Reigna the Deer Sheperd's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Reigna planted her staff in the snow and scanned the white slopes of North Peak. Wind tugged at her fur cloak. Below, the reindeer grazed in their valley, safe for now. She had sworn to protect them from hunters and thieves who saw only profit in their sacred herd. But the sanctuary stretched across three valleys and two ridges. She couldn't watch it all at once. Reigna needed a way to call for help when danger came. The elders had taught her about the Snow-mu bird, whose cry could travel for miles across the peaks. She gathered fallen branches and stripped bark from the birch trees. By sunset, she had built a tall wooden horn that curved like a question mark. When she blew into it, the sound echoed across the valley like the Snow-mu's haunting call. Reigna climbed to the highest outcrop and planted the signal horn in a crack between two stones. She tested it again. The whooping call rolled down the mountain and bounced back from the cliffs. Any shepherd within three valleys would hear it and come running. She gripped her antler staff and looked out at the white expanse. The reindeer were her family now. This signal would be her voice when enemies came too close. No hunter would take them while she drew breath. But a warning call meant nothing if she couldn't see danger coming. The valleys curved and twisted between the ridges. Trees blocked her view in the lower areas. She needed height and a clear line of sight to all borders. Reigna spent the next three days building a watchtower on the eastern ridge. She lashed thick pine logs together and drove them deep into the frozen ground. At the top, she wove a platform from young branches. She decorated the posts with shed antlers from the herd and hung frost-gem crystals that caught the light. From this height, she could see every approach to the sanctuary. Smoke from distant camps, movement on the trails, shadows crossing the snow. The watchtower would be her eyes. Combined with the signal horn, she now had a way to see threats and call for help. The sanctuary had its first real defense, and Reigna stood ready to use it. Still, watching and warning were not enough. The reindeer needed a place of true safety when danger broke through. Reigna chose a clearing ringed by ancient pines where the snow stayed soft year-round. She built sturdy fences from split logs and wove protective charms into the crossbeams. Inside, she scattered silver moss that the reindeer loved and carved symbols of protection into corner posts. The frost-gems from the watchtower caught moonlight and cast blue shadows across the snow. When she led the herd inside for the first time, they settled without fear. This sanctuary within the sanctuary would be their final refuge. The watchtower would spot threats, the signal horn would call allies, and these walls would stand between her family and any who meant them harm. Reigna touched her antler staff to the gate and whispered a promise to the mountain. She would defend this place with everything she had.