Chapter 5. Copper and Iron

The following day, I took Laerika to the town registrar with the documents that Dana and Arani had provided, attesting that they had found neither ownership marks nor signs of a collar having been on Laerika's neck. There was also a bit of a surprise in the packet of documents from Bentis. A testament of Laerika's skill at arms and his endorsement for her status of Freesword Bond-guard, a status that allowed her to carry weapons in most cities and towns while in my company, and to participate in any combat related requests assigned from the guild.

The total cost of the registration was a less pleasant surprise, but once it was explained that it was a bond against damages done by the Bonded-guard, I paid the two gold coins.

Previously when I had handed over my citizenship fee, the clerk hadn't even batted one tired eye at the coin that I handed him. This time though, he frowned at the gold coins, turning them one way and then the other before looking at me curiously. He looked like he was about to ask a question, but the knock of some other impatient townsman interrupted him and he didn't have any chance to voice his question.

The rest of that day was spent selling items from my bag, and purchasing things that we might need in the future, then returning to the Crow for an evening of studying and lounging in our room while Laerika tended the fire occasionally and otherwise taunted me with her naked body as she moved around, making sure to pass through my field of vision..

Finally I laughed and tossed aside the Freeswords guild book and wrestled her into bed while she giggled like she had won something from me. Which, I suppose, she had. The brat.

I awoke to Laerika nursing on my flesh as had become her morning habit. It started gently, almost as a distraction and I wondered if she crawled down under the covers subconsciously in her sleep and simply woke up this way, or if it was intentional.

After a morning tussle with her, we both reluctantly dragged ourselves out from beneath the covers and put on robes. With our arms full of clothing, we lightly made our way down the stairs to the bathing room and I pumped water until the tub was full, then heated the tub with my magic until it was steaming. A hot scrub and a bath later, we were more than ready for breakfast which we both caught scent of as we exited the bath and laundry and hurried upstairs to deposit our robes and gather what we would need for the day.

Breakfast in the Crow and Shield was a busy affair with both Tio and Mila scurrying around feeding the merchants from the caravan who had stayed in the inn the previous night. Still, it didn't take long for two heaping plates of eggs, bacon and rolls to be delivered to our table in the corner, and two mugs of breakfast tea to be placed beside them. We dug into the meal with gusto and even though I was listening to the grumblings of merchants, I had more attention for the delicious food than anything going on around us.

We both finished around the same time, with Laerika mimicking my trick of using the bread roll to sop up the last of the egg juices from the plate and stuffing it in her mouth before leaning back and chewing contentedly while I sipped my tea and watched the merchants drop coins on their tables and shuffle out to get the caravan moving toward Pol'Sakhni, the Ducal city to the west, on the coast of the Midrean Sea. Soon, almost the entire tavern room was empty other than Laerika and myself, and three local farmers who had stayed overnight and were returning to their farms after delivering their crops to the market. Mila came by and cleared our plates and mugs, and I left some copper on the table as Laerika and I reluctantly left our seats and departed.

As we left the Crow, Laerika and I were buffeted by a brisk breeze carrying the sounds of the merchants, guards and oxen that were harnessed to the wagons, and we had to step lightly around the perimeter of the action to make our way toward the guild house.

Harum was laying in wait, a mug of tea in his hand and a scowl on his bleary eyed face. Arani was once again at the reception desk tending to documents, and Bentis was assisting Kartha in cleaning by moving furnishings and hauling out rugs for beating.

"You've kept me waiting." Harum remarked as he turned and led Laerika and I into the back for the day's lessons. For me, it was refamiliarization with the runes, sigils and formulae for basic elemental spells. Laerika was handed a tome on anatomy and biology and sent into a back corner where she could not be seen handling it. In this way, Harum could not be accused of having actually taught her any magic, and he could keep her out of the way while reviewing and sharpening my own skills. We spent the day this way, breaking for a mid day meal, and then returning to Harum's dusty room to continue.

As we were leaving, Arani reminded me that the next day I would be spending a half day with her, and insisted that I leave Laerika at the Crow, because she had a small request for me to complete in town when the lessons were done.

I agreed, though Laerika's face showed that she was slightly put out at the idea.

When Laerika and I entered the Crow, I saw Loira sitting at the counter with her attention on the sheets of parchment in front of her. She only glanced up long enough to see us, then returned her attention to her work until I stepped close enough to talk with her.

"You need something, Freesword?" She said, lifting her eyes to look at me after a moment.

"I need to ask a favor of you, Loira." I responded with a shrug.

With a slight tilt of her head she leaned back and raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"Arani has a task for me tomorrow. Guild business, and I can't have Laerika with me for whatever reason."

Loira nodded. "And she can't be at the guild house without you there either, I suppose."

I shrugged. "I'm not sure why, but yes."

Loira grunted and shrugged her shoulders a little. "I suppose she can stay in your room, and she will be safe enough.. Unless you had something else in mind?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Laerika, whom I had not consulted about this since leaving the guild house, then back to Loira.

"I was wondering if she might be of help here. It would be good for her to learn something from your girls, I think."

Loira considered that, then nodded. "Fine. Have her report to Shaila in the morning after breakfast. I will be in the market most of the day myself, but when I am not around, she is in charge."

I nodded, and thanked her, then brought Laerika with me to the dining area, and settled in for the evening meal.

"I want you to try your best to learn from the girls tomorrow. Can you do that?" I asked my dusky skinned companion. Laerika merely smiled and nodded.

"Yes, master." she said after swallowing a bite of the spiced bird Shaila's kitchen had served that night. I smiled back and dug in as well, enjoying the meal and the comparative quiet of the Crow's dining room. With only ourselves and a pair of travelers in attendance, the night was peaceful. The storm had finally blown over and passed, leaving a cool clear night with people walking past the tavern and going about their business without much hurry.

In the morning, after Laerika and I had warmed ourselves with a round of quick sex that ended with her screaming her orgasm into a pillow as I took her from behind, I left her in Shaila's care and hurried to the guild house for the day's lesson with Arani.

Arani had me sit with her at the reception counter and read through the first section of Vahlish laws, and then the companion by laws of the Freeswords guild and talk to her about where I found the two overlapping, and where they diverged. Most of those differences were in how violations were handled before a magistrate had to step in and make a judgement on the crown's behalf. The nobility did not actually want to deal with contract law when it did not have to, otherwise it might set a precedent, and that would sour some relations with merchants or the freeswords, both of which were integral pieces for separate reasons. The merchants because they were the heart of the economy, and the freeswords because they were a quick response security asset, without being a financial burden on the crown such as a standing army, or owing any loyalties to one regional lord or other.

I found it to be an interesting subject in its implications and execution, though it did leave quite a large gap for interpretation which made me uneasy when considering the larger scale of things.

At the noon meal, Arani briefed me on what I would be doing that day; The task Arani asked me to perform was to escort a local brewer from Hawksbarrow to the village of Borton, to the north of Hawksbarrow. The brewer would be delivering a dozen casks to the tavern there, and wanted to be sure that he would have someone there to watch his back in case goblins or some such got bold. Luckily, Borton was only half a day away, and once the merchant was safely there, he would be returning with his nephew in the passenger seat the following day, and I could stay at the tavern in Borton, or race back to Hawksbarrow that evening.

When I asked Arani why she wasn't sending Rancin, or his cronies, she looked at me in surprise and set down the spoon full of meat stew she was about to place in her mouth.

"I suppose you wouldn't have noticed, since they don't like to stay here when they would rather be trickling out their coin at the Docker's Hole.." she said, and her face turned sour at the mention of the tavern brothel. "But, Rancin and the others left Hawksbarrow two days after you did. They signed on to a caravan heading north of Grey Peak, two weeks out of Pol'Sakhni. All three of them should be away for a few weeks unless something happens and the merchants decide to hire more caravan guards from the mercenaries guild."

I blinked and only then did I notice the lighter feel of the place. Kartha had been singing to herself as she swept, and Arani was more generally relaxed since I had returned.

"Oh." I said, simply. "Alright, I guess I will go back to the Crow and let Laerika know that I will be back late tonight."

Arani shook her head. "I already had Sevni, the baker's daughter, to take a message to the Crow for you. Your girl will be fine at the Crow until you return tomorrow."

With only a little concern, I accepted the task and we finished the meal quickly as we heard the wagon approaching.

The trip out to Borton was without incident and the company of the brewer was pleasant. Brewer Galphry was a middle aged man who had taken over the family business from his father and grandfather, and intended to pass it to his son, but the boy was determined to make his life as a guardsman to the duke, and had set out the previous year, leaving Galphry's nephew to inherit and take over the family tradition of brewing 'Hawksbarrows finest ales and meads', according to the talkative brewer.

As we passed through Borton, I caught a glimpse of Balay ducking into a shop with his arms full of goods, and I decided to find Losca and check in on him when I had finished my business with the brewer. Brewer Galphry's nephew was waiting at the Golden Sheaf Inn, and was a tall burly man with only some resemblance to the shorter heavy set brewer. The one indication that the two were related was the matching curly brown hair the two had, and the tendency for both of them to comb the unmanageable hair out of their eyes in an identical fashion. Tandry helped us unload the barrels and roll them gently into the Inn's cellar, stacking them on wooden barrel racks and returning to the wagon for more. When we were done, sweaty and a bit tired from the hour of careful effort, Galphry offered to buy a meal before I started my walk back to Hawksbarrow, and I accepted. After washing up and rejoining the two men, I sat with them and helped myself to some of the spiced mutton and vegetables, and a tankard of Galphry's ale, which turned out to be rather good in my estimation. It had a rich nutty flavor and went down well with the meal. Both Galphry and Tandry smirked, nodding knowingly at the surprised look on my face.

After the meal, Galphry handed me a pouch with two silver and some copper in it for the extra effort of helping unload and store the barrels. I hadn't expected that, but then again, he hadn't expected that I would be pitching in either, so we were both satisfied. I left them both in the Inn enjoying another tankard, and wandered down the packed dirt road which was the main thoroughfare of Borton, looking through the windows of each storefront until I caught sight of Balay's tale-tell red hair and fox ears through the simple glass of the window.

The sun was setting as I opened the door and entered, the door chimes ringing high notes as I stepped through and closed the door after me.

"Welcome, welcome.. I'll be just a moment." Losca's voice sounded out from a back room.

"Take your time, Losca." I called back, as I looked around. Losca's shop was, at a glance, a general store. There were shelves with housewares, pots, pans and small wooden barrels, along with some table covers made of simple lace and napkins of matching patterns. There were other shelves with fabrics in rolls and folded stacks, tall jars of spices, salt and a bin of trail rations and rope, sacks of grain and flour, bed rolls and blankets. There were simple knives, a plow share, and a large barrel of staves that looked like they were made for pitch forks and other hand tools. All in all, Losca seemed to be aiming to cover just about any need that the local farms and residents might have, as well as any that a passing traveler would want, and doing well with it.

I turned back toward the doorway to the back room when I heard Losca enter and give a small laugh.

"Well well. Balay, come look who's found his way to our little shop." He said as he smiled broadly at me. I smiled in return and nodded to him.

"Good to see you, Losca. I hope you've been well, and staying five steps ahead of any ogres."

Losca laughed and nodded, but a voice behind him chimed in as two fox ears peaked up over his master's shoulder. "Only because I keep them distracted, master Nazaqi. It is good to see you well."

"You too, Balay." I replied warmly.

"So, what brings you this way, Freesword?" Losca asked as he made his way behind the counter and leaned his elbows on the polished wooden top, while Balay carried on tending to the store, bringing things out from the back or shifting the contents around to be more presentable.

"I just accompanied brewer Galphry from Hawksbarrow, and I am headed back this evening. I saw Balay and thought I would drop in to say hello and thank you for your help on my way." I said offhandedly.

Losca raised his eyebrows at that and gave a short laugh.

"Our help? Seems to me that it was you who kept Balay and I from being turned into a meal for that great beast when we met."

I shook my head and smiled. "I meant that your name let me into Hawksbarrow when I looked like a dirty pile of rags and flotsam. Corporal Dana was reluctant to allow me to pass until I said I knew you."

Losca's face showed a dawning understanding as he nodded.

"I see. And how is the Corporal?" He asked.

"I assume that she is doing well. I have tried to convince her to allow me to buy her a meal, but that's a bit hard to do when I am staying at her sister's inn, and her meals are free there." I admitted.

The old merchant smiled and I caught the twitch of Balay's ears as he passed me with a matching smile.

"Two of the best people in Hawksbarrow, those sisters. You wouldn't know, but I bought my Balay from Loira some years ago." Losca said as he glanced at the fox man who kept himself busy, though there was a noticeable sway to his tail, and I thought I heard a touch of affection in Losca's voice.

"So, is there anything I can do for you today?" Losca asked, gesturing around to the broad variety of items he had in stock. I gave it some though, and decided that there was something, and perhaps a few items that would be good to have available. So, I listed out some things that I would like to purchase, and a bit of a tale in explanation, Losca and Balay both went about the shop collecting and adjusting a few things, returning some and replacing them with others until I was satisfied and then turning from friends to honest merchants and customers to agree on the price. Then, with those items stowed away in my bag, it was time to go.

"Please send greetings from us to mistress Loira." Balay said, and I gave a nod of promise.

"I will do that, Balay."

With a promise that I would see them both again as soon as I came through Borton again, I was outside and on the road headed back to Hawksbarrow with the daylight fading into darkness. I was hardly worried about being accosted on the road, being so close to regular patrols and farms, so I picked up my feet and started jogging along the packed and occasionally rutted dirt road.

It was a clear and breezy night with the smaller moon chasing the larger high overhead lighting the way, and I arrived at the Crow just as the moons were beginning their downward journey toward the horizon. The dining room was empty, and only Halit remained awake cleaning the last few tables when I entered. She merely nodded and I waved in return as I headed up the stairs. Laerika curled up around me when I slipped under the blankets and settled in for sleep.

The next five days passed in much the same manner as the previous two; checking in at the guild house for any tasks or requests, and doing lessons with Arani or Harum, or sparring with Bentis and occasionally helping around the guild house with the horses just to pass the time. Laerika had expressed some satisfaction with helping around the tavern, and Shaila had given a nod of approval to having her help out when she couldn't join me on a request or task that didn't require two people. The sixth morning that I came in expecting to spar with Bentis, I was surprised to find him clothed for travel, and shouldering saddle bags stuffed with supplies.

"Ah, good morning boy. I'm afraid our practice will have to be put off for a few days." He said as he sipped from a mug.

"I see." I said, looking from him to Arani as she fretted over his clothing.

"It's nothing more than a bit of guild business, boy. One of the guild leaders from Teggerton passed away and they need someone to lend a hand there. Hawksbarrow is nearest to them and.." he looked around the empty guild hall pointedly. "Obviously there aren't enough freeswords here to warrant me staying with both Harum and Arani here to care for things."

I nodded in acceptance of that, though I had no idea of how far Teggerton was or how many freeswords would be there.

"You'll be back as soon as they've chosen their new guild leadership, and with you there, it won't be all that long for the choice to be made, I am sure." Arani said to Bentis, but I was almost convinced she was speaking to reassure herself.

Bentis smiled at Arani and leaned down, kissing her on her lips, then backed away a few inches to look into her eyes.

"You will be fine, and you are right. It will only be a few days there and as soon as I can be certain of their choice, I will be quickly on my way back." He straightened up and looked at me. "And you will have Nazaqi here to deal with things until then."

"I will do the best I can, Bentis." I agreed, and Arani sighed then nodded herself. With that, Bentis left through the back door into the stable yard, secured his saddle bags on the large horse that was proportionate to his large frame and trotted out through the guild house gate.

"Well. No sense letting his absence prevent you from practicing." Arani sighed. I glanced over to where Laerika was waiting patiently and nodded.

"True enough. Come on, Laerika." I said and led her down to the practice room for the day.

"Yes master!" Laerika chirped and followed me eagerly. In the last week with Laerika I had begun to get a measure on her attitude and habits. She seemed eager for just about anything other than leaving bed in the morning, but once I managed that small feat, she seemed to take the momentum and roll with it. Loira had remarked positively on her enthusiasm from the start, if maybe choosing to be silent about her starting abilities, still the other girls at the Crow seemed pleased to work with her. Except for Tio, who had gone a bit cold toward me around others and turned her head whenever I looked in her direction.

I found myself distracted by thoughts of Tio while Laerika and I sparred, though my spear work was mostly up to par, Laerika quickly found her rhythm with her batons and gave my shins and thighs more than a few bruises until she stopped and crossed her arms, then stood there glaring at me.

"Master, you are not concentrating." She stated, and I found myself smirking a little as she did her best impression of Bentis.

I nodded, giving her the point and setting the but of my stave on the ground as I regained my breath.

"I'm sorry, Laerika. I was just thinking about Tio, and wondering if she was alright." I admitted.

Laerika uncrossed her arms, giving me a sympathetic look as she stepped closer.

"She will be alright, master. She won't speak to me either, but I am sure that she will get past this silence. You know you were the first that she has held any feelings about for a long time, right?"

That came as a bit of a surprise, and it took me a moment to recover from the shock of that announcement.

"Oh.. master, you didn't know?" Laerika said in a soft voice.

I shook my head as I took a breath and slowly let it out. It had been.. A long time since anyone had expressed having feelings for me, and maybe I just wasn't used to it. There was Laerika of course, and to a degree I could understand how and why she felt the way she did, but with Tio... I honestly couldn't grasp the concept for some reason. To me, she was a friend, and someone who brought color to the world whenever we had interacted.. At least until I had brought Laerika back with me.

"You need to talk with her, master. At the very least, she deserves to get what she feels out into the open with you." Laerika admonished.

I nodded my head, then blinked as Laerika struck me lightly with her baton.

"But right now, you need to concentrate. Bandits and goblins aren't going to give you a minute because you are confused by a love-sick girl." She said, then hit me harder on a bruise that she had already left on my left thigh. I grunted and leapt back from her, bringing my spear across in a vertical block, backing again and lifting the butt of my stave in a swipe at her leg that met her baton in a parry. Back and forth we traded strikes and blocks, moving around each other while she attempted to close the distance on me and I kept moving around and to one side or the other to keep space between us.

Back on ground level, the two of us washed the majority of the sweat from our faces and necks with cold water pumped from the well behind the guild house. Laerika had stripped off her robes and went only in a chest wrap and loose breeches with ankle boots. I had peeled off my outer and inner robes as well, and wore only my hakama and sandals over my tabi socks. The cold water felt wonderful and refreshing as I wet my hair and slicked it back, the water cascading down my back while the mildly warm sun helped to dry us both as we sat on a bench and leaned back against the rear wall of the guild house.

"So." I said as I watched a small flock of birds chasing a hawk riding thermals over the town. "Love sick?" I asked, turning my head to look at Laerika, who giggled and nodded.

"Maybe a little." she replied, then had an expression cross her face that I couldn't interpret.

"It's not like I have much experience knowing what it looks like or feels like. But from what Shaila and Halit say when Tio isn't around, that is pretty much it." she admitted, and I reached out and laid my hand on her thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze which she acknowledged with a smile.

"More memories from your time below?" I asked, referring to the years she spent in training with her creche mates and siblings. She nodded confirmation and blew out a breath.

"Don't worry master. I am yours, and there is no place I would rather be." she said, turning her sparkling green eyes on me and giving that same smile that always seemed to daze me.

"In some ways, I am glad that I don't have to know how Tio feels, because I do have you. But there are times that I.. I wish that.." She faltered then as her eyes turned sad and she looked up toward the birds chasing and tormenting a hawk while it circled, riding a thermal column.

"I wish that they had found you too." she finished, and as I listened, I understood what she meant.

"It was hard, wasn't it." I said, not openly saying what I meant, but she also understood and nodded.

"I had sisters, and I knew there were times when we almost connected, almost had.." she brought her right hand up and clenched her fingers over her chest as though trying to soothe an ache.

"We shared dreams, stories that we were told about the surface and how.. How pretty it is." she said as a tear welled up in her eye and trickled down her cheek.

"We wanted to walk under the trees, and swim in the streams and lakes together..." her voice softened to a near whisper and then fell silent as I moved closer to her and gathered her in my arms. There was so much I wanted to say to her, but it all sounded wrong in my head. So I said nothing, and just held her as she leaned her head into my shoulder, shivering and stifling silent sobs for a while. I just held her and kept silent as I watched the sun set beyond the roof tops.

Eventually her sobs stopped and she wiped away the tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands, then we put on our robes and dressed for the coming night's chill. We passed through the guild hall on our way out, wishing Arani and Kartha good night. Harum was still in his room studying until supper.

The streets of Hawksbarrow were not overly full, and we walked side by side, Laerika leaning into me with my arm around her shoulders.

"You know that.. If you and your sisters had all found me, you would have had to share, right?" I asked, picking up the subject from earlier.

"Mhm." She agreed.

"Doesn't that thought bother you?" I asked, and suddenly found her looking up at me as though I were slightly dumb, then she laughed and shook her head as she leaned forward forcing us to continue walking.

"No, master. I would love to share you with others.. It.." She faltered, shaking her head like she was trying to clear her thoughts so she could say what she meant.

"I know that..where you came from, things are different. There is so much competition between men for women, and between women for men. It all just seems so silly to me from my perspective." she said, and reached up to where my hand was laying lightly on her shoulder, gripping it and holding it close to her.

"You are so much more than I had ever been taught to expect, and.. I think I would want others to know and experience what you give to me." She said while watching a gaggle of children running down a lane, then up into my eyes.

"I don't just mean the passion, master. I mean how much you care for me and make me feel comfortable and cherished."

I blushed a little, shaking my head in denial.

"I don't really.. I mean, there is a lot that I could be doing and." I faltered as she tapped my chest with the back of her hand.

"Compare a candle to the sun, master, and you will know the difference between what I knew and what you have given to me." she said, looking up at me straight faced and without even a hint of embellishment.

"Hmm" I hummed, thoughtfully, and started to see things from her angle.

We dodged around a small tangle of boisterous farm boys who were already deep into their revelry and drink, even this early in the evening, and continued on our way.

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The South Forest

Two days after that, we were surprised at breakfast by a note from Arani, delivered by a blond girl who must have only seen ten summers. Her pants were a bit short, and her tunic sleeves were threadbare, but she looked healthy and clean otherwise. She had bumped her way through the front door of the Crow and stood panting as she surveyed the dining area until she locked eyes on Laerika and I, then hurried over with a scrap of parchment in her hand and thrust it toward me.

"Message... from..mistress Arani." she panted and leaned over with her hands on her knees when I took the note.

Opening the note, I started reading, while Laerika pulled a chair out for the girl, who sat reluctantly. My eyes passed over the three short lines, and then back to my food.

"Have you had breakfast?" I asked the girl, and got a reluctant head shake from her. I nodded, and slid my plate in front of her.

"We won't have time to eat, I am afraid, and Loira dislikes wasting food. Help us out and finish for us, please." I said as I stood up, nodding to Laerika who followed my example.

"I.. But, I.." the girl fumbled uncomfortably, until an older woman's voice chimed in.

"He's right, dear. Eat up, or Loira will be a bit put out that the food went to waste."

Shaila stood one table over, clearing plates and nodded to the girl as the three of us looked over.

"Go on Sev', eat. I know your father doesn't concern himself with you if you aren't helping out at the bakery, and master Nazaqi already paid for it."

I smiled at Shaila for backing up my choice as the girl hesitated, and then started digging into the sausage and eggs like a starveling.

Laerika gave me a curious look as we passed through the dining hall to the stairs.

"Arani got a request from one of the local ranchers this morning. She needs us to look into things." I said, which was all I knew myself. We hurried to the room and changed, grabbing everything we might need and made a fast exit from the inn clothed for travel and carrying my pack and a bundled bed roll and cloak tied over Laerika's shoulder.

Arani was still talking with the rancher when Laerika and I entered the front door of the guild house. Kartha was just handing the man a mug of tea and taking away an empty, while Harum scratched out some notes while Arani asked questions.

"When did you notice the footprints?" Arani asked as the older man sipped from the mug, and tried to calm himself.

"Yesterday, my boy Talmun counted the heads when he brought them in from the pasture and one was missing. So I took Lukos with me to walk the fences. Lukos started barking when we got to the far fence, near the forest. When I got close to see what had him excited, I saw the break in the fence and wolf tracks on the other side."

Harum grunted and scribbled some more as Laerika and I approached, catching the older man's attention, which brought Arani's eyes up. She held her palm out to have us wait and listen while she continued to talk.

"You hadn't noticed that before?" she asked.

The older man shook his head, greying hair falling in front of his eyes briefly before he swept it out of his face distractedly.

"Neh, A calf will slip the fence every now an' then. But they always manage to find their way back to the barns before sun up, no worse for wear. But this time it was a heifer. One of my better ones too."

As the man spoke, I detected a slightly different dialect, like he had moved here from somewhere long ago, and was still getting used to the way the locals spoke, gradually losing the way he used to speak unless he was upset. I had known plenty of people just like him, and I could tell he was agitated by the slip in dialect and the shifting in his seat and twitching of his hands around the steaming mug.

"Right." Harum said as he looked over his notes. "And Baron Vasney won't be bothering himself for one heifer, either."

I realized then that this was the cattle rancher that Losca had spoken of when we had broken out of the forest on my first day in Hawksbarrow, and struggled to remember the man's name until Arani spoke.

"Narmis.. You should know that if it was wolves, that heifer is long past returning." she said, attempting to be gentle with her conclusion, and the rancher nodded with a sigh.

"Aye, damnit. I know tha', but I can't afford losin' more just because Vasney's men won't be back for several days and won't deprive his'self o' his personal protection." Narmis said, slipping further into his agitation before taking a deep breath and blowing it out.

At that point she nodded and turned to look at Laerika and myself.

"Maybe we can put them on the run, then." she said, and I gave her a nod.

"I will do what I can." I said, speaking up for the first time.

Narmis turned and looked me over slowly, and I felt him assessing me in my foreign clothing and in the company of a collared desert elf who was dressed similarly.

Neither of us had gotten around to revisiting the clothiers for what we had purchased, but the clothing she wore then would suffice for a hunt. I watched his expression change from speculative to doubtful, then to resigned in less than four breaths before he turned back to Arani.

"I'll pay your fee, Freesword, and two silver more if you bring me proof of them being culled." He said, and I knew that the bartering had begun.

Meanwhile, Kartha and Laerika were making sure that we had enough food and bandages in case the hunt for the wolves turned into a days long venture, which it very well could be. Harum left the haggling to Arani and came over to speak with me.

"You wouldn't know, because we haven't mentioned it, but the forest to the south side of the river is known to be dangerous," he said softly.

"And he decided to make his ranch there?" I said, surprised at the decision.

Harum shrugged and sighed. "When Narmis came here, he wasn't familiar with the ways of things here in the borderlands. He thought he was getting a chance of a lifetime. Even though Vasney has stuck to his duty as the lord of this land, and sent his men to patrol the forest, it isn't deep and it isn't often. Still, Narmis has done well for himself since he settled here and I would hate to see him choose to uproot and make some other place wealthier for it."

I grimaced and nodded. "What can you tell me about the forest?" I asked.

Harum shook his head. "Not all that much. Goblins and wolves, ogres and orcs, and plenty of other things live in that forest all the way into the southern mountains. Sometimes things find their way out of them and onto the south road. Other times they wander into a town now and then, but we've been lucky here in Hawksbarrow and not seen much trouble in many years. Most times, the patrols catch the signs of them being around and gather up enough men to send trouble running, or resolve it before it becomes trouble." He shrugged and glanced over toward Arani and Narmis as they put the agreement in writing and made their marks.

In the end, he agreed to pay a silver per pelt in addition to the fee of one gold. Half of the fee would go to me along with the silvers to show him the pelts of each kill, the rest to the guild, and the pelts themselves could be sold to the tanner.

Laerika and I followed Narmis south over the bridge toward the baron's keep, but turned away from it at the first branching of the road and followed it out of the western gate. From there it was an hour hike to the fence line of rancher Narmis land. We didn't talk much other than when he pointed out where the fenceline led off toward the edge of the forest, and followed it at nearly three hundred yards distance for the entire length of his property. In the pasture, I could see cattle and the men who were walking around keeping watch over them with large shaggy hounds loping along responding to whistled commands to keep the cattle from wandering too close to the forest.

"I've things t' be doin', so I'll 'ave one of me boys take you t' where t' fence was broke and show you te' tracks." Narmis announced as he raised his hand high, catching the attention of the nearest ranch hand who trotted in our direction.

"Understood. We will come back and keep you apprised of what we find. Though if the wolves travel much, it may be a few days." I said giving him an honest level of expectation from the start. Narmis looked up at me, meeting my eyes for a moment and then nodded.

"You need something, Narmis?" Said the young man as he trotted up with a shaggy brown hound at his heel.

"Jondir, this is Freesword Nazaqi. I want you t' take him t' the break in the fence and show him the tracks. Answer any questions he's got, then leave him t' his work." Narmis instructed.

Jondir looked over at me and Laerika as he leaned on the two level split-rail fence, giving us a once over then nodded. He was a short, sturdy man in his early twenties by my guess. He had the same brown hair and dark eyes that Narmis had, but the shape of his chin and eyebrows differed, indicating he was probably related to the rancher. He wore sturdy pants and boots, and a vest over a rough spun tunic that looked just as worn but clean and cared for as the rest of his clothing.

"Hop the fence, we'll cut across the pasture to save time." He said and I climbed over, then helped Laerika as she followed. Crossing the pastures became a bit of a dance after the first time that I stepped into something which turned out to be a bit less than solid, and also a bit odorous. But, what can you do? Cows will do as they have always done with no apologies to anyone. I was just happy to get most of it off of my boot by the time we reached the far side of the pasture.

As we neared the break in the fence, my mind was already taking in the facts, and I didn't need Jondir's running commentary on what had happened. Looking down the line of split rail and post, I could see where the cattle had rubbed against it in places, pushing posts outward here and there where they weren't planted deep enough, or had been left to the passage of time and decay. Where the rail had fallen, there was a break near the post, and the short end hung from the post dejectedly. The wood was dry and crumbling, and I could tell that it should have been replaced long ago, but for various reasons it simply hadn't been.

I could also tell that the ranch hands had tramped over a great deal of the tracks that might have told more of the story because the prevalence of muddy boot prints and scuffs were far more obvious than even the hoof prints that told of how the heifer had decided that the grass was greener and worth a wander.

Just to be clear, I was not in my previous life, and I am still not any kind of hunter or tracker. But what I do have is the ability to see things, and a mind that can reason out the how and the why. So the broken stems and dry branches along a certain path was all the indication that I needed as to which direction I would follow.

I straightened and looked over my shoulder to Jondir.

"If we haven't returned in three days, then Master Narmis need only pay the guild fee, because we won't be back to collect." I stated, waiting for him to piece together my meaning and give an acknowledging nod. Then, I glanced at Laerika and set out to follow the trampled path into the tree line and the forest beyond.

Half an hour into the trees, we stopped, and I passed Laerika my canteen after taking a swallow of water for myself. While she was slaking her thirst, I pulled my bag from my shoulders and retrieved both her staff, and the belted short swords that I had stowed away for her use. Then I laid out the leather harness and cuisses that I had purchased at Losca's shop, having gotten them approximately fit using Balay's slender frame. I helped Laerika into the armor and assisted with the buckles and straps to make sure it did not hinder her movement, but kept her mostly protected in case we were attacked. Her robes would have to make due for armor padding, at least until I could have her recognized by the Hawksbarrow guard as my Bonded-guard. I didn't want to cause a stir by bringing her out of the tavern in full kit, and I also had not had time to take her to an armorer. Everything in its own time, as they say, and usually never when it is truly needed.

As Laerika settled the short swords at the small of her back, out of the way and yet right where she was most comfortable drawing them, I put away the rest of what I had laid out, and nodded as she looked further into the forest. With my naginata secured in spear form, I led the way as we continued to follow the hoof prints deeper into the sun speckled gloom of the forest.

Following the tracks of the cow was not all that easy, at least it wasn't until the way the hoof prints landed in the thick loam and duff changed. Suddenly they spread out, the hoof prints deeper and more desperate, the soil disrupted in a broader area and so it was almost easier to follow in that regard. Then the first wolf tracks appeared crossing and trailing behind and splitting off again as they corralled and herded the cow in some direction only they knew. Our pace picked up as the trail became easier to follow, not only because of the depth of the hoof prints, but because of the incidental breakage of stems, and tufts of hair left in the cows wake.

Our pace slacked here and there, the terrain climbing and falling as we encroached further into the depths of the forest, and then I noticed that we had entered an area of oak trees, interspersed with yew and elm. The trunks were spread out a little, shrubs and brambles had grown in the gaps creating a maze of thorns and piles of branches and fallen trunks that channeled our progress. It was then that I looked both left and right and noticed the rising mounds of earth in the distance. As we progressed they had become closer and taller and I had a suspicion of what lay ahead and how far we had left to travel before we found what we were seeking.

The wolf prints, as we progressed, had been erratic and infrequent as though hurried and impatient. As we reached the first crossing of a small slow flowing stream, I found the first clear print. It was wide and long enough to span my entire palm and then some, with four clear claw marks at the ends of the pads. I did a rough comparison and imagined this wolf to be nearly two hundred pounds and probably hip or waist high at the shoulder. Clearly they were dangerous, so I reminded Laerika to keep her eyes open for any signs of movement as we continued. We crossed and recrossed the stream as we got further into the gorge that was forming to our left and right, the mounds of earth and the trunks of trees rising higher and steeper as we went until they reached several feet over our heads.

As the walls closed in on our flanks, a thinning of the brush and brambles, as well as a thinning of the tree trunks announced a clearing ahead. I slowed our pace and kept my eyes up, more than down following the tracks as we converged with the meandering flow of the stream, walking along its gently sloped bank until the brush spread out along the banks of a pool that ended in an idyllic fall of water that splashed and sang from stone to stone down the height of the twelve foot drop.

It was on the right bank of that pool that the remains of the cow lay, surrounded by the scuffed and churned soil that marked the place of its final struggle. Flies buzzed over the carcass in places, and large chunks had been torn from it, leaving the main cavity empty and one hip exposed where the leg had been removed and dragged off to be consumed elsewhere in the clearing. I heard the near silent rasp of Laerika's short blades clearing their sheaths and nodded as my hands gripped the sheath-grip of my naginata and stood still, my eyes roaming and taking in the scene from one bank to the far shore and up to the top of the falls.

Instinctively, and knowing the territory, the wolves had driven the heifer into a trap, harrying and exhausting their prey until it had nowhere to turn. They had then backed it into a corner where it had only the depth of the pool on one side, and the uncertain and unsteady climb of the gorge face on the other as they had closed in and finally driven the heifer to the ground, hooves and paws churning the damp earth until only the wolves still moved.

With the number of prints, I could not even begin to count how many wolves there might be, but by the size of the kill and how much was still left, I estimated no more than a dozen. I had stepped slowly closer to the carcass, examining the prints and the spread pattern of where and how the wolves feasted as I gathered both the events and numbers, so I was only eight feet away from the heifers' remains when I heard a note of concern from Laerika. I brought my eyes up, glancing around at the tangle of brush and bramble lining the clearing, but nothing presented itself as an immediate concern until I looked up to the ridge surrounding the gorge and let out a soft curse. The wolves had returned from wherever their lair was, intent on continuing their feast and had found us.

There were eight large smoke-grey bodies that I could count, all with intent yellow or grey eyes focussed on Laerika and I as they scented the air in curiosity and anger at having their food discovered and their territory trespassed. The light crackle of crushed leaves brought my head around to the presence of three more shaggy grey forms emerging from the underbrush and low growls as I reached behind myself to catch hold of Laerika's trembling arm and pulled her around me as we switched places, with myself now facing the more immediate threat of the wolves approaching on our level.

I took a deep breath and brought forth images of runes and formulae as they stepped closer, reaching a mark of twenty feet from where I stood. The runes of earth and air waited in the back of my mind, forming slowly, but the rune for body came first, overlaid by speed and thought to form a sigil surrounded by the complex symbols required for the spell. I spoke to Laerika as the mana flowed from within and I felt the spell take hold.

"Crouch down!" I commanded, just as my perception of the world changed, the wolves' rumbling growls lowering in frequency and the wind in the trees slowing as the branches ceased their constant back and forth sway and began gently moving in a much slower dance. But it wasn't the world around me that had slowed, but myself that became four times faster, thought, perception and movement as I brought my naginata up and around, turning in place with the blade of my weapon outstretched describing an arch that included the ridgeline and the ground between myself and the approaching wolves on the bank of the pool.

It was then that the earth rune flared in my awareness, brightening with fire and motion as it took my intent from the symbols I blanketed it in. The earth along the ridge, and the span of ground between myself and the now trotting wolves shook, then broke and suddenly erupted in spikes that shot skyward, some managing to pierce the two nearest wolves on the bank, or those who were not quick enough to react along the ridge. Yelps and howls of pain, muted and warped by my perception erupted all around us as the grey forms scattered in slow motion.

Several had evaded the second spell's effects, either through experience or instinct, they had leapt either further away where they could reassess the situation and find another less hazardous approach to their enemy, or had lurched forward on the offense and managed to avoid being impaled in the black needle sharp spikes. The two who were closest sped towards myself and more precisely toward Laerika who was the smaller of the two, and seemed the lesser threat. That assumption proved fatal the moment that the first wolf lurched toward my graceful cambion lover. Her short blades flashed and flicked, interweaving a constantly moving defense with short, precise stabs of lethal accuracy. The wolf came in, jagged toothed maw wide and seeking her outthrust leg, only to leap back in a spray of blood having lost an eye and an ear and scurrying back in a spin that fouled his packmates approach and ended when the source of the red mist became clear. Two slashes and a precise stab to the neck, all in one exchange, and Laerika none the worse for it as she recovered.

My attention though was not for the wolves inside the perimeter of the earth spike defence, but instead I was focussed on the rapid advance and sudden leap of one of the larger wolves from the ridge line. Its lean muscles launched it up and over the hazardous stone fence in an arch that took it nearly to the pools bank, if not for the upward sweep of my naginata's blade, it would have been a picture of natural poetry and grace, but again an agonized yelp sounded as it landed, crumpling and writhing until it splashed into the pool, fouling the water and staining it, pinking it with the wolfs life.

I had held the air rune in check, drawing on the mana of the forest around me to empower the spell, and when a startled yelp came from Laerika I felt the mana flow out of me as my right hand formed a knife edge, chopping downward toward the side of the wolf that had gotten close enough to grasp her boot in its teeth and had started dragging her off balance and nearly seated on the dry leaves she was scooting across.

A blade of air formed in the gap between the arch of my hand and the wolf's flank that leapt forward impacting just behind the shoulder, carving deeply into its side and throwing it across the ground to impact with the roots of the stone spikes, shattering the earthen needles as the last of the mana faded, releasing their hold on the stone and letting it crumble. The sudden change in direction that Laerika was being dragged spun her and she lay splayed out, the sword in her left hand sliding across the ground and burrowing under the layer of leaf and loam. I moved from where I had been, and stood over her as another dark furred form burst through the stone spikes, shattering them in its passage and erupting out over the crest and down the incline towards me, golden eyes blazing in fury and nearly vibrating with an energy that I had almost missed entirely.

Larger than the rest by a third, and bearing a map of scars across muzzle and frame telling of years of battle and survival, this wolf's fur was almost as black as the caverns from which Laerika and I had crawled. Where the other wolves of his pack had eyes of yellow or grey, this wolf's eyes were literally shining golden enmity and insatiable hunger. He was enormous, shoulder height on Laerika and weighing almost twice my own weight at least as he crouched low, snarling and revealing dagger sharp fangs, yellowed with his years but no less dangerous with the strength evident in his jaws.

"Master?" Laerika's disoriented voice came from below, drawing the wolf's attention for a moment, until I twitched the blade of my nagi toward it.

I spoke slowly, so that she would understand.

"Move.. slowly.. Crawl..to..the..falls.. Now!" I said, keeping my eyes on the large wolf, and sliding my right foot forward and adjusting my grip on the haft of the naginata, moving the blade back and forth to keep his attention on me and not on my injured and disoriented companion.

The wolf's eyes followed the glittering black blade, then came back to mine, meeting my gaze in a calculating way as a deep, rolling growl rumbled from its maw. A line of saliva dripped in slow motion as I felt and heard Laerika sliding slowly across the ground behind me to the tumbled stones of the waterfall.

Around the perimeter of the gully, I sensed and heard the shuffle of furred paws jockeying for position to observe as their leader contested with the intruders. Others had moved to the banks of the pool, but none were anywhere near Laerika and none dared venture into the arena where I and their leader faced off. I watched as the massive wolf's muscles bunched under his thick fur, and then he lunged toward me, rear claws digging into the turf, launching him forward as I shifted my weight and brought the haft of my weapon down and across in a lateral parry that shoved the wolf's enormous maw away and to my right. My feet danced across the leaf strewn ground, twigs and browned leaves erupting in a spraying arch in my path as I brought the blade around in a close cross slash that cut only air as the wolf danced back, snarling again as we circled one another.

I dropped my weight, feigning an attack and he matched me, motion for motion as I twitched and provoked, making short jabs toward his head or shoulder. Then he tired of waiting and lunged toward me again. This time I had my back toward the gorge wall where his pack mates waited and watched above. I skipped back, and back again until I felt the incline at the base of the gully wall and leapt back and up as he came on just out of reach of my blade.

I pushed my left foot back and downward, catching just enough traction for my right foot to follow and pushed hard, shoving myself up and over the black wall of fur and anger, then twisted my body in mid air, tucking the naginata in close except for the blade that sliced down and across the wolf's back, thudding in impact and scraping across his thick hide and leaving a crease in his flank that slowly filled with blood as he spun, snarling in place to orient on me again where I landed and back stepped to keep my balance, moving once again to place myself between him and Laerika. She sat with one leg pulled close and the other stretched out before her, one hand held palm out toward her twisted ankle.

The problem lay in that my back was now toward the pool of water, Laerika was on my left and the crumbling fence of stone spikes with three wolves lurking in wait was to my right. I slid my left foot back, bracing for a charge with my naginata in a forward guard, blade held on a level with the black wolf's head and dancing there to keep its eyes on the weapon as I fought to pull mana from my surroundings without hampering Laerika's healing spell.

I slide-stepped left, edging myself between the wolf and Laerika, trying to provide her more protection while she healed her leg, and danced the tip of my sword-spear back and forth, as the wolf glared at the blade and then at me. But the black wolf was not some yearling pup. He was the lord of his pack, and an accomplished veteran of battle, he knew what a delaying tactic was. He dropped his left shoulder, feigning a move away from Laerika and I saw the light flash in his eyes as my blade followed, only to jig back to his right and lunge in past the point and then open his mouth wide as he sought to catch his prey around the neck with his teeth. In my desperation, I dropped my left knee and thrust my naginata out and into the rapidly approaching maw, holding it away from me. But the mass and momentum was too much for me to handle unprepared, so I rolled with the movement, bringing my feet up to his sternum and kicking up hard from the ground and managed to flip the wolf up and over me.

There was a moment in that action that our eyes met, and a knowing look passed behind that golden gaze. A look that was triumphant. This stupid two legger had transgressed into his domain and challenged him and his pack. He had stood triumphant against enemy after enemy, and challenged the previous pack leader, won, and won again after each green whelp challenged Him only to fall and die or be chased from his territory. Even as his body twisted, and turned, our eyes remained locked. Even as his body splashed down into the pool, his legs finding purchase and rising up while I found myself on my knees, our eyes remained focussed in a contest of wills and survival. I had maintained my two handed grip on the haft of the naginata, but I had ended in an inferior position to continue the fight. All he had to do was release his bite on the grip and snatch either of my arms for this fight to be all but over.

It was the whimper, equal parts fear and determination that caught both of our attention. The wolf's lowered left ear lifted slightly, and his eyes shifted in that direction as I caught the flash of pale hair, and the scrape of leather on stone.

"Laerika! NO!" my mind screamed, and in a fraction of a second my mind executed a desperate gamble, the runes of air and water, combined upright and inverted in a sigil of contradiction and completion as my mana surged into the spell from within me, forming and rushing forward through my arms and into the naginata that glowed a brilliant white-gold for just an instant. I saw the eyes of the wolf turn, and the muscles of his jaws relax in preparation to release and turn to face this new threat, the long tongue curling up around the woven leather wrapping.

In the next fraction of a second the mana left me entirely. The spell forming and the mana heavy bolt of electricity coursed through the naginata into the jaws of the wolf, and through him to the water of the pool. And like a lightning rod, the electricity seized every muscle in his body, his jaws slammed shut once again, several teeth cracking loudly against the sheath in my hands. His golden eyes dilated until there was nothing but endless black, and his entire body nearly hopped in place until the current finished traversing through him and into the ground leaving him twitching and stunned, wobbling in place and helpless to evade the small body of my lover as she barreled into his side, short sword leading the way in her desperation. I heard the SHUNK sound of the blade splitting open his skin and sliding in until the hilts slammed into his ribs stopping its forward momentum..but not soon enough to prevent the blade from cutting through his heart, killing the aged master of the forest in the moment of his imminent triumph. Learika leaned into the wolf's side as he collapsed with a confused and agonized whimper, then his eyes closed and he breathed out one last time as the clearing became entirely silent but for the light, musical sound of the water falling over the stone and into the pool.

For several long moments, there was stillness, and just the sound of my breathing and Laerika's. The heat of the late afternoon sun brought sparkles of light from the waterfall, and warmed my sweat damp skin, and brought the wafting scent of blood, rich loam and leaf decay, and the mineral tang of the water to my nose. Then the wind rolled through the trees, hissing its own verdict as it swayed the branches, and dropped down to race through the brush, picking up leaves to dance and tumble in its wake as it passed on beyond hearing or sight. I stood up unsteadily, spots still dancing in my eyes as my body suffered from the sudden draw of mana. I turned my head, and looked up at the ridge line, knowing that both Laerika and I were at our most vulnerable. But the three wolves who watched over us as the stone needles all finally crumbled back into the earth only stared impassively for several breaths. Then, one after another, they turned and slipped back into the forest, followed by the ones who had waited near the far end of the pool, all silent as grey furred ghosts.

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With the dim light of day fading, Laerika and I recovered and assured ourselves and each other that we were well and had survived our first adventure. Then we looked around us, and got down to the business that we were being paid to accomplish. Laerika climbed up the bank of the gully with my assistance and dragged down the three carcasses from above while I dragged the four from around the pool and then we both joined efforts and hauled the black wolf from the pool. Laerika, no expert in the process of skinning, did her best to remove the hides while I also did my amateur best to follow her example. At the last moment, I went with a hunch, cutting and clawing my bare arm up into the body cavity of the black wolf, fingers searching and probing until I found what I was looking for. I pulled the grizzly prise from just behind the wolf's breast bone, and rinsed it off while also washing my body of all of the blood and dirt that I had accumulated since stepping foot into the clearing. Laerika kept a watch over me as the water washed away the blood to reveal an oblong irregular crystalline shard the length of my palm and as wide as two fingers. It had a grey sheen to it that was almost iridescent in the last spears of fading sunlight that pierced through the trees, and if it were not for Laerika, impatiently waiting her turn to wash herself clean of blood and viscera, I would have indulged the almost hypnotic pull of the shard.

Instead, I finished washing my hair and skin, and walked out of the pool to retrieve a dry cloth and a change of clothing to dress in while Laerika eagerly splashed into the water and groaned in pleasure as she scrubbed, even in the chilling water of the pool. I pulled out Laerika's spare clothing as well as another large cloth for her to dry herself with, but I started to worry about the trip back to Hawkbarrow as the last of the light slipped through the high leaves of the trees far overhead and left us in dim twilight. I wanted to be well away from the blood and viscera of the carcasses before we had to stop for the night, so reached once more into the pack and pulled out a hand held cage made of brass, and thin glass panes with a thumbnail sized crystal set into the wire frame in the center. I had listened carefully as Losca had instructed me in the use of this device, and he had only ever sold a few from his shop due to the lack of those who had the ability to channel much less sense their innate pool of mana.

Laerika dressed hurriedly as the evening breeze chilled her damp skin, and looked up as a cool bluish light slowly filled the clearing.

"Are you ready, Laerika?" I asked as I slung the bag over my shoulders. We had stuffed the hides into the bag along with the blood and sweat soaked clothes we had worn, rather than carrying them and risk the scent of blood leading scavengers or other predators to us in the dark.

"Yes, master." She said, looking into my eyes with those bright green orbs, and in spite of a lingering sense of something that needed to be addressed, I smiled and nodded, then I turned and started leading the way back along the scuffed and torn path that the heifer and the wolves had made in their desperate chase.

As we walked, I could not help but ponder what it was that lingered in the back of my mind. There was some fear, an anger there, that resisted my mind's ability to pin it down and examine it, to understand it and delve into what caused it. I knew that it was centered on Laerika, and I could even sense a kind of confusion, though it was muted and distant, through our bond.

That too was a thing that I had not spent nearly enough time considering. This connection that Laerika and I had, which had been forced on both of us. At times I could sense a hint of what she was feeling, and it confused me. It could almost be described as an echo of emotion that at times harmonized with my own, and at other times conflicted or countered what I was feeling. When I concentrated on that sensation, I began to be able to separate and isolate the emotions, one from the other until I grasped which were my own and which were hers. With that, I decided that the confusion and worry were entirely Laerika's, which left the anger and fear and that was solidly mine. So I delved into them, rooted them out and traced the path of them to when she had risked her life to save my own.

It was like shining daylight onto mold, it burned away the fear and the anger slowly but inevitably even as I let out a soft chuckle. In the end, it was akin to the frustrated, helpless worry for the well being of someone dear and essential to one's self. It had just taken me by surprise in how it manifested. Laerika was no more a child than I, and yet I was allowing my own pride and self confidence to tell myself that I was the wiser, the more able, the one who was more responsible for the other. It contradicted and denied Laerika's own agency and dismissed her bravery and commitment as foolhardy. I resolved to acknowledge and reward her for saving me at the pool, and returned my attention to the forest around us.

We had traveled for over an hour, and the night was black under the tree tops, the forest still and silent beyond the soft hooting of owls, and the screech of night hunters in the far distance. Not much further on, I began to notice the light steps of my companion had turned to shuffling, plodding motions that told of her exhaustion. And to be honest, I was on the verge of being in the same state myself. I decided to turn my attention to finding us some measure of shelter. We could continue the journey in the morning when we were fresh, and daylight could guide our steps.

With Laerika trailing behind me, one hand clutching at my belt and almost leaning her weight on her hold on me, I stepped off of the path a ways and found a place where two large trees had fallen over a tall pile of stones to create a cove of sorts. Some long past storm had blown the trees hard enough that their roots tore free from the earth, leaving them exposed to the sky. But chance had also laid them one over the other at the point where a head-high mound of boulders had kept them from landing in the loam and becoming subject to the moist earth and termites that would have slowly broken them down. Earlier while we followed the heifer's path, Laerika and I had passed this landmark, and I had noted it for its unusual and unlikely configuration.

There was room enough behind the spreading tangle of roots exposed to the air, and the point at which both trunks crossed that I could set up the tent that I had inherited from Bentis and Arani, so guiding Laerika to one side, I set about putting up our shelter. I had also considered using my magic to shape the earth into a crude cave using the tree trunks and boulders at our back, but I instead chose to save the mana for ward-runes that would alert me to approaching beasts or enemies instead.

A number of minutes later, with the tent standing, the sleeping pad ready and the ward stones set, I turned away from the tent with a tired smile to find Laerika half-slumped over, already on the verge of sleep as she sat leaning her back against the lower curve of the man-tall trunk. I tossed our packs into the tent, I gently scooped the girl up in my arms and settled her onto the thick sleeping pad, then covered us both in the thick blanket as I nestled myself up behind her, spooning against her back and let myself drift into sleep as well.

The forest, thick with the dark of night, was far from silent. I woke in startled silence multiple times listening to screeches, howls and distant screams and crashes of struggle between predator and prey as the denizens of the forest continued the primeval struggle for dominance and balance that the civilized races had fought their way out of and had maintained a weary vigilance against for eons. The ward stones remained, no pulses of mana had jolted me from my sleep to shock me into battle readiness, and the warmth and solid presence of my companion tucked against me lulled me back into sleep again and again. So when the ward-stones released a flash of the stored mana back into me, it felt like I had been doused with a bucket of cold water. I sat up gasping and shaking my head blearily, only stilling myself when realization dawned on me that the invisible and intangible trip lines had been crossed from outside of the perimeter. Laerika mumbled discontentedly at the sudden rush of cold air as the blanket was pulled up with me, but I quickly reached out to cover her mouth to silence her. She stiffened under my grip, as I kept my eyes on the door flap of the tent and I only released her when she tapped my wrist letting me know that she was alert and aware of the situation.

As silently as we could, we slipped out from under the blanket, and positioned ourselves in a low crouch facing the tent flap. We waited, listening for movement outside the tent and heard only occasional scratches and muffled hisses that could have been leaves scratching against each other in the wind. I slipped forward and took hold of the tent flap, slowly pulling it open just enough to look out through the gap that faced the wide arching roots of the fallen trees. In the uncertain dark, I could see movement beyond the roots. Whatever had triggered the ward stones was small, the movement I could see beyond the tangle of roots was furtive, cautious and indistinct even with my enhanced vision.

Leaning toward her, I spoke softly to Laerika.

"I will go first, watch behind us and when I warn you, close your eyes."

I felt her nod in understanding and picked up my sheathed naginata, waiting for Laerika to belt on her short blades and tap me to signal that she was ready. When I got her signal, I started moving slowly, parting the flaps and moving slowly in a crouch. Slowly, I parted the canvas, one step. Then I glanced left and right as my head passed through, another step. I couldn't see anything but the rough bark of the tree trunks to my left or right, and the flicker of the occasional star through the branches and leaves above. Another step. As the canvas slid past my shoulders my right hand went to the grip of my sheathed weapon and I took one more cautious step toward the gap between the arch of spread roots ahead of me. The moment my hand settled I heard the sound of something hard shifting against bark behind me and to my left. My head and body turned at the same time as I rose up, which likely saved my life as I caught the cold shine of starlight on metal as it descended toward me. I fell back just before I felt the impact against my shoulder and left thigh. The shock of a sharp impact tore into me, knocking my leg out from under me just before the pain swept up through my hip, pulling a grunt from me. I heard my attacker roll away from me, tumbling over the ground and leaving something behind. A short spear, wagging back and forth in my thigh, causing waves of nauseating agony to roll over me again and again as my attacker snarled in a high pitched voice.

"FUCK!!" I gasped out involuntarily.

"Master!" Laerika called out in alarm as she emerged.

I had to act. I had to concentrate. Laerika didn't have my ability to see in the dark and wasn't paying attention to the shadow rising from the top of the tree trunk behind her.

"Eyes!" I barked out as I lifted my right hand and called on a rune, feeding it mana and releasing it above the tent. "Sowilo!" and closed my eyes tight just as the magic brought near daylight to the pre-dawn forest in a brilliant burst of gold.

Several hisses and a surprised screech sounded from around us, then I heard the light thud and scuff of feet moving and the slick impact of blades on flesh. I rolled, and opened my eyes in time to see the the mottled flesh of a goblin falling from Laerika's blades, both of which had been run through the chest of the goblin that had attacked me. Beyond her, I noted movement from beyond the roots of the tree, but I had to leave those. Instead, I rolled back and caught sight of the goblin that still crouched atop the trunk, its hands rubbing at its eyes as it whined in agony from the sudden flare of light. It didn't see the mana form on the fingers of my right hand, nor the red smokey path of the mana darts formed of super-heated air as they left my hand and screamed across the distance and ripped into its body and head, blasting it off of the trunk to arch out over the ground beyond to land in a tangle of limp limbs, twigs and decaying leaves.

I looked back toward Laerika who had moved to fill the gap between the tree roots, both blades sweeping left and right as her feet slid and her body swayed and dipped. She was holding off three goblins with spears that squinted against the painful light of the miniature sun above us. I tried to move, but the weight of the short spear and the agony of the blade in my thigh nearly took the fight out of me. I let the naginata go and took hold of the spear shaft in my left hand, then watched the movement and timing of Laerika's fight, then reached my hand out just as her evasive slide moved her just far enough for me to see the goblins clearly enough.

Again I pulled at the well of mana from within myself, symbols and runes flashing in my sight as they formed and flared, then more red darts streaked across the distance, two just barely missing my companion before tearing into the goblin who had been fighting in the center position. Two more darts burned into the hip and thigh of the goblin on her right, removing him too from the battle and leaving one last wide eyed goblin standing outside the perimeter of the shelter. His eyes flicked from his companions to me, then to Laerika. It was a fatal pause on his part as two slender blades swept left and right, carving lines across his throat and chest, and he fell, gurgling and drowning in his own blood.

Laerika stepped back into the cove formed by the two trees, her eyes moving left and right seeking any more movement. The only movement was from one dying goblin feebly clawing at the dirt and desperately trying to crawl away from the death that neared with every breath. After it stilled, only silence and the gentle rush of the wind through the branches remained. This lasted for several breaths, and then the pain flashed up from my leg again, along with the sensation of warmth spilling over my skin.

"Aghhhh, shit!" I exclaimed, startling Laerika into turning around and seeing me sprawled on the ground with the goblin spear still wagging in the air over my leg. Her eyes went wide and she dropped her short swords as she closed the distance.

"Master! Stay still.." she said as she took hold of the spear and pressed her hand to my chest pushing me onto my back. I didn't resist, but I did steal glances toward the gap between the roots now and then as she worked.

With me laying still, she scrambled into the tent and emerged with her pack dragging along the ground behind her, then she nearly broke the draw string in her rush to pull out what she was seeking. A small kiln-dried jug and clean bandages which she lay on my chest and her small knife pulled from the sheath at her back. With hands shaking, she still managed to move quick and sure as she cut open my hakama around the spear and pulled the cork from the jug, then glanced at me in distress.

"I'm sorry, Master." was all she said before she splashed the contents onto the still bleeding wound on one side of the spear, and then again on the other. The sensation felt like molten lava being poured onto my skin and I clenched my fists and teeth as my body stiffened in reaction.

"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry." she repeated, almost like a chant as she repeated the action, this time taking hold of the spear and starting to pull it out of the wound. She had set the jug down beside her and while drawing the small spear from my leg with one hand, she held the other near the wound, her eyes closed as she concentrated, whispering a slow steady chant that hinted at meaning, but every time I thought that I had grasped the words, they slipped away. Through tightly clenched eyes I saw a soft golden glow form over the wound. It was speckled with green here and there, but those subtle flickers were snuffed out or overwhelmed by the gold each time they emerged. Soon though, my muscles relaxed as a slow rolling torpor slid from muscle to muscle beginning at my wounded leg and rising up to my chest. As the wave of warmth and relaxation rose along my neck, I managed to witness the golden glow fading slowly and the spear being casually tossed to one side. My view was growing hazy, but Laerika's worried smile reached my eyes as her words carried through the fog that crept into my brain.

"I will keep you safe, Master. I promise. Sleep now." And, sleep I did.

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"Here is a riddle for you, bastard child.

Or do you stand with your teeth bared and give them some fun?"

Laerika's lilting voice seeped into my awareness, muffled from distance and something more. She was moving and there were other sounds mixed in. A crack, a screech and some harsh gibbering exclamations.

I clawed my way to full wakefulness, dragging myself up and throwing aside the heavy blanket that did its best to keep me pinned down in the comfortable warmth of the bed. A gold-orange glow drew my attention through the canvas of the tent that Bentis had given me. It flickered and wavered and once I watched a shadow move from left to right as the sound of metal on metal reached my ears.

Laerika! My mind sharpened as my heartbeat jumped and I rolled up onto my knees and leapt, stumbling unsteadily through the flaps of the tent into a night dark forest clearing. Enormous walls of wood to left and right, with small figures scrambling up and over, their eyes tracking something on the other side of the fire that briefly blinded them and myself.

What I saw there stunned me momentarily. A lithe figure of deadly grace and fluid precision, dancing in time to her song, weaving from one kill to the next, blocking, parrying and striking even as she bled from a dozen cuts. Fear doubled my heartbeat again and I glanced around taking in the number of goblins that had converged on our dubious shelter which had now become a trap.

But a cornered wolf...

I reached deep, pulling hard at the well of mana from within and even reaching out into the forest itself, drawing on everything I could as I formed one spell, and then another, and then another building one upon another and layering them even as the mana filled and then flowed out of me. With a rasping roar I reached my hands up and to the sides and unleashed them, and the night lit up once again. White light shot up into the branches of the trees around us, flashing red wasps made of pure mana and malice swarmed out as though I was a nest afire, their paths twisting and turning, weaving around one another as they sought the goblins atop the logs to either side and the ones waiting in the dark beyond the roots, and even more that I had not consciously observed, but knew were there when I had drawn upon the mana from the forest.

A chorus of terrified screams reached my ears as the swarm of mana darts expended themselves one after another and left behind mottled green and black bodies with gaping ragged holes burned into them. Limbs were severed by compact detonations, heads were left faceless, or with eyes hanging out from the percussive force of the rest of the skull being torn to bits. What was left behind that brief angry flurry of rage expressed as magic was shock and devastation.

Out beyond the double arch of roots, light blinded goblins squinted in an effort to catch sight of this new threat that had emerged from the tent. What they saw in my face, in my expression must have been more than their courage could handle, because one turned and bolted, followed by two, and then the panic took them and the clearing was soon once again inhabited by only we two.

Laerika slumped, breathing hard as I rounded the fire and reached out, my arms catching her as her legs gave way and her weight leaned into me.

"Master." she breathed. Half from exhaustion, and half in relief. I bent, and though my body groaned in protesting exhaustion, I picked her up and carried her back to the tent as her head thudded gently against my shoulder. Her hair was drenched in sweat, sticking to her scalp and was flecked with blood, hers and the goblins both. As gently as I could manage, I laid her down and pried her swords from her hands, laying them nearby but out of the way. Then it was my turn to fumble through her pack until I found the clay jug, and pour the contents over her wounds.

Goblins were widely reputed to be unhygienic at best, unsanitary on average and often maliciously filthy when it came to their weapons. Poison and disease were the most common afflictions resulting from wounds reported to the guild, according to Harum. The jug contained this world's equivalent of hydrogen peroxide and antiseptic rolled into one, and by the hiss and tightening of Laerika's frame, she had just experienced what I had earlier that night.. If it was still the same night. I didn't know, and it wasn't my concern at the moment.

When the wounds were clean, I took a deep breath and tried to corner my thoughts and concentrate. Most of the wounds that Laerika had suffered were shallow cuts to her arms and legs, one puncture to her hip where a spear had gotten past her guard and another over her left shoulderblade which had not pierced the bone, but could have been devastating had it had more force behind it. First I needed to close the wounds, stop the flow of blood and then tend to the layers of tissue and muscle beneath. Images of anatomy flared into my mind. Not the clean drawn, clinical lines from my college years, but raw, bloody scenes drawn from the lich's memories of pulling apart and patching together his earliest experiments.

I swallowed back revulsion and used the knowledge to guide my spells, forming them and shaping them as I held my hands over the wounds, one after another beginning with the most severe. It took time, and as time passed, it took more and more from my ever shrinking well of mana. Still, I found myself sighing in relief as the last of my companion's wound was tended to, and it struck me again just how much this young woman meant to me. She had crept in under cover of a storm, and spent the last weeks seeping into me until just the thought of losing her caused me to shiver in dread and denial. And just this night, I had almost lost her.

Assured that she was still breathing and stable, I turned around to survey the clearing where we had camped, hoping for a peaceful night's rest and was startled to find that my light spell had extinguished. But the dawn had broken, flooding the forest with light and the sounds of birds and insects had returned to claim the clearing again. Along with that realization came the flood of exhaustion, but I groaned and shook my head. We couldn't stay here, The scent of blood was everywhere, and the bodies, no matter how repulsive goblins may be, would still draw scavengers, and looking around at the number of bodies strewn around the clearing, there was going to be a bit of work to do before I could drag us out of here.

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Recovery.

Drag. Why had my mind chosen that word to describe our retreat from the forest back to Hawksbarrow, I will never know. But that is exactly what it felt like as I carried Laerika on my back, her arms tied loosely and slung over my shoulders, her weight supported by the naginata under her bottom.

I had spent a little more than half of an hour cutting ears and digging out mana stones from the goblins, then cleaning up as best I could before I had to pull Laerika from the tent allowing me to pack it down to stow everything into my bag of holding. The sun was high as I followed the trail back toward the pastures, and my arms burned right along with my head from constantly draining my mana to fuel my body, pushing back against the exhaustion that would inevitably come to collect its due with interest.. Just not right then.

As I stepped out from the thinning trees, aiming vaguely toward the river and the farmhouse, startled shouts caught my ear and I turned my head to see both Jondir and Narmis at the edge of the pasture with several others looking in our direction. Then I heard Rancher Narmis bark out in irritation.

"Well? Don't just stand there, you lumps, go help them!"

Jondir was the first to reach us, having ditched his shovel and hopped the split-rail fence to dash in our direction. For my own part, I could hardly process what was happening as I watched hands reach out and relieve me of Laerika's weight before easing me down beside her. As tired as I was, I could still see the tension in Narmis' eyes as he looked at me.

"Well, Freesword, is it done?" he asked curtly.

I nodded in response.

"Wolves." I confirmed. "Some goblins as well, but the direwolf that led the pack won't be leading them anymore."

I'm not sure if it was what I said, or how I said it. Maybe I was more muddled than I thought and they just needed time to decide if I was having a pull at their leg or trying to squeeze the rancher for more coin, but the silence that followed my reply was deafening.

"Damn." Jondir finally said softly.

Still another moment of silence passed, and then Narmis turned to one of the ranch hands.

"Gint, go get the wagon hitched up. I'll be taking these two into town." Then he turned back to me, his jaw moving like he was chewing something sour. "You'd best have something to prove those words, boy."

All I could do was nod as 'Gint' jumped the fence and dashed across the pasture like his pants were made of fire, scattering the cattle ahead of him. Jondir and two others picked me up, two men carrying Laerika easily while Jondir propped me up and kept me upright as the rest of the men returned to the work of mending the fence and keeping the herd from getting close to the sections that the men were replacing.

All the way back into Hawksbarrow, Narmis would glance at me over his shoulder as I held Laerika close, trying to ease the jostling of the wagon over dips and stones that Narmis couldn't avoid or didn't think worth the effort of going around.

The guards at the gate spoke briefly to Narmis, but waved us through without much more than a glance at Laerika and I in the wagon bed before returning to their otherwise eventless day of leaning against the outer wall and watching the sun's passage, waiting for the end of their shift. Through the cobble stone streets, with the noise of people and horses I fought back the burning in my heavy eyes. Only the warmth and weight of Laerika kept me from giving into the exhaustion that had accumulated from the last two days. Eventually though, the jostling and the noise woke Laerika from her sleep, she tilted her head back and her eyes fluttered open as she looked around and then up at me.

"Master?"

I smiled back and brought my hand up to stroke her cheek.

"We're back. Though I think I will have to talk to Arani before we can get some food, and fall into bed. But, we're back."

She stared at me for a moment, and then tucked her head into my shoulder, her arms slipped around me and tightened briefly. "Mhm."

Arani met us at the steps as Narmis guided the wagon close to the guild house.

"Are they.." I thought I heard worry in her voice as she stepped forward.

"Fine. Tired, but fine." Narmis said as he slid from the bench and stepped down next to the wagon. I jostled Laerika into motion, and Arani watched with worry in her eyes as we both slowly made our way out of the wagon and stood in front of her leaning against each other for support. Arani ran her eyes over us taking in the torn, bloodstained clothes, the dirt and every other mark of our trial and nodded.

"Let's get you inside then. You look like you've a tale to tell." she said simply and slid an arm under Laerika to help me get her inside.

It didn't take any convincing on her part to get us to sit down at a table, with Laerika at my left side, half leaning into me while she lay her head on her arms supported by the table. Narmis took a seat opposite and Arani sat to my right, eyes watching me expectantly. Kartha peeked out of the kitchen in the back, and then scurried to bring two steaming mugs of soup which I sipped at while I tried to get my thoughts together under the impatient gaze of the rancher and the guild mistress.

"Yesterday, after leaving the ranch.." I said, as I finally chose a starting point.

"Yesterday?!" Narmis interrupted. "Boy, you've been gone nearly three days, not one."

Arani hushed him, even as I blinked and tried to reassess how long the journey had taken, and the time I had spent unconscious from the healing. I shook my head and started again.

"The day we left the ranch then." I said, and Narmis nodded. "We tracked the heifer into the forest. It was pretty much what you had expected. She wandered through the gap, looking for better food and just kept going." I took a sip from the mug and glanced over at Laerika who had managed one or two sips herself and then simply left the mug to one side and fell asleep on the table.

"The wolves showed up at some point and the heifer startled and ran. They chased her up into a shallow gorge some ways into the forest." I looked at Narmis and shook my head. "We found her near a pool at the head of the gorge, walls twice as high as my head with trees around the rim, stones. There was no way she could have gotten out except back through the wolves. I'm sorry about your cow, but.." I left the rest unspoken. Narmis nodded, he hadn't expected anything less.

"We were looking things over around the body of the cow when the wolves found us.." I continued, but Narmis interrupted again.

"How many?"

I shrugged, shaking my head. "A pack. Maybe nine? Probably more, plus the alpha."

"Alpha?" Arani asked, in confusion.

I sighed, struggling to remember that this wasn't earth and the terminology was obviously different in some ways.

"The one who led the pack." I made sure that Laerika was settled and then reached for my bag of holding and began pulling things from it. Evidently I missed Narmis' sharp intent stare but Arani didn't.

"Anything you see this Freesword using is his own business, and I will have you bound by your agreement if you let slip anything you see, Master Narmis."

I paused at her tone, the waxed canvas bag of goblin ears and the mana crystals still under my hand as I glanced at Narmis who was looking from the bag, to me and then to Arani then gave a serious nod.

"My word is my word, Arani. The boy's secrets are his own."

Arani turned her eyes back to me, giving me a look that said volumes. I had been stupid to use my bag in front of others, but she had put the weight of the guild on the rancher to enforce his silence as to what I had. Then she nodded and I continued. Two rolls of pelts followed, which I left on the floor beside Arani, and finished the pile with the one pelt that equaled the weight and heft of both previous all on its own.

A new set of feet and hands appeared, aged hands more accustomed to quill and ink than the roughness of travel or labor, and unrolled the large pelt across the floor.

"Heh.. I'll be damned. I thought I had seen the last wolf of this color three decades ago or more." Harum said with measured respect. The midnight black pelt of the alpha shown almost iridescent blue in places in the sunlight coming through the windows. Spread out as it was, it reached the leg of the chair at the next table over eight feet away.

Narmis rose up and walked around Arani and stood beside Harum, his jaw once again chewing something sour as he stared at the pelt, and then at the two rolls that had not yet been unraveled.

"What was it you called it, boy?" He said, turning his eyes to me and holding my gaze. I could see a mixture of emotions and thoughts behind his eyes and in the set of his features.

"Dire wolf." I said simply.

Narmis nodded once and looked back at the midnight black pelt.

"Aye.. Dire's an apt enough name fer it."

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My good readers. As many of you may know, hard times drain ones creativity first and foremost.. But those with muses never leave the pen behind entirely.

8 months have passed IRL, but this story will continue to the best of my ability.