Chapter 10
Family
Adolpha felt content hearing and learning about Wolf. She now understood why he acted as he did back on the other island. He followed Lord Michael's orders without complaint. Wolf told her that he submitted to Lord Michael after seasons of abuse.
Adolpha said that he could stop if anymore brought up bad memories. Wolf told her that she should learn that much about him. He felt ashamed of his identity and wanted to forget who he was. Wolf thanked her for making him remember that he still had pride.
It was late, and Adolpha and Wolf went to bed. The rain was coming down hard. For several days it rains on the island. Wolf was still recovering, so he couldn't work on the boat either way. Wolf sat and carved pieces of wood into stakes.
Wolf looked at Adolpha sitting on the bed, looking at the book Wolf gave her that night. It had survived, and Adolpha took good care of it. She was reading it to their baby. Adolpha looks over and asks if something is wrong.
Wolf smiled and said no. He then notices that the dark crystal has cracks in it. He asks Adolpha if she can feel the Mana around her. Adolpha told him that she had never learned how to use magic. She said that Lord Michael made sure she wouldn't.
Wolf asks her if she knows anything about light magic. Adolpha told him that her dad told her not to show anyone. She then remembered that her mother's tribe worshiped spirits, and one of them was a light spirit. She said that she also never learned about it because of what happened. Wolf asked about her mother's clan. Adolpha told her that her mother belonged to the White wolf clan. They live in the icy mountains and worship the spirits. She also told him how her father fought to win her over.
Wolf asked about it. Adolpha smiles and tells him. It was a love story that her mom told her as a bedtime story. It was her favorite one. She gave him a brief version of it. Her mother was one of the daughters of the village head priest.
She was the second daughter, and her sister gained the power to become a seer. She told him what a seer was. She told him that they commute with spirits and gain visions. She said that other clans go to them and ask for something. Wolf asked if she had that power.
Adolpha said that only certain wolves have this power. She continues to tell the story. She tells him that her father was the son of the gray wolf chief. She then skipped a lot and went to the end. Her father fought against other wolves and won. He then whisked her off her feet and lived happily.
Wolf could see the joy in her telling him that. She then got depressed and began to cry. She said that her mother would not be able to see her child. Wolf wanted to know what happened but knew it was terrible. He hugs her and comforts her.
Nothing inspiring happened throughout the day. It continued to rain, so Wolf stayed inside. They ate and waited for the night. It was like this for several days. More time passed, and Wolf was back working on the boat. His appearance also changed.
Because of working under the sun too long, he gained a tan. His hair was long and messy. Wolf wore a fur skirt, and he had a snake belt with pouches. Other decorations are hands from it.
He also has sandals made from the hide of a snake. Across his shoulder, he has some fur strap. Wolf has also marked himself with paint. Adolpha has also changed in appearance. She has shorter messy hair now. She still has beautiful pale skin, which Wolf always questions.
Adolpha also has a fur skirt and a fur top which cover her breasts. She has also made underwear out of snake hide. Adolpha wears fur sandals, and she, too, has some decorations. Wolf helps her paint marks on herself. They look like their ancestors.
Adolpha's stomach was even bigger than before. She would have trouble moving too much. Wolf had found clay, and they made cups and pots. Before, they would eat meat and burnt vegetables. Now they have soups which made Adolpha happy.
It looked like Wolf was almost done with the boat. It was getting hotter too. Wolf told Adolpha that summer was coming. Adolpha sat on a chair Wolf made for her, and she watched him work. She would talk to her stomach sometimes.
Wolf finished for the day and went to Adolpha. He tells her that he will go hunt. Adolpha told him to gather berries and bring back some wild potatoes. Wolf asked if she wanted anything else. She replied no, and Wolf left. Wolf told Adolpha that he felt no more danger since he killed that snake. This made Adolpha feel better.
She didn't need to worry about him. As Wolf walks through the jungle area, he wonders why they haven't seen any boats or ships. He questions again if the island belongs to someone. He kept thinking that.
Wolf hunts more rabbits which are abundant, and picks some berries. He looks for some wild potatoes and also gets fresh water. He then heads back. Adolpha was lying on the bed waiting for him. Wolf gets home, and Adolpha struggles to get up.
Wolf laughs as he enters the house. Adolpha gets angry and asks him to help. They then prepare their dinner together. More calm days passed, and they were about ready. Wolf has finished the boat and was going to give it a test run. He dug from the water to the boat.
The boat lifted, and Wolf pushed it out. He made ores to row it. He also has a made anchor. Wolf goes to Adolpha, who is in bed. She was not feeling well. He gives her some medicine. Adolpha tells Wolf to go. Wolf said to her that the test could wait.
Adolpha wanted to know if the boat would work. She was excited to know it was finished. Wolf eventually agrees and tells her he is going around the island and coming back. Adolpha smiles. Wolf makes sure one more time that she will be fine.
Wolf left and went to the boat he had made. Wolf shaped, cut, and carved wood to make a boat that would carry him, his family, and supplies. The boat was large, and it had a cabin for them. It looked strange, but it was afloat. Wolf walks to it and gets on. He began to row it out to sea.
The waves hit it, but it was holding. Bigger waves came and smashed into it. Wolf lifted a pole and raised a leaf sail. The sail was made by gluing a bunch of coconut leaves. Wolf had made and tested several types. The sail picked up the wind, and the sailboat moved faster.
Wolf was able to pass the larger waves, and he celebrated. Wolf howled into the sky. Adolpha heard, and she was over joy. Wolf steered by moving the rudder. Wolf began going around the island. Meanwhile, Adolpha began to feel pain in her stomach.
She breathed heavily and remembered what the head maid had taught her. Adolpha knew she was going to give birth soon. She didn't want Wolf to see her like that. Adolpha manages to get up. She left the house and walked inland.
She had taken a fur blanket with her. Adolpha struggled with the pain but kept walking. Wolf saw the island from the outside. He was already on the other side. He was happy that the boat worked. He lowered the sail and began to row. He wanted to see if it would be hard for him.
Adolpha has reached the forest part of the island. Her stomach pains grew, and she fell to the ground. Adolpha became determined and crawled. She got to the river and began to dig. Water sipped in, and Adolpha placed her body in.
Wolf got back to their side of the island. He went in as close as he could and dropped anchor. Wolf got off and ran to see her. When he got there, Adolpha was gone. Wolf stepped out and began to sniff the air. He got the scent of blood.
Wolf grabbed his ax and ran into the island. He ran as fast as he could. The scent of blood got stronger. He began to worry until he reached the meadow. Wolf noticed that he passed a pool of blooded water. He was looking at Adolpha, who was sitting by the lake. She was wet from her waist down. Wolf could smell the blood. He calls out to her. Adolpha shushes him. Wolf then notices another scent. Wolf walks towards her. The sun shines on them. As Wolf gets close, he hears Adolpha talking.
"See, I told you that your father will find us. Look, this is your father."
Adolpha turns and shows Wolf a tiny baby. The baby was wrapped in the fur sheet. Wolf gets emotional and doesn't know what to say. Adolpha looks tired and asks Wolf to take the baby. Wolf could see that she was and took it. He also catches Adolpha before she falls.
Adolpha wakes up in bed. She was wondering how she got there. She then hears Wolf talking outside. Adolpha then remembers and gets up. She heads out to see Wolf looking up at the stars. He was naming legendary wolf names. Adolpha calls to him.
Wolf turns around and sees her. He smiles and walks to her. He hugs her and kisses her. Adolpha becomes embarrassed. Wolf asks her if she is okay. Adolpha told him that she was all right. Wolf then hands the baby to her. Adolpha takes him and hugs him caring.
The baby begins to cry, and Adolpha gets spooked. She then began to breastfeed him. As the baby ate, Adolpha asked Wolf about a name. He then began to think. He was having trouble deciding. He then asks her to choose.
"A name for a boy. I have only been thinking about girls' names. Well, let me think of a name befitting of him. He is the grandson of a chief. The son of a talented wolf…. I know."
Adolpha tells Wolf to get close. She whispers in his ear. Wolf smiles and agrees with her. Later that night, Wolf was making a big pile. They were going to make a big fire. Adolpha has a sling that is holding the baby close to her.
Once Wolf was done placing all the wood, he began to paint himself. He painted his body with symbols. He then helped Adolpha paint herself. After, they painted a mark on the baby. Wolf started a fire.
Adolpha sat on her chair. Wolf walked up to her and began to speak. He began to yell and offer prayers to their ancestors. Wolf talked about his family and Adolpha's family. Adolpha was happy. Wolf howled.
"My son, you will have a proper ceremony when you get home…. Now to celebrate your arrival to this world, your mother and I agreed. Ancestors hear my say. I Beowulf hunter in the right by my clan and Adolpha, daughter of chief Alarick of Gray."
Adolpha was again overjoyed. Wolf said some words in the old language of the wolves. He goes over to Adolpha. The fire began to burn bright. Wolf asked again if that was the name Adolpha wanted for him. Adolpha nods. Wolf looks up and shouts.
"Ancestors bless your descendant; give him your protection, for he will live in your honor. We cheer, a new wolf, Adolphus of Gray."
Wolf howls at the moon. Adolpha also howls at the moon. After their ceremony, Adolpha asks Wolf how he knew that. Wolf told her that he had made it up. He just copied something he remembered. Adolpha laughs and wakes up Adolphus. She tries to calm him.
The following day Wolf told Adolpha that they must start getting ready to leave. They need to prepare supplies for their journey. He also said that he does not know where they might end up. They should be cautious.
Wolf began to make gourds so they could have fresh water. After some hunting, he has Adolpha prepare the rabbit meat. Adolpha cut and season the meat. She then hangs them to dry. Wolf was making a net. He told Adolpha that he was going to get fish for their supplies.
Adolpha agreed, and she would take care of Adolphus while he was gone. Wolf also wanted to make sure the boat would keep holding. He takes the net and goes over to the boat. Wolf hops on and pulls the anchor.
Adolpha has Adolphus with her, and she waves to Wolf. Wolf waves back, and he leaves. He sails around the island, where he would generally look for seashells. He stops and goes to get some equipment from the hut. Wolf gets back on the boat and sails further away.
Now, in open water, he drops anchor. He sets up several fishing poles and waits. He checks the boat for leaks and ensures that nothing is damaged. It was afternoon, and Wolf ate some dry meat. He drank water and kept waiting. Nothing was biting.
Wolf got bored and decided to go for a swim. He jumped off the boat into the water. He made sure he could see the island and the boat. Wolf took a deep breath and swam down. Wolf saw the vast ocean before him.
He saw schools of fish swimming by and some larger ones eating. Wolf wondered why he wasn't catching any. Wolf swam a little more and saw a coral reef. Wolf thought it was strange. He swam toward it. After some time, he swam back up for air.
Wolf saw that he had swam quite some distance from the boat. He takes another deep breath and dives again. He swims to the coral reef and looks around. He spots seashells which he harvests them. After picking a few, he sees a shiny object.
Wolf swam to it and looked at it. It looked like silver. He reaches to get it. Wolf pulled, but it was stuck. Wolf uses more strength and makes the object move. This sets off piles of rock to fall. Dust covers Wolf's eyesight. When it settles, Wolf sees something shocking.
Fish swam away from the area. Wolf swam up to catch his breath. He takes a quick breath and looks underwater. Wolf saw the remains of sunken ships and boats. The site was a sight to behold. It seems like hundreds of boats were in this massive boatyard.
Wolf swam closer to it and dived down to get a better look. He got curious about why there was something like that there. Wolf just swam close and looked around. He saw fishing boats and some merchant ships. Get gets surprised when he sees naval ships.
Wolf swam back up and thought about the naval ships. He knew they were from the new ones because he remembered seeing them before. Wolf felt like there was something more to where he was. Wolf began to swim back to his boat.
He then feels something approaching him. Wolf swam faster, but his feeling was right. Wolf turned and dived down. He saw a swordfish swimming around him. The swordfish swims toward him. Wolf manages to dodge.
He continues to swim to the boat. He feels the swordfish coming close to him. Wolf takes out one of the tools he uses to harvest the seashells. He dives and waits for the attack. The swordfish get close, but Wolf dodges again.
This time he grabs on and goes for a ride. Wolf was holding on to its gills. He took the tool, a sharp bone knife, and began stabbing the swordfish. After several stabs, the swordfish died. Wolf swan up to get his breath.
Wolf became excited and took the fish back. He saw that smaller fish were following back to the boat. Wolf gets to the ship and takes the swordfish. He cuts it and throws some pieces into the water. Fish swam up to eat. Wolf takes the net and throws it.
He manages to get much fish. After hulling what he could, he sailed back home. Adolpha was outside feeding Adolphus. She sees Wolf and waves to him. Wolf raises the swordfish, and Adolpha is surprised.
After unloading everything, Wolf shows the swordfish to Adolpha. She was surprised by the look of it. She asks Wolf about it. Wolf told her that it attacked him when he was swimming. Adolpha asked why he went swimming.
Wolf was going to tell her but managed to change the conversation. He asked if she had gathered the herbs they needed. Adolpha told him she had made the ointments and medicines he taught her. She also made clothes for Adolphus.
She shows him to Wolf. Adolphus, a baby boy wolf beast man, has short gray and brown hair. He was light skin. His tail was gray and black. Adolphus had a fur onesie. Wolf told Adolpha that she had improved her skills. She was happy to hear that.
Over several days they were preparing. Wolf made some adjustments to the boat. He would sometimes disappear and come back. They loaded the boat and waited for the following day. They began to reminisce about their time there. They ate and talked.
Wolf spent time with Adolphus. Adolpha asked Wolf about his thoughts on the island. Wolf said that it was a surprise that no ship passed by. He believed the person who made the island would have gone to check on it.
In the back of his mind, Wolf thought about the boat graveyard. He wanted to know if that was why no boat sailed through there. He did want to worry Adolpha, so he didn't tell her. Adolpha looked at the house they built and felt emotional.
Wolf told Adolpha that he had something for her. Adolpha was not sure and waited to see what he meant. Wolf placed Adolphus down on a crib also made by him. He takes Adolpha's hand. Adolpha's heart began to beat faster.
"Adolpha, I've been meaning to apologize for some time now. I know it has been a long time since I got to know you. You helped me remember how I used to be."
Adolpha was surprised to hear Wolf say that. She also told him she was glad and that he helped her get out. She has been happy spending time with him and now Adolphus too. Adolpha looks at him with sincere eyes.
"Beowulf, I believe our ancestors sent you to save me from that evil man. I had given up hope of seeing my family again. Now, look at us. We are free and on our way home. You gave me a new family I will cherish and love."
Wolf was surprised that Adolpha called him by his real name. He remembered everyone that has called him by his name. Wolf lets go of Adolpha's hand. He gets a large bag he has around his shoulder. He apologizes again for getting mad when she wants to know about him.
Wolf takes out a hair clip that he made from seashell and a pearl. Adolpha becomes surprised. Wolf gives it to her. He also takes out a brush made from bone and wood. It also had a pearl. Adolpha was amazed by the beauty and craftsmanship.
Wolf told her that he had more. He takes out a pearl neckless and a bracelet to match. Wolf told Adolpha that his uncle once said that when he found his soulmate, he should make her gifts as a sign of love. He also said that if anyone else wanted her, he should fight to prove he cared to be with them.
Adolpha blushed and got embarrassed to hear that. Wolf told her that he now knew why his uncle said that to him. Her mother's story also motivated him to let her know he would be there for them. Adolpha hits him and tells him to stop. She was very embarrassed.
Wolf laughs and wakes up Adolphus. Adolpha gets mad, and they both laugh. Wolf tied the neckless around Adolpha's neck. He also links the bracelet on her arm. Wolf told Adolpha about pearls and how hard it was to find them. He also shows her a bag with some more.
Wolf told her that they would need them. Adolpha asks why and Wolf tells her. He was going to trade them with humans for money. He told her he heard Lord Michael talk about them and their value. Adolpha looks at her bracelet. She smiles.
It gets late, and they head to bed. Adolphus was sleeping, and Wolf and Adolpha were talking about the island again. Adolpha tells Wolf that she wants to visit after they return to her village. Wolf agrees and says that they should help the head maid also. Adolpha agrees.
Adolpha looks at him and kisses him. Wolf smiles, and they both go to sleep. The following morning it was early. The sky was still dark, and you could see the stars. The moon was slowly fading. Wolf finished getting the last of the thing on the boat.
He helps Adolpha get to it and get on. He holds Adolphus and hands him to her. Wolf gets on and raises the anchor. He paddles out, and the waves hit the boat. Adolpha looks at the house where they stayed for so long. It started to get smaller and smaller.
Wolf looks up at the stars. He looks around to find one in particular. Adolpha asks him about it. Wolf tells her the story of the hunter always pointing to the highest peak. Adolpha asks him what he meant by that.
"He points to the top of Clawed Mountain."
Wolf told Adolpha about the mountains people say were made by a beast that scratched the mainland. Wolf knows that the hunter star pointed to the continent. The sun began to rise, and that gave him more directions.
When they were in open waters, Wolf opened the sail. The sail picked up the wind, and the boat gained speed. Adolpha turned to the island, and it disappeared in the distance. Wolf told Adolpha that now they would see how far they were.
Adolpha had gotten a little more tolerant of being on a boat. When she felt dizzy, she would lay in the cabin. Wolf would hold Adolphus from time to and talk to him. He would tell the story of his childhood. He would also say to him about his uncle.
In the afternoon, they ate while continuing to sail. Wolf taught Adolpha how to steer and told her to keep going straight. This would give Wolf time to sleep. At night Wolf looked for the hunter star and followed where it pointed.
Two times they were caught in a storm. Adolpha would hide in the cabin and protect Adolphus. Wolf battled the storm and hoped the boat would hold. Both times the boat held together. Wolf became proud of his accomplishment. It looked like they had been a sea for a long time.
Adolpha became worried because their food was running out. Wolf tried to catch fish but couldn't. Adolpha was bored, and Adolphus got upset more frequently. Adolpha wanted to comfort him. As Wolf began to lose some hope, he saw it.
He tells Adolpha to look, and she becomes excited. Wolf could see land, and as they got closer, Wolf saw one of the mountains. He gets excited as well. Adolpha holds up Adolphus, who now has his eye open. He has brown eyes like his father.
Wolf turned to follow the edge of a cliff. He needs to find somewhere they could get off. As they kept sailing, Adolpha was happy to see the mainland. She talked to Adolphus about her father and the rest of the gray tribe. Wolf smiles while hearing that.
Wolf then picks up a scent and tells Adolpha to be cautious. Wolf then notices a dock in the distance. There were several boats parked in it. They got closer and saw a town. Wolf tells Adolpha they will get off there and see where they are. Human people were working on the docks. They were unloading fish from the boats. Wolf is paddling and sees an empty stop. Wolf paddles to it and ports.
Wolf grabs a bag with some supplies and weapons. He also grabs another bag and hands it to Adolpha. She grabs the sling and ties it around her neck. She then puts Adolphus in it and holds him tight. Wolf gets out and ties the boat down. He then helps Adolpha get off.
Wolf tells Adolpha to stay close and keep calm. They begin to walk to the town. Wolf then feels a presence looking at him. He continues to walk when he hears a voice call to him. Adolpha gets scared, and Wolf turns around.
An older man holding a pipe was leaning over on a boat. The man has very short hair and a small mustache. He was tan with brown eyes. He takes a puff of his pipe. The man calls out to Wolf again.
Wolf covers Collar and Adolpha's. Wolf asks him what he wants. The man laughs, and what looks like his crew stops working. He then tells him that he is friendly. Wolf was not too sure and was on the defensive. The older man looks at their boat.
"That one fine-looking boat."
Wolf was surprised and thanked him. He told him that he had made it himself. The man laughs again and takes another puff of his pipe. The man gives them directions to a restaurant and a hotel. He then tells them to have a great time. Wolf then asks him where they were. The man replies to them in a friendly tone.
"Welcome to Ivory Springs."