Werewolf woes
#6 of Radich
When the sun did rise it rose on a refreshed young man who was pulling on his clothes in a very cold forest clearing. Not but two hours earlier he had used his guard keys to unlock a tiny gate in the west wall that led into town through the waterways. Radich, Ambra, and Finid would arrive home well before Tarn and Mira woke up. "Dose the tail ever go away?" Roy asked Kadra.
"No youngling, it does not" the elder said.
"And do you ever use your other forms?"
"I'm not as young as I used to be youngling; I don't like to shift all the time. It's safer to be a wolf, so that's what I am most of the time"
"Yea, I guess it's safer for me like this" Roy said.
The three elders said goodbye to Roy as he left the woods and walked up to the road that led to the guard gate. He'd need to get to the barracks and dress for duty; he wanted to get to work. "Roy?" Another guard said as Roy walked into the armory. "You look different today. Say, since when did you start to fill out your uniform?"
Roy felt the thin undershirt stretched over his newly grown muscles. "Oh, I guess we all got to grow up sometime" Roy said and pulled on the heavy chest piece over his undershirt. "Say, help me with this armor ya?"
...
Rad was beginning to understand why Ambra had told him living as a human was difficult. He could cover up most of his unusual parts, but it was getting to be a bit difficult. For one he was almost covered in hair no matter what form he was in and his beard needed to be shaved every half hour to avoid growing a dark shadow of stubble. The body hair was bad, but what annoyed him the most was his obnoxious ability to outgrow clothes. He'd already outgrown all his trousers and had had to send Finid down to the seamstress to have her sew more pants for him. For the moment he was enjoying not having his tail between his legs. Unfortunately it, the tail, was a dead giveaway of his emotions. Finid had been jumpy around him all day and Ambra was clear avoiding him. He was about to finish his commission for Master Norgura when Finid burst into the smithy and tossed a pair of pants at Rad "Get dressed quick Master Norgura and Tarn are coming" he said and then rushed away.
Rad scrambled to get the pants on and then reluctantly stuffed his tail into them. "Ah! Tarn! You never told me you had a younger brother!" Norgura boomed from the next room.
"Master Norgura" Rad said as he entered the room, "may I have a privet word with you?"
"About my commission, yes, of course young Master Radich, we may speak in privet"
...
Tarn was led to Finid's room by his younger brother to see the sword Finid had made for Tarn all by himself from the scraps of other weapons. "Wow! Finid! It's a monster! I'll never be able to use that in a battle!"
"Not yet, but go ahead and give it a swing"
"Wow, it's very well balanced for such a monster of a sword..." Tarn said as he attempted to move the unwieldy sword in a simple set of exercises that taught balance. "It's so heavy, I'll have to train more to be able to fight with it"
"So you like it?"
"Yea, It would be killer in a battle if I could just wield it" Tarn said as Finid adjusted the straps on the scabbard.
"Hey Tarn, I think I hear Master Norgura calling for you"
"Ope, sorry Finid, gotta go"
"Tarn, would you come here for a moment?" Master Norgura asked. "I need you to walk into the smithy and keep your eyes closed the whole time. You'll understand why tonight, but no matter what you feel you must trust me"
"Is this a part of my training?"
"Yes Tarn it is, now close your eyes and don't open them until I say to boy"
"Yes Master". Tarn closed his eyes and allowed his self to be guided into the smithy.
"This might hurt a little, but keep your eyes closed"
"Ouch!" Tarn hissed as what felt like a hundred daggers sank into his shoulder and a weird liquid pushed into the wounds from the daggers.
"Good boy!" Now let's go outside. I'll tell you when you can open your eyes"
Tarn hadn't liked the piercing sensation, like he had been bitten by something, but he dismissed it as some trial all Norgura's pupils go through.
Ch4
After dinner the next day Tarn was taken by Radich and Finid to a small gate that led out the west wall to the small forest of trees that grew up to the western walls. Roy was there with Master Norgura and had unlocked the door with his keys. "Rad, why are we out so late?" Tarn asked his older brother.
"To watch the moonrise and to give you and Norgura a gift"
When Rad said the word moonrise Tarn was filled with a funny feeling; like a yearning that he couldn't express. He'd felt funny all day long and during sparring practice Princess Endria hadn't been able to get a lick in edgewise on him due to the surge of strength he felt each time he fought. "This is useless! I'll never be able to beat Tarn Master! Why must I spar with this brute?"
"He's the only other pupil I have Endria, and I believe you two are evenly matched in skill. The problem Endria is that you are allowing your emotions to sway your style. Let your style reflect your passion, but do not allow yourself to be flawed by it"
"Yes Master. Get ready Tarn here I come" she had said.
Tarn had felt sorry for her as she fought with nearly perfect form. He could feel her desperation to best him and fill some need for being the better of the two. While they spared Tarn purposely left his right arm unprotected, but it took her a while to realize this. When she did she leapt at the opportunity and performed a beautiful arcing stroke that sent his heavy blade flying into the ground behind her. Tarn had expected her to cheer, but instead she looked at the ground and then fled. "Wait! Princess! What did I do!?" Tarn asked confused.
She hadn't said anything as she fled, but Tarn could swear she was crying. "Tarn my boy, you have a lot to learn about females" Master Norgura had said as he picked up Tarn's practice sword and handed it to Tarn. The rest of the day was spent practicing with Finid's blade.
Now as Tarn and Norgura watched the sky Tarn swore he could almost feel the moon rising behind the distant trees. "The moment is nigh upon us" Rad whispered in Tarn's ear. Suddenly the moon topped the distant trees and Tarn's eyes were filled with its beautiful light. He felt his body begging to change, to twist and flow into a new form. He felt his legs and arms change as he slipped out of his cumbersome clothing. He felt the earth blade sink into his skin and its magic flowing into his claws. He knew he had become a wolf and he looked over to where Master Norgura had stood and saw a mighty steel grey wolf in his place. "My brothers" a big black wolf beside him said. "You have been given the gift, and now you must pledge to hunt with my pack and to accept me as your alpha. On your honor do you pledge to give first rights to your alpha?"
"Yes Alpha" they both said and bowed to their leader.
"I am Hadrach, and you, my blood brother, you are Tarn. And you mighty grey wolf are Norgura"
"I am Ambra" a familiar young red wolf said.
"I am Finid" a frosty white wolf-pub said.
"I am Roy" a young wolf with flaming red tipped brown fur said
"I am Drach" a small black and brown furred elder said.
"I am Kadra" a grey and black elder said.
"I am Renir" a large red and black elder said.
"These are our names in the old tongue my two brothers. And now that you are in our pack we will take you on your first hunt!"
...
It was the last night of the full moon and Zurak was standing watch over the western gate. Normally he'd have worried about falling asleep at his post, but tonight that wouldn't be a problem. For, just as with the last three nights, when the moon rose big and full over the distant forest the wolves began to howl. These last couple of nights Zurak had prayed to the god of fortune that the wolves wouldn't come to the gates and his prayers were answered. Just in case of an emergency he had bought a silver dagger from a peddler. The blade was supposedly solid silver, but Zurak figured it was just silver tipped. The growing den of the wolves and then the sudden howls sounded their successful kill. Zurak was actually a bit jealous. He bet those wolves ate better than he ever could. Looking at his hands reminded young Zurak of how defenseless he truly was. "Oh Luna, Please let those wolves be tools of your order. Make the children of the moon the night time guards of this your faithful town" Zurak prayed. He had never been one for religion, but even he could feel the growing power of the black king to the north. Spring hadn't come this year and that could only be a sign of the black king's powers growing in strength.
He was careful never to tell anybody but Zurak was of the northern blood. What the people of Lucavan called the beast blood. It was hardly strong in him, but he showed its markings nonetheless. His red brown hair and large muscles told of the monstrous beast men of the north; of the frost giants whom lived in lodges of wood and hunted great game to feed their huge bodies'. Zurach's soul called to those wolves and yearned to be able to escape the city and hunt at well, but this would never happen unless Zurak was given a miracle. He knew nothing of hunting and the wild. He had been raised as an orphan by a kind couple that had no children of their own. They had cared for him well, but he had not desired to take up his adopted father's business of cobbling, so he had signed on as a town guard. He loved the physical labor that drills required and enjoyed the gratification that bringing safety to the streets brought. Despite all this a secret part of him still felt his northern blood and called out to the wolves.