Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf

by A. E. McCullough

  He poked at the fire with a long stick and it roared back to life.

  “There is an ancient legend concerning the birth of my people and the first war of the Gods. It is late so I’ll tell you only the part that concerns our singing to Luna. After the first war, when mankind was on the brink of destruction, the goddess Luna brought my ancestors to this land.”

  “During the first Godwar, Luna’s followers suffered greatly. So much, that in the end, there were only nine men and nine women left out of all of her followers.”

  “Gathering them around her, she addressed them. ‘You are the last of my chosen people. We have suffered greatly in the war and our numbers are few but we shall overcome.’ She pointed to the surrounding land. ‘This is now your land. It is a harsh land in an unforgiving world. It is my belief that which does not kill you will only make you stronger. If we are to survive the next battle with the Great Enemy, we will need to be stronger. “

  “Therefore I give each of you the power of the beasts to call upon at will. There are nine of you and so there shall be nine tribes; the Wolf, Wolverine, Bear, Boar, Owl, Raven, Puma, Fox and Lynx. I charge each of you to train your followers and teach them the Code of the Wild. One day I will again call on you, my chosen people, to do battle once again. Be ready!’ And so saying, Luna turned into a large eagle and flew off into the night never again to be seen by mortals.”

  Breaking eye contact, Hawkeye poked at the fire stirring up more embers and sparks.

  “So, when we sing to Luna each night, we are honoring her wishes. We do so to honor our ancestors and to praise our goddess.”

  “That’s a beautiful story and it explains much about your people. It is good to know you haven’t forgotten the old gods.” As Tatianna replayed the story in her mind, she realized she had another question. Not sure if he was still awake, she asked softly, “Hawkeye?”

  “Yes?”

  “You mentioned something you called the code of the wild. What is it?”

  “This code is simple and only has three parts. Kill only to eat, to keep from being eaten or for righteous vengeance; honor your ancestors and remember the past, for it is the doorway of the future.” He lay down next to the campfire. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be here soon enough and we still have a long way to travel.”

  Watching him for several minutes, Tatianna shook her head before following his example.

  Hawkeye was up before sunrise the next morning. Tatianna found him staring into the northern sky. It was dark with storm clouds and a cold wind blew from the north.

  Hearing her stir, he pointed to the sky. “It will snow before the day is over. We need to make haste. Itasca is still a least three days away at our present speed and it would not be good to be caught in the wilderness during a blizzard.”

  “Isn’t it too early in the season for heavy snow?”

  “Not in the Highlands. Our seasons change quickly and are deadly to those who don’t pay attention to or respect nature. Come, we must be off. We will stop very little today.”

  Shifting to wolf form, Hawkeye hitched himself up to the travois, Tatianna climbed on and they were off. Not his normal easy pace but at a fast trot. Tatianna realized that the possibility and threat of snow must be more dangerous than he let on.

  After a couple of hours of traveling, the snow began to fall. It was a cold, wet snow that fell in large flakes and coated the ground in a beautiful white blanket but Tatianna knew it was dangerously slick. They were crossing the open moors. So the wind blew strong and cold, causing Tatianna to shiver beneath the heavy pile of furs. She couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would voluntarily live this far north.

  Granted it was beautiful, in a rough sort of way but it was so harsh and deadly, so different from her homeland.

  Closing her eyes, Tatianna let her mind drift back to her homeland, the Elfholm. In her mind’s eye she pictured the majestic trees, the simple gardens and the warm sun. She felt the pangs of homesickness and couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever see her home again.

  Opening her eyes, she stared at the stark landscape.

  They were traveling through an open stretch of land between two plateaus. She really couldn’t call it a valley because it was hard to tell where one plateau ended and the other began. They had come out of the forest about an hour ago and looking over her shoulder she could see another forest in the distance. Looking up, she could hardly tell it was daytime except for the weak light that penetrated the heavy clouds.

  Bored, Tatianna folded her arms across her chest and laid back to stare at the bleak landscape. With Hawkeye in his wolf form and her brothers lost to the river, she felt all alone. The gentle rocking of the travois and the boring landscape had just about lulled her to sleep when some movement seen out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

  Turning her head to look in that direction, she didn’t see anything except three large boulders in the distance. They were grouped in a loose semi-circle about twenty feet apart and probably two hundred feet off to her left. She stared at them for a moment. Not seeing any movement, she let her vision shift into the infrared spectrum.

  Infra-vision, also known as darksight, was a natural ability of some of the races on Terreth, primarily the elves, shadow elves, gnomes and dwarves. It allows them to see the heat patterns put off by warm-blooded creatures. This natural ability aids the races in nightly duties or living underground where it is eternally dark.

  With her infra-vision, Tatianna scanned the boulders. They were as cold as the snow that fell all around. Just for a change of scenery, she scanned the horizon. Her infra-vision showed varying degrees of gray and black with the flickering gray of snow falling from the heavens. She had never used her infra-vision on snowflakes before. It was intriguing. The snowflakes changed color as they fell getting warmer as they got closer to the ground. Tiring quickly with watching the boring gray and blacks of the cold, she let her vision shift back to normal spectrum. Settling herself more comfortably in the travois, she prepared herself to catch a nap. Casting a quick glance at the boulders, she bolted upright.

  They had moved!

  They were no longer group together in a semi-circle to her left. Now they were in a loose line, spread apart by at least fifty feet and they were directly behind them.

  Rubbing her eyes, she looked again. Sure enough, they had moved. They even seemed closer but that couldn’t be. They had not stopped or even slowed down. They were still moving at the same steady pace Hawkeye had set earlier that morning. Looking over her shoulder, she could see they had covered over half of the distance to the forest from her last look; somehow those boulders were following them.

  “Hawkeye!” She called, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. She heard his slight bark as a reply. “I don’t know if this important but I think we're being followed by three boulders.”

  His response was not what she expected. Hawkeye hesitated in his stride as he looked over his shoulder at the boulders before shooting off toward the forest like an arrow.

  Tatianna was almost thrown from the travois by his sudden acceleration. Frantically grabbing the sides of the travois, she held on as she was bounced all over the place as they raced toward the forest.

  Now, she was worried. ‘What on Terreth would cause Hawkeye to act so abruptly?’

  Looking back at the boulders, she was shocked to see them unfold themselves and sprout huge limbs. She surmised that they must be over fifteen feet and they didn’t look friendly. A name out of legends popped into Tatianna’s mind; Trolls, the followers of Nox the Evil One.

  Her mind raced through all the legends, trying to find a weakness she could use to defeat them. She could tell they were gaining on them. Their long legs covered twice the distance with each stride while Hawkeye was tiring quickly from his long run while pulling her additional weight. Glancing over her shoulder at the forest, she could tell the trolls would catch them before they reached the safety of the trees. Hawkeye must have realized t
his also because he stopped. Shifting to his hybrid form, he let the travois fall to the ground.

  His voice was guttural and rough when he spoke. “I’m sorry Tatianna. I had hoped to avoid the trolls during our journey but the Highlands are very unpredictable.”

  Using a rough hewed staff to help her stand Tatianna asked, “How can I help? Do they have any weaknesses we can exploit?”

  When Hawkeye shook his head, drool slowly dripped from his elongated snout. “I don’t know. Trolls are tough opponents. They are stronger than cyclops but not as intelligent. They usually only hunt at night because of their fear of the sun but with the heavy overcast we have at the moment, I guess they decided to go hunting anyway.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Other than that, I don’t know what to tell you.”

  Readying his weapons, Hawkeye took several steps forward and assumed a fighting stance. The trolls slowed their approach when they were about ten yards out.

  Getting her first good look at a troll, Tatianna was not impressed. They had a rough, bumpy skin of a grayish-brown color. Their hands and feet only had three digits, while their eyes were coal black and too small for their overly large head. In other words, they were grotesque…worse than ugly.

  The three trolls slowly advanced toward Hawkeye, laughing a deep earthly laugh. It seemed they weren’t overly concerned with Tatianna since all of their attention was directed toward the barbarian. She wanted to rush out there and help him but she knew her leg wouldn’t support her weight. She watched in utter amazement as one of the trolls rushed Hawkeye.

  Sidestepping the troll, it passed harmlessly by but not before Hawkeye got in the first strike. Slashing the troll on the back of the knee with all of his might, he wasn’t surprised when his orcish sword bounced off harmlessly.

  ‘This isn’t going to be easy!’ he thought.

  Sensing an attack from behind, Hawkeye rolled forward just as a large rocky hand hit his back. A flash of pain racked his body. Ignoring it, Hawkeye came out of his roll and threw his knife in one fluid motion. The hunting knife flew end over end until it scored a direct hit on one of the trolls’ eye, burying itself to the hilt. Brownish blood came pouring out as the injured troll roared in pain.

  The other trolls paused in their attack to laugh at their companion.

  Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light and the two trolls roared in pain. Turning toward the source of the light, the two trolls charged at Tatianna.

  Hawkeye watched in fascination and horror as Tatianna stood her ground calmly, holding only a white scarf. He didn’t know what she had planned but the only thought going through his mind was that she would be crushed. He started sprinting after the charging trolls. He could feel the ground tremble with the shock of their heavy footfalls but still Tatianna didn’t move.

  When the attacking trolls were less than twenty feet away, Tatianna finally moved. Calmly raising the white scarf over her head, she began swinging it in a fast circle. With each pass the scarf traveled faster and with each pass a wall of white light began flowing out of the scarf. The charging trolls tried to stop their forward momentum but to no avail. The blinding white light seemed to draw them in like a moth drawn to flame. As they plowed right into the wall of light, a nightmarish scream leapt from their mouths.

  Shielding his eyes from the blinding light, Hawkeye’s ears ached with the horrible screaming coming from the two trolls.

  Suddenly, the screaming stopped.

  Uncovering his eyes, Hawkeye found that the wall of light had passed him by. Turning, he watched the light move away from them in an ever-widening circle. When it reached the injured troll, he too began screaming. Before the wall of light passed by him, he stopped.

  Hawkeye could tell that the troll wasn’t moving any more.

  Turning back to Tatianna, he was confronted by a frightful sight. The two trolls loomed over her in menacing positions. But as Tatianna stepped away from the trolls, they didn’t follow her or even move.

  Hawkeye stuttered, “How…What…What happened to them?”

  She flashed him a crooked smile and a wink. “I remembered a legend about Eldath and his confrontation with Nox the Evil One.”

  Walking over to the frozen trolls, Hawkeye rapped on them with his orcish sword; they were stone. “What does an old legend have to do with this?” He punctuated his question by rapping harder on the stone troll.

  “Well the legend is long but at one point, Eldath who was my people’s greatest Bladeweaver, used his magic to create a circle of sunshine that turned Nox’s followers to stone. Her followers were of course trolls.”

  “But that doesn’t explain how you did this.”

  Hobbling back to the travois she added slyly, “A lady has to have a few secrets.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Hawkeye glanced at the sky. The clouds were heavier and darker now, meaning the snow would get worse before it got better.

  Pulling off his furs, he added them to her covers. Shifting back to his full wolf form, Hawkeye hitched himself back up to the travois and as soon as Tatianna was settled in, he started north again at a fast trot.

  They traveled the rest of the day without any further encounters. Hawkeye’s fears about the weather proved true as it snowed all day. Since it didn’t let up, neither did Hawkeye and by nightfall the scenery had changed a great deal. Now, the smooth blanket of white on the open moors that they had traveled through most of the day had given way to rocky hills with evergreen trees and mountain brooks littering the pale countryside.

  Long after the sun had set, Hawkeye turned east and descended into a deep ravine filled with evergreens. Weaving in and out of the trees, he followed what looked to be an animal path that led them to a small grove of evergreens that grew in a tight circular formation. Circling the grove, they came upon a small opening facing the rock wall of the ravine. Entering, Hawkeye stopped in the center of the grove right next to a ring of stones laid out as a fire pit.

  Climbing off the travois, Tatianna got her first look at Hawkeye since their encounter with the trolls earlier that morning. He was filthy. His lower half was covered in mud and snow while briars and sticks matted his beautiful fur. Looking exhausted, he panted heavily as his sides heaved with the day’s exertion. Tatianna quickly unhooked the sled.

  Still in his wolf form, Hawkeye turned back to the entrance. Stopping briefly Hawkeye glanced at Tatianna, turning his head he looked at a small pile of firewood that lay next to the entrance. Looking back at her again, he flashed a quick wink. Understanding that he wanted her to start a fire, she nodded and Hawkeye trotted off into the night.

  Gathering wood from the small pile, she laid it in the fire pit. Being cold and tired, Tatianna decided to use her magic to start the fire. Narrowing her eyes briefly, she pointed her right index finger at the wood and said, “Anar!”

  A bright blue flame about twelve inches long sprang from her index finger and quickly spread to the dry tinder. The roaring blaze gave off a comforting warmth that soon filled the small enclosure. With the light from the campfire, she was able to study her surroundings and noticed that the enclosure must have been man-made. The trees had been placed in such a fashion that their branches interlaced to form walls and a dome, while the only entrance faced the rock wall of the ravine, cutting down on the wind and adding a small degree of protection.

  “Judging from the firewood and fire pit this must be a hunting lodge for the Highlanders. I can't imagine anyone else wanting to live here.”

  After a while, Hawkeye returned carrying two large rabbits in his mouth. Laying them down next to her, he walked over to the travois and shifted back into his human form. As he quickly dressed, Tatianna couldn't help but stare.

  Although numerous scars criss-crossed his back, his physique was magnificently muscular and firm. Feeling herself blush, she turned her attention to the rabbits. Skinning them quickly and efficiently, she turned to find Hawkeye staring at her.

  “I’m impressed. I didn’t think an
elf would know how to do that.”

  Flashing him a crooked smile, she replied, “An elf or a female?”

  Hawkeye laughed. “Okay, a female elf. I always assumed only hunters would know how to do that. Not that there is anything wrong in a female hunter.”

  “My brothers and I used to go hunting all the time back home.” Her smile growing bigger at the memory, she continued. “I was always taught you must eat what you kill. I remember this one time my brother Khlekluëllin killed a wild boar and….” She froze as tears welled up in her crystal blue eyes.

  Rushing to her side, Hawkeye knelt by her side. “Tatianna, are you okay?”

  Quickly burying her face in his chest, Tatianna cried. All the pain and frustration of the last several days came out in her tears. Gently drawing her into the circle of his arms, Hawkeye pulled her close. Stroking her beautiful crimson hair he whispered, “Let it go.”

  She stopped crying several minutes later but remained buried in his arms and chest. She felt safe there, like nothing bad could happen while she was there. Hearing his stomach grumble, she broke the embrace. Although he didn’t want to release her, he didn’t resist. Feeling slightly embarrassed Tatianna busied herself with the rabbits again. Placing them on spits, she set them on the fire. Noticing her discomfort, Hawkeye rose and said, “I’ll fetch some water.”

  Gathering up several flasks, he left the enclosure. When he returned carrying more firewood and water, the rabbits were ready and they ate in silence.

  Once they were done, Hawkeye spoke. “We will be at Itasca late tomorrow night. Hopefully the snow won’t get much worse between now and then. Sleep near the fire and take all of the furs. The fire will die long before sunrise and it will get very cold in here.”

  “But what will you do for warmth?” asked Tatianna.

  With a sly grin, Hawkeye pulled off his mantle and shifted into his wolf form again before lying down near the fire. Gathering up his furs and adding them to her own, Tatianna lay down next to him. It was not long before they both were asleep.