Willam VI
With a few deft strokes of his charcoal, Willam finally finished shading in the picture of a wooly rhinoceros. It had taken him a good thirty minutes to complete the sketch and there was still much to be done, but he would finish the rest of the details back at the Wolf's Den. All he needed for now was the shape and form of the creature in question. He glanced up at the nearby herd of six wooly rhinoceros, then back down at the page, happy with the result. Willam closed the book and stood up, stretching his cramped limbs. Spectre glanced up at him and wagged his tail slightly, but remained sprawled on his own rock. The albino direwolf was not in the mood to hunt, unlike Argentum.
Even as Willam watched, the young tyrannosaurus was slowly closing the distance between himself and his prey. Argentum had quietly been stalking the herd ever since Willam started sketching his pictures. It had almost been a year since Argentum hatched and he was rapidly nearing the size of a fully grown member of his species. As he grew into more of a powerhouse, he was losing his stealth and mobility. Argentum had always relied on ambushing his prey with quick bursts of speed, but now it was getting much harder for him to get into position in the first place. It had taken him half an hour of slowly creeping through the forest to get anywhere near the wooly rhinos without being heard or smelled. Now as Willam watched the great grey creature, it seemed Argentum was ready to strike.
He burst out of the trees at full speed and charged at the nearest rhinos. The shaggy beasts had been suspicious for a while and were quick to react. The older more experienced rhinos stood their ground, snorting and stomping the ground in preparation to defend themselves. The young calves turned tail and fled. Argentum narrowed down on the fleeing targets, giving the older rhinos a wide berth. Although young and relatively inexperienced, he was no fool and knew their sharp horns could spell the end for him. Argentum charged past the adults, catching up to the younger calves. The heavy snowfall in the area gave Argentum a great advantage, for he was large enough that a few feet of snow hardly bothered him. It was a different story for his prey, who had to plow through the thick snows, wasting precious seconds. Argentum caught up to the slowest calf and snapped his jaws, violently rending off a huge chunk of its back. The wooly rhinoceros bleated in pain and was quickly silenced by a second snap of Argentum's jaws. The tyrannosaurus roared in triumph and started gorging himself on the meal.
The remaining members of the small herd were anxious and outraged, but they knew better than to attack. Although incredibly strong in a head-on fight, wooly rhinoceros had notoriously poor turning radius and could not afford to attack Argentum, for he could easily circle around and destroy their exposed flanks. All the adults could do was stand their ground in a defensive circle and hope the apex predator wasn't hungry for more.
Upon seeing their defensive tactics, Willam reopened his book and jotted that down. He enjoyed watching Argentum hunt, for he learned new tidbits of information every time. Although great for general knowledge, the Dossier was not entirely accurate on many of the more nuanced details about certain species. Take for instance, the page on direwolves. It contained the bare-bones information about wolves living in packs, but had little to say about pack hierarchies or structures. The Dossier only mentioned that each pack was led by an alpha, nothing more. It completely failed to neglect the more complex ranking-system that Willam had observed over the past few months. There was no mention of a beta direwolf who filled in certain roles on the alpha's behalf, nor was there any information about the omega's role at the bottom of the pack. The Dossier even neglected to mention things like how the pack raised its young, how it migrated during the changing seasons, or how it hunted.
Willam was most familiar with the discrepancies about wolves, since he had lived alongside Winter's pack, but he was aware of more gaps and holes in the Dossier about almost every other animal. Information was vital on the Island, and having misinformed knowledge could spell certain death in many cases, much to the chagrin of many hunters who relied on the Dossier. For that reason, Willam had vowed to create his own book, filled with detailed and accurate information based on his own observations and occasionally supplemented by the existing Dossier. Of course, documenting every single creature on the Island was nearly impossible, so Willam restricted himself to studying the animals of the north.
Whatever else he thought about the skeletal knowledge in the existing Dossier, Willam had to give credit where it was due. Whoever had painstakingly travelled the Island researching creatures had done a good job of filling up the pages with the Island's inhabitants, but even they had been unable to get everything. In fact, Willam was convinced that it was too large of a task for any human alone. He hoped that by containing himself to a single region, Willam would be able to provide detailed information necessary to survival in the north.
After talking to some ambassadors from the south, Willam had learned that other tribes had their own notes about local fauna and flora. Upon learning this, Willam had begun dreaming of oneday creating a fully realized Dossier. A true guide to survival on the Island. It was a huge undertaking but he wouldn't be doing it alone. One day, when things are more settled, I want to travel the Island and meet other historians like myself. If we pool all our knowledge together we can create a truly amazing tome of knowledge for all of humanity. With the light of the Dossier blazing a path for mankind, we will never again lose ourselves to the darkness of the Island.
Willam glanced up from his thoughts as Argentum returned from the hunt, a leg of rhinoceros dangling from his jaws. The young tyrannosaurus grumbled happily, apparently content from his grand meal. His footsteps shook the very earth, shaking loose snow off trees and making loose pebbles tremble. Willam smiled at the hulking titan. When he was still a hatchling, Argentum had prided himself on his stealth. More than once, the small creature had gotten the better of Willam when he was turning corners in their camp or weaving through forests in search of prey. Ever since learning how to hunt on his own, the tyrannosaurus had become a master of ambush, taking down countless forest rodents before they knew what hit them. Argentum had proudly displayed all his kills to Willam, dangling the small rats and squirrels around like trophies before gobbling them up. But now that Argentum was a lumbering adult, he had to rely on his strength and power more than anything else. The tyrannosaurus was slowly getting used to the transition, for which Willam was delighted; back when Argentum was still a hatchling and even up until recently, Willam had constantly been fretting for his companion's safety, afraid that at any moment the youngling's life might be snuffed out. But now that Argentum was the largest and deadliest creature around, Willam's worries had largely been put to rest.
Argentum craned his neck down and dropped the rhinoceros leg on the ground for Spectre. The albino direwolf perked up and sniffed the meat, before waving his tail in thanks and tearing into the meal. Although Spectre was somewhat of an anomaly amongst Winter's pack, being as small as a juvenile direwolf merely a few months old, Argentum couldn't care less. The lumbering tyrannosaurus and the dwarf direwolf made for a curious sight, but the two outcasts were dear friends. Ever since the human tribe had merged with the wolf pack, the pair had found solace in each other's company. Back then, Argentum had been no larger than Spectre, but now he was hundreds of times larger and their friendship had only swelled to match the titan's growth. In fact, their bond was so strong that Spectre had even left the wolfpack to stay with Argentum. Ironically, the albino was the only wolf to stay at the Wolf's Den, whereas every other member of the pack had followed their alpha into the mountains. None of the other direwolves seemed to mind that much after Winter permitted it, so the wolves had gone about with their farewell rituals and departed. Now that the rest of the pack was gone, Spectre always stayed firmly beside Argentum like a pale white shadow. They hunted, feasted, and slept together like brothers.
While Spectre was enjoying his free meal, Willam patted his hand against Argentum's leg and coaxed the tyrannosaurus into leaning down, so he could access the saddle. Willam carefully wrapped his book in leathers, then placed the package in one of Argentum's saddlebags. Taking hold of the wooden rungs built into the side of the saddle, Willam climbed onto Argentum's back which was no easy feat in and of itself. The tyrannosaurus was easily at least six meters tall at the shoulders, and likely to grow more before the year was up. Willam's arms were trembling by the time he hoisted himself onto the saddle. The view from up here was well worth the climb. One time Alys had given Willam a short flight around the Wolf's Den on Crimson, and this felt akin to their takeoff. At this height, Willam towered over a few of the shorter trees in the forest. He shifted and swayed on the saddle with every one of the giant's breaths, almost as if he were on a storm-tossed raft and Argentum were the sea.
Willam grabbed hold of Argentum's reins, yanked them in the right direction, and patted the titan's neck. "If you'll be so kind, take us back home."
The tyrannosaurus huffed and set off toward the Wolf's Den at a steady lumber. Spectre had finished his meal and followed along, slowing down to accommodate for Argentum. Willam watched the treetops blur by and felt the wind tugging at his beard and hair. After a few minutes, the initial amazement of riding such a massive mount wore off and he retreated back into his own thoughts. Willam found himself wondering how he would go about creating Argentum's page in the Northern Dossier. There were certainly a few tyrannosaurus on the edge of the north where it was not quite so cold, but then he ran into the inevitable problem of classification. By this point it was clear to Willam that something was different about Argentum. He wasn't sure if his pet was some sub-clade of tyrannosaurus dominum or a different species entirely, but Willam was fairly certain that Argentum was not the typical tyrannosaurus. It had been hard to tell earlier when Argentum was still growing up, but now he was absolutely certain that there was something different about the titan; compared to every other tyrannosaurus Willam had seen, both in the wilderness and in the Dossier, Argentum possessed noticeably different characteristics. Everything from the elongated structure of his jaw, to his unique colouration and stature screamed that Argentum was special.
When he asked Rodrick the Head Ranger and veteran of hundreds of scouting expeditions for his opinions, the man could only shrug and suggest that not everything was as it first seemed. Every other ranger concurred with Willam's assessment that Argentum was not a tyrannosaurus dominum. But what he actually was remained to be seen. Willam still couldn't quite put his finger on it and the Dossier was no real help either, but he was certain he would eventually uncover the mystery. It was only a matter of time.
After another twenty minutes of shambling across the tundra, they came within sight of the Wolf's Den. Although all the watchtowers and buildings had smoke rising comfortably, the place still could not shake the illusion of being nearly abandoned. Compared to just a few weeks earlier when the Den had been teeming with record-high levels of life, it was now a ghost town. Of the one-hundred and eighty seven survivors who formerly called this place their home, less than forty remained. Otto had taken all the rest to their new capital at Hotspring Hold, leaving Willam the Lord of what little remained at the Wolf's Den.
Though small in population, the base still boasted the architectural grandeur of its glory days. Between the great castle and the cabins, there was enough room to house well over three hundred survivors. All the necessities were still in place to support this grand population, including an armory, barracks, storehouse, silo, forge, healer's house, walls, gates, and watchtowers. The castle looked extremely formidable from the distance, but Willam knew how painfully empty it was inside. Strangely enough, the small group of thirty-odd survivors who still called this place home brought Willam back to memories of a much younger Wolf's Den. Back when the walls were still being pushed up and the huge castle was less than a dream. Back when the tribe barely had enough resources to stay afloat in the massive northern wilderness, when their sparse handful of experienced rangers and megaloceros were being spread thin, scouring the beaches for new hands daily.
Except this time his friends were scattered to the far corners of the north and Willam was the Lord of the base, the one leading the people in this stronghold for humanity. Things were both the same and vastly different to those early months. Sometimes Willam yearned for the simplicity of those days, and other times he stayed firmly rooted in the present, grateful for the progress they had made and the safety that the Den offered. Wildlife like sabertooth tigers, packs of hyaenodons, or errant direbears were no longer the largest threat conceivable, and couldn't hope to threaten the humans inside the Wolf's Den anyway. No, now danger came from other men. Yet even with the faint threat of other humans, Willam was confident in the safety of the Wolf's Den.
Although undermanned, the castle would be a nightmare for any enemy to take. To even get within sight of the Den without being spotted would be a miracle. Between their allies to the south and the patrols that sweeped the surrounding area, no enemy could hope to take them by surprise. Even if worse came to worst and the enemy were only spotted when they emerged from the forests, there would still be vast stretches of tundra between them and the castle, providing plenty of time for the garrison of the Wolf's Den to prepare for battle. The walls were ten meters high and watchtowers guarded the most important angles. Should the walls fall to the enemy, everyone could retreat inside the castle. Even Argentum would fit inside the great hall, and from there they could wait for help to arrive from other castles.
Willam was pleased to find the guardsmen as vigilant as ever. They had spotted Argentum long ago and had timed the opening of the gate such that the tyrannosaurus could stroll right in. Willam nodded his thanks to the guards and nudged his mount toward the healer's hut. It was his habit to check on the sick and injured whenever he returned from expeditions. Myra was a fine healer and Willam had full faith in her abilities, but he always liked to be sure just in case. Willam made the perilous climb down from Argentum's saddle, retrieving his book along the way. When his feet safely touched solid ground again, he smiled and brushed Argentum's scaly leg.
"Thanks for the ride, old friend. You can do as you like from now on." The tyrannosaurus growled happily and ambled off to find a nice place to rest behind the healer's hut, with Spectre tailing behind him faithfully.
Willam entered his familiar workplace, greeting Myra inside with a smile. The young woman was one of Willam's few friends that had chosen to stay at the Wolf's Den. Rodrick and Clarisse also remained, but everybody else that Willam knew had left with Otto. Regardless, Willam supposed there were a few positives to the mass exodus. For one, there were less patients to constantly fret over. Only two injured rangers were resting in the medical bay, as opposed to the half dozen that Willam would normally have expected. He felt bad for whoever had inherited his job at the Hotspring Hold.
Neither of the men were in critical danger. Willam just chatted with them pleasantly, changed their bandages, and applied new medical tonics. Otherwise, time and rest would see to the rest of their injuries. Willam left his Northern Dossier safely locked away in a cabinet next to the original Dossier and left the medical bay in Myra's capable hands.
Outside it was well into the afternoon. Willam made his way to the great castle and waited patiently outside for the guards to open its massive double doors. He entered the grey hallway, walking in what felt like the footsteps of giants. Now that only a skeletal garrison remained at the Wolf's Den, the huge castle somehow seemed emptier than before. A few weeks ago he could have counted on bumping into half a dozen people before reaching his destination. Today Willam didn't see a single soul. He paused halfway down the huge hall and fumbled with his keys, then opened the door to what had formerly been Otto's solar. It's mine now, and seems more miserable for it.
Willam was about to hang up his fur clothing on the pegs in the wall, when a letter caught his eye. He picked up the paper curiously, noting how strangely curt the message seemed. It was addressed from Otto and said to meet him at the Hotspring Hold with all due haste, where he would explain everything else.
Author's Note: A reminder that the animal companion poll will close soon. Vote to express your opinions!0
Loremaster Endercreeper, For sure, the reviews left by my readers have definitely influenced my writing and helped me develop my skills :) Crossbows are a probably, greek fire and sparkpowder are a possibility. If I do use gunpowder, the most advanced thing they'll be able to make are signal flares. Thanks for the suggestion though, it would add a nice touch! Also I might have mislead you by saying 3 more like 20 but we'll see haha.
Death korps boi, Thanks for asking! I based them off European castles but honestly didn't do too much research into they won't line up perfectly with their real world counterparts.
DinoNerd89, Spot on! Glad you enjoyed the developments and you were right, she meant Willam and Alys :)
Nateman363, I'm glad to see you're still enjoying the story from where you left off! I feel like the southern branch of the tribe at Open Hearth will definitely have an easier time taming carnivores if Alys and her team fly over to help them. After all, once you've tamed some flyers the whole game seems to get a lot easier. Those are all some great suggestions and I'll try my best to incorporate some! Unfortunately I don't think a titanosaur will ever appear in my story but it might be a possibility who knows. I look forward to hearing more from you as well!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!
- DaRumpyBurr
