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

by A. E. McCullough

  A small man with bright red, nearly orange hair and pale skin stood up. He was wearing the robes of a Red Fox Chieftain. Hawkeye didn’t recognize him. As the wiry chieftain spoke, he voice was squeaky and had a nasal quality that immediately grated on his nerves.

  “We know all about Blackfang and his Dark Alliance. He is no concern of the Fox Tribe. We have done nothing to him. This is a Wolf problem; it has nothing to do with my tribe.”

  Hawkeye turned his glare on the Fox Chieftain. “Let me tell you something about Blackfang. He doesn’t care which tribe you are in or if you want nothing to do with him. He and his Dark Alliance attacked and destroyed my pack, killing everyone including women and children.”

  Hawkeye ripped off his onyx and ivory breastplate to reveal numerous crisscrossing scars on his chest. “Blackfang did this to me. He strapped me to a pole, raped my wife right in front of me before ripping her throat out with his bare claws.” Moving right up in front of the wiry Chieftain, he roared louder. “Then, he had my two sons torn from limb to limb while I watched. When everyone else was dead, he cut up my chest and left me to die.”

  Tears were rolling down his cheek at the memory but he ignored them. Pointing at Odovacar, Hawkeye continued, “If it was not for this young warrior, I would have died. He alone of his tribe came to investigate the smoke from the fires. He found me and took me back to his village where they nursed me back to health.”

  Odovacar stood up. He was nearly seven feet tall and broad of shoulders. “What he says is true. My pack, the Silver Boar, were neighbors to the White Wolves. We shared the same hunting grounds. The carnage that Blackfang left in his wake was unlike anything I have ever seen or hope to see again. What he did to them,” gesturing at Hawkeye, “he could do to all of us. I don’t think he will care if we are against him or just innocent bystanders.”

  The wiry Fox chieftain sat down and remained silent but the look he gave Hawkeye was one of pure hatred.

  Tatianna laid a gentle hand on Hawkeye’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m here with you.”

  Reaching up, Hawkeye gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her steadiness helped him remain calm. Hawkeye replaced his breastplate before turning back to the Great Council. “I don’t have time to mix words with you on this subject.” He pointed at the Fox Chieftain. “If this one has doubts about Blackfang and his Dark Alliance, then several others may also. Therefore I demand, as is my right as Wolflord, to be placed in charge of all warriors of the Highland Nation. I demand the Tsanahwit.”

  A low murmur went through the lodge.

  Tatianna looked around, puzzled. Before she had left her tipi, she had woven a spell that would allow her to understand the Highland language and even translate their words. She knew that Tsanahwit meant ‘equal justice’ but that really didn’t tell her much.

  Red Crow never took his eyes off Hawkeye, yet a slight smile crept onto his face. The warriors in the lodge fell silent. “Kamots Hawkeye, you have made the challenge of Tsanahwit. It cannot be refused. Do you understand the depth of your challenge?”

  Hawkeye answered with a firm voice. “Yes great one, I do.”

  Red Crow raised both hands and looked at all gathered. “Then on the night of the full moon, three days hence, the Tsanahwit will commence. May Luna smile upon the victor.”

  He glanced at the other members of the Great Council and said, “If there is nothing else…”

  “Yes, great one. I have one more thing.”

  Sitting down, Red Crow nodded.

  “I would also like to ask for the Great Council’s blessing on my betrothal to the elf maiden, Tatianna whose tribal name is Red Eagle.”

  Another low murmur went through the lodge. The wiry Fox Chieftain bolted up. Pointing at Tatianna, his voice held the edge of a command. “You cannot marry her! She’s an outsider!”

  Turning his attention back to the Fox Chieftain, Hawkeye fixed him with a steely glare. In a calm and cold voice that everyone in the lodge could hear, yet it was not loud.

  “I can and I will marry her. In the first place, it is not your right to tell me whom I can or cannot marry. And in the second place, she has been made a member of our tribe by the Council of Elders.” Hawkeye’s voice grew colder and stronger. “Now, sit down and be quiet!”

  The lodge was completely quiet. The only sound was the crackling of the fire and the gentle whistling of the breeze. Holding his ground for a moment, the Fox Chieftain returned Hawkeye’s stare before lowering his eyes and returning to his seat.

  Red Crow glanced at the rest of the Great Council each slowly nodded their heads. “Then it is decided. Hawkeye, Red Eagle, please come forward.”

  They did as they were asked.

  Anasazi placed a hand on each of their foreheads and said, “The Great Council blesses your upcoming nuptials. May Luna’s light always shine on you and your children.”

  A loud whooping filled the lodge as every warrior, except the wiry Fox Chieftain, celebrated the betrothal.

  Anasazi stepped up to his nephew and grasped his forearm. “Well done. Your father would be proud.” Giving Tatianna a gentle hug, he whispered in her ear. “If you ever need to talk, come see me.”

  Returning the hug, she smiled warmly at the old man and nodded her head briefly. Her eyes didn’t leave Hawkeye, though. When she finally caught his eye again, the look she gave him was obvious. She was not happy. Slowly the meeting broke up. By tradition the members of the Great Council were the first to leave. On their way out, the members of the Great Council stopped by Hawkeye and Tatianna to congratulate them. All except the Fox Chieftain who just stormed by without a word. The last council member to stop by was Odovacar.

  The large warlord towered over Hawkeye. Offering his arm in greeting Odovacar said, “Congratulations Wolflord.” Nodding his head toward the departing Fox Chieftain he added, “I see you have not lost your touch over the last few years.”

  Smiling broadly, Hawkeye grasped the offered arm firmly. “Odovacar! It’s great to see you! When did you become warlord?”

  “This past spring, my mentor died in a confrontation with the Dark Alliance.”

  Hawkeye’s tone turned serious. “Really? What happened?”

  Odovacar shrugged his shoulders. “The same that has happened too many over the past year; when he was out hunting, he was ambushed by goblins.”

  “Has it has happened to many others?”

  A quick jerk of his head betrayed Odovacar’s surprise at Hawkeye’s question. “You have not heard? No, of course not; you have been traveling the wilderness for the last two summers.”

  Odovacar tilted his head toward the departing council. “At least half of the warlords or chieftains who now sit on the Great Council didn’t sit there when you last appeared before them. Each new member bears the same tale; their predecessor was ambushed while hunting or died in an accident. Honestly, it has me worried.”

  “I agree my friend and now it has me worried too. What I would like to do is . . .”

  Hawkeye was interrupted by a gentle jab of an elbow in his ribs. His face slightly flushed, he turned to introduce his fiancé. “I’m sorry. Odovacar this is Tatianna, the Red Eagle.”

  Bowing his head slightly, Odovacar smiled. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard of your exploits against the Dark Alliance. They are very commendable.”

  “Thank you for your kind words. I’m pleased to meet you. Hawkeye has told me a great deal about you.”

  Seeing the look that Tatianna was giving Hawkeye, Odovacar decided it was time for him to leave and said. “Well, I must be off. We can continue our conversation later.”

  Hawkeye nodded. “It is good to see you again.”

  “Nice to meet you Red Eagle.” With that Odovacar turned and walked out of the lodge leaving the two lovers alone.

  * * * * *

  As they walked to Hawkeye’s lodge in silence, he could tell that something was bothering Tatianna. As soon as they entered his lodge, she spun on her heels, jabb
ed him in the chest with a finger and asked, “What in Aurora’s name is the Tsanahwit? Judging from everyone’s reaction, it isn’t anything good.”

  Hawkeye gently grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips. “Come, sit by the fire and let me explain.”

  Resisting slightly, she let herself be lead over to the fire. Sitting down, she crossed her arms across her chest and waited as Hawkeye explained.

  “The Tsanahwit is an ancient ritual passed down for many centuries. It is a challenge of sorts. I’ve already told you how any warrior can become warlord of a pack by challenging and defeating the current warlord in single combat. The Tsanahwit takes that challenge one step further.”

  He poured her a bowl of moonshine and offered it to her. She drank from it slowly as he continued.

  “The Great Council and the Tsanahwit were derived to keep any one warrior from becoming too powerful. The Great Council rules until a skilled warlord issues the challenge of Tsanahwit to the Great Council and the challenge can never be refused. The challenger must fight one warlord from each tribe in a duel. Each fight is held one after another until the challenger defeats all opponents or dies. The challenger has the option of killing his opponents or not while the challenger forfeits his life if he loses.”

  Dropping the bowl, Tatianna gasped. “You mean to tell me, you just challenged the nine meanest warlords to a duel! On the same night you announce our betrothal? Who do you expect me to marry… a corpse?”

  “Only eight warlords,” he said. “I am the Wolflord. No warlord of the wolf tribes may challenge me in the Tsanahwit.”

  Throwing both hands high into the air, she stood up and stormed around the lodge. “Oh great! That makes a big difference! You just have to defeat eight of them without getting killed in the process. That’s comforting!”

  Striding over to her, Hawkeye pulled her close. Tatianna struggled slightly before giving in. He could feel the warmth of her body and the cold drops of her tears on his shoulder. Rubbing her back gently, “Don’t you trust me?”

  Through her tears, her musical voice was barely more than a whisper. “Yes, but…”

  Lifting her head gently, he cut off her reply with a kiss, “Trust me. It is not my destiny to die at the hands of my fellow warlords. Everything will be all right. Just believe in me.”

  “I do. It’s just I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

  “Don’t worry, you can’t lose me.”

  Burying her head in his chest, she mumbled. “But I have lost everyone else I love. I don’t even know if I will ever see you again.”

  Hawkeye felt her shiver as she cried. He had not intended to bring tears to her beautiful blue eyes by making light of her fears. He was just trying to alleviate them by informing her of the situation.

  Pulling her closer to him, he whispered softly. “Tatianna, of course you will see me again. The gods have plans for us and so do I. I love you. It upsets me to see you cry like this.”

  Looking up at him, the tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “I love you so much! I’ve never felt like this before and the thought of losing you frightens me.”

  Leaning down, Hawkeye gently brushed his lips over her eyes kissing away the tears. Slowly, he moved around the side of her neck to nibble on the lobe of her left ear. Tatianna pushed herself closer as her hands slowly caressed his back. Hawkeye felt his passion for her burning inside him. It was a passion he had never felt before, not even with his deceased wife. He wanted her. He longed to make love to her as he had since the first time he laid eyes on this beautiful elf. His gray eyes were aflame with his desire for her as she pulled away slightly.

  Flashing him a crooked smile, she reached around his waist and slowly unhooked his weapon belt. Hawkeye’s tomahawk and knife made a slight clatter as they hit the lodge’s floor. Hawkeye started to say something but Tatianna placed her hand over his mouth.

  Shaking her head slightly, she whispered. “No words my love. Let our bodies do the talking for us. Just be gentle.” Her hands, shaking slightly, found the clasp that held on his breastplate and that too fell to the floor.

  Instinctively, Hawkeye’s hands moved to her waist to undo her weapon. Bending down, his lips met her half-parted lips as his tongue stroked her soft under lip. He could feel her response to his kiss as she slightly bit his tongue. A great warmth spread across his body as her scent flowed over him. He could feel his manliness harden and long for the warmth of her body. She pulled him down to the sleeping furs behind them. He did not and could not resist and found himself half lying on top of her. Her hands ran up and down his back, moving slowly to his buttocks. There, they lingered for a moment before moving around to his manliness. A slight moan escaped her lips as she felt his hardness.

  Hawkeye felt the jutting tips of her firm, round breast pressing against his bare chest and a wave of passion swept over him like a wave of fire. His lips sought the hollow of her throat as his long slender fingers flipped aside the straps of her gown. He continued to explore her body with his lips until they found her nipples. As he gently suckled them, he felt her surge against him and her gasp. Stopping briefly, he lifted himself off of her. Studying her, he took in her rare unearthly beauty. Her scarlet hair was fanned out underneath her on the soft pile of furs. Her blue gown was half off of her, showing much of her beauty but still obscuring some of it. Hawkeye longed to see all of her. Feeling a slight tug on his pants, he glanced down, finding her hands fighting with the straps that held them in place.

  Standing up slowly, he undid the straps and let his leather pants fall to the floor. Suddenly, he noticed that her blue eyes were appraising him. Flashing him a crooked smile, she pulled off the rest of her gown. Hawkeye felt his breath being taken from him by the sight of her naked body. The flickering firelight both revealed and hid the beauty of her firm body. They stared at each other for a moment before she grabbed his manliness and gently pulled him into her. As he mounted her, she whispered, “Please, be gentle.”

  Kissing her briefly, he whispered back. “I will my love, I will.”

  He could tell she was frightened but her desire for him overcame that fear. His mind raced with the memory of her rape. She had confided in him once that she had never been with a man before her rape. He wanted her badly but he told himself to be patient. Slowly and ever so gently, he entered her. Arching her back, she moaned loudly as her hands raked across his back. With a gentle and unhurried rhythm, he moved back and forth inside her. Her little purrs told him not to stop. He murmured her name softly as he told her how wonderful it was to feel her velvet-soft flesh against him.

  Tatianna was aching with the pleasure he was giving her. Slowly, their passion began to build until it overwhelmed the two of them. What had started out slow like a spark soon became a roaring fire. The intensity of their lovemaking continued to grow until neither of them could control it any longer. With a loud grunt from Hawkeye and a soft moan from Tatianna, they reached their climax together.

  Their passion spent, they lay panting and sweating. Tatianna was the first to break the silence. “That was incredible. It was nothing like I thought. Thank you.”

  Rolling over so he could look into her eyes he said, “It was indeed great. I love you more than I have loved anyone in the whole world.”

  Tears filled her eyes again, as she looked at the man lying next to her. “Oh Hawkeye, you are the sweetest man I have ever met. I love you with all my heart and soul. I am yours, now and forever.”

  Pulling her close, she laid her head on his chest as she returned his embrace. With his free arm, Hawkeye pulled some of the furs over them as they watched the firelight dance off the wooden beams of his lodge until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter 17

  The captives heard the steady footsteps of the gnomish guards long before they could see the light of their torches and heard the tell-tale tinkling of the chains they carried as it echoed through the darkness heralding their approach.

  Mortharona gri
nned in the darkness. His friends couldn’t see it but they could hear the excitement in his voice as he said, “Well my friends…it’s show time.”

  Snorting at the elf’s tone, Rjurik moved to the back of his cell and grumbled. “You sound awful happy to be going to the Pit.”

  “I am! It sure beats the hell out of sitting around this smelly cell.”

  Mortharona and Khlekluëllin also moved to the back wall as the gnomish guards reached their cells. Without a word to the captives the nine guards broke up into three groups. Two of each group took up flanking positions on both sides of each door while the third gnome opened the cell doors. Once the door was open, two of the gnomes entered the cell carrying gnomish pain sticks and the other shackles.

  Pain sticks were cruel weapons capable of inflicting intense pain with just a touch. Each stick was about three feet long and made of some unknown black metal. The ends were capped in silver and set with large gemstones; one was a brilliant ruby, the other a shining diamond. The three captives had learned firsthand how effective a weapon the pain sticks were the first time they had been taken to the Pit when they had resisted. Rjurik had even managed to make a break for his freedom. That was until they felt the magic of the Pain Sticks. The twins had been touched with the ruby side of the sticks and immediately it felt as if their blood was on fire. Heat raced through their veins causing intense pain that still lingered in their memories. Rjurik had not been so lucky. During his break for freedom, he was hit with the full force of the diamond side of the pain sticks. A whitish-blue glow had surrounded his body, slowing him. Immediately his body became numb and his extremities turned blue. His body felt as if he was stuck in a raging blizzard; his cheeks became covered in icicles and a layer of frost encased his body. The intense cold was bad enough to give him a severe case of frostbite, causing the loss of two toes.