Chapter 395 The Historic Dagger

Chapter 395: Chapter 395 The Historic Dagger

Talia’s POV

I opened my mouth to argue, but he raised a hand to stop me.

"I am too old," he said. "My body cannot do what it once did. I would only be a burden on the battlefield."

"You would never be a burden," I said.

He smiled, but it was sad. "You are kind to say so. But we both know the truth."

I looked away, because I did not want to accept it.

"Every wolf has a role," Aldric said. "Tomorrow, my role is to stay behind. To protect the young, the old, and the wounded. Someone must guard the home while the warriors fight."

I understood. I did not like it because I knew grandfather Aldric had the wisdom to lead us to victory, but I understood.

The words settled over me like a heavy blanket. I wanted to argue, and I wanted to tell him he was wrong. But I knew he was not.

"I wish you could be there with us," I said.

"I will be there," he replied. He tapped his chest. "In here. I will be watching, I will be praying, and I will be waiting for you to come back."

I felt tears prick my eyes, but I blinked them back.

Aldric leaned forward in his chair. "Let me tell you something, Talia. Something my father told me a long time ago."

I nodded.

"The first battle I ever fought, I was young. Younger than you. I was terrified, and I thought I was going to die. My father found me before the battle. He put his hand on my shoulder and he said to me: ’Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing what must be done even when you are afraid.’"

He paused, letting the words settle between us.

"I have carried those words with me my whole life," he continued. "And now I am giving them to you."

I let out a shaky breath. "I do not feel brave."

"That is what makes you brave," he said. "You do not seek glory, and you do not seek power. You seek to protect, and you seek to save. That is true courage."

I looked down at my hands. They were trembling, so I clasped them together to stop the shaking.

"You have already proven yourself," Aldric said. "You passed the trials, you saved your mother, and you united the packs. Tomorrow is just one more battle. And you my dear, you have already won the war."

I looked up at him. "How can you be so sure?"

He smiled. "Because I know you."

He reached into the drawer beside his chair, and he pulled out something wrapped in cloth.

He placed it in my hands. "Open it."

I unwrapped the cloth slowly. Inside was a small dagger.

The blade was silver, and it gleamed in the firelight. The handle was wrapped in black leather, worn smooth from years of use.

I looked at him. "Grandfather, what is this?"

"It belonged to my wife," he said. "Kaelen’s grandmother."

I stared at the dagger, and it felt heavy in my hands: Heavy with history, and heavy with meaning.

"She carried it into every battle she ever fought," Aldric said. "She never lost. Not once."

I shook my head. "I cannot take this. It is too precious."

He reached out and closed my fingers around the handle. "That is exactly why you must take it."

I looked at him, confused.

"You are my granddaughter," he continued. "My blood runs in Kaelen’s veins, and now it runs in yours too. This dagger belongs to the women of this family. And you are the strongest one I have ever known."

Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I did not try to stop them.

"I will carry it with honor," I whispered.

The fire crackled between us. The room felt smaller now, warmer, like the walls themselves were holding us close.

Aldric nodded. "Use it well. And come back to us."

I looked down at the dagger. I thought about all the battles it had seen, all the hands that had held it and all the women who had carried it before me.

"I will come back," I said. "I promise."

Aldric smiled. "I know you will."

He patted my hand. "Now go. You need to rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

I stood up even though I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay here, in this warm room, where the war felt far away.

I could hear the distant sounds of the camps outside. The wolves were still awake, the army was still waiting, and I was their Luna.

So I knew that I could not stay. I knew I had to go.

I leaned down and kissed his cheek. His skin was warm, and he smelled of old books and woodsmoke.

"Send Kaelen to see me before the battle," he said.

"I will, Grandfather." I told him.

I walked to the door. Then I paused and looked back.

Aldric was watching me, and his eyes were full of love and full of pride.

"Go, child," he said. "Your pack needs you."

I nodded. I could not speak because my throat was too tight.

I clutched the dagger to my chest. I held it like it was the only thing keeping me upright. “Goodnight, Grandfather.”

He nodded back. “Be safe, child.”

I walked out the door and closed it softly behind me.

I stood in the hallway for a long moment. The light from Aldric’s room spilled out from under the door, golden and warm.

I could still feel the warmth of his hand on mine, and I could still hear his voice. ‘Courage is doing what must be done even when you are afraid.’

I looked down at the dagger in my hand, and I ran my thumb over the smooth leather handle.

I wiped my tears, took a breath, and I straightened my shoulders.

I could hear the distant howls from the camps outside.

They were waiting for me. Not just for their Luna, but for the woman who had promised to lead them. The woman who had promised to win.

I walked toward the sound and did not think of going to my room. I needed to see them, all of them. I needed to feel their presence, and I needed to remember what I was fighting for.

I walked toward the balcony.

I stepped out into the night air, and the cold hit my face, sharp and clean. I breathed it in. It smelled of pine and smoke and something else. Something that felt like hope.

I saw the sea of wolves below: Thousands of them. Their fires burned like stars across the valley, and their voices rose and fell like waves.

They did not know I was watching. They did not know their Luna was standing above them, silent and still. But I felt connected to every single one of them.

I stood there, looking out at them.

I was still scared of dying, of losing, and I was scared of failing them. But I was more scared of not trying.

And I was ready.