Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV 

I most definitely gave a fuck. 

Hiking was not as easy as Mia said it would be, or perhaps it was because Mia seemed to be doing just fine. 

My breath came in ragged bursts, my legs screaming as I pushed forward, my boots crunching against the rocky trail. 

I glanced at Mia ahead of me, who moved with a grace that made it look effortless—it most definitely was not. Mia paused briefly, waiting for me to catch up.

"You good?" Mia asked, her voice light, but with a glint of concern in her eyes.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and gave a half-hearted smile. "Who me? I'm doing just fine." I took a deep breath. "I didn't realize hiking meant I was going to need a second lung."

Mia chuckled, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "It gets easier once you get used to it. The view at the top makes it all worth it."

"I'm starting to think you've been lying to me this whole time." I shot her a mock glare. "Do you have a plan to kill me, Mia? This plan is most effective, I should tell you." 

Mia raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, just continued up the trail, her pace never wavering.

I let out a deep sigh, trying to steady my breathing. My calves burned, and the air felt thinner up here, making every step feel like a battle. 

"Almost there," Mia called back over her shoulder.

I shot her a doubtful look. "Almost there" had been an hour ago and an hour before that. 

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, we reached the summit. My legs felt like jelly as I stumbled forward, collapsing to the ground, my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

Mia smiled, sitting down beside me. "See? I told you it would be worth it."

I dragged myself upright and, despite my exhaustion, slowly turned to take in the view.

The valley below stretched out like a patchwork quilt, with forests and rivers winding through the landscape. The sun, beginning to dip below the horizon, bathed everything in a golden glow, the mountains surrounding them towering in majestic silence. The air, though thin, was crisp and refreshing.

For a moment, I just stared, lost in the vast beauty of it all. My aching muscles and complaints seemed to fade away, swallowed by the silence and the sheer scale of the landscape. This was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. My screaming bones and burning lungs were worth it. 

"I hate you, Mia," I muttered, though the words were lacking any real venom.

Mia grinned, nudging me gently. "I'll live." 

I chuckled, my eyes still on the view. "This is... actually breathtaking—literally."

Mia leaned back, hands behind her head. "Told ya."

For the first time since we'd started, I found myself truly relaxing, the stress of the climb melting into the vast, serene world around me. Maybe, just maybe, hiking wasn't so bad after all.

"We'll need to start hiking back down before it gets dark," Mia said. I groaned. "The hike down is really easy, I swear."

Let's hope it really is. 

After a few more minutes of taking in the beautiful view, we began the climb down. True to Mia's words it was easier than the climb up, but I was still sore from the climb. 

Mia, ever the seasoned hiker, led the way, her boots sure and light on the uneven ground.

I tried to match her pace, but fatigue was creeping in. I wasn't used to this much exertion—my feet were dragging, and my mind was foggy, distracted by the ache in my legs.

I would take sword training or sparring any time of the day over this. I wasn't built for hiking—I was built to be a damn warrior. 

"Almost there," Mia called back, her voice reassuring. "We're almost at the bottom."

But I didn't hear her. My attention was caught by the loose rock at my feet. 

One moment, I was stepping carefully, the next, my foot slipped. The ground beneath me shifted in a way I couldn't predict.

A sharp, jarring pain shot up my leg as my foot twisted unnaturally.

It happened too quickly for me to react—one second, I was going forward, and the next, I was on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Ow—!" I gasped, clutching at my ankle, which was already swelling painfully beneath my hiking boot, and twisted in a way it wasn't supposed to. 

Mia turned around, her face going from calm to alarmed in a heartbeat. "Revanna!"

She scrambled back toward her, dropping to her knees. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, my vision swimming. "I—I think I twisted it," I managed, through gritted teeth.

Mia's hands were gentle but urgent as she checked my ankle, already swollen and turning an angry shade of purple. My heart sank when I noticed how the foot was angled—too far to the side.

"Shit," Mia muttered, taking a deep breath. "Okay, stay still. I'm going to try and twist it back." 

I tried to laugh it off, my breath shallow, a nervous edge creeping into my voice. "I swear, this hike was supposed to be the easy part."

Mia smiled softly. "You're awful at this."

"I really am."

Mia held my foot, looking up at me. I nodded. "Do it." 

Mia didn't hesitate, she twisted the foot back to its normal position, the bone cracking. I bit down on my lips to stop the scream that wanted to come out, bile rising to my throat. 

When I had stopped breathing heavily I noticed something. "The pain…" I whispered, blinking. I hesitated at first but then I reached out and pressed my ankle, expecting a wave of pain, but… nothing. "The pain is gone." I looked up at Mia.

Her eyebrows pinched. "What do you mean it's gone? You can't heal that fast. Even us wolves would need a little more time than that before that kind of injury heals. Your bone was broken, Ravenna." 

"I swear, Mia, it really is gone."

Mia stared at me for a while, her lips pressed tight before her hand returned to my foot. "If you scream I'll punch you."

I nodded. "Deal."

She twisted the foot again and I braced myself, but I didn't even feel the tiniest bit of pain. 

Mia's eyes widened when she didn't see a reaction on my face. "What the…" she breathed. "How the hell is that possible!"

"Tell me when you find an answer, dear Mia." I pushed her off gently and slowly raised to my feet, tasting the foot. Not even a single wince when I marched it on the ground.

"Holy shit."