Prologue: Wolf and the lost story
Snow always marked the start of Palonia's harsh long winters. With Autem nothing more than a brisk reminder of the already shorter summer months. It is often during this time of year that only the most daring of people would willfully venture this far north for their own personal gain, desperate merchants scrounging what they could from the completed fur trade give spiritual enlightenment of the gospel to the rural lands who worshiped pagan gods or perhaps seek respite in a town known for their warm spring water. One such family running a small inn that catered to such travelers had recently wrapped up one of their busy seasons, now only expecting likely two or three guests a month now that the winter snow had blown in from the nearby mountains.
For one girl, this weather met the start of an activity that allowed her to enjoy some quality time with her mother. A simple way to bide time as the two waited for their father's return from some unfinished business to ensure the inn was stocked and ready for the next season of customers. He had been busy settling an agreement with a shipment of food, alcohol, and a few other commodities meaning he would be traveling across town to a local merchant guild to place in the request.
Gleefully, the young child sat waiting patiently at the family table as her mother seemed to calmly keep a close eye on a kettle slowly coming to a rolling boil. Times like this met a story was going to be told and she wondered what tale she would tell on this cold winter's start.
The mother stood by her eye occasionally catching glances of her daughter's head bobbing as if she had held too much energy. "If you find yourself too enamored with your rewards than perhaps you can work for them." She playfully scolded the girl.
The girl smiled "Okay." She chirped happily jumping off her chair and fetching two large mugs from one of the shelves. These ceramic mugs were large, almost bearing an uncanny resemblance to the beer steins they gave to the guests when they ordered a drink. The natural size of the mugs along with the ceramic material gave them a surprising hefty, though not to the point that carrying them was an impossible task. She placed the mugs on the table as she turned to see her mother still looking at the kettle.
"Hey momma." The child spoke up.
"Hmm?"
"What story are you going to tell tonight?" She asked with both excitement and curiosity palpable in her voice.
"Hmm, what tale indeed?" The mother pondered aloud humming playfully as if lost contemplation. "I could always continue my last story." She responded to see her daughter look seemingly uninterested.
"You mean the one with the fool of a merchant and the wise wolf?" The child asked her head tilted.
"Tis an unfinished story, no?" the mother responded only to see the child appear disappointed. Seeing the disappointment she gives a rueful smile "Mayhap there a story that does strike your fancy?"
The girl's eyes beam brightly hearing the question. "What about the story of the god's game?" she asked excited.
The mother paused in shock. "The God's game?" her head looked up at the ceiling, the long pause causing the child to look at her confused. "I know not this story." She soke curious though it looked as if she were trying to suppress her memory.
"But I heard poppa speak of that story once." The child's response gave the mother a brief pause as if curious.
"Oh, so he has started to fill your head with nonsense as well?" The mother mused aloud not serious but clearly humored at this new information. Though the way her eyes moved she likely was agitated
The child confirmed her answer with a hum of approval, her demeanor to the response shifting as if curiously stumbling upon a strange sight. "Talked of about it once, a story of knights, thieves, and a lost world. He was speaking with the one lady who leaves feathers everywhere." She explained loudly.
The mother smirked, amused. "Ah the story that never was…" She grabbed the kettle and moved it to the table. She watched as her daughter grabbed a set of tea bags to throw into a second pitcher, allowing the water to steep. "When I spoke of such tales last time you thought they you were too old last I recall." She chastised her daughter, earning a shocked expression from their child as if realizing she had made a mistake.
"M-M-Maybe for things like a arrogant man being bit in the arse."
"Language." The mother's tone was harsh as she flicked her child's nose. She flinched in response.
"But I think this one would be fine." She continued.
The mother sighed almost disappointed. "You do know I hate trying to recall my place in a story I was in the middle of telling." She complained only to see her child resolute.
"Please? I will work harder tomorrow even handle the bedding." The young child bargained.
The mother eyed her daughter. She was starting to sound like her husband in someways, recalling her days with him and the incessant haggling, bargaining and dealing making she watched him get involved with often to his own detriment.
"Do not act as if your father's teachings will work on me little one. I taught him a ew of this tricks myself" She spoke fully and confidently of n her resolution as her daughter's cheeks puffed up angry that it was not working. Just then the door opened signaling the return of the patriarch for the small family unit.
"I'm back." He announced loudly only to be surprised that their child did not run to greet him. Entering the family living space, he saw the two women in a battle of attrition. Neither even conceding an inch to acknowledge that he even entered the room. Sighing he moved to grab his own mug. "What are you two arguing about now?" after they seemed to ignore his question, he looked to his wife with a sly smirk seeing a way to end this farce. "So, the price of wine is about to go up by several Trenni. We may only have what we got now so you will want to ration what is left." He spoke.
Like clockwork his wife broke briefly showing a sign of concern. "You think I'd be so enamored with our mischievous daughter to believe such a lie?" she asked coldly, turning to glare at him. It was then she realized that she had lost the duel against her daughter simply from a lapse in her own judgement.
"It was you who spoke of avarice when we first started traveling." He responded bluntly. The two minds drifting far into their own past. What it felt like a long time ago now almost nostalgic to both added longer as their eyes locked ever so briefly the husband refocused realizing he was getting distracted he looked to both starting to play the role of a negotiator "So, what was your spat about?" he asked sitting between the two.
"Momma refuses to tell the story you told the crow lady." The child protested looking at him; she had long since learned that he was a push over, especially for her.
"Story?" he gave pause lost in his own thoughts before realizing what she was speaking of. "Oh, that story. The one of the lost realms?" He spoke seeking clarification, his wife looked away mildly annoyed, confirming his suspicions. "She never told you that one?" It was his only response to her explanation.
"Tis a hassle of a story, hardly worth filling her mind with senseless fairytales." The wife responded coldly. "Why anyone would seek such a story may as well be no different from the stories you sought after when we first met."
"For whom might I ask?" The husband rebutted as his wife's narrowed eyes then glared harshly at him.
"For yourself." She teased a malicious grin crossing her face. He realized it seemed to be an attempt to humiliate him in front of their child. "After all, was it not you who once spoke of the idea of a horse turning into a beautiful woman, yet the dullard of a merchant chose a hulky stallion to aid in your long travels." She started to snicker at her humor as he started to get flustered at her attack.
"Honestly…" The husband looked at her, somewhat disappointed. The wife, satisfied at his humiliation poured some tea into his mug as the three remained silent. The sight of their daughter did sadden him a little as he sighed giving his most trained smile and looking at their daughter. "I suppose I could tell the story then." He finally spoke up. The spark of excitement now rekindled in their daughter's eyes. The mother's gaze shifted quickly to one of unamused shock at his suggestion.
"Really?" She asked ecstatic only furthering the ire from the mother.
The husband nodded. "Though I am not exactly the storyteller like your mother is. Far from it my ability to describe things is pretty lacking." He lamented bluntly.
"Always so helpless." The wife chided as her foot stomped on his. He winced in pain briefly, only giving her a annoyed glance briefly. "Fine it can't be helped. I'd not want her to think it is being over embellished."
"You mean miss told."
"I do no such thing." She sneered back annoyed. Her husband put his hands up in defeat as the smirk crossed both their faces showing the clear signs of their deep infatuation with one another.
"Are you two just going to keep flirting or will I get to hear the story." The daughter teased her parents with an impatient deadpan glance somewhat hiding her mischievous grin behind her mug.
The mother eyed her intently. "Very well, if a story from a different time and place is what you desire." The mother spoke calmly. "So be it, it is not my choice by any means." She spoke calmly. "The story of a wolf who found itself a pawn in the machinations of a lost world, and the unluckiest of allies who helped the wolf and their companion back home."
The daughter leaned in intently waiting to hear the first part of the story. The husband leaned back in his chair as his wife cleared her mind briefly thinking of how to start this lost story.
A smile crossed the mother's face. "It should be told that our story is about the same two that have been the center of my current story, though it started far be it from my contention." She explained. "For it was when the merchant offered a slight detour to their destination. What would have led them to a city known for their trade and restless mastery of fine pelts unfortunately had a detour neither of them could have imagine."
"What happened to them?" The daughter excitedly asked, leaning in closely as she took a sip of her mug.
The mother looked at her husband with a cheeky smile on her face. "It started like a day any other for the wandering pair. Waking in the cold air of the new lands they had recently ventured to. Everything was as it should have been, that was before the trail led them into a dense part of the woods." Her eyes looked out at the window seeing the mountain fog had finally enveloped the woods surrounding the town they lived in. "Before the mist moved in and clouded their vision."