Otto X
Otto awoke lodged between a boulder and a stony cliffside, with wolves draped in sleeping positions all around him. He slowly exhaled, watching his breath turn to mist in the frigid morning air. The sun was slowly creeping into the sky, a pale yellow yolk cradled between two sharp peaks. Otto yawned and stretched his stiff body. The mountain was hard and cold; patches of snow dotted the nearby boulders, making them appear like soft white pillows, while a cluster of shiny icicles dangled from the stone overhang above. I didn't notice that before I went to sleep, Otto groggily thought to himself. He lay unmoving for a few minutes, swaddled in thick furs like a direbear. Despite the frigid mountainside climate, the furs had kept him warm and cozy throughout the night. The wolves were also partly responsible. Eclipse was curled up near his feet, while Dust lounged by his side. Winter and the three direwolf adolescents had occupied the space beside Otto's head but they were nowhere to be found.
Otto shrugged the pelts off himself and stiffly climbed out of his sleeping bag. The wolves noticed him stirring. Artemis was already awake, casually laying on a stone outcropping that overlooked the lower parts of the mountain. She inclined her head in greetings. The she-wolf had recovered since her twin's death, but was still somewhat distant to the rest of the pack. She was more reserved and quiet than before, but Otto hoped she would eventually get over her pain. Dust stood up and stretched in anticipation of moving out, while Eclipse remained curled in a ball. The large black direwolf had kept watch for most of the night. He smiled and tried not to disturb her. As Otto stretched his cramped limbs, he noticed Winter and half the pack were already gone. Off hunting or scouting no doubt. The wolves were anxious travelling outside their own territory, where other wild creatures made their homes. They kept a vigilant watch over the surrounding mountains both day and night so as not to be caught by surprise.
When Otto was fully awake, he bundled up his sleeping bag and carefully stepped over some sleeping wolves to reach the alcove where he had hitched Daciana to a withered old tree. The elk mewed in greeting, tossing her head. Otto laughed and stroked her neck as she returned his affection with sloppy kisses.
"I just need to grab breakfast from your saddlebags. Hold still, will you?" The elk snorted and pranced around in a small circle, but eventually she calmed down enough for Otto to access her bags. He stuffed his sleeping bag inside and retrieved a small breakfast, dismayfully noting to himself that half his rations were gone. How long have I been out here again? Otto had lost count of the days. He guessed it was somewhere under a week, but it was easy to lose track of time in the mountains. However, that was also why he enjoyed them so much. Out here, he could forget about the worries and struggles of the tribe. He could free his mind from the endless numbers and reports that ceaselessly flowed onto his desk. He could take a much-needed break from the constant demands, complaints, and problems of other survivors. Out here, Otto could finally enjoy life to the fullest.
I'll need to get back soon, Otto thought to himself glumly. He scratched Daciana under the chin and sat down cross-legged to rekindle last night's fire. As Otto worked the flames, he slowly resigned himself to the fact that he would be forced to return to the Den soon. Otto sighed as he bit into a hard piece of jerky. He chewed the stiff cold meat until it was malleable enough to swallow. At least the food will be better once I return. I have that to look forward to. He scanned the plateau that the pack was currently resting on. And the people too. It does get a little lonely out here with just Daciana and the wolves. I miss having long discussions with Willam and thoughtful talks with Jeyne.
Otto finished the rest of his meal and stood up, stretching in the brisk mountain air. It's about time we got moving. He pulled out an apple for Daciana to eat while he secured her saddlebags. The wolves were all awake now and were starting to liven up in anticipation of the day. Otto swung onto Daciana's saddle and got his bearings. The wolves looked back to him, patiently waiting for his leave to start moving. When Winter's not around, they see me as their leader. I'm one with the pack now, Otto noted to himself happily. He closed his eyes and let instinct take over. Through the darkness came flashes of color and muffled bursts of sound. Wind stirring, wolves breathing, and something that sounded like. . . human shouts. Otto's eyes snapped open. We're not alone on this mountain. Winter's found other humans.
He pressed his heels into Daciana's side and the elk started picking her way down the mountain slopes at a brisk canter. The wolves kept pace. Could these be my men or strangers? Winter was too far away for Otto to tell. He could sense that the alpha direwolf and his packmates were watching the group from afar, as they often did when assessing potential threats. The white wolf knew better than to attack a group of armed humans. He would wait for Otto to arrive, like as not. Well I better not keep him waiting. Otto kicked his heels against the saddle stirrups and Daciana picked up speed.
Otto and his pack descended the gravelly mountain slopes, flowing like a uniform grey tide. They made good time since none of the other mountain inhabitants dared harass a healthy group of wolves. Presently, Otto only had about half of the whole pack with him. The other half was with Winter farther down the mountain, while a sparse handful — perhaps one or two — were home at the Den. The human tribe was rapidly expanding, with hundreds of survivors spread throughout their four main castles. Things were different from the early days when the direwolves acted as the main guardians and protectors of the tribe; with the large manpower reserves, the tribe now had the strength to defend itself. Nowadays, the wolves were mainly free to their own devices. Otto occasionally brought them to deal with specific situations but with the tribe's increasing power, the wolves were less burdened by human affairs every day. They mainly lived as they had done so for generations before, patrolling their territory and hunting for meals. The only difference was that they lived alongside man.
Otto knew many of the wolves still mistrusted humans and vice versa, but the two groups were coexisting peacefully now. There hadn't been any incidents between wolves and men for a few months. He was happy that everyone was starting to get along. Some of the wolves had even started forming friendships with members of the tribe. Spectre the albino had bonded with Argentum and the two were nearly inseparable these days, even though the Tyrannosaurus had grown ten or twenty times the wolf's size. Otto knew that many of the wolves also considered Willam a part of the pack because he treated their injuries whenever they were seriously wounded. The wolves had also been known to get along with the stablemaster Clarisse and her assistant Zach, although they were reluctant to enter the stables when hyaenodons were around. Otto himself had formed strong bonds with many of the pack members, like Dust, Shina, Artemis, Eclipse, and the younglings. Although it was nothing like the bond he shared with Winter, the other wolves still respected him as an equal and for that, Otto was glad.
Daciana picked her way down the mountain slopes on her own. By now, the megaloceros was as adept and sure-footed as native mountain goats when it came to traversing the paths. Otto occasionally tugged her reins one way or another when there was a fork in the road. He kept most of his attention fixated on his surroundings. There was not much need to be on high alert; the wolves' senses were sharper than his own, and they would smell danger from far away. Otto was more interested in taking in all the scenery. Although mostly grey and bleak, the mountains had a natural beauty of their own. Otto loved staring at snow-capped peaks, surrounded by halos of golden clouds. He found the strange twisted trees that grew sparsely amongst the slopes very fascinating to look upon. They almost resembled sculptures, the way they were smooth and twisted from endless barrages of wind. Otto also enjoyed looking at all the hardy mountain flora; the colorful flowers, the stubborn shrubs and lichens, and the rare bush or two. He found it amazing how life could thrive seemingly everywhere, even these remote mountains that were endlessly battered by sleet and snow.
As the pack descended the mountain, the scenery began to change again. Trees started growing in clusters thanks to the greater abundance of nutrients in the ground. These small pockets of forest hosted many shrubs, ferns, and flowers beneath their protective branches. Otto spotted a few small birds and squirrels making their homes in the groves. Once, he even spotted what might have been a linx or sabertooth cub. Whatever the feline-like creature had been, the wolves hadn't found it enough of a threat to bother giving chase. Near the bottom of the mountain, some tiny brooks began to meet up and join into a small stream, which would eventually grow into a river much farther down. Otto called for his pack to stop and they drank from the clean mountain waters. Nothing tasted half as cool and refreshing as pristine glacier water. Otto took that opportunity to refill his water containers. After the brief rest, the pack continued travelling down the mountain slopes in near single file. They made good time and reached the bottom of the mountain in under an hour. By now, Winter's presence was much stronger. Otto instinctively led the pack to reunite with its other half.
They came upon Winter atop a brushy ridge. The wolves were prowling low to the ground, their fierce eyes fixated on a group in the distance. Otto dismounted and crouched to join the pack. Winter nuzzled against his side in greeting, and Otto scratched the huge white direwolf behind the ears. The wolf adolescents circled around him, happily wagging their tails, until a growl from a senior wolf reminded them of their situation. The young wolves were still learning to hunt, and they snapped back into alert stances to continue observing their targets. Otto withdrew a spyglass from his belt and aligned it with the targets in question. It was a group of humans. Otto recognized their uniforms; men and women of the Lookout Hill. That's strange, Otto reflected to himself. What are they doing all the way out here? He vaguely recalled a letter from Daven detailing something about an expedition to tame creatures. Otto had not read the message himself, but Jeyne had surmised it enough for him to understand the gist of it. This was likely the expedition that the letter had mentioned. Otto swept the spyglass across the horizon and noticed a single figure running toward the larger group. An attacker? A messenger? A returning scout? It was then that the man's pursuers turned the corner.
A herd of five mammoths thundered after the man, snorting and tooting fearsomely. The huge creatures kept their distance. They seemed to want to drive the human away rather than kill him outright. However, every time the mammoths began slowing down, the man would turn, draw his bow, and loose an arrow into the closest mammoth. That would anger the whole herd and they would continue plowing through snow drifts in pursuit. Otto had been about to rush to the group's aid, but now he realized they were enacting a carefully thought-out strategy. Otto's interference would only throw their plan askew, so he stayed put. He could sense how tense the wolves were, but they took their cue from him and settled down. They would rest on the ridge and watch the mammoth hunt play out.
The lone figure continued jogging as fast as he could, the mammoths hard on his tail. They were funneled down into a shallow valley and a hunter's horn bellowed out. Upon the signal, men and women sprang up atop both sides of the valley, pulling thick snow-covered ropes taut. Several wooden palisades exploded from the valley floor in a fit of crackling ice and snow. All but one of the mammoths stopped, rearing in distress to avoid the spikes. The mammoth that had already made its way past the barricade found itself cut off from its herd. The wooly beast trumpeted in distress and its herd mates tried their best to get past the barrier. Just as one of the mammoths approached the wooden palisade, a volley of arrows hissed past and embedded themselves in the slush. The mammoths backed away, snorting and bellowing. They were starting to panic.
The humans had been smart enough to leave an exit off to the side. Without an escape option, the mammoths would burst through whatever blocked their way, spikes or not. Otto tightened his grip on the spyglass and watched on with fascination. Another volley of arrows drove the herd further away. They were reluctant to leave their sister behind, but the humans were relentless and unyielding. With one last sorrowful chorus of bellows, the mammoths retreated from the trap. All they could do was watch from the safety of the tundra as their sister was pushed farther and farther into danger.
The lone mammoth snorted and stomped in a circle, its trunk swinging wildly. A column of spearmen ran down the valley slopes and drove it deeper into the trap. Their eight foot long spears held the huge beast at a distance, and their formation kept it from breaking through. The hunters prodded the mammoth onward. The poor creature continued bellowing in distress the entire time. One fateful step shook the entire tundra. With an earth-shattering crack, a layer of branches and snow gave way under the mighty weight of the mammoth, cascading down into a deep pit. The mammoth was abruptly thrown off balance by the ground falling away. The spearmen charged, shouting at the top of their lungs, and the mammoth tumbled into the pit with another anguished bellow. From then on, it was like shooting a fish in a barrel. Archers levied swarms of tranq arrows down upon the helpless mammal, knocking it out cold in minutes. When the creature was safely sedated, Otto hopped back onto Daciana and led the pack out to meet the humans.
The wolves fell in behind him like a wedge, their long legs whisking them across the icy plains with ease. Daciana flew like the wind, light and agile, kicking up clouds of snow behind her. Otto reigned to a halt in front of the intrepid group, who watched him warily but bowed down once they realized who it was. Otto's reputation preceded him; even the most sheltered member of any colony would instantly recognize the Wolf Lord, whose mighty pack followed his every whim and command. Otto swept his gaze across the group, around thirty survivors in all. "Who commands here?"
"That would be me," a blonde-haired man said as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. Beneath his heavy furs, the leader was lithe yet muscular, tall and commanding. "Skyler, Captain of the Guards at the Lookout Hill. At your service, sir."
Otto leapt off Daciana's back. He was of a height with the Captain. Otto had never known Skyler before, but he had heard of him. Joseph described the captain as reliable and efficient, good at his job and good with the people he commanded. Otto could plainly tell that this man knew what he was doing, yet there were still improvements that could be made. "Tell me Skyler, how many mammoths have you trapped thus far?"
"Right this way, my lord. It might be better if I show you."
Skyler brought Otto to the highest point of the valley, which provided a good vantage point over the landscape below. Winter and a handful of wolves accompanied Otto to the top of the hill, along with a few of Skyler's lieutenants. Otto could see groups of builders hard at work excavating huge pits. Off in the distance, he noticed others chopping wood for the pit traps. Skyler had been wise enough to establish a perimeter of guardsmen armed with spears and longbows to drive away any unwanted wildlife. Even now, Otto could see them warding away the outraged mammoth herd. The wooly beasts clearly wanted to help their trapped friend but there was little they could do against the well-armed forces.
"How many survivors have you lost?" Otto asked. Casualties were always his first concern.
"None," Skyler smiled, clearly proud of the fact. "We had a pair of injured hunters, but I sent them home on a cart. Broken ribs from our first mammoth. Nothing a few months of rest can't fix."
Otto nodded in approval. Injuries were almost always unavoidable. He was just glad that no life had been lost yet. This man certainly displays a rare level of intelligence and resourcefulness, Otto remarked. Daven made the right choice having him lead this expedition.
Three mammoths were already trapped in pits, including the one Otto had just witnessed being captured. Only one of the mammoths was awake; a dejected, miserable looking creature that seemed to have given up on escaping. The other two mammoths were unconscious, under the influence of narcotics.
Otto frowned and turned to Skyler. "You seem to have this operation under control, but let me offer you some advice. Mammoths are smart creatures and they'll remember all of this. Whenever they look at you or your men, they'll associate humans with pain."
"That can't really be helped," Skyler shrugged. "We need to trap them to train them."
"Aye, that I understand. Perhaps I can be of assistance." Otto turned and examined the wolves that were with him. Many of them were experienced at working with human hunters to chase and corner prey. He figured this was no different.
Skyler noticed what Otto was thinking. "Your wolves, sir? My men aren't used to working alongside beasts."
"But my wolves are used to working with men. They're smart creatures and will pick up on what you want them to do. I'll leave half my pack with you. Make them chase the mammoths into the traps and keep your human hunters hidden atop the valley."
"Aye, that could work," Skyler mused.
"It's settled then. I'll stay with your camp for tonight to make sure everything transitions smoothly, then I'll be off by tomorrow morning. Send a letter to the Wolf's Den when you're finished with the wolves."
"Thank you for the help, my lord."
"One last thing — mammoths respond well to positive reinforcement. That poor creature there looks absolutely miserable. Try different methods like coaxing injured animals back to health or rewarding good behaviour. I've found that positive experiences form stronger bonds than complete domination."
Skyler nodded. "Taming animals isn't my speciality, so I'll take a wiser man's word for it. Will you require anything else before you leave? Supplies? A fresh mount?"
"Perhaps just a dinner in human company. It gets lonely in these mountains."
That night, Otto ate well for the first time in weeks. Although not unwelcome, he found the hunters loud and overly boisterous. It was a striking change from the muted silence of the mountain peaks, amongst the shrieking winds and the quiet growls of his pack. Otto was glad to meet survivors from a different branch of the tribe, something that he did not often get the opportunity to do. The survivors were friendly enough but Otto found himself glad to be gone the next morning all the same. Half the pack remained at the camp under the leadership of Dust, who knew what was asked of him. Otto and the remaining seven wolves continued travelling deeper into the mountains.
Winter led the way at the head of the pack. Otto rode a bit behind him, and the rest of the wolves followed in turn. They travelled along narrow mountain paths, often two wolves abreast or even single file. The slopes were rough and coarse, covered in hardy weeds that sprouted up tentatively amongst nooks and crannies. Otto traced their route on his map using a piece of charcoal. Whenever there was a promising outcropping or stretch of flat land, Otto would halt the pack and ride over to investigate. He kept these locations marked down but so far none of them met his needs. They were a bit too far down the mountain for his liking, exposed to woods and wilderness on every direction. Otto wanted a nice flat cliff higher up the mountain; a good defensible position that gave them access to the valuable ores atop the mountain and also the forests below.
The faintest hint of dusk was beginning to creep into the sky when his pack detected something unusual. The wolves had sniffed out a lone direwolf farther up the mountain. It was beyond unusual. Direwolves were sociable creatures that lived in packs. It was only the rare outcasts that lived alone. Either this wolf was a newly fledged adult searching for a pack, or an unwanted exile. Whatever the case, it stirred Otto's curiosity and that of his own pack. The wolves were sniffing out trails to ascend the mountain. Otto also wanted to find this anomaly, so he followed his direwolves as they worked their way up the mountain.
Otto tapped into his pack's senses and became immersed in the vivid scents of the mountain. He could smell the lone wolf's odour in a cave. It was damp and musky, but not as strong as he would have thought. The exiled wolf had not lived in that cave for long. Perhaps the wolf simply stopped in this cave to rest. It may still be searching for a pack. But as they got closer to the cave, Otto started detecting something else as well. It was a familiar scent, yet hard to pinpoint. He smelled faint hints of elk and boar, seal and rhino. . . all old dried furs. There's a human up there! It had been difficult to pick up under the scents of all those animal hides but now Otto was sure of it. This human smelled different. . . more earthly and natural. As if they were one with the wilderness.
Winter started growling and the rest of the pack picked up his behaviour. Otto spotted the human in question, sitting cross-legged atop a boulder. He was taken aback by her appearance. Sitting before him was an old withered crone with greying hair, her skin so tanned that it blended right into the mountainside. Old furs and hides were draped over her short figure, bleached from the sun. She almost seemed to be rooted into the rocks like a gnarly old tree, her eyes closed in mediation.
"Who are you?" Otto blurted out. His wolves shared his apprehension. What is this old woman doing in the mountains alone?
The crone was not in any particular rush to answer his question. She pursed her lips and gradually opened her beady black eyes. "The nearest tribes folk call me the Mountain Hermit."
That left him with more questions than answers. Otto retaliated against her vague reply with one of his own. "Aye and my people call me the Wolf Lord. I meant your real name."
"Everyone who knew my real name is long dead," the crone replied calmly. "But I've heard of yours. Yes, even up here in the mountains we hear the stories of Otto Weiss."
Otto frowned but there was nothing he could do to stop tales of himself from spreading. Oftimes new arrivals at the Wolf's Den came in knowing who he was before he ever had a chance to introduce himself. Many castaways, like Jeyne and her friends, were drawn to the Den by exaggerated stories of his deeds. Otto tried a different approach. "What are you doing up here anyhow?" He asked skeptically. "It's dangerous to travel alone in the mountains."
"What gives you the impression that I'm alone?" Something about her tone threw him off. Otto realized that he was being flanked. He whirled around to see a huge black sabertooth prowling up behind them, its scent masked by being downwind of the pack. From the cave emerged a grey direwolf, its teeth bared in a silent growl. The two beasts circled around, crouching protectively by the old crone. Otto's pack bristled in response but he calmed them down quickly. Realization dawned on him.
"You're like me!" Otto's eyes widened. "You can control those animals."
"A psychic," the hermit agreed.
Otto's head was spinning. "I have so many questions. . . where do I even begin? I didn't even know there were others like me. How is this possible?"
The hermit smiled for the first time. "If you haven't noticed already, the Island is a strange place where miracles often happen. Ancient energy sustains this land and the creatures who live on it." The woman scratched her onyx sabertooth under the chin. "You and I, we have a rare gift from the Island itself — the ability to bond with its creatures, to share their emotions and experiences."
Otto took a moment to consider that, glancing at Winter. The huge white direwolf sat still, seemingly relaxed, but ready to pounce into action at a moment's notice. Winter sensed Otto's gaze and turned to look at him. Otto racked his brain. "Why us. . . why did the Island give us this gift?"
"Purity of heart and moral integrity. The Island favours the virtuous, those with empathy and compassion for all life. It is your bond with that direwolf that grants you this power, the same as me with my companions."
"You're saying my power draws from my bond with Winter?" Otto exchanged glances with the direwolf.
"In a sense, yes. But the Island works in mysterious ways and it has a larger plan than any of us could ever imagine." The woman's face briefly twisted in anguish. It was a startling change from her normally sage demeanour. "I thought it was my destiny to unite the inhabitants of the Island under an era of peace. I failed and the ones I loved paid for the price of my mistakes. I now realize my destiny is different."
That gave Otto pause. The woman had been good at masking her feelings behind an impenetrable mask, but in that brief slip, in that slight moment of vulnerability, Otto had been able to sense a lifetime of devastating pain. Those feelings of anguish and despair had been mirrored in the hermit's wolf and tiger, and had briefly even passed onto him. Otto had felt a searing pain in his gut, so strong and sudden he had wanted to double over — but the feeling fled as quickly as it came. What could have happened to this poor woman? Otto was frightened by the prospect of ending up like her, alone and harbouring decades of pain. But with suffering came growth. Otto had learned from his mistakes to become a wiser and more experienced leader. This woman must possess an immense treasure trove of wisdom, a lifetime of valuable experiences. Otto had always been confused about his gift to bond with Winter. Learning how to control his power had mainly been through trial and error, while occasionally drawing upon raw instinct. But with this Mountain Herrmit, there was no further need for Otto to stumble through everything blindly. She had knowledge that could help him master his abilities.
"What am I supposed to do with this gift?" Otto was starting to feel anxious about the power within him.
"I fear you are not ready for the answer. The knowledge would only harm you at this stage of your life."
"How will I ever know?" Otto demanded as dread started setting in.
"I will call upon you when the time is ready. Go on now, I've interfered enough. Return to your friends for you will be needed soon."
That only made Otto even more frightened. He needed the hermit's wisdom. He was afraid of failing and ending up like her. "Please help me understand," Otto pleaded. "I've been trying my hardest to be a good leader for my people but I'm lost and confused. I don't know what's right for them anymore. Everyday, new castaways suffer and die alone in the wilderness. My own people die because of my mistakes. I don't know how to help them all."
An idea suddenly dawned on him. "You can help me! You can return to the Den with me, where its safe. We can offer you shelter and protection, but please. . . I need someone who knows what all of this means."
The old woman regarded him carefully. "Civilization is just a cage for me. I belong in these mountains where it is free, and where I can live out the rest of my days in peace. I will only give you the advice that I myself wished I had known earlier. Whatever you choose to do, think long and carefully about the consequences of your actions."
With that, the woman stood up and made her way into the cave. Otto reached out after her. "Wait! Please don't go just yet! There's still so much I need to ask you!"
The sabertooth snarled and bared its fangs, while the grey direwolf placed itself between Otto and the hermit. Otto withdrew his hand with a wince. His own direwolves were standing up and snarling but with a sweep of her gaze, the old crone somehow pacified them all. She turned back toward the cave. "As I said, I will contact you when you are ready. You've learned all you needed to know from this expedition. Return to the Wolf's Den, your people need your guidance."
With that, the crone disappeared into the darkness of the cave and her two animal companions soon followed. Otto released a shaky breath and stood atop the mountain for a moment, feeling unsure of what to do. He was pulled back into reality by Winter gently nuzzling his side. Otto managed a small smile and stroked the direwolf behind the ears. "I suppose it's time we headed back," he conceded. "At least I have you to help me figure this out together."
The journey home was not as tedious as it had been to venture out into the wilderness. Otto and his pack made good progress heading back the way they had come. No major incidents or setbacks prevented them from reaching their destination, and they were back home within four days. He was disappointed at having failed to find any good base locations and distraught from the uncertainty of the future. But at least he was glad to have found a source of wisdom, even one as unreliable and enigmatic as the Mountain Hermit. As he neared the base, his thoughts shifted to a more positive tone. He was glad that he was finally returning and that he would be able to reunite with his friends.
When Otto first glimpsed sight of the Wolf's Den in the evening, he was puzzled as to the amount of fires blazing long smoke trails into the pink sky. Even with his wild beard, unkempt hair, and mismatched clothes, the guardsmen at the gate still recognized him and let him inside the castle. Otto returned to the Wolf's Den in the midst of a large celebration; singers were performing for crowds, heaps of food were piled onto banquet tables, bonfires were roaring merilly, and delegates from other villages laughed amongst his own people. Otto was confused for a few moments until he remembered the fall festival that Jeyne and the stewards had been planning.
The main crowds were milling around the central bonfire, and there were not many people on the outskirts. Otto spotted Argentum gorging himself on a pile of meat in a discreet corner of the base where not many would disturb him. The adolescent tyrannosaurus glanced at him for a brief moment and chuffed in acknowledgement before returning to his meal. Spectre the albino direwolf was also by Argentum's side, as always. And wherever Argentum is, Willam won't be far. The old man spotted Otto first and called him over cheerfully. Willam was talking to villagers from High Heart and Oldstones, two of their staunchest allies. Otto nodded politely toward the strangers, but was abruptly pulled into a hug by Willam.
"There you are Otto! Goodness, you were almost gone for two weeks this time."
Otto smiled sheepishly. "I lost track of the time. Good to see you again Willam."
The old man beamed. "You look hopelessly lost. Let me point you in the right way."
Otto could not help but laugh. "I know my way around well enough, thank you. How long have you been celebrating?"
"The festival began yesterday and it will stretch well into tonight. But after that, the other tribes will return to their villages. Best enjoy the celebrations while they last, I won't hold you back."
Otto thanked his old friend and made his way toward the larger throng. His wolves had dispersed to their own devices, but he still got plenty of stares even without them trailing along. He heard whispers of Otto and Wolf Lord getting tossed around by the festival-goers. Otto was acutely aware of how out of place he was. Even though I missed this, I didn't truly belong here. Just like that old crone said, civilization isn't my place. I belong to the wilderness. Otto barely recognized one in four of the people he passed. He had just decided he was going to return to his chambers and sleep when a familiar voice called his name.
Otto barely had time to register who it was, when someone jumped him from behind and wrapped their arms around his chest in a warm embrace. He tensed up at first but quickly relaxed when he realized who it was, a smile flooding onto his face.
"You made it back!" She exclaimed.
"Jeyne," Otto breathed in relief. "I missed you."
Jeyne let go of Otto and he turned around to face her, beaming with joy. It was great to finally see a familiar face among the crowd of strangers. The noises and flashing colours of the festival dulled down around him, and all he could focus on was the amazing woman in front of him. Jeyne was speaking rapidly, trying to catch him up on everything he had missed, but Otto could barely hear any of it. He was just happy to be back in the arms of a loved one. I never missed the burdens of leadership or the constant stress of having to keep everyone safe. . . but I sure did miss this. Spending time with my closest friends. There's nothing that can compete. Something on Otto's face must have changed, for Jeyne stopped and stared at him with concern, but Otto just laughed and pulled Jeyne into another hug. He picked her up and spun her around, much to her surprise. They were both laughing maniacally, tears in their eyes. Oh what I would give to have this moment last forever, Otto thought to himself.
He set Jeyne back down when they were both well and truly dizzy. They leaned on each other for support, trying to suppress laughter that never seemed to stop. How peculiar it must seem to see the leaders of the Wolf's Den stumbling about as if drunk. Otto shrugged. The strangers could stare and gawp for all they wanted. All he needed was in front of him.
Jeyne managed to recover before Otto and helped him to his feet with the smile that he had grown to love. He could finally make out enough of what she was saying to understand what she wanted. Jeyne cheerfully took his hand and led him to the feast and the performers, half-leading and half-dragging Otto into the festivities. The night flashed orange and red with the garish hues of bonfires and wine. But up above, the night was solemn and gloomy as always. Darkness crept over the brilliant pink evening like a great, unending black tidal wave. Otto was reminded of the trials ahead. For all the joy and celebrations, the fall festival was also a stark reminder that the seasons were changing. Winter will be next. And who knows if we'll be prepared by then. Otto tried to ignore the surmounting feelings of dread coiling within him and join the festivities, letting Jeyne lead the way.
Author's note: Sorry for the huge gap in posts. I'm back now though and thanks to quarantine I have 3 more chapters backed up behind this one that just need to be edited. I'll be able to deliver weekly uploads for the rest of the summer!
Bladerunner24k, thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoy Daven's chapters, they're always fun to write!
DinoNerd89, glad you enjoyed reading about Daven's struggle! I've got more planned for the internal power struggle at Lookout Hill so I'm looking forward to hearing more reviews from you!
Rocket Man 099, thanks for the review! Glad you enjoyed!
Caleb R. Waterson, oh haha good memory then! I hope Artemis's very brief mention helped clear things out. I didn't give the wolves as much focus as I had wanted but oh well. They'll have plenty of appearances as we progress!
Taurus910, thanks for the kind review!
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