Elementals: Ice Wolves

Natan was staring at Sigrid’s like it was his ticket to a new life, and in a way, he was right. It was a life Anders would never have, though—he’d never belong to anything as important as Ulfar, and he’d never have a family lineage he could recite like that. Rayna was all he had— and she was more than enough , he reminded himself. But sometimes, especially on the hungry days, he wished he too had a mother or father, aunts or uncles, or grandparents. The boy reached for the Staff of Hadda, then hesitated. So many hands had gripped it over the years that the pale wood was worn smooth, a long strip of engraved metal wrapping around it in a spiral. The staff was one of the most important artifacts in Vallen. Only the most powerful were named for their creators, and for the wolves the Staff of Hadda transformed, it was a ticket to a new life. Bracing himself, Natan grasped the staff, and the whole square held its breath—even Anders and Rayna paused, standing side by side. Nothing happened.

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