Wolf Pack - 11. Of Wolves and Nekos.

Sandolin stretched out with a yawn, shaking the dew out of his fur. Being a werewolf had its perks. He could curl up at night in wolf form and not need a blanket. It made the horse skittish when he did, but he always tied his mount securely, preventing the horse from fleeing.

The wolf shifted into his human form and dressed quickly in his armour. Saddling the horse, he mounted in the dark and set off, hoping to reach the Meras River that day.

He was three days from Danuva’s home, and he had made good time. Now that he had a destination in mind and was not merely following Paelius at a distance, he figured the journey to Mydara would take only half a month mounted. Then he would be off to Ceos to meet with the others.

As the sun rose on the world around him, Sandor found himself in a forest, the road to Mydara narrowing until it was barely wide enough for a single person. The elf rode along the road, focusing on keeping on the packed dirt.

Something slammed into his chest, almost knocking him off the horse. Looking down, Sandor found an arrow sticking out of his armour.

“Stop where you are,” someone called.

A human stepped out of the trees around the elf, another arrow nocked to the bow in his hands. He was dressed in rags, a green forester’s cloak on his back, stained with blood.

Sandor pulled on the reins and his horse stopped.

“Remove your armour, your sword, and your purse and you will be free to go about your way,” the man said.

Sandor dismounted, keeping the horse between himself and the highwayman. He drew his sword and another arrow sailed past him, from his left.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

His chest was sore from the force of the arrow, but he couldn’t feel the tip. The plate had done its job well, but it didn’t protect his sides and he had no helm.

Sighing, the elf sheathed his sword again and walked out of the cover of his horse. He placed the sword on the ground and began the process of removing his breastplate.

Setting the metal aside, he began removing the clothing beneath, and the robber said, “You may keep your clothes.”

Sandor ignored him, shedding his pants quickly. This move would probably cause his horse to bolt, but he needed his armour. It had cost nearly all his money to replace the armour he had lost in Astara. The plate may not fit well, but it protected him well enough.

Taking a step toward the highwayman, Sandor let out a growl, tapping into the bloodthirst of his wolf. Leaping forward, the werewolf shifted, knocking the man over. His teeth tore through the man’s throat and he immediately whirled around, dodging another arrow.

Sniffing the air, he caught the scent of fear and urine. Following the scents was child’s play, and he found the other archer, quickly dispatching the man.

Howling his victory, Sandor tracked down his horse, who had bolted off the road. Shifting back into his elf form, Sandor walked toward the horse slowly and took the reins up again. Leading him back to the road, the elf dressed, claiming the coin from the robbers as well as the green cloak. After a moment’s thought, he took the bows as well, unstringing them before tying them to the saddle of his mount.

With a sigh, Sandor mounted again and continued on his way.

Elias lay on the ground, his eyes tracking another blinking star in the early morning twilight. He had never seen a star blink so much, or move. The neko resolved to warn Danuva about it later. Such omens in the sky surely boded ill for their group.

He heard the sound of wagon wheels and sat up. The elf and the woman were back early.

The neko hurried back to the house to warn Danuva and Quarian. The werewolf was busy mending his clothes and Danuva was in the kitchen cooking.

“Done stargazing already?” Danuva asked with a smile.

“They’re back,” Elias said quietly.

Danuva’s face clouded in confusion momentarily, then brightened as he realized what Elias was saying.

“It sounds like we’ll need some water soon. Would you get some for us? A single bucket should work.”

“I’ll go with you, keep you company,” Quarian added, setting his sewing aside.

The two grabbed a bucket and left the house, the strange star all but lost from Elias’ mind.

The cart slowed to a halt next to the house and Paelius helped Masia unharness the nag and put her to bed. They wouldn’t need the cart again for another day or two.

The two worked much better around each other, each knowing where they stood. They were friends, close friends to be sure, but just friends. Paelius found himself relieved by the thought. He hadn’t wanted to marry Masia; his father had made the arrangement to better the realm. Having Masia as a friend didn’t necessarily ensure that her family would help the elves when in need, but Paelius didn’t mind. It was wrong to marry someone merely because it was beneficial.

“Welcome back,” Danuva said, tearing Paelius from his thoughts as he stepped outside. “Breakfast is almost done. I sent Elias to fetch some water; he should be back soon.”

“Shouldn’t you have gone with him? I don’t think he’ll be safe on his own,” Masia said.

“My brother went with him.”

“Ah, send a crazed sex addict to guard a cute neko. What could go wrong?” Masia snorted.

“I don’t feel like debating this with you again. Suffice it to say Quarian is no more a sex addict than Paelius.”

“Anyways!” Paelius said loudly, interrupting Masia’s retort. “It will take about three weeks to reach Ceos. I think we should start tomorrow so we can arrive before Sandolin.”

“I will see if Quarian wants to go with us. If we are riding into battle, another wolf might turn the tide,” Danuva said.

Paelius nodded.

“We’ll likely be waiting for two days for Sandolin to arrive, but I can pay for our lodging,” he said, producing the bag of silver the elf had given him in thanks for finding her daughter.

“Perfect. I should have enough salted meat left over from my winter supplies to see us there,” Danuva smiled. “We’ll pack tonight and head out tomorrow.”

Quarian studied the neko, whistling as they walked. He was such a tiny thing and so nervous too. Every errant sound sent his tail straight out and his ears folded back.

The werewolf took pity on him as they neared the water.

“You can relax, you know. You’re away from Astara, there are two men who would kill to keep you safe and no one in their right mind would try to rob our house. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

Quarian ruffled Elias’ hair affectionately.

“Let’s get the water. Danuva should be almost done with breakfast.”

They approached the creek and set the buckets in the water. Elias’ ears flicked back at the sound of a snapping twig, but he made a visible effort to relax.

A sound like thunder erupted over them, and Quarian glanced up in surprise. The sky was clear; there was no sign of a storm anywhere nearby.

“Okay…. Now we can worry,” he said quietly to the neko.

The two backed away from the water, scanning their surroundings. Quarian heard a quiet growl.

“There’s a wolf around here,” he warned the neko. “Go back to the house. Tell Danuva to lock up.”

Watching Elias until he was out of sight, Quarian stripped and shifted, sniffing the air. He stalked up and down the creek, trying to find the wolf.

Catching a strong garlicky scent, the werewolf dropped low and followed the smell. A sudden bright flash blinded him, and Quarian bit back a yelp as his eyes exploded in pain.

A loud yelp cut through the air, and the werewolf followed the sound blindly. He ran into a soft body and snarled, his challenge answered by another.

Trusting his nose, Quarian lunged, his teeth biting into the body. The other wolf screamed, trying to back away. Quarian wrenched back, tearing skin and flesh away from his foe.

Howling in agony, the wolf tried once again to flee. Quarian darted in again, his jaws clamping around a leg. He felt the bone break in his mouth and released the wolf. This time he let his opponent limp away, focusing on shifting back to his human form.

His eyes finally cleared, and he hurried back to the house, ignoring his nudity.

“Danuva!”

The werewolf pounded on the door to his home, dimly noting their wagon was back.

The door opened and a woman stared at him in shock.

“Who are you?” Quarian snarled. “Where is Danuva?”

The woman stepped back, calling into the house, “Danuva, it looks like your brother couldn’t keep his clothes on after all!”

Quarian growled.

Danuva walked into view.

“Quarian what the fuck are you doing?!” he snapped.

“Where’s Elias?”

Danuva blanched.

“YOU LOST HIM? WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“I sent him back here! There was a werewolf stalking our property! I sent him to warn you!”

“He never showed up…”