Chapter 34 Calculated And Necessary Risk

• Raya’s POV
• The forced rest at the stream was brief, yet critical. We had established the foundational truth of our situation: the Lycan King was bound, and the Lycan Guardian was the only available defense. Now, logic dictated survival. Though our path was fixed on the North, the human constraints of our bodies demanded attention.
• “We lack the necessary provisions for the continued journey,” I stated, examining the contents of the scavenged satchel. The dried meat and stale bread from Sara’s cupboard were insufficient for the next leg of the journey, particularly given the energy I now expended stabilizing Kaelen. “More critically, I need specific curative herbs—White Thorn, Sunpetal, and Feverfew. We risk infection and prolonged exhaustion without them, and they only grow in the mid-territory trade regions.”