A/N: Sorry for the slight delay. I hope you all like this one. Please continue to review!
Thunder was booming in the distance; a storm was well on its way to Ordon from the north. The sky clouded over completely by the late afternoon, and shortly after nightfall, the rain started coming down. The only light source in the tree house was a dying lantern. Link began to feel dread as night came again, as his most perilous hours were now at nighttime.
He made preparations beforehand. He spent an hour or two trying to fix his door so that it would stay secure for any reason. As he was not much of a handyman, the hinge was unable to be fixed, but the door itself hung straighter. Next he took everything in his house that was valuable; namely, his sword, Hylian shield, and other weaponry and locked it safely down in the basement, setting a padlock on the trapdoor on his way out. As an extra precaution, he took a coil of rope and tied the doorknob to his table to make it more difficult to push open.
He stood back, bitterly pleased with his handiwork. Still, this might not hold, he noted, eying the rope, which looked to be pitifully useless against sharp teeth and claws.
A bolt of lightning flashed from outside, illuminating the forest. He was distracted for the shortest of seconds, startled by the light.
Power, he thought, noting the lightning. Pure, untamed power. Its wrath could be unleashed at any time, without word or warning. It's no wonder many are afraid of lightning.
Some things should not have such power. Words, and feelings, for example. If they controlled the world, they would be deadly. If somebody around here, or anywhere, uttered that spell…
He doubled over, groaning. The shadow particles had covered him and he could feel the transformation happening against his will. "No…not again," he cried. He had never tried it before, but in his determination he tried resisting the magic with all his might.
Horrible pains racked his body as the shadow magic retaliated. Link scrambled to finish tying the knot that would keep the door immobile, but he could barely close his fingers.
A small sheet of paper flew softly from the desk and landed on the floor. Instantly getting an idea, Link grasped at the paper and, with his still-forming claws, scratched out a few words on its face. Finally he could no longer withstand the pain, and his wolf body and mind dominated him fully.
Ilia pushed open the front door, squinting as the rain met her eyes. She took a few hesitant steps out onto the porch of her house, searching the dark outside for Rusl. She had promised Colin to go out and look for him, but now she felt a strong desire to flee the storm and into the warmth and safety of the living room. Instead, she walked onto the dirt path and called, "Rusl!"
The pitter-pattering of the rain was nearly enough to drown out her voice. She shuddered from the cold, and she hugged her arms around herself. She was getting soaked from the rain. This is useless, she decided regretfully, and proceeded toward what appeared to be Rusl and Uli's house down the path.
She stopped in her tracks. A shiver went up her spine as a high-pitched bark sounded from behind. Ilia wheeled around, her heart hammering, and yelled, "It's the wolf! It came back!"
It was hard to focus clearly in the rain, but she detected a dark shape moving toward her. The creature was definitely canine, as it made the appropriate yips and growls, however Ilia was surprised to see that it was not the wolf. She was further disgusted to see what it truly was as its image became clearer.
It was a skeleton, standing and walking on its own. Its body structure was purely canine; the skull and the leg bone were all arranged in the same way. It created the same noises, though they were hollow, supernatural, like from another world. Meager flesh still clung to its bones, and a beating heart was enclosed inside of its visible ribcage. In her frightened state, Ilia could not identify this monster, but it was a creature known as a Stalhound.
Ilia suppressed a scream. In the creature's mouth was an animal leg, the tip of the bone reaching out from where it had been mutilated from the body, and blood dribbled down the knee. It was still covered in bluish gray hair and had a cloven hoof at the end of its limb. It was one of our goats…
She took several backward steps, praying that the Stalhound would rather eat his already caught meal than chase her down. She shut her eyes, nauseated as the skeletal creature clamped its jaws on its dinner. An awful crack was heard as the bone snapped.
She could stand it no longer. Against her better judgment, Ilia turned and tried to run, forcing down the urge to burst into tears. She stopped, a sob escaping her, as she came face to face with another Stalhound. The creature emitted another high screeching sound, its teeth clicking together, and then crept toward her hungrily.
In the corner of her eye, Ilia could see another Stalhound closing her into the circle, making the same menacing sounds as its kin, as if conversing on the best way to bring their prey down. Unable to run, she started to cry, the rain drops on her face flowing with her tears. "Help me!" she cried desperately. Her voice was breaking. "Somebody please help me!"
The three Stalhounds were unperturbed by the girl's cries. They came closer, yipping and jeering, one of them still holding the goat leg in its jaws. Suddenly they faltered as an angry yell surged through the night storm. "Back, you devils!"
Rusl appeared, a torch blazing in his left hand and his sword in the right, standing protectively beside Ilia. He uttered in a whisper, "Whatever you do, don't lose your head. Don't run; they'll catch you." Ilia swallowed and stayed still, though she shook uncontrollably.
A low growl came, not from any of the Stalhounds, but from another shape moving through the rain, fur raised and teeth displayed prominently. Rusl turned, angry and scared to see that it was the wolf, looking ready to make another kill. Regardless, he shielded the girl from danger and prepared to fight.
The wolf dimly recognized the Stalhounds; he had caught a whiff of them at some point, and he recalled hearing their calls the other night as answer to his own. Yet, apart from their skeletal bodies, something inside of him did not accept these beasts as one of his own species, but twisted monsters cast out of the wolf's hierarchy. He boldly stepped between the creatures and the two humans they surrounded, snarling menacingly at them.
Leave, he tried to tell the beasts. This is my territory. You are trespassing.
One Stalhound advanced on him, tossing its skull up and down as a challenge. Its pawed the muddied ground like horse.
The wolf lunged, grabbing at the creature's neck and attempting to knock it down. He succeeded, but the Stalhound did not stay down for long. It retaliated and butted him with its large and powerful head, sending the wolf to the ground. The Stalhound then continued toward the humans, snapping its jaws.
Without warning, the wolf leapt up again and launched himself full force against the Stalhound, pushing it off of its feet and into the stream. The monster splashed into the shallow water and lay still for a moment, the breath knocked out of it.
The other two were still intent on harvesting the humans for supper; one broke into a lope and, mouth open wide, sprung at its desired prey. The wolf wheeled around and attacked him just in time; he tore fiercely at the Stalhound's remaining flesh and even accomplished a breaking off part of the creature's left leg bone. As it collapsed, howling with pain, its remaining stump of a front leg waved awkwardly in front of it.
The wolf towered over it, eyes sharp and angry. You try to eat one of the pups. One never harms a pup. Leave, now.
He was unexpectedly attacked from behind; the Stalhound in the stream had made a quick recovery and had grabbed the wolf by his pelvis. The creature's head was nearly half of the wolf's full size. It shook him side to side like a rag doll and threw him cruelly against the ground.
A groan came from the wolf as he was heaped in the mud. His fur was matted and soaking from the ever-falling rain. Before he could try to get up again, the same Stalhound tore at his flesh; the wolf's scream of pain was audible over the storm. Furiously, he fended off the monster and yanked himself up, dripping with blood. He was immediately surrounded by the third Stalhound, which at this moment in time was still holding the goat leg in its mouth. Spotting this as a potential weakness, the wolf dove beneath the creature's skull and swiftly attacked its ribcage. His sharp teeth closed around the Stalhound's still-beating heart and punctured it.
The Stalhound gave a great lurch, screeching with despair, then fell to the ground and did not move again.
The wolf staggered from the body and faced the other two Stalhounds, trying to disregard his own painful injuries. The Stalhound with the partially missing leg panicked and fled, stumbling over its disability several times in the process. The other followed suit, yowling pitifully as it went.
As his adversaries ran away, and as one lay dead, the wolf began to feel his mortal wounds weakening his reserve. The flesh on his side was torn open and was freshly bleeding. His tailbone was likely bruised from the jaws of the Stalhound who grabbed him. His entire body was bruised and beaten, and every second that passed was brutal and excruciating. The wolf looked bleakly to the humans, both of whom stayed stoic and watchful, still close to one another. Eventually, he could no longer stand on his own and he crumpled once again.
Rusl and Ilia had watched the whole scene with rising fear and incredulity. Everything had happened quickly; the battle had lasted no longer than two minutes. Rusl's sword lowered at last, and he slowly left Ilia's side and approached the fallen wolf with dragging footsteps.
Concerned calls rang from all corners of the village; Uli came running from the house shouting for her husband, while Mayor Bo emerged to see what had just occurred right in front of his house. Fado hurried down the trail to join the throng.
All voices were jumbled and mixed together to create an incoherent roar. Bo rushed to embrace his daughter, fraught with worry. After several redundant, frightened questions, Ilia was able to convince him that she was free from harm. Uli repeatedly begged her husband for an explanation, and Rusl gave it as soon as everybody consented to listen.
"We must not stand out here in the rain; those Stalhounds are still out there," said Rusl, raising his now extinguished torch to the rain.
"You mean you've actually seen those before?" Uli's voice was full of disbelief.
Rusl nodded grimly. "Yes. They roam Hyrule Field at night, but I never expected them to wander here, of all places." He kneeled beside the dead Stalhound and gestured to the limb still clutched in its mouth. "Fado, I think I know what has been hunting the Ordon goats."
"Well, I'll be darned," said Fado. "I would never have guessed such a critter existed."
The wolf lying in the mud gave a low whine, expressing its pain. Everyone looked at it with mixed feelings, at a loss of what to do with the animal.
"That wolf saved us," Ilia startled everyone by speaking. "I don't know where he came from, or why he came, but he did."
"Yes, he did," said Rusl. The man knelt beside the wolf's body, closely examining the extent of its injuries. The semi-conscious animal yelped weakly as he laid a hand on its side.
"I don't believe it," exhaled Bo. "Why would some wolf put his own life in danger for us? It makes no sense."
"He's hurt badly," mused Rusl, his gaze resting on the wolf's eyes. They were opened slightly, observing them all helplessly. His ear lifted a fraction, straining to listen, and then fell limp. To the surprise of all, Rusl then carefully began to lift the wolf's body from the ground.
"Wait, Rusl, what are you doing?" demanded Bo. Rusl grunted from the wolf's weight, having some trouble lifting him. He straightened, supporting the canine's front and back ends in his arms.
"I don't intend of leaving this wolf to die," he said resolutely. "Savage beast or not, he still saved your daughter's life, Mayor. I will tend to him back at my house." Now that he had a handle on his burden, Rusl carried the wolf toward his house, followed meekly by Uli. Fado, Bo, and Ilia watched in astonishment.
Some time passed throughout the night, and the rain had not yet ceased. The thunder had, for now, diminished. Outside of Rusl and Uli's house, Ilia paced beneath the awning of the porch, joined by her father. She was still in shock from the commotion earlier, and her gratitude for her rescuer had driven her to stand outside to wait for news of his condition. Since Bo refused to let any other danger befall his daughter that night, he insisted that he accompanied her.
The minutes ticked by, painstakingly slow. Ilia and her father nearly decided to go home when Rusl suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"Sorry to bother you Rusl, but, is the wolf alive?" Ilia asked timidly. "I have to know."
Rusl's face was blank, yet his eyes held an unreadable emotion. He looked exhausted, yet exhilarated, frightened and astounded all at the same time. He did not answer them at first, but merely gazed hollowly into space.
Ilia cupped a hand to her mouth. "Did he, die?"
Slowly, almost at a snail's pace, Rusl shook his head. "No…he lives." He cleared his throat and tried to erase the look off of his face. "We have been with him for some time now…"
"And?" asked Bo.
Rusl's voice reduced to an undertone. "Th-there's something you should know…"
If my guess is correct, next chapter will be the last one. So until then, I bid thee farewell.