Wanted: Bears

Their father had issued a decree amongst the Hallows: a standing order for all bears in Auster to be eradicated to help slim down their growing populations. Already there had been a number of instances where Hallowed wolves had been attacked by the predators, including some of their own siblings, and now the bears were beginning to encroach on their territory with impunity. Ember was obviously concerned about the wellbeing of her family and the pack, but being just shy of her first birthday, there wasn't much the almost-yearling could do on her own. So she came up with a foolproof plan: she'd get one of her big brothers to help her.

Ember had tracked down Ciaran and asked him to help her take down a bear. She wanted to ensure the Hallows would be safe from all threats, and with him being so much bigger and stronger and also having a sword, there was no way they could fail! Ember had snuck into the armory before their scheduled rendezvous and nicked a dagger—nothing fancy, but a blade was a blade—and then waited outside the gates of Hearthstone for Kea to join her. He was a much more skilled tracker than she was and she was eager to learn his techniques and see him in action, but more than anything, Ember was excited to get to do this quest with her brother.

"Ember Carpathius"