I set down here the intertwining tales of four individuals. The first, a child of hate and evil. The second, a child of a twisted, yet sincere, love. The third, a daughter of deceit and pride. The last was one who had endured years of cruel slavery. These four met in a way that was more than fate and more than chance. Their tale ends in grief, but with a strong bond that few will ever match. Thus I begin the account.
The man grunted as the Warg swiped a paw at his face. Blood flew from the place where the wolf's claws tore his skin. The dark-haired man twirled his iron staff in his long fingers and shouted, "Daro!"
The wolf froze in place, its eyes rolling toward its enemy with a hate-ladened glare. But that man gave no quarter. Standing over the Warg's potential prey, a shivering halfling woman, the man leaned in and stared the wolf down unflinchingly. "Gurth," he whispered softly. The Warg's eyes widened and it whimpered piteously. The man's lips curled into a sneer. "Gurth!" he screamed.
The animal went rigid. It choked, coughed, then fell with a thud. The man turned to the halfling then. "Get up," he commanded harshly. She climbed to her feet, still shaken by what had occurred. Her rescuer stood waiting. "Well?" he asked finally. "Aren't you going to tell me why you're here, and why I had to save you from getting ingested by a Warg?"
She shrugged. "My name is Briar Rose. I am a loner, and only stumbled onto the wolf by unhappy chance. I thank you for saving me." She turned to go, but was halted by the man's low voice.
"You lie. Tell me all of your tale or I will pull it out of you by force."
Briar Rose turned. "Why do you doubt my story? I say truly, I am a wanderer in these parts."
The man put his hands on his staff and took a step toward her. "Tell me," he demanded.
She started to shake her head, but suddenly he was on her, knocking her to the ground and placing the head of his staff at her throat.
"Tell me."
The woman gave a jerky nod. "Alright," she said in a voice hoarse from speaking the language of the Wargs. The man released her and Briar Rose sat up, rubbing at her throat unconsciously. Then she began her tale, forever shooting wary glances at her 'rescuer'.