Whitebeard the Ancient's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Whitebeard stood at the cliff's edge and stared down at the human houses below. Smoke rose from their chimneys. Their fences cut across the valley that once fed his herd. His ancestors had grazed these lands for generations, but now wooden walls blocked the old paths. He turned away from the view and walked inland. His hooves clicked against the rocky ground. The cliffside wind pushed at his white beard. He needed a place to gather his scattered herd, somewhere they could stand together and plan their return to the valley. Through the morning mist, he spotted it—a castle of twisted trees and pale birch wood that reached up into the clouds. Vines wrapped around its walls. Seagulls nested in the highest branches and called out as he approached. This was where he would unite them. This was where they would begin.