Secrets & Spires: Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Happy Monday everyone! Here it is, the first chapter of Steel & Thunder Book 3:  Secrets & Spires! This novel will be released on April 17th, 2022, available in all the usual places. Find the cover art below (logo pending), and happy reading!

“NO!” I cry out as I watch the sword plunge into David’s chest.

He looks down in shock as the blade is removed, blood already pouring from the wound. He stumbles backwards into the altar, struggling to hold himself upright, red pooling in the corners of his mouth as he tries to breathe. He collapses atop of it, arm reaching out for me blindly, and I fight against my captor as the light fades from his eyes.

I cease my struggling, the fight draining out of me like David’s blood. I have been shot with arrows, poisoned, and beaten tonight, but none of that compares to the emptiness I feel at his loss. It is as though part of me died with him. As I stare numbly at his corpse, I can hear Redwish and Murbank arguing off to the side, drawing my attention

“What do you think you are doing?!” Murbank shouts at the other man in robes. “You have tainted the weapon and the altar! This could ruin everything!”

“So clean it up.” I watch as Redwish turns his gaze to me, the crimson-stained weapon clattering to the ground when he drops it. He stalks over to me, a look of evil determination in his eyes as he sneers down, grabbing me by the hair roughly to look at him. “You are lucky you have not outlived your usefulness just yet. Otherwise you would be joining your pet there on the altar.”

I do not have a retort; I wish he had killed me. Just as I resign myself to whatever fate awaits me, the sounds of thunder crashing outside the temple grow louder, and more frequent. Then the room, no, the entire mountain begins to shake, before an arc of lightning shoots down through the ceiling and strikes David’s body. His corpse convulses on the altar before the surge of electricity is gone as suddenly as it appeared, and the entire room goes silent.

And then David moves.

“Impossible,” Redwish mutters on my left.

I am unsure of what he means by that, but by the time I turn to look at him he has already fled. Turning back to David, I watch as he pushes himself off of the altar. He looks around the room briefly before silently bending over to pick up the discarded sword. His face, passive until now, twists into something filled with rage, like a wild animal. He locks eyes with one of the cult members and leaps forward. Then the screaming starts.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I wake in our tent with a start, cursing to myself quietly as I sit up. Spirits be damned. That is now the third time I have had that dream, which is every night since leaving the city. I only have myself to blame, as I continue to replay the events over in my mind every night before bed. I cannot help it. I am trying to find answers. That is the entire reason I am out here.

Well, not the entire reason. Turning onto my side, I look over at the real reason I am out here: David. He is on his side, facing away from me, no longer playing the little spoon now that I am sitting. Still asleep, I watch his chest rise and fall, unable to prevent myself from checking that he is still breathing. I just need to be sure.

Not quite ready to return to dreamland, I watch over my avakesh as he rests, smiling to myself as I tuck a shaggy lock of black hair behind his ear. I will have to see about getting him a haircut when we reach Pakannon. Some people might find it hard to believe that I gave up my entire life to follow the human currently drooling into his pillow.

I never expected to fall in love with him, or that he would love me back. After everything I did to him I am shocked he was even able to forgive me. I understand that we were both tricked, manipulated by Redwish into accepting a fight on terms and with consequences that neither of us truly understood, but to think that I would be capable of forcing myself on someone like that at all... Let us just say that I have my own reasons for wanting to hunt the man down.

David did forgive me, though, and I will not be taking that forgiveness for granted. Leaving everything behind to come with him was not a difficult decision at all. My best friend, Ragnar, and his boy, Nylan, were urging me to leave before I had even made up my own mind, and Brull practically laughed and asked if there was anything from his store I wanted to bring with me. Even my family did not seem surprised when I rushed in to announce my immediate departure. My sister Ayla was far more surprised that I was handing her the keys to my home. I really hope she is looking after it properly. Did I remember to tell her about the monthly butcher delivery?

I shake the unnecessary thoughts from my head. If there is something important I need to tell her, I can write a letter, but there is little to be done about it now. Not only is it the middle of the night, but we are still two days away from Pakannon. We have much more important things to worry about than a delivery of meat, like namely what caused my pup here to be resurrected in the first place. Not that we seek to undo it, of course, but learning how it happened may be the only way to discover if the spell changed anything else, as well as ensure that he will not suffer any lingering after effects.

The leaders of Pakannon, as well as some of Nylan’s family, should be anticipating our arrival. The former should have information for us, while the latter is more of a social call. I have never met Nylan’s family aside from his father and mother, but I am sure they are as hospitable as he is. And since we have been making such good time on the road the past few days, I have been able to plan out a small surprise for David and his friends. It just a small detour to--

A sound of distress pulls me from my thoughts and I look down to see a frown growing on David’s face, with more unhappy noises following. He starts to move, almost as though he is struggling, before he finally says something coherent.

“No... Stop...” He whines as he flips onto his back, still fighting against an invisible force.

“David,” I try to gently shake him awake. “David, wake up. David.”

A final shake to his shoulder finally gets him to open his eyes, fear and confusion flashing on his face. He stares blindly around the tent, and I curse myself again, this time for not remembering that he is unable to see in the dark like myself. I place my hand gently on his chest before continuing.

“It is only me, pup,” I tell him softly. “You were having another nightmare.”

“Khazak? Sir?” He asks, sounding so small and afraid.

“I am right here.” I lay back down and pull my distressed boy against my chest, running my hand down his back. “You are alright.”

“...so much blood...” he mumbles against my skin.

I do not need to ask what the nightmare was about. David has been relieving the events of that night himself, though from what I can gather his are much more visceral. Enough to wake himself with a scream two nights ago that left him unable to return to sleep at all. Given that my trauma over the events pales in comparison to his, I have neglected to tell him of my own nightmares. I do not want to give him something else to worry about.

Thankfully, David does not appear to have any issues falling asleep again tonight. About ten minutes after waking, I feel his heartbeat slow and his breathing even out as he drifts off again against my chest. I follow him not long after, holding him close in a silent plea to fend off any more bad dreams.

I wake the next morning to a finger gently tracing the tattoo on my chest, the jagged-edged sword that is the emblem of my family, Clan Ironstorm. I open my eyes, still heavy with leftover sleep, to meet David’s, green and full of energy. I must admit, it has taken some getting used to having a bedmate who is more often than not awake before I am. Up until David, the only person I knew to do that was my father, Orlun. If not for the fact that he has been like this since I first met him, I would be concerned this was a side-effect of the nightmares, but I have not yet noticed David ever appearing tired in the mornings. Aside from that one near-hangover.

“Good morning,” I smile down, my voice rough from disuse.

“Morning.” He gives me a shy smile in return, far shyer than he has any right to be, but damn if he does not look adorable.

“Any more bad dreams?” I ask, running my hand through his hair.

“No, Sir.” He shakes his head. “Only been up a little while.”

I relish in his use of my honorific, something that is sadly more relegated to the privacy of our tent these days. As much as I miss it (and could even order him to use it, should I truly desire), I understand that David is still learning to be comfortable with our relationship in front of his friends. It takes him considerable effort to work up the nerve for public displays of affection of any kind, and I can see him trying, so I feel he has more earned my patience in the “Sir” department. Besides, there are many ways to ensure he does not forget who is in charge here.

“Glad to hear it, pup.” I bend down, kissing the top of his head. “Ready for breakfast?”

“Yessir. Gotta pee!” The human quickly wiggles out of my grasp, making me laugh as he reaches for his pants.

As silly as his antics are, I am warmed by the thought that he did not want to leave the tent - and me - until I woke up. Needing to exit for the same reasons, I reach for my own pants and sling my bag over my shoulder, following David out of the tent. A brief look around reveals no one else by the fire except for Elisabeth. She had the final watch shift last night, so she has likely been awake for at least an hour.

“Good morning, Elisabeth.” I wave as I head towards the forest to relieve myself.

“Good morning, Khazak.” She waves back. “And I keep telling you, it’s just ‘Liss.’”

I nod my head with a chuckle. Between Elisabeth’s request and David’s own issues surrounding his name, I cannot help but wonder if all humans are this finicky about their names. Or perhaps it is only the Lutherians. I like Elisabeth - sorry, Liss, so it is something I will endeavor to remember. She is strong, and from what I remember of our first meeting, more than able to handle herself in a fight. She appeared to have black hair then, but during her time as a detainee the original red began to show. Rather than dyeing it again, she had the remaining black cut off before we left the city. Her hair is shorter than mine or David’s right now.

Out of all of David’s companions, she is the quietest, though that silence belies a level of attention that some of my former colleagues would envy. Though I do not yet know her very well, I have seen her reacting to sounds and motions in the trees so subtle I was sure no one but myself would notice, and she regularly scans our camp’s perimeter when the group is gathered by the fire.

Having spent almost a decade patrolling the forests of my home as a ranger, I understand how important it is to always be aware of your surroundings. Even when doing the most mundane of tasks, you must remain constantly vigilant; always listening for the unexpected, looking for any potential entrances or exits, ready to react at a moment's notice. It can be exhausting, which is all the more reason to be impressed with Liss. Had she been living in V’rok’sh Tah’lj, she would have made an excellent addition to the ranger force.

I find David behind a tree far enough from camp to garner some privacy, exhaling in relief as he empties his bladder. I find my own tree, and when we are finished tucking ourselves away, I grab him by the shoulder when he tries to head back to camp. With a grumble, he accepts one of the toothbrushes I pull from my bag, and when we are finished with those we share my water flask to rinse. I am not sure what his dental hygiene was like before my arrival, but I am going to ensure that neither of us loses any teeth while on the road.

“Ready for breakfast?” I ask as we return to camp.

“Always, Sir.” He rubs his stomach dramatically. “What are we having?”

“I believe there are still fish from Adam and Elisabeth’s catch yesterday.” Though I am planning to do some hunting later today. “I thought I would grill some of those with a few potatoes.”

Since joining, I have done a bulk of the cooking for the group. I do not mind, between what my father Rurig taught me and having spent one week a month camping in the forest for nearly ten years, I am fairly talented when it comes to cooking outdoors. However, I always make sure someone else is assisting me, doing my best to pass along my skills to the rest of them. There are more important things for me to do on this journey than act as the group chef.

“Aww, you’re not gonna pull out any of the good stuff?” David frowns while looking at my bag.

The “good stuff” he is referring to are the contents of my spacious satchel. Thanks to its magical properties, it can not only hold much more than it appears, but it also places every item inside into a form of stasis, allowing for the storage of things like meat or fresh fruit, items that would normally spoil if left out. Before I left the city, I emptied the contents of my icebox and pantry into my bag. I had only just gotten a delivery from the butcher a few days prior to leaving; beef, venison, and the item that David is most likely referring to: bacon.

Having made my decision to leave rather hastily, time was of the essence, so I grabbed the meat, vegetables, spices, and anything else edible that I could find. I even brought my coffee pot, a pleasant surprise for everyone on our first morning together. But with my exit being so sudden, I had to spend an evening hunched over my journal with a pen, making a list of everything I brought so as not to forget what I had placed in there. I once found a shirt in the satchel I thought had been missing for three years, all because I forgot I had put it inside and never bothered trying to retrieve it.

“I told you, pup, as I no longer have a butcher or regular source of income, we will be rationing all of the ‘good stuff’ for the time being.” I made a sizable withdrawal from my savings in the Bank of V’rok’sh Tah’lj before my exit, but it is still a finite amount of money. “But, if you can continue to behave the rest of the journey to Pakannon, there may be a bacon-flavored reward in your future.”

“I always behave, Sir,” he repeats one of his favorite lies, speaking low as we reenter camp.

The rest of the group has begun to wake up, Adam stretching his limbs as he exits his tent. Nathaniel is sitting inside the tent he shares with Elis-- Liss, watching as the woman in question tends to the fire. She appears to already be preparing it to be cooked over, concentrating all of the burning coals and embers into one location for my skillet. Corrine’s tent is still closed, though I suspect she is awake and merely saying her morning prayers, as I have overheard mornings past.

David and I return to our tent to finish dressing. He strips down once we are inside, waiting for the next part of our morning ritual. It may seem silly, insignificant, or even perverted to others, but it is one I have come to treasure: selecting my pup’s underwear for the day. I choose a green jockstrap, one I purchased for him due to how well it pairs with his eyes. Watching David pull it on, I am reminded of the day we bought them, his first full day as mine.

It was only his second day, and we still had not quite made peace with each other yet. He was mortified as he modeled each pair for me and my friend, Brull, but his slight erection told me he did not hate it entirely. His subsequent panic attack and escape attempt notwithstanding, I would like to think we still had fun on that day, but I was not the one tricked into enslavement. It is something David looks forward to now - I can tell by the way he enjoys teasing me as he slips them on - but it is hard not to feel a twinge of guilt over the ritual’s origins.

Shaking the negative thoughts from my head, we finish dressing and exit the tent, ready to begin cooking. I place the cast-iron pan onto the fire to begin heating while I remove the remaining fish from my bag. With a pair of small knives at the ready, Liss and I set to work cleaning the fish. Just as I start adding items to the skillet, Corrine emerges from her tent, and after giving us a cheerful “good morning!,” she excuses herself to take care of her own needs. When she returns to the group a few minutes later, she sits down on a fallen log arranged not far from the fire.

“Alright David, time for your check-up!” She pats the spot next to her.

“Do we really have to keep doing this?” he complains, though when he looks to me for support and finds only a cocked eyebrow, he moves to the requested seat. “I feel fine, and besides, I was brought back to life by magic.”

“We still don't actually know how you were resurrected. Plus you were unconscious for four days, which isn’t good in any situation,” she reasons with him. “Come on, we all just want to make sure you’re okay. Once we get to Pakannon we can have the healer there check you over, and once they give you a clean bill of health, no more morning check-ups! Promise.”

“Fine,” David says with a sigh, but it is the small smile he wears that gives away the contentment I know he feels at being looked after like this. My pup is softer than he would have people believe.

Corrine quickly runs through a few basic tests - pulse, eyesight, hearing - before moving on to a quick scan of his body for any lingering magical effects. David’s body glows as her spell passes through him, and when it is finished, she smiles. “All clear!”

I appreciate her taking her duty as team healer so seriously, as David requires a firm hand. Though I have yet to see how the blonde handles herself in combat, Corrine has proven to be quite capable at healing, both with and without magic. She is the second quietest member of the group after Elisabeth, though it seems to be more out of politeness than any stoicism. She is also clearly the most religious of the group, though other than overheard prayers and the blessing she says to herself before meals, I have not noticed many outward expressions of her beliefs at all.

It is a pleasant surprise. My past experiences with Lutherian colonists, especially the religious ones, have not been all that positive. Truth be told, those experiences combined with the fact that our first meeting was an all-out brawl made me very nervous to set out with not one but five Lutherians. So far though, everything has gone smoothly.

After David receives his clean bill of health, it is only a few more minutes before breakfast is done. Corrine cheerfully assists Elisabeth and I in passing out breakfast using the bowls and outdoor cutlery I packed, an amenity the group had not previously considered. Honestly, I have no idea how these humans managed to survive on their own this long.

After we have finished breakfast, it is time to begin breaking down the camp and begin our journey for the day. Corrine volunteers herself and Nathaniel to take our dishes and utensils to the nearby river for cleaning while the rest of us work to break down the tents. The one I share with David is the largest, my own brought from home. Thanks to my satchel, it is also technically the lightest, though it does not leave me with room to carry much else. It is not as nice or spacious as the tent I used when serving as captain of the rangers, but it suits our needs just fine.

The three other tents are practically identical, only differing in the amount of wear their occupants have inflicted on them. Corrine has a tent to herself, her personal items are already packed and laid to the side. Elisabeth shares her tent with Nathaniel, though she appears to take most of the responsibility in its construction and transportation. And Adam occupies the final tent on his own, though prior to my arrival, he had been sharing it with David. I doubt he minds having the extra space to himself, and I do not think David minds having a new bedmate either. I certainly do not.

Adam is the team’s leader. Tall, muscular, blonde - I would be lying if I said the man was not attractive. He is also confident, charismatic, and mature - that last is especially important, seeing as he is eight years my junior. The entire group is. I was not ecstatic about agreeing to follow the leadership of someone so much younger than me, but thus far he has proven to be more than competent.

There is also the matter of him being David's best friend, so though I would not admit it out loud, part of me also just wants the man to like me. Shortly after I joined, David shared with me that some of Adam’s interests may align more closely with ours than I thought, something I am curious to learn more about for myself as we travel together. I am always on the lookout for new ways I can tease and torment my puppy.

The campfire extinguished and the tents broken down shortly after that. Everyone is collecting their personal items and preparing for the day's journey when Corrine and Nathaniel return. Corrine moves to finish gathering her things while Nathaniel brings the stack of bowls and forks to me.

Nathaniel is an interesting fellow, and the last member of our group. With his shaggy, unkempt brown hair, unevenly stubbled face, and a general lack of concern about his appearance, I can tell you I do not share the same feelings of attraction I have towards Adam. Although I do understand how difficult it is to maintain a beard while on the road.

The man is a mage, though I do not have an exact read on his skill level yet. He is certainly powerful enough to have sent several of the rangers serving under me to the healers, but we have not yet been in a battle where we are fighting on the same side. He is polite enough, and I cannot say I fully understand the level of disdain David seems to hold for the man.

“Here you go,” The mage hands the stack of bowls to me.

“Thank you, Nathaniel.” I return the bowls to my bag.

“David, what the hell kind of underwear are you wearing?” I look up abruptly at the sound of Nathaniel’s mocking tone.

His eyes are on David, who is bent over packing up one of the tents. His shirt is riding up, and the green strap of his jock is visible just above the top of his pants. His form freezes at the man’s comment, rising to his feet a second later and turning around. If he felt embarrassed, it is gone now, looking more annoyed than anything.

“I don’t know Nate, why are you staring my ass?” he asks while wearing an annoyed smirk.

“I’m not--! I wasn’t--!” the mage sputters. Alright, perhaps I understand David’s feelings a little.

“Nate, stop staring at David’s ass and finish packing up so we can leave,” Liss orders her beau without missing a beat, the man moving to help her with a grumble.

Once we have everything packed up, bags are loaded onto backs and we begin the day’s journey. We are walking a well-traveled road, so there is little chance of actual danger, but we still travel in a defensive formation, two by two. Adam and Elisabeth are in front, followed by the two mages, with David and myself bringing up the rear. I am quite happy with our positioning, as with Liss in front and myself in the back, our scouting needs are covered. I am also happy that it means I get to walk with David, and because we are behind everyone, have a little bit of privacy.

“David, I wanted to talk to you about your nightmare last night,” I speak low, knowing he will not want the rest of the group to hear.

“What about it?” he answers tersely, and I can see his posture stiffen as he walks.

“You have been having them every night since you left the city.” We both have. “We have not really spoken about them, or what happened that night since you woke up.”

“What’s there to talk about?” He is looking straight ahead as he speaks, hands clenching slightly.

I do not know, the fear, the trauma, the way you cannot so much as look at the sword you carry on your back without flinching? Of course I do not actually say any of that. “I just thought that perhaps talking about it might help. It is--”

“I told you, I’m fine, Khazak,” he snaps, loud enough for Corrine to turn her head towards us in question.

I give her an apologetic look, mentally sighing at David’s refusal to discuss what is bothering him. I also add ten to his spanking demerits for the day, something I will tell him about later when he is feeling a little less raw. It has been difficult getting him to talk about what happened; being kidnapped, tortured, having some of your friends and colleagues die while barely saving another. Being killed himself, and the bloodbath that came after he was resurrected. He is not the only one who needs to talk about things. I may need to consider a different tactic.

I understand his feelings, quite well in fact. When I was younger, my parents made the very ill-advised decision to leave me home alone with my siblings during a very dangerous time in the city. They thought I was mature enough to handle the responsibility, but it took quite a bit of counseling before I was able to really process my feelings about what had happened. David is much older than I was then, but I believe dealing with feelings like those he is experiencing is uncharted territory for him.

However, that does not excuse him snapping at me. Nightmares or not, I am still his kavan, his owner, and he knows I expect at least a modicum of respect when being spoken to. He is lucky all he is getting is ten spanks, any worse and that promised reward of bacon would be off the table as well. It is not even ten-o-clock yet. Getting started early today.

I have a few hours to contemplate when the best time to dish out said punishment might be before we stop for lunch. We do not bother with a full camp, only a small fire to cook the remaining fish from yesterday’s catch. While the fish grill over the fire, we pass the time with a little sparring. The group has not seen any combat yet, thankfully, but you can never be too prepared. Some members of the group need it more than others; I have a distinct memory of a certain blonde-haired priestess doing more running than fighting the last time I saw her in battle.

Adam and Elisabeth have paired up, both trained sword fighters. Adam fights with a one-handed broadsword and shield, in a style not unlike my own; defensive, studying his opponent for any weaknesses before striking. We battled once before, during the fight in the ruins that led to his team's arrest, and considering how outnumbered we had them, he did a very good job holding his own. Elisabeth wields a two-handed longsword, which is the same weapon I use, though her fighting style is much more aggressive. The two are a fairly even match for each other, though they have also clearly fought together for years.

David is also a trained warrior, having attended the same “knight academy” as Adam and Elisabeth. I am stil not entirely sure I understand what being a “knight” entails, but I can say they do not lack in combat training. David tells me he used to fight with a sword and shield like Adam, but shortly after arriving on our shores switched to wielding a sword in each hand. The style suits him, possessing both the speed and reflexes to deflect blows as quickly as he can strike with his own. He actually carries three swords on his back, but he only uses two of them to fight. The third is the same sword that ended his life, and is linked to his subsequent resurrection, a fact which I suspect is the reason he has yet to wield it. Something else he will not talk about easily.

The remaining members of our group, Corrine and Nathaniel, have little-to-no practical combat experience. They both wield large walking staffs, which they could do considerable damage with when used correctly, so I have taken it upon myself to impart some basic lessons in fighting and self-defense. David is helping me, having paired off with Corrine while I teach Nathaniel.

“No, you need to grip it lower, otherwise there is not enough force behind your blow to do any real damage.” It is going...alright.

“Like this?” The mage comes at me again.

“Better,” I tell him. “Try again. Do not be afraid to hit me, I am more than capable of defending myself.”

To my left, David is faring much better with Corrine. She is in the middle of using her staff to deflect David’s strikes, when a sudden loud snap followed by an animal's cry has the entire group freezing.

“What was that?” Adam asks.

“A wolf from the sound of it.” I pause, hearing faint whimpers of pain coming from the forest. “Still injured, though by what I am not.”

“I think I hear it, too.” David squints into the forest. That is curious. The only reason I can hear it is my orc biology granting me larger ears and enhanced hearing.

“Should we check it out?” Elisabeth asks, already reaching for her weapon.

“Just to be safe.” Adam does the same as he turns to me. “Khazak, will you lead the way?”

I nod and arm myself, the group now entering the forest in reverse order with David and I in front. We make it around twenty meters before the animal’s cries are loud enough for the rest of the group to hear, and another thirty before we find the source among the trees: a young, black-fured wolf, its front paw caught in the jaws of a large metal trap. Sensing our approach, it turns to face us as best it can, whimpers of pain morphing into growls. The group pauses, fanning out and stowing our weapons but still leaving a good distance between us and the wolf.

“Wait, that’s not one of the wolves from before, is it?” David asks immediately upon seeing the color of its fur, thinking back to the three wolves that attacked the two of us while on patrol over a month ago.  Due to an ill-timed tumble into a patch full of poisonous, paralytic flowers, we nearly did not survive, but thanks to David’s stubbornness, he managed to protect us both.

“No, this one is much younger.” It is also missing the scar David’s sword would have left after catching it against his face. Only one of those wolves survived to get away.

“Is that a bear trap?” Adam asks, looking at its caught paw.

“It would appear so.” The trap is made of two half circles, the inner edges jagged like two rows of sharp teeth, a bloody grin clamped on the poor animal’s leg.

“Where did it come from?” David asks next.

“Well, seeing as these did not exist on our shores prior to the Lutherian settlements being built...” I turn to give David and the other humans an unimpressed look.

“...Oh.” David scratches his head sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“What do we do?” Adam moves forward past the awkwardness. “Do we...let nature take its course?”

“I don’t think a bear trap counts as nature,” Nathaniel snarks.

“So what, we put it out of its misery?” Liss asks with some measure of hesitation.

“I do not think it needs to come to that.” That was rather fast to reach the ‘put out of its misery’ stage of things, but at least they mean well. “Normally I would agree with you Adam, but Nathaniel is correct, this hardly counts as natural.” I turn to our healer. “Corrine, do you think you could try putting it to sleep?”

“Hmm. It might be too scared or in too much pain, but I can try.” She looks at the wolf, nodding.

“I may be able to help with that.” I step towards the wolf, motioning for Corrine to follow while the rest of the group stays back to watch. The wolf’s growls grow louder as we approach, wide amber eyes nervously flicking back and forth between myself and the cleric.

“I am going to try to calm it,” I tell Corrine as I drop to one knee once we are close enough. “Then, if you are able to put it to sleep, we should be able to free it.”

Corrine nods, and I take a moment to clear my mind before locking eyes with the wolf. Tentatively, I push out with my magic, reaching for the animal’s aura with mine. There’s a moment of recognition when they finally touch, the creature's fight or flight instinct flashing from its mind to mine. The longer we stay connected, the longer I can feel its emotions. I can feel its anger and pain, its hunger, its loneliness. Eyes still locked, I try to match my breathing to the wolf’s, projecting feelings of peace as I do. It takes a few minutes, but eventually the wolf begins to calm, its back legs dropping to lay flat.

With my part done, it is now Corrine’s turn. Copying me and dropping to one knee, she reaches into the collar of her robes to remove a necklace from around her neck. It is her spell focus, a symbol of her god that allows her to channel her magic, in this instance a golden dove. Holding the chain out in front of her, she allows the focus to dangle and begins swaying it back and forth. As the wolf turns its eyes to this new movement, Corrine begins to hum what I can only assume is a lullaby. The focus starts to glow, as do the wolf’s eyes, an almost unearthly white. The wolf’s eyes begin to drop, and it sinks to the ground as it succumbs to the spell and falls asleep.

“Wonderful work, Corrine.” I stand, dusting off my knee and helping Corrine to do the same.

“Thank you, Khazak, you as well.” She offers me a small bow.

With the wolf unconscious, it is safe enough to move in. Up close, I can see that it is a very young female. Thin too. I think back to the last time I saw wolves with David. They were also hungry, and far from their normal hunting grounds. Could they be from the same pack? Black wolves are not the most common sight, so to come across four in such a short period of time leads me to believe something is wrong.

“Alright, I am going to hold open the trap.” I kneel down again, finding the best way to get a hold of the trap’s jaws. “While I do that, can you pull its paw out?”

“Got it.” Corrine nods, moving into position and putting one hand on the wolf’s upper leg.

Making sure my fingers are free of any jagged points, I pry apart the metal mandibles. It is not impossible, but it does take some strength, and from this angle I am not able to open it all the way. Thankfully, as soon as the space is wide enough, Corrine pulls the wolf free. With the trap still in my hand. I stand, taking a few steps away from the group before quickly and carefully releasing the trap in front of me, watching it slam shut with a snap as it falls to the ground.

“I hate these things,” I say aloud to no one in particular, kicking the closed trap with my foot. “Aside from the fact that anyone could have stumbled on it and gotten hurt, it is also incredibly cowardly. At least have the courage to look your kill in the eye or give it a fighting chance.”

“At least it was the wolf and not us,” David adds, sounding like he may be resentful of the entire species after our attack.

“I don’t think anything’s broken, I should be able to heal this just fine.” I turn to see Corrine is still kneeling by the unconscious wolf, inspecting her injured leg.

“Her, actually.” I look down and the poor injured pup. “She is young, too young to be on her own. She should not be in this area either, she should be farther north. Something must have happened to her pack to drive her down here.”

“You said the same thing about those other wolves,” David remembers as well. “Think it’s related?”

“Perhaps.” I kneel down to look over the wolf as Corrine works her magic, hands glowing as they are placed over the injured leg. When she pulls away, the only indication of an injury is the small amount of dried blood stuck to the wolf’s fur.

“Good as new!” She stands cheerily.

“Good job, both of you.” Adam steps forward, not able to do anything but watch with the rest of the team. “Should we do anything else? Leave her some food or something?”

“Food might attract other predators while she sleeps.” I stand and look around us for a good spot with cover, hiding the wolf’s sleeping form under the brush. “She should be safe here until she wakes up.”

“What do we do with the trap?” Nathaniel points his staff at the damned thing.

“Sell it to the blacksmith in Pakannon for scrap.” I pick up the trap and squeeze it through the mouth of my satchel. “At the very least they can destroy it. I am not going to leave it out here.”

“I agree with you there.” Adam nods before turning to lead the group out of the forest. “Alright, let’s eat and then get back on the road.”

_________________________________________________________________________________

“That was pretty cool of you back there, rescuing that wolf. Kinda hot twatching you step up and take charge like that, too,” David tells me after finishing lunch. “Especially since the last time I saw one of those things, it and its two friends tried to eat us.”

I laugh at his comment. Still resentful of the wolves, then. “I was only doing what was right, David. Just like those wolves were only doing what their instincts told them.”

“I get that, but maybe their instincts could include less trying to bite chunks outta my ass,” he grumbles.

“Can you blame them? It is a lovely ass.” I smack the rump in question, making David squawk indignantly. The combined noises cause Corrine and Nathaniel to turn and look again, and I cannot help but laugh as I watch him fight the urge to rub away the sting. I reach over and pull him closer, offering a silent apology.

If this is what our future together holds, then I am already looking forward to more.