by Jake Yaniak
The wolves started and began to growl and snap at the crow. But Arus was too high for them to reach.
'Come,' he said, 'I will lead you to some carcass that you may fill yourselves with.' Just as he prepared to fly off and bring them to some fallen beast or some slumbering animal, he was answered from among the wolves.
'Who are you, little one,' the voice asked, 'that you would command my pack?' A very large black wolf now approached him in the darkness. He was much larger and fiercer than the others; as he passed they moved aside to create a path, lowering their shoulders toward the ground and whimpering in submission.
'I am Arus, Lord of Crows,' the bird answered, 'Or so I am called.'
'Called by whom?' the wolf growled.
'I am called that by myself,' Arus laughed, 'And I am called that by the men that you hunt this night. What are you called, Wolf-lord?'
'I am Ghastin,' the wolf snarled, 'and we are all very hungry. It has been some time since we were able to fill our bellies with the flesh of men. The woodsmen are too cautious these days.'
'So I have guessed right,' Arus said gleefully, 'You are indeed hunting the two that are encamped nearby.'
'We are,' the wolf affirmed, 'but what business it is of yours I cannot imagine.'
'I have come here to help you and to warn you. The men you are hunting are no mean warriors. The one is Prince Volthamir thos Amlaman, the other is Lord Havoc, of whom I trust your keen ears of heard.'
'I fear neither,' the wolf said coldly, 'and the meat of a prince would be welcome in these cold months.' Arus just laughed. The wolf snapped and leapt against the trunk of the tree on which the bird perched. He coiled himself against the middle of the trunk and sprung like a serpent up to the branch upon which Arus stood. The bird was too swift, and Ghastin's razor sharp teeth snapped through the branch. He fell back to the ground and landed softly on skillful feet. He spit the wood from his mouth and growled.
'If you do not fear Lord Havoc, lord wolf,' Arus said, now perched on a much higher branch, 'then you are more foolish than your brutish servants. But there is more to be feared for you than he alone.' Arus looked the wolf in the eyes and for a moment the crow's eyes gleamed like flames in the darkness. 'There are powers greater than Lord Havoc at hand.'
The wolf's lip curled in anger, revealing long white teeth. But he read something in the crow's eyes that gave him pause. 'What then would you have us do?' he asked, suddenly seeming to almost fear the crow.
'I think it is time for you to take your pack to the eastern land. There are many deer to hunt in the forest of Noras; beyond the Daunrys.'
The wolf nodded and then let a howl ring through the woods. He snarled once more at the bird and darted off toward the east. His pack followed obediently behind him. As he ran he howled more and more until there were hundreds of black wolves in his train. They ran through the eastern edge of the forest and charged across the plains to the foothills of the Daunrys. They vanished into the wilds and were not seen in Heyan again for many years.
Justice
For the whole next day they walked without stopping, save to drink from whatever streams they happened upon. Again they made a great fire to guard themselves from wolves, though they had not heard even a single howl since the previous night.
When they had their camp in order and when they had eaten some of their provisions, Volthamir was surprised by an unexpected sound. It began as a low hum, but gradually rose into a song. Lord Havoc had mastered many arts, but for some reason or another, Volthamir had not thought that music would be among them.
Oh Silver wolf of all green Heyan lord,
Who has seen you at the Darvnas ford?
Oh shining wolf who stood so proud,
What soul has heard your howl loud?
Oh bright wolf of all the forest king,
Who has heard your many servants sing?
Songs to moon and stars so bright,
Where's your voice in the empty night?
Long ago the fell black wolf came,
How did he triumph o'er your name?
Heyan wolf, so noble and true,
Your righteous ways we never knew.
Silence filled the forest as though every tree and creature were listening. Even the wind seemed to halt in anticipation. But he did not speak, he just sat there in silence as though he was remembering something from the ages past.
Volthamir finally broke the silence. Even as he opened his lips it seemed that the night sounds returned to the forest and all was as it had been before the song. 'What became of the Silver wolf?' he asked.
'He was betrayed,' Lord Havoc said with a strange expression on his face. 'He was betrayed by his own brother you might say. It was many long years ago, but these woods still mourn the loss of the nobler creature.'
Lord Havoc sat in silence for a while and then suddenly his mood changed and he spoke to Volthamir in an almost wizardly tone. 'Your uncle told me to teach you what I taught him about Justice. But I think it would be better if I simply told you the truth. So here it is, my own account of the greatest virtue. Nay, not the greatest virtue; for Justice is not just one virtue. It is all of virtue wrapped up together.'
'Ages ago in this very forest there lived two distinct kinds of wolves: The great silver wolves, who are now little more than a legend, and the fell black wolves that dwell here still. This is the first reason that we have taken the forest road rather than the western road beside the stones of Razzun. I want the howls of these nasty beasts to be clear in your thoughts so that you can better understand my description of Justice. For there is no description in any book that could better instruct you than your own ears and eyes.
'These two sorts of wolves dwelt in Heyan from the earliest days of human reckoning. The Ancients said that they came to dwell there at the very foundation of the world. But I would not put too much trust in their words, my prince. As you will learn in due time, even the Ancients made errors. But that lesson I will leave for a more appropriate time.
'The people who lived in Heyan in those days were terrified of them. They could neither tame them nor exterminate them, for they were too clever and too numerous. Neither could they drive them out of their lands. All they could do to survive was to travel in groups by day, and lock their homes and flocks up tight by night. Many left the woods altogether, finding distance to be the only sure protection.
'But these wolves held one another in perfect balance for many long ages of the world. The silver wolves hunted by day, while the black wolves took the night hours. The silver wolves would seek out the secret thickets where the white deer lay hidden during the day and then all at once the pack would strike, slaying all in an instant. The black wolves, on the contrary, would laze about somewhere during the daylight. But the moment the Lord Moon began to shine they would burst from their dens with a frenzied hunger. They would simply dart out into the wild forest scaring everything in their path. They would snap at birds and squirrels, and whatever else they could manage to catch. They hunted the common deer, who foolishly wander about during the night in search of food. They would rush through the leaves like wild pigs, without a thought for secrecy or surprise. But their swift feet, their sharp teeth, and their stubborn endurance would win out in the end and they would feast on the flesh of many creatures, men included. So it was that the two wolf kinds survived together for many ages of the world hunting their prey in turns.
'This strange arrangement caused them to be worshipped among the foolish and superstitious woodsmen. The creatures became a symbol of justice and equity. Every dawn the Noble Silver Wolf who ruled over the day would drive the Fell Black Wolf into his secret hiding place until it was time for Lord Moon to rise again. In turn the Fell Black Wolf would chase the Silver Wolf away to bring the darkness of night upon the forest.
'There were endless tales and legends invented about these creatures by these superstitious fools; some of these fables were so shamefully false that there are some who have come to doubt whe
ther the greater of these two beasts ever truly hunted in the Heyan forest at all.
'But both of the animals were quite real, and it was also true that for ages of this world they lived and hunted in the same woods. That much I can say without any doubt.
'Lady Arie, the goddess of Nature, as she is called, rules her domain with a cruel and merciless law. And she enforces this law with a scepter of fire.
'This law is that of survival; and only those who obey this law will be saved by her. All others will perish in the trial of flame and hunger that the Lady sends upon all those who are not strong enough. Lady Arie is constantly at work among her creatures; pruning and trimming them here, slaying and burying them there, and raising and recreating them again in another way and in another place. Something unexpected happened in the Heyan forest. Something that led to the survival of the one kind of wolf and the extinction of the other.
'The Black Wolves began hunting the White Deer as well as the common. Perhaps some stray wolf wandered by chance into a thicket and discovered the helpless White Deer fast asleep under the shade and decided that it would be easier to slay these fatted brutes and be filled than to chase down its regular prey in the black night. Or perhaps the hunters of Heyan slew too many deer and forced the starving black wolves to seek their fortunes by the light of the sun. But whatever the cause was we will never know, but the result was as rapid as it was dramatic.
'In the course of forty years, the black wolves doubled in number and the Silver wolves vanished from the world forever.
'That is the judgment of Lady Arie, and there is no mercy in her heart. Only strength and power are acceptable sacrifices in her eyes. All those who cower and beg will be dragged away and cast into the pits of hell; there to burn with the weak and frail and all those who lack the strength to stand upon their own two feet. Behold it! Learn it! My son, this is the Law of Nature!'
'But what part of this is Justice?' the prince asked, not quite understanding Lord Havoc's words. He had been sitting quietly, leaning upon a tree without motion thus far, but with each word he grew more and more perplexed.
'If you listen closely you will realize that justice is precisely what I have been speaking of this entire time.'
'Please explain, master, you know as well as I that the riddles of the wise are above the minds of even a prince.'
'I abhor flattery, my son. Remember that.'
'I will my lord,' the youth said with great interest in his eyes.
'Tell me my prince,' Lord Havoc said in a friendly tone after a brief pause, 'What did you take for supper before we left the palace?'
'For supper? I had lamb, if I'm not mistaken.' Volthamir smiled.
'Ah, yes. Of Course. But you have lamb every evening when you are at home in Japhrian,' Lord Havoc grinned. 'Is that not so?'
'It is not so,' the pupil protested, 'We have pork and beef also; from time to time.'
'You are very fortunate to have any food at all, my prince,' Lord Havoc interrupted in a strict voice, indicating that he was resuming his lecture.
'You take the life of these stupid creatures every day to fill your belly. Tell me, my child, what do you give them in return?'
Volthamir was silent and began to look away.
'Do not avert your eyes, child!' Lord Havoc boomed in a loud voice. 'It is cowardice alone that forbids you to look me in the face.'
'Sorry my lord,' Volthamir said as he lifted his face toward his teacher.
'And never apologize. Not ever. You are a prince! Apologies are to be made to you, not by you.'
Volthamir straightened himself and fixed his eyes upon Lord Havoc's face.
'You have taken from the flock and have not returned what you stole. You are, therefore, an unjust man. But you have not done anything that has not been done by wolves before. What I will teach you to do, you will do with more fervor and more confidence than any brute can ever hope for. I will make you one of those Fell Black Wolves, and all your enemies will be made into powder and smoke.
'I see your trembling lip,' Lord Havoc continued, in an almost compassionate voice. 'That is natural, but it will pass away in time, and then you will be lord over your enemies. You will be a god to your people.
'I mentioned your fear. I called it natural, and this is true. You fear doing injustice, as every man does. But had the black wolf any sense of justice, it would never have come to rule over both night and day; it would never have triumphed over it's ancient rival. And, who knows, it may have been the one in the songs, and not the one feasting upon the flesh of man and beast.
'It was the dictates of the Law of Nature that the Silver Wolf perish. He took what belonged to him and when that was taken away from him he did not require it back. He perished because of his justice and is no more to be seen among the living. A dead memory was his reward. There are some foolish teachers that would have us believe that justice is better than injustice. But they are all fools with no knowledge. For you do not think that it would be good to have justice done between you and your dinner lamb, would you?'
'Certainly not.' Volthamir answered confidently.
'Injustice, therefore, is better than justice when it is between a man and his prey. But why then should justice be suddenly better than injustice when it is between two men? Justice was not better than injustice for the Silver wolf, since it led to his destruction; even as justice leads to the destruction of many great men. And justice is not better than injustice for the Black wolf, who otherwise would never have gained the ascendancy. The Black wolf, therefore, merely chose what was best.
'Mankind is the very same sort of creature. The Great Ape rose above his fellows not by justice but rather by injustice. He took that which he desired and thereby made himself lord, not only of the other apes and goblins, but he made himself lord over all the beasts of the earth. It was not justice that accomplished these things. It was not justice that made man become man. Man is man because he is unjust.'
'Will you condemn the black wolf, my son? Will you make him pay for what he has stolen? Will you make the wolf cough up the deer that he has slain? Will you restore all things? Will you make all things new?'
Volthamir just stared, unable to answer.
'Then you must be unjust also. And if it is your fate as a man to live unjustly, then oughtn't you at the very least master this most human of arts?
'It is only by acting according to our nature that we can truly say that we are doing good. And if it is our nature to be unjust, then so be it. Let us become good by becoming unjust. I have not the power to alter the stars in their courses. I cannot beg for mercy from the Fates. My course is set and I must follow it. You will follow after me, child. You will accomplish what I cannot accomplish. You will go farther than even I am able. You will be the first true king of men. I will make you a king who is unafraid to do that which is required of a truly human king.
'You see, in the same way that something strange took place in Heyan, and led to the death of the Silver wolves, something unexpected happened to man in the ancient days. He became wise. And in so doing, he was able to subdue all the other apes. The goblins look like us, but they cannot think. They are perfect beasts. It is to us alone that the Fates have granted this gift of wisdom. And why should we not use it to our advantage?
'It is as I have told you. The Lady of Arie, the goddess of Nature, has made her law. That law is survival, and survival comes by injustice. Therefore, righteousness comes by injustice too.'
'But then what about justice?' the student asked. 'You have said much about injustice, but very little about the very subject of our lesson.'
'Justice is surrender, my prince. You see, in the same way as it is natural for the dark wolves to take from the silver, and for both wolves to take from the deer, it is natural for mankind to take from the other apes. But what good would it do man to take from his fellow man? For as soon as he takes from his neighbor his neighbor in turn will take from him. Now tell me, where does this get anybody? Is this wisdo
m? No, a man restrains himself from robbing his fellow man as a compromise, so that he may go on defrauding the rest of nature without his neighbor's interference.
'Have you ever observed an infant, my prince?' Lord Havoc said, suddenly speaking in a very gentle tone.
'Yes, my lord' Volthamir answered.
'And what is it that an infant begins to do as soon as he gains control of his hands?'
'I suppose he will try to grab things.'
'That is right, and as soon as this stage is come, the child will not only grab, but he will desire to grab. Very often he will desire things that he cannot have, or things that belong to another. It matters very little to him whether he has a right to it, or whether it is another man's possession. Justice is certainly not a part of humanity by nature. The whole being is born and bred in a state of injustice, a state of wanton craving and demand.
Lord Havoc began speaking more passionately now.
'I have seen a child scream and wail for his own brother's bread without so much as a hint of compassion. It is no concern of his whether his brother has bread or not. He wants the bread for himself. Those who do not watch these infants closely will very likely come to believe that the babe perceives that something is not fair; that his brother has been given something to which he is entitled to have in equal measure. These careless people come to believe that mankind is good by nature and only desires justice to be done. But if you are diligent and careful in your observation it will soon become clear that it is not equity; it is not justice with which the infant is concerned. It is possession. He does not want justice, he wants to do injustice. He wants what is not his, and he does not concern himself with sharing his own possessions. He is a raw human being, untempered by the ideas and philosophies of so-called learned men!
'Learned men indeed! People who pine after justice and deny what we are. The simple truth is spoken from the mouth of a suckling child! "Give me!" he cries! The only truly human command! It is the infant who teaches us who we really are. But it is the philosophers and sages who spend their lives in quiet contemplation, carefully and subtly trying to convince us that we are otherwise. They are fools, every one of them.
