Luna was seven years old, looking like a ten-year-old, when the stranger arrived at Nightshade's borders. He was a lone wolf, elderly, with white hair and eyes that seemed to hold ancient knowledge. He carried no weapons, made no threats, simply asked politely for an audience with the bridge child.
"What's your business with Luna?" Dante asked, suspicious of any stranger after Helena's attack.
"I bring a gift," the old wolf said. "And a warning. Both are necessary. Both are urgent."
They brought him to the council chamber under heavy guard. Luna was kept away initially while they assessed the threat. But the stranger insisted she needed to be present.
"I mean no harm. I am Thaddeus, keeper of old knowledge. I've traveled many months to reach you because the child needs what I carry."
