Chapter 4

I smelled my father before I ever saw the banner.

It came up the valley on the cold air—wet wool, blade oil, and the pine smoke my family had burned in their hearths for two hundred years. Three years since that smell had been in my nose. I put a hand on the gate post to stay on my feet.

My wolf came up so hard it hurt. Home, she said. That's home.

"Open it," I said.

The gate guard looked past me. Up at the wall. At Callum.

Old habit.

"Don't look at him." I didn't raise my voice.…