[IC] When the Fog Breaks [Ebonfort RP]

[Twhirtley]

Starting Date and Time: 30th day of Crimsia, 6th Stretch of the morning
Starting Location: Green Fall
CS URLs: Alya Eloen

The fog was heavy this morning, a lot heavier than normal, though not to the point of concern. The sun was just beginning to rise over the Indigia mountains to the east, and as they did every day at this time, the Jacks were geared up and heading out to the forest for another long day of felling timber, along with the Ebon Knights on patrol for the village's protection, adorned in their blackened steel armor. The local artisans were opening their workshops, ensuring that their apprentices were being productive and not slacking due to the early hour.

A hair-foot halfling, a man that was surprisingly muscular and stout for his race, was carving away at a massive felled trunk with a variety of chisels and hand axes, whistling a light tune to help him keep the time. As he shaped and molded the wood, he stopped mid-swing, looking up and out into the fog, toward the forest. It looked as if he'd heard something, but couldn't quite make it out, and was waiting for it to sound once more. Shaking his head, he returned back to his work. However, he was interrupted once more, looking back to the assumed source, when his eyes widened. A massive wolf, the size of a horse was sauntering toward him, arrows in its back, and a black, armored limb hanging from its bloodied maw.

Before the halfling could yell out a warning, the deep booming of the Ebon Knights horn resounded over the village, three blasts. That meant everyone needed to seek immediate shelter, and all Knights were to converge on the village center. The halfling dropped his tools, turned and ran, pumping toward the nearest door, the one belonging to the local tavern and inn, The Surly Stump. The door was closed from the chill, though a few patrons, mostly those staying there overnight were inside at breakfast. They had heard the horn blasts, and the halfling yelling. Then there was a crashing thud, as the door was impacted by something far heavier than a halfling man. The door bowed and splintered, but held. The patrons inside could hear the snarling of the creature, the ripping of flesh and bone. Fear was flooding the place, and Susie, the barmaid, knew a panic would set in very soon.

[Rekaigan]

As usual, at the 6th stretch of morning, Alya was already awake. But as always, she was unaware of what was going on. As she walked down stairs to the ground floor of the tavern, a loud crash rang out throughout the structure. Even this amount of sound was enough to snap Alya out of her usual daydreaming state. She stood there, shocked for a moment before calming down. She blankly scanned the room, seeing many of the remaining patrons begin to panic. She still didn't know what was going on, but her instincts told her it was nothing good. The door didn't look as nice as it did the day before. It looked...hurt.

She glanced as Susie for a moment, wondering if she should ask her what was happening, but she figured that she could just carry on with her usual routines. Whatever they were. She slowly stepped across the slightly scuffed wooden floor of the tavern, her bare feet making almost no sound. She had brought her flute from upstairs; she never went anywhere without it. She calmly sat down on the stool on the slightly elevated platform, raising the flute's lip plate to her lips.

The tune that resonated from the flute was soft and melodic. It was a simple song. It was slow, holding each note. The sound echoed throughout the tavern, Alya's mind set on preserving peace within the tavern. She didn't know if her music would help, but she hoped that everyone would calm down.

[Twhirtley]

Lyle, was still nursing a hangover, had barely looked over toward the door as it nearly snapped in two. He took another long gulp from his lager, listening to the sound of the man becoming meat. Lyle was originally from Silent Rise, so he was used to the weak dominating the strong. It didn't phase him. The way the creature's claws sounded against the corpse, ground, and door, along with the snarls, he was fairly certain it was a wolf. And from the damage to the door, likely a dire wolf at that. Alone, those were child's play. In a pack, they were definitely one of the most dangerous creatures in the forest.

He drained the rest of his lager, about to hollow for more as he watched a rather short elven woman move to the raised dais that was used as a stage. He remembered her from her performance the night before. It wasn't great, but pleasant enough. However, now hardly seemed the time. The sounds of the wolf had abated, but he could still just make out its heavy breathing. He gripped his wooden stein tight, pulling his arm back to chuck it at the idiot musician, she was going to get them all killed.

Susie had seen Lyle's temper rising, and the moment his hand came up, she gripped his wrist with iron, the half-Orc part of her making her stronger than the normal human. "Easy love, don't be running off my entertainment." She'd brought a pitcher with her, topped off his drink, and swirled away with her sauntering hips that always made the men stare. There were only six people in the tavern area. Susie, Lyle, Alya, a couple of travelers from Azure Strand, and a sleeping dwarf. The travelers were chattering nervously in the corner, clearly shaken. Susie had noticed that she'd calmed down since the bard had started her song.

Lyle heard the shouts of Ebon Knights coming to the door, and what sounded like the wolf scampering off for the time being. The door was forced open, and two knights collapsed in, bloodied, sweaty, and for the most part whole. The human quickly slammed the door shut, and the white elf stumbled into a chair. They said nothing, resting, their faces absolutely stricken with panic and fear.

[Rekaigan]

Alya had taken no notice to the hostility of the man who almost threw a tankard at her. She could still see the fear in some of the travelers as they sat nervously in the corner. She was concerned for them, but her mind was mostly focused on playing her music so there wasn't really any time for her to worry too much. She continued to play for some time, but it was evident to her that not many of the patrons left in the tavern were feeling any better than they were a few minutes ago. This made her worry a little more. It was strange, because patrons usually feel more relaxed after she plays a song like that, but they were still panicking. Since she had learnt from her parents that making the customer happy was the key to a successful tavern; the fact that she couldn't help these patrons find any peace, saddened her a little. But she continued to play for them, hoping that it would reach them.

Her song was stopped abruptly as two armored men fell through the door frame where the door once was. The thick wooden door had swung open, slapping the wall with a thud. It was a similar sound to what the men made when they slammed the door shut. The sudden loud noises had shaken her concentration, causing her to stop playing the music. Her heart quickened from the shock of noise, but she calmed down after she saw where the noise came from. As the white elf slumped into the chair, she gently placed her flute on the floor next to her. Slowly, she wandered over to him, her feet carrying her with an air of elegance. As she came face to face with the armored man, she studied his expression for a moment. This look of fear was different from the patrons, but was seemingly all the same. She gently placed her hand on his cheek. It was dirty from all of his struggles, that she knew, but it didn't bother her in the slightest. She gave the other elf a soft smile as if to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

[Twhirtley]

The white elf found himself staring into the short woman's eyes, feeling her comforting hand on his cheek. He relaxed a bit. Today was his first day in Green Fall as his new assignment. Sure, he'd trained in Scream Watch like every other Knight, he'd fought the Screamers and monsters, but they'd always prevailed over the enemy. He'd already seen four Knights torn to shreds this morning alone, could hear them screaming, choking on their blood. None of this was his life's purpose, it was just horror, plain and simple.

He offered a weak smile to the woman, "Thank you miss." His Human companion got up and began inspecting the door and windows, "I think the wolves are gone for now, I don't hear anything." Looking toward Susie, "Is there a back door?" Susie nodded, "Through the kitchen."

The man nodded, and made his way through the tavern. The elf saw the flute on the floor, and got up and retrieved it, handing it to Alya. "One should never leave their tools on the ground. What is your na--?" He was interrupted by another crashing of wood, his companion screaming, and snarling emanating from the kitchens. Immediate panic set in, and the elf drew his longsword, and ran toward the kitchen, leaving the patrons to make a decision. Do they stay? Do they flee out the front door, or seek shelter upstairs?

[Rekaigan]

She gave the Elf a slight nod when he thanked her. She smiled at him again when he retrieved her flute, but the interaction was interrupted when a familiar, but loud sound rang throughout the tavern once more. She was confused to say the least, rather than panicked like everyone else was. What should they do? What should she do? Music wouldn't help in a time like this. Her life was getting far too eventful for her to even comprehend, but she needed to make a decision, quickly. If she had learnt some kind of fighting skill she may have tried to help them, but she knew that even if she did, she wouldn't be very helpful.

She quickly walked over to Susie, patting her on the arm to get her attention as a child might do. She then pointed at the front door to indicate where she was planning to go. She hadn't thought about where, but she didn't mind where she went, it seemed better than staying here. She'd be worried about her parents if not for the fact that they were out on a holiday somewhere in the Azure Strand. Her parents had already allowed her to travel, but she hasn't done it yet. Well it starts now. She started toward the front door, unwilling to slow down. Hopefully everyone else would follow her, but she didn't think that they would. She thought of whistling to get their attention, but she thought against it... She knew how dogs worked after all..

[Twhirtley]

Susie watched as the mute went for the front door, not willing to speak in order to stop her, not when there was a creature in her kitchen. From the sounds, the knights were still fighting it, clattering, clanging, grunts and snarls emanating from within. She might be half orc, and she might handle the bar fights that break out here, but if a creature could defeat knights with their armor and weapons and training, what hope did she have. She slipped behind the bar, making herself as small as she could, awaiting for death or salvation.

Lyle, on the other hand, had different ideas. He moved over to the bar, dropped a few coins, and grabbed a bottle of corn whiskey. He'd seen the merit in the young girls idea, even if it was more of an impulse than a plan. Biting the cork free, he took a long swig, drew his mace, and moved over to the girl and the door. "Let's go girly. Better to die fighting or fleeing than like a rat in a trap."

He wrenched open the damaged door, slipped past the bits and pieces and blood from the halfling's corpse and stepped into the foggy air. There didn't appear to be any wolves in the immediate vicinity, but it was hard to tell. Lyle sniffed at the air, listened close, his instincts from his hunting days kicking in. He could only see maybe ten, fifteen feet tops in front of him, but could already make out blood, wolf tracks, and footsteps from the greaved knights. Wolves never attacked settlements like this, even when starving and desperate. There were much easier targets in the woods, hunters, loggers, even lesser creatures. What was bringing them here?

He heard a clink, as if something were pulling at a chain nearby, in the house next to the tavern. The house belonged to Gunther, a cut-rate hunter in the village, not even worthy of the name. It was followed by tapping against glass. The girlie would be closer, and he'd need to keep an eye out for dangers. If she did investigate, she'd find a tiny wolf cub looking at her through the glass, chained to a wall, yipping happily at the attention.

[Rekaigan]

Her head snapped around to see a man with a bottle and a mace walk past her. He had opened the damaged wooden door, which may have caused trouble for her if she was to try open it. She followed him out, her feet stepping into the puddles of blood that had flooded around the door. She was seemingly unfazed by the gruesome sight, as if her mind intentionally blanked it all out and replaced it with a regular puddle of water. The fog surrounded them, making it hard to see, but that didn't really bother Alya at all, because fog was something that happened on occasion and there was no point in making a fuss about it.

She heard a metallic clink. Followed by a series of tapping sounds against what she made out to be from glass. It was coming from the house next to the tavern; she didn't know who owned it, neither did it matter to her. She wanted to know what was making the noise. She slowly walked over to the house, her feet leaving a trail of blood in the dirt and grass. As she approached the door, she could hear the clinking in a higher frequency than before, as if something was struggling. She slowly opened the door, which conveniently enough, wasn't locked at all. It was quite typical of people in Green Fall to just forget to lock their doors, who knows why.

A somewhat high pitched YAP! sound rang out as she opened the door, the noise caused her to flinch slightly, but she noticed that it was a small animal. A wolf cub. She frowned slightly at the bindings that held the poor creature, the shackles it wore had rubbed at it's ankles causing it to lose the fur and injure it slightly. She approached the excited cub, giving it a warm smile before whistling to it as you would to a regular dog. She decided it would be a good idea to give it a pat. She figured that the man that she followed would know what to do with shackles when he saw them.

[Twhirtley]

The little dog yipped and approached the woman, accepting the head rub. It wiggled as it was rubbed, licking the hand in thanks. Then it suddenly stopped, looking toward the door, sniffing at the air. The nose twitched this way and that, until it seemed to recognize the scent, and began excitedly yipping and yelping out.

The hairs on Lyle's neck stood up, and he knew that the wolves were coming. He saw the girls enter Gunther's house with his peripherals, likely to investigate the sound of the tapping. But when he heard the yipping from inside, it all made sense now. If he weren't in such a dangerous predicament, he'd be cursing Gunther's name through every hell known and unknown. When the yipping increased in frequency, he knew what was coming next. His stance shifted low and he silently stepped back toward Gunther's house, to have a wall at his back.

Agonizing, silent moments passed. Then two massive wolves parted the fog, each standing as tall as a pony. They were cautious in their steps watching, calculating. The female growled out lightly, causing the pup to respond in fervor. His parents had arrived. Lyle looked in their eyes, knowing that if he didn't use the utmost caution, he, and the girl, would be dead. Any true hunter knew that dire wolves such as these were far more intelligent than they seemed. He couldn't speak wolf, but he dropped his stance into a nonthreatening pose, without loosening the grip on his weapon, or bottle. He shrugged toward the door, hoping to indicate the pup was in there.

If he stepped away, or even toward, the door, he knew the wolves would spring to attack. In a low growl, he managed to let loose a phrase to the woman, "You need to free that pup. Now. Or we both die." The sweat on his brow was pouring now, knowing the next several moments were the most crucial. He really hoped that girlie pulled through, he still had half a bottle to finish.

[Rekaigan]

She smiled happily back at the pup as it accepted her head rub. The way the pup stopped interacting with her was quite abrupt. She toward the door from which she came, the pup seemed to very excited about what was outside it. She could only guess what it was. After a brief moment of listening to the pup yap loudly, she saw Lyle step through the door of the house with careful steps. She had a better idea of what was going on, now that she saw his expression.

The words he spoke and the tone that came with it, sparked some panic into her mind. She hadn't been in a life or death situation before, so it was quite overwhelming for her. She quickly looked at the chains, hoping to find some sort of keyhole in the shackles, maybe something to help her break the chains. As luck would have it, there was a keyhole in each of the shackle clamps, but unfortunately she didn't know where the key was. Hopefully the owner of the house had left it somewhere.

She got up, hastily looking around the room for the key. She rummaged through drawers, cupboards, boxes, closets. She couldn't find it anywhere. This caused her to panic even more. In the back of her mind, she knew that she hadn't looked carefully enough, but the stress had already settled in her mind. She stopped for a moment before taking in some deep breaths to calm herself down, which worked to an extent.

She decided to try look around for the key again, only to trip on a floorboard that slightly out of place, slightly... Elevated? Curiosity had sparked. She carefully lifted the loose floorboard. Under it lay a small wooden box, which she immediately assumed would have the key in it. She quickly grabbed it, opening it hastily. What luck. A key was inside it. She immediately jammed the key into the shackles before twisting it, her mind still in a bit of a frenzy. Click. The shackle fell off with a satisfying thump on the wooden planks. This made her calm down significantly as she unlocked the rest of the clamps.

[Twhirtley]

Lyle's eyes were locked with the female's, knowing that she'd be the most ferocious of the pair, out of sheer desperation. He tried to convey the fact that he had no desire to fight, but was more than capable. The female cocked her head, then grunted toward her mate. She moved toward the door, while the male growled and covered her movements, ready to attack should Lyle become aggressive. Then there was a sharp sound from inside, what sounded like the girl had stumbled on something. In panic, the female darted through the door, the male lunged toward him.

Lyle got his maces up, and stepped into the tackle. He couldn't stop the sheer force of the beast, it was too strong and heavy, but he was able to at least slip past the outstretched claws, while forcing the handle of his mace between the jaws of it. The tackle forced him back hard into the wall of the house, shaking the entire structure, causing him to drop his other mace. One hand was locked into keeping the creature's jaws at bay, but now his spare was focused on keeping the beast close to chest. He wasn't trying to kill it, simply keep him in a bear hug stalemate. However, the other claw found purchase, carving deep crimson grooves into his muscled arm and chest.

The female arrived just in time to see the girl free the pup from its shackle. She snarled the most menacing growls she mustered at the girl, clearly the most powerful of warnings. Her eyes locked on the woman's, daring her to move. The pup rushed to its mother, yipping happily. The moment it stood beneath her massive body, the mother clearly relaxed a bit. She turned and stepped outside, snarling at her mate. He backed off Lyle with a snap of the jaws, a taunt suggesting he would've won. Lyle growled back angrily, but let him go as he saw the pup.

"Y'alright in there lass?" He wondered how many lives were lost today because of one fool hunter. If Gunther was lucky, the wolves already killed him. The fog was starting to clear as the sun rose higher. He watched as they sauntered off. Then he heard the sound all hunters knew. The creak as a bow drew, followed by the snap of the string. Before he could even shot for them to stop, he watched black arrows slam into the two dire wolves' bodies. They were dead before they collapsed to the ground, their bodies providing temporary shelter for the pup, preventing it from being shot at. Lyle looked toward the archers, Ebon Knights atop a house across the way, "There was no need to do that, you bloody bastards!" Lyle reached for his other mace, only for an arrow to sink into the ground between his hand and handle. He heard the officer in charge, "Keep in an eye on this one, you, go put down the pup." One of the archers climbed down, and began stalking toward the pup and its dead parents.

[Rekaigan]

During her panic, searching and the eventual release of the pup, she hadn't noticed what had happened to the man who was helping her. But what she did know was that there was a large dire wolf, growling at her. She recoiled when she saw the wolf, but calmed significantly when the wolf had relaxed. She followed the wolves out the door, stopping just outside the house. She smiled at the man next to her, nodding, indicating that she was fine. She was glad that the family was back together.

As the fog cleared, and the sun rose, she watched as the wolves slowly retreated. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard something creak and snap. Like the strum of a string. She didn't know what it was until a moment later. The large wolves had fallen over, their blood soaking the grass on which they laid. Her mind had tunnel visioned, she didn't even notice the arrow that had slammed near her, or rather, she didn't care. She bolted toward the dead wolves, hoping that the pup was okay. What will you do when you get there? She thought to herself. She didn't know the answer, but she figured that the answer would come to her when she got there, assuming she wasn't shot down. She ran, her feet unhindered by the slightly uneven ground.

She reached the wolves before the soldier did, only because the soldier was moving slowly. Maybe even cautiously. She heard whimpering from behind one of the bodies. There she saw the pup, it's fur matted in thick blood. She gently picked it up, embracing it in a very comforting way. Her clothes soaking the blood that was on the pup and around her. It seems that a proper answer hadn't come to her, but she felt that her instinctive actions were good enough.

[Twhirtley]

Lyle cursed loudly as he watched the girl dart towards the pup, ignoring the warning shots from the Ebon Knight Archers. This meant the next ones would not be warnings. He quickly surveyed the situation, seeing that two soldiers remained on the roof, though only one had his bow drawn, neither of them paying him any attention. This gave him enough time to pick up his other mace, now hearing the string being drawn again. He turned and threw his right handed mace as the arrow let loose toward the girl. Almost impossibly, the mace crashed right through it, crushing and deflecting it. Lyle was already in a full run now, toward the girl, as the archer on the ground looked at him bewildered. The hunter managed to position himself between the girl and the knights, and shouted, "Enough! Enough killing!"

The soldier in command, atop the roof, said nothing, gave no orders, studying the two down below. The Knight on the ground glared at Lyle, "Step aside, civilian. This beast must be put down." Lyle didn't move an inch, his eyes keeping watch on all three soldiers. "Have it your way." He began to draw his sword, when Lyle's large hand stopped it, before it got more than an inch out of the scabbard. The soldier, grimacing in pain as his hand was slowly being crushed, attempted to a wide swinging punch, only for Lyle to step in and headbutt him hard, knocking him out.

He then looked up toward the other two, noting the Lieutenant's sash on the man's arm. "Lieutenant, get down here, now. We have a mess to sort out." The man nodded in reply and began making his way over.

The pup was frightened and in panic now that it's parents were killed. In its distress, it was crying out, scrambling in the girls arms, sharp claws cutting at reckless abandon. It wasn't trying to escape, simply lashing out at the cruel world that tormented it at every turn.

"What in the blimey fuck is all that noise?" The voice came from the house where the pup had been chained. A moment of silence passed, "Who in the hell broke into my house?! And stole my wolf!" A gruff, potbellied man stumbled out of the home, looking somewhat drunk, and enraged. The moment he saw the Knights, the gore on the ground, the entire scene, he stopped. The archer on the roof needed no orders, pointing his bow at the man.

The Lieutenant arrived at Lyle, the girl, and the wolves. "I know you, Lyle. I could charge you with assaulting a Knight, but I'd imagine you would simply request trial by combat, and injure yet another Knight. Now let us talk logic. That wolf pup is not old enough to survive on its own. And even if it did, by some miracle, it would remember what humans did. It would only know hatred and revenge, and would attack any and every human it came across. It is a threat. It must be put down. You know this to be truth."

Lyle couldn't deny a single word. All of it was true. But it left a very bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't have a single thing to say that could save the pup's life, and defeated, he stepped aside.

[Rekaigan]

She winced in pain as the sharp claws scratched into her skin, tearing parts of her clothing, her own blood seeping into her clothes. But she persevered, holding the pup closer to herself, patting it as she tried to calm it down. She let out a soft Ssh.. sound, as you would for a crying infant, hoping it would work. She wished that she had her flute. She remembered one incident a few years ago, when she calmed down an aggravated dog with her music, but this knowledge was useless in the present.

Her mind was quite focused on the pup as she tried to think of ways to calm it down. But something caught her attention. Her eyes flicked over to the Ebon Knight as he spoke, only to hear "It is a threat. It must be put down." She felt a strong emotion well up inside of her. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt before, but she could tell what it was. Anger. It didn't do anything wrong! She wanted to scream. If anyone was to be punished, it should be the person who locked it up in the first place. She grimaced at her own disability. She hadn't realized that it was something that could make her so... helpless. All of these emotions were new to her and it made her extremely uncomfortable, because it wasn't like her to be this way.

She slowly stood up, backing away from the pair of men whom had just finished speaking, her arms cradling the squirming pup. She glared at the knight, an expression that she had never used before. She trusted these people, but now they just looked like murderers to her.

[Twhirtley]

The drunken Gunther was driven over to the group at arrow point, the Lieutenant shifting his attention from the glaring woman and the doomed pup. He'd been able to discern enough information from this bloody situation to know that the man here was entirely at fault. Lieutenant Castoro's squire, Alan Hyland, came plodding over, such a fool boy. And fat. He trained him night and day, and he was still fat. But at least he followed orders without question. The boy clinked and huffed in his armor, stopping to catch his breath before reporting.

"There are seven dead, Ser. Four civilians, the Hair-Foot known as Kintan, the daughters of Reginald Bursaft, Lilia and Karmin, and pixie Pompeya. Three knights have passed as well, Ser Brannock, Sera Jespaiya, and Ser Lolin. Ser Crescent is severely injured, and it is unclear if he will survive or not."

The young lad looked down at the unconscious knight, then at his Lieutenant's steely gaze, realizing this was not to be included in the official report, at least, as is. "And Ser Hurlton mildly injured in the line of duty." Lieutenant Castoro nodded, now speaking to Gunther, "You are charged with Reckless Endangerment of the village, seven counts of manslaughter, and four counts of assaulting a knight. The punishment is death by execution. All of your assets will be seized by the Ebon Knights and distributed as we see fit. Do you have anything to say?"

Gunther's shoulders slumped, knowing he had no valid argument. He looked over at the pup, he'd just wanted to sell it for easy money, lots of people would buy it. He never meant to hurt anyone. The look in the girl's eyes reminded him of the wolves, the fierceness in which they'd protect their own. He wasn't always a hunter for profit... He could remember the days of his youth, where he enjoyed watching his prey more than hunting them. Where becoming one with the wild was the most important and enjoyable feeling. Maybe he could feel that one last time, do one last bit of good before he died.

"I ask that the girl, if willing, be tasked with being protector and parent to the pup. Real hunters know, I... knew, that dire wolves are intelligent. It can learn, learn to forgive. The parents needed to pay, just as I do. But the pup has killed no one, broken no law."

The shock on Lyle's face was evident. He hadn't thought a cut-rate hunter like Gunther had a shred of decency in him. Speaking up, "I can assist the girl, teaching her the proper ways of raising it, until she can do so for herself. And I will personally take responsibility for any trouble that may be caused by it, and will accept punishment for such without conflict." Shit. What had he just agreed to?

The Lieutenant looked amused by all this. "If the girl agrees, then very well. Those conditions shall be met. Alan, write up the contract." Then he nodded to the archer behind Gunther. The archer put an arrow into the back of Gunther's left knee, forcing him to a kneeling position. In a single, swift motion, Lieutenant Castoro drew his long sword, lopped off Gunther's head, and handed sheathed the blade, without a single drop of blood upon it. Gunther's head sagged, then fell, rolling away, as the body slumped to the ground. The archer began with the business of taking care of the body, as Alan handed the two, basic contracts to Castoro. The Lieutenant offered one to Alya and one to Lyle, and Alan provided the quill and ink. "So, do you accept?"

[Rekaigan]

She calmed significantly as she listened to the exchange between the men, it seems as thought they had reached an agreement. She knew that the drunkard was sentenced to death, but she didn't think that they were going to execute him there and then. The moment was like a breeze, sudden and quick. She didn't have time to react to the beheading before being greeted with a piece of parchment, "So do you accept?" She read it for a moment, the pup still in her arms. She mustered the strength in one of her arms to hold the pup as she attempted to sign the contract with her other hand. The whole ordeal was quite 'untidy', some ink spilling onto the grass as she hastily dipped the quill into it, a few drops of ink splattering onto the contract as she lifted the quill over it. But she was able to sign the contract without too many problems, save for her arm that was holding onto the pup.

After handing the quill back to the man, she smiled, hugging the pup. She knew that it was going to be difficult to raise a wild animal, but at least she was able to save it. She bowed low to the knights thankfully. Furthermore, she felt that she owed quite a lot to the man that had helped her. What was his name?

[Twhirtley]

The contracts signed, Lieutenant Castoro nodded toward the squire, who quickly wrote up the permits, that included the details of the contracts, and handed them to Lyle and Alya. "You will need to keep these with you anytime you are in Ebonfort territory. Should a Knight, or anyone really, question you about your wolf, these documents are all you need to provide. These ensure that Lyle Spikebush is responsible for any damages or crimes committed by the dire wolf companion of Alya Eloen while in the Ebonfort territories. This also registers proper ownership of said wolf, affording it full protection under our laws. Should Alya sell, trade, or set free this wolf, she must inform the Quartermaster at the nearest Ebon Knight Depot immediately, so as to relinquish liability for both herself and Lyle."

The Lieutenant smiled, it always impressed him how his squire handled paperwork and bureaucracy. It was definitely the boy's stronger area. Perhaps he'd make a fine Quartermaster one day, quite a prestigious position, especially since he wasn't much use in terms of combat. He could see the rest of the citizens that had been in hiding, coming out now, the sight of the Knights a signal that it was safe once more. Lyle turned to Alya, now knowing her name, "So it looks like I'm stuck with you two now. That was a very stupid thing you did there. Very stupid." He looked away for a moment, as a parent might that was a bit upset with their child, before breaking into a grin, "But I'm glad you did."

More Knights began coming out of the wood works, those whose jobs meant holding the perimeters or defending certain points in the village. The clean up was quick, the bodies taken to the outskirts of the village, to have their coffins built from a dying tree and buried, becoming food for future trees, for that was truly their village's livelihood. "Let's go get this little guy some food, then get us stitched up. You have a lot of work ahead of you."

[Rekaigan]

She took the contract in one of her hands, having to lean slightly to actually take it, since she was still cradling the pup in her arms. She realized that the Knights weren't as murderous as she had initially thought and that they were able to negotiate things like this. Nonetheless, she wondered if these kinds of situations ever unfold in an unfortunate way. The thoughts were quickly let go as her mind shifted back to it's usual state of calm. She nodded in understanding as the Knight spoke to her and Lyle. She had no intention of selling or trading this wolf pup, but if it was to express such a request, she would release it. However, she felt that it wouldn't happen any time soon.

She smiled back at Lyle. She understood that her choices of action were quite poor, but she felt that she had done the right thing and it seemed as though the man agreed.

She briefly watched the Knights as they cleaned up the carnage, she hadn't let the pup out of her arms this whole time, but it seemed like it didn't mind it anymore. It had stopped squirming and quietly rested in her arms. She looked back to Lyle and nodded in agreement. Her clothes were torn, she had a few scratches and cuts here and there, but it was nothing too serious. Taking care of this pup was now top priority. Taking care of it was going to be a challenge, but it was something that she was willing to take on.

[Twhirtley]

Lyle led the way toward a cabin at the very edge of the village, positioned in such a way that it was easily unnoticed unless looking for it. It was small, quaint, a single room. He didn't enter it, rather walking around to a small wooden tower over a smoking heap of green sticks. He opened it up, reached in and grasped a long cut of meat, now smoked. He then closed it, and moved over to a nearby stump, and sat down, beckoning toward the girl and her pup. "This will be the one and only time we feed this pup cooked food, understand? After this, I will teach you both to hunt. You're its mother now, so this is a requirement, until it can hunt for itself."

He then offered the meat to Alya. He then got up, entered his cabin, and came back out with a small pouch. He set about building a fire in the center of the stump seats. He then put a pot of water on, "You're going to have to pay attention often. You're a hunter now, paying attention is what will keep you, and everyone you meet, alive. It will be trying, you'll get frustrated, angry, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you learn." Once the water was boiling, he added some honey and lavender blossoms, "Helps the wounds to not fester." Once it was thoroughly mixed, he dipped a rag into the mix, soaking it, then used it to clean and scrub out the claw wounds. He then pulled out a needle made of bone and strung it, then stitched himself up, "They call these simple interrupted stitches, closed with a doctor's knot." He then soaked another rag, set it against the wound, and bandaged over it.

He then handed her a fresh rag, and the needle and thread, "Your turn. Don't worry if it is sloppy, you need the practice." Lyle would watch, comment, and assist Alya on her procedure. Once she was down, he'd hand her the bandages. "Have you come up with a name for him yet? And have you been staying in the tavern? Because if so, you're going to learn to build a proper shelter. Can't have you relying on others like some sort of sissy." He'd spend the rest of the day belittling things, teaching her basics of wolf care, commenting on things to come. When night fell, "You can crash on the bed inside, the night will be warm, I'll be out here, Wolf Mother."

[Rekaigan]

Alya quietly and obediently followed, by the time they had reached the cabin on the edge of the village, she had already let the pup down from her arms, as they were getting tired from carrying it. The pup followed close behind Alya's footsteps, sometimes weaving between her legs, which didn't seem to bother her too much, she found it to be rather endearing. She looked at the cabin and wondered why they weren't going into it, but she figured it out when Lyle brought out a long cut of smoked meat. She followed him over to the stump.

Hunting? She wasn't sure if she was physically capable of even throwing a rock, let alone shooting a bow. Her clumsiness and absent-minded nature would just mess everything up. No, I must do this. She thought with a flame a determination flickering within herself. She signed the contract and took on a wolf pup, and she dragged Lyle into it... Or rather he dragged himself into it... In any case, she needed to pull her weight. She nodded in understanding as she took the meat. She sat down on the stump as Lyle went into his cabin, feeding the pup the smoked meat, which it ate happily.

As Lyle spoke, as he made the mixture, she began to take mental notes of what was needed. She watched him stitch himself up, applying the rags to his wounds after doing so. When he handed her the rags and the needle and thread, she attempted to copy what Lyle had done. Cleaning her wounds caused her to flinch slightly, as the mixture cause a sharp pain, followed by a slight burning sensation, but she continued with her task. Her needle skills had always been quite sub-par, but this was even more difficult, because she had to... 'stab' herself with a needle. Fortunately, she was a quick learner, figuring out how to knot the thread at the end after a few painful attempts. She applied the bandages to her stitched wounds, it was messy, but it worked.

His questions made her think of things that she hadn't thought of yet. The name of the pup? She couldn't think of one right now. Building a shelter? That sounded 'fun'. She didn't know how to answer his questions since she didn't have any way of telling him, but she'll get around to it at some point. As she spent the rest of the day learning a multitude of things from Lyle, she had become very exhausted. Mentally and physically. She gave Lyle a very tired looking bow, a deep bow of gratitude. As she slowly walked toward the cabin, the wolf pup followed close behind. Wolf Mother? It was an amusing nickname, but appropriate now. She smiled at the thought as she tucked herself into the bed, the pup curling up at her side.