindelandt, you get to go to Silverstone without getting killed, eaten or raped. Young girls should never travel alone."
Lira pursed her lips in thought. A gentle breeze whipped around them as they stared at each other in silence.
"We separate after?" Lira asked.
"We separate after." The stranger replied.
"Fine." Lira said. "Take me to Silverstone."
"As you desire, ma'am." The stranger flashed her a grin. "If we're traveling together, we should know whose name to curse if things go wrong."
Lira almost smiled, "You first," she said.
"Daries." He stated plainly. No last name,no title, no former pack.
"Daries" Lira repeated softly, testing the name out on her tongue. She noticed that he watched her carefully when she said his name.
Lira turned her gaze to where the oak tree used to stand, several feet away was the unmoving corpse of the zombie wolf. When she spoke her voice was steadier than she felt.
"Lira."
"Lira" He echoed in an almost-whisper.
Their shared names hung between them. Neither of them asked for more and neither of them offered it. It was like a quiet agreement.
Somehow that soothed Lira.