As the Wolf Howls

by Michael Linford

  Black Wolf touched his right eye. Deep in the innermost corner lay his mark of creation. He’d heard stories regarding these marks when he was a child but never had he known any to be true. He remembered some of the elders used to be fascinated by his mark and talk amongst themselves about it but never to him.

  ‘So what does this mean for me, Grey Moon? Can you explain more?’

  Grey Moon looked deep into his young friend’s eyes, and spoke: ‘You left your last world through that mark. You died as a result of an injury deep where that mark lies. As you are the leader of men, it’s important that I reveal something to you. Through all the battles you fought as a young warrior, did you ever wonder why you left them with nothing but cuts and bruises? Great men fell all around you but you stood strong and always returned safely. Why is that?’

  Black Wolf thought about his early struggles in battle; some had been very vicious before the peace that his people now had. Through all the fights he had remained safe, despite standing alone and entering battles with a reckless heart.

  ‘What are you saying, Grey Moon? I don’t understand. You aren’t telling me I cannot die, surely?’

  ‘As the leader of men, you will age like any other and if you fall ill you will become sick and weak like any other. But the spirits declared many ages ago that the mark of creation would be the only way to kill the chosen one before his time. Every gift gets passed on, but only once the person truly understands that gift. You will get old like me and eventually die, but to remove you before your time is up would take a weapon struck into your mark of creation. Without that, you would be merely injured but still alive.’

  Black Wolf stood quickly. What Grey Moon had said made perfect sense in such a strange way. All his cuts and bruises had healed throughout his life; he had never suffered any worse than that.

  ‘I know this is a great deal to follow and understand, my child. I spoke to the spirits earlier today and I was told that you must know this. I don’t want to confuse you or make your journey harder. I am here to try to help guide you on your way. The rest you must do yourself.’

  Black Wolf looked down at Grey Moon. He seemed so old and frail yet so young and strong at the same time. ‘Who are you, Grey Moon?’ Grey Moon glanced up and caught Black Wolf’s deep brown eyes, trying to hide the tears welling up as he spoke. ‘You should think of me as merely a traveller, Black Wolf.’

  CHAPTER 8

  In Orgent, Amelia was sat in the kitchen talking to Elspeth. All around her, the staff hurried about, preparing recipes and planning food. After her day in the market, Amelia had been thinking about her father and how deeply he’d been studying his paperwork. She knew that if she asked him he’d tell her nothing, so she glanced at the papers while he was busy, and found plans for a big celebration within the city’s walls that very night. As controlling as her father was, he often surprised her with such occasions. She thought he still saw her as his little girl and that surprise parties would mean a lot to her. In truth, Amelia wanted to know in advance so she could prepare what to wear and the anticipation would give her something real to break the monotony of her caged life. She didn’t want to upset her father, though, so she was pretending to have no idea of the party and was carrying on as normal.

  ‘Amelia, you really need to leave the kitchen soon. If your father comes in to check on the food then he will know you are already aware of the surprise.’

  Elspeth loved Amelia dearly, but found her stubborn streak difficult to deal with at such times.

  ‘I cannot sit in my room for a whole day though, Elspeth. You know how mad it drives me, sitting up there, watching everything happen to all but me.’

  ‘I do know how you feel, but we mustn’t spoil this for your father. We must go!’ With this, Elspeth pulled the princess by the hand through the backdoor of the kitchen and out into the small garden at the back of the temple.

  Amelia liked sitting here, surrounded by all the beautiful flowers, and with the sun so warm today she decided there were worse places she could be.

  Upstairs in the study, the head of the guards was in discussion with the emperor.

  ‘I appreciate your trouble guarding the city when the gates are open, but this party will need them open so we can make room for all the celebrations.’

  The emperor had been studying the city’s plans and though he never liked opening the gate, he’d decided it was the only way that the party could work. He had planned fireworks to close the event and it was far too dangerous with the great doors closed. So he had made a plan, which involved opening them just for the end, working out that the smoke would hide the gates being open anyway.

  ‘I know you have gone to great lengths for this party, Emperor. I just fear that it will leave us exposed and that is always a worry for my men and me. If this is your wish though, I assure you it will be done.’

  The head guard knew that challenging the emperor was pointless and decided that instead of arguing, he would spend the rest of the day making sure the guards were ready for any problems.

  ‘Thank you, my friend. You have served me loyally for many years. I understand your concerns but your men are watching every night and see no threat of attack. The wild animals outside the city walls haven’t been a problem to us for a long time and the sickness is also controlled now. I’m sure we have nothing to fear. Tell your men to be vigilant and everything will be fine.’

  The emperor stood, signalling the end of the discussion. Slowly the head guard also stood, bowed, and made his way out of the room.

  ‘Any problems, let me know and we can sort them out before this event.’

  ‘I will, Emperor, thank you.’

  With the conversation over, the emperor closed the door. The head guard started making his way back to speak to his men and give them their orders. Walking down the steps of the temple, he was troubled at the thought of opening the gates. For the past few nights he had increased security at the wall and despite his men seeing nothing strange, he himself had an odd feeling. He couldn’t prove anything but had a sense that there was something outside the city walls and it left him feeling very uneasy about the planned celebrations.

  CHAPTER 9

  Deep in the mountains, north-east of Orgent, Lone Wolf sat alone in his cave. He had been out hunting all morning and had finally returned with enough food to last him a few days. As he skinned the carcasses of his hunting victories, he saw a brief movement in the rocks ahead of him. He watched as a black wolf walked out of its hiding place and stood staring directly at him. The wolf had appeared out of nowhere for the last couple of days now and after a short time, had disappeared again without a trace.

  ‘I don’t know what it is you want, but there must be a reason why you keep appearing? Are you a loner like me? Or maybe you’re just hungry?’

  Lone Wolf threw some meat for the wolf and watched as it passed right through him. Stunned, Lone Wolf jumped to his feet and ran out onto the mountain ledge. The meat was lying in the dirt and the wolf was nowhere to be seen.

  He left the meat where it was and walked back to his cave; it hadn’t occurred to him before that he’d been visited by a spirit animal. Suddenly the air felt cold around him and a chill ran down his spine, so he lit a small fire and continued preparing his food, feeling a little more apprehensive than before.

  Lone Wolf had lived in the mountains for years now. He had once been part of a tribe who had lived far from the area in which he now dwelt. In those times, there was no peace amongst any of the settlers though and wars often broke out. Having lost his parents in one of the many violent battles long ago, he had decided to walk away from the tribe and live his life alone somewhere quiet. He had trekked for weeks before arriving at these mountains and it took days further before he found a suitable place to stay. Eventually he found a cave and although it wasn’t that big, there was more than enough room for him to live in alone. Everything he needed was around him; he could hunt for food and there were lots of fruit and vegetables
growing naturally in the wooded areas nearby. It took him a little time to get used to this new way of life, but once he had he found it a lot more enjoyable than the tribes, with their battles and constant moving. The only thing he had brought with him from those days was his belief in ancient arts and customs. During his time with the tribe, he had been taught many things, including meditation using fire, and this was one practice that he still used regularly.

  Having finished sorting his food he sat looking into the heart of his campfire. The flames twisted and turned around each other, dancing as one and then separating again. He relaxed and let his mind quieten, feeling the warmth of the flames spread from his toes and slowly up his body. In his mind, he saw the flames separate again and take shape. Two figures moved towards another and joined together, creating one strong-looking frame. A third figure stood separate from them, and in the distance he saw the sky turn blacker than he had ever seen before. The only noise was the single call of a wolf. As the image slowly faded and turned back into flames, he opened his eyes and knew what it all meant.

  He moved back into the cave and made as much room as he could. Soon he would be having visitors, he was sure.

  CHAPTER 10

  Black Wolf and Grey Moon returned to their camp. There were things to be done before they started their journey and there was no time to waste. Grey Moon had headed to talk to some of the elders to see if they could assemble a small group of warriors together, should they be needed. He also had to warn them to be vigilant as the camp itself would soon be a target if things went wrong.

  Black Wolf was back at his hut, packing the supplies they needed for their journey. Grey Moon had told him of certain essentials they required but also that they’d have to travel fairly lightly in order to move quickly when needed. He had packed some food, the hunting bag, a couple of skins and a fur blanket. The last item he had to pack was the box that Grey Moon had given him. He opened it to check that the book was in there. It was, and he slowly flicked through its pages. The dreams of fire and trekking played out in his mind and he felt so close to realising what they meant, but something was holding him back. The one thing he couldn’t forget was the girl’s face though, so he grabbed his charcoal and drew her on the page next to where he’d written that dream. The picture came out perfectly and as he stared at those familiar features, something inside him felt pain like never before. As he sat, staring at the face, he heard a woman’s voice speaking to him: ‘You must save Esmee.’

  Black Wolf looked outside his tent but there was no one there. The voice had been so familiar to him though and felt strangely comforting. With his charcoal, he wrote the name Esmee below the picture and continued to look at it. Who was this girl and why did she feature so prominently in his dreams?

  He was sure that there was a connection between him and this girl with the haunting green eyes, but he didn’t know any more than that. He put the book back in the box and packed it in his sack. The sack was quite heavy so he had tied rope to it, enabling him to wear it on his back. When he hoisted it onto his shoulders he felt that strange familiarity once more. He took one last look in his hut and sealed it shut; he wasn’t sure if or when he would be back here again.

  Grey Moon had finished talking to the other elders and they had agreed to his requests. A group of twenty men would train and prepare themselves for battle if needed. He had told them that there would be a sign if they were to come and help, but that he wasn’t sure what the sign would be. They would know though, he had reassured them. The elders had wished him well on his journey and had started to search for their warriors. Grey Moon packed his spirit herbs and nothing else. He was confident that Black Wolf would bring everything they needed, so he sealed his hut and sat waiting for his friend to join him. Grey Moon watched as the tribe carried on their routines as normal; nothing had changed for them and he hoped it wouldn’t have to. This battle wasn’t theirs and all he could wish for was, with Black Wolf’s leadership, they could keep everyone safe from harm.

  Black Wolf arrived at Grey Moon’s hut a short while later.

  ‘I’ve got everything you asked for here and am ready to start our journey.’

  Grey Moon glanced up at his friend and forced a smile, yet his eyes gave away his worries. ‘I’m not sure any of us are ready, my child, but you are starting to look like the man of strength that you truly are. I have spoken to the elders and they will gather some fighters for us should we need them. I guess it’s now time to say goodbye to this land and start our journey. We have far to travel, so let’s begin.’

  Grey Moon reached out his hand and Black Wolf helped pull him to his feet.

  ‘Where are we going, Grey Moon?’

  Black Wolf was eager to start their journey before his spirit started to weaken.

  ‘First we must head into the mountains. It will take days to get there and we will stop to rest before we reach them. Remember that the spirits told us we would be joined by another before starting our quest, once they arrive then we will move quickly and be closer to reaching our goal.’

  Black Wolf was desperate to have more answers but knew that he’d get them before long. One thing still troubled him though. ‘How will this other person know where to find us, Grey Moon?’ Grey Moon had quietly pondered the same question and the only answer he could give Black Wolf was what he believed was true: ‘Fate has set in motion a series of events, Wolf. We may not like it or understand why, but these things are happening and now we must follow the paths that become clear to us. All we can hope for is that others do the same and our mother helps the four powers to reunite. Have faith, child. We will be joined before too long by an important visitor, and then we can search for the others. This journey will be hard for you in many ways but remember the advice I give you and you will see the truth. Let’s go now — we have much to do.’

  Grey Moon gently guided Black Wolf forward and the two began heading out of the camp. Grey Moon’s mind filled with many visions as he walked. He hoped that Black Wolf was ready for this and that he would deal with what he learned on this journey as painlessly as possible. This man, with such a past and such a future. Grey Moon looked at him and choked back the tears that stung his eyes. He would not lose him again.

  CHAPTER 11

  The sun had burned itself out and now, as it had started to set for the night to come rushing in, the sky above Orgent was a dark, almost blackened, shade of blue.

  The emperor had found Amelia in the gardens earlier and had given her the big surprise. Amelia had used her talents to the full in order to fake shock and excitement before embracing her father, who soon became flustered and left her to prepare.

  Sitting in his study, watching the sky darken, the emperor was very excited about his big finale for the party. He had time to relax now as he knew everything was being taken care of; his daughter had been so shocked at the announcement of the event, so he could watch time move by with a satisfied smile on his face. He hadn’t thrown a party in quite a while now and was determined that tonight would be remembered for a long time.

  Amelia was in her room with Elspeth, frantically looking through her clothes. She was desperate to find something really special to wear and was running out of time.

  ‘It will be a cold night, Amelia, so you need something practical as well as attractive.’ Elspeth often sounded like a mother, but the last thing she needed was to be looking after an ill princess who was grumpy.

  ‘I cannot find anything yet, Elspeth, so I’ll be lucky to even attend. I wish I’d known sooner, then I could’ve had something made specially.’

  Elspeth watched as clothing flew through the air and landed, scattered, all around her. Suddenly an idea sprang into her mind.

  ‘What about your mother’s clothes? There were many parties back then and I’m sure she’d have some lovely outfits. Maybe you could wear one of them? I’ve seen them all in the spare room and I’m sure most of them would fit you perfectly.’

  Amelia stopped rummaging thr
ough her clothes immediately and turned to Elspeth.

  ‘That’s a wonderful idea. You know I won’t go into that room, but you can. Find something that will look perfect and I’ll wear that. I trust you to choose well — you’ve never let me down before. You’d better go now though, time is short if I’m to be ready for tonight!’

  Elspeth stood up and made her way carefully through the clothes lying scattered on the floor. ‘I will be as quick as I can, Amelia, then we must do your hair. Don’t worry, we’ll be ready in time, I promise.’

  As Elspeth left the room, Amelia started tidying away all the piles of clothes. She felt a lot more positive about the party now and was ready to have as much fun as she could.

  Inside the walls of Orgent, people were busy setting out everything for the party. In the big open courtyard, tables had been arranged into a huge square. There was a separate line of tables for the emperor, princess and other special people from the temple. The whole city had been cleaned from head to toe and now decorations were being hung up, making the city fit for a huge celebration. Night was soon approaching, so lanterns were lit and the city glowed beautifully beneath the darkening sky. The food was ready and there was an army of servants ready to give everyone their meals. In a short time, the party would start and the city would be awaiting the arrival of its emperor and his daughter.

  High above the city, the guards were continuing their checks to make sure everything was safe. The unease at opening the gates had dwindled throughout the day and the guards were looking forward to enjoying the celebrations like everyone else. The head guard still couldn’t shake off his strange feeling though and was determined that he would be the one opening the gates, rather than leaving it to one of his men. He was pacing back and forth by the gates, checking all the plans in his head and making sure he was prepared for anything. To him the sky seemed darker than usual and he struggled to escape the cold wind that seemingly appeared from nowhere. He pulled his collar up higher, stuck his hands deep into his pockets and continued pacing, his breath forming ghostly wisps in the cold night air.