Chapter 17

Wolf and the Night Before the Dawn

As the small caravan rolled on, in the formation of Ranger up front, Mathias and Jabari behind him, our inn keepers following ore and Angelo trailing behind. Holo, with some high hopes, attempted to comb her tail of copper and black. Dashed they were however, when finding that the teeth could not pass smoothy over the charred tip. Instead of a swift glide through and through, the end journey of the grooming concluded with friction and resistance. Atop that, the smell of burnt fur was thick and unpleasant, especially to the owner.

With perturbed frustration, she set the tool of mane refinement aside and let out a huff, "I do so hope this Jurgen pays for his crimes.' then moving her empennage out of view, 'This has become personal."

Her somewhat off put husband responded, "You know…He is trying to kill us. Doesn't that make it personal?"

Placing her chin within her smooth palm, she replied, "Men can be replaced, my tail however, is a most sacred object to me. A monument to my pride."

"And I'm just the man who feeds you…" said he, who felt lapsed.

Leaning her back against him, she replied with an insatiable tease, "Oh, I am sure there is an idle for you as well."

"I already have one." He then kissed her on the top of the head, "You."

Her brows lifted at the sincereness of his pledge, in which she turned her eyes to see him, "Well if I ever had lost my tail, I suppose I would have to settle for you."

They were silent as the air was filled with the travel sounds of hoof and wheel, the wind began to usher in the sensation of cold air, in which Lawrence removed his jacket and placed it around the fair consort.

She pulled the hems in close to shield herself from the frigid gale, and said with unambiguous melancholy, "I am so sorry Lawrence. The attack, your inn, everything."

With his arm resting upon her span, he gripped her shoulder tenderly, "At the end of the day, our inn was only a collection of wood and nails. We can rebuild and recover, find a new place to live and restart anew. All is not lost, we still have each other."

She held onto the hand about her side and went on with some pitiful despair, "But for how long? You could have had your shop much earlier you know. However, each time you had come close, I had intervened with your dreams. Should we settle somewhere else, I will only be discovered again, and forced out of that town as well."

Her ears began to droop low, as to signify her sadness, "Plus…you will never have the opportunity to have a wife you can grow old with. At times like this I wonder if it had been better if I had not been so selfish and never asked you to take me back to Yoites."

He gave her a little shake to break her from her morbid hypnosis, "Hey, I was being selfish too. When I agreed to take you along, I was only thinking how much profit I could make with a deity as my partner, plus the only thing that I had you bound to me to make sure you'd never leave, was the debt you racked up on my bill. And in case you had forgotten, I had the inn in Lenos given to me, and what did I do?"

"You traded it in to have me back."

"Do you know why?"

"Because you could bear the thought of traveling without me." she said with some humor.

"And why was that? What did I tell you that night?"

Her eyes glistened with the sweet affection caused by that memory, "That was the night you told me that you loved me."

"From the bottom of my heart,' he returned, 'Of all the women I wanted in the world, it was you. And I'll say it again, 'I love you Holo.'"

She failed to hold back some tears as her bosom burned with kindness of his words, then as always he ended with a light hearted comment, "But if you really are that adamant on me being happier, I guess I could…"

"Oh I do not think so,' she interrupted, 'Let me remind you that I am carrying your child, by this point our fates have been sealed, you really are stuck with me!"

They chuckled as they snuggled in closer. The atmosphere of adoration was interrupted when the wagon in the lead slowed to a halt. They looked past Matthias's cart to see Ranger dismounting and looking up the tree infested hill just to the right of the trail.

He then gave a brisk whistle and pointed his finger down at his ankles. Sharply and obediently, Kaytaff leapt from out of the wagon and healed at his master's side. Man and dog then went up the slope and were obscured from view within the thicket.

All five spectators waited in reserved stillness as the Alpha ventured off into the unknown. The horses moved around and pranced in place few moments while Lawrence being off put by the silence and confusion, called out, "How are your burns?" asked he of Jabari.

Matthias turned and placed his index finger to his lips, motioning for Lawrence to be quiet. Holo could hear the sounds of the shepherd dog's pantings coming closer, followed by Ranger's foot steps crunching the pine needles and hooded man then returned from his scouting duties and informed, "Up the slope is a small clearing, we shall stop and camp here for the night."

He then took Gallavaun by the reigns and led the shire up the earthly declination. In which the other friesians followed. Once at the area where the pines thinned out, making an opening, the wagons were positioned in a way to form a gaped circle while the horses where unhooked and hitched to the trees a few meters away.

Most astonishing to our couple, was the how quickly and proficiently the small group of men broke out camp. Within ten minutes, small tents were pitched and a small fire pit was dug out with a petite blaze crackling and giving light and heat to all who wished to partake of it.

Holo sat by the fire opposite of Kaytaff, who lay prone and glaring at her, while the other men were unloading and securing their provisions for the next morning's section of the journey. It was no secret, the tension between the she wolf and the black and gold shepherd dog. The woman attempted in vain to ignore the stare of the hound, however, she would not allow her pride to be overrun by a creature she considered to be a lesser species.

While the friction was ensuing between them, Lawrence was assisting Ranger in tending to the horses. He would not dare go near Gallavaun, for he was a beast that was easily antagonized by strangers. Therefore he brushed down the friesian who had pulled his coach.

Looking back at Kaytaff, Lawrence could not help but comment, "He's a very territorial dog isn't he?"

Straightening the tangles in the mane of the shire, Ranger responded, "Yes, but a very aggressively loyal companion as well."

"Does he do any tricks?" asked Lawrence with a tone to hide what it was he really wanted to know concerning the dog's true purpose.

While still engaged in the grooming, the Hood replied with a well implied dark sense, "He is a hunter like unto myself, all I need to do is point and issue a command, and he will do his part in assisting me in felling my enemies."

"Has he ever killed?"

With a pause, all that was said on that matter was, "He has tasted the blood of man plenty of times."

With a shiver, and some concern for Kaytaff being so close to his wife, Lawrence said, "How long have you had him?"

"Only two years."

"I don't think I've ever seen an attack dog so intelligent. Was it you who trained him?"

Ranger corrected, "I do not consider him an attack dog. For I trained him in many things, warfare, search and rescue, tracking, guard duty and scouting. He is as I have said before, a companion. It could be argued that he is ranger in canine form. And yes it was I who engrained into him the knowledge he know possesses."

Lawrence then winced as a new thought entered his head, "To have a dog so well versed you must have traveled a lot and learned many things."

"I will not be your partner in profit and trade, for I have not versed myself so adequately in such things, if that is what you are alluring to."

"Oh no, I've already got a partner for that. I'm saying you must heard many legends and met many people."

"Speak what it is that is on your mind." said Ranger with a slight impatience in his tone.

"Well,' said Lawrence with more caution, 'Have you ever come across an old northern legend known as, 'Chugiak the demon hunter?'"

Ranger ceased the brushing and turned to face him, "Possibly…"

"I was just curious if you knew of any stories concerning him, I'm sort of a fanatic when it comes to mythes and…"

"He was a dark terror who earned the right to be feared." interjected the Hood.

"So do you believe he was real?"

"This land holds many secrets."

"I'm just curious, that if he was powerful enough to fight off the deities, could he have passed on his methods to others. I heard that he had a cult following."

Ranger stepped a little closer, as if he was becoming slightly agitated at the lack of ancillary directness in Lawrence's curiosity. "Speak what was on your mind."

"Ok, I'm sorry if you didn't want anyone to know, but the count told us of the Mu-haulen Zhan-shen and I thought perhaps there was a connection between them and the followers of Chugiak."

Ranger's eyes squinted and seemed to penetrate the soul of Lawrence, "Chugiak was only known as the demon hunter, for his ability to slay the pagan gods. The Mu-haulen Zhan-sen were possessed with a rare bloodline that gave power and strength within their loins and sinews. Whether or not Chugiak's power was drawn from that bloodline, is unknown to the world."

"So, were these warriors, godlike as well as the deities?"

"More than man, less than god." interjected the Hood with stern annoyance to this offhand conversation.

"Sorry I don't mean to pry, I'm just curious about you, because you stand out from the other rangers."

The Alpha's eyes became more intense, "That curious appetite is better left unfulfilled. I do not wish to divulge my past, for it is nothing but pain and suffering. The tale of Franz was one of many in my lifetime, and he was the least extreme in what I have witnessed and had to do."

"I couldn't imagine." said Lawrence with some timidness.

As a last remark, Ranger said, "In answer to your one question of where I have been and who I have met. Let it suffice you for me to say that I have been to many continents…and have killed many men who stood in need of punishment."

Lawrence's face became white as stone, for very few have the dark privilege of being in the presence of those who have the physical and mental capacity to commit such acts. Eventually, he decided to quite the scene and return to Holo, before fetching some food from one of the wagons.

He walked towards the fire with a few slabs of jerky in hand. In an attempt to still aggression with kindness, Lawrence tore off a piece and tossed it at the paws of Kaytaff, who looked at the dried piece of meat then back at the stranger and refused to touch it.

He took a seat by his wife and gave her the more heavenly portion of his bounty. She took it and began devouring hastily then asked, "So what was your real reason in asking the Ranger the questions you did?"

Forgetting that she most likely had heard everything at that range, Lawrence said, "I had a strange feeling that Chugiak could have been a rogue member of the Mu-haulen Zhan-shen."

"What is the real reason behind your infatuation with this legend? For they are both only myths."

"I have reason to believe they may not be."

She shot an uneasy glance at him, "What are you talking about?"

With a sigh her husband said with a confessional tone, "When I was eavesdropping on the story the hunter unfolded, I did not tell you all the details of how he came across that name."

Holo straightened her posture, "What do you mean?"

"He said that during a winter of a few years ago, he was out on that road by Ruvenhaigen and Lantra, in which the young girl he he spoke of, was tending to a great wolf like you. She supposedly pointed her finger into the trees and uttered the name, 'Chugiak.' When he went into the woods, he said he heard snarls of both man and beast….and found the remains of three giant wolves that were killed, and a set of human foot prints leading away from the altercation."

Holo pulled away from him in anger, "Lawrence, why did you not tell me this earlier?"

"It's not like I lied to you."

"No, but you intentionally withheld certain details, which to me is another form of deception!"

"You think I'd tell you the whole story when seeing how you reacted when simply hearing the name?" stammered her companion with a defensive tone.

"I would have expected more honesty from you, that is all!"

"Since when am I being dishonest?"

"Well, when you had asked me earlier today whether or not men had slain my kind you did not tell me the reason as to why you wanted to know."

"What did I say?" said he with a heavier surge of pressure.

"You told me it was only because you were simply curious, but now I realize why. You wanted to know if there was an validity to the assumption that a single man could destroy a wolf as myself."

"Why does that bother you? Can't I have time for my own thoughts?"

She let out an aggravated huff and arose to walk away, in which Lawrence scrambled to follow after her.

"Hey don't walk away, answer me!" he demanded.

Sharply turning, snapped back, "I have no quarrel with your silly little ideas and interests."

"Then why are you so upset!?" he almost yelled, as Holo's tail began to straighten with hairs that stood on end in reaction to her irritation.

"Because you are never straight forward the first time!"

He paused at the boldness of her claim as she went on, "It always seems that when you are thinking of something, you seek the information without explaining yourself. It was that way at the market, the carriage and with Ranger! On top of that, how long were we having financial problems with the inn before you told me? As a result I feel like I have been used in your little game!"

Lawrence put his hands to his chest, "Excuse me!? I was pretty straight forward back at the warehouse. Remember when I told you how I felt about the murders and how we were tied to them?"

"Yes, until after I asked you what troubled you, a second TIME!"

Trembling with rage, Lawrence threw his hands up and shouted while facing the stars, "Alright Fine! You want some damn honesty!?"

Putting her hands on her hip, Holo caromed carelessly, "That would be a change of pace from you."

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" he screamed without focusing on anything but the blinding affect of his own anger. "You're right, if I never met you I would have had the damn inn a lot sooner and if you weren't a deity I wouldn't have been dragged into this mess where I'm constantly now having to watch my back for murderers! And you were also right, that if I had a human as my wife I wouldn't have to worry about getting forced out of town!"

"Atop of that!' he continued, 'Should we survive this, how in the hell are we going to raise a family?! If there are complications with your pregnancy or delivery, there isn't a doctor within a thousand miles we could go to! What if our child gets sick or injured, we couldn't take her anywhere to be treated. What about just living in society? Sure you can hide your ears and tail just fine, but have fun trying to get a child to do it! We'd have to lock her up for years and rob her of friends and schooling until she would know better! So again you're right, what kind of life would she have!?"

The stomping the ground he shouted, "Forget owning another shop, we'd never be able to risk it once she's born! I doubt you'd want people to scream and run away in horror from her as they have from you!" Then shaking his head, he finished, "There! Are you happy?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! Is that….?"

He stopped and immediately digressed the words he spoke. Holo could be seen with her hands held to her bosom, her ears drooped downwards as a finishing touch to a face of hurtful shock and disbelief. Her eyes began to moisten as she turned away with a detrimental composure.

Stunned at the words which escaped from his mouth, Lawrence went after her, "Holo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" His hand went for her arm to stop her so he could make a more former apology, but she swung her elbow at him to shake him away and went into their designated tent.

Soon after, Lawrence could hear small intervals of whimpering and sniffles over the pops of the fire. He did not need to see it to know that she was laying on the mat and crying. With incomprehensible guilt for his inexcusable actions, the man put a hand over his mouth and trembled at the ground for a crime any husband would dearly vow to never commit. He had hurt the one he loved, and felt as though that wrong would never again be made up.

He walked to one of the wagon's with a heavy stride, paying for every tear drop that wetted Holo's pillow with emotional torment. He leaned upon it, then was startled to see Matthias standing on the other side, securing a tie down.

"I can't believe I just said that…" said he to the ranger.

Matthias responded without taking his eyes off of his chore, "I understand somewhat, this has been a very vexing day for the both of you."

"Same thing ever happen to you?" asked Lawrence with a slight choke.

"In a manner of speaking,' returned Matthias while finishing, 'I too had a wife and a family."

"What happened?"

"First you must understand, that being a ranger involves insurmountable risks on all fronts. When I had accepted the offer, I knew that time away from my family was a necessity. But then, unwavering thoughts of what would happen if my identity were compromised and Hannah and our children were discovered by vengeful enemies began to fill my mind until it clouded my judgment."

"Then what?"

"Well, a choice had to be made; The rangers or my family. I chose the rangers, because apart of this calling is the overbearing concern for the innocent who can not fend off evil themselves. I realized that devoting my time to my family could leave hundreds of other families vulnerable to the perils of the world. I chose to sacrifice my happiness so that others could prevail."

"Do you ever speak to her?"

"Once a month, I send a small satchel filled with a decent portion of my earnings so that our children may not starve, occasionally I will slip in a letter. Do not misunderstand, I loved Hannah very much and our children, however I would be lying if I did not confess that I hope she found another man who could take care of her. I know my children need more than just money for clothes and bread, they need a father."

"I take it that you've never thought to reconsider."

Matthias returned with some bitterness, "The roles that are to be played as a ranger are dangerous and suicidal. I will most likely die before I find the strength within to give this life up."

Looking back at the tent Lawrence sighed, "What terrifies me now more than anything, is that I'll die before being able to make things right with Holo. I didn't mean to hurt her, I'm just scared of what is to come. I love her so much that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything would ever happen to her, and my family."

He then rested his chin on the wagon ledge, "Of all the people I thought would cause her grief, I never thought it would be me." said he with a sigh.

Matthias then returned with some reassuring wisdom, "You are not the first man who realized he was capable of becoming the very thing he despises and fights against."

With depressing eyes that gazed off into the corner, Lawrence said quietly, "What makes this worse is the fact that this is the first time she's cried because of me since we got married, I thought we were past this kind of thing. Now I don't know what to do."

Matthias folded his arms over the wagon, "You think too much. Whenever you become fearful in the heart, be patient with yourself. From this point on, don't demand of yourself things that are unreasonable, and don't fret yourself with the thoughts that one argument will stand between you two. The only reason it did not work with Hannah and I, was because I chose to not let it. If Holo still loves you the way you love her then this discouragement will only refine the both of you and improve your marriage."

Matthias then went to leave Lawrence to ponder his words. As he was departing, Lawrence called out for one last piece of advice, "What is the best way for me to convince her how sorry I am?"

Without looking back, Matthias responded with obviousness in his tone, "She already knows, you forget that she most likely has heard everything."

Lawrence then gazed up at the stars in the firmament, then with a hope that his beloved could hear him, he said aloud, "You know what's funny? Now I'm assuming our child will be a girl too…"

Unknown to any of them, off in the distance within the trees, a good league away from the sense of animal and man. A pair of hands held up a bow and drew an arrow back. The set of deadly eyes looked down the shaft and set the tip on the small speck that was Lawrence's body.

Suddenly, another hand rested upon the forearms of the archer and forced the weapon down, "Not now,' said the man who disarmed him, 'You run too great a risk of missing and giving away our position."

Protesting, the culprit argued, "We may loose our chance!"

"We must do as according to plan. Wait for morning, then we be able to strike in greater numbers."

(Real quick, Just wanted to thank all of you for your support. This chapter marks the 1000 view mark. And thank you to my little fan base who faithfully review the chapters I crank out and have had nothing but good to say so far. For those of you who have not yet faved and followed or reviewed, there are no clicks here. you're more than welcome to give feedback, just don't put any spoilers! Stay tuned, because more crazy starts next chapter!)