Chapter 9
Getting to Know You
Several days have passed since Adolpha and Wolf had that awkward talk. She tried to distract herself by continuing to learn how to sew. She also started to go into the jungle by herself. Adolpha would gather herbs and wild vegetables to eat.
Wolf would disappear in the morning and come back in the afternoon. He would bring some honey and bee wax from wherever he went. One time Adolpha asks if she could go with him. Wolf told her that it was dangerous for her. Adolpha was sad without him.
Wolf was working on a raft but decided to convert it into a boat. He knew that they would need it to carry supplies. He didn't know how far from the mainland they were. For all he knew, it could take seasons to get back. Wolf had cut several trees and had carved them. He was teaching himself to do what he heard from Adolpha.
They talked one day and figured out how the boats from her tribe were made. It was trial and error as Wolf carved and cut the wood. Wolf would work from afternoon to dusk. Adolpha got better at cooking, and she fed him. They look like a starting family.
Adolpha's stomach was bigger. Wolf and she made their home even bigger. They lifted the bed because Adolpha felt uncomfortable. They also had chairs and a table. They mixed tribal and human living. The torn clothes they wore were made into rags. Adolpha stitched the rabbit fur into clothes for them.
Wolf was surprised to see Adolpha when she first showed him. They also had snake skin that she turned into other clothes and accessories. Adolpha has taped into her native culture. She felt proud of herself. Wolf, too seems to have remembered his ancestral roots.
One day Wolf was on the other side of the island. He had made a small hut for himself. He had weapons and tools inside. Wolf grabs a spear and heads out. He walks to the water and dives down. He finds a coral reef and begins to look around. He holds several oysters and other clams.
Wolf goes back to the surface and heads back to the hut. He takes the oysters and clams and places them on the ground. Wolf puts the spear away and takes a sharp blade rock. He sits next to them and starts to open them. Wolf opens one and sees nothing. He takes another and opens it.
"Another empty one. It has been some time since I decided to make her something special. I have heard Lord Michael talk about these pearls and their value. Who knew they were that had to find?"
Wolf had opened what he had collected underwater. He was only able to get three pearls from them. He took a bag he had and placed them inside. He had several more pearls in it. He told himself that he needed only a few more.
Wolf takes the clams and oysters and throws them back into the water. He takes his spear and waits. Fish and crabs appear to eat. Wolf throws the spear and catches a fish. He goes over and takes it. He talked about how good it was to eat other types of fish.
Wolf puts the pear away but takes some other bone and rock tools. He also has his bow and arrows. He grabs a leaf pouch and heads out. Wolf walks into the jungle. He continues to walk until he gets to the forest. Wolf then walks up towards the rock mountain. He stops when he hears the buzzing of bees. Wolf finds some sticks and starts to make a fire. He lights the pouch and throws it.
The bees begin to fall, and Wolf covers his mouth and nose with a rag. He walks up to the bee's nest and takes some honey and wax. Wolf doesn't take too much and leaves. Wolf goes to the river and drinks some water.
He listens to the sound of nature. Once He felt calm, he heads back home. He has fish, honey, wax, and some herbs he collected with him. Wolf takes his bow and hunts for more rabbits along the way.
Wolf sees a rabbit and aims at it. He was quiet and took his time. The rabbit lowers his defense, and Wolf releases his arrow. The rabbit gets hit and dies. Wolf walks over to the rabbit and leans down. He takes the arrow out. Before he took the rabbit, he closed his eyes.
"I thank the ancestral beings for his hunt. You how stayed behind and provided us with food. As descendants, we honor your sacrifice. Mater Lilith."
Wolf takes the rabbit and ties it to his waist. He continues to head home. At home, Adolpha was crushing berries. She notices that she does not have enough. She grabs a pouch and heads out. Adolpha grabs an ax Wolf gave her and heads into the jungle.
Adolpha was happily walking past the jungle area. Wolf and she had made a pathway through. Adolpha hums and enjoys the walk. She gets to the forest area and sniffs the air. She picks up a scent. She gets to a bush and sees some barriers.
Adolpha looks at them carefully. She remembers what Wolf taught her. She does not take any because they are poisons. She heads to another bush. She looks at them and starts to harvest them. Adolpha filled the pouch and was about to head home.
She then feels her fingers all sticky. She decides to go to the river and wash them. Adolpha gets to the river and washes her hands. She also chooses to wash the berries. She hums again. Adolpha finishes and gets up. She heads back home.
As she walks, she spots a snake. It has a beautiful skin pattern. Adolpha takes her ax and follows it. She quietly sneaks up to it. Adolpha was ready to strike when birds made a loud noise. The snake turns and sees her. Adolpha gets sacred but is prepared for it.
Suddenly the snake turns and leaves quickly. Adolpha gets disappointed that she could not get it. She puts her ax away and takes a step. Her body suddenly stops. Her ears pick up noise, and her senses feel danger. Adolpha was scared.
Adolpha could feel something staring at her. She slowly takes her ax and turns around. She saw nothing. She slowly moves away from the area. She heard noises from the trees above. Adolpha looks up and sees something moving.
She then hears slithering behind her. Adolpha turns, and her face becomes pale. She was sacred beyond what she thought. A massive snake was staring at her. The snake hisses, and it feels her. The snake moves its head back and opens its mouth.
Wolf came out of the jungle and was walking home. He was on the upper side of the house. He gets home and calls Adolpha. He doesn't hear a replay. He looked inside, but no one was home. He sees a fire burning. Wolf calls for her.
Wolf gets worried. He tries to sense her presence. Wolf suddenly sees a bright white light coming from the jungle. Wolf, in a panic, drops everything and runs in the direction of the flash. He runs as fast as he can. Wolf picks up Adolpha's scent.
He gets even more worried when he smells blood. Wolf reaches her and sees her on the floor. Blood was coming out of her shoulder. He leans down and holds her. He calls out to her, but she does not reply. Wolf takes some medicine from a pouch on his waist.
He applies some to the wound, and Adolpha reacts. Before Wolf could wrap up her injury, he felt a dangerous presence. Wolf slowly puts Adolpha down and picks up her ax. He slowly takes out a rock knife he has.
Wolf slowly looks around and notices something moving in the trees. Wolf whispers to Adolpha that everything will be all right. Wolf could feel whatever was staring at him, getting ready to strike. He waits, and the snake makes its move.
Wolf turned, and the snake was going for him. Wolf throws the rock knife, and the snake dodges but continues to attack. Wolf runs towards it and swings the ax. The snake stops and dodges the attack. Wolf brings out his ax.
He wields two axes and gets ready to attack. The snake hisses and moves from left to right. Wolf makes sure to be prepared for an attack. He waits patiently, staring at the snake's movements. The snake prepares to attack. It hisses again and lunges at Wolf.
Wolf dodges and tries to hit the snake's head. The snake moves its head and attacks. The snake's attack was fast, but Wolf managed to block it. He gets pushed back. The snake again moves his head from side to side.
Wolf felt the weight behind the attack. His hand was hurting. Wolf takes an attacking stance. The snake flicks his tongue. It turns to Adolpha, who was still unconscienced. Wolf realized that it wanted its prey. Wolf had to stop it.
The snake looks at Wolf again and hisses. Wolf gripped the axes tightly. He tightens his muscles and goes on the attack. Wolf runs at the snake. He takes a decisive step and pushes off. He gained speed and was in front of the snake.
Wolf swings one ax, but the snake dodges. Wolf takes another step and gets close again. He swings the other ax. The snake weaves again and attacks. Wolf sees the attack and dodges. He then strikes and lands a blow below the head. The snake hisses.
Wolf gets ready again. The snake moves and brings down more of its body. Wolf could see it was massive. He didn't get scared but was nervous. The snake flicks its tongue again. Wolf goes and attacks. The snake also lunges at Wolf.
Wolf using all his strength, jumps up. He dodges the snake's attack. Once behind, he aims at the head and throws one of the axes with much force. The ax spins as it hurls at the snake. The snake then glows and quickly turns to Wolf.
The snake dodges the ax and attacks Wolf. Wolf, still in the air, waits for the attack. The snake opens its mouth and shows sharp teeth. The snake's head gets close to Wolf. Wolf swings his ax, but the snake dodges and bites Wolf.
Wolf screams in pain as the snake brings him down to the ground. Wolf manages to block it from biting his face. The snake bit and was holding on to his shoulder. The snake began to wrap around Wolf. Wolf struggles to get free.
The snake wrapped tighter and tighter. Wolf was using all his strength to keep it from crushing him. He could feel himself losing. The snake biting on his shoulder makes things worse. The snake bites down, and Wolf screams. Wolf could not use the ax he was holding.
The snake wraps some more. Wolf felt something within his body break. Wolf got angry and held in his scream. He was in pain now and had lost his strength. The snake kept squeezing. Wolf lets go of the ax. The snake wraps tighter.
Wolf began to lose conciseness. Suddenly the snake lets go of his shoulder and let out a hiss. The snake unwarps and drops him. Wolf falls to the ground. He struggles to see what is happening. The snake moved and looked at someone.
Wolf's eyesight clears, and he sees Adolpha standing. She was holding the other ax. Blood drips from it. Wolf tries to tell her to run but is weak. Adolpha had a panic look and was scared. The snake gets ready to attack. Wolf notices that the snake gets injured.
Adolpha screams at Wolf to get up. Wolf tires, but a pain in his chest stops him. The snake hisses and moves its head. Adolpha stares back at it. The snake goes and attacks. Adolpha frightened howls. A white light shines from her body.
Wolf sees this, and he also feels the Mana around him. The snake stopped its attack because the light blinded it. It shakes its head and tries to look at its target. The snake flicks its tongue and feels Adolpha's presence. The snake gets its sight back.
Adolpha stops glowing and falls to the ground weakly. The snake attacks her. In a flash, the snake misses Adolpha. The snake could feel something holding its mouth from closing. In his werewolf state, Wolf was keeping the snake's mouth open. Wolf, with his newfound strength, tosses the snake over himself. The snake crushes into some trees. Some dust was blown into the air. The snake shakes its head and hisses.
Wolf stares at the cloud of dirt. Wolf sees a glow, and the snake attacks. The snake was more agile than before. Wolf stood his grown, and his claws glowed. Air swirled around them. Wolf emits electricity and, in an instant, attacks.
The snake stops in its tracks. Wolf began to howl. Adolpha was lying on the ground looking at Wolf. She then loses conciseness. Adolpha wakes up later in their home. She could feel the heat of the fire. She turns her head and sees Wolf.
Wolf was making something. Adolpha notices him crushing some herbs. She calls to him. Wolf asks if she is all right. Adolpha then notices that she is bandaged up. She also feels her stomach. Wolf coughs and stops working.
Adolpha told him that she was okay. As Adolpha was thanking him for saving her again, she could feel that Wolf was not paying attention much. She heard him cough again. Adolpha gets out of bed and walks over to him. She sits next to him and sees his face.
Wolf was sweating a lot. Adolpha saw that his injury looked infected. Wolf became weak and almost fell over. Adolpha catches him and grabs his chest. Wolf made a painful expression. Adolpha helps him lay down. She was scared.
Wolf began to breathe heavily. Adolpha asked Wolf about what to do. Wolf, with each breath, told her what had happened. He told her he had broken bones and his injury was getting infected. He said to her that he was making some medicines.
Adolpha asked if there was anything she could do. Wolf, as he lost strength, told her what to do. Now Wolf had lost conscience. Later Wolf woke up to the sound of rain. He opened his eyes and could also smell the rain. Wolf leans up and looks around.
He sees that the home is a mess. Bowls and other things were lying all over the grown. The meat rack was also inside the house; Wolf felt someone next to him. He looks over and sees Adolpha sleeping next to him.
Wolf could still feel some pain in his chest. His shoulder injury didn't bother him much. Wolf gets up and goes over to the door. It was raining hard. Wolf began to clean some of the mess. Adolpha woke up and saw Wolf making a fire.
Adolpha becomes happy and gets up. She then remembers the house is a mess. She looks around and sees that some of it are cleaned. Wolf then began to cook some meat. It was dust by the look of things. Adolpha sits by Wolf and asks if he is okay.
Wolf noticed that she looked tired. He also guessed that she was taking care of him this whole time. Adolpha apologized for the mess, but Wolf was not mad. He then thanked her for healing him. Adolpha told him what she did.
She told him she did what he told her after passing out. She applied the ointment he made and gave him some medicine. She struggled to get him on the bed. Wolf laughs. Adolpha told him that he was out for four days.
Wolf thanked her again. He then asked if she was okay. Adolpha told him that she felt better after the second day. She also tells him that the baby is doing fine. Get felt relive after hearing it. Wolf severs Adolpha, and they ate.
After dinner, Adolpha and Wolf listen to the sound of the rain. They looked happy together. After some time, Wolf asks her about her magic. Adolpha becomes worried and doesn't want to talk about it.
Wolf could feel her scared. He asked if that id way Lord Michael took her. Adolpha didn't want to talk about it. She became upset. Wolf looked out at the ocean. Adolpha had gotten up and walked to the fire. She sat down and warmed up.
Wolf asked Adolpha if she knew what a nomad clan was. Adolpha asked him to repeat his question. Wolf asked her again. Adolpha told her what she had learned from her family and Lord Michael.
Nomads are wolf clans not connected to any one clan. They live off the land and occasionally trade with other families. Nomad clans also move around constantly. Wolf smiles and tells her she is right. Adolpha asks him about it.
Wolf takes a deep breath and tells her about himself. Wolf tells her that he used to be part of a nomadic clan. He said to her that the clan belonged to his father until both of his parents died. Adolpha felt sad hearing that.
Wolf continued to talk about his past. He told her his clan was caught in a battle between two fighting nobles in the beast kingdom. He and some others were able to escape. He was about six when it happened. He was eventually taken in by his uncle.
Wolf looked cheerful when he talked about his uncle. Wolf told Adolpha that his uncle had taught him everything he knew. He told Adolpha that nomads learn more about surviving than wolves in the big clans do. Big clans have roles.
Adolpha thought about it. She then realized it was true. Adolpha said that her brother was going to be a warrior. Wolf continues with his story. He told Adolpha that young wolves have a test they take when they are ready to become adults.
"I was fifteen years when they took me for my first hunt. If I could get the kill, then I prove to them that I am ready for adulthood."
Wolf told her that he was out and hunting ancestral deer. Adolpha asks him why they call animals ancestral. Wolf told her the story he was told. Animals that did not change stayed as they were to provide food for their descendants.
Wolf said it was so the descendants didn't kill each other and eat them. Wolf said he just followed what he was taught. Adolpha that about it and asked why humans and other races don't call them that.
Wolf said that to the other races, animals are still the same to them. They see no importance to them. He also noted that it was the reason some couldn't get along. They see beast men as animals. Adolpha gets upset and mad.
Adolpha tells Wolf to continue his story. Wolf smiled as he could see that Adolpha was happy learning about him. Wolf continues his story again. He said that his tribe was camping by a river in human territory.
He said the human king let them travel and stay in certain parts of human territories. It was a pack that they made with nomad clans. He said that they were hunting. He was with his uncle and other hunters.
"We picked up the scent of a deer and followed it. My uncle let me lead the pack. When we found it, they followed my lead. I ordered them to surround it. I quietly moved to get a better shot."
Wolf told her that the deer was eating and didn't notice them. Wolf drew his bow and aimed at it. He pulled the string back and took a deep breath. He makes sure he is calm and releases the arrow. The arrow hits the deer in the neck.
The other wolves make their move and run toward it. The deer fell over and struggled to get up. The other wolves reach it and pin it to the ground. Wolf and his uncle run to them. When Wolf gets there, he stares at it. Wolf's uncle tells him to draw his knife.
Wolf draws his knife and crouches. The deer looks at him. It keeps struggling to get up. The others keep holding it down. Wolf feels the deer's heartbeat. He closes his eye and prays. Wolf pierces the deer's heart.
His uncle and the other wolves howl to celebrate. They congratulate him. His uncle hugs him. Wolf picks up the deer, and they head back to their camp. Upon arriving, the other clan members see and howl.
Wolf felt very proud of his accomplishment. He gave the deer to some female wolves. They began to clean and prepare it. They were going to celebrate. Wolf gets called over by his uncle. They go over by the river. His uncle told him he was proud again.
"I am proud of you. Your parents would be too, especially your father. He used to brag about you all the time when you were younger. I have seen you grow in his place; you are exceptional, Beowulf."
Adolpha becomes excited hearing Wolf's real name. Wolf told her that Lord Michael only called him Wolf as a means to remove his pride and treat him as an animal. He eventually let go and excepted his place. Adolpha asked him why.
Wolf said he would get there. He told her that after celebrating him, the clan went to sleep. It was pretty late, and they were tired. He remembers what happened that day. Wolf woke up to the smell of strange scents. He got up and got out of his tent.
His uncle and the other were outside already. Wolf asked what was going on. His uncle told him to get ready for a fight. Several of them turned into werewolves. Wolf was handed an ax. They all drew Mana. Suddenly fireballs fell from the sky.
The werewolves jumped and stopped them. They then hear people attacking them. Wolf panicked about what to do. His uncle ran and attacked the attackers. The other wolves also went and attacked. Wolf heard his uncle's orders and focused.
Some attackers get close and start to break the tents. They were human slave hunters. Wolf goes and tries to stop them. He released his Mana, and electricity flowed around him. He gets close to some and fights them. He attacks the way he is trained.
The slave hunter draws Mana, and his sword glows. Wolf reacts and manages to cut his hand before he can use his sword. The man screams, and Wolf cuts his head. He moves to the next one. Wolf dodges some attacks.
It looked like they were holding them off. His uncle orders the women and children to flee. He calls his werewolves and tells them to protect them. Wolf was told to go with them. Suddenly a bright light blinds them. Wolf manages to get his sight and sees more humans attacking.
Wolf also hears the woman and children screaming. He turns and sees some cough in some nets. Some wolf women attack the humans. Wolf was going to help when he got surrounded. He gets mad and draws Mana. The humans tell each other to be careful.
Wolf, with lightning speed, makes quick work of him. Unknown to him, someone was watching. They smile and tells more human to capture him. Wolf was fighting desperately. He was getting tired. The camp was in flames, and several of his clan members were already dead.
The woman and children that were alive were taken away. Wolf was breathing heavily. The humans began laughing. They attack, and Wolf dodges and blocks their attacks. In a swift attack, Wolf's uncle pushes everyone back.
Wolf saw his uncle in his werewolf state. He tells Wolf to run. He refuses to leave him behind. His uncle gets mad and tells him to live. Tears form in his eyes, and Wolf waits for an opening. His uncle draws Mana and pours it into his ax.
The ax burst with fire. His uncle slams the ground and unleashes a wave of fire. Wolf was told to run. From a blind spot, he is hit by a net. His uncle gets surprised but quickly goes to free him. A thunder strike stops him.
Wolf tries to escape, but then he feels a strong Mana presence. He looks and sees several people in heavy metal armor. Wolf Uncle goes and attacks, but they quickly dodge and move faster. They work well together and bring him to the ground. Wolf screams and draws Mana. The other humans go to him and try to hold him. Wolf's uncle draws more Mana. His body glows, and he attacks them again. The knights block his attack. They draw Mana, and their weapons glow.
The knights blast him with different magic attacks. Wolf's uncle was injured pretty severely. One of the knights walks up to him and stabs him in the back. Wolf enrages and calls down a lightning strike.
Wolf told her it was the last thing he remembered about what happened. He said the next he knew; he was in a room chained to the wall. Adolpha was crying. Wolf comforts her. Adolpha asked Wolf if he had seen anyone from his clan.
He said no, and that Lord Michael never mentioned anything. Adolpha hugs him and tells him he will have a new family and clan where he can enjoy freedom. Wolf smiled and hugged her back. He then looks at the fire and remembers something else.
The door to the room opened, and Lord Michael walked in. another man accompanied him. The man had slick blonde hair. His eyes were blue, and he had a handsome look. He had no facial hair. The man looked at him.
"This is what you need domesticated."