Chapter 9

Wolf Hears

Deep in the shelter of the pine trees wrapped in the warmth of his fur coat. Halt had only been a wolf for a short time but he had found some of the things the wolf senses could do were helpful to him in this cold landscape. Halt smiled a little, this warm coat was the most helpful but he could not help thinking that Will probably was not very warm right now.

Other things he had found was that tracking was much easier, but foremost on his mind was his boy, why his dreams were filled with Will's pain. This is why he rarely slept, Halt would doze for short periods then his thoughts would race and he would be on his paws again using his tracking senses to find anything that might help him to find his boy.

Halt remembered last nights dream, the one with a weakened Will, the one where he thought Will had died but a few minutes later he felt the boy breath again, so did he. Halt knew that if Will ever did stop breathing he would not have the strength to go on.

There was a few times he lost his breath over Will and not all of them when he was his apprentice either. Will was a climber and sneaker and foremost a trouble maker and he loved playing in that huge fig tree that grew close to Redmont castle.

Halt thought of the time Will had climbed up the middle tower to reach the Baron's office and how from his spot in front of that painting Will had not seen him. He was sure that over the years Will would have given him more grey hairs especially if no when he became a full ranger once he was home again.

Halt now knew he could not go home, his life was now in the forest whether that was here or home he was not sure but he reasoned that when he rescued Will he could send him home to finish his training with Gilan. They would probably be to comfort each other over his loss for they would not be able to see him again even though he would keep an eye on them for the rest of their lives.

Pain shot through him at that thought which soon had him up and running again. The wind had risen as he kept his pace through the night. It whistled and howled like a lonely wolf. It was a clear night as halt's paws galloped over the ground.

One - twothree - four, One - twothree - four

Then the wind shifted and Halt picked up the scent of a another wolf. It was almost like it was telling him to go to this wolf. So while Halt's mind and heart was still following Will, his body was trying to turn to the strange wolf scent. Suddenly he tumbled and ended up in a stinging nettle bush.

After recovering and got on his way again, some part of his mind was still lost in thought, who was that wolf? and should he be worried about him?. Then off to his left he heard it in the distance, the wolf howling. The woods now seemed devoid of life as Halt listened to the wolf. No birds or rabbits or even mice, only twisting trees, bramble and shadows. He tried to ignore the howling wolf.

After a while Halt realized the howls had stopped. Halt wondered if that was a good sign or not. Halt seen what that howling wolf had done to the countryside and that was starting to niggle at his brain.

Halt decided enough was enough, time to find Will not worry about some random wolf. He fled through the forest now at full speed. Will was close, Halt could feel it.

Halt now threaded his way around imposing misshapen oaks and rock out croppings. His fur was now standing on end, he could now smell Will, he was maybe less than a mile away. So close but yet so far. But one thing was for sure he would have Will back with him before night's end.

"Stop. you are not going to get the boy back right now" said a soft voice, and then blocking his way was a sandy wolf. Maybe the one from before thought Halt.

"And why is that?"Halt asked. He was so close now, so close to Will and so close to ripping this wolf's throat out for stopping him.

"Because of the protection wards, Panis Rauly has placed around the campsite and if you think you can get rid of the wards, you have got another thing coming. Try and destroy it and it will freeze you, then he will skin you alive"said the sandy wolf, he was now sitting down, while Halt himself was pacing, his mind going over what he could do to save Will.

"What's it to you if I attack this man to save Will? I..." Halt started to say before he was interrupted by the sandy wolf.

"Because if we do not work together, we wont get what we want"said the sandy wolf clearly. They were burning moonlight Halt thought. A soft growl came to Halt's throat, he did not want to wait. Will's heartbeats were numbered, he felt that earlier.

"And what is it you want?"Halt asked. if this wolf could help him get Will then he would help this wolf get what he wants as soon as Will was well and safe that is.

"My want id, Panis Rauly dead. He works for an evil monster that uses what Panis Rauly collects from the children for his spells" the sandy wolf said grinding his paws into the snow covered ground.

Halt realized that he was some sort of guard, what else had this Panis Rauly done to this sandy wolf to make him like this but that did not mean that Halt was going to let him have first bite. Halt wanted that himself.

"I will help you, for this Panis Rauly has hurt Will over and over again. Obviously he has done something bad to you as well. Do you have a plan? because I will not wait to long. I have felt Will's spirit almost leave him once, I will not let that happen again" Halt told him. Sitting down now.

"I understand, and thank you for your help. I will do what I can to help you save your boy too. To feel your boy this far out you must have a strong connection and I do have a plan and to do it we must wait for first light"said the sandy wolf walking away. Halt sighed and followed knowing he needed this wolf's help.

An: sorry for the wait. More soon.