Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING, well not really, but for the most part, Bioware created this universe and I am one simply to tread alongside it.
Thanks Sheena for making this far better than it was. i'd be so lost without her, LUV U ^^
Prologue
In the still airs of the Korcari Wilds, a minute rumble whispers through the leaves of the silent forest. A black juvenile pup perks its ears up in response to the sudden murmur that was drifting through the normally soundless swamp like a serpent stalking its prey. Interested, the young pup pushed itself off the ground, twisting and turning its head and ears, eagerly searching for the source of such alien noises. The black fur ball trailed the sound of steel stomping into the damp soil of the swamp, eventually leading itself to the owner of the mysterious sound; a wagon. A fine stallion led the odd contraption of wood, linen, and steel. In it sat a family of elves, most likely from a nearby city, given that they were in cages. Most of the elves in the cage were standing since there was scarce space for all of them to sit down.
Of the family of elves, the most notable was a toddler; a petite elven toddler who had crimson hair which glimmered like rubies in the soft moonlight. The little elf slouched in the corner of the cage, hardly aware of a pair of ember eyes locked onto her.
A sudden crack shook the little fur ball, now tailing the wagon of interest. It lost its footing, making it trot a few steps away from said wagon. The juvenile turned its head, revealing a stout human holding the reigns to the stallion. The wolf's brows pinched at the sight. Finally aware of the human presence in the entire ordeal, the lone pup noticed several other built men following the wagon, all armed. However, before the juvenile wolf was able to make sense of the situation, a sudden thwack, scream, and thud cut it short of its thoughts. The man with the reigns crashed limply into the soil, an explosion of dirt echoing his fall.
The elves in the cage swiftly fell into a state of panic, save for the red-headed toddler. The men who were previously behind the wagon now encompassed it, as if their "cargo" were worth protecting. A few moments later, more armed, snarling men emerged from the dark bushes. Conflict ensued; roars and shrieks filled the cloudless night sky while sparks shredded from embracing steel. Completely uninvolved in the current complication, the wolf cub simply watched curiously; the red-headed toddler did the same.
Those men who shielded the "cargo" were soon put to rest. An alpha male presented himself in front of the cage. The other men sifted through the bloody sacks of meat that were sprawled lifeless in the soil. The silent toddler watched as one of the men handed something to the man in front of the cage. The alpha male displayed a gallant grimace under the moonlight, showing his crooked, yellow rows of teeth. The male presented a rusty key in his large hand. He thrust it into the key hole of the cage, and with a sharp twist of his wrist, he swung the door open. The elves cowered towards the back of the cage, although it was futile; one by one they were dragged out. After a pretentiously long time, the enormous man finally reached into the cage to grab the youngest of the bunch. He grinned, his mind reeling in ecstasy with the amount of gold he'd get for selling this fine piece of work.
However, before anyone could react, a dark shadow leapt like lightning onto the man's arm, sinking its sharp, canine teeth well into the man's flesh. With a jagged scream of curses, the man lost his footing and fell back; his not so pretty hind side hit the ground with a dull thud. The confused band of misfits simply stared at the sudden intruder, and said intruder stared back with its xanthous eyes and dripping red fangs.
The bandits paused. The alpha male, clearly not as alpha anymore, continued to curse. The rest of the bandits simply held on to their respective captures. Everyone waited as the cries and whimpers of the man finally dimmed. A low growl from the wolf was still audible. The freshly injured male picked himself off the ground and reached for his sword. The nimble little elf got to her feet and dashed for his blade.
But she was too late.
She looked up at the man, who now had a foot long bar of sharpened metal at hand. As her eyes finally reached the man's face, a thin shadow appeared by the side of her eye. The man ruthlessly swept the blade across the little elf's face. An eerie silence fell upon them, followed by an unearthly scream, mixed with the cries and whimpers of the young toddler. The shadow quickly stepped ahead of the crying red-head, placing itself protectively between her and the man. The crying elf had both hands pressing against her eyes, rolling and tumbling about in pure agony. Blood flowed in endless streams from her eyes and blended into her scarlet mane. The man let out a tsk under his breath, frustrated from accidentally damaging such potential cargo. He turned and signaled the rest of his men to follow with the elves that still held a purpose.
Grunts and shuffles became more distant as the seconds ticked by. The lone wolf stared in the direction that the foul stench of men lingered for a mere moment before turning back to the weeping elf, where its face dropped to a much less intimidating stance. The wolf paced circles around the slouched figure, not sure what to do, until it settled to simply look after the feigning creature. For a while the weeping continued, until eventually the small creature cried herself to sleep.