Chapter 5
A Name is a Name
Meanwhile- Inside the Nanlons encampment-Falort Castle
"If the Elders find us and ask who we are, we will have to lie about our true identity." One Nanlons said.
Another spoke up. "If they know we are lying, then they will kill us."
Torgue thought about the answer to the mounting questions. Lorege, who had come into the meeting with the answer that he had been thinking of for many days, decided this was the perfect time to speak up.
"Why don't we change our last name, then switch our first name with our last."
The Nanlons thought about it for a while. It dawned on them how good the idea was. It was also the beginning of the spilt.
Falort Castle- East Wall
The Wrog horde had come. Ragor wanted to see Falorian again, his son Floriv, and whoever this wolf is that smelled like Slovarion.
He came up to a place where the seemingly continuous stone was interrupted by an area of wood.
Ragor roared at the wooden part of the wall, "Where is Falorian? I have come with the reinforcements that were needed."
A wolf with two black streaks starting at his eyes and ending at the tip of his tail and fur as brown as bark on the oak trees of Europe stepped out of the shadows of the wall.
"Why do you want to see Falorian? What business do you have here?" the wolf questioned.
"That is between me and Falorian," supplied Ragor.
"That business must now be conducted with me. I am the leader of all the European wolves," replied the other wolf.
Ragor knew this was the opportunity he had hoped for. "Are you willing to test your power on me, the leader of the Wrogs?" he challenged.
Rano replied by his customary fighting pose. Ragor took the standard Wrog fighting pose.
Since Ragor was the challenging wolf, he had the right to the first attack. He took it. He rushed towards the wolf but missed by a good three tail-lengths. Rano used one of his moves that disabled Ragor's hind left leg. Ragor lunged halfheartedly at Rano. He simply side stepped it. He disabled Ragor's hind right leg next. Now all Ragor could do was swat feebly at Rano. Ragor looked at him. The look said 'What are you doing. Finish it. Get me out of my misery.' Ragor knew that however the wolf reacted to this perfect situation would help Ragor to determine whether he was a descendant of Slovarion or not. The wolf did not take the opportunity to kill Ragor. Instead the wolf asked "Who are you? What business do you have with Falorian?"
Ragor was almost ready to attack the wolf again, even though he knew that this wolf was obviously a descendant of Slovarion. Perhaps even the one that was of prophecy.
"I will only talk if I see Falorian." Ragor countered even though he knew he was at the disadvantage.
Floriv knew that this was the time to reveal himself. "Ragor. It's been a while. I remember when you first came. My dad will be so happy to see you for the last time," he told Ragor.
Two Wolfes with a jerry rigged 'stretcher' came out of a door in the gate. They slid the cloth under Ragor and slipped a pole in a fold of fabric. The carried him to a tent where they sat him down. He noticed what looked like a bundle of skin and bones. He realized to his astonishment that it was an older and close to dying Falorian. He had remained in the pack at Rano's request to live out his days. He had been an important part in every hunt and fight until he became too old.
"Ragor? Is that you my old friend?" Falorian asked the wrog.
Ragor almost broke down. Seeing Falorian in this condition was unbearable. He knew that wrogs age at a slower pace than normal wolves do, but this was unexpected.
Falorian seemed like he was trying to get his last words out before he moved on to the realm that the Forest Shaman ruled. "I gave all my powers and dealings over to Rano. He is the descendant of Slovarion we have been waiting for. The Wolf of the Forest was there when he was growing up. You know that he never lies. I was glad that you finally came back with the troops. They will be needed in the coming wars." And with that all the life left Falorian.
That night
Falorian was buried in the traditional wolf way. Even the Wolf of the Forest came to commemorate his passing. Lorege quietly approached first Rano, then Floriv to offer his condolences, then went to the Wolf of the Forest. He had a question to ask. The Wolf of the Forest stopped him. "I know of the change you undertook. You wish to become one with the wolves. You wish to wear pelts of their ancestors, not out of sport, but out of respect to them." He stopped. "I will grant you the pelts in the form of armor." He then gave Lorege and only Lorege the position that had never been given to any human before him or for a long time after him. He became a Wolf Knight.
Rano was upset that Falorian had died, but knew he was in a better place. In his last years he had developed white film over his eyes, his hearing had diminished, and he had been racked with pain in his spine. He went over to Floriv. They looked at each other and remembered all the good times that they had experienced with Falorian. Ragor came over. He had been fully healed by the Wolfes. He was a little bleary eyed from tears. Falorian had been the closest thing to family and he knew he had been the same for Falorian. He even remembered when they first met. They had tried to make sure that they could keep in contact. Then about three wolf years into Falorian's becoming Falort pack leader, he had requested an audience with him. The Forest Shaman had been there too. Now Ragor knew why Rano was saying what he had been saying earlier. He was the one that even Slovarion was said to have talked about. 'The one son who has the two black stripes and allies himself with humans who understand our language, will lead us farther than I ever did.' That was thought to be a legend. But many a wolf was superstious and thought that the wolf would be a bad omen. Ragor walked over to Rano. "My troops and I are at your command, son of Slovarion."