Chapter 28

Wolf and the Ambush

The day was a less than ideal for hunting; looming forecasts, human invaders nearby and the natural call for wildlife to enter their deep sleep. These factors however, never deterred Jethro from maintaining the hunt. He was a man of responsibility, in many cases if were to be asked to jump his attitude would display as this, 'How high?' and, 'When may I come down?.'

These traits of submission though, had yet to wear off on his reluctant pupil Timothy, who murmured of the cold and cloudy sky, claiming it was futile to find anything that stirred upon four legs in these conditions. Jethro's only response to his lack of initiative was to simply state, that these conditions applied more to the hunting of fowl than of beast, therefore the hunt pressed on.

Eventually, to no credit of his own, Timothy spotted in the near distance what appeared to be swaying antlers cresting over the underbrush. His excited commotion nearly feigned flight in the creature. Jethro took him by the shoulder so that both may go to one knee and observe.

"Let me get closer, so I can see him." whispered the boy.

Seasoned and wisdom infused words were the reply of Jethro, "Stir around too much and you will lose your kill. Aim for what cannot be seen by what you can see."

"How so?"

"The antlers are all the source you need, now envision the rest of the animal's body through the bushes."

The youth put into his mind's eye the appropriate approximation of the beast's heart. Inhaling more steadily, he seated an arrow then prepared to take aim. When steadying the bow and flexing his fibrous limbs to draw back upon the string, the tension proved overbearing upon the cheap maple, snapping the recurve.

The antlers turned hastily away in flight leaving Jethro, who had his missile fore prepared, to launch as it receded into the thicket. Examining Timothy's blunder, he ridiculed, "How much money did you spend on that thing?"

"What does it matter, you missed anyway!" came the boy's reprisal with that adolescent arrogance to defend his pride.

Combating his juvenile rationale with elderly judiciousness his superior callously inquired, "Did I?"

Forth they went together upon the tracks its hooves lay dinted which ended, according to Jethro's keen eye, with the buck laying motionless where they ceased. Timothy, bewildered by the kill, exacerbated, "I can't believe you got it!"

His master, as he was pulling the arrow free, said, "Just remember boy,' then pointing to the patch concealing his socket, 'in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king."

His analogy endeavored to teach the boy that, in this instance, the blind were those who indoctrinated their minds with a narrow scope of the world, thus hindering any and all possibilities of overcoming the gaps where they fall short. Timothy's blindness did not apply only to the shrubbery which blocked his view but to the consideration that a shot could still be made despite what he could not see. However this lesson soared over his head faster than an eagle skimming the water.

Despite being half blind, Jethro's vision ran into his other senses, most crucially his instincts. Which is why, as the boy was obliviously laboring to transport the carcass, Jethro was still with anticipation.

"Hurry and hoist it over your shoulders, we must get back to camp now."

In protest, Timothy stammered, "But we've only caught one, that is not enough for the whole camp."

Shushing the lad he instructed, "Listen, what do you hear?"

Pausing for but a moment, Timothy answered, "I hear nothing."

"Exactly, not a bird nor creeping thing stirs, even the air is silent."

His call to this detail created an unsettling stir in the boy's bosom.

"What does it mean?"

Resting his good eye upon him, Jethro said, "We are not the only hunters out here."

Meanwhile within Doc's makeshift clinic, Holo was dressing as the good physician cleansed his hands and put away his tools.

"So what is your diagnosis?" said she.

Leaning against the table with arms crossed he replied, "It is difficult to say at this point. As you have described at the incident, there was severe abdominal pain yet no bleeding. However you say the morning sickness had stopped after that."

"That is correct."

"You said, that the man you were with administered something to you during the episode."

"Yes, a type elixir with extraordinary healing factors."

Whenever Doc contemplated deeply, he withdrew his spectacles and chewed on the right ear piece, seen doing now. This did nothing for Holo's nerves who pressed, "Please tell me what you are thinking."

Doc straightened while annotating his expertise, "Well…With that type of onset I would assume placenta abruptia. A condition when the placenta tears from the uterine wall, however there would be bleeding if that had happened."

"Which it had not."

"Yes, atop of that there would be recent scarring which I did not see, so another hypothesis is that you were or still are suffering from, an ectopic pregnancy."

"What is that?"

"Well if I recall from my studies, I'm more of a field surgeon than an expert in female physiology, it is a condition when, possibly due to the timing of conception, the fertilization takes place and develops in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus. Very painful and very dangerous. It can cause irreversible damage and even death."
Holo, overwhelmingly concerned, placed a hand on her stomach and asked with courage to hide her emotions, "How would you be able to tell?"

"Time, if you fall afflicted like that again, it could be an indicator."

"But I feel no pain as of late."

"Perhaps this remedy helped your body push it through, perhaps it prevented any tearing. I would have examine this stuff for myself."

"There is none left, it was destroyed when our wagon went over the cliff."

"Do you have cycles normally?"

"Would seven weeks at the end of winter be considered normal for you?" slyly replied Holo.

Doc mustered about in his thoughts,"Then the only way to be certain is to wait another few weeks then check again."

"What do you mean check again?"

"Right now it is still too early to see, if you are still with child your womb will continue to develop but that won't happen until further down the road."

"You mean to say, that after having to be poked and prodded while on display for the world to see your answer as to whether or not I am still pregnant is, I do not know?"

"The field of medicine has many limits."

Sulking upon the mattress she pouted, "I really do not like doctors."

"Well there is one other thing we can do."

"And that is."

He withdrew a large beaker and said, "You could fill this."

"With what?!"

Putting it aside he grumbled, "Never mind."

A familiar voice outside the tent then addressed him, "Doc? Have ye concluded yer business?"

"What do you need Agatha?"

"Nothin' to do with me, the boss seeks an audience with our little guest."

"I had better turn you loose then." said Doc, addressing Holo.

Appearing confused, Holo asked, "Agatha is not in charge of your camp?"

"No, and it's rare that he takes such an interest in someone that he demands to meet with them personally, best not to keep him waiting."

Agatha, once united with Holo, inquired of her as they walked to their goal, "Aside from Timothy, how did ye fair?"

Holo put her nose to the air while letting out most stubbornly, "It was absolutely unbecoming of this wise wolf to be handled in such a way!"

"Well, ye could have declined at anytime." rejoined Agatha.

"I know that, I just wanted to be sure."

"And are you?"

"Far from it, he could not say whether or not my womb holds fruit thus, after all this time and embarrassment, I am left in no different predicament than when I had first started." Overcome with subtle melancholy, Agatha sighed, "Well, at least Doc hadn't told ya ye'd never bear fruit again."

This caught Holo's ear with such rapid inquiry that she pressed the matter, "What do you mean? Can you not conceive?"

"I could at one time…" came the woman's unusual somber demeanor.

"Does it pain you to talk of it?"

"Aye, tis also why I am indebted to the man who heads this crew."
At this time, they had arrived upon the tent of which this leader kept himself concealed. At this time another man was quitting it in which Agatha greeted warmly, "LeBaron how goes the journey?"

The man, appearing startled by Holo, replied, "It goes well enough but I must be on my way."

After he departed, Agatha said to Holo, "He be an agent who scouts the area out for us from time to time."

Tapping her chin Holo replied, "I think I have seen him around, but cannot recall where."

Parting the hems, Agatha allowed Holo to pass through first, finding herself in a dimly lit structure accommodating a single table supporting a map and faintly flickering lantern. The faint imprints of objects forged in the darkness gave Holo the impression it was furnished but her imagination relapsed when a figure's gradation merged with the light.

There stood the mystery man whom Holo had given an account to Edmund after her first encounter with the troupe. The nit cap, the beard of salt and pepper employing a small ravine upon his upper right lip where a scar had settled. Alas there was the green trench coat, thus testifying before her that she had been acquainted with him two days before.

Though he said nothing, his presence occupied a commanding aura which was easily translated by Holo to remain on her best behavior. She introduced herself which was not answered by him but by Agatha who was secluding herself to their company.

"I be the one who speaks for him." said she.

"But can he hear on his own?"

"Aye."

"My name is Holo, I am of the wolf spirits native to this land.' then to Agatha, 'may I inquire on whose business you are conducting?"

"To you and all the others outside this camp, he is simply known as Nikiski."

The white tips of her ears erected in an eye's blink, "Ah yes, my companion and I have been seeking you out these last few days in hopes…"

Nikiski raised his hand with such power that Holo's bosom yielded her silence. Agatha, having developed a profoundly unique relationship with this man, was able to interoperate his thoughts and said, "He wishes to know why the two of you have sought us."

Holo's complexion miffed on instinct, then said, "Me and the man I am with are seeking to reclaim that which was lost to us and sought additional companionship along the way."

Impartially convinced by her sentiment Nikiski motioned to the map with a hand angled in a way that only Agatha could understand.

"He wishes to know where ye be headed."

"Ketchiwa."

He then swiped his hand over the air above that landmark.

"Sorry lass but we be heading a different route as of late."

Her heart plummeted through her core as she asked, "As of late? You mean to say you were at one point going that way?"

"Tis' so, I'm afraid.' continued Agatha, 'according to LeBaron it appears glacier pass will be swallowed up in snow, and if we tread that course we shall be swallowed up as well. Therefore we will keep aloof around Kanuk basin and ward off any marauder there."

"I thought your purpose was to eradicate your enemies were they sleep." besmirched the lips of an antagonized Holo.

"Make no mistake lass, we be doing all in our mortal powers to do so, but some seasons tis best to simply hold the line."

Holo played out the path in her head a moment or more so then beckoned with her stifled lips, "How close can you bring us to Ketchiwa?"

Nikiski sighed through his nostrils while Agatha, reading his body language, answered for him, "That bring us to our next point. We can escort ye along the way which takes ye close enough to the base, bur right now with your man being injured and such, ye must determine whether or not he be a loose end."

"You mean you will leave him behind?" decried Holo.

"We will leave with him some provisions and shelter that he may use when he awakens, it's not much but it suffices over nothing."

In great protest for the man who employed so much exertion to her safety, Holo exclaimed, "You cannot simply leave him behind!"

"Don't take it too harsh lass, we try to help as much as we can, but ye see, we are trying to pack up tomorrow, and with him being in the infirmary, well we can't just delay while we wait for him. I hope ye understand that as much as we want to fulfill yer requests, we can't compromise the whole crew for a stowaway, if ye catch my meaning."

Clenching her fists and trembling, the she wolf said, "I do understand your meaning. It is a choice is it not? Between you or him."

"If that's how ye see it, I wish there was more we could do, however the best we can is give him one more night of food and comfort and wish him luck down the road."

Trembling like the withered leaves on an autumn day, Holo declared, "I never thought anyone could look at others as such disposable creatures as I do now."

A quick riot popped out when Nikiski slammed his palms upon the mantle, breaking the mood and making his thoughts known.

"Come now, don't make this harder than it has to be." begged Agatha, "Besides, he's an able bodied man, who has faired well so far."

"You cannot just assume he will pull through. He barely pulled through as he was and now his conditions are worse than ever!"

The man sighed, motioned towards the exit, and resumed charting their course. He, being a man of no words, said clearly that all that he wished to relay to her had been done and that her welcome within his abode was feigning.

"Ye have yer choice, let us know by sunrise." said Agatha with sorrow.

Holo turned and quitted the tent before McDubbland could make a proper departure for her.

"This is just not right." said she.

She paced around the camp without direction other than her swirling thoughts and emotions. She kept her head low as to not look anyone in the eye and risk killing them with a glance. Her despair took her to the infirmary to where her companion lay bedridden for the last two hours. She entered and found the man resting heavily, with no inclination of arising at an early hour, towards the furthest end.

Taking a small stool she set it beside him and watched. His chest, beneath the linens, was rising and falling at a steady but heavy rate. His body was in much need of recovery. Her anxiety spiked when seeing his mask and hood piece laying on the stand near his pillow (for his head was covered) all she needed to do to finally see the face of her rescuer was lift the sheet.

Instead, knowing it would solve nothing, she respected his privacy and began talking to him as if he could hear.

"They are not taking their tents to Ketchiwa, in fact, I was given an ultimatum. I can go along with them a little further towards the mountain, or I can stay behind with you." Quivering at his stillness, she let loose and poured all her feelings out.

"How do you do it? How can you bare to stand alone? Me, I am tired of being alone! That is why I begged to remain with you on our way to Valenfurt. That is why I choose to remain with you during all our escapades. It was not because how well connected you were or your adept man tracking skills, you see I can do these things as well. I know I would have found where Lawrence was being kept. However, I did not want to do it alone.

Before I met Lawrence I would have dreams; dreams of me being home but not being able to find any of my friends. It would frighten me and the feeling I loathed so much oft times would make me cry. Then I see you, you prefer to be by yourself, loneliness to you is not a disease but a defense and now I believe I realize why.

From what little you have told me regarding your upbringing, I have gathered that you were betrayed and abandoned by those who ought to have stood beside you. And not just you but your family as well. Therefore from that moment on, you saw solitude as a way to never be hurt again. People brought about you great misfortunes and to remedy any future instances you kept them away.

And yet, despite it all, you have resigned yourself to aiding others, like myself, in need. Which is why…which is why…'

Then defiantly said, "Which is why I will be the better person and wait for your full recovery! Someone has to look out for you and it may as well be the one who has put up with you as long as I have."

Taking in a profound breath she arose and exited towards Agatha who was tasking herself with instructing the swedes (strongest men) of which wagons were to be loaded first to gain advantage over the clock at the beginning of tomorrows events. Holo found her and with that insatiable conviction she had for doing that which is just and true, informed her boldly of her decision to remain with the overwrought swordsman come hell or high water. All these heroics were accepted and understood by Agatha who wished her well for that time when their union was to come to a close then invited her to join their bonfire this evening as a proper farewell.

The mischievous she wolf, who never at anytime would miss an opportunity, should the occasion permit, which she would entreaty upon, to sing and dance and make merry regardless of her circumstance, accepted and agreed to attend the festivities just before sundown. For the remainder of the time being, Holo rested in the infirmary where Ranger abided anticipating the hour his senses would return.

A hickory sent infused among the air caught her nose and assumed for her the fires were being lit and the residents were gathering. Imparting a final glance of compassion upon the man, who still laid upon the sickbed as a recumbent statue, then left him to join with the others. Unlike the towns and villages she observed during her centuries old travels, the men had massed together in an instant, leaving her in the back to hop over their shoulders to catch a glance.

The barrels were brought out and a buck was skinned and tied on a spick while Agatha made a traditionary speech. She congratulated those thus far on their efforts in keeping the lands south safe from the invaders while wishing good fortune and safety upon their travels for the following morning. It was short and without grace but sincere. Throwing a mug full of ale into the pit enraging the flames in an instant, the party commenced with a loud cheer and they all began to drink and socialize according to their custom.

Holo sat and helped herself to some pottage while listening to a few of them sing. She clapped her hands together in a rhythm to their folk songs, when one among them, who ended up invoking the entirety of the group, called for Agatha to sing. This intrigued Holo who was not aware of her musical talents.

At first Agatha refused but in the end heeded to peer pressure and retrieved her lute.

She then called to them, "Have any of ye sorry dogs have a woman fool enough to wait for ye back home?"

Most if not all cheered a harmonious riot that they had.

"Then this song be for you all, and don't be forgetting the lesson!"

Strumming a series of cords she began to sing

'William Taylor was a brisk young sailor, full of heart and full of play

Until his mind he did uncover to a youthful lady gay.

Four and twenty royal sailors met him on the king's highway

As he went forth to be married, pressed he was and sent away.

Sailor's clothes did she put on and went aboard as a man of war

Her pretty little fingers longs and slender, they were smeared with pitch and tar

On that ship there was a battle, she amongst the rest did fight.

The wind blew off her silver buttons, her breasts were bared all snowy white

When the captain he did discover he said, 'Fair maid what brought you here?'

'Sir I'm seeking William Taylor, pressed he was by you last year'

'If you rise up in the morning, early at the break of day

There you'll spy young William Taylor walking with his lady gay.

She rose early in the morning, early at the break of day

Here she spied young William Taylor, walking with his lady gay

She procured a set of daggers on the ground where she did stand

There she stabbed poor William Taylor, and the lady at his right hand!'

A boisterous uproar overtook the crowd as her love song finished and concluded by stating to each of them, "Remember, be true and faithful to yer lass gents and ye can't go wrong!"

Holo, who enjoyed this musical annotation, stirred her pottage and said to herself in a trance, "Lawrence would have loved that song."

A voice then addressed her from behind, "This man you mention, he is your husband?"

She turned and beheld Jethro who was standing nearby and sitting idle as he normally did. Holo's thoughts hitched between her eyes, for it was the first time this man exerted any energy to directly commune with her.

"Y-yes, how could you tell?"

"Unfortunately, the look of a devoted person looking for their abducted soul mate, is a look I am well too acquainted with."

"You mean, others have been stolen away to these parts?"

"Indeed. That's what encouraged some of us to enlist."

"Such as you?"

Jethro slanted his head in pity, "Yes, when the Sawatti attacked my ranch, I found my animals, my eye and my beloved wife missing. I joined this crusade in the hopes to find her."

"These inuits, what is their game?"

"Some say they want slaves, some say they want sacrifices. Who is to say? I am surprised they were able to get the drop on a wolf god."
Holo hummed secretively, "It was more complicated than that."

"I am sure; aside from that I wish to apologize for young Timothy's actions against you."

"He is accountable to you?"

"In a sense. He ran away from home, bought cheap weapons and joined up with us."

"He is not much of a man considering his lack of common sense, and even less of a warrior of looks are anything to go by."

"He is not very smart either."

Holo let out a chuckle involuntarily.

"Yes, he would no sooner die if he had not a caretaker, and I happened to be the one who had enough compassion to look after him."

"How bout the two of ye dance instead of keep yourselves kept away like a couple of door mouses." smiled Agatha as she approached them.

"Just enjoying the night air as we see fit Mrs. Mcdubbland." defended Jethro.

"Aye, if ye don't mind Mr. McKinley, I must have a word with Ms. Holo."

The man, adhering to the wishes of his superior respectfully bowed and withdrew. Once far enough to endow their meeting with secrecy, Agatha said, "I only wanted to apologize for the burden we've put on ye. Do know that I myself only speak for Nikiski who makes the decisions like these. Not I."

"This man you take orders from, would you simply abandon him on a whim?"

McDubbland, overcome with the grief of the mere thought, said, "No I would never leave his side in any given circumstance."

"Ah is it you who are secretly in love with him?" said Holo with a tone in accordance of one wishing to avenge the like she had been dealt.

"Well aren't you the clever one,' she scoffed, 'no he bailed me from a most terrible situation when I was a young girl. And I have shown him nothing but my absolute loyalty ever since. He, and the man you're with, are men worth leaning on."

"I wait for him not because of the man he is, but because of the man he strives to unite me with." said she.

Agatha cocked her head, "Do tell."

"I am happily married, my husband, Lawrence, is the one who conceived the child I hope still grows within me. This swordsman I am with, fights to reunite me with the one I love. We have been through so much already together, I cannot in good conscience leave his side."

The alcohol mingled in her blood influenced Agatha to bear sympathy upon her mind and decided to share the history of which her and Nikiski had united.

"Me I hale from the ocean side town of Dehlmare, tis a place of ships and sailors and blue waters as far as the eye can see. I learned many songs of the sea like the one you heard. Me dad hauled the sails and rarely made port, however he knew me mum long enough to bring forth a daughter."

"Which was you." commented Holo.

"Tis so, he was lost at sea while I was but a wee one. Leaving my mother alone to raise their child in a town where a widowed woman could only make a living one way when her funds ran out."

"She sold her body."

"And in a town of sailors, she made a fancy doubloon for a few years, but had fallen very sick which claimed her life, leaving me an orphan by the age of ten and four."

"Were you well taken care of?"

"Hardly, in fact the man who ran the orphanage was a priest of all things, and when tithes were running low he arranged to put me in the brothels in the place of my mother but having all my profits go to him. Hardly a man of God I say, in fact they all be lying cutthroats and scallawags who can go satisfy the dark lord himself in the depths of the underworld!"
Suddenly being recalled to Edmund, Holo blurted, "They are not all bad!"

"Ye can say that when I finished this woeful tale of mine."

"Go on then."

"Anyway, I was forced into the servitude of the flesh, all to support that man's mediocre existence and then as nature intended, I became with child and conceived a son, whom I only knew for a day before that man, to exact his vengeance on the months I could not perform, barged in and took the babe from me and wished to ensure that I would never become pregnant again."

Holo listened intently.

"They held me down while the priest took the knife and…' she shuddered and buried her head letting out a sob. "I was just a girl!"

Holo put a hand on her shoulder, "I am listening." said she.

"While I was being carved up, my savior, a man who I had never seen before came in and single handedly felled them all."

"Nikiski was that man?"

"Aye, twas he. I never asked how he knew or why he intervened. All he told me was that he employed himself amongst a group of men equipped to be made aware of situations as mine and deal with it."

"What of the priest?"

"He fled while Nikiski rushed me to the doctor.' Agatha then grasped her side, 'they patched me up best I could, nearly died of blood loss, however as a result the bastard got his way. Me child bearing years ended that night."

"Well, what a grisly heroic way to start your friendship." said Holo.

"I vowed to stay by his side ever since against his wishes, but in time he warmed up and we've been inseparable ever since. I owe him everything, he's been my savior, teacher and father I never had."

"Was he always mute?"

"Nay, that came later. He left me never stating his business with only his instruction to read and study swordplay in the process. Months passed and I hadn't heard nor seen him in the time being. At last he was brought to me by some man I didn't even know who didn't even tell me what happened and left me with him in such an afflicted state. Fortunately, due to his tutelage, I was able to nurse him back to health but he no longer had the use of his voice. Once he was able, he took me away from his lodgings never to return."

Then nudging Holo's shoulder, "Now it be your turn, what be the full story with your engagement?"

"I suppose that is fair,' remarked Holo, 'Hundreds of years ago I left Yoites, made friends along my journey eventually to settle in Pasloe and made an agreement with the people to provide with them bountiful harvests. Well in time, their intuition revolutionized the way the did harvest, my help was no longer needed and as a result my existence fell into mere legend in their minds.

I wished to return home and as luck would have it a lone merchant came along and I stowed away in his wagon, made an agreement to travel with him on his way to the northlands and instead of making it to Yoites, we married in Nyohirra and started our own inn and bathhouse."

"Sounds like ye could make a book out of it." commented Agatha.

"We had so many adventures and mishaps I could write dozens of books containing our escapades." said she.

"So how is it that yer mate gets snatched and ye end up with that brute?"

Recomposing herself Holo annotated, "Shortly after our inn was built and I discovered I was with child, we had been contacted by two organizations proclaiming interest in cross promoting with us. Turns out it was a ruse for we ended up in, what we thought, was the protective care of the ones who claimed to keep us safe, when in reality they were the ones who wished us dead."

"Mercy me, what could a couple of inn keepers do to invoke such ire?"

"Well it turned out that there are some who seek to slay the deities and they will employ any means to do so. And yet there are those who stand against the people who would wrought such terror upon others."

"This other man ye be with, he fell in with the other group?"

"Yes they called themselves the Rangers, he being the alpha of the lot, and they seek to destroy evil doers such as the ones who wished me and my husband dead. Before we had known it, our humble lives were thrown into a bloody ordeal of near death experiences, our inn burning down and my husband being kidnapped by these horrible men."

"Why take him?"

"The last time I saw him, we were ambushed in the deep woods. The alpha and his three others fought off as best they could, however two of them perished, I was separated from Lawrence who was with the last, Matthias, and the alpha who was on his own for the time being. I had no choice but to use my wolf form to end the attack but when the leader of the armada, Cyrus, realized it was futile to go against my might, he used Lawrence and Matthias as a means to keep me at bay as he floated down the river upon a raft!"

Holo began sobbing, "I watched helpless as he held a blade to his throat and threatened to kill him then and there if I attempted anything! It was terrible! Me and the alpha were the only ones left and together we are trying to save Lawrence and Matthias."

Laying an arm around her shoulders, Agatha comforted her for the moment, "But why would this Cyrus bring him to Yoites and have him go through as much trouble as to hunt down deities like you?"

"Have you ever heard of the legend of the moon hunting bear who destroyed the old village of Yoites hundreds of years ago?"

"Aye I think I recall it."

"Cyrus is working for a man who heads some kind of cult who devote their worship to it. A man, who because of his belief in the bear, caused him to seek the destruction of the other deities. A man who has the resources to discover, spy, embezzle and do all sorts of harm from afar. A man who operates near the Ketchiwa mountain, a man named Jurgen."

Agatha, absorbing all the information, pondered and reflected.

"Tis' a riveting tale."

"Perhaps another book shall be written about this too." moped Holo.

Put out of the mood of engaging in further festivities, she asked of her, "I wish to freshen up for what lay ahead tomorrow. Is there a place to bathe and wash and such?"

"Aye, fortunately, though we be in the dead of winter, there is a hot spring not too a far off. We can do yer business there. Ye need help finding it?"

Arising she replied, "No, I have a keen nose and can smell the steam. Just point me in the right direction."

Her gloved finger pointed to down a path leading further into the trees in which Holo retired herself to that direction. She came upon the hot spring which took her interest in a rather peculiar way. Amidst the steam emanating from a slow moving river originating from a nearby mountain, was a pool within the current separated by an arc of large stones too conveniently placed by natural phenomenon but by the intervention of human hands. Agatha and Nikiski made their journey through this way on a great number of occasions.

With a relieving sigh she let herself in overtaken by alluring charm of the assuaging temperature. Though never a real remedy to such issues as the one she found herself entangled in, there were still certain ailments found in physical comforts.

Holo however, admitting on occasion to have delicate feelings, looked around and listened to the slow moving waters and rustling leaves, then, when concluding herself to be alone provided for herself another remedy against the overwhelming ailments of her situation. She leaned forward, and though promising to never again shed a tear, put her face in her hands and wept.

People cry for many reasons, whether they be hurt, heartbroken, manipulative or because they simply need to subdue their bottled emotions. In this case, Holo had many emotions bottled within her bosom. She sniffled quietly as her shoulders fluttered up and down. It was, by the standards of nearly anyone, a good and much needed cry.

After thirty minutes she stood up to withdraw when noticing her clothes she left hanging off a branch were missing, with the exception of her wheat pouch which she kept draped about her neck. Someone else was lurking in the darkness and bushes.

"Timothy!' she yelled, 'Timothy is that you?"

There was nothing but silence in the woods.

"Timothy, come now you have been in enough trouble already and this is not funny. Give me back my clothes."

Aside from an unnatural rustling, there were only the bending and swaying trees which served as a response. Huffing with resentment she withdrew while saying partially to herself, "When I find you young man you will find that there are women other than Agatha who can deliver a sound beating!"

Right as she stepped out and proceeded through the bushes the wind rushed in, grieving her human form, which she complained often about its inability to ward off the cold, terribly forcing her to call out as she bundled her arms about her, "Listen you! I shall make a deal, if you come out now with my clothes, then your death shall be quick and painless. What say you? Fair is it not?"

Eventually she came to a small clearing while bathed in the frostbitten moonlight. There were other rustlings and a foul scent circling around her, putting her on alarm, "Timothy?"

Then from behind, the iron grasp of a stranger clasped her over the mouth and set her down upon her back. She recognized his garb, the jacket of Lawrence. It was Jeb who had been laying in wait.

He was not unarmed, he held a knife to her and hissed, "Keep quiet, this will only take a few minutes."

Lifting his hand from her lips she replied to him in a tone expected from one about to be violated, "Do many females know you for only taking a few minutes?"

His hand slapped her across the cheek invoking a slight yelp.

"That mouth of yours I hope can do more than say things that get you into trouble."

Holo began to squirm in attempts to wriggle out but Jeb repositioned himself to keep her pinned.

"You will find no pleasure doing this." sneered Holo.

"Well business and pleasure can be risky business." said the perverted man whore as he was unbuckling his belt.

"What of Agatha when you get back; I know her story and how she feels about males like you. If you are lucky you will only be skinned alive."

"Who said I'd be going back to camp? To hell with her and with this expedition, plus it's not like they'll find you when I'm done."

Pushing his oncoming face away, she gritted, "The man I am with. He will find you and make you suffer!"

"That's a risk I"m willing to -GAH!"

Jeb commenced with a fit of gagging while grasping his throat. An arrow had penetrated out his superior larynx. At first she would have believed someone would have come to her rescue however she saw the workmanship of the arrow and identified it as the make of the Sawatti. They were being attacked in which she wasted no time and dug into her wheat pouch.

The perpetrators who demised Jeb, moved in upon the body that flung off when Holo swirled and contorted into her preferred form and launched after them. It was quick and bloody work in dispatching them then turned to hear the assault was carrying out in its fullest at the camp. Explosions, cries of war and the flames of battle alarmed her to her companion laying in the moment incapacitated.

She made a hasty retreat onward while she, in her flighty mind, left behind her wheat pouch. A pair of boots established ground next to it and was picked up and brought to the yellow eyes of Barzur.

The siege befell the hamlet which such rapid fury that Holo could not fathom how its preparatory phase went undetected. The troupe was scattered and the work of slaughter was great among them. Many of the men had participated in the bonfire leaving them unarmed and drunk. The great wolf rushed quickly, mercilessly ripping into the enemy forces. Those who remained attempted to rally but were driven away by horsemen and braves striking at all angles.

The sight of the enormous beast frightened away many of the lesser warriors while Barzur watched concealed in the distance. Observing her fight for a brief period, he looked down to the wheat pouch within his palm then began to align the essence of her powers. Holo, while thwarting their plans of further destruction, who could detect wheat according to her calling, turned to peer into the thicket from where she could distinguish its presence in the hands of another.

Barzur, being a hunter trained in the most extreme of fashions, had developed a keen sense and ability to assimilate accurate conclusions at the mere speed of thought, realized her connection to the wheat, devised a plan to exploit it and withdrew back into the darkness. Holo, understanding the threat of her pouch belonging to someone else posed to her, moved in to re obtain it.

Without the occupation of the great wolf, what little of the troops who remained were left to emancipate the threat themselves. The few of which rostered the names of Agatha, Nikiski, Jethro and Timothy. The greatest contender to behold was Agatha, not for her strength or prowess but for her speed and maneuverability. With profound accuracy of her cutlass, she would make deep scratches and proficient thrusts to the vitals of any who attempted to fall upon her leaving them mortally wounded.

Nikiski, though older, handled his caliber with such efficiency that the heaviness of his weapon and power of his swings doubled as a defense that any weapon that crashed upon it lost the integrity battle leaving its wielder open to be cut down.

Jethro was entangled between two braves and was attempting to get closer to Timothy who had only survived because he hid until a black powder explosion uncovered his hiding place. In the life of a youth there are those moments that compel him to be a man, this was not one of those moments regarding this lad who scrambled to flee for his life. His pursuit for his own safety succeeded for the most part until he tripped over a chunk of debris planting him face first into the snow. Rolling around, he witnessed a Sawatti warrior, under the direction to leave no survivors, approaching.

The boy, crying for help, began throwing whatever lay on the ground near him towards his enemy, who proceeded his advancement unfazed. Finding a sword on the ground he used it as a last means to ensure his survival by pointing it towards the brave who laughed and swung it from his hands with his club. Timothy scrambled back and let out a scream but found his enemy thrust through the chest from behind falling to the ground with Ranger standing triumphant.

Thrusting him up to his feet he instructed, "On your feet boy."

The youth gawked at him, "It's you!"

He was not heeded as the masked man, apparently recovered, began scavenging about looking for the arms that belonged to him.

"Looking for this?" said Timothy wielding the sword he found, the sword that belonged to Ranger.

"Give it here." said the man with a tone so intimidating it was more frightening than any war cry.

"I should have it, you broke mine back in Trapper's loop."

"And I see you are slow to take subtle lessons." replied Ranger with animosity.

The boy quivered when the man drew closer.

"If you make me take it from you, I will take it from you." said he.

"You're the reason I don't have any weapons. Come and claim it if…"

His words were cut short when Ranger, who could have used a plethora of means to re obtain his property, settled for boot to his groin dropping the boy instantly.

He took the up the hilt from the ground and instructed, "Stay there and fake your death, and you may survive a few minutes more that way."

The remaining Sawatti warriors, content with the destruction of the camp, chased after those who were scattered leaving the small group alone. Ranger approached Agatha, Jethro and Nikiski who were sheathing their weapons and looking for survivors. A few others emerged from the fallen tarps and burning lumber, which to the relief of those who remained, were Doc and Ottis.

Agatha when seeing Ranger walking around, called out to him, "Well glad to see yer in one piece, could've used yer help much sooner though."

Jethro who appeared highly agitated, said, "Where is Timothy?"

"I am here." he called out rejoining the group.

"Bloody hell,' bemoaned McDubbland, 'where did that come from?"

Timothy looked to Ranger, "You led them here, Agatha said you were pursued and they followed you!"

"And who thought it a sound idea to have everyone including your lookouts making themselves idle over campfire that could be seen from the stars?" replied the masked man.

"The boy is right,' concurred Jethro, 'you were the last one to encounter them then suddenly you're here and this happens."

"And perhaps if your first crusades were more successful there would be no Sawatti to ever be concern with again."

"Enough!" yelled Agatha, "The two of you went hunting earlier, ye could have been followed as well."

"We wouldn't have had to if it wasn't for the wolf girl." came Timothy's disrespectful addition.

That is when Ranger realized he was one companion short, "Where is she?"

"I don't know,' gruffly replied Agatha, 'Jenny Mac, I've never seen such fury and terror before."

"Where is she?" said Ranger once more.

"Last I saw her, she was heading that way." said she giving him the heading.

Instead of responding, he began walking that way. Agatha ran after him proclaiming his design to be a fool's errand. Ranger would not heed nor comply, only allowing himself to be swallowed up by the wilderness.

The six individuals proceeded to pick up camp and debated their next step. After a series of squabbling it came to these choices, go after those who were scattered or head back to Trapper's Loop and regroup. These choices came with their benefits and contraindications which led to more debate amongst each other. It went on for roughly ten minutes when Ranger returned, dragging a pitiful creature behind him. Throwing the man down he said, "It appears this attack was not without the aid of one of your own."

Agatha went up to him, "LeBaron! You survived, where have ye been?"

"Save me!" he cried and began crawling to him but was flattened under Ranger's boot.

Mcdubbland rose up her cutlass, "Hands off our agent mate. I don't know what ye be getting at but it ends here and now."

Ranger responded, "LeBaron? So that is your name. Or perhaps not, last I saw you was at Nabakov trading in Cross Iron."

"I think you're delusional mate,' said Agatha, 'he be one of our most trusted mountaineers and scouts."

"Or that may be what he wishes you to believe." said he withdrawing his sword.

"You're daft." said the woman as she and Nikiski raised their arrows towards him.

Ranger addressed them, "This man is a cohort of a very powerful and dangerous individual, you would be wise to check your aim."

"He is insane!" replied LeBaron.

"Am I?" said Ranger as he drew his blade across his throat and began to carve.

"Enough I yield!" he shrieked.

"Enough of this." said Agatha as she was about to release the bolt.

"Tell them now! Or I will drag you to the underworld with me!" demanded the masked warrior.

"M-my name is Heinrich Libert,' he sobbed, 'I was tasked to throw you off the trail and have you killed."

"Say what?" ejaculated Agatha, "Ye mean to say all these years when our luck had run afoul, it was because your guidance was to intentionally lead us into harms way?"

"It was my job?"

"On whose errand?"

"I cannot tell you, he'll kill me!"

Ranger rolled his eyes, "I am not undergoing this type of ordeal again." said he then lifted up his face with a dagger in hand and wedged it between a front tooth and lower jaw. Timothy bent over and vomited when Libert let out a prolonged stressful scream as a bloody tooth broke out.

"By my count you have at least twenty more left for me to rip out. But a loose tongue may save you from it." said Ranger to the bawling man.

"Jurgen…his name is Jurgen DeBuhr. He knew you were planning on coming through Ketchiwa and is in cahoots with the Sawatti!"

Agatha, who had become deathly pale when considering the time wasted and lives lost in the past, said, "Ye mean to say the reason ye lead us to nearly certain doom was to defend this man?"

"It was my job, it was apart of our legacy! I would never betray my master!"

"Start considering it,' said Ranger as he placed the knife at the root of another tooth, 'Where is Jurgen's mansion?"

"The Siakluk river, if you follow each split to the left it will lead you to a large plain on the northeast end of the Ketchiwa mountain you will find it there!"

Suddenly and arrow hit him between the eyes and his body went limp. Ranger, enraged, looked up to see Nikiski had dealt the killing blow. Throwing the body down with evil energy he marched to him and said, "I had other questions for him."

He said nothing other than slinging his crossbow and walking away.

"He heard all he needed to." said Agatha.

Shaking his head Ranger looked around then asked, "My four legged companion. Where is he?"

"I told ye, she went…"

"Not her, my dog."

"I don't know he avoided us like the plague and we haven't seen much of him. He's probably long gone."

"Doubtful." said he before letting out an ear piercing whistle. Moments later a bounding and exciting Kaytaff rushed from a far away thicket and nearly jumped in the man's arm.

"Well I'll be." mused Mcdubbland.

Ranger embarked once more to where the she wolf was last seen exiting.

"Ye can't be serious! You can't go in there alone with all the savages lurking about. This one man yer hunting can't be worth the risk." said she.

Jethro commented, "I agree, we should fall back, rally greater numbers if what LeBaron said was true."

"Agreed." said Doc along with Ottis.

When seeing the unanimous decision to head the path opposite, Agatha said, "Well lads, let's be off."

She mustered a few steps then saw Nikiski standing where Ranger was leaving and waiting for his comrade to join him.

"Oh no, ye can't mean to follow him!" she decried.

The man seemed adamant in his posture in which Agatha let out a vulgar curse and cried out, "Masked one, lay anchor a moment, we're coming with ye."

They all gathered what belongings they could, mostly medicinal for Doc and weapons for Timothy then went along together into the void.

Ranger and Kaytaff were in the lead while Agatha, walking next to Nikiski, interrogated, "So mind telling me what be on yer mind?"

He sighed through his nose and drooped his head slightly but pressed on.

"You had a lot thrown in with his kind didn't ye?"

He looked away appearing innocent.

"Don't be denying it, Holo told me about them rangers and a bit of what they do. Is that how ye found me in Dehlmare? Is that what ye were up to, running their errands?"

He stood in front of her and stopped.

"Don't give me that look! Why is it ye never told me?"

His eyes looked up at an angle then communicated back to her that he only wanted her safe.

"Ye taught me well enough I can handle my own.' said she, 'So that last time I saw you when ye could talk, was your last mission yeah? And when we left so suddenly, that was yer way of resigning from them eh?"

"Hey!' called Jethro, 'Looks like he found something." referring to Ranger who was investigating a small area of brushes.

He came across Holo's clothes laying on the ground and was having Kaytaff sniff them for the scent. Doc and Ottis were meandering about and called out to Agatha and Nikiski to look at their find. They had come across the body of Jeb.

"Rest in peace ye old prune." spitted Agatha.

Ranger came up, said nothing other than stripping him of the jacket that belonged to Lawrence and departed were Kaytaff was waiting to lead him.