After the first magic lesson ended, Andras and Noelle went to the Young Wolf's mother. It was time for the "reading morning," an important part of Andras's daily routine. Between magic study and knight training, he needed rest and relaxation, so every morning he spent two hours with his mother: talking or reading books together. Andras himself had named this time "reading morning."
"Hello, Mother! Today I've brought a surprise with me," Andras greeted.
"Hello, my sweet boy! Or should I call you Young Wolf too? Hehehe!" Carla laughed.
"You may call me whatever you like, Mother," Andras replied with a smile.
"And what is the surprise? May I guess? It has something to do with the orphanage, doesn't it? You've chosen your personal maidservant?"
"Yes, though it wasn't hard to guess, since we talked about it yesterday. Come in, Noelle!"
"Good day!" the half‑elf girl said shyly as she stepped inside.
"Well, well!" Carla exclaimed in amazement. "What a beautiful little girl! She has pointed ears—is she an elf girl?"
"Half‑elf," Andras corrected, "but just as beautiful as if she were a full elf."
"She looks very sweet in that maidservant's uniform," Carla smiled.
Noelle blushed in embarrassment, but deep in her heart she was happy. This was the first time a motherly figure had spoken kindly to her, without mocking her appearance. She had now met a third person who praised her.
"She's not only sweet," Andras said. "Thanks to her elven blood she also has a talent for magic. Master Florian was delighted with her. From today onward he will teach Noelle magic as well. But in order to learn magic from books, she must first learn to read. That's why I thought, Mother—since you taught me to read so well—what if you taught Noelle too?"
"That sounds exciting," Carla replied with a smile. "To be honest, I miss those days when I taught you to write and read. Very well, it's settled! Leave this lovely half‑elf girl to me."
Carla was very happy that she could be the one to teach Noelle to read. The only joy and entertainment in her days was the two hours each morning when her son came to her to read books and talk. Since living in Wolfwood, she had never been allowed to leave the castle. She was like a bird trapped in a cage. Now, with Noelle's reading and writing lessons beginning, her days became more exciting too.
The two hours of "reading morning" passed, and then Andras and Noelle said goodbye to Carla. Next came the knights' training. The Young Wolf and the half‑elf maidservant headed to the Knights' courtyard. Anita and the other knights were already waiting for them. Andras went to change clothes, while Noelle remained in her maidservant uniform, since she had no outfit suitable for training yet.
"Young Wolf, will Noelle train with us too, or will she only watch the knights' training?" Anita asked.
"Today she'll only watch," Andras replied. "But once we get her training clothes—hopefully by tomorrow—she'll join us."
"You want to turn a maidservant into a knight?" Anita raised her eyebrows.
"Not exactly," Andras smiled. "Noelle will be a maidservant and a mage. In short: a Magical Maidservant. She won't need to train as hard as the knights. I simply want her to learn how to use a short sword and a dagger. Purely for self‑defense. After all, she is my personal maidservant."
"Understood! Wait… a Magical what? So she's going to be trained as a mage?" Anita was astonished.
"Yes," Andras nodded. "Master Florian accepted her as his student."
"Unbelievable!" Anita exclaimed. "That old codger teaching someone other than you? Then Noelle must be talented indeed, if even the Magus Master acknowledged her."
"Didn't I tell you yet?" Andras asked. "Noelle is a half‑elf."
"What?! A half‑elf? That means half elf, half human? Well, well! Today is full of surprises."
The Young Wolf introduced Noelle to the Wolf Knights. The knights respected and loved Andras, the young Lord of Wolfwood, for not only was he friendly with everyone, but at eight years old he already had the reputation of being an exceptional mage. He could wield two elements, which made him unique in the entire Kingdom.
Moreover, he trained hard with the knights every day, despite his noble status, earning everyone's respect. At such a young age he was already as strong as an average adult Wolf Knight. It was Anita, the female Wolf Knight, who first began calling him "Young Wolf" instead of "Young Lord" or "Young Master." The name quickly spread among the others, and later all of Wolfwood called him that—even Noelle.
After Noelle became acquainted with the Wolf Knights, she was surprised to find that everyone accepted her. None of the knights said anything bad about her, and none mocked her white hair or pointed ears. Not even behind her back did anyone speak ill of her.
This was partly because, to the knights, it would not have been a knightly act to ridicule a woman—especially a little girl. And partly because they held Andras in such high esteem that they believed Noelle must be special if the Young Wolf had chosen her as his personal maidservant.
At that moment, the little half‑elf girl already knew—or at least felt—that she had finally found a home.
Meanwhile, in the wooded lands of Wolfwood, deep within the Forest of Wolves, a massive behemoth monster basked in the sunlight by the river, not far from its cave. A Stonebear Monster, an alpha male—larger even than most of its kind. He had been the ruler of the forest for a full century. The greatest predator of the woods. A magical beast.
Stonebear Monster (inner thoughts):
"I'm so tired of the taste of meat. I've eaten so many kinds of flesh, but none of them bring anything new, no interesting flavor anymore. I crave something sweet. Something as sweet as those little red berries that grow on the bushes. Those are delicious. And then there's that yellow orb that grows on the trees… even better. Sometimes brown, but always sweet. Many small creatures protect it. Tiny, flying beings—so small, yet so brave. When I roar, everyone else flees from me. But not them! No matter how loud I roar, no matter how fierce, the little ones defend the sweet yellow orb on the tree. But their bravery doesn't matter—I am stronger than them. Much stronger. I cannot tear them apart, but I don't need to, for they cannot harm me either. I am too strong. And so the sweet yellow orb is always mine. So sweet, so delicious!"
Deep within the Forest of Wolves, a wolf pack approached the river. The alpha wolf led them, his gray fur gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The scent of water and prey had drawn the pack here, but soon they sensed the earth‑shaking footsteps. The Stonebear Monster slowly rose from beside the river, its shadow falling over the trees and the wolves.
Its fur was covered in rocks and moss, as if the forest itself had taken shape in its body. When it moved, the ground rumbled and the roots of the trees creaked. The wolves halted, ears pricked, but did not retreat immediately. The alpha wolf stepped forward, growling deeply to declare that this was his hunting ground.
But the Monster roared. The roar swept through the forest like an earthquake. The air vibrated, birds scattered in panic, and even the river's waves rippled under the force of the sound. The wolves instantly understood: this beast was the true ruler of the forest. The alpha wolf backed away, and the pack slowly withdrew into the trees.
The Monster did not pursue them. It simply stood by the riverbank and roared again, as if to proclaim: this is my domain, and there is no place for another's rule. Silence returned to the forest, but every living creature knew that the Stonebear Monster's power could never be questioned.
And another two years passed.