by Rodger Carr
It continued to snow for days, non-stop, day and night. The roadway became deep with slush; first ankle high and then calf, and eventually knee deep. The steps of two hundred guardsmen and horses ahead of them pounded the new fallen snow. Much to the cursing of LaBairne, and to Gerrod and his friends' delight, the trail was unmistakable. Only the storm threatened to fill in the trail. They matched pace with the army as they trudged onward in the freakish, premature winter.
As the snow fell, so did the temperature. Nights became unbearable without a fire. They had to risk it, despite their better judgment. They piled all the furs they had with them on their sleeping bodies. The cold wetness of the snowy ground soaked both, the furs and them. Neither they nor their furs would dry by the next night, and it was all they could do to keep from freezing solid. They all caught colds; their miserable sneezing and coughs echoing in the suddenly dead forest. Only the muffling snow dampened the sound. They were cruelly reminded why people didn't travel in the winters of Carrona.
Even on the smooth King's Highway, they could only hope for a slow crawl; enough to keep them from freezing to the roadway. Even Star, who was always warm under his thick fur, shivered from the relentless weather. Gerrod could tell that Star's legs ached from the uncomfortable position of riding across Misty, but the wolf tired from the cold and the endless pace otherwise.
As they made their way northward, they rose up into the mountains. The King's Highway quickly turned into an icy obstacle. The horses had difficulty getting traction on the ice-covered stone. Several times they were forced to get off the road completely, and follow the softer ground along the sides of the paving stones. They shod the horses' hooves with fur, trying to keep them dry and free of frostbite. They kept moving just to keep warm.
Because of the weather, the army didn't dare stop any more than necessary. And, as long as they kept on marching, the party was forced to follow them. They marched right on through what were known as the dark days, the last three days of their ten-day weeks, or the weekend. Traveling or conducting business on these days was normally unacceptable. It was said that to do these things was to bring the wrath of the demons, which hold these days as holy, down upon you. A curse from the gods; it was just what they needed to top off this wonderful journey. Of course it continued to snow, right on through these days as well, not lightening their spirits any.
On Maglubiday, the second of the dark days, the wind began to pick up again, driving the heavy snow sideways across their path. This reduced their visibility down to a few feet. At times, they even lost sight of each other, and they were forced to only guess which way the road may be going. They stayed close together, and tethered their mounts to each other, so as not to lose anyone. The wind howled in mournful cries.
Freezing and exhausted, Gerrod knew he had to do something, or else they would all go mad. With the three of them riding close together in a huddled fashion, and struggling to keep his voice above the wailing of the wind, Gerrod reminded them of the story of how he had come across Star. His memory was inspired by the relentless winter storm, and by Star, who laid across his lap like a heavy quilt. While Star was never a big fan of riding, especially when he could be galloping through the winter snows, Gerrod asked him to rest. He knew they would need him to be alert for them later, keeping watch while they tried to sleep. Although he lacked the energy to do anything but hold onto the saddle horn, Star managed to help keep him warm.
Some seventeen winters before, Gerrod reminded his friends, they were traveling along a stretch of the King's Highway such as this, when he had heard something unusual. It was more than a sound, for neither Corinna nor Ace had heard it. Before he could find any kind of explanation, he suddenly received an image in his head -- a picture of a place. This image was surprisingly clear, and while not a memory or a dream, Gerrod knew exactly where this place was. He could feel that this place was not more than a few hundred paces off the road, so he motioned his friends to follow.
It was then that he had felt a stabbing pain, as if his left arm was broken. Gerrod grabbed his uninjured limb, and held it tight against him. He was forced to cry out when he thought he could withstand the overwhelming pain no more. As if to echo his own cry, came the baying of a wolf, not too distant from them. Corinna and Ace stopped short, but Gerrod continued a few more feet ahead of them.
"Gerrod!" Corinna shouted, "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, I did," he acknowledged, though he barely heard her. His mind was focused on the picture in his head, and on the incessant throbbing of his arm. He clutched it tighter to him, but it comforted him little.
"Are you all right, lad?" Ace asked. He referred to both his arm and his desire to continue, despite the wolf.
"He's hurt," he explained. "I have to go help him." Without looking, Gerrod saw the shared concern on both Ace and Corinna's faces. "Don't worry," he assured them, "You don't have to come."
He kicked at Misty, and persuaded her to enter the woods. Her ears perked backwards in protest. His only worry was to find that wolf. Ace and Corinna were accustomed to him wandering off the path to help various lost animals; but for some reason, they recognized his undeniable need to do this. He knew that an injured wolf could be dangerous, even when approached with the best of intentions. He knew that if he could get close enough to help it, it would be close enough to kill him. But the wolf cried out again. This time he clearly heard the sound on the inside of his head. The mournful cry echoed within his skull, and his head felt like it would burst. Without further conversation, he urged Misty on. Reluctantly, she plodded onward, fighting against the instincts that begged her to run from the terrible sound.
Gerrod didn't think about where he was going; he simply guided Misty left and then right, working their way through the forest and the snow, to the wolf. A few minutes later, they found him at the bottom of a large pit trap.
Normally the wolf would have managed to jump out of it, but he had broken his left front leg. This was the limb that corresponded to Gerrod's aching arm. The wolf hobbled about, pacing on his three good limbs.
"Why, hello there," Gerrod greeted him in a soothing voice. He looked into the pit tentatively, though he felt no fear. At the sound of his voice, the beautiful, sweat-slicked beast sat. Looking up at Gerrod, the wolf waved its injured paw in the air, as if to tell him about it. Though he didn't understand by what magic it happened, as the wolf whined and waved, Gerrod saw an image of how the wolf fell into the pit. He slipped on the icy edge, and landed with an audible crunch on his broken leg. He felt the pain, and it coursed up his left arm in a single wave. Gerrod wanted to yell, but he didn't want to scare the wolf.
Gerrod looked down at him. Instead of acting mean or vicious, as injured animals are prone to do, the wolf just looked back up at him patiently. He whined a helpless plea and cocked his head. While Gerrod had many powers over animals, this peaceful nature was none of his convincing. It was as if he knew he was there to help him, and that he understood him.
He had a beautiful thick coat of winter white and gray. A masking of dark fur, centered on his left eye, could be seen in the shape of a star. He had lean, strong lines, and was in good health, except for the obviously broken leg. He hadn't been in the pit very long. Judging by the trampled snow on the floor of the pit, Gerrod guessed it had been just that morning.
Gerrod looked around for a way to help free his new friend. In the past, he had lowered one end of a fallen log into pits to help animals out who could simply climb the log to freedom. But with the wet snow and ice covering everything, and the wolf's broken leg, he knew that wouldn't work this time. Without many alternatives, his decision was obvious. He'd have to go in and carry him out.
He secured a sturdy rope to Misty's saddle horn, and threw the loose end into the pit. The wolf just sat there waiting, almost amused by his efforts. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not, though there was nothing intimidating at all from its posturing.
He tried not to think about it too much. He grabbed the line and lowered himself into the pit.
The sides of the pit were of loose soil, turned to wet mud. He knocked piles of dirt out of the wall as he descended. His boots sank easily into the muddy mass. He checked behind him several times as he repelled down the vertical surface, but the only movement the wolf made was to lie down. He could sense from the temperament that the wolf didn't intend to attack. He was simply rested his hurt limb. He seemed almost uninterested as he approached.
Gerrod tried to calm him by talking in soft, soothing tones, though he wasn't sure whether it was helping any or not. He watched the half-elf with curious eyes as he squatted down, a few feet from him. Gerrod hoped this would make him appear less threatening to him, though he didn't appear threatened at all by his being there. "Easy, boy," Gerrod approached him, walking squatted down as much as he could. "Everything will be all right," he assured himself as much as the wolf. "I'm only here to help you."
Holding out your bare hand to an animal that was just as likely to bite it off is never a smart thing to do. But it seemed like the right thing at the moment. Gerrod was hoping the wolf would get his scent, and hopefully, like it enough to trust him. He pulled his hand out of the fur mitten and held it out at arm's length as he closed in the last two feet. The wolf's nose shot up in the air, eager to catch the scent. His sudden movement gave Gerrod a startle. He considered pulling his hand back quickly, but he would not fail this test with cowardice.
"There you go, Star," Gerrod named him. It was as if the strange wolf told him his name. "See? I'm all right. You can trust me."
Suddenly, the hair on the back of the wolf's neck stood straight up and he began with a low growl. He leapt to his feet from his lying position, and bolted right through Gerrod before he could react. Gerrod pulled his unprotected hand away, but he was already thrown to the ground, toppled by the weight of the animal.
"Mya help me!" he cried, as he prepared himself for the tearing bite of the wolf. But, to his surprise, it never came. Star passed right over his trampled body, and darted toward the side of the pit. Gerrod said a quick prayer of thanks to Mya, and scrambled to his feet.
Even with an injured leg, Star moved at lightning speed. He threw himself at the wall of the pit, full force, only succeeding in knocking more dirt down on top of him.
"Star! Down boy," he called out, as if expecting him to respond to his command. "I'll help you out, boy. Just settle down."
"Gerrod, get out of there! This wolf's crazed!" he heard a voice yell from above. Next, he saw Ace's face peering down over the ledge of the pit. "Spade was too smart. She wouldn't come anywhere near that wolf. Smart pony, there. You could learn a lesson from her!"
"It's okay, Ace. Star doesn't seem to mind me, but it's you he wants. Maybe you should go back to Corinna. He doesn't seem to care much for dwarves, yet," he warned.
"And leave you down in that pit alone with that beast? Nothing doing."
"Honest, Ace," Gerrod said with a chuckle. "We'll be all right. I just don't think he'll calm down any until you leave."
Star was still clawing at the mud wall with his one good front paw, and jumping up and down. He never stopped his savage snarling and growling. He was determined to reach Ace, and probably for no good end. All of this action had torn his bad leg up even worse, and Gerrod could see splatters of fresh blood falling on the snow below him. Star never paid the pain in his leg any attention, though Gerrod could feel how badly it hurt him. "Please, Ace. He's hurting himself worse."
"Well, it's your hide, ranger. You're the expert on these animal matters," Ace grumbled. He turned around, and walked away. He mumbled loudly enough for his friend to hear him over Star's continued snarls. "After all, I'm just an ancient dwarf. Haven't seen enough people ravaged by crazed wolves yet, I guess."
"He's gone now, boy. Come on, Star, settle down now," Gerrod urged. "You're okay."
As soon as he knew that Ace had left, Star stopped his terrible growling and returned to Gerrod. He calmly limped over and sat down in front of him and raised his injured leg the best he could, as if nothing had ever happened. It amazed Gerrod, who had trained animals of all types. He considered that maybe this wolf was someone's pet. He seemed to have an unusual amount of trust in him, as if he had known him well, but Gerrod was sure he had never seen him before.
"We've got to get you out of here before I can do much about that. You're a pretty big pup," Gerrod sized him up at almost a hundred pounds, as he looked at the steep dirt wall. "Looks like I'll have to carry you," a prospect he still was not looking forward to, even more so when he saw what he had done to that wall.
Gerrod reached out and patted his head. He seemed to take this affection quite well. He pressed his soft fur head into the palm of his hand, and tried to lick it. He stroked his soft cheeks, and then hoisted him on his shoulders, across his back. "I'm afraid this might hurt a bit," he warned, "but I promise to make this as gentle as possible." Star stood perfectly still, more than willing to be handled this way. Gerrod carried him over to the rope that hung down the wall and tied it around his waist.
"Misty, heave-ho!" he cried out. Obediently, Misty walked forward, dragging the rope and them with her. The rope cut into the soft dirt, lifting Star and Gerrod. By the time they reached the top, the rope wedged itself into a large, muddy rift.
Once they were safely out of the pit, he set Star down by Misty. He searched his saddlebags and produced some strips of fine cloth bandages. He looked around, kicking at the new snow, until he uncovered two long, sturdy sticks.
When he returned to Star, he didn't look as though he was doing very well. He lay still on his side. He barely acknowledged the ranger's return. As the wolf faded in and out of sleep, Gerrod was able to reset the broken bone and place the splint on either side of the leg. This done, he lifted his now limp body and placed him across the front of his saddle, laying him across the horse.
Gerrod heard Ace return, but paid him no attention. Star was in no shape to put up a fuss about him anymore. "I'm sorry you had to kill him, Gerrod," he consoled, "but he was clearly mad."
"He's not dead, Ace; at least not yet. He's sleeping now," Gerrod explained. "He's lost a lot of blood, and he's going to be a while recovering before he's in any kind of shape to return to the wild."
"You mean to tell me you're going to carry him around like that until he's better? Better enough to attack you -- or us?" Ace protested.
"I don't think you have to worry about Star attacking anyone or anything for quite some time. The break is bad, and it's going to be a slow recovery. By then, he'll get to know us better. He seems to take a liking to people pretty quickly. I was wondering if he might be some one's pet."
"Well of course he'd take to you. Animals always take to you. You just have that way with animals. I, on the other hand, tend to become chew-toy material," Ace said, seriously concerned. "Besides, we'll be to Oswegonia soon. Are you just going to haul a wolf around the city with you?"
"Well, if Star gets to be a problem, either in behavior or in convenience, then I'll have to release him to a druid. Until that time, I intend to take care of him the best I can. With a bad leg, he wouldn't do well on his own. Besides, there's something really different about him. It's almost as if he talks to me."
Gerrod climbed on the saddle himself, and rode with Ace out to Corinna and the road once more. Ace didn't say another word on the matter. He knew that there would be no changing the ranger's mind. Corinna had her doubts as well, but trusted Gerrod knew what he was doing.
That night, as they bedded down, Gerrod whispered a prayer of healing for Star to Mya. The wolf hadn't awakened from his deep sleep all day, and he feared he may not survive the night. He prayed that Mya might watch for him during the night, and to touch upon him with healing hands.
Gerrod laid him down beside him. He could hear the gentle thump of a heartbe
at, and the low, soft rhythm of his breathing. His fur was so soft, and his body warm, a comfort against the snow and ice of winter. Even though Gerrod knew the wolf was seriously injured, it made him feel good to have his new friend next to him. Star needed someone to look after him, and Gerrod was there when he needed him.
Gerrod awakened the next morning, hearing loud, fitful screams. He rolled over in the direction they were coming from, and his eyes focused on Ace. He was screaming nonsense in a hysteria that woke everyone up, immediately alert. Gerrod drew his sword and was ready to come to his friend's rescue. His eyes grew wide and his jaws dropped. Star stood over the dwarf, licking his face.
In his blind hysteria, Ace thought Star was attacking him. "Help! Get this animal off me! It's trying to chew my face off! Help!" came his screams with much flailing.
Gerrod began to laugh as he realized what was happening. Star discovered scraps of food that stuck in Ace's full but unkempt beard. Ace was not the cleanest eater in those days, and much of his food commonly ended up lodged in his beard. Star, having awakened from his sleep, was plucking out this left over food with his large, wet tongue.
"Come here, Star," Gerrod called to him. "I don't think Ace appreciates your bathing him." Star immediately came over to him, and accepted his petting affections. Gerrod was shocked to not only see him awake, but apparently completely healed. After examining the leg that was broken just the night before, he thanked Mya for answering his prayer. Though his faith in his goddess was strong before, through the miracle of her healing, this faith multiplied. Though he might have been a little hungry, Star seemed no worse for the experience. Gerrod wished he could say the same for Ace, who, not even bothering to notice that Star had left him, was still flailing wildly on the ground.
As he was examining Star, a very bemused Corinna went to console their friend. "Easy, Ace. You're fine. Nothing like a good, wet kiss to wake you up in the morning, huh?"
Finally coming out of his convulsions long enough to notice Star wasn't anywhere near him, Ace excitedly tried to explain. "Why, that blasted animal was trying to kill me again! I'm glad you were able to drag him off me before he had a chance to tear me apart. That crazed dog wanted my blood, I tell ya'."
"More like your morn-meal," Gerrod corrected jokingly. "He's hungry, and so am I."
"Well, I guess I'm all right," Ace responded, sarcastically ignoring their explanation, "Thanks for asking. Death's door I was at, don't you know? Inches away from losing my life to the jaws of that hound. Wrapped about my throat like that. . ."
"Morn-meal sounds good to me, Gerrod," Corinna answered, ignoring Ace's mumbled complaints. "I'm sure if you could find us some food for morn-meal, Ace will be more than willing to forgive Star. I'll get a fire started, Ace, if you want to check on the horses. We'll have the meal ready by the time you get back."
They quickly picked up their blankets and furs, and set about on their assignments. The clear sky above promised a beautiful day. Star accompanied Gerrod, as they searched the brush that grew heavy along the road. As if knowing what he was searching for, Star sniffed the air for game.
Many birds used the protective cover of the thick brush to hide their nests, and game bird eggs made for a good morn-meal. Star darted about, ahead and around Gerrod, sticking his nose into the brush and sniffing. Finding nothing, he would move to another spot in the hedgerow.
They traveled down the road a short way, until Star reached a spot and began prancing around. He got down on his fore quarters, and intently peered into the brush, tongue wagging about. It was about all the wolf could do to contain its eager yelping, but he restrained himself so as not to scare the game. Star was an excellent hunter.
"What is it, boy? Did you find something?" Gerrod asked, playfully.
Suddenly, Gerrod was struck by another vision. He realized, as he saw the vague outline of a pheasant that he was seeing through Star's eyes as he peered through the bushes. There, hidden under the thorns and branches, was a small game bird, seated on its nest. The bird was sitting very still, like a statue, but he could detect its outline despite its cover. Gerrod's stomach rumbled at the prospect of eggs. Star waited in silence. His eyes locked onto the target. Gerrod made his way, only half seeing through his own eyes, to stand next to him. Gerrod could almost feel the bird quivering, too scared to move, and waiting for a good opportunity to escape.
On the signal of a mere thought, Star dove into the thick brush. His keen eyes never left the bird. With a flurry of speed, Star bit down and snapped the bird's outstretched neck. He pulled the bird out, all before its flapping wings could lift it off its nest. The game bird lain limply in Star's mouth, nary a feather on its neck ruffled. He set the bird down at Gerrod's feet, looking every bit like a hunting dog, licking his chops. He would have liked to have devoured the bird right there and then, and being his prize, he would have had full right to it. But somehow, he knew he would get more than his fair share of the meal.
Gerrod gathered the eggs and bird, carefully put them into a sack. Their task proudly completed, they headed back to camp. Star would prove to be a valuable and most dear companion, he knew.
When they returned, Corinna had a warm fire going, and Ace was just coming back from caring for the horses. "Well, I'm back. Did you manage to find anything to eat as you promised, or did that wolf scare everything off?"
"We not only got some fresh pheasant eggs," Gerrod boasted, "but Star here felt like the whole bird this morning!" He displayed the bird proudly. Corinna applauded as if Gerrod had pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Star waved a paw in the air in appreciation. Even Ace managed to work up a small cheer for the bonus.
After a filling meal of pheasant and eggs, it was time for them to get back on the road. Star cleaned up what leftovers there were, and then he sat down in front of Gerrod as he said his good-byes. Star seemed to adopt a sad face, which matched Gerrod's serious tone as he spoke with him. It was almost as if he knew what he was thinking. "Well, it looks like your leg is as good as new. Praises to Mya." Gerrod noted as he examined it one last time. "And it's time for us to be heading back onto the road. I'd like to thank you again for the pheasant. I think you'll agree, it was very good." Star licked his chops, still tasting the treat. "So I guess this is good-bye." Gerrod choked back tears that welled in his eyes. He had never experienced an animal the likes of Star, and he reckoned he never would again.
Gerrod tried to take his paw and shake it, but Star refused to let him. Taking the insult as perhaps being his way of parting, perhaps showing how sad he was even though Gerrod could feel it, he turned and mounted Misty. "Now go on, Star. You belong in the wild, so get going," he commanded.
Star simply stood there, looking back up at him. His head seemed to hang.
"What are you waiting for? Get going," Gerrod prompted again.
Still, he stood there.
"Are you coming, lad?" came Ace's gruff voice.
"I'll be there in a minute," he called back to him. "Okay, stay here if you'd like, Star. Maybe I'll see you again someday. Bye, Star."
He pulled on the reins and nudged Misty toward Corinna and Ace who were waiting patiently by the road. Though tempted many times, he refused to look back. When he reached his friends, Corinna pointed behind him with a whimsical look. Gerrod turned to see what she found so amusing about his heartfelt parting with Star, only to find that the white wolf had followed him.
"I told you to get!" Gerrod yelled at him, but as he reached his friends, Star only sat and waited.
"Looks to my as if he's taken a shyning to you," Ace observed. "I've heard tell of it happening before, to men of the woods. For little or no reason at all, some beast will latch on and follow the guy around for the rest of his days. They call it the shyning." Ace was amused endlessly, and quite convinced this was what happened.
"Maybe he's just looking for more scraps in your beard," Gerrod rebutted, which shut Ace
up in a hurry. He quietly ran his fingers through his thick beard to groom it. Once and a while he'd find something lodged in there, and flicked it out, devoid of any social graces.
Gerrod too had heard of the shyning. While it was a great honor among rangers to have a woodland friend adopt them, he wasn't sure he was up to the responsibilities associated with taking on a companion. It was more than just having this animal follow you around for the rest of your life. A ranger's companion became a part of the ranger. It was this spiritual bond between the two that made communications such as the animal's sights and other senses available to the ranger. It was through such a bond that he had been able to feel Star's pain and see the pheasant.
Companions of the shyning were considered to be gifts from the gods, and Mya had shown her approval by her healing of Star. It also seemed that Star was leaving him with little choice. Star had a stubborn, determined look in his eyes. He had chosen to be his companion, and he wouldn't take "no" for an answer. It seemed that Gerrod had a new friend for life.
After this, they all began the long road of friendship with Star; even Ace. They eventually not only trusted him, but also came to count on him as a dear friend. Gerrod did notice, however, that Ace began taking greater care in grooming the food out of his thick, black beard. This was something they all appreciated.
Corinna and Ace enjoyed the tale, and they joked for quite a while afterwards. It lifted their spirits and took their minds off the weather. In fact, they even noticed the snow started to ease.
Later that afternoon, the wind stopped as did the snow. The clouds parted, clearing the sky as swiftly as they had come. The sun shone down suddenly blazing warm. As freezing cold as it had been, it quickly grew just as agonizingly hot. The weather sure was acting strangely. This was obvious, even to Gerrod's non-ranger friends, but they didn't make an issue of discussing it.
As the temperature climbed sharply, so did the road. While Gerrod had only traveled this length of the King's Highway a couple dozen times or so, this was one stretch of the usually endless, mindless roadway he always remembered. The roadway took a sudden, vertical turn, and climbed the steep mountain face. While normally a torturous climb for the horses, the heat of the afternoon swelter made it unbearable this day. Many times they needed to dismount and help pull the horses up the steep incline. The neatly paved roadway turned more into a rough, rutted trail.
They made several stops to rest the horses at the fresh springs, which poured out of the bare rock faces and gathered between boulders to form crystal clear pools.
The scenery of the road behind them was the saving grace that got them through that difficult day. All the hills and valleys of the lands behind them fell away as they continued to climb. First they could see above the trees, and then over the hills. The world lay out behind them, displaying all its great splendor.
Gerrod took in deep breaths of the warm, but clear air. For that minute, they seemed to be on top of the world. It would be the last time they felt like that in a long time.
Chapter 11
Highpoint