As the Wolf Howls

by Michael Linford

  When Black Wolf awoke after a few hours, he found it was a lot later in the morning than he thought. The campsite was a hive of activity, and many of the tribe were out of their huts doing a variety of chores. It always amazed him just how busy the tribe could keep themselves and he often sat and watched them going about their work. The children were playing in large groups in front of the biggest hut. This hut had been made as a place for them to learn, but any lessons usually started in the early afternoon when the children had run themselves out of excess energy and were ready to sit calmly and be taught. Grey Moon had been one of the main reasons that the school had been built but he had never taught there. Black Wolf had asked him once if he’d ever thought of teaching there and he had told of his own personal dislike for teaching within what he believed to be very strict structures.

  The more Black Wolf thought about Grey Moon, the more he realised what a truly great man he was. A man who had more answers than questions but also one that easily assumed a role of someone with nothing to offer compared to others. He was a truly complex individual but one of Black Wolf’s favourite people to spend time with. With this thought in his mind, he stood up and looked for him. Apart from the children running wild, there were many more things going on around him. This native land was alive with both work and play today. There were the eldest of the tribe, sat together, talking or fixing clothing. The females of the tribe were busy cleaning and cooking, while the men were fixing the huts and making plans for other work that needed doing. There was only one thing that Black Wolf wanted to do though, and that was to find Grey Moon so he could talk to him some more about his journal, the night world and where he was heading with all of this. He saw no sign of him as he searched the campsite, so he headed for his hut to see if he was still asleep. Passing through the various groups of people he felt a twinge of regret; most of the tribe had family and that’s what made their population so big, but Black Wolf was on his own. People spoke to him regularly and seemed to think of him quite highly, given what he had provided the tribe since arriving, but it didn’t alter the fact that he was alone. He wondered if that was what had created such a bond with Grey Moon, for despite their difference in age, ideas or beliefs they were both solitary, and as a result had pulled together and always been there for each other.

  Black Wolf arrived at Grey Moon’s hut and found it open; he knocked on the hard frame of the doorway and entered. There was no sign of life in the hut and Black Wolf never felt comfortable in someone else’s home unless they were there, so he set out again. He pulled the cover over the door and walked back across the site. For the first time since he’d woken up, Black Wolf looked at the sky. It was a beautiful clear day and already getting warm. He was thankful for the cooling breeze that was blowing across and keeping the barren floor from baking underneath his feet. He made it to his hut and was just about to go inside and lock himself away when he noticed a note, half hidden under the door cover. It was a note from Grey Moon.

  ‘I didn’t want to wake you. I headed out early, towards the river, and will be there until late afternoon. If you wish to join me, your company would be most welcome. If you are too busy then I will come and find you later. Speak soon, Grey Moon.’

  Black Wolf laughed to himself at the thought of being too busy. Grey Moon knew he had nothing to do, unless he chose to, but they still wouldn’t assume anything about each other. This respectful thinking was one of many ways that their friendship worked so successfully. Black Wolf had no particular wish to go too far today, but in his heart he longed to be around Grey Moon, wherever he was. He threw some food and other things into a sack, slung it over his shoulder and headed off to find his wise old friend.

  The river was a long walk out of the campsite but Black Wolf couldn’t think of many more beautiful places to spend a day. The whole campsite was circled by a ring of woodland, enough trees to be of use to the tribe for hunting or timber, but not enough that they were of any trouble, and they never stopped the tribe making trips around their land. Black Wolf felt calmer when he reached the woods; it was a welcome pleasure for him just to have the peace and quiet. The only sounds around him were the animals around the trees and the crunching of twigs under his feet.

  This is where Black Wolf had been discovered as a child, wrapped in fur and left in a hollowed-out tree stump. Someone had found him and brought him back to the tribe. The women at the camp had almost fought each other to look after him; they had all said how they felt drawn to him but couldn’t explain why. They put it down to the sadness of such a beautiful child being unloved and abandoned. Even in his childhood he was powerful to look at. A combination of his strong features, slightly tanned skin and deep hazel eyes made him look far from helpless and abandoned. It always amazed Black Wolf how much he loved this place. He realised though that this was because he had been here at such a young age and had been so well looked after before being discovered, the place held only good memories for him. The forest had taken the place of a mother to him. Today wasn’t a day to spend time here though; he was eager to find Grey Moon and enjoy a day in his old friend’s company.

  Coming out of the woods, he saw his friend straight away — sat in front of the river, seemingly glowing under the baking sun.

  ‘I’m so glad you could join me, my young friend. I hope my disappearance didn’t cause you worry?’

  Black Wolf walked over to Grey Moon and sat down next to him.

  ‘I was curious as to where you had gone, Grey Moon, but I know you are more than capable of looking after yourself. You know how different I feel from the others and how much I long for solitude, but with you it’s different; you are like a father to me and I enjoy spending time sitting with you and talking.’

  Black Wolf noticed as Grey Moon shifted slightly, uncomfortably, and briefly closed his eyes, seemingly lost in some painful thought, before relaxing again and speaking.

  ‘My child, you are more like family to me than anyone and it fills my heart with joy to hear you speak so highly of me. Times are changing for all of us — especially for you and me — and it’s important for us to talk away from the tribe. We are different and that is why we get treated in such a way. In your life, things have already changed. You remember going into battles with other tribes, hunting and providing for the people, but now we have a settled peace. Do you not wonder why all our people seem so busy all the time, but you and I have nothing to do? We get fed and are free to roam when we please, without a question asked — why is that?’

  Black Wolf had been thinking the same for quite some time now but never asked anyone, always nervous of what the answer might be.

  ‘I always thought I wasn’t meant to be involved, being an outsider. Apart from my strength, which was useful in battles and hunting, I have nothing to offer the tribe and they know that. You are our eldest father and I imagined that gave you every right to roam as freely as you wish.’

  Grey Moon laughed; it was a deep, hearty sound that rumbled up through his chest and shook him. He placed his hand on Black Wolf’s shoulder and looked him directly in the eyes. ‘My boy, you have more to offer the tribe than you could ever imagine and they know that, which is why you have no rules to follow. We have elders who guide us, but no leader. He is waiting for the elements to provide him with the vision he needs. His destiny is starting to reveal itself now!’

  ‘Who is this leader though, Grey Moon? When will we meet him?’ Black Wolf was excited at the thought of the tribe becoming a solid unit under a strong leader.

  ‘It is you, child. Your path is already clearing but you must begin to walk it. The fire was the first sign and you must now look deep within yourself. It is like tracking someone through the snow; their path gets covered by a fresh blanket but, if you look hard enough, their footprints are still there! Find yourself, Wolf, and you will stand at the head of our people with great power.’

  Black Wolf could hardly believe what he was hearing; surely he wasn’t meant for such greatness? As much as
he couldn’t believe it though, he knew Grey Moon was a prophet and all he said held strength amongst his people. Black Wolf thought about the fire and shuddered. Could he walk through those flames and find the answers?

  ‘I need to know more, Grey Moon. Can you help me find the truth? We have all day to work on this.’

  Grey Moon smiled brightly. ‘We will, Wolf, but be patient. First we have something to do today.’

  ‘What is it, Grey Moon? Are we going travelling?’

  Grey Moon smiled again and patted a cloth bag by his side. He opened it to reveal long, sharply carved sticks, some thread and hooks.

  ‘First, we fish!’ he said, grinning. Black Wolf sat next to him looking confused at first but then started rolling with laughter.

  CHAPTER 3

  Across the river, high up on a plateau in the mountains, stood Orgent. The tribe referred to it merely as ‘the great walled city’, and they chose to have no familiarity with the place if they could. To the tribe it was a place shrouded in mystery and, due to the high wall that surrounded it, a place to fear. The only member of the natives ever to enter its large oak doors was Grey Moon. He had been there a few times and though people were desperate to know why he had been, or what he saw inside, they never asked. Grey Moon was the eldest and most respected of the tribe and they knew better than to try to force information from him. If they needed to know, he would tell them. The main reason that the natives feared Orgent was because of the wall and the secrecy that came with it. These were people who lived on open land, free to roam and with no boundaries, so they couldn’t understand why someone would choose to lock themselves away. Many tales were told around campfires of a dark magic that lived in Orgent, of strange creatures and the evil that dwelt there. None of these storytellers had seen it for themselves though; they merely passed on fables and added their own twists to make a chilling story. Only Grey Moon knew the truth.

  Orgent had a vast population of people who lived happily within its huge walls. In the far north of the city was the temple, a huge white structure that provided a stunning backdrop to the rest of the city. The temple housed the emperor, his daughter and many more people who were staff, such as servants, advisors and a healer. It was a huge building with many floors and even with all the people inside, there was still lots of space left untouched. Around the perimeter of the city were buildings of different sizes and shapes, also white in colour, which were home to the many people who lived there. With the city so high up in the mountains, and full of white buildings, in fables it was referred to as the ‘city of clouds’, well camouflaged amongst the vast sky when clouds appeared. In the centre of the city was a large, open courtyard, which was used for many purposes throughout the year. Any sacred bindings between couples were performed here, as were all large celebrations. The markets were constructed here every day too, full of food, clothing and crafts that were sold to the city dwellers. The markets were only open for a short time daily, but still they managed to provide anything that was needed. Once the market closed, the stalls were carefully taken down again and stored for the next day’s trade.

  At night, the whole city was so empty that apart from the few lanterns glowing above the walls, there was nothing to see. Even the night guards were cloaked in the surrounding darkness, invisible to the naked eye, keeping watch while the city slept. The last few nights had been so black though that despite their training and attention to detail, the guards hadn’t noticed the shadows hidden near the foot of the walls. The dark figures, almost blacker than the night, moved swiftly but never near the light. While the city carried on with its normal routine, the shadows sat and waited.

  CHAPTER 4

  Amelia sat and looked out over Orgent; from her sleeping quarters she could see for miles. The people of Orgent often talked about the princess, speculating about how lavish her life must be and what she spent her days doing. In truth, Amelia was dissatisfied with most aspects of her life. She spent most of her time looking out over the huge walls and daydreaming of being on the other side, free to travel and explore the vast wilderness that she had never seen. Her life as the emperor’s daughter in this great city left her feeling empty and she didn’t know why. She often walked around the city and found herself envying the people with normal lives and freedom. She knew she was blessed to never struggle like most people did but, somewhere deep within her, she wanted to. Her longing for adventure had grown ever since she was a little girl and now, as an adult, she felt more trapped than ever.

  Most of her days were spent within the walls of the temple and she felt a sadness that this was her whole life passing before her eyes. One day her father would die and all this would be hers; she wanted none of it though. Amelia wanted to run, escape from the shackles of this stale comfort and throw herself into a world of uncertainty, passion and fate. That was the world where she belonged, even though her father dismissed all talk of it.

  Amelia could understand her father’s worries. He had vowed never to let her out of his reach after her mother had died. Since that terrible night when he had lost his love, the emperor had kept a tighter watch on Amelia than ever. As she had approached adulthood her cage grew bigger — but she knew it was still a cage. She often thought of her mother and wondered if dying was so bad, compared to a life unlived.

  Amelia had only been young when her mother had died; it wasn’t until she was older that she’d been told the full story.

  One night her mother had got out of the bed she shared with the emperor and walked across the room to the large window. He had been woken by the noise of her opening the large iron locks and called out to her, asking what she was doing, but she didn’t react — she had simply stepped out onto the ledge and over, disappearing into the black night. The emperor had screamed and hurried to the window, but when he looked down the lifeless body of his love was spread out on the ground. Her long blonde hair billowed in the wind and slowly turned crimson as the blood pooled beneath her.

  Amelia remembered that after her mother’s death her father had brought in a healer for the city, who had declared that her mother’s death was a result of a sickness which causes the sufferer to fall into a madness from which there is no escape — unless treated before becoming sick. The healer worked tirelessly, producing a herbal mixture which all the city’s population had to burn in their houses before they slept. The people were so scared of this sickness that they all followed the emperor’s orders without question. Even now, Amelia and all the population were still burning this same herbal cure before they slept. Amelia looked at the ashes in the clay bowl by her bed and wondered just how it could have wiped out such a strong sickness. She didn’t mind the smell of the burning herbs at all, it helped her drift off to sleep easily and then, before she knew it, it was morning.

  Today, Amelia was determined to head out into the city to look at the markets; she needed to get out into the fresh air. It was early afternoon now, so the markets would be at their busiest and Amelia hoped that the vibrant atmosphere might lift her spirits. She made her way through the hallways and down the staircases of the temple quickly and found her father sitting in the main room. He was sat reading documents and barely looked up as she spoke.

  ‘Father, I am heading to the markets for a short while. I wondered if Elspeth might like to accompany me while I’m out — have you seen her?’

  Elspeth was Amelia’s maid and her duties were to make sure the princess had everything done for her that was needed. Amelia shunned this idea though and instead they spent time talking and laughing together. They were friends, and Amelia did as much for herself as she could without anyone knowing any different.

  ‘Elspeth just left, dear. She was headed for the markets anyway, so if you go now you should catch her.’

  Her father looked deep in thought as he traced the documents with his fingers and seemed keen to carry on without disturbance.

  ‘Thank you, Father. I shall head after her now then. I won’t be long!’

  Wi
th this, Amelia turned and headed for the main door. As she opened it, she glanced back at her father, still buried in his work, and then quietly headed out into the warm air.

  CHAPTER 5

  Black Wolf’s patience had grown thin; Grey Moon stood laughing as Black Wolf muttered angrily to himself. They had been fishing for a few hours but, as usual, Grey Moon had been the only one to catch anything.

  ‘Sometimes it’s purely the intention that matters, my child,’ he said, and Black Wolf soon found himself laughing too; he knew this time with his friend was not really about fishing anyway and was happy to concede defeat to the wise old hunter.

  Once they had all their equipment packed up, they sat on a blanket looking out over the river. On the other side of the bank was a thick forest and behind that the massive mountains of Loyanas. The mountains towered over the tribe’s camp and on a clear day you could just see the magnificent snowy peaks reaching high into the sky. The land around their camp was vast, yet Black Wolf had never ventured farther away than within the boundaries of the river.

  ‘I sense you have many questions for me, my friend. I cannot give you all the answers, but I promise to talk as freely as I can. Life is better lived when we still have some unanswered questions; it pushes us to discover those answers for ourselves and we grow in the process.’

  Black Wolf’s head was spinning with thousands of different questions and he struggled to place them in any order that would help him avoid missing out anything important.

  ‘We have as long as you need, Wolf. Relax and let them ask themselves. We have until nightfall and then you must go search for different answers.’ Grey Moon placed his hand on Black Wolf’s shoulder and gently encouraged him.

  ‘You spoke earlier of times changing for all of us, especially for you and me — what is this change that you talk of?’

  Grey Moon took a deep breath and spoke. ‘The mother of us all does her best to care for and nurture us, but she herself can suffer sickness at times and it’s usually her children that make her ill. In this world, there are those who have abilities and those who want them. Like gifts, our mother has spread those with abilities around, for too much power can corrupt. They live happily, often not knowing they are special, and every single thing they do makes our mother happy and proud. These other children though, those who want abilities, grow jealous and angry at the others and would be prepared to do anything to get their abilities. This anger bubbles away deep within the heart of these few, making our mother sad and hurt. This bad feeling slowly poisons her until she is helpless to save herself or, indeed, us. That is when she sends her signs through our night sky spirits and asks for help through the night world. Our mother has called to you and needs your help, Black Wolf.’