Blood Moon Chronicles: Book 3: A New Moon Rises

by James Howlette

Copyright© 2012 by James Howlette

A Blood Moon Story (3)

Description: Book 3 in the story of Young Davik, and his Quest for vengeance. Davik is now changing and must learn to control his new abilities. But the beast is on the move too, and soon the two forces will clash. Who will prevail and could something new be born out of their conflict.

Tags: Some Sex, NonConsensual, Rape, BiSexual, Fiction, non-anthro, Were animal, Big Breasts, Size, Slow, Violent

Published: 2012-06-27

Updated: 2019-12-08

Size: 200,817 Words

Chapter 1

I kept an even pace as I made my way north from my town, Cartha, into the great expanse of the Tranik Forest. It covered five of the eight provinces, including Bardack Province in which Cartha is found, within the large country of Ontegra. Bardack, Entric, Stonda, and Rilsa provinces were completely covered by the great forest, with Vishant, east of Bardack, separated from the rest by a great lake. The only open areas within the forest were either the different villages contained within, or the larger port or capital cities. The villages only cleared the encroaching forest, one kilometer from the village walls in all directions. Towns like mine were average for the province, usually twice to three times the size of a village such as Dru’Tirk. The cities were usually four to five times the size of villages and kept the area around them cleared for ten kilometers. The provinces of Altara, Gerate, and Helona had very little to none of the forest within their respective borders. Instead, they had vast plains and mountains covering their landscape. The country’s capital resided in Altara, the northernmost province, at least a four-month ride from my home. Bardack was one of the interior provinces, with only the provincial capital city and what was referred to as the hub city. The hub city, Ishtala, was positioned in the exact center of the country, and was the main travel point for any caravan that was moving goods between provinces. The capital of Bardack Province, Trontar, was not that large, as ours was one of the poorer provinces.

I have never been to either of them, so I highly doubted that I would see them any time soon. I planned to keep myself away from any villages or settlements. It was better that way. As I passed our tree, I saw the heart Violet and I had carved into the tree all those years ago. The tree still stained with the blood of my first kill. My mind drifted to the events that had happened, that had put all the recent events in motion. That blood stain was a constant reminder of that night, the attack on the village, and my first fight with the Voguel. Learning that when they die, they transform back into the men they had been before the moon had risen. I have killed many more since that night, and each one weighed heavy on my heart. If they had only been beasts, it would have been easier, I would be able to be detached from what I had had to do. The result was still that I killed men, though they were evil, from my village. Of all the ones I had killed during the last blood moon, the last were worse than before. What made had it worse was that their leader had been Brant, our Patron, charged with overseeing the growth and protection of our village. Instead, he had victimized and bullied the people of our village as the Patron, and when the blood moon would rise, he would kill villagers on mere whim. For a time, I had believed that he was the one responsible for the death of my parents all those years ago.

I had hoped that when I had killed Brant, the wolf leader and Patron of our village, that I had killed the beast that murdered my parents. But that was not the case, he was only a pawn, one who served a dark and sinister master. Even though I was successful in ridding the town of his evil influence, I was left with a wound - not just of the body - but of the spirit. It was Brant’s last act of cruelty, before I sent him to the void.

Over the months since, I had grown accustomed to not being the man I had been before. I could not hunt or work like I had before, but I was still able to help and teach those who chose to live with and serve me. So I did not be helpless, I taught myself to sword fight with my off hand with Trent and Clive’s help.

Thinking of them caused my mind to turn to them. How hurt Clive had been when he entered that inn, to tell me that Liza had been kidnapped. The look on Trent’s face as Ruben’s sword tore through his heart and burst forth from his chest. The look of regret and shame on Ruben’s face before he let go and resigned himself to the deep cavern of the mine.

As I passed the path for the grove within the forest, my thoughts drifted to Violet. The first time I had visited it since I had returned to the village, had been filled with passion and love. Violet, daughter of Ruben, had followed me on my rest day to the grove. She had caught me, in the waterfall=fed, miniature lake, completely nude. Her eyes never left me as I got out of the water and put on some pants. She joined me for a meal, after drinking a cup of Ice Berry wine, I had told her the special nature of the cups we used. My elder father had fashioned them many years ago from a log that had helped me kill a wolf that was pestering their village. When he had made them, I swore that I would only let someone of the highest importance to me drink from the cup. She realized what that had meant, and we ended up kissing, becoming more passionate with each second.

She had broken away when I had placed my hand on her breast. I thought I had offended her; instead she removed her clothing and jumped into the water. I removed my pants and joined her, we resumed our kissing, and soon we were doing much more. We joined together in the most intimate way a man and woman could, we both relished every aspect of it until we both reached the climax of our union.

That one day would forever stay in my memory until the day I die, but now it was marred by the tragedy of Trent’s murder.

I continued north for another kilometer, before stopping for a short rest. It was midday at this time, so I stopped to eat some food from my bag and took a drink of water from my water flask. The dried fruits were delicious, and the cured meat hit the spot, I would have enough for one more meal, but after that I would need to start hunting. I started walking west from the grove path and this would be my direction of travel for the remainder of the day. From there, I would then head north towards where I figured my goal would be. There were no roads or well-traveled paths through the woods, but. I wanted to be sure that I would be left alone, isolated from any distractions.

As I continued, listening to the sounds of the wood, I tried to keep my mind off the questions that plagued me. I tried to admire the different trees that filled this section of the woods. While it was mostly cedar, white oak and beech trees, each adorned with vibrant green leaves. The colors of their trunks, shades of brown, white, and grey, accenting and complementing one another. Since it was in the beginning of the fall season, I would not need to worry about noise made from dry tree limbs and leaves. In the coming weeks, the leaves of the various trees would begin to change color.,. filling the forest with a variety of colors and hues. By the time the sun had set, I had traveled probably five or six kilometers. I was in no rush, so I looked around for a good place to make camp.

After a little while of searching, I was able to find a nice area to relax that would be safe to build a fire. It was a small ridge that sat about seven feet high, but instead of going straight down, it went inwards. This would be useful, to protect me from the elements, such as rain. I laid my pack down and ventured out from my chosen campsite in search of wood, tinder, and rocks. I made three trips, bringing back various combinations of the three items, until I was satisfied with what I had collected. My first step was to create a circle of stones to contain the fire from spreading, while reflecting the heat outward. Once that was done, I began to place the wood within the circle, overlapping the tops of the sticks in the middle of the circle. They then descended on a sharp incline outward from the middle, leaving a small space between the stick and the rocks. Once the cone had been completed, I placed the tinder, carefully underneath, as I did not want to knock it over and start again. I removed my knife from my bag, and, using the flint I had had Trina buy, struck it against the butt of the knife, creating a spark.

I had to strike the flint four more times before the tinder caught from the sparks and began to slowly burn. Wasting no time, I lightly blew on the fledgling embers, feeding them the air they needed to grow. My patience was soon rewarded, and those embers grew until I had a fully realized campfire.

With that task completed, I returned to my pack and untied the bedroll from the top of it. I laid it out a safe distance away from the fire, to ensure that a rogue ember would not set it ablaze accidentally. I removed some more dried fruit, having a quick meal while I enjoyed a nice drink of Ice Berry Wine. When I finished my meal, I laid down in my bedroll, and looked up at the sky. The night sky was filled with a brilliant tapestry of stars, illuminating the darkness with forms and light. I looked up at them and began to saw shapes that could be made from the groups. The sounds of the forest were like a lullaby, the mating calls of nocturnal insects filling the air. The gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees, mixed with the sounds, created a very soothing atmosphere. Slowly I began do drift towards sleep and as I closed my eyes, the last sight that filled my vision was of the moon.

Once again, I was plagued by disturbing dreams, filled with horrors of blood and death. It started with me running through the forest, headed towards the main entrance to the village. After all, I did not want to just appear inside, they might suspect something. As I ran faster and faster, my paws barely felt anything as I dashed through the forest. Soon I could see the village gate, hear the heartbeats of the guards, and smell their fear. The red moon was bright in the sky and it filled me with energy, and hunger. I had been tormenting the village for three moons now, and even the guards were afraid of me and the rest of my pack. I did not slow down as I came into the clearing, adjusting my stride to head right for the guards. One of them fled his post as soon as he saw me, heading through the guard door into the village. The other guard hesitated before he started running to the door, but he was surprised to find it would not open. The other guard must have locked the door behind him, hoping that it would hold me at bay. As I came within a few feet of the lone guard, he turned, and I jumped for his throat. I could not wait to taste his blood, as my front paws connected with his chest and he was slammed against the door. All the air escaped his lungs in an instant and while he was disoriented, I took my chance, and ripped out his throat, his gargled attempt at a scream filling my ears.

I backed off his chest and simply watched as the life drained out of him, pooling on the ground beneath him, the light of life slowly draining from his eyes until they looked hollow, devoid of anything. I sprinted a few feet away from the gate and sizing up the distance I needed to travel, darted at the gate wall. Moving as fast as I could, just before I reached my target I crouched, and put all my strength into a leap. I sailed over the gate, just missing the pointed tips of the logs and landed right on the other guard. The force of the impact caused multiple bones to break, and he screamed in agony, as he crumpled to the ground. I reveled in his torment a while, before breaking his neck with a quick twist of my jaws and darting into the village for my target.

I darted through the town, using the alleys and back paths to my advantage, as I made my way to the market area. As I neared my destination, I slowed my movements to a slow walk and crouched down low using the shadows to my advantage. When I was sure I had not been seen, I stalked out of the shadows of an alley into the moon-illuminated marketplace. I dashed through the empty area, making my way into an alley-way which would take me to my intended destination. I was soon near to the house containing my fixation and even from here, I could pick up her scent.

That bitch had been a good lay, and soon I would claim her for myself for good, she would not refuse me tonight. I would enjoy raping her repeatedly and beating that bitch until she knew her place and gave me what I was owed willingly.

Once she was mine, I would kill her family right in front of her, to show her the price of her refusals. First, that little shit of a brother, then that son of a bitch Ruben. As for her slut mother, I would keep her for my men to enjoy and force Violet to watch as they gang raped her. It would irrevocably break Violet’s spirit and ensure she would be mine until the day she died. I would have to see to it that she did not try to take her own life and rob me of my delicious prize. She would bare me many sons, pander to me every sexual whim and - when she had proven herself - be turned. I stopped in front of their door, taking in a deep breath, letting her scent fill my senses. I readied myself. All I needed to do was burst through that door and claim her for my own.

I woke up with a start, my breathing was ragged, and my body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. The dream felt really draining from the disgusting images and thoughts that permeated them.

I thought of what I was seeing and realized it was another dream from Brant’s perspective. It had been so long since I had had one that it took me a while to realize it. Due to the nature of Violet’s medicine I tended not to remember my dreams, but I felt like I had had more of them. The part that worried me, though, was that I knew I had dreamt others but had no memory of them.

Could the answer of who was behind this lie in my dreams? The thought that I would continue to relive them made me sick to my stomach, but I tried to put that out of my mind, for now. This gave me hope that I could get clue to who Blackheart was, and how I would be able to defeat him. I looked up into the sky - the moon was in its final transition near the horizon; another few hours and the sun would be up. I knew that I would not be able to get back to sleep any time soon, so I packed up my supplies and put out the embers of my fire. Once I was sure that the fire was out, I put on my pack and continued my trek, this time northward.

I could see the change in the forest, as the night waned and day began, but it was much more vivid than before. Sounds of the forest began to change, the dominant sounds of insects faded with the sun, replaced by the music of the many birds residing there. The smells changed as well, as flowers and other plants began to open and release their fragrances into the forest air. I had never been able to pick up the unique smells of the individual flora before, let alone the changes, and marveled at the many tones and variations. I did not dwell on how I could now tell them all apart. Instead, I just enjoyed the scenery as I continued my journey. I did not stop for a morning meal, as I passed a few trees that had sprouted nice, ripe apples. I picked a few of the healthy ones that did not look to have anything living in them and enjoyed their sweet taste. I placed about half a dozen more in my pack, they would prove useful for the next day or so to keep my hunger at bay until I made camp.

As I traveled, I ended up seeing various animals frolicking and living out their lives, undisturbed by people. A fox with her cubs, a group of elk grazing in an area of open land, a pack of forest wolves stalking a Tora. I wish I could have stayed to watch what happened, as Toras were well-known to be able to fend off most animals. Larger than most bears, the Tora was over ten feet tall and weighed nearly two tons. Covered with a soft, short fur, the color resembled that of dry grass. Many people had accidentally run into one sleeping while cutting through the woods - to their detriment.

In some ways, the Tora looked like the illegitimate offspring of a wolf and a bear. The ears, front legs and body mass were that of most bears. However, the snout and skull were longer and leaner like that of a wolf. As well, the beasts’ hind legs were shaped like that of a wolf, but with the power and mass of a bear. It was a marvelous creature, to be sure, and while I was curious to see how the pack of wolves would fare against the mightier opponent, I needed to move on. I had much to dwell on, as I continued through the forest and I still had a way to go.

After travelling for a few kilometers, I stopped for a short mid-day meal, and I finished off the fruits and meat that I had been given. The apples would tide me over as I would have to hunt for my evening meal, but that was all right by me. I was aching to test out my shoulder, hoping that I would once again be able to draw my bow.

I stretched my muscles and collected my things, discarding the remains of the fruit and meat. I was sure that some animals would enjoy the treat. As I continued my journey north, I began to get A suspicious feeling, like the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. This usually happened when it seemed that someone or something was following me, out of my range of sight.

I looked around, scanning the forest around me for any sign of what I had sensed, but I could not see what it was. As I continued my trek, I listened to the forest more closely, hoping for hints of what was giving me this feeling.

It was a few hours after sundown, the moon was still climbing the sky, when I finally stopped to make camp. I knew the terrain would get rough from here on out, but that was expected where I was trying to go. As I did the night before, I went about my ritual of collecting rocks, wood, and tinder for a campfire. I set up my fire, ensuring there was enough wood to keep the fire burning bright. I was happy that I had been able to find small pieces of obsidian while searching for firewood. I had found them the first time I had come through here, and I found many good pieces this time. They would make good arrowheads, with some time spent shaping them to fit their task. I tended the fire to make sure that it would stay lit until I returned. Once that was complete, I made sure that my pack was out of reach of animals by tying it to a branch high in a nearby tree and headed into the forest.

As I walked from my camp, I took a deep breath and drew my bow. I could feel myself get anxious as I pulled an arrow from my quiver and nocked it to the bowstring. With another deep, calming breath, I turned in place and carefully pulled the string back. I expected pain to explode in my shoulder as the string reached its apex position, but there was no pain at all. I checked my sight down the arrow and aimed at a knot in a nearby tree. I let loose the arrow and watched as it soared through the air, embedding itself in the tree. I went over and gingerly tried to extract the arrow, without damaging the head or body of the arrow. It came out rather easily, but I would need to be careful, especially with my newfound strength. Until I knew the extent of my strength, I needed to be careful or I would break my bow and arrows.

I made my way into the forest, keeping an arrow always nocked as I carefully scanned the forest for a target. The moon was getting high enough in the sky, for it to begin to illuminate the forest. To my surprise however, I found that I could see better than I ever could, just days before. Intrigued, I began to listen to the sounds of the woods, trying to focus on separating the sounds of the forest from the sounds of possible game.

After a few minutes of listening, I began to hear the familiar footsteps of elk, moving through the forest. After a few more moments, I was able to gauge where the general area the sounds were coming from, hoping to try and zero in on my prey. I moved as fast as I could, without making any noise loud enough that would scare the elk away. Soon I had closed the gap between myself and the herd and as I slowed my approach, I began scanning the herd. I was looking for a simple target, that would give me decent meat and have the highest chance of success. I saw a female, a cow of decent size, but she seemed to have an injured hind leg. She had troubles walking on it, and no doubt had trouble keeping up with the rest of the herd. Normally, I would not kill an animal so young, but she would be dead soon in any case.

I began to take deep breaths, slowing my heart rate, as I took aim at the injured cow. With a final deep breath, I let the arrow loose, watching as it flew and pierced the animal’s heart. The cow fell immediately, as the rest of the herd quickly darted away, leaving their fallen member to her fate.

I approached the kill carefully, as there was a possibility that predators would take the opportunity to come out of the shadows and try to take this kill. I scanned the area and I could not see any now, but they would not be good predators if I had noticed them. When I was sure that nothing would come and try to claim the kill, I approached my kill. I knelt and carefully removed the arrow from her chest, trying not to damage either of them.

After checking the state of the arrow, I was confident it could be reused, and placed it back in my quiver. I would clean it after I had dealt with supper. I then seized the cow by the legs and decided to test my strength. With a quick jerk, I had the cow over my shoulders, and it felt no different that carrying a small child. I began my trek back to camp and, as I approached the fire, I carefully laid my kill against a nearby tree. I took down my pack from its hiding place, checked to make sure nothing was missing and retrieved the rope Trina had stored inside.

I tied the cow’s legs and threw the rope over a thick branch, carefully pulling up the elk, until it was suspended high enough in the air to begin to perform a field dressing. I cut her open from anus to throat, going slow, to make sure I did not puncture vital organs. If I accidently ruptured the colon, stomach or intestines that could ruin the meat.

I removed all of the organs and tissues that were inedible, burying them in a small hole a few meters outside of camp, then I began to skin the animal. The pelt would prove useful during this trip, so I hung it on a branch to dry. When that had been completed, I returned and began portioning off the sections of meat. Since I had gone so long without eating, I took two larges cuts of meat and placed them on large stones surrounding the fire. Soon the smell of cooking meat filled the air as the heat from the rocks did their job and amplified my desire to eat. I continued cutting off pieces of meat, but given how lean this cow had been, there was not much more to collect. I took the meat that had cooked and replaced it with the fresh cuts and sat down to enjoy my food. My patience had paid off when I sunk my teeth into the first piece of the cooked meat. While it lacked any seasoning, the succulent meat curbed the call of my stomach for food. I quickly devoured the first piece of meat and moved onto the next, while tending to the ones cooking.

As I was beginning to eat my second piece, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked around and noticed faint movement in the bushes - the sense of being watched had returned. I cursed myself as I should have noticed sooner, had I not been so distracted by my hunger. Unlike before, the sensation was focused to a single area, my eyes never left that spot, as the movement grew closer. Just before whatever was moving emerged, it stopped moving within the bramble.

I was surprised when a large black wolf jumped out from the tree line. I recognized it as the one who had saved me before.

Now that I realized I was not in danger, I took a closer look. From what I could tell, she was female and large for her gender. You did not see many wolves like that around here but they were not uncommon. The size was unique, and I was impressed by a dark black coat and those golden eyes. After the events of the past few months, I could not help but look up to the moon. It was white, as it always was, with no sign of it being red any time soon. Still, I found it strange that this female would be following me. Most animals shied away from a campfire, as a fire was a natural defense against most predators.

The wolf stared at me with her golden eyes, as if she was staring into my soul, and I could see that all her muscles were tense. Slowly I reached my hand over to the section of meat that was still cooking and tossed a piece to her. She caught the meat, with a little jump, and began to devour it with abandon. Her eyes never left mine as she devoured her gift, and I could still see she was ready to dash away at a moment’s notice.

As I watched her, I noticed she was a truly beautiful creature, despite the biased feelings I had towards wolves. Her muscles were lean and taut, covered with a short, fine fur that seemed to shine in the moonlight. Around her neck it was a bit thicker, not unlike a lion’s mane, which gave a natural elegance to her, which I could not help but appreciate.

She quickly finished her meat, and turned her focus to me once again, cocking her head to the side for a moment. Then in a flash, she disappeared into the forest. I sat and listened as she moved away from my camp. For a while, I stared at where the wolf had been, it had been so surreal, a sign that what I was doing was correct.

I double checked the fire, making sure it would not risk spreading, or going out before morning. I then set up my bed roll and laid down to sleep for the night, hoping that I would not have another of those horrible dreams. I found my mind wandering to everyone I had left behind, hoping that they would be ok. I knew that Violet would not be alone, as she had Lillian to help her through this tough time. In the last few months, Lillian had changed my opinion of her and I was confident that Violet was in good hands. I thought of Liza, and if she was ok. No doubt, she was having nightmares from the kidnapping. She had her sister and I knew that Trina would help her through it. I found myself growing more attached to them, especially after that night with Liza, and I was betting Trina would not let things stay uneven for long. I thought of Clive, losing his best friend not long after he had been nearly killed. I hoped that everyone would be able to help him through this tough time. I wondered if I would run into that she-wolf again, I found myself hoping I would. She reminded me of the one calling himself Blackheart, but she seemed to want to keep me alive. That was a problem for tomorrow. For right now, I needed to try and get some rest. I had a long way to go, yet, and there was still so much to do.

Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning, thankful not to have been plagued by another dream like the one I had had the night before. The idea of reliving Brant’s memories through my dreams was troublesome and left a bad taste in my mouth. While it could answer questions I had, I had felt tainted right down to my soul after that first dream. Though when I recalled it, there was one aspect missing - me. The memory was not one that resulted in his death, and I wondered if it could have been from before I had returned.

I stretched, collected the remaining cooked meat from my kill, and began to break camp. I wrapped the bedroll up and tied it to the top of my pack; the meat I wrapped in what had once held the cured meats Trina gave me. I wrapped up the hide and tied it to the bottom of my pack before throwing my pack over my shoulder. I was surprised to find no notable difference to the weight.

I left the remains of the carcass, as well as a piece of meat, in case the she-wolf decided to return for another meal. I had woken up some time between dawn and midday, a little past when I had hoped to awaken, and I would have to pick up the pace if I wanted to get to my destination before sundown tomorrow. I was not worried about getting there after sunset, but it was impossible to find it in the dark due to how the entrance was concealed. The last time I was there, I had been out hunting too long and could not find the entrance. I had had no choice but to sleep outside that night, and it ended up raining all night, it was horrible.

I broke into a quick jog that I maintained for an hour and realized that it was almost too easy; I wondered how fast I could go. I decided to test my speed, but I did not push myself too hard, as I did not want to trip on something and get injured. I was covering ground quite quickly, and still I was not breaking a sweat. Confident that I would not hurt myself, I decided to take the risk, and pushed myself into running as fast as I could. The speed at which everything passed me was astounding and at this rate, I would get there just after midday today. I was able to keep the pace quite easily, though I did start feeling the signs of fatigue that a sprint used to give me. I began to worry that I was running too fast to see anything coming up before it was too late. I decided to slow down to a more manageable speed, allowing me to react in time and I would still arrive at my destination before sunset.

As I made my way through the forest, I continued to admire the beauty that was quickly passing me by. A few times, I swear I thought I saw the she-wolf running to keep up with me, but as quickly as I saw her, she was gone. I thought for a second that I was hoping that she was with me, the thought knowing I was not fully alone gave me some comfort. I also found myself surprised at my ability to accept her presence, but given the past few months, I found that I was reevaluating my feelings on multiple matters. This time away would help me work through everything, come to grips with my changes, and help me to be prepared for what was to come.

I stopped for an hour, just after midday, to have a meal, stretch my limbs, and rest a bit. I got a fire going, and left camp to collect some berries and fruits to go with the elk meat. When I returned, I saw a visitor digging into my satchel. I picked up a rock and tossed it nearby, startling the she-wolf. I could not help but laugh, the wolf jumped and dashed into the bushes. She had followed me here, and now it looked like she had also made off with a piece of elk meat. I approached the fire, while I sorted through the fruits and berries I had collected, I took a bite of some of the cooked meat that was left. It looked like she had eaten two pieces and would have eaten the last piece had I not caught her. Thankfully, none of the berries I collected were spoiled, inhabited, or poisonous. I took out my cups, and poured myself some Ice Berry wine, to enjoy with this fine meal.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the she-wolf leave the bushes and slowly approach me. She seemed to be watching me closely as she approached, watching for any sign that I would attack. When she got less than a meter or so from me, she surprised me further, by lying down on her belly. She continued to watch me with curiosity, her head cocked to one side; she seemed curious what I would do. I took my knife, which caused her to tense, before I cut and tossed her a piece of meat. The she-wolf snatched it out of the air, quickly consumed the meat, and just watched me complete my meal. When I was finished, I took care to clear my campsite, before making the final leg of my journey.

I bade farewell to my dining companion and made off towards my destination. I started at a slow jog, and slowly increased my speed to prevent accidentally causing myself an injury. Once I was at a sprint, I once again pushed myself as fast as I could go. The trees and other flora became a blur of colors. As I dashed past them I could feel the burn in my muscles from the exertion I was putting on them, and yet it did not deter me. I kept this pace up for the remainder of the afternoon and, after a few hours of breaking camp, I saw in the distance the rock formations I had been looking for.

As the sun reached the tree line in its final travel through the sky I arrived at my destination, giving me a sense of peace. I stopped to survey the changes that had occurred in the area over the years I had been gone. Surprisingly there were practically none. For the next thirty kilometers, it was nothing but huge granite formations. Due to the distance from most towns, as well as the isolated region of the forest it occupied, there was no risk of it being mined any time soon. The centermost area was almost like a small grey mountain. It rose just a few meters over the tree line. My destination was along the southern ridge, so I adjusted my pack and slowly made my way to the first marker. I had found this halfway through my last hunting excursion, purely by accident, but it proved to be the thing that helped me cope.

I had been tracking a small herd of deer when I got turned around, as I had been foolish enough to try to hunt at night during a new moon. I had stumbled around in the dark until I tripped and fell, landing on a tall rock of some kind. When I had placed my hands in front of me to break my fall, my left arm hit rock, my right arm kept moving until my shoulder struck rock.

Now, as I arrived at the southern edge of the granite formation, I could see the first marker, a rock with a peculiar hole though the middle of it. After I reached the marker, I turned and began to head north into the rock formation itself. My thoughts returned to that night years ago. I had pulled my arm out and continued to stumble around in the dark. I had taken my bow, moved it from side to side in front of me to make sure I would not stumble on something in front of me I could not see. I had gone for a few meters when I had come across a fork. A gust of wind chose that time to pick up and blow my bow down the left fork. I went in the direction that it had been blown and carefully tried to find it using my feet. After about ten minutes of searching I found the bow. When I went to pick it up, I braced my hand against a rock beside me. As I slid down to grab it, my hand slipped, and I toppled into an opening within the rock. Thankfully, I was able to grab the bow before I slid in and tumbled down an uneven rock face before landing on very hard ground. I remembered, now, how I had been knocked out by the fall and I recalled I did not wake up until morning. That realization came from the fact I could see around, as light was coming into the cavern. The cavern looked rather large and I looked around to see where the entrance was.

I dropped my things and made my way up to the entrance. As I stepped out, I could see that the entrance was hidden. Unless you knew that the entrance was there, it looked like solid rock. In fact, it was two pieces of rock, with a small path between that turned left and went down into the cave. Due to the position facing south, as well as the rocks that surrounded it, there were never any shadows generated by the traveling of the sun which would dispel the optical illusion.

As I came out of my memories, I realized that I had been standing at the fork for the last twenty minutes. I laughed at myself and made my way up the left path to the entrance of my cave. As I reached the end of the path, I turned into the rock wall to my right, and followed the short, hidden path to the entrance. I went down the rough incline and found myself within the large cavern once again. It had been useful then and it would prove just as useful now; it would be my home for the near future. I walked in the barely illuminated cave, surprised at how well I could see its interior. I could see every inch of the primary cave as if I had a large bonfire going. I shook off the unease of the experience and placed my pack, bow, quiver, and satchel along the wall. Once I had placed my gear down, I went to the opposite wall and was happy to see that the wood I had left here had not rotted away. The lack of moisture in the cavern probably helped with that, but I would need to get some fresher wood.

I collected what I needed from the pile and made my way to the circle of stones that I had left when I last had been here. They were located about twenty feet from the pile of wood and about a foot from the northern wall. I had chosen this spot because there was a small opening in the ceiling that vented to the outside. It proved to be a good water source during storms, so I had to be sure that it would not douse the fire. It took some time, but I had a healthy fire going and, by the look of the entrance, the sun had just finished setting. I had enough berries and such, plus half a piece of meat left, so I would need to go hunting in the morning.

While I enjoyed the meat, I wished that I had thought to bring some seasonings. I had a few cups of the Ice Berry wine and laughed at the fact I wished my vulpine companion had been dining with me tonight.

My thoughts drifted to Violet, wondering how she was doing, how sad she was that I was not there with her. I thought of Liza and Trina, I knew Trent and the rest of the guys would take care of them, but it did not put me fully at ease.

I put away my cups and put fresh wood on the fire. As I lay down for my night’s rest, my thoughts drifted to what my purpose here was. Something was happening to me; I was not sure what it was, and I could not risk those I cared about. Here in this solitude, I would be able to test my limits in my search for answers. I closed my eyes, and drifted to sleep, as thoughts of what tomorrow would bring, filled my head.

---

---

I woke up with a jerk and turned to retch up the contents of my stomach. The visuals of that dream were disgusting, even more so because I knew who those two girls had been.

Liza and Trina were the two that had had to hear their father die, watched the rape and eventual murder of their mother. God knows what happened after that - I shivered at the thought of what Brant could have subjected them to.

I still wondered why I was receiving these dreams now. Was it because of the change I had undergone?

That was an issue for later. Now, I needed to clean up the mess I had just made and go out to relieve myself.

I went to check the trough I had built that was fed by the hole in the roof via a wooden aqueduct I had built. It had taken me years to get it set up right, as there was not really much, I could do to anchor it to the wall, hence slowly building it from the trough up to the hole itself. It had seen some wear. given the time I had spent away, and the moisture that would have collected over the years. I would need to replace it all with Teaka wood, and I am sure my apprentices would be able to come up with a way for me to make it one that would last.

I collected a rag and a bucket of water and went about cleaning up the mess I had made. I did not need that smell permeating this enclosed space, as I did not know how long I would be staying here as yet.

Once the cleanup was done, I went outside and went to dump the contents and do my morning business. Despite the familiar surroundings, I kept my senses keened to the area around me, as I did not want to be caught off guard.

I returned to the cavern and started going through my supplies. I had not much to go on, food-wise, which would mean I would need to set some traps, do some gathering, and some hunting. I would also have to build some drying racks for any hides that I would collect. They would also prove useful for curing the meat I collected. I still had some of the tools I had used to build the aqueduct in the cave, so I should be able to make the racks. The issue would be stretching the hides, but then I remembered I had items for fishing stored away in a small cave linked to this cavern. I went in and found what I was looking for - my elder father’s fishing case. I had left it here for safekeeping when I left last, and that would prove useful to me. I opened it up and was happy to see all the hooks were in good condition, as were the extra spools of fishing line. The two would prove adequate to stretch the hide out and not cause any undue damage.

My cast iron pot was still here, as was the skillet I had left here, though both would need to be given a quick cleaning before I could use them. My stomach growled and I collected my knife, bow and quiver, rope and a small side pouch.

I decided to head north of the outcropping about a kilometer and set some snares. At this point, I wanted to limit my meat to single-use animals, until I had the means ready to properly cure and preserve them. I listened for movement in the trees or bush signaling a potential target. Once I was far enough away, I began to start setting snares, collecting berries as I went. I would need them for bait, as well as food, I would also need to look along the nearby river for tubers that would be a decent substitute for potatoes.

I made sure to space out my snares, and started thinking about traps. These would not work for animals like deer or elk, but they would do quite well against predators and humans. It was a simple leg snare, much like was used for catching rabbits, but on a much larger scale. Hopefully the she-wolf was watching and would be smart enough to keep away from these. Time would tell. I continued, looking about but I was not fortunate enough to see any decent birds, pheasants or rabbits.

Resigned to having to wait for some meat, I instead kept a look out for nests with eggs, that were empty. I rarely did this, except in the situation where need absolutely demanded it. I knew I would have some meat in a few hours, but I needed to keep my strength up. I was fortunate to find one a few minutes into searching and climbed up the tree to find three eggs. I hated having to resort to this, but it felt like I had not eaten in a few days, no doubt another product of the changes I had undergone.

When I picked up the first egg, it was immediately crushed in my hand. I wiped my egg covered hand on my pants and tried again. This time I was able to grasp an egg, but as I went to put it in my bag, it slipped from my light grip and fell to the ground. I took a deep breath and tried again, this time I applied the right pressure and successfully placed the egg in my bag. I climbed down and continued looking for more eggs and fruits to go with it. It still took a few tries, either too much or too little pressure, before I got three eggs. I found a few decent apple trees and attempted to collect a few apples to fill out my pack. Like with the eggs, I ended up crushing a few apples before I successfully collected a few. I would need to make a more extensive search after I had eaten.

Confident that I had enough food for now, and that my snares would provide more soon, I returned to the cave. Once inside, I checked my fire. There were embers still and would prove enough to start kindling. It took me about ten minutes to get the fire going, and soon the room was filled with heat and light. I then spent some time cleaning my cast iron skillet as well as collecting the seasonings I had stored. I checked them and was happy to find their caps had held true and none of them had spoiled. I carefully assembled the salt and pepper, as well as a spatula and cooking grease, before I returned to the main room to begin cooking my breakfast. Making sure to be careful with my grip, I lightly coated the pan and placed it on one of the burning logs. I then tried to carefully crack the eggs, crushing the first one completely, but was able to do the other two without ruining them. Once they were into the pan, I added salt and pepper and scrambled them about as they cooked. While the eggs were cooking, I quickly took an apple and sliced it up, stopping to stir or flip the eggs, ensuring they cooked evenly. I found one of my plates I had for my travels and poured the cooked eggs onto the plate, then put the cut apples into the skillet. I flipped them occasionally letting the sugars turn the outside brown before placing them on the plate. I then added some berries and sat down to enjoy my breakfast.

I realized after my first bite that I had been spoiled by Liza’s cooking, but it would have to do. I made quick work of the food and cleaned up the skillet and other goods I had used, before putting them away.

I then made my way outside and decided that I would spend a bit of time testing my abilities. I already knew that I could move incredibly fast, at least double what I once could run at top speed, and I could now run for a much longer time at that speed. Still, I needed to get a grip on my strength, as if I was not careful, I could crush a hand or break someone’s bones by accident. Not to mention the amount of damage I could do to property and objects. I frowned, recalling how I had ripped the door right out of the wall.

The first thing that needed to be addressed was the strength issue. While I was able to administer some control today while setting my traps, collecting fruit and cooking, it was not enough. If I was to try and use these abilities in a fight, it could do more harm than good. I needed to be able to control them when my emotions were high ... or while I was fatigued.

I looked for a boulder that would normally been just slightly too heavy to lift and found one not far from the entrance.

I made my way down and looked at the boulder, as there could be more that were hidden underground. I found two locations that would be perfect lift points and got into position. I approached the boulder and squatted down, placing my hands at the points I had found. I then adjusted my foot placement and took a few deep breaths in preparation. I then pushed with my legs, while pulling with my arms and felt the boulder begin to move. After a few moments, I was able to wrench it out of the ground and begin lifting it above my head. It looked like it had gone down about twenty-five to thirty centimeters below the ground and could be around three to four hundred pounds. I was surprised how light it felt.

While I could not throw it up in the air and catch it, I did not find myself straining to hold it. I braced myself once again, then spun and released the boulder. It flew twenty meters before it landed with a hard thump, and I marveled at my strength.

While I had been semi-successful in controlling my strength when I made my breakfast, I would need to continue to hone my ability until the control was second nature. That way I could refrain from damaging something or hurting someone, unless I meant to cause said damage. I would be able to practice control by collecting berries and apples. That would allow me to ensure I would not destroy eggs or other items in honing my skills.

I would need to also need to adequately add my new-found abilities to my fighting. The extra speed and strength would be useful in both sword fighting and archery. I would need to get adequate wood to use as a simulated sword and could use my tools to build practice dummies. That would have to wait until I was sure I would not break my tools, but I had a plan in place.

I then heard something snapping in movement, and believed it was one of my snares being set off. I made my way towards my snares, looking forward to the prize I would have to enjoy.

Chapter 3

As I approached the area the sound had come from, I nocked an arrow, just in case. There was no telling what I had snared, and there was always a chance a predator would attempt to claim my prize. As I closed the distance, I tried to change my focus, to listen to what was happening around me. Though there was some movement, it was nothing nearby, but I did not plan to drop my guard, even for a moment. Soon the snare was within sight, a rabbit had been caught, but not killed. A quick twist of the wrist would change that, and as I got closer, I decided to test my strength.

While I had heard over the years it was possible, I never tried to remove the skin of a rabbit with my bare hands. I figured with my current strength I would be easy, but it would also prove to be an adequate test of control, as too much force and I could rip the animal in half. I walked up to the dangling rabbit and placed my hand behind its head. With a quick jerk, it neck snapped like a twig, and it hung there lifeless. I tried to recall what to do next and after a few moments, I made a quick incision near the tail. I then grabbed the nape of the rabbis neck while pulling the body away. I was surprised at how quickly and easily the skin separated from the body. I then quickly field dressed the rabbit and returned to camp with the meat and pelt. I brought the meat in and started removing it from the small animal remains there was enough meat to make a decent stew. Once I had the meat separated, I took the remains and placed them outside of the camp perimeter.

I returned inside and quickly collected the items I would need for the stew. Collecting some water from the trough and my pot, I filled it halfway and placed it onto some hot pieces of wood near the edge of the fire. Once that was done, I quickly added the rabbit meat and went off to wash my hands. Once they were nice and clean, I went to collect the herbs and spices as well as some items to go with it. I had some dried rice, which were easy to cook and store without it going bad. I added that to the broth to thicken it up, then I tossed in some seasoning that I liked, and felt would work well with the meat. I looked around and did not have much in the way of vegetables, I would have to collect some wild ones and items that should substitute. Using what I had, I made a semi decent stew and left it to cook while I cleaned up. I would need to work on making the drying racks for the deer skin, as well as one for the rabbit hide. I would need the deer skin to help cure future game meat to ensure I had enough to last my stay here. As I waited for my food to cook, I collected my wood working gear. Hand saws, hammers, nails, glue, as well as the fishing line and hooks. Once I had all that ready in the main area, I found the stew was still needing some time to cook.

That is when I remembered the note that had been left by Ruben in the secret drawer. I went over to my pack and fished out both it and the journal that he had asked me to read. With a deep breath, I opened the letter and read the contents.

I sat there in shock as I looked upon the letter, a storm of emotions spun within me, feeding off each other. Anger, betrayal, disappointment, shame and regret were the most prevalent in that storm. I wanted to toss the letter and the journal into the fire, but I needed to know what happened to start all of this. There had to be some reason my parents - and then I - would be targeted by this man.

I folded the letter up and put it in my pack. While it may have been his wish to have me get rid of it, his final actions require answers for his family.

I went to check on the stew, and found that it was cooked to my liking, and set about getting a bowl for myself. I poured a cup of Ice Berry wine and sat near the fire, with the journal. After a few spoonful’s of food, my curiosity got the better of me and I opened it up to the marked section to read.

How many years has it been? Ten, twenty? Still I could remember those times so vividly even now. So much happened that changed our lives, and so much tragedy has come from it. I need to get it all down, to make sure that Davik knows why all of this has happened. One day, when he returns, if he returns, I will sit down with him and explain it all. I just hope that he will be able to forgive me, to forgive us, for what happened to bring this about.

---

Third week, of the fifth month, fifteen forty-seven

Today Stevan and I went to play in the forest. My mother does not like when we go too far, so we must stay within a kilometer of the village. We went north along the road until we found a worn path. It looked old and we almost missed it, but we decided to look and see where it would lead. When we arrived at the end of the trail, we came up to the entrance of the old Estaben mine. It was where a lot of the metals the village had used had been mined. Stevan’s elders had used the metals to make the centerpiece for the village from the mine and had made a name for themselves blacksmiths. I asked Stevan why it was abandoned, and he said that his elder father’s uncle had been killed in a tunnel collapse. They have not used the mine since, as they did not want to risk anyone else to try and get metals from it at the cost of lives. I wanted to go closer, see what the inside looked like, but Stevan refused to go near it. It had not been used for at least eighty years, but it did not deter me. I made my way towards the mine and took a few steps inside. I could not see much further than a few meters, and when I took my next step, I felt a shift in the rock beneath me. There was a rumble, and I was alarmed as the rock beneath me began to fall. I turned and jumped in a panic towards the entrance but came up a bit short.

I found myself hanging from the edge, and Stevan desperately trying to pull me up. He tried with all his might, and for a few moments I honestly felt that I would fall to my death into the abyss below. However, his persistence paid off and I was able to get a foothold that allowed our combined efforts to get me to safety. We lay there panting for a while, laughing at the silliness of my near-death experience, only getting some cuts and bruises.

We made our way back to the village as the sun began to set and said our goodbyes. I went back to my home, to find my mother cooking dinner. She was happy to hear I was back, until she turned to see the state I was in and then she became livid. She started to demand what I had done to get those injuries, and I foolishly told her how we had gone to the mine. I told her how I wanted to look inside, and that the ground gave out beneath me. She went from happy to hysterical, screaming how I would not be allowed to see Stevan again. How he was a bad influence and that I would not have even been in danger if it was not for him. She seemed to not hear how he had tried to stop me, or how he saved me, instead painting him as the villain. I tried to get my dad to reason with her, and he promised to try, but this morning he told me that mother was adamant that I do not see him outside of school ever again.

---

Fourth week, of the fifth month, fifteen forty-seven

It took another half an hour, before the guard left to do his business, and we did not waste any time. We dashed forward and together, were able to open the gate enough to slip through. We pulled it up together, then I slipped underneath, then I held the rope on the other side while he slipped through. By the time the guard returned to the gate, we were already hidden in the tree line. We made sure that the guard did not notice our tracks, or that we had come through, and then we headed north. We wanted to make sure we were a good distance away before we made camp. We knew to use every trick we could to break up or hide our tracks, because there would be a search party looking for us by morning.

We did not stop running until morning, and we were confident that our tracks would have been hard to follow. To be safe, we spent half an hour removing the last of our tracks before climbing up into the trees to sleep. Once we were perched and as comfortable as we could be, we used our ropes to tie ourselves to the tree.

---

---

---

Fourth week, of the sixth month, fifteen forty-seven

---

I put Ruben’s diary down. I did not know when I had finished my meal, only that my bowl was empty. My mind reeled at the events that had just been revealed to me. My father and Ruben were childhood friends, which I had already known. I did not know that they had run away from home - my mother, Ruben and my elder parents had said nothing of it. Based on what I just read, they made their way past the town that my elder parents had lived in, and nearly made it to Revtan before Blackheart caught up with them. Based on what Ruben had said in one of his entries, he had gotten a bad feeling when the beast was near, even when it was not in its wolf form. I tried to recall any instance of that, but I could not think of one. I was surprised that no one from Fardun would have said anything. No doubt they were aware my father and Ruben had passed through, and that something had happened on their way north, unless it never got back to the town. I would need to investigate this and besides I would allow me to gather some things for the cave to help me stay longer. I had a feeling I would need to sharpen these new skills - and soon - as I feared that all too soon, I would be running into Blackheart or someone trapped into doing his bidding.

Chapter 4

I put the cover over the pot, preserving the food for later, and left it to the side of the fire. I put a log on the fire and adjusted the currently burning ones to surround the new log, ensuring that it would catch and keep going while I was gone. I grabbed my satchel from off the pack, my water flask and the rabbit hide. It would prove useful if I was lucky, I might not even need to make any drying racks. Confident I had everything I needed for my quick trip, I made my way out of the cave and double checked to make sure that there was not any moisture in the wood to make the smoke visible.

When I was sure that there was no chance of the smoke being seen, I turned towards where I knew Fardun was, and looked up to the sky. It was a two-day hike to the village, but at the speed I could go when I ran, I could do that distance in a few hours. Depending on how much time I spent I could get back to the cave just after dusk, if I did not spend more than four or five hours in the village. I planned to return to Fardun sporadically to gather information. That way, I was not away from the cave too long, and not in town long enough to attract attention from Blackheart.

I took a deep breath and started towards my destination, keeping my stride even, as I did not want to wind up too tired for the run home. Soon the trees and vegetation of the forest were passing by in a blur as I dashed towards Fardun. As I ran, I noticed something. Despite the speed I was going, I was starting to be able to focus on things, allowing me to make necessary adjustments to avoid tripping, or colliding with large trees and animals.

I was keeping a steady pace and figured I would reach the village in around two or three hours, as I intended to take a break to eat and drink. Regardless of how easy it was to move at that speed, I had no doubt it was sapping a lot of energy from me. I had a feeling that, as time went on, I would be eating more and more food than I used to, just to keep up.

When I reached what I would figure was the halfway mark, I stopped to eat some of the local berries and apples, while having a drink from my water flask. Based on the placement of the sun, I figured that I had run for about an hour and a half. I would rest for a half hour and then head off again to the village, this would put my arrival just after midday.

Once my rest was done, I collected my things and set off towards Fardun, keeping the same pace as before. When I could tell I was nearing the village and where there could be some members of the forestry workers, I slowed down to a more believable speed. I did not want to scare anyone or alienate myself due to the wonder of my new abilities, as people were very superstitious even with all the progress, we had made in the last hundred years.

My instincts proved me correct, as I could hear men working to fell a tree. From the point I heard them, to when I arrived at their location, seemed to be about fifty to a hundred meters, but that was only a guess at this point. I had a feeling that given the right circumstances and time, that distance could be extended, but I was unsure as to how much at this time.

I recognized a few of the men working there and gave them a wave as I approached. It took them a few moments before they recognized me and returned the gesture.

“Davik, is that you?” one called out, “I did not recognize you, as you look very different than when you left us.”

I laughed and replied, “Thank you, Verik, I guess that I still had some growing left to do. How has everything been going since I left, good I would hope?”

“Not too bad, Davik,” he said with a slight nod. “We have had a few new trainees and they have done adequately to pull up the slack while you have been gone. I have no doubt that in five to ten years they would end up being almost as good as you.”

I smiled and asked, “Where is Drovak? I need to speak with him about some possible business I might be able to drum up for the village.”

The workers stopped for a moment when they had heard me say that, as most of the wood for the village was made to build replacements of boats or for the various homes in the village.

He thought for a moment, then replied, “Drovak is in the mill overseeing some of the trainees, much like when you had been here.”

I nodded and gave my thanks, before I started for the mill. It had been quite some time since I had been here, and I felt slightly nostalgic as I approached the building. I could remember the years spent learning all there was to learn about forestry, and I was lucky to be passing some of the knowledge off to my apprentices. Still, with Ruben gone and his carpentry business now under my control, I would need to change my plans.

I entered the building, greeting those who recognized me as I made my way to where I assumed Drovak would be. I was not disappointed, as he had two young men working on a long tree trunk, showing them how to remove the branches and limbs quickly and efficiently. I stood there, watching for a few minutes, before he noticed me. He came over and we exchanged a hug, happy to see one another after almost a year.

“Davik, my boy,” he boomed, “It is so good to see you again, you are looking well - grown a little, have we?”

I laughed and replied, “It is good to see you again as well, Drovak. I see you are still teaching the young ones, since you are too old to be allowed near sharp objects.”

We both laughed at that, and he told the trainees to continue as we moved off to a quieter part of the mill.

“So, Davik, what brings you back to Fardun, let alone the mill? Last we spoke, you were heading home to Cartha, so I did not expect to see you for quite some time, if at all.”

“It is a few things actually,” I said with an exasperated sigh. “I am looking into information about something that happened north of here, about twenty-five to twenty-seven years ago.

“However, I also wanted to speak to you, to set up a possible business venture. I have had apprentices for the past few years, and they have taken what I have learned from you and taken it a few steps further. They show amazing promise, but they need to concentrate on the carpentry aspect of it, as I have recently procured a carpentry business. I was hoping that Cartha and Fardun could work together on this venture, for the betterment of both of us. People from outside of Cartha are coming to purchase the work my men are doing, and soon we expect a steady flow of Drectars coming in. We want to send some of them Fardun’s way, as I hope that you will work to provide the wood for us to use. That will give us more time to focus on working with the wood to fulfill customer requests. It would be processed wood for the most part, but, of course, there will be times that we will need whole sections of tree.”

“Hmm, that sounds like quite the venture, and the notoriety could help us to grow. While we do provide some wood for villages and towns on occasion, they tend to just collect it on their own. If we were to come up with a system that others could see, we could begin to really grow. But what was this about something happening years ago?”

“It is about two young boys that passed through here around that time,” I replied, picking my words carefully. “They stopped in for the night, after trading with the leather worker and spent the night at the inn. The next day, they headed north to Revtan, and, about three weeks later, they were attacked in the woods.”

I watched his face as I said it, looking to see any recognition ... but nothing. I could tell he was searching his memories for any information around that time.

“Hmm. I do not recall any word of two boys being attacked, but if it was that far north, we would not have heard anything about that. The inn has been run by the same man, Fergus, since that time, I would suggest that you go talk to him. He has a very good memory and should be able to answer some questions for that time. As for your idea, I will talk to the Patron and the merchants guild later today, I could have an answer for you by tomorrow.”

I smiled and said, “Thank you, Drovak, I will be leaving in a few hours, as I have some pressing matters to attend to. I should be back here in four or five days. We can go over more of the details then.”

“No problem at all, Davik, I will also ask around to some of the older members of our community, see if they remember anything about these boys you spoke of.”

I thanked him, and we shook hands before I made my way out of the mill. I then headed east into the heart of the village, where I remembered the inn to be. Many people noticed me and gave warm hellos as I passed. Some stopped me to ask how I was doing, and what I was doing visiting the village. Of course, some of them asked if I would be returning to the village, those of course being some of the young women, as well as their mothers. I was quite flattered by the attention, but I told them that I was just passing through and would be doing so for the next little while.

I received even more attention when I stopped in the market to buy some vegetables, and seasoning. I could not go to crazy, as it all needed to fit in my satchel, but I was happy with the amount I bought. I could make these last, and of course, given where I was staying, if I picked up a pot.

I could grow my own potatoes. I also found someone who would buy the rabbit skin I had brought, and he gave me a decent amount of Drectars for it. I took longer than I had intended, due to how many people wanted to greet and talk to me, but I finally arrived at the inn.

I entered the building and saw Fergus, as always, behind the counter. He was a quiet and polite man, who always greeted anyone who entered his establishment with a warm smile. He had been running it since his father had died, though he had been learning and working there since he was a young boy. He was starting to show his age, grey streaked the temples of his brown hair, wrinkles bordered his pale blue eyes. It took him a few moments before he recognized me and came out from around the counter to give me a greeting.

“Davik, it is good to see you here, my boy, I thought that we had seen the last of you in Fardun when you left nearly a year ago. I am glad to see that you look well, but what can I do for you, young man?”

“I need some information actually,” I replied quietly. “It is a bit of a sensitive topic, is there somewhere more private that we can go to speak?”

“Of course, Davik,” Fergus said before turning and yelling, “Roger! Get to the counter immediately, I have some pressing matters to attend to that require me to step away.”

A boy, around fourteen years of age, popped out from a door leading to behind the counter area.

“Yes father,” said the boy quietly. “Do you have an idea on how long you will expect to be away? Just in case someone comes with something important for you.”

He smiled and said, “I am not sure at this time, son. Please take a message or ask them to come back in a few hours.”

He nodded and Fergus led us to a room at the back of the hall, on the top floor. Fergus and his family lived in the inn, with his wife being the cook. Right now, she would be working to prepare food for the evening meal, leaving their living quarters empty for the time being. He let us in and asked me to take as seat, as he locked his door, before joining me at the table.

“So, Davik,” he said with a slightly confused look, “what is it you want to ask me? It would have to be pretty important to go through all of this.”

“What I am about to talk to you about must not leave this room, but I need to ask you about two young men who passed through here about twenty-five to twenty-seven years ago. They did not give their real names, but they would have both been around twelve or thirteen and they stayed the night here before heading north. They bathed, had their clothes cleaned, ate dinner and slept the night. Also, I know that this is a long shot, but was there anyone who was staying at the inn around the same time, someone who felt off to you? Like they did not really belong, possibly made you feel as if there was something wrong that you could not put your finger on?”

I watched as he became lost in thought, his eyes darting left and right, as he searched through his memories of that time. I knew that it would be a long shot, but he might be able to tell me something. A few minutes went by, and then he excused himself to go downstairs for a moment. He was gone for nearly a half of an hour before her returned to their room, a book in his hand. As I looked at the book, I realized it was a ledger, like the one I had seen at the front counter when I had first entered the inn. He sat down and began leafing through the book, until he found the page, he had desired.

“I believe this is the night you were referring to Davik, it was the thirteenth day Hewimand of fifteen forty-seven. There were two boys who put their names down as Evan and Rob Smith, passing them off as brothers. They stayed the night, and that was the only time that they passed through this inn. Whether they came back or not, I have no clue, but that is all I know about them. As for your other question, there was one person that seemed a bit off, but he always had been since he began living here. As you can see, we have sign-in for people using the inn services and those who come in for the dinner services.”

He flipped to the back of that page, showing the dinner service sign-in. He gestured to the signature of ‘BH’ that sent a chill down my spine.

“Brenson had always seemed off, but he was one hell of a leatherworker, no one compared or has, since. He always was able to bring in hides of any animal, always with minimal to no damage. His skill working it, and the clothing and supplies he made have been sorely missed.”

“This Brenson,” I asked, as my heart continued racing, “When did the village realize he was gone for good?”

“Well, Brenson always would disappear for days at a time on his hunts but would come back with two or three kills worth of hide and meat. He would give a third of his meat to us and distribute the rest to the town. His kindness knew no bounds in this case, so we were shocked when he did not return from his hunt.”

“Wow,” I took a moment to process what he had just revealed before I continued. “Has anyone taken over his shop and dwelling since he left?”

Fergus thought for a moment and replied, “No, I do not think so. I believe that the Patron left it as it was, just in case Brenson returned. As I said, he had become well-loved in the town and his disappearance shocked us. Until the Patron is sure he is dead, he will not let anyone to live there.”

“Well then, I know who I will need to speak with, the next time I am in town. Thank you for all your help, Fergus, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, Davik,” he said with a smile, “And please be sure to stop by and say hello the next time you are in the village. Have a good evening, I hope that I will see you again very soon.”

I gave him my thanks and made my way back to the entrance, making sure I said goodbye to his son before I left. While I could have stayed for a nice meal, I really did need to get back. I was disappointed that I did not have time to see if there were any hide racks I could have purchased, but I would make time to do that the next time I returned to visit. I made my way west to the outskirts of the village - the streets were less full as it was time for evening meal. I continued into the forest, listening for sounds of people working in the woods and was happy to hear nothing but animals. I broke into my run and decided I would ramp it up a bit, as I wanted to get back to the cave as soon as possible. Despite my hunger, I figured I would not stop this time. I still had the apples I had collected when I had travelled to Fardun, I could eat those while I ran. After just a little over two hours - and three apples - later, I neared the cave. I diverted to where I had set up some of my traps and was delighted to find two rabbits. I would need to do some larger traps, with rabbit meat as the bait. I would probably catch some larger prey, which would be good, as too much rabbit for long periods was not good for the body.

I quickly skinned and gutted the rabbits, hanging their pelts from a tree limb to dry.

I made my way back to camp and entered the cave. I was not surprised to see that the fire was still going but would need to be given fresh wood soon. Once I threw a few logs on the fire, and stoked it enough, I moved on to the rabbits. I still had the stew, which would be good for tonight. I went to the second alcove in the cave, which I had not really found a use for yet and found jutting rocks I could tie a rope to. Once that was done, I hung the rabbits up to dry, tomorrow I would have to use one of the leather covers to wrap the meat. Then I could let it cure for a day or two, so it would last until I cooked it. The upside of the cave was that, save for where the fire was, the rest of it was rather cold and would keep the meat from spoiling. Once that was dealt with, I moved over to the fire, and put the pot back on, to heat it back up. I hoped that the liquid inside would be enough to keep the meat from becoming over cooked and dry.

While I waited for the stew to heat up, I went to see what left over wood I had to work with. There were various planks and cast-off pieces that I could use to build a rack, but it would not work for a deer hide. I would need to either get planks and walk them back here, which was not practical, or I could cut thick tree limbs and use those. That looked to be the better option, and I could make sure that I did it far enough away that it would not track back to my dwelling.

With that plan in place, I occupied my time making a rack that would be good for something the size of a fox. I would probably need to find a section of rock that would get sun but would not be seen by anyone who would pass by. That would be a task for tomorrow, for now, my stomach was growling that it needed food.

I checked the pot and found it was heated enough, so I got myself a bowl full and a cup of Ice Berry wine. I was tempted to read further in the journal but felt that I did not have the energy to do so. I knew I would be falling asleep not long after I finished the food, as the returning run had taken more out of me than I had expected. I set the pot to the side, off the fire, so that I could let it cool. I would need to clean it and treat it before going to sleep. I made quick work of the stew and brought the bowl, cup and pot to the trough for cleaning. It took me about a half of an hour to clean everything, as the pot had to be done a way to prevent it from oxidizing and being ruined. Once they were cleaned, I stored them with the other food goods, and put a few more final logs on the fire, before getting out my bedroll. It was not long before I felt the enticing tendrils of sleep coaxing me into its embrace. As my consciousness drifted away, thoughts of what I had learned, and what I had still to learn danced in my mind. Did I want to keep reading, or did I want to let it stay buried in the past?

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