Chapter 1 - The Merry Band

Being the son of a deceased Werelord isn't easy, especially for someone as young as Thor. Short for Thorbjorn, it was the name his father, Duke Henrik had given him after his mother had died in childbirth. Ever since that fateful day in the snow, when Lucas had brutally murdered his father in cold blood, Thor had been wondering how he was supposed to lead his people by himself, having not received enough guidance and teaching from his father before his untimely demise. Thor had been there on the day his father was taken from him, standing beside Duke Bergan, his cousin. He had even experienced his first transformation due to the sheer rage and grief that had coursed through him. For most Werelords, the first change is a very painful experience, often lasting upwards of five minutes to reach the full transformation, but for the young Bearlord, his first had been an instantaneous, painless affair due to all the emotional power and adrenaline that had coursed through him. It had taken all of Bergan's massive strength in Bear form to wrestle him away from the scene and retreat through the fog, back to his peoples' encampment.

Whether he liked it or not, Thor had been thrust into a position of leadership among his people, as he was now the rightful lord of Sturmland. Luckily for him, Bergan was still with them, and Thor was content to let the old Bear take up the position of leadership. It had all worked out in the end, with Bergan and his friends, Bo Carver and Reuben Fry, leading them from the snow-covered peaks and into the foothills, where they were met by the Wolflord Drew Ferran. Thor had witnessed a warm reunion between the old Bear and the young Wolf that almost seemed like they were family, even though they were of different blood.

Thor had also been present when Lord Drew had bravely faced down Onyx, the Beast of Bast, as well as Ulik, an Apelord representing the Lions. Thor had even been there on the day of the final battle, shadowing Bergan and his brother, Redfearn. The old Bearlords had made that their condition for letting Thor fight. The swathe of death the two Bearlords had cut through the enemy that day was terrifying. He witnessed for the first time the terrible business of war, he himself even cutting down the odd man that slipped between the two Bearlords in front of him. He had taken his first life that day, but certainly not his last.

When the war was won, he had accompanied the two Bearlords, as well as Drew and his brother, Trent Ferran, who was still recovering from the effects of the Wyld magicks, and last but not least, Baron Hector of Redmire, the captive of the young Wolflord after Drew had cut off his corrupted limb, severing his connection with the phantom of Hector's dead brother. Thor noted that Drew still cared for the young Baron.

At last, when they arrived in Brackenholme, at the heart of the Dyrewood, they were all given separate rooms within the Great Oak, Thor glad to have a real feather bed under him after many months slept on the cold Sturmish snow, and the hard bedrolls they used as the traveled here. The next few months were uneventful, with Thor helping rebuild the beleaguered city after the attacks from the Wyldermen. Nothing worthy of note happened, until….


Thor awoke with a start when a loud banging, followed by Drew's voice, "Thor! Wake up! Meet us in the Great Hall!."

And with that, the Wolflord was gone, moving down the hall, most likely to do the same to his brother, Trent. The young White Bear of Sturmland slowly sat up, still groggy from sleep. He swung his legs off of the enormous bed, which was a specialty of the Bearlords and their massive size. Thor himself was only seventeen, but was already towering over most grown men that he knew, at six foot four. He wasn't as broad as the Bears of Brackenholme, having retained his White Bear traits, being more lean, rather than heavyset.

Thor stood up, the bed creaking from the movement, and walked to the large dresser in one corner of his quarters, picking out a black leather jerkin and some trousers, quickly changing, then slipping his boots on before opening the door and stepping into the well-lit, ornate hallway of the Great Oak. He made his way down the hall, in the direction of the Great Hall, arriving to see a crowd of his Uncle Bergan's-he had taken to calling him Uncle because cousin didn't sound right due to the age difference-most trusted advisors. He wasn't the last to arrive, hearing footsteps behind him, turning to greet Trent as he emerged from the hallway.

"What's all the commotion for?" he asked as he rubbed his face, clearly not still fully awake.

"I have no clue, I assume Drew woke you up as well?" asked Thor, as equally tired as his friend.

"Yes, even though we should have already been up and about," he said as he pointed out the ornate glass window at the back of the Hall,"dawn is clearly already long gone."

Thor cursed, as he was supposed to get up early, as it was his turn to help the stablemaster tend the horses.

"You two finally awake?" called a voice from the direction of the crowd. They both turned to face Drew, who was walking towards them, a smug grin on his face.

"Yes, now what is all this about?" asked Thor.

"Come, Bergan will explain everything."

The two fell in behind Drew as he led them towards a large, round table, which served as the old Bear's council chamber, as the last one had been destroyed in the attack by the Wyldermen. The young men approached the three empty seats left at the table, causing bergan to speak in his great booming voice, silencing everyone in the room, "Now that we are all here, everyone be seated, we have some grim business to discuss today."

When all present were seated, Bergan motioned for Harker to begin. "So, right to it then. One of the Wyld Wolves was spotted near the southern border of the Dyrewood, on the borders of the Longridings. And before you ask Drew, no, it is not Darkheart this time, the markings on the fur were clearly from a separate tribe."

Drew closed his mouth, a look of disappointment clear on his face. Harker continued, "Lord Bergan has agreed to send a scouting party to hunt the Wolf, and if possible, track it back to where it has been hiding."

Before Harker had even finished speaking, Drew, having been recently promoted a captain of the Woodland Watch, raised the White Fist of Icegarden in the air, "I'll lead the party."

Bergan looked at Drew, a hard expression on his face. "Are you sure, my boy?" the old Bearlord asked, already knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Absolutely," replied the Wolf.

"Alright, but you cannot go by yourself, I suggest that a branch should accompany you," said Bergan. "Thank you, but I would rather choose who accompanies me, if that doesn't pose a problem?" asked Drew.

"I'll go with you, Drew," came the words out of Thor's mouth before he even knew he'd said them.

"I couldn't ask you to do that, my friend, to put you in this kind of danger," replied Drew, his expression grateful, but sad.

"Who better but your friends? You would risk the lives of other men who may not want to go, but you refuse the help of those who would willingly offer their assistance?" asked Trent incredulously.

Drew stiffened, the harsh words of his brother cutting deep, but he realized the truth behind them, saying, "Very well, the both of you will accompany me, but I don't have a tracker, who we will most definitely need."

A great boom reverberated throughout the hall as the mighty doors were opened, and a tall, pale man, holding an enormous spear stepped into the massive room. "I believe you are in need of a tracker?" asked the tall man.

"Mikotaj!" exclaimed Drew as he quickly rose to greet his kin from Sturmland, "I am indeed, you will be most welcome to join our little merry band." At this comment, there was a collective chuckle throughout the therians, as they all knew full well that Mikotaj, The White Death, had no sense of humor.


Thor distrusted horses, as no horse he had ever seen could bear the weight of a changed Bearlord, but the prey they would be pursuing was a great deal faster than they were on foot, so he had to accept that fact, and reluctantly hauled himself into the saddle of the large charger he had been gifted.

Looking at his companions, he also noted that Mikotaj seemed to distrust horses as well, with the feeling being mutual, as the horse turned this way and that, with the White wolf pulling too hard on the reins, trying to calm the beast. Thor then turned his attention to Trent, the Wolf Knight, as he had been aptly named when he was with the Staglords of Stormdale, sat at ease in the saddle of his old friend Storm. The stallion and he had been through thick and thin together, with Storm having been feared lost in the wilds, Trent was overjoyed at her recovery.

Lastly, Thor turned his attention to Drew, the captain of this 'Merry Band' as he had named it, approaching. As he knew, Drew visited his old friend Hector in his captivity each day, trying to rebuild the trust that had been severed. Drew also payed a visit to the grave of his love, Lady Whitley, the daughter of Bergan. After Whitley's passing, Bergan had done the only sensible thing, bringing Drew with him to the Dyrewood, the only place that seemed to feel like home to Drew, where the old Duke had essentially adopted him as his own.

"Are we ready?" asked Drew as he got closer.

"Ready as we'll ever be," replied Thor.

Even after befriending Drew, the Wolflord was still shrouded in hurt and loss that ran so deep, the young Bearlord wondered how he still lived, which further intensified his respect for the Wolf. the age difference was only one cycle, but the experience was weighed heavily in Drew's favor.

"Good," replied Drew before swinging into the saddle of his charger, Bravado, a gift from the Stags of Stormdale after he helped engineer the defense of their city. The Duke Bergan approached, having come down to see them off.

"You be careful, my boy, and come back, you're all I have left," said the old Bear solemnly.

Drew reached down from his saddle to rest a reassuring hand on the Duke's shoulder, looking him in the eyes. "I always do, don't I?" he replied.

With this, Bergan gave a nod, and backed away from the charger. Drew turned to his traveling companions and said,"Well then, let's get this Merry Band on the road then, shall we?"

With that, he turned Bravado on his heels and galloped out of the city gate, with Trent closely following. Thor shared an uneasy look with Mikotaj, their mutual dislike of horses clear to eachother.

"Well, I guess we have to for Drew," said the White Wolf as he took off after the disappearing Ferran brothers. Thor looked towards the heavens and said, "Brenn help me." Digging his heels into the sides of his charger, he set off down the road, an uneasy feeling in his gut.