Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf

by A. E. McCullough

  Without a single word to her, several warriors began unhooking the travois.

  She was about to say something when the black furred warrior held up his hand to silence her. Frustrated, Tatianna held her tongue as the warriors picked up her companion and disappeared into the mists; Tatianna felt alone and somewhat frightened. As soon as Hawkeye was out of sight, the black furred warrior turned to face her. He was handsome and in his early twenties with black hair and dark eyes.

  Although his smile was bright and his mannerisms friendly, there was something about this young warrior that Tatianna didn't like or trust. Something familiar, something...she shook her head to clear it.

  “Greetings elf maiden, I am Kaoni Bravefoot, kinsman to Hawkeye. Welcome to Itasca.”

  His voice was strong and gentle, very reminiscent of Hawkeye’s. It was probably just the lack of sleep playing tricks with her mind but she felt that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Taking his hand gingerly, she stood up slowly. “Thank you, I am Tatianna the Bladeweaver.”

  “We’ve not had an elven visitor in many moons.” Noticing her injuries, Bravefoot continued. “Come, I will take you to the medicine lodge where a shaman will treat your wounds. This is obviously what Hawkeye had intended.”

  Leaning heavily on her make-shift staff, Tatianna followed Bravefoot through the massive gates. The area before her was crowded with carts and supplies as if the early snowstorm interrupted the final harvest of the season. Glancing back, she watched as the gates closed with a resounding clank as the crossbar fell into place. She also became aware that two warriors had fallen in behind them.

  Numerous questions flooded her mind. Was she their prisoner or were they an honor guard? They had made no attempt to disarm her, so she was hoping it was the later of the two but only time would tell.

  As they moved deeper into the city, they entered a mist filled tunnel and moved forward slowly. She was confused. She didn’t think that the highlanders lived underground. That was a practice more common with the dwarves and gnomes. But here she was being lead through a slightly downward sloping tunnel which led to the heart of Itasca, the largest city of the highlanders. She noted that the passage wasn’t very long and seemed to be a naturally occurring tunnel; the floor had been worn smooth by years upon years of traffic.

  When the tunnel ended, she found herself on a small landing that overlooked a mist covered valley which shrouded the village from detailed scrutiny. Glancing up, she noticed the moon breaking free of the clouds and the realization hit her like a lightning bolt.

  Itasca was inside a hollow mountain!

  Bravefoot smiled when he noticed her reaction. “Personally, I think this is the best view for any newcomers to Itasca.”

  Without waiting for her to follow or say anything he began the descent into the village but gestured with one hand at the opposite side of the mountain. “The view from the main entrance isn’t as breathtaking.”

  She glanced where he pointed and noticed that the other entrance was more open, as if part of the mountain had crumbled. She could just barely see the snow fields off in the distance, then she was below the entrance’s level and her attention was drawn to the city below.

  Tatianna could tell that one side of the canyon was filled with a glittering pool of blue water. A large peninsula jutted out into the lake, making the lake seem like the crescent moon. Overlooking the clearing and directly above the largest part of the lake was another cave opening. This entrance seemed special to her; it looked perfectly round, like that of the full moon.

  Letting her eyes roam over the rest of the village, she could make out numerous tents or huts through the heavy mist. The haze parted as they moved down the mountainside and through the village giving Tatianna her first good look at the village. It seemed to be laid out in three major sections; housing, livestock and the lake. The closer one moved toward the glittering pool the larger the dwellings became.

  The hogans, the wooden and mud lodges with roofs of thatch, seemed to be clustered near the center clearing, while the tipis, hides stretched over a frame of long poles, where on the outskirts of the village.

  Tatianna realized that Hawkeye must be a highly respected leader. For every warrior greeted her with warm smiles and nods of affection. She had never known any race to be so friendly. They didn't even know who she was, yet everyone greeted her with respect and kindness.

  Looking at these people Tatianna thought, ‘They act as one big family. Although everyone, including the women and children are carrying weapons. I wonder what type of reception I would have received if I had not arrived in the company of Hawkeye? It most assuredly would not have been pleasant.’

  Tatianna asked, “Will Hawkeye survive?”

  A worried look crossed his youthful face but Bravefoot answered. “It’s too early to tell but he’s tough. I believe it will take more than exhaustion or the weather to kill him.”

  Bravefoot stopped in front of a small octagonal lodge made of logs, mud and sod. It was a very simple dwelling but completely different than the rest of the buildings in the area. They were all larger and more ornate but standing at the entranceway of this simple dwelling was a large wooden totem pole deeply imbedded in the ground. The top was intricately carved with the symbol of a howling wolf in front of the full moon. Hanging from the pole were numerous eagle feathers, hides and skulls. Tatianna counted at least sixty feathers, twenty animal hides and five skulls. She was surprised when she noticed that one of the skulls was from a minotaur.

  Glancing at the other lodges nearby, she could see similar totem poles. Although the other lodges might be larger and more ornate, not one totem pole had nearly as many trophies hanging from them.

  Bravefoot spoke with the air of respect and awe. “This is Hawkeye’s hogan. You are to be his guest until a meeting of the Great Council. Make yourself comfortable. A shaman will be here shortly. If you need anything, just call out. I will be nearby.”

  The way he said that last statement she knew that he was to be her guard. Whether that was as a guard for her protection or as a prisoner, she didn’t know. Nodding her head slightly, she entered the lodge slowly. Her leg throbbed wickedly with every step.

  Pausing just inside the entrance, Tatianna studied her surroundings. It was sparsely furnished, obviously a man's dwelling, yet it had a very comfortable feeling. In the center was a fireplace with several woven mats to sit on. A large pile of animal furs lay off to the side and three low tables held clay pots. The walls were decorated with animal hides, weapons and woodcarvings.

  One woodcarving in particular caught Tatianna’s eye. It was of nine animals surrounding a faceless warrior who was kneeling at a pool of still water. Tatianna was amazed at the detail in the carvings. There were also several carvings of the humanoid races. There were intricate carvings of a dwarven warrior with an axe, a human knight on horseback, a slender warrior riding a dragon and beautiful young woman holding two infants. This last one was set apart from the rest and bore the sign of the howling wolf in front of the moon. Tatianna guessed that this must have been Hawkeye’s slain wife and children.

  Continuing to study her surroundings, Tatianna's eyes froze on a half-carved figurine of an elf that lay on a small workbench near the back of the lodge. The figurine was no more than a foot tall, with the base still not yet complete but the face and torso were of a female warrior in a shirt of chain mail with waist long wavy hair. The curve of the figurine’s jaw-line and the set of the eyes bore a striking resemblance to her own.

  Tatianna was so entranced by the figurine that she didn’t hear the approach of anyone and was startled as a deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “It does look a lot like you, does it not?”

  Turning quickly, Tatianna’s hand dropped to the hilt of her sword. Standing in the entranceway was a white haired old man, his hand still holding open the curtain. The lights of the torches burning outside cast his features in shadows. Quickly regaining her composure, Tatianna spoke in an e
ven tone. “It looks like any female elven warrior would.”

  As the old man entered the lodge and moved past her, this gave Tatianna a moment to study the newcomer. He was dressed in white wolf furs with numerous leather bundles and pouches hanging at his waist and leaned heavily on an intricately carved staff.

  “You are of course correct but you must realize that Hawkeye has never met an elf before.” Picking up the figurine gingerly, he turned it slowly in his hands as he studied the intricate artwork. “This was a carving out of his dreams. It is by Luna’s will that he arrived in time to aid you in your time of need; which of course, brought you here.”

  Gently putting the figurine down, he turned toward her and said, “Ah, but I forget my manners.” Bowing low, as was the elven custom, he held out his right hand palm up and spoke in fluent elvish. “Greetings, I am Anasazi Whitefoot, Shaman of the Wolf Tribe.”

  She returned the bow while copying the gestures “Greetings venerable one, I am Tatianna Amarth of Elfholm, a humble Bladeweaver.”

  Switching back to the common tongue, Anasazi pointed at her wounds. “Now that the formalities are over, might I tend your wounds?”

  Tatianna nodded and moved over to the pile of furs, propped her leg up and leaned back, still keeping a close eye on the old man. “How is it that you know elvish and the proper greeting of comrades-in-arms?”

  Anasazi chuckled slightly. “I am much older than you think, my dear. I have traveled the lands of Terreth for many, many years.” He carefully removed the old bandages and for several minutes studied and gently probed the wounds. “Hawkeye tells me you were being chased by Blackfang and his followers.”

  Sitting up quickly, Tatianna knocked over a small wooden bowl Anasazi had just set out. “You’ve seen Hawkeye? How is he? Will he survive?”

  Replacing the bowl, the ancient shaman pulled out several pouches. “Yes, I’ve seen him. He’ll be fine. He is suffering from exhaustion and slight dehydration, nothing more. Now lie back and let me finish tending your wounds.”

  Complying, Tatianna tried to relax.

  “How are the woods of the Elfholm this year? And for that matter, how is your mother the Queen doing? The last I heard she was still having problems with the shadow elves.”

  Raising herself up on her elbows, Tatianna eyed him suspiciously. “What do you know of the problems of my homeland and how do you know that my mother is the Queen?”

  “It is common knowledge that the elves and the shadow elves are on the brink of war. Besides, the animals bring me news from all over Terreth. As to knowing your mother, let’s just say that we were once comrades-in-arms many, many years ago… long before she assumed the throne.”

  Smiling, Anasazi began to talk about trivial things concerning nature and animals. But Tatianna didn’t hear him. She was lost in her thoughts. Her mother was once a comrade in arms with a Highlander? A barbarian? She found it hard to believe, her mother had always seemed so…so proper, so elven. Most elves were very condescending toward the other, so-called ‘lesser races.’ Many elves wouldn't give a hungry dwarf a piece of bread. It was an attitude of her people she had always hated. Her mother had always seemed to posses this same quality. Yet, she had never witnessed her mother being anything but cordial to representatives of the other races. As a matter of fact, her mother had always spoken highly of the highlanders.

  She remembered some stories her mother had told her of the life before assuming the throne. She had once been an adventurer, a bladeweaver of some considerable skill. It was her blade, the infamous Moonsword which Tatianna now carried. Her mother had found it and its two sister swords in a dragon hoard when she was adventuring with ‘The Wings of Justice’ an adventuring company of great repute.

  Tatianna was jolted back from her reverie when she realized that Anasazi had stopped talking and was waiting for a response from her. Shaking her head slightly she asked, “What was that? I’m sorry my mind was wandering.”

  Anasazi rubbed his chin. “I said I have some bad news.”

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “Hawkeye did a fine job splinting your leg. But it’s not only broken in three places, it has been infected with a very potent rotting disease. There is mighty magic at work in this infection. I might be able to cure it, I might not. If we aren’t able to then we will have to remove the lower part of your leg to save your life before it spreads any further.”

  Tatianna was stunned and speechless, so he continued. “The wounds to your shoulder and face, although not as bad as your leg, have also been infected by the same disease. Those I should be able to cure, although there will be some permanent scaring.”

  Feeling her stomach flip and turn, Tatianna laid back onto the furs. She was stunned at the thought of losing a leg and of the facial scars that she would have to carry around with her for the rest of her life.

  Anasazi laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Unfortunately that is not the worst news.”

  “What could be worse than the possibility of losing my leg?!”

  “You are with child.”

  Tatianna couldn't move. She was too stunned. The reality of the facial scars was frightening; the possibility of losing a leg scared her even more but the thought of having a child, especially by the monsters that had raped her was more than she could take.

  Flinging herself back onto the pile of furs, she screamed as loud as she could, “NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!”

  Rolling over, she buried her face into the furs as tears streamed down her face. She kept repeating, “No! No! No!” over and over.

  It was about this time when Hawkeye entered his lodge. Neither Anasazi nor Tatianna had noticed him yet and after what he had just heard, he felt it was best to leave it that way and backed out of the lodge quietly.

  Knowing that this must be a great shock to her, Anasazi let her rant and rave for several minutes before reaching into his medicine bag and drew out several herbs and roots. Crushing them, he placed them into a small bowl of water. Reaching down with a gentle hand, he touched her on the shoulder and handed her the drinking bowl.

  “Here, drink this. It will help you rest and slow down the infection. Tomorrow night there will be a feast. We will talk more then.”

  Standing slowly, Anasazi headed for the door.

  Drinking the offered bowl, Tatianna watched as the old man moved through the lodge. Her crystal blue eyes were red from the tears that still streamed down her face. Feeling desperately alone and frightened, she watched his every move.

  Just before he passed out of the lodge, he paused. The shadows from the torches hid the features of his face, making him look incredibly old. When he spoke, his voice was soft and full of wisdom.

  “Keep this in mind young Tatianna, very few things in life happen for no reason. There must be a reason you escaped when the rest of your family didn’t. There must be a reason Hawkeye found you when he did and,” pointing at her leg and stomach, “there must be a reason for this. Everything and everybody is one part of a great big circle. We are all connected through nature creating the Circle of Life. So remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

  The old shaman walked out of the lodge and into the bright morning sun leaving Tatianna alone with her thoughts.

  * * * * *

  A rapping on the pole out front woke Tatianna from her slumber. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked around the small lodge. She could tell from the shadows that the sun was high in the sky, probably sometime around highsun. Had she only slept for a few hours? Shifting to a sitting position, she rubbed the back of her neck. She felt extremely rested, although her muscles were stiff and sore. The rapping came again, this time a little louder, so she called out. “Come in.”

  Tatianna was surprised to see a young girl, not more than ten years old with coal black hair enter carrying a small bundle.

  The young girl kept her head lowered as was the highland custom when greeting someone of superior stature. When she spoke, her voice was sof
t and tender. “Good day mistress. I am Amani, daughter of Kaoni Bravefoot. I am here to assist you.”

  “Thank you for your kindness Amani but please call me Tatianna.”

  Amani glanced up and returned her smile. Setting down her bundle, Amani moved closer. “The feast will begin at moonrise. I am supposed to help you get ready.”

  Tatianna frowned. “The feast? Anasazi told me that it was tomorrow night or am I missing something?”

  Amani covered her mouth as she giggled before answering. “But mistress, it is tomorrow. You have slept for a full day and a half. The Wolflord sent me here to assist you.”

  Tatianna shook her head and said, “I’m sorry. I really don’t feel like going to a feast.” Her stomach growled in response.

  A worried look crossed over Amani’s face. “The Wolflord has requested your presence. Will you not attend?”

  “Who is this Wolflord?”

  “Kamots Hawkeye. He is the Wolflord.” Looking around suspiciously, she motioned for Tatianna to come closer. Cupping her hand around Tatianna’s ear, she whispered conspiratorially. “They say he has been blessed by Luna herself and cannot be killed.”

  Tatianna chuckled. It was obvious that Amani was in complete awe of Hawkeye. “You win. I will go to the feast but I need to get cleaned up first.”

  Amani grinned. “Come; let me help you to the pool.”

  Not completely understanding, Tatianna let herself be lead to a doorway she had not noticed during her initial survey of the lodge. It was toward the back and blocked with a curtain of furs drawn across the opening but Tatianna could see steam coming through the furs. She could also smell the fresh scent of mint. Moving the furs aside, Tatianna was shocked to find a rock pool of steaming hot water. On a bench nearby were several jars of scented oils and leaves. Glancing at Amani with a look of disbelief she asked, “Where did this come from?”