《Out of the Wilds》


 Chapter 1

    Prologue


    Fenn yawned, cracking his neck and shaking himself to help stay alert. It had been a long day, standing watch over the city''s gates, he''d been on duty since morning, now it was dusk. He supposed it couldn''t be helped, the city guards were stretched thin at the moment with the autumn festival now upon them. It was an old tradition, stretching back to the time of the old Vaden Empire. Even centuries after the empire had been broken into dozens of petty kingdoms it continued. At the time of the autumn harvest, when the peasants had reaped their crops and prepared their goods, trading caravans from all over the kingdoms would set out to barter goods with the other lords and nobles. Everyone needed something, and had something to trade in return.


    The city of Valensk was full to bursting as it always was this time of year. Caravans of oxen and horses had streamed in through the sturdy gates bringing goods and merchants to the trading city. The river gates had been open as well as barges and boats brought all manner of products to the city in anticipation of the great market. Empty stalls and market squares were swept clean and occupied as the nobles charged their rent.


    For a little while now the cobblestone road before them had been quiet, the last of the caravans having trundled past some time ago. "Looks like it''s time to close up now. It''s going to be dark soon."


    "Haven''t gotten any caravans for an hour, and the city''s fit to burst anyway. Looks like there were more people this year than the last, I don''t know how they cram them all in." Said his companion.


    "With triple bunks and rent gouging." Fenn chuckled. "Alright, let''s head inside. Anyone this late deserves to sleep out in the cold for one night."


    The second guard nodded and was about to turn before some movement caught his eye and he looked back. "Hold." He said, peering into the darkness. Fenn frowned, lifting his halberd and squinting.


    Out of the thickening shadows of the tree shrouded road one final figure came walking down the path at a brisk pace, coming into the edge of the light. It was hard to tell but the figure seemed to be male, dressed most entirely in brown leather. The chestpiece was sturdy enough to be armor, well fitted leggings and traveler''s boots looking like they had seen a lot of wear. There was a pack on his back, as well as a bow slung in quick reach with a quiver placed sideways on the back of the figure''s belt, which also carried a glinting steel hand axe. The figure''s face was hidden by a hood and the deepening shadows.


    "Ho there traveler, rather late to be on the roads alone." Fenn called out, raising his torch to try and get a better look at the newcomer.


    "Suppose it is." Said the figure, standing on the edge of the torchlight.


    "Take off your hood so I can get a look at you." Said the second.


    The figure turned to look at him, before the gloved hands went up and pulled back the hood. The guards were not sure exactly what they had been expecting, but it wasn''t this. Fairer skinned than a Brayton but more tanned than the Vadens themselves, his ears were long and pointed like a Mayagen but were shorter and broader than those elegant creatures. The man''s eyes were amber and seemed to almost glow in the low light, but that was probably just the reflected torchlight. He seemed on the younger side, most certainly below thirty years, unshaven stubble on his cheeks that would probably become a full beard if left unchecked. His hair was black and shaggy, falling on the longer side behind his pointed ears, which twitched slightly as they listened.


    "From where do you hail stranger?" Asked the second guard.


    The young man raised a hand and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "North."


    "And where are you headed?" Continued the guard.


    The man pointed through the gates. "South."


    "Come for the markets then?"


    The man nodded. "I am looking for something."


    The guard rolled his shoulders. "Well I''m sure you''ll find it, they have everything in there. I''ll need a name for the record." He fished out a notepad and readied a quill.


    The man cocked his head slightly and looked at the note, before he shrugged. "Wulfric." He said simply.


    "And is there a second part to that name?"


    "No." The outlander said with a little smirk.


    The guard sighed. "Very well, welcome to Valensk mister Wulfric, don''t cause any trouble and I''m sure you''ll find whatever it is you''re looking for."


    He looked up from the notes to see that Wulfric was already walking through the gates. "Thanks." The man said simply, looking up at the vibrant city as he passed through the walls.


    The guards looked at each other. "Well that was odd." The second said, going to close down the stall outside, packing everything up and then heading for the gates. "Have you ever seen the like of him?"


    Fenn looked after the figure, vanishing already into the distant crowd and tapped his chin. "I wonder... if he''s one of the Valdyrkin."


    "Never heard of them." Said the other guard, shrugging as they passed through the gates which began to rumble closed behind them.


    "Not surprised. I only heard of them in passing from the traders a few years ago. They''re supposed to live far to the north. I heard they were a bunch of wolf worshipping savages."


    The other guard shrugged, eager to put the odd encounter out of his mind. "No matter, I doubt the merchants will care where he comes from so long as his coin is good. Now come on, I need a drink."


    The first guard nodded, it wasn''t their problem anymore in any case. He looked up after the unusual figure, but the young man was already gone, vanished into the crowd.


    Chapter 1


    Wulfric wondered if he would ever get used to these cities. So many people living in one place for so long that they became part of the earth until the place itself tasted of them. He remembered when he had first come to a decently sized farming village and had been shocked by the size of the buildings and the number of people. Now that seemed like nothing compared to where he was now. Buildings of wood and stone rose multiple stories high, glass windows shining with firelight out onto the street. His ears flicked and twitched as they strained to process all the noise from around him. Hundreds of voices, the neighing and stamping of horses and grunts of oxen and the clatter of shoes upon cobblestones all blending together into a vast background hum like the rumbling of some great beast.


    The smells were almost too much at first, his nose wrinkling as he tried to parse it all. Countless people living in close proximity, along with their dogs and horses and oxen and chickens and spirits alone knows what else. Then there was the food, meat and vegetables and fruits of all kind being cooked and spiced and cut and served with beer, mead, wine, vodka and more. Every scent blending together into a hurricane of information that had all been here for so long it seeped into the stone and wood of the buildings and into the very soil itself until nothing and nowhere was rid of the pervasive scent of the metropolis. He supposed it wasn''t an unpleasant stink exactly, but was frustrating. Back home, on the tundra and forests of his homeland, he could find his way home by scent alone, or track prey for miles across icy hinterland. This great mess of humanity would make tracking so much more difficult than it had to be.


    For the past two weeks he had been constantly on the move, barely ever stopping to rest, eating on the run as he followed the trail down long roads, across country and through towns, following the scent trail of one human in particular. It had begun simply enough, another job, but at this point was dragging him out of his element, and he was becoming more anxious by the day. Grumbling to himself, he bought some smoked meat from a street vendor and sat down beneath an overhanging roof to eat, thinking about the journey he''d been on.


    Two weeks ago he had been passing through a small fishing village, looking for work. It was a fairly normal town in the Vadenland, a little on the smaller side, dedicated to fishing in the nearby lake, the whole town smelling of fish guts. He had been traveling through the Vadenland for some time by now, moving from one little kingdom to another. From what he understood they had once been united in one big kingdom, but that had long since broken up into many smaller lands which quarreled and traded with each other. He still didn''t understand it that well, back home there were no kings or kingdoms, and only a few towns at all, mostly the cold north was populated by the wandering tribesmen of the Valdyrkin, who were hardy enough to thrive in the forbidding landscape. He heard a commotion coming from the towns square, a general babble of people talking, quieted when the town crier began an address.


    "Hear ye, hear ye!" The crier shouted, standing on an upturned fish bucket and clanging a bell loudly. "The baron Marcus Idrenne has need of a servant possessing bravery and skill, willing to endure hardship and danger for a substantial reward of gold! If ye know of any who might answer your lord''s call, he begs you implore them to seek out his estate!"


    Wulfric pushed forward through the crowd, which parted before him quickly after they got a good look at him. Wulfric had gotten used to this reaction by now. Valdyrkin almost never left their homeland and were the subjects of much rumor and mystery to the townsfolk of the Vadenland. Even if they didn''t suspect his origins however, fishers and farmers tended to scatter when a well-armed and mysterious stranger wandered through their midst. "I will answer your lord''s call." Wulfric barked, holding his head up proudly.


    The crier led him through the countryside up to a large manor house that sat in the center of this little kingdom, or barony, or whatever the locals called it. Vadens seemed to love their titles, the more long winded the better. A guard at the door opened it up for them, and the crier jogged ahead, explaining the situation to an elderly man that had been lingering in the entrance hall. Wulfric stepped in, tracking a little dirt on the thick carpet and inspecting a small statuette that sat on a nearby table.


    "You are here to answer my call for aid?" The old man said, making Wulfric straighten up and walk over. The man''s hair had gone grey, and the large cloak he wore seemed oversized on him. Probably meant to puff up his profile a bit, it did not disguise the air of feebleness that the man possessed. His weak gaze that didn''t seem to want to lock eyes with Wulfric certainly did not inspire respect. Still, he had gold.


    "I am. What is your problem?" He said simply.


    The nobleman dismissed the crier with a wave. "Come alone young man I will explain." The man walked through the halls of the manor, Wulfric jogging up to walk beside him. "Last night, I was awoken from my sleep by the shouting of guards, informing me that we had been robbed!" He said, managing to instill some alarm into his weedy voice. "Bond notes were taken, as well as jewelry and coin, the attackers somehow knew how to get into the vault, but"


    "Bond notes?" Wulfric interrupted, not understanding.


    "Yes er..." The man saw his uncomprehending expression. "Pieces of paper, that command banks and trading guilds to pay money, quite a lot of money, but only one of my house could authorize the payment. And I fear that is why they have taken... taken my daughter." The man paused for a moment, swallowing and looking shaken.


    Wulfric paused, waiting for the man to continue when he was ready. Eventually he did so, waving for Wulfric to follow him on. "Taken right from her bedroom, from what we can tell. Taken before she could even fight back! My daughter is an apprentice mage, you see."


    From what he had learned, many Vaden nobles wanted to learn magic, but here the magical knowledge was hoarded by the mage''s guild. This Isabel Idrenne must be fairly convincing to convince them to teach her. "Apprentice?" He asked.


    "Yes, she has studied hard for some time, and has a firm grasp of the basics I believe." The man wheezed, waving a finger at nothing in particular. "I do not understand such things though. I never had the taste for magics."


    "I see. Can you show me to her room? I''ll need to investigate."


    He led her to a bedroom that was all he''d come to expect from Vaden nobility. Lots of cushions, silks and decorations. Bookshelves along one wall, tomes of magical learning and history and other subjects. There was a powerful smell in the room, a scent of honeyed sweetness with a spice like cinnamon.


    "What''s that smell?" He asked, sniffing about.


    "What smell?" the lord asked.


    "That sweet smell, like honey." He followed the scent to a dressing cabinet.


    "Oh, my daughter''s perfume." The man answered. "It''s quite unique isn''t it? We make it specially here for her."


    Wulfric frowned, picking up a potent smelling bottle. It would make it difficult to track her scent if she slathered strong smelling stuff all over herself. "If you could, I''ll need some time alone here to investigate."


    "Oh, of course." The man said, nodding and shuffling out the door. "If you can return my daughter to me, I will pay you quite significantly! We can hash out the exact details when you''re done." After he''d left, Wulfric looked around, noting the lack of a fight, the open window, trying to get a fix on the scent of the young woman who lived here. Eventually he was able to get a solid fix, taking a bit of clothing from the wardrobe and tucking it in his pack to help him keep the scent, before he went back down to the lord to negotiate his fee.


    Thus had begun a merry chase lasting over two weeks that had taken him from town to town until he''d finally lost the scent near this damnably huge city. As best he could tell the kidnappers had taken on the guise of respectable merchants and come in that way, though for what reason he wasn''t sure. It was possible they intended to trade off their loot in the market to throw any pursuer off the track, but he couldn''t be sure of that. Exactly how the traders did their business was still something of a mystery to Wulfric, it seemed such a needless complication to pay someone to go get something and bring it to you rather than just getting it yourself, but he chalked this up to one more oddity of civilization and thought little of it.


    He was hunting for one specific prey in a vast and unfamiliar ecosystem. All around him were the dens and grazing grounds of creatures similar to, but distinct from, ones he fully understood. He had to find his prey quickly if he was to succeed, or else she might be gone to somewhere he could never track her down. It would be a few days before the caravans all started leaving, but once they did they would be departing in such numbers and to so many different places that his chances of finding the one with his quarry in it were miniscule. She was here, he was certain of it, the scent had led him down the long dirt road to this city before he''d lost the trail amidst all the other visitors coming to the gates.


    Wulfric tore into the smoked meat with his sharp teeth, standing in a cobbled square and looking around at the thronging masses. Even after the sun had set the city didn''t sleep, people going this way and that on whatever business they considered more important than sleeping as big lamps lit the street with an orange glow.


    His quarry was somewhere in this great city, he was sure of it. But this was starting to get beyond his field of experience, he had to admit. He could track an elk across miles of open tundra, as he''d tracked this kidnapped woman across countless miles of countryside and roads. But now she was somewhere in this enormous mess of stone and timber soaked in the scents of humanity''s masses living in close proximity.


    He took a deep breath, calming himself. His quarry had gone to ground, perhaps in an environment he was not so used to yet, but the principle of the hunt remained the same. Somewhere in this great forest of manmade artifice they crouched in a den, hoping the hunter wouldn''t catch their trail and track them down, if they knew he was out here at all. The options before him remained the same as any hunt, track the quarry down and take them by surprise, or flush them from their den and overtake them as they flee.


    Another advantage he held was his natural talents. The civilized folk didn''t have much contact with his people, and they didn''t seem to understand the abilities the goddess had given them, especially not to someone like Wulfric himself. His sense of smell was his greatest advantage, the civilized folk didn''t have nearly as keen a nose as he did, they couldn''t even do the most basic scent tracking. If they didn''t expect it, they wouldn''t plan for it, and that was how he''d been able to track them thus far. But now that sense was failing him as he wandered through the streets of the big city, sniffing at the air in vain as he hoped to pick up on a scent.


    He began to despair as he walked the streets, looking at the odd stores and workshops and other things he didn''t understand. How was he expected to find one person in all this chaos? Wulfric rubbed his temple, there was no point getting upset like this. It wasn''t going to get him anywhere productive. He needed to calm down, maybe rest a little. He''d been on the road all day and he hadn''t had anything good to eat for days before that, just jerky and sausages and river water. He needed to relax a little, clear his head. He lifted his nose again and sniffed about until he caught the sweet scent of mead and followed it down the street.


    It took a little longer than he''d liked. He had passed by a few places that didn''t seem to be what he was looking for. Oh they were quaint enough and maybe another time he would have stopped by, but he was looking for something a little more... feral. After wandering through the city for a while he heard laughter and music emanating from a pub down the street. This one looked a little less upscale than the others, and as he approached Wulfric could smell sweat and a little blood mixed in with the tantalizing smell of red meat and alcohol. Grinning, the Valdyrkin walked over and pushed his way through the doors.


    The inside of the dive was quite a bit different than the other taverns he had stopped at along the way. There was a bar and some tables set up to eat, but the middle of the dive was dominated by a large mat fenced off by ropes. Two men, naked from the waist up, were currently beating on each other in the ring, punching and jumping at each other. Wulfric stopped for a moment and wondered if some disagreement had broken out, but after watching their stance and how they moved he realized this was more like play fighting than an actual brawl. Sure the punches landed with heavy and painful sounding thumps but there seemed to be limits to this fight.


    Deciding he quite liked the atmosphere, the wanderer walked over to the bar and flagged down the barmaid. "I''ll take mead, and some meat, whatever you have so long as it''s hot." He said, before leaning back on the bar and watching the fight. The bigger man was using his longer arms well, but the smaller one was keeping on the offensive, getting inside his reach and taking direct shots to his opponent''s body to keep him off balance and prevent him from using the full range of his arms. Wulfric dropped a few copper coins on the bar to pay for his food and then turned his full attention to the fighters before him.


    Wulfric had never seen this kind of fighting style before and watched with great interest. Their feet moved like dancers and their fists at times seemed to vanish with the speed of their movement. The fighting style Wulfric had learned was a far cry from that, a lot of grappling and pinning and biting. As his food arrived he continued watching, seeing a few other fighters gathered around the outside of the ring. A chalked scoreboard on the wall made clear this was some kind of local phenomenon. Eventually, the larger male had taken one too many uppercuts to the jaw and held up his hand in surrender, the victor pumping his fists in the air and laughing, covered in sweat and basking in the cheers of the assembled bar goers. Wulfric raised his mug and gave a little cheer as well before he drained his drink and sent it back for another, then he grabbed the hunk of beef he''d been given and sinking his teeth into it before ripping off a good chunk and gulping it down, getting juice on his cheeks and chin.


    He continued tearing into the meat until he''d gnawed it down to the bone, watching the next fight, though less interesting than the first. It wasn''t as even a matchup, one man clearly better than the other and winning in short order. Still, he got into the spirit of things and raised his flagon high to cheer on the victor.


    "Oi! Watch what yer doin!" Bellowed a rather loud voice to his side.


    Wulfric jumped a little and looked at the origin of the noise, seeing a rather large man standing up from his bar stool. His tunic had a large wet spot on it, and Wulfric realized with a sinking feeling that he''d just spilled some of his mead on the rather large, irritated man. "Um, sorry." He muttered, putting the flagon down before he did something else unfortunate with it.


    "Sorry are yeh? Not yet I dare think. Then again I don''t think yeh seem to know good manners, considerin'' yer face be covered in fat an'' meat juice drippin'' down yer chin like a common beast." The big man bellowed, people nearby starting to take notice of the man''s shouting.


    Wulfric blinked in surprise, standing up and taking a step back, before he growled and lowered his chin. "I said I was sorry, maybe you shouldn''t have been sitting practically on top of me." His lips curled as his ears flicked back, the hackles on the back of his neck going up.


    The big man crossed his arms. "So ye think ye can just flail about and smack into anyone that happens to be nearby?" He bellowed. "Did yer mother never teach ya manners boy!"


    Wulfric snarled. "Do not speak of my mother you bastard!"


    He was about to lash out at the big man before the barmaid caught his attention with a shout. "Hey! Ben, you know the rules, settle it in the ring." She said, putting her hands on her hips.


    Wulfric looked between the big man and the padded ring, before he snorted and nodded.


    "Aye." The man, Ben, nodded. "We shall."


    The Valdyrkin walked over, seeing the man pull off his shirt. He looked to an empty table and started removing his gear. The dress code seemed to be barefoot and bare chested, so he took a little while disarming himself, getting some odd looks as he dropped his bow, quiver, axe and a few knives on the table, then his pack, satchel, gloves, and finally his heavy coat and undershirt before he kicked off his boots. He turned back, seeing his opponent was ready and waiting for him, Wulfric stepping into the ring and raising his fists.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Hold on a sec." A third man said, stepping into the ring. "Looks like we have a newcomer here, what''s your name kid?"


    Wulfric''s ears lowered a little. "Wulfric." He grunted.


    The man nodded, before he spoke up. "Alright, the rules are simple, fight until someone gives up, or can''t stand up anymore. No eye gouging, no ear pulling, no biting, no kicking or tripping, settle it with your fists and your skills." The man nodded and hopped out of the ring. "Well what are you waiting for?" He shouted as the crowd let up a cheer.


    Wulfric let out a snarl and jumped in, clenching his fist and lashing out at the big man, going for the belly. Ben batted his blow aside and sent one of his own towards Wulfric''s chest, which he pivoted to let glance off his torso with a grunt. He figured his best bet was to stay close inside his opponent''s reach, where he would have difficulty using his full strength. He saw the man''s arm pull back and jumped in, ready to strike, until he felt the man''s other fist slamming up into his belly, driving the wind from his lungs.


    He staggered back, regaining his footing and trying to figure out what had just happened. He''d been feinted! And he''d fallen for it so easily. He caught his breath and brought his fists back up to his sides, ready to go back at it. He jumped up, springing up off the mat and punching at the man''s face. He saw his opponent''s eyes widen a little as he saw the blow coming and leaned back to avoid it doing more than a glancing blow, but Wulfric also struck out at his chest, striking a solid hit as he went back down to the mat, before he dashed back to avoid the counterstrike.


    Ben laughed and lashed out again, stepping forward to keep in range. Wulfric had brought his hands up to block but the blow slipped right past his arm and slammed into his chest, sending him reeling. He recovered just in time to see his vision filled by the man''s knuckles, smacking into his forehead and sending him reeling back until he hit the ropes. Wulfric blinked and shook his head to clear his vision, snarling again and jumping back into the fray. He kept his body low, tucking his arms in tight in front of his chest to block another strike like that, sending more punches at his opponent.


    Ben shifted, his long arms reaching around Wulfric''s blocks to smack into his sides, making him wince and flinch. He grit his teeth harder and jabbed at the man''s belly, landing a smack on muscles that felt like solid iron before he barely fended off another strike to his own head. His next blow glanced off of Ben''s blocking arm and the man slammed another hit into his chest in return while his arm had been overextended.


    He shifted his approach again, jumping up clear off the mat and punching at the man''s head. Ben took the blow with a grimace, before his fist connected with Wulfric''s chin in a powerful uppercut that sent him flying backwards and slamming into the mat with a gasp. The man loomed over him, waiting for Wulfric to climb back to his feet. He was woozy and wobbled a little in place, but wasn''t backing down that easily.


    Growling his frustration, Wulfric stepped forward and threw out another punch, which Ben blocked. Then the big man drove forward and punched as he stepped in, going right through Wulfric''s block to pound him in the chest again, then another blow to the head sent him reeling. He brought his hands up to protect his head and just earned himself a series of body blows that left his chest feeling like one big aching knot. He groaned and dropped his hands a little, just in time to get another punch to the head that spun him around and slammed him into the ropes.


    "Jus'' tap out boy, you''ve got no chance." Ben said, dancing on his feet a little, alarmingly agile for someone so big.


    Wulfric shook his head and snapped his jaws. "No!" He grunted, and jumped in with renewed ferocity.


    Ben widened his eyes in surprise, batting away the blows and striking back, though Wulfric managed to get a few shots in. On and on it went, more and more blows smacking into him. Ben just seemed to soak up any punishment Wulfric could give out. Again and again he went to the mat or the ropes, shaking stars from his eyes and hauling himself back to his feet. He knew he couldn''t win, at some point, this way of fighting was too alien to him and Ben clearly knew what he was doing. But he wouldn''t give up, he couldn''t!


    He lashed out again, and again, and again, and didn''t seem to accomplish anything. Again and again his strikes were met with powerful counter blows or simply ignored. Once again, that big fist slammed into his head. Wulfric twisted in position, falling to the ropes.


    "Just tap out boy, I''ve never seen anyone take so many hits to the noggin." Ben said, a note of worry in his voice.


    "N-No..." Wulfric said, staggering back to his feet and blinking, wondering why Ben suddenly had a twin brother beside him. "I can take both of you..." He mumbled, before the whole room suddenly tilted sideways and the mat came up and hit him.


    Wulfric blinked awake sometime later, trying to remember exactly what had happened. He looked up to see Ben''s face peering back down at him. The man turned back to the bar. "He''s alive!" He shouted, to some cheering.


    Wulfric blinked again, trying to think past the throbbing mess that passed for his head right now. "What... happened?" He asked, wincing a little.


    "What happened?" The man asked. "What happened is you just took enough of a beating to put down two men an'' ya kept getting'' back up." He said, pushing a horn of ale into Wulfric''s hand.


    Wulfric looked at the drink before taking a pull. "And... then what happened?"


    "Well and then you fell down after most men would be pulverized on tha floor an I dragged you over here ta recover."


    Wulfric nodded again, slowly putting the pieces together. "And you''re giving me a drink because... why?"


    "Well because I''ve never seen a man take that many blows ta the head an still know how ta speak afterward." The big man said, scratching his chin. "And I figured any man who can take that much punishment deserves a drink. You''re a lot tougher than ye look."


    The Valdyrkin nodded again, and took a long pull of ale. "Makes sense I suppose." He said. It didn''t really, not right now, but he wasn''t going to bite the hand that offered him free drinks. He took a long pull and sat up more in his chair, blinking the stars in his vision away and reaching up to massage his aching neck. He would heal soon enough, so until then he just had to grin and bear it. "That was... very different." He grunted, getting comfortable.


    "Different how?" Ben asked, getting himself a fresh drink.


    "That kind of fighting. I''m not used to it." Wulfric admitted. "It''s very different to how I learned to fight bare handed."


    "Oh so they don''t have boxing where you come from?" Ben said with a nod. "Odd, where are you from, actually? If''n you don''t mind my asking. I''ve never seen one quite like you before.


    Wulfric shrugged. "I''m one of the Valdyrkin, my people live many leagues to the north of this place. Up in the foothills and mountains and snowy plains."


    Ben nodded, rubbing his chin. "Ah, I see. Honestly I was wondering if you were some kind of half breed or something, but that wouldn''t explain the eyes. Oh pardon my rudeness, I didn''t mean to pry."


    The Valdyrkin waved a hand before he sipped more ale. "It''s alright, it''s alright, any rudeness is excused on account of giving me ale." He said, his bruises starting to recede as his gifts of rapid healing started to work now that the fight was over.


    "Right, a good drink makes everything better, speaking off..." He raised his voice. "Another round for my friend and me!" He bellowed, bringing the barmaid over with a pitcher of ale for the two to share.


    Their cups refilled, they each took a deep pull of their drinks before setting their cups down. "So." Ben asked. "What brings you wandering into our little tavern eh?"


    Wulfric shrugged. "I needed someplace to work out my frustrations, seemed as good a place as any."


    "And did it work?"


    He cocked his head. "Well... I think so. I''m not annoyed at what I was worrying about earlier." He chuckled, feeling the knots in his muscles unkinking themselves and smoothing out. "Been searching for something." He took another drink. "Someone, really."


    Ben nodded, taking a pull. "Ah, business or pleasure?"


    Wulfric mulled it over. Maybe he shouldn''t talk about his mission, but then again he was on his own here. Some local perspective might be a good idea. "Business." He said eventually. "I''m searching for a young woman, kidnapped from her home. I''ve followed the band that took her across the countryside and the trail brings me here. I fear that they plan to smuggle her off to parts unknown from this place with the ending of the festival markets. If that happens I don''t think I can find her again."


    Ben nodded gravely, sighing as he set his drink down. "I see. This city of ours may be fair but it has its dark underbelly as well. There''s a gang of smugglers and cutthroats who use this place as a hub of sorts, moving their merchandise through the city. Secret passages and corrupted guards and all of a sudden they think they run the place. Damn parasites."


    Wulfric cocked his head, a little surprised at the outburst. "I admit, it doesn''t make a lot of sense to me." He said, looking down to his ale before he gulped down some more. "We didn''t have anything like that where I came from. What exactly do they smuggle and why?"


    Ben grimaced. "Herbs and potions that affect the mind, is the largest bulk item. Then there''s forbidden magical items, really anything that the town guards have decided is worth confiscating, they''ll run through if you pay them enough."


    "And this is bad?" Wulfric asked, cocking his head again. Why make such things illegal in the first place? There was no such idea of something you were forbidden to sell among his own people.


    "Well, perhaps not the items they''re running." Ben admitted. "But they do more than that. They pay off the guards to look the other way and intimidate anyone they can''t bribe. More recently they''ve started bullying shopkeepers and merchants to start buying ''protection'' from them. If you don''t pay up then they trash your business, or just burn it down as an example if you''re too stubborn for them to take over."


    Wulfric scowled. "Sounds like a bunch of carrion-eating scavengers to me."


    Ben nodded, taking another pull of his ale. "Aye, that''s about a right description for the bastards."


    "You seem to know an awful lot about them, is this common knowledge here?" Wulfric asked.


    Ben made a face. "Well, yes and no. I suppose I''ve had more than my fair share of run-ins with em. See I make my living doing various odd jobs you know? Bartending, bouncer, heavy lifting, that kind of thing. Done a few odd jobs for the shopkeepers and well, I got tired of seeing them get pushed around." He took a long pull, tapping the flagon thoughtfully. "So I pushed back. The next time the thugs came around lookin'' for money I sent em scurrying back with bruises and bloody noses."


    Wulfric grinned, imagining them scampering off and whimpering, such a big man could probably intimidate most city folk fairly easily.


    "That... was really a mistake in the long run. I made em mad." He admitted, sighing. "Once I got on their bad side I couldn''t keep working for the shopkeepers like I had before, not that many people were willing to work with me. They thought my bad relations with the blighters would rub off on them and then they''d be a target. But I make do, still getting by."


    Wulfric nodded slowly. "I see. I don''t think I would have done differently in your place. I''d rather fight than run down a burrow and hide."


    Ben gave him a little grin, nodding to him. "Aye, I imagine ye would." He finished off his flagon and set it down. "Well Wulfric, you''re an odd sort, but not a bad sort. It''s been nice chattin'' but it''s time for me to get going."


    Wulfric nodded and stood up. "I should as well. Do you know anywhere I could rent a room for the night?"


    Ben nodded. "Aye, there''s a place on the way to my home, come on I''ll show you the way."


    Following along, Wulfric let his friend lead him out of the little tavern. It was fully nighttime now, the last vestiges of the sun''s rays had vanished from the horizon. The city was entirely lit by lamplight now, and even this great city had slowed down in the nighttime hours. People didn''t loiter about now, those on the streets were walking briskly to their destinations, or closing down for the night.


    They walked in silence for a little while, before Ben looked over to him. "I hope you find her, this lady you''re looking for."


    Wulfric nodded up to him. "Yes, I do too. Judging by what you''re saying about these criminals then I doubt they have anything pleasant in mind for someone like her."


    "You''re certain they''re involved then?" Ben asked.


    Wulfric considered it, cocking his head as he thought. "It makes sense." He shrugged. "From what you''ve told me then I doubt that they would be happy if some outside force came in and started doing business in what they see as their territory. There would be a conflict between them. If you want to hunt in someone else''s territory then you go and make a show of respect to the leader. You don''t do it without permission hoping that they don''t find you. Besides, with what they stole they''re probably looking to get the stuff smuggled off to who knows where through this city. I don''t think they came to a city with a large smuggling ring and a corrupt guard force by accident while they were smuggling stolen goods."


    Ben nodded, scratching his chin as he thought about that. "Mmm, yes that does make a good kind of sense. If they were just looking to stay unnoticed you''d think they would stick to back roads and camp in the countryside, not go through the difficulty of getting their loot into the city, never mind a kidnapped woman along with all the rest of it. That can''t have been easy and it''s not something they would do without planning on it."


    "Exactly." Wulfric said with a grin, glad that he didn''t seem to be grasping at straws with his theory. "They probably don''t know I''m following them, so they wouldn''t go here to lose me off the trail. They must have another plan. And I doubt it''s a coincidence they''re here while this harvest market is going on."


    Ben nodded again, turning another corner on the streets. "Aye, they''re busy this time of year. All kinds of smuggling going on, and plenty of rich merchants to extort. In fact I''m hoping to track down a lead on a.... oh."


    Wulfric paused, his hand straying towards his weapon, feeling that something was not right here. His ears flicked up, there were footsteps, nearby as well. He let out a low warning growl as four figures stepped out of the shadows. They didn''t seem that different from most of the people in the city, though they looked a little harder than your average city folk. Stronger, faster, more primal than the coddled folk he was used to finding in these big towns. There was something about their scent as well, a kind of spicy organic scent that he couldn''t place, tickling his sensitive nose.


    "How''s it going Ben?" Asked one of the men. There was a glint in his eye, the glint of a predator having cornered its prey.


    "Fine... It''s a nice night." Ben said, his voice level, but there was a bit of energy in his words, he was anxious. Wulfric''s nerves ratcheted up another notch, he was on edge. "You boys out enjoying the fresh air?"


    "I suppose you could say that." Said one of the men, "Going to visit a friend."


    "You, as a matter of fact." Said the first, who seemed to be the leader of this little band.


    "I''m flattered." Ben grunted. He seemed casual enough to the untrained eye, but he was ready to spring into action if need be. His fingers slipped into his pockets, thumbs hooked into his belt. His stance shifted, ready to fight.


    Wulfric wasn''t sure who these men were, but he didn''t like them. The way they held themselves reminded him of a predator used to taking weak and defenseless prey. Casual, almost arrogant, they taunted Ben with their words.


    "But you, I don''t know you. Run along then, you don''t want no part of this." The leader said, gesturing at Wulfric.


    "Ye should probably go." Ben said, "I don''t want tae get you mixed up in-"


    "I''ll stay, thanks." Wulfric grunted, hardening his stance.


    The posture of the four men changed a little at his defiance, more confrontational, glancing to their leader for direction. Ben gave him a little look, but said nothing.


    "You new to this city or something?" One of the men asked. "You don''t know what you''re getting yourself into."


    The leader grunted. "Course he''s new, I never seen anyone with ears like that around these parts. But whatever, we can do them both for all I care." The leader looked back to Ben. "You''ve been sticking your nose in the wrong places Ben, and the boss is getting sick of it. Poor old Blake still ain''t walking right. But more importantly, you''re cutting into the money, so..." He said, lingering on the word as he drew a dagger. "I''m afraid you''ve got to go. Either leave this town and never come back, or you''re ending up at the bottom of the river."


    "I don''t take too kindly ta threats, lad." Ben said, voice steady, but his eyes were appraising the four men, looking for weaknesses, watching their movements. "The last man that tried to threaten me was Blake, an'' you know how he ended up."


    "We''re warning you Ben..."


    "Nah, I''m warnin'' you." Ben said, spitting on the cobblestones. "That you''ve got one chance ta back down ''afore I give ye such a beating yer nads will crawl up inta yer body for mercy. Not that a man with a face like yer''s needs em very often though, right?" As he spoke, Ben gave perhaps the most patronizing grin that Wulfric had ever seen.


    "Bastard!" The leader of the thugs cursed, lunging forward with his knife.


    Ben whipped his hand out of his pocket, smashing upward with a massive uppercut. There was a heavy crunching sound and the man reeled back, clutching at his nose and trying to stem the blood running down his face. Ben had something on his knuckles, a shiny piece of metal between the fingers of his hand, with little studs on the outer plate.


    "Don''t just stand there you rats!" The leader choked past his broken nose. "Kill ''em!"


    The Valdyrkin flashed a savage snarl as he whipped his hand axe out of its clasp at his belt, bringing the shining steel weapon up. One of the men had squared off against him, having pulled a curved dagger out of his belt. Wulfric raised his axe, the other hand up with his fingers spread like a claw, ready to grasp and grapple. His heart pounded in his chest, ready for battle as he bared his teeth to his opponent. His ears were upright and poised, his sharp teeth gleaming in the low light and a deep, menacing growl was rumbling out of his chest.


    His snarling display seemed to unnerve his opponent, just as he''d hoped. Wulfric''s blood was up, ready to attack, ready to spill blood, but he waited. Patience, sometimes a hunter had to show patience, let the prey make the first mistake.


    The thug stepped forward and made a swipe with his knife, cutting at Wulfric''s left hand. Seeing he''d taken the bait, Wulfric stepped in and slashed with his axe, catching the man''s arm before it could be withdrawn. The brigand cried out in pain as the steel blade cut into his arm, withdrawing the bleeding limb. He kept his nerve though, readying himself for another go.


    Wulfric''s ears twitched, keeping some attention on what was going on around him. Ben was tussling with two of the other men and seemed to be holding his own, but he couldn''t spare much attention for the man right now. The scent of blood on the outside of the fight let him know the injured leader was hanging back for the moment, shouting encouragement from the sidelines and probably looking for an opportunity to get in and strike a telling blow on the big man.


    "I''ll have those ears for trophies!" Hissed the man he was fighting, bringing the knife up again.


    "And I''ll have you for dinner." Wulfric chuckled, before he let out another savage snarl and jumped forward, on the offensive himself this time.


    The knife stabbed towards him as he jumped in, trying to cut him down before he could get in and strike another blow. It was the predictable move though, and Wulfric had planned on it. He swept his left arm forward and to the side, deflecting the thrust and leaving his opponent open for the next attack. The axe blade went up, then came flashing down, burying itself in the flesh and bone of the man''s shoulder. The scream that went up pierced the night, as the man cried out, reaching up towards his shoulder as if to pull the axe blade free. Wulfric did the job for him, raising a booted foot and kicking him hard in the chest while wrenching the axe back. It came free with a spurt of blood that began staining his shirt.


    The scent of blood spurred Wulfric on, jumping forward again. The wounded man held up his blade and slashed diagonally to try and ward him off, but Wulfric dropped low, hooking the axe head around the man''s ankle and pulling hard. Wounded and disoriented, his opponent lost balance and came crashing to the street, the knife skittering out of his hand. The Valdyrkin wouldn''t give him the chance to get up, he was on the man almost as soon as he hit the cobblestones. The axe came up, the gleaming spike on the bottom of the handle pointed down, before Wulfric drove the point of the spike into his downed enemy''s chest and through his beating heart.


    He heard a voice behind him swear in the local tongue and he stood up, drawing the axe''s spike from the man''s chest with a wet squelch. The leader, having seemingly gotten over his broken nose, was looking at the ruined form of his comrade, bringing that long knife up in a fighting stance. "I''ll have your eyes for that you bastard!" He spat, coming in with the knife ready.


    Wulfric just snarled, bringing himself back to a fighting stance. This man seemed more competent, he smelled of anger rather than fear. He would have to be more cautious with this one. The shining knife came in, a low probing attack towards his belly. Wulfric kept his limbs tucked in close, protecting his core with his arms as he jumped back a bit. He was light on his feet, jumping side to side a little bit, never staying in one place for too long.


    The brigand''s eyes strayed to Wulfric''s bloody axe, and he took advantage of the brief distraction to slash at his opponent. The man jumped back, barely avoiding the whistling blade, giving a return slash at Wulfric as he dodged back, the knife glancing off his thick leather coat.


    "You''ll have to do better than that I''m afraid." Wulfric snorted, giving the man a grin that was more a baring of teeth than anything else.


    "You''ll never get out of this city alive!" His opponent swore. "The others will hunt you down, no one crosses the guild and lives!"


    Wulfric gave a little shrug. "Still living." He pointed out. Then he sprung forward, slashing widely. His enemy jumped back in surprise, which was just what Wulfric was hoping for. Wulfric himself leaped backwards to put some distance between them, leaving himself wide open. The brigand leader saw an opportunity and charged forward, just as Wulfric brought his hand down, throwing his axe towards the charging man. The brute saw the weapon spinning through the air towards him, but it was too late. The spinning blade sunk into his chest, the blow sending him staggering and stumbling, falling to the ground. Wulfric was on him before he had a chance to adjust, grabbing him by the shirt and chin, forcing the chin up to expose the downed man''s neck. Wulfric snarled and lowered his jaws. His enemy''s cries reached a new pitch as the familiar taste of blood filled his mouth. With a snap of his jaws and a wrenching motion he tore out the downed man''s throat and stood up over the dying man, his struggles fading until he lay still.


    He pulled his axe free and looked over to see how Ben was doing. The big man had a few superficial looking injuries on his arms, but it seemed he''d triumphed over his opponents, the two thugs laying at his feet, broken and beaten if not actually dead. The big man was panting, turning to look around and make sure they were safe.


    "Alright, alright it looks like that was all of them, we''d better get off the street before... by the gods what happened ta you?" He asked, seeing Wulfric wiping blood off his chin.


    "It''s alright, not my blood." He said with a shrug, licking his hand clean and wiping his face again.


    Ben shook himself visibly and kept going, waving for Wulfric to follow him. "Well come on, we''ve gotta get out of here before anyone finds this carnage. We can''t go to an inn now, come on my place isn''t far. You can stay with me for the night, at least."


    Wulfric shrugged, but gave him a little grin, his blood still up from the fight. "Hah, that''s kind of you. I appreciate the offer."


    Ben gave him a look for a moment, as if judging him, before he simply shrugged and led Wulfric on through the dim streets.


    Ben''s home was a shabby looking little place tucked between two large brick buildings. A little narrow but with two floors, old wood coming apart in places and patched back together. Still, it was a nice enough place and Ben assured him they were safe here.


    Wulfric sniffed about after they came inside, hanging his coat by the door and leaving his gear on a table. The place smelled of Ben, he must have been living here for a while.


    "It''s not much, but it keeps the rain out. Mostly." Ben said, locking the door behind them. "Now I didn''t intend to dump me problems on you lad, I didn''t want you to get involved in anything out there. But I do appreciate you sticking up for me against those thugs."


    Wulfric had gotten a cloth out of his pack, finishing cleaning himself up. He shrugged. "Seemed the right thing to do."


    "And, that''s it?" Ben asked, looking surprised. "It just seemed like the right thing, so you killed two men? Two men connected with the local smuggling guild and possibly making yourself an enemy of them? Just because it seemed right?"


    Wulfric shrugged again, leaning against the wall. "That''s about it, yeah. Besides, you gave me some useful information, and if what you said is right then I''m already an enemy of these people. And besides, dead men tell no tales, they can''t know who it was. Probably just blame you for it."


    "That is... comforting I suppose." Ben said, shaking his head. He went into the little kitchen and started fixing something. Wulfric sniffed around a little more. He couldn''t find anyone else''s scent here, at least not very strong. Ben must live alone.


    "You''re an odd one, Wulfric." Ben said from the kitchen, pouring some tea and putting on some meat. "And not just because of your looks. Not many men would jump in to help someone they barely know like that."


    Wulfric walked over and took one of the tea mugs, letting the ceramic warm his hands as he sniffed the scent. "How I was raised, I guess. You don''t let people like that just kill someone in front of you if you can try to stop it. Especially not if that person has bought you a drink."


    Ben laughed, taking a sip of his own tea, stirring the stew he was heating up. "Aye, true enough. Was brave of you though, and you''re a hell of a fighter, that''s for sure."


    Wulfric cocked his head. "It sounds like you''re trying to ask me something. What is it?"


    Ben nodded. "Seems you can see right through me, thought subtlety was never me strong suit. Look, that little encounter... it wasn''t the first time the guild has tried to get to me. I''ve had to move around a few times when they found out where I was living. This place I''ve been in for a month or so now, they haven''t managed to find me yet. Belongs to a friend of mine who''s letting me stay here, at least for the time being. I''ve been a thorn in the side of these bastards for a good while now, but I don''t feel like anything''s happening." He took another sip of tea, leaning against the wall and looking thoughtful.


    "Too many of the guards are on their payroll now, and too many of the people are either scared or just don''t care so long as it all stays out of sight. I''ve busted up a couple of their deals, beat on a couple of their thugs, but I can''t really do anything about their operation. So... that''s where I think you come in." He collected himself, taking another sip. "Between the two of us, I think we might have a decent chance, at least against most of the rabble they use as enforcers. We''ve got an enemy in common it seems, I want this scum to stop ruining my city, and you want to find this girl. I need your help to make these bastards bleed, and you need my help finding your way around this city. So, what do you say? Can we help each other?"


    Wulfric considered the idea. It did seem to make sense, without some kind of local informant he''d be wandering at random again. Ben was a solid fighter it seemed and he already had knowledge of this group they were facing. He''d go into conflict against these smugglers anyway in the course of his assignment, so it seemed pretty logical to get some help from a man who had already been dealing with them.


    The Valdyrkin smiled. "I think that''s an offer I can take you up on. Now, tell me everything you know about these smugglers."


    They spoke for some time more, Ben filling Wulfric in on everything he''d learned about the group. They fashioned themselves as the ''smuggler''s guild'' it seemed. Everything seemed to come back to guilds in the Vadenland, Wulfric didn''t quite understand it. It seemed that one of their more profitable smuggling operations was moving some kind of herbal reagent. He''d seen potion making back home but it was still a bit beyond him. Suffice it to say it was illegal but people still wanted to have it, so the smugglers were making a tidy profit running it past the guards who were still actually doing their jobs. It was one such shipment that Ben was tracking down, with a friend coming over the next day to fill him in on where it might be held. With nothing else to discuss, the pair went to catch some sleep, Wulfric unrolling his bedroll in a corner and laying down, drifting off to sleep without much difficulty after his long day.

 Chapter 2

    Morning had him up again soon enough, with more work to be done. Wulfric was washing himself behind the little house with a pot and bucket while Ben was fixing something to eat back inside. An ear flicked up as he heard the front door inside the house open and close. Ben was speaking to someone now, their voices calm and friendly sounding so Wulfric wasn''t worried. It was probably that informant friend that had been mentioned before. He dried himself off and went back inside, pulling his shirt on as he entered.


    The guest was a woman, a little on the smaller side. She looked like another Vaden, blonde haired and a little pale from not enough time outdoors. Her clothes were simple but nicely made and she smelled clean, so she wasn''t poor.


    "I only know about this because one of my dockworkers filled me in about something he''d overheard." She was saying, her back to him as she spoke with Ben. "It''s happening soon, while everyone is occupied with the festival above. Down at the fisheries on the east end, that''s where they''re making the exchange. Going to be a fairly big meeting so one of the leadership is probably going to be there, I don''t know if-"


    Ben looked up, seeing Wulfric enter, his gaze drawing the woman''s attention and making her turn, seeing him standing there. "Oh... I didn''t know you had company over." She said, giving Wulfric an odd look. "Ben, why didn''t you tell me?" She hissed, giving him a little glare.


    Ben looked from the lady to Wulfric and back again, then held up his hands. "Wait, this is not what it looks like."


    Wulfric cocked his head. "What does it look like?"


    The lady looked from Wulfric back to Ben. "Ben, mind explaining?"


    Ben scratched the back of his head. "He''s just um. Well we met in this pub and, we had a few drinks and..."


    "I... see?" The lady said, sounding very dubious and confused.


    "What does this look like?" Wulfric asked again, crossing his arms and giving the two of them a stern glare.


    Ben fidgeted. "Look he''s going to help me deal with the smugglers, is all I was trying to say."


    The woman put her hands on her hips, pursing her lips at Ben. "Oh so now you''ve pulled someone else into this obsession of yours? Gods only know Ben, the only reason I help you is because you''ll get yourself killed running around on your own." She looked back to Wulfric, giving him a once over. "You know what you''re in for with him kid? Because it''s sure not going to be easy following him on his damned crusade." She huffed. "My name is Ida, by the way, Ida Calina. Been a friend of Ben''s for a while now. This is my house you''re crashing in. One of them at any rate."


    Ben put a hand on the woman''s shoulder. "Hey, he can hold his own, I''ve seen him fight. And he has his own reasons for going after these bastards."


    The Valdyrkin huffed, not liking being ignored. "I''m here on my own mission, these smugglers have helped kidnap someone I need to find and retrieve, working together with Ben makes sense. So, it sounded like you know something?"


    The lady sighed. "Yes, I suppose you heard most of that. I own a couple of fishing docks down on the river. I''ve been using a couple of my most trusted workers as informants to fill me in on the more illicit things that go on down there, and one of them has told me about a smuggling deal going down today not far from my docks. One of the guild''s lower ranking leadership is certainly going to be there to oversee the deal and make sure they aren''t getting conned out of their gold, so if you can go there and break up the deal..." She left it hanging.


    Wulfric nodded. "Then we could interrogate this boss and learn more about the organization. Maybe even where they''re keeping my target."


    The lady nodded. "It''s probably your best lead. Unless you get lucky and find some hard evidence on them then interrogating the leader is probably the only thing you can do. If that doesn''t pan out..." She held up her hands and shrugged.


    Wulfric rubbed his chin. "I suppose it''s the only option I''ve got." He growled softly, he did not like being in the dark like this. Still, he''d been in more uncertain situations before. "Alright, I''ll have your back, Ben. Just promise you''ll help me get a lead on my missing person."


    Ben nodded. "Aye, I promise. I''ll do whatever I can. I just hope ye can find something useful at the meeting. These are some notoriously slippery bastards, but if this doesn''t work then I really don''t know what else you could do."


    Wulfric shrugged. When only one path lay before you it was fairly easy to choose to take it.


    A few hours later, the pair were down on the docks, Wulfric wrinkling his nose at the stench of fish guts and trying to find where this meeting was taking place. As it turns out, directions to ''the fisheries on the east end'' were not very specific, as there seemed to be quite a few fisheries on the eastern end of the river. And of course a smuggler''s exchange was hardly going to be advertising its whereabouts to any passing strangers. The pair of them were walking the back streets again, keeping their eyes open for any unusual looking activity that might clue them in to where this was happening.


    Ben sighed. "I wonder if this was all just a big mistake now." He grunted, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they weren''t being followed. "We could be walking into a deathtrap."


    Wulfric sniffed the air again, frowning as all he smelled was more fish. "Chin up. If we don''t do something then who will?"


    Ben snorted. "Nobody. Which is the point. If nobody gives a damn then maybe this is all just a waste of time."


    Wulfric was about to try and lift his spirits some more when the wind shifted. The Valdyrkin stopped, lifting his nose and sniffing a little. "This herb they''re trading, what''s it smell like?"


    "What?" Ben asked flatly. "What would that have ta do with anything?"


    "Just tell me, do you know what it smells like?" He asked, trying to follow the scent.


    "Uh, a kind of spicy smell I guess." Ben said with a shrug.


    "Sort of tickles the back of your nose?" Wulfric asked, locking onto the scent trail and starting to head down another alley.


    "Yeah!" Ben said, eyes lighting p as he caught on, following behind Wulfric. "Do you mean, you can smell it? I can''t smell anything."


    Wulfric rolled his eyes. "That''s an understatement. None of you people seem to have proper noses. Come on, it''s not that far from here."


    They skulked through back alleys, following the scent that grew stronger and stronger as Wulfric homed in on that scent, until it overwhelmed even the smell of fish guts. They arrived at a low stone walled warehouse, a few grungy windows too covered in filth to see through.


    "Well, it''s right on the water." Ben said, seeing the river and some docks just past the building. "Probably going to move the stuff onto a boat, they must be repacking it here."


    Wulfric held up a hand, ears straining. "Shh, I can hear something." He muttered, stealing closer to the window and listening in. It was muffled but he was able to make out what they were saying. "They''re talking about a shipment, more to come, payment in full, when they''re supposed to leave and take it out of here... this is certainly the place."


    Smirking, Wulfric cleaned off a tiny bit of the grit off the window and peeked in. "Alright... there''s... I see about a dozen people in there, but a few of them are just stacking crates, not all of them are armed. Hmm, I see someone giving orders, pointing the others around, looks like he''s talking to someone from one of the boats out there."


    "That''d be our leader." Ben said, reaching into his coat.


    Wulfric glanced around. "There is a side door, and the front out onto the riverfront over there. I''ll go in the side and you go around front to make sure they can''t run away.


    Ben nodded, drawing a pair of knuckle duster daggers. One he gripped with the point up, the other blade down. "Alright." He said. "If this works, it''ll be the biggest blow I''ve ever dealt to them. So... did you have a plan of some kind?"


    Wulfric thought about it, then shrugged. "I was thinking we just sort of... jump in and start hitting them."


    Ben blinked. "That... is not much of a plan."


    Wulfric shrugged. "Did you have a better idea?"


    Ben thought about it, then shrugged as well. "Not really I suppose."


    With that, they broke apart and went around the building. Wulfric readied his axe and crouched by the doorway, not sure how long he should wait, but decided that after a minute Ben should have had enough time to get ready. He drew his axe and tried the door. The handle didn''t budge, locked. The rattling of the handle drew some attention from inside and he heard someone mutter "Hey, you hear that?"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Wulfric growled and stood up, drawing back one booted foot and then kicking hard, smashing the door open wide before he jumped through. The room full of smugglers jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance, the Valdyrkin raising his axe. "Where is the lady Isabel Idrenne?" He demanded, not knowing what else to say.


    All he got back were blank, surprised stares.


    "I''m only going to ask nicely once." He warned.


    The leader of the group took a few steps back and pointed at the intruder. "What are you all just standing around for, kill him!"


    Wulfric snarled and readied himself for the fight as the smugglers began drawing weapons. Then the other door flew open and Ben jumped in, his daggers up and ready, closing the door behind them. "Nobody''s coming ta help you lot." He spat, readying himself. "It''s just you and us. Be smart and surrender now."


    The big man''s words were brave, but Wulfric could smell his anxiety.


    It looked like the smugglers weren''t going to back down, they did have the two of them outnumbered after all. Wulfric kept his back to the wall, in a fight like this he couldn''t let the enemy get behind him, that was a sure way to get stabbed in the back, or have his arms pinned. He raised the axe, and took his nimble stance, dancing on the balls of his feet, amber eyes shining with the anticipation of the kill to come.


    He''d positioned himself carefully, a wall to his back, a stack of barrels to his left, limiting the approaches that could be made at him so they couldn''t take him in a rush. Three men were squaring off against him, with more hanging back and watching. Daggers and knives, one nasty looking spiked mace, no swords though. The men took it in turns, jumping in and stabbing with their blades, probing his defenses. Wulfric didn''t overexert himself or betray the nerves of his hammering heart, swiping at the prodding blades, driving the attackers back. He jumped forward and slashed, then retreated, making them all flinch away. He could smell their fear and uncertainty, but they were rallying themselves, taking solace in their strength of numbers.


    The blade came in again, stabbing towards his belly, one of his opponents growing overconfident. Wulfric dodged to the side and grabbed the man''s wrist, twisting powerfully and forcing the knife from his hand. The axe blade came up, then flashed down, burying itself between the man''s eyes and cleaving his skull open. He wrenched the weapon free with a crack of bone and twisted, diving into the fray. He was in among them now, hacking and slashing with his blade, kicking out and deflecting blows with his hands.


    A blade came in towards his face, slashing at him and he sent it back with a blow of his own, kicking at someone trying to get in behind him. The tense standoff had instantly devolved into a whirling melee of blades, boots and fists. Wulfric twisted and turned, drawing blood with the axe and then pivoting away before he could follow the strike up, all he could do just to avoid taking a more serious blow himself. A blade slashed across his arm, the thick leather preventing the knife from reaching his flesh, before he gave the offending criminal a solid hit for his trouble.


    Wulfric spared a moment to glance over at Ben. The big man had laid at least one of his opponents out, but he''d taken a few hits himself. He was hanging on but who knew how long he could last? The brief moment ended as Wulfric jumped to parry another incoming blow, and he was lost in the melee again. It seemed to go on and on without end, when one enemy got injured he would back off and a fresh opponent would jump in while the first licked his wounds and prepared to come in again. Wulfric grunted as he deflected another blow. These bastards were just going to tire him out until he got sloppy.


    He looked up, glancing past his opponents to see Ben''s fight. He''d been pulled away from the door, leaving his back exposed. It had hardly been a one sided fight, with a couple of his enemies bleeding profusely now, but he was vulnerable. The smuggler''s leader had seen his vulnerability and was moving in behind him, big dagger ready to strike from behind.


    "Ben!" Wulfric shouted out. "Behind you!" The big man heard him and started turning, but it would be too late, the dagger was already poised to strike. Wulfric did the only thing he could do and hurled his axe through the air, the blade tumbling end over end as it flew past his own opponents to embed itself in the man''s side, making him cry out and crumple to the floor. He''d saved Ben, but left himself disarmed, and his own enemies were jumping in at him, ready to avenge their fallen leader.


    Wulfric had other plans. He jumped back and bought himself a moment''s time by grabbing the stack of barrels next to him and pulling them down, sending the whole stack clattering down to the floor. In the brief moment he had before they clambered over the obstacle, Wulfric focused inward. He tapped into the primal energy in his heart, the power that was his birthright, and began to feel himself changing.


    The Valdyrkin were known in the old texts as the Family of the Wolf. Children of the wolf goddess of the north and the human god of war in ancient times. The average Valdyrkin had a number of features in common with their canine brethren, long ears and shared eye color, hair that seemed an imitation of a wolfish coat. They were blessed with sharp hearing and smell, and the ability to withstand the cold of their icy homeland better than an outlander could. But there were some among them who were granted more impressive powers.


    Wulfric''s hair thickened and lengthened, and began to spread, more sprouting over his exposed face and running down into his coat which began to bulge as his body started to grow. His gloves strained as his fingers grew longer, before the leather simply vanished under the fur as if consumed by the shaggy fur that rapidly sprouted, wicked claws flashing out on thick fingers. The rest of his gear similarly vanished, his clothes, pack, everything he was carrying simply melted into the spreading fur and vanished completely, as if displaced along with his human form.


    His attackers had just navigated the fallen barrels and looked up, seeing Wulfric in mid transformation, the determination on their faces turning to horror as they watched his body shifting. He had grown larger, and more powerful with a thicker torso and limbs. His legs had changed, going from the plantigrade limbs of a human to digitigrade limbs belonging on a canine instead, though he still stood upright. His skin was now completely covered in thick shaggy fur that completely enveloped him, from his elongating snout to his broad paws to the bushy tail that now sprouted behind him.


    Wulfric grinned, cracking his neck and spreading his arms wide, the transformation was complete. He now wore the form of a Varulfur, a werewolf, halfway between human and wolf, and bigger than either. Of the man he''d been before there were only a few remaining signs. The hair atop his head had turned to shaggy wolf fur. Atop his head it was mostly black as his hair had been, with the dark color continuing down his back. Towards his front it shifted through greys and browns, to finally become white, the coat of a northern timber wolf. Apart from that his only recognizable feature were his eyes, shining amber eyes set in a face that now bore a long canine snout and was topped with triangular ears.


    Wulfric chuckled, his voice deeper in this form than in his human one. "Have any of you seen what an angry Varulfur can do?" He asked, his voice still perfectly understandable. "No? Then let me educate you." He growled, readying his claws.


    The men were overcome with fear, some raised their weapons while others turned and tried to flee. Wulfric leaped forward in a great bound, flying over the scattered barrels to land with both paws full on the chest of one of the men who''d stood his ground. He slammed the man to the ground, feeling his ribs crack before tearing at his throat with a swipe of his powerful claws. A blade stabbed down at him, nicking him in the side, one of the criminals keeping his nerve more than the others. The blade was somewhat damped by thick layers of shaggy fur, but still managed to draw blood.


    The injury was little more than a pinprick for the big beast though and he turned, snarling at the offender, who''d just managed to pull the knife free. Wulfric tackled his attacker, bearing him down and sinking his fangs into the man''s throat, tearing it free in a rush of blood. Wulfric stood, looking to his remaining opponent, swallowing down the gobbet of flesh in his mouth with a loud gulp. The man almost dropped his sword in terror, and Wulfric leaped through the air, pinning him to the ground and tearing into him with his claws, rending him apart with little more effort, dropping the torn body at his feet.


    Just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over, nothing but bodies now in the warehouse, save for Ben and the panting, shaggy beast. Wulfric growled and looked around, hoping to find someone still willing to offer a fight. The skirmish had just gotten his blood up, and he wanted more of a challenge than this. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, remembering what he''d been taught. Breathe, focus inward, and find yourself. Bloodlust was his weapon, it was not his master.


    Wulfric opened his eyes a little calmer, overseeing the devastation he''d wrought. Ben was looking on him with a little fear, but determination as well, holding his blades ready, but not attacking either. "What the hell are you!" He demanded.


    Wulfric held his hands out to his sides, lowering his ears a bit. "It''s me, Ben. Wulfric." He offered, not presenting too much of a threat, though he was still dripping with the blood of his defeated enemies. "I won''t hurt you."


    Ben looked dubious, but Wulfric locked eyes with him, showing the man that his eyes were still exactly the same. That spark of recognition seemed to calm him a little, making him lower his daggers a bit. "That''s really you?" He asked, his fear starting to turn to wonder.


    Wulfric nodded, his pose more relaxed now as the battle rush finally left his system. "Yes, it''s me."


    "How... are you a wizard or something?" Ben asked, looking Wulfric''s new form up and down.


    The Valdyrkin shook his head and walked closer. "No, I can explain but not here, we should probably leave before... hmm." He looked down at the leader of the smugglers, his axe still lodged in the man''s side. "This one''s not quite dead yet."


    Ben looked down at the smuggler, grimacing. He tugged the axe free and handed it up to Wulfric, rolling the groaning man onto his back. "Now, listen to me, you bastard. I''ve got me a potion ''ere that will stop that blood flow and save your worthless life." Ben pulled a red vial out of his bag, waving it in front of the man''s eyes, which latched onto it after a moment. "And if you want it, you''ll have to tell me what I want to know. And my friend here." He added, nodding to Wulfric.


    Wulfric loomed into view, his terrifying visage making the man''s eyes go wide. "Yes. Answer our questions, or I''ll start eating you before you bleed out." Wulfric added, licking up some of the blood covering his muzzle making that threat rather more genuine.


    The man nodded jerkily. "W-What do you want to know?"


    "First of all." Ben grunted. "Where were you hiding this stuff before you brought it here? Where''s your hideout?"


    "I can''t... she''ll kill me." The man choked, growing more pale.


    Wulfric growled. "And I''ll kill you right now if you don''t answer our questions."


    "It''s underground." The man choked out. "Under the city, there''s tunnels and rooms down in the foundations, t-through the sewer."


    Ben raised his brows. "Damn, no wonder I could never find them. Now answer my friend''s question."


    The fading man looked up at Wulfric. "W-Who?"


    The wolf growled. "Lady Idrenne, Vaden woman, long blonde hair, green eyes, brought here by a bunch of cutthroats within the last day or two?"


    There was a spark of recognition in the man''s eyes. "She... she was... at the hideout... just yesterday, she..." The man breathed out and did not breathe back in, laying still on the floor.


    Wulfric growled, letting out an annoyed rumble. "Well, it''s more than we had to go on before." He sighed, stepping back from the body.


    Ben nodded, rifling through the dead man''s pockets, pulling out a few papers and stuffing them in his own shirt. "Alright, we''d better get out of here before..." He trailed off, distracted as he watched Wulfric change back.


    Fur receded across his body, bones shifted and joints popped. The receding fur revealed his clothes and personal items back in their proper place, until once again he was his old self, wiping blood from his face and hands. Ben just stared at him for a moment before catching himself again. "Right, yeah let''s go." Stopping for just long enough to grab the money that was going to pay for this shipment of illicit materials, they hightailed it out of the warehouse, leaving the bodies behind as they skulked off through the alleys and back streets to get back to Ben''s home.

 Chapter 3

    The big man locked the door behind them and set his daggers down on the dining room table before rounding on Wulfric. "Alright, now I''m not blind to what happened back there lad, I know you saved my life and put yourself at risk ta do it, but I think I''m owed an explanation as to how you turned into a great fanged beast."


    Wulfric removed his coat, stretching and letting himself relax a little. "It''s still surprising to me that you people are so surprised by this, back among my people this is all well known." He shrugged.


    "So this is... something to do with you being a, what did you call it, a Valdyrkin? Can all your people turn into that?" Ben asked.


    He shrugged again. "Not all, but some. Valdyrkin are the family of the wolf, some of us are more close to our wolf kin than others. We are called the Varulfur, in your tongue I think the closest word is werewolf. We have the power to change our shape, to take on the form of wolves, of men, and of something in between. That third form was the one you saw back there. We''re a minority among the Valdyrkin but well respected, everyone in my homeland knows what we are and how our powers work. I guess that knowledge hasn''t traveled very far."


    Ben thought about it. "I mean, all I''ve heard are stories, but they sounded too outlandish to be true. All I''ve heard about your people is that you''re a bunch of snow dwelling barbarians who worship wolves, I think I heard one trader telling me about shapeshifting wolf beasts but I thought he was just spinning drunken tales."


    Wulfric cocked his head. "Not... entirely wrong. We worship one wolf, singular, the goddess who is our mother, and the patron of the north. Our father is the human war god, if you must know, so we''re half way in between. And we''re not beasts, at least no more so in any of our forms."


    "And how exactly did you gain this power?" Ben asked.


    "It is my birthright. I was born this way, most Varulfur are."


    Nodding slowly, Ben seemed to be catching on now, giving Wulfric another look over. "And what about your clothes? They just vanished and then appeared again."


    Wulfric shrugged. "It''s just how it works. My clothes and things I wish to keep with me are taken with this form in the change, when the other form replaces it, and then returned when I change back."


    Ben shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "Well, you''re certainly very powerful in that form, and you wiped the floor with those thugs back at the warehouse."


    The Valdyrkin held up a hand. "I''m not invincible in any of my forms, Ben. I can heal much faster than most but if you cut me, I bleed, fur or no fur. I''m hardly some unstoppable beast no matter what your legends say."


    Ben nodded quickly. "Right, right, I wasn''t meaning to say... ah hell, look I was just a bit hopeful is all, that maybe together we could put these bastards out of business for good."


    He gave his friend a reassuring nod. "It''s alright Ben, I know you want this. But this hideout of theirs... I don''t want to go charging in there blindly. If we can find it, well maybe we could have a better idea of what we''re dealing with. Who knows maybe we can spy on them or something, at least have some idea of where it is."


    The big man agreed. "Right, best not ta run off without knowing what you''re doing. Even if they are spineless curs, they''re dangerous in numbers. Let''s just get down there and have a look around. I''m pretty sure that between the two of us we can find this hidey hole of theirs, at the very least."


    Wulfric grinned, fang like teeth gleaming in the light. "Yes, I think we can." It felt good to have a packmate again.


    They waited until the cover of night for their next excursion, licking their wounds and recovering. The plan was simple enough, though that was more because of the number of unknowns in it than any elegance of planning. Based on the papers that Ben had pulled from the man''s pockets, he had narrowed down the rough location of the hideout. But that was still a decently large stretch of sewer and abandoned tunnel that wasn''t on any map. Once they got down there, they would rely on Wulfric''s nose to try and get them closer. Once they found the hideout they would have to see if they could snoop on the smugglers somehow. He didn''t much like the idea of marching into his enemy''s den, but they had to move sooner than later. Before long the smugglers would find out what had happened to their friends at the warehouse, and they might get spooked. They could move shop, or go silent and undetectable down in the labyrinth of tunnels. If they did that, the trail might go cold for good.


    The sewers were not exactly pleasant for Wulfric, the stench down here was overpowering. But he pushed through it, sniffing the fetid air as they crept along the stone walkways that ran on each side of the waterway. His amber eyes shone in the low light, cutting through the haze, there was little illumination down here except for the light filtering in from drain grates up to the street above. They had brought a lantern but didn''t dare use it just yet, for fear the light would give them away to some hidden sentry.


    "Anything yet?" Ben asked for the third time.


    Wulfric growled softly, lifting his nose and sniffing again. There was something, just on the edge of recognition, but he couldn''t quite home in on it. "There''s something down here. But I can''t quite... hush." He held up a hand, silencing Ben''s follow up question.


    Over the low rumbling of flowing water and the muted noise of the street above, there were footsteps scuffing along the old stone of the sewer tunnels. Wulfric focused on the sound, ears trembling slightly, twitching a bit as he searched down different tunnels.


    He heard an intake of breath over his shoulder, Ben about to say something, and he waved at him to be quiet. The sound resolved itself as it drew a bit closer. Footsteps, two sets, on another tunnel moving near to their own, and about to pass by it. There were voices too, speaking in hushed tones, but he couldn''t quite make it out. Ben looked up, seeing the two figures for himself as they turned out of a side tunnel and started walking down the same tunnel they were in, out ahead of them. The two of them crouched in silence, watching the two up ahead of them by the candle they carried with them, the light slowly fading with distance.


    "Alright... I have an idea." Wulfric said, voice soft as he looked back to Ben. "I''ll go along and follow them, they''re probably going back to the hideout."


    "How do you know they''re smugglers and not someone else?" Ben asked.


    Wulfric shrugged. "I can smell that herb on them, it must just get stuck on them after a while."


    Ben nodded. "Alright, fair enough. How are you going to follow them?"


    Wulfric grinned. "I have a few tricks, and if they''re ignorant of my kind..." He smirked. "No offense but you''re a little too noisy for this, I think you should turn back."


    Ben was about to protest but Wulfric held up a hand. "I''ll be fine, I can outrun any of them if I have to." He looked back up, seeing the candlelight fading into the distance. "No time to argue, just go, please."


    Ben nodded. "Good luck." He grunted, and turned back.


    Wulfric nodded, then turned towards his quarry again. He got down on his haunches, letting his natural power flow again, and leaned down, reaching out towards the stone. By the time his hands hit the stone, they had become canine paws. Wulfric shook himself from head to tail, now fully embodied as a large timber wolf. His hearing even more acute in this form than in his human guise, he was easily able to catch up with the two men and listen in on their conversation.


    "The way I hear it there''s been some kind of shakeup topside." One of the men said to the other, voice hushed and conspiratorial, even in the lone tunnel.


    "What kind of shakeup? What do you mean?" Said the other.


    "I mean that there could be a change in leadership before too long. There''s a new player on the board." Replied the first.


    His companion scratched his head. "Board? What board? Just talk straight damnit."


    The first man sighed. "Bloody thickheaded... I mean there''s someone new in the city. A recent development, if you will."


    The second man grunted. "What, just going to walk in and take over? Not likely."


    The first shrugged. "Money is power, and this newcomer seems to have a lot of it. Money like that, might be enough to buy out some of the lower rankers, offer them a better deal if they jump ship."


    "And what does the boss think of this?"


    Another shrug. "Dunno. I know he''s met already, but won''t talk about who he met with. Whoever it is has got his trap shut, and that probably means he''s on board with ''em. Which probably means..."


    "That we''re all in for a pay raise." Finished the second, laughing as they walked along.


    Wulfric''s ears perked up as he listened to all of this, padding along silently in the tunnels behind the two men. This job seemed to be getting more complicated by the minute, now there was a power struggle inside these criminals ranks? As he thought about it though, pieces started falling into place in his mind. The kidnapping was part of this, not just a random coincidence that happened at the same time. More than the kidnapping, there had been a lot of money stolen as well. But if these bond notes needed the right person to cash them in then she may have been kidnapped so they could force her to do that. Then probably ransom her back for even more.


    Now more than ever, Wulfric knew he had to get inside the hideout. The man at the warehouse had told them that the lady had been in the hideout, she might still be there. If not, then the local boss could well have a lead on her location. Wulfric cocked his head, an idea occurring to him. He trotted through the tunnels, getting up fairly close behind the men, and let out a low ''wurf'' to get their attention.


    The two men turned around quickly, jumping a bit at the sight of him. "The hell?" Said the shorter man, looking over at him. "Is that..."


    "It''s a wolf, yeah." Said his taller companion. The two men just stood there for a second, looking at him. "He''s... not attacking."


    "And he''s not running away." The men looked at each other for a moment, edging a bit closer. "How do you think he got himself down here?"


    Wulfric let out another ''wurf'' and walked closer, wagging his tail a little.


    The taller man scratched his head. "He seems friendly enough, tame even. No collar on him but... I bet he''s a pet of some rich trader or noble or something, come for the festival. Must have gotten loose."


    The shorter man held up a finger, waggling it as an idea occurred to him. "You know, I bet a lot of those fools up top would pay good money for a wolf like that. Come on, let''s get him back to the hole, boss''ll probably give us a finder''s fee."


    "Yeah, that''d be nice. But the story goes we stole him, real skillfully, right?"


    "Right." Said the taller man. "Now come on, come on with us, we''ll give you a nice big bone if you just follow us now." He said in a singsong voice, beckoning Wulfric to follow him with waving hands.


    Wulfric rolled his eyes a little and followed the two along, it was almost too easy. Then again, who could possibly resist his charms? He trotted along with the two thugs, listening to them debate about how much money they were likely to get or which of their various vices they would like to spend it on, until they arrived at a seemingly random stretch of wall. Looking closer, Wulfric realized he could see one of the bricks had a funny little symbol carved in it. It was this brick that one of the men pushed on, the brick sinking back into the wall until it clicked. Soon the entire wall swung backwards, making a narrow doorway into a corridor lit by lamplight.


    Distracted by the odd door, Wulfric gave it a look before he was pushed inside, giving the two men a glare as he walked in, the door swinging shut behind him with a click. There was a fairly ordinary looking handle on the inside, so getting back out shouldn''t be that much of a problem. The two men herded him down the long stone corridor, the bricks here old and worn with age. There was a little nook in the wall with a lookout sitting on a stool, glancing up from the deck of cards he was playing against himself.


    "Hey Carl, Gregor, anything interesting? Oh hell, what''s that?"


    The tall one, Carl evidently, grinned at him. "Our catch of the day! Some rich boff up topside lost track of their pet, he''s quite tame."


    The lookout whistled. "Wow, he''s a beauty, boss will be happy to see this I bet."


    Carl chuckled. "Oh I bet. Come on." He waved, Wulfric following him on further.


    There were no more lookouts or deviations in the tunnel, and soon enough they passed through a cloth doorway into a larger room. It was hard to say what purpose it may once have served, but right now it looked like it had been renovated into a pub. Albeit a rather dingy pub, even compared to some of the dives Wulfric had visited. The furniture here was mismatched and battered, the bar was a little lopsided and rough, the booze smelled like some of the cheapest rotgut you could find. The little pub was occupied by a half a dozen or so men who were occupying themselves in various ways, playing cards or dice games was the popular pastime it seemed. Most looked up when they walked in, eyes lingering on Wulfric. There were a few other doors leading off from this one, stone arches hanging open and leading off who knows where.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Wulfric raised his nose and sniffed, the scent of that herb was powerful here, they must keep a decent amount around. There was another smell as well though, the strong and sweet scent of a lady''s perfume lingered in the air. She was here, somewhere, or at least had been recently. Carl looked over to the man at the bar, waving him down.


    "Hey, the boss back?" He asked.


    The man nodded, cleaning a glass. "Yeah, up there." He pointed with a thumb over to a staircase that led up to another room, this one having an actual door.


    Carl took a deep breath and climbed the stairs, knocking on the door. "Er, boss, you in there?"


    There was silence, and after a moment Carl knocked again. "What?" Came a rather irritated voice from the other side of the door.


    "Ah... how''d the meeting go boss?" Carl asked, putting on his best impression of a supportive sycophant.


    "Fine." The voice said flatly.


    Carl waited for a moment, wringing his hands. When it became evident that the boss wasn''t going to say any more, he spoke up again. "That''s... nice to hear boss. Good news then?"


    There was nothing from the other side for a moment, then a loud click as the door was unlocked, Carl recoiling a little as it swung inward. The boss of this little hideout was a black haired man with sharp blue eyes, glaring at Carl for a moment before his expression suddenly softened. "Yes actually." He said, his voice suddenly as smooth as silk, with just the barest hint of its previous roughness. "Very well, we''re all about to move up in the world."


    Wulfric''s eyes wandered over the man''s form, looking for anything significant. His eyes lingered on a key that hung at his belt, probably to his office. He could barely see past the man, but the smell of perfume was stronger from that room. Had she been held captive right there under the boss'' watchful eyes?


    Carl nodded eagerly. "That''s real nice to hear boss! I''m sure the boys will all be real happy."


    The boss nodded absently again, looking off into space. "Yes... that''s great."


    Carl waited for a moment, but the boss didn''t say anything further. "Uh... hey boss, something I wanted to ask you about. Me and Greg see we were out topside, and we happened to help one of the fools with more money than sense misplace their pet wolf, and we have him here now and we were thinking you could make a nice bit of cash by selling him-"


    The boss'' eyes immediately snapped back down and focused on his underling, giving him a strong glare. "Like I care about some stupid mutt, that''s nothing compared to what we''re going to be earning after we pull this deal off. Don''t waste my time with something like this again or I''ll have you scraping fish guts out of the barrels for the next five years!" With that he stepped back and slammed the door.


    Carl held his pose for a moment longer, before he nodded to himself. "Right... good talk boss." He said quietly. "We''ll pick this up later." He looked back to where Wulfric was waiting, but the wolf had turned away, vanishing out of sight around a corner.


    Wulfric decided to explore the little underground hideout a little more, getting a feel for the place and seeing if there was anything interesting down here. Carl came looking for him, trying to catch him again but after Wulfric led him on a merry chase for an hour or so the man seemed to just give up and go sit down for a drink. There was only one way out and the lookout was hardly going to open the door for the captured wolf, was he? So Wulfric was free to roam the hideout.


    There was indeed only the one door, there might have been more at some point but they''d been bricked up if they were ever there at all. There was a storehouse for the red, leafy herb they liked to smuggle as well as various other goods, most of which were unfamiliar to Wulfric. There was no holding cell down here though, and the longshot that he might find Idrenne down here was dashed. Apart from that there was little aside from a sleeping area and the tavern, with the boss having his own bedroom. Judging by how mixed up the scents in the sleeping commons were, the smugglers didn''t generally stay down here full time, as much as this was a halfway house when they needed a place to crash between excursions. Only the boss seemed to keep himself hidden down here longer term, his scent was well established as it wafted out from under the locked bedroom door.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing really useful to him through the rest of the hideout. But there would probably be something useful in the office up there. But getting in would mean getting the key off of the boss down here. Wulfric could be patient though, laying down in the corner of the common room, keeping a steady gaze on the doorway and listening in to the chatter in the room.


    He didn''t learn much more than he already did, listening in to their idle talk. The harvest time was a time of big profits for the smugglers as well as the legitimate traders up top. Property owners were willing to pay higher protection fees to ensure that nothing went wrong in this critical time, and the increased legal activity offered a good cover for a surge in illicit trading as well. Apart from that there was just more speculation as to exactly what their boss was getting up to, how it would turn out for them, and if they were going to change their allegiance to the up and coming newcomer or not.


    Some hours passed until the door to the office finally opened again, the boss stepping out onto the landing before he turned to lock up. Wulfric had been right, they key at his belt was for the office door, dangling from a little strip of leather by his right hand. Wulfric stood up, seeing the boss making a beeline for his bedroom door. The wolf got up and padded over, taking the direct approach. The door was unlocked, swinging open, and Wulfric simply walked through, bumping the man''s legs to walk in.


    The man swore at him as he passed, but Wulfric ignored him, walking in and sitting down inside the brick walled bedroom. He gave the man a look that said, quite simply, that this was where he''d chosen to sit, and you should just accept this human. It was a bold move but Wulfric had found that most humans wouldn''t have much fight in them when face with a passive aggressive wolf that was about as big as they were.


    The smuggler boss put his hands on his hips, fixing Wulfric with a stern, bloodshot glare. "Get out." He ordered, pointing back out the door.


    Wulfric followed his gaze, then looked back to him, keeping his gaze level, not moving an inch.


    The man swore again, taking a step closer. "Get out!" He commanded once more. Again Wulfric didn''t move, cocking his head slightly.


    Eventually, as predicted, the man just gave up and went to pour himself a goblet of wine from his personal stash. Wasn''t that surprising really. The alternative would be to try and force him out, and risk the bone crushing bite of a wolf. Wulfric stayed as inconspicuous as possible after that, curling up silently in the corner and letting the man drink for a while, look over some papers, and then went over to the bed. The key, much to Wulfric''s frustration, ended up underneath the man''s pillow, the boss passing out more or less instantly. After he was effectively alone in the small room, Wulfric got up, stretched, and started looking around.


    The bedroom wasn''t anything spectacular. There was a cabinet, some drawers, a table with some papers scattered on it. Wulfric put his front paws up on the table and started looking over the papers there, reading whatever was on top. There was a map of the undercity tunnels spread out over half the table, divided up into grids. Wulfric saw their hideout marked out, as well as some other seemingly important locations. Waterworks facilities, entry and exit points. Most interesting were the various places that the tunnels were connected to the surface. In addition to the already existing access points, it seemed that the smugglers had dug their own entrances and tunnels under the city. Some of them went up into warehouses or businesses, or even into the estates of the city''s wealthy up above, probably the ones who had a major stake in the smuggling operation. He noted that even the warehouse that he and Ben had raided was marked with a tunnel. No wonder they were running rings around the city watch.


    The sleeping man snorted and rolled a little, tossing and turning on the bed and starting to mumble in his sleep, evidently quite gone by now. Wulfric turned his attention to the man, walking over and watching him.


    The man''s sleep did not seem to be a pleasant one, turning this way and that and mumbling to himself. Wulfric watched his movements, eyes locked on the pillow hiding the key. The man''s sleep talking was more or less incoherent, but a few terms stuck out now and again. Mostly he seemed to be rambling about how he would be getting rich soon, and that he was promised some kind of reward for what he was doing. Finally he rolled onto his side and Wulfric darted in, head slipping under the pillow and jaws closing on the key, before he pulled back just as fast. The man grunted and twitched again, but soon enough fell back into his restless sleep, muttering to himself again as Wulfric turned and left him where he lay.


    He opened the door with a paw and slipped out, carefully closing it behind him. The hideout was quiet now, save for the snoring of the men in the bunks. The tavern area was empty now, save for one man who''d fallen asleep at his table. Smirking, Wulfric ascended the stairs and put the key into the lock with his mouth, twisting his head to the side. He was rewarded with a little click, and pulled the door open quickly enough. The wolf jumped into the room, and his heart sank a little. It had been a longshot hope, but the girl wasn''t in here either. Her scent was most strong though, she must have been here. Wulfric sighed, closing the door behind him and reverting to his human shape to better search the room.


    His time here was limited, he knew, and he had no plans to still be here by morning. Any moment now the men could discover the charnel house he''d left at the meeting site, especially if their tunnels connected directly to it. He locked the door behind him and began rifling through papers in the desk, turning them out onto the desktop and quickly reading through them. A lot of it was old records, progress reports and transaction records, nothing that really interested him. He kept looking, opening up a folder that contained some letters, spilling them out onto the desk. He pushed the older ones aside until he found something that stood out to him.


    It was a recent letter, marked simply and in a different style to the others. The rest of the letters all followed roughly the same style and format, but this one lacked a return name or a sender. Also, instead of the barely legible scrawl that most of the letters were made out in, this one had rather elegant handwriting. He opened the letter and began to read.


    To whom it may concern.


    You and your group have gained my attention, and my interest. I am informed that you conduct business efficiently and can keep a secret if money is involved. Further, I am aware that your skills include not only the smuggling of property, but of people, it is this talent that I am willing to pay most handsomely for. I wish to meet with you to discuss business, something mutually rewarding. Come to the markets at Bower street, I will find you there.


    M


    With how fresh Idrenne''s perfume hung in the air, Wulfric doubted this was about some other kidnapping job. So the kidnappers hadn''t simply run to this city, they had been from this city in the first place, but the reason behind the kidnapping was still unknown. Wulfric''s eyes lingered on the ''M'' written at the bottom of the page, the letter written in a curly way that reminded him of crawling vines. The letter wasn''t the newest one either, there was another after that, from the same unknown contact. He pulled that one out next and began to read.


    You have done well, and I am pleased. Your payment has been made in full, and your previous coordinator is none the wiser. You have another part to play in the festival tonight. I will be there in person, and will be meeting with your previous employer, who still believes you to be his loyal servant. He believes that this will be a simple ransom affair. If you play your part right, he will suspect nothing until it is too late. Your men will be the only guards with the target during the prisoner transfer, when the time is right, we strike. With this move, the balance of power in this city will shift, and you will find your new place to be much more agreeable than your current posting.


    Also, remember that this is a noble affair, so dress nicely.


    M


    Wulfric''s eyes narrowed. The prisoner had to be the Lady Idrenne, but where was she? What party? There were so many going on during this damned festival time. He started rifling through the desk some more, hearing a sudden commotion outside. The outer door had opened and there was a raised voice, but about what exactly he couldn''t hear. Wulfric searched some more until something jumped out at him. Among all the crumpled up and messy pieces of paper there was one that was different, a clean white rectangle with some writing on it. The paper was different as well, stiff and thick. He flipped it around and quickly read what was on the card before he slipped it into his pocket.


    The commotion outside had grown louder, and he knew it was time to leave. The boss had woken up, swearing loudly and shouting at whoever was making the racket. Would he notice the missing key? Wulfric dropped down and shifted into his wolf form again, padding over to the door and pressing his ear against it.


    "What? Dead? All of them?" The boss was asking, incredulous.


    "Dead and ripped apart boss!" Someone was saying. "Some of them looked like something was gnawing on them! And the others were all stabbed and hacked up. And the money was gone too!"


    The boss swore loudly and started marching out, Wulfric backed away from the door, bracing himself. He heard footsteps on the stairwell. "Alright, we''ll go clean the mess up, let me get my..." The footsteps stopped right outside the door.


    "Everything alright boss?" Someone asked.


    The footsteps rapidly reversed back down the stairs, and that''s when the swearing got truly inventive. Well, that would be him noticing his key was missing, now it was really time to leave. Wulfric threw the latch with a paw and slammed the door open, bounding out and racing down the stairs. A figure jumped into the doorway, reaching out to try and stop him. He dived low, slipping between the man''s legs and making a beeline for the door at a full sprint.


    The room was full of confusion, and by the time anyone realized what had happened, he''d gone racing off down the tunnel towards the hidden door, racing past the confused looking lookout. He grabbed the door handle with his teeth and pulled, dragging the door open. He felt hands clamp down on his sides and Wulfric began wriggling to get free, kicking and snarling. He reached back and bit, sinking his fangs into the man''s leg and making him yell and release him. The wolf shook free and squeezed through the open door, racing off into the tunnels as he heard shouts of confusion and cursing fill the corridor behind him. He wasn''t afraid though, none of them could catch him at a flat run, there were few things that could.


    He found his way out of the sewers and back to Ben''s house soon enough. He assumed his human form in the backyard and knocked. The door flew open almost instantly and he found himself yanked inside the house and pulled into a bone crushing hug by Ben.


    "I didn''t think you''d make it out alive!" Ben said, squeezing Wulfric so hard he could barely breathe.


    "Ben... Ben!" Wulfric wheezed, patting his back to try and get his attention.


    "I was afraid, if you got killed helping me, on my watch, what was I supposed to do?"


    "Ben!" Wulfric gasped, flailing a little, his feet kicking impotently as they were clear off the ground.


    Ben leaned back a bit. "What?"


    Wulfric was red in the face, gasping for air. "Crushing... Me." He managed to wheeze.


    Ben''s eyes went wide and he released the smaller man at once. "Er... sorry."


    Panting and doubled over, Wulfric waved a hand. "I''m fine..." He managed to cough out. "Nice to see you too."


    After he had regained his composure, the two sat down around the dinner table to discuss what Wulfric had managed to find. He laid it all out, that there was a new boss muscling into the city''s illicit business, known only by the signature of M. This M character was the one who had ordered the kidnapping for unknown reasons, but the prisoner was being ransomed tonight, at some gathering of nobility.


    "And..." He finished. "I know what party this is. And I have a way in."


    Ben raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And just how do you have all that exactly?"


    Wulfric smiled, pulling the little rectangular card out of his pocket and showing it to Ben. On the card, in blocky text, was printed a simple message.


    "You are cordially invited to the harvest festival of the honorable Hasven family. Admit one."


    "I assume that this is how the smuggler was going to get in, somehow our mystery client got an invitation."


    Ben took the invitation, reading it himself. "Aye, I know where this is. So you''re just going to walk through the front door and try to find her?"


    Wulfric nodded. "If I''m on the same grounds as her, I''m sure I can track her scent."


    Ben gave him a more unsure look. "So just... until then you''re going to mingle with the idle rich and high society."


    Wulfric nodded again, a little more slowly. "Yes... that was the plan."


    He cocked his head in confusion as Ben''s eyes glanced down to his coat then up again.


    "Dressed like that?" He asked, dubiously.


    The Valdyrkin looked down at his clothes, frowning. "What''s wrong with how I dress?"


    Ben sighed and put his hand on his face, massaging his temples. "Look... you can''t just march in there dressed like a common mercenary, you''ll never make it past the front gates, invitation be damned. I don''t know how..." He trailed off, lowering his hand and raising his eyes. Ben was smiling, a look of inspiration lighting up his eyes.


    "Ben..." Wulfric asked cautiously. He wasn''t sure why exactly, but something about that look made him distinctly uncomfortable.


    "Actually." The big man said, nodding to himself. "I think I have just the solution."


    Wulfric gulped, but he nodded, if this was the only way to complete his assignment, then he would do it.

 Chapter 4

    An hour later, Wulfric was standing in the home of Ida Calina, hoping that he hadn''t made a horrible mistake. The young noblewoman was looking at him with an appraising eye, one hand tapping her chin repeatedly while the other rested on her hip.


    Ben stood next to her, looking between Wulfric and Ida. "So... can you help?"


    Ida looked the Valdyrkin up and down again. "Hmm... Tricky." She said, going to walk around him. Wulfric turned to keep facing her, making Ida hold up a finger. "Hold still." She ordered flatly, making him go rigid.


    Ben, curse him, was grinning at his plight, trying to hide his smirk behind a raised hand. Wulfric gave him a glare and a low growl, which only seemed to make the big man''s fit worse, trying to hold back his laughter.


    "I''m sorry." He managed to choke out. "Yer not afraid of a dozen armed men but one lady''s got you turning pale."


    Ida rolled her eyes as she completed her circuit of the Valdyrkin, standing in front of him and giving a little nod. "Tricky." She repeated. "But doable, luckily for you boys, I''m a genius."


    Wulfric''s trepidation only got worse, looking desperately to Ben. "What''s she going to do?" He asked with a little whine slipping into his voice.


    Ben opened his mouth to respond, but Ida cut him off with a sharply raised finger. "Ben, out. I need privacy for this."


    Ben gave them a knowing wink and headed for the door, Wulfric making motions to follow.


    "You know, I could come up with another plan, I''m sure the walls aren''t that difficult to scale." He rationalized, taking a step away. "So... thank you for the offer of... whatever but I''ll just be-" His voice spiked up into a surprised yelp as she grabbed the tip of one of his long ears and started leading him back.


    "Oh no, I''ve got some ideas now." She said with a chuckle. "And it''s been too long since I''ve gotten to do something interesting."


    Wulfric was amazed and a bit disturbed by how easily she was able to lead him back into the room, unable to do anything but stumble after her until she finally released that grip once he was standing before a few wardrobes.


    "You could just give me some clothes if that''s all this is." Wulfric grumbled, massaging his sensitive ear.


    Ida made a little ''tisk tisk'' noise and shook her head. "Oh silly boy, you need a lot more than just some set of clothes if you''re going to pull this off. You... need to look perfect, if you''re going to blend in." She opened the various wardrobes, going through their contents, the drawers full to bursting with various articles of clothing in every color of the rainbow.


    Wulfric leaned a little to look past her and try to see what she was doing, perking up a little in curiosity. "No... no... not with his hair... no... certainly not." Ida muttered, pawing through the various items. "Hmm... I''m getting an idea. But first things first."


    She walked back over to him, inspecting him with a critical eye. "When was the last time you... bathed?" She asked, her lips curling a little as she examined his hair.


    "Er... the other day?" He said lamely.


    She raised her brow and gave him a long, solid stare.


    "About... nine days ago." He admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "I was chasing down a gang of kidnappers! I didn''t have time to jump in a creek along the way, I barely even slept!"


    She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And when was the last time you actually washed your hair?"


    He just stared at her, mouth open to say something, but his brain wasn''t able to formulate an answer she was likely to accept.


    She made a little noise and turned, waving for him to follow. "Alright, come along then. I have to get you washed up."


    He balked. "What? No come on, I can take care of that myself at least!"


    She rounded on him, hands on her hips. "Oh? To you I suppose a bath is jumping in a creek for a few minutes. Not nearly good enough for me. Now, do I have to grab your ear again, or are you brave enough to face a little soap and water?"


    Wulfric''s ears flicked back at the threat, but he sighed and hung his head. "Fine." He grumbled, walking after a smiling Ida.


    The Valdyrkin was led through the house some more until he was drawn into a rather odd little room. Stone tiles on the floor and a large basin in the center. Ida gave him a long look, as if expecting something of him.


    Wulfric looked back at her, uncomprehending, until he slowly shrugged. "What?"


    The woman sighed. "I have to wash your hair. So..." She made motions towards his shirt. "Off with it."


    "Oh." Wulfric said, suddenly understanding. "I expected... something else." He''d thought they would have to leave the house for this, go to the river. But that didn''t seem to be how they did things in the cities.


    "What?" Ida asked, with a little smile. "Never seen a bathtub before?"


    "No, actually." He admitted, pulling the shirt off and going over to hang it on a wall hook.


    "They not have them where you''re..." Ida asked, trailing off.


    Wulfric turned, ears perking up. "What?"


    Ida blinked. "Sorry, I mean to say, they don''t have them where you''re from?" She asked, nodding to the large basin.


    He shook his head. "No, not that I''ve seen. At least we don''t use anything like that for bathing, it would be a little inconvenient to have to carry something like that around with you whenever you move."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Ida was getting out various bottles and other little items he couldn''t recognize, glancing to him with a raised brow. "Oh? You move around a lot then?"


    He nodded. "You could call us nomads I suppose. At least a lot of us are like that. Some have a good reason to stay put for a while, but a lot of the time we have to keep on the move. Follow the herds, move with the seasons, not many can afford to stay in one place for too long. The snow shifts and you have to move with it."


    "That''s a nice phrase. I''ll have to remember that." Ida said with a cheerful grin. She leaned down and pulled a little lever on the tub, and Wulfric jumped as there was a rumbling noise and water started pouring out of a little metal spigot.


    Ida looked up in surprise, and Wulfric silently cursed, realizing how silly he looked, his hackles up and his ears peaked. The Valdyrkin grumbled and straightened himself, not meeting her gaze.


    "I guess they don''t have indoor plumbing where you come from either?" She asked, voice soft.


    Somehow her gentle approach made his embarrassment worse and he just grunted, not meeting her eyes.


    "Alright, come on down here so we can get started." She asked.


    Wulfric knelt down at the edge of the tub, wrinkling his nose at the overpowering scent of flowers that was coming off the gunk she was pouring onto a soft cloth.


    "Why do you people cover yourself in this?" He asked, giving the bottle it had come from a little glare.


    Ida worked it into a thick bubbly lather, looking at him with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"


    He motioned at the foul smelling cloth. "All these smells, flowers and honey and... stuff."


    "To... cover up less pleasant scents?" She offered, filling a pitcher with water from the tub.


    The Valdyrkin grunted again. "It would be better to smell natural, rather than as if you''d tumbled through a flower patch." He liked being clean as much as anyone but covering himself in sweet smelling gunk didn''t appeal to him at all. It seemed a pointless exchange, going from one kind of foul stench to another.


    "Well... to each their own I suppose." Ida said with a little roll of her eyes. "But if you want to blend in with the nobility..." She put her hand on the back of his neck and firmly pushed him forward, dumping the pitcher over his head.


    "Hey!" He snarled, starting to rise back up. "I wasn''t reaaa!" His protest trailed off into a yelp as she grabbed his ear again, holding him down as she started scrubbing his head with the foul smelling cloth. She wasn''t just rubbing it against him either, the madwoman was digging her fingers into his scalp! And whatever soap she was using burned and prickled his skin like an army of biting insects was attacking him.


    "Oh hush, you big baby." Ida grumbled, holding him down with surprising strength.


    "My head is on fire!" He protested, his hand slipping on the wet rim of the tub to knock something over, making Ida yelp.


    "Now you''ve gone and spilled soap everywhere!" She hissed, redoubling her assault on his head, which felt like she was trying to rip his hair out rather than wash it.


    Wulfric finally managed to escape her grasp and stood up quickly. "Okay!" He declared loudly. "That''s enough of that thank you!" He spun on his heels to head to the door when he felt his feet slipping on the wet tiles and suddenly falling out from under him. He teetered in place, before falling back into the tub with a resounding splash. Water went everywhere, soaking himself, the walls, and Ida herself, who glared at him.


    Wulfric spluttered as he got to the surface, seeing her steady glare gazing down at him. He slowly broke out into a sheepish, desperate grin. "Um... sorry about that?"


    She said nothing, slowly raising the dreaded soap again.


    Wulfric whimpered for mercy. He found none.


    A half hour later the ordeal was finished, and they were both drying off, Ida wrapping her long hair in a cloth and perching the whole affair atop her head. "Seriously Wulfric, it would have all been over much faster if you''d just cooperated."


    The Valdyrkin pouted, drying himself and tugging on the soft underclothes he''d been given. "I was... caught off guard." He mumbled.


    "Ben told me you were brave enough to face ten men and win, and you lose your nerve at a bath?" She asked, leading him back to the dressing room.


    "I''d rather face ten men than let you at my head again." He grumbled, prodding his sensitive scalp. "My scent''s all messed up too and I think you''ve done permanent damage to my ears."


    Ida gave him an infuriatingly bright smile, getting out the clothes she''d selected earlier. "Oh hush, just put these on and you''re good to go."


    Wulfric eyed the clothes dubiously, they were very soft looking, black fabric with gold piping and ornamentation. He did as he was asked though, donning the impractical outfit, though he needed a little help putting it together right.


    He held up his arms, looking down at himself. A longsleeve shirt, button up vest, boots that went halfway to his knees and a belt that was more like a sash wrapped around his waist.


    "Lots of nobles like ornamental swords and daggers and the like, so you should be able to carry your axe in the open." Ida informed him, the Valdyrkin fixing the axe onto his belt after some experimentation. "So... what do you think?"


    He moved around a little, feeling soft billowy clothes move on him, frowning as he looked down at the getup. "I feel ridiculous."


    Ida sighed. "Well, how do you think you look?" She asked, pointing to a full length mirror on the wall.


    Wulfric looked into the mirror, and was surprised to see a very handsome, sharply dressed young man looking back. It was of course himself, but an almost unrecognizable version of himself. His hair was normally left in a barely managed wild mess, or tied back in a ponytail if it got too long, but now it was well groomed and controlled, and clean to a glossy shine. His stubble was gone, leaving him cleanshaven and smooth. The clothes, much as they felt odd, were a very good fit on him, the black matching his hair, and the gold his eyes. He didn''t look like a pompous princeling as he''d feared, but more like a gentleman pirate from a storybook, fancy but understated, and the clothes didn''t restrict his movement too much. That and the somewhat close fit showed off his well-built form rather nicely.


    "Well?" Ida asked, leaning in a little.


    Wulfric glanced to her, and felt a bit ashamed for having protested so much, giving her a sheepish look before he turned a circle, examining himself some more. "It''s... not really my style." He admitted, still preferring his traveling clothes. "But I do admit, I look good."


    "That you do." She agreed with a large grin, giving him a pat on the back. "Though I may not help you blend in all that much... actually you might draw a little too much attention to yourself. Now, if you want my advice on how to act at this event... I think you should be yourself, mostly."


    He turned, raising a brow, ears perking in curiosity.


    "Do... your ears always do that?" She asked, sidetracked.


    "When I''m curious, yeah, or paying attention."


    "Huh... well it''s kinda cute, so do that some too." She advised. "But yes, just be yourself. A little mysterious, a little dangerous, and you already look exotic and handsome. You''ll go down well I think. So just mix with the socialites and do... whatever it is you do."


    "Frankly my only chance is if I get close enough to pick up a scent. But if they''re doing this at the party then it makes sense that the hostage would be close by, there''s no point in using an event like this as cover and then going somewhere far away to do the exchange."


    "Makes you wonder why they''re doing it at a party at all." Ida wondered aloud. "Seems like it would be a greater risk."


    Wulfric shrugged. "I don''t know either. They must have a reason though. The manor this is happening at is connected to the smuggling tunnels, so they have an escape route. Maybe the one they''re making the deal with is a noble himself, so they''re doing this at what looks like a legitimate outing. What I do know is that it''s a planned doublecross, though in service of what greater plan, I don''t know."


    Ida gave him a reassuring nod. "Well, just be careful and look after yourself. And Ben too, he''s a dear friend."


    "We''ll be fine. And Ben is strictly backup." Wulfric assured her, heading for the door. "He''ll be on stakeout down in the tunnels to cut off their escape route."


    "Alright. I''d just hate to see either of you get hurt. Maybe when this is all over we can get together for something a little less life threatening?" She asked hopefully.


    Wulfric turned, giving her a smile. "I think I''d like that." He admitted, before he turned and left.

 Chapter 5

    As he had been so many times since setting out from his home, Wulfric once again felt he was out of his element. The closest he had ever gotten to a gathering of nobility in his homeland was when he''d lingered on the outside of a meeting between two wolfpack alphas negotiating hunting territories with a lot of stern glares and growling. He wasn''t entirely prepared for what a party like this might be like, but he guessed nothing like the festivals they had back in the hinterland.


    He stood in the street, smoothing over the soft clothes he''d been given as he looked up at the impressive building before him. A tall wrought iron fence surrounded the grounds, a large and imposing manor house sitting in the middle. He took a deep breath and showed his invitation to the armed guard, who gave him a funny look but let him in after checking that his invite was a genuine item with all the proper seals and such.


    The grounds were a great big garden that was tended and trimmed to within an inch of its life, every offending leaf or blade of grass clipped and rearranged to the satisfaction of its owners. Multicolored paper lanterns glowed, casting the whole scene in a cheery light, and soft music was filtering in from a band somewhere. Wulfric''s ears perked in curiosity at all the strange sights, sounds and smells that surrounded him, but he reminded himself that he was here on a mission, not to gawk at the garish excesses of the pampered rich.


    He moved in the direction of the music, finding that a large stretch of the gardens had been set aside for the gathering to be held outdoors. About a hundred of the city''s most important sons and daughters were ambling around and talking, sipping drinks or moving about on a large dance floor, swaying and stepping in some intricate dance Wulfric wasn''t familiar with.


    His amber eyes flashed as he looked over the gathering, eyes scanning for anything that seemed out of place. It was unlikely this mysterious criminal mastermind would have only invited one henchman, so there had to be more somewhere. There were more than a couple people not partaking in the revelry, but he couldn''t be sure if they were agents waiting for some sinister signal, or simply bored nobility not interested in dancing. A number of them were armed, lots of sabers or ornamented daggers hanging from the hips of men he doubted had ever held a weapon when it really mattered. He raised his head a little and scented the air, pushing past the flowers, food and alcohol to sense out the people themselves.


    Wulfric felt his hackles raise up, another set of eyes lingering on him. He looked over sharply, making eye contact with a young woman who''d been staring at him. The moment he locked gaze with her she suddenly looked away, spooked, and walked off. Had she been some kind of lookout? Was his disguise that easy to see through? Of course he looked out of place, with his ears and eyes, it was foolish to think he could blend in.


    He turned again as he felt more eyes on him, people staring from the crowd or looking from the dance floor. He glanced down at himself, but his outfit seemed in order.


    "Come here all alone?" Asked a voice behind him.


    Wulfric turned sharply, hand straying near his axe and ready to draw. Had he been made so soon? But waiting for him was not some assassin ready to eliminate him, rather a young woman wearing a multi-tiered dress that made her lower half resemble the large cake sitting on the table a few feet behind her.


    He stared at her dress for a moment, distracted, until he remembered her question. "Yes." He said simply, hands on his hips.


    "What a coincidence." She giggled, stepping closer. "So did I!" She smiled, tilting her head to make her golden earrings glitter in the light. Wulfric was again distracted as he realized her earrings looked like wind chimes.


    "Good for you." He said simply, wondering if this was normal behavior, his eyes continuing to roam the crowd.


    The young woman looked a little discouraged by his brusque response, but she rallied. "Would you care to dance?" She asked, with her most charming smile, holding out her hand.


    Wulfric scanned the crowd again, looking as nonchalant as possible. People were still casting glances his way, mostly young women. The Valdyrkin looked back to her, blinking as something clicked in the back of his mind. He grinned roguishly, looking back to her. "I would say yes, but I''m afraid I don''t know your dances. I''m quite a long way from home." Ida''s words came back to him, remembering he was here to play the charming and mysterious outsider.


    The woman pouted, her enormous dress wobbling a little. But she seemed more curious than ever, stepping up to walk alongside Wulfric as he started to lazily meander through the party.


    "I could teach you how to dance, if you don''t know." She offered, seeming quite taken with him, extending her hand towards him, though not actually touching him.


    Wulfric glanced back to her, his eyes roaming over the crowd. He was about to refuse when another scent caught his attention. Honey and cinnamon. Perfume, the same scent that Lady Idrenne wore. Coincidence? Not likely, given its custom nature. Amber eyes searched the crowd. She was here, somewhere, or at least someone who had recent close contact with her was.


    "Kind sir?" The voice snapped him back to reality, the buxom lady giving him a hopeful look.


    "Actually, I''d like that." He decided, offering her a hand.


    The band switched over to something with a sedate pace and the young woman started teaching Wulfric to dance. It was rather simplistic, especially compared to some of the ritual dances he learned from his people, and good reflexes made up for his lack of experience. He continued to turn his gaze this way and that, trying to track down the origin of the unique scent as they moved across the dance floor. Sometimes it grew stronger, sometimes it faded further away, but it was always there.


    "You seem a touch distracted." The lady said.


    "Hmm?" He responded, his ears flicking.


    "You keep looking around, am I not..."


    He turned his gaze back to her, seeing her hurt expression. Such a delicate thing, to be harmed like that, but still. "It''s not your fault, I''m a bit preoccupied at the moment. I was hoping to catch up with a friend but I can''t seem to find her."


    They twisted again in the dance floor, the lady spinning in her enormous dress and doing a little dip. "Oh... I see."


    "Strictly friends I assure you." He muttered, bowing a little as he copied the other men''s movements. "I just needed to talk to her for a moment.


    That seemed to cheer her up a little. "Is it someone I might know? Perhaps I saw her earlier?"


    He thought about it, she might be able to help him, but he didn''t want to use the name. What if it started circulating? He''d give himself away. "I don''t think you''d know her name, but she''s a young woman, early twenties, long blonde hair in a braid?"


    The young lady considered, adopting an expression that looked something like a pout, but was probably just concentration. "I do remember someone like that, over by the drinks I think." She said, pointing.


    Wulfric smiled, giving her arm a little squeeze. "Thank you." He said with a nod before he started to walk over.


    "Um, will you come back?" The lady asked quickly, her enormous dress wobbling dangerously.


    "If I can." He said distractedly, heading over to the drinks and looking around. The table was laden with bottles and punch bowls, and he idly poured himself a glass as he looked around, so as not to seem out of place. He turned, sniffing the air, trying to catch a scent.


    He was about to give up and seek a new area when the wind shifted a little, and a new scent drifted across, catching his attention at once. It wasn''t a human smell, it was one of perfume, honey and flowers and cinnamon spice, the same scent that had permeated Lady Idrenne''s home and clothes, the perfume she always seemed to wear.


    Wulfric''s heart beat faster as he realized she had to be here, right here, within his reach. He looked around, eyes flashing in the dim light as he sought her. The crowd shifted and just like that, there she was, leaning against a stone pillar. He took a sharp step towards her, then paused. It couldn''t be that simple, couldn''t be that easy. He set his glass back down on the table and looked her over.


    It was unmistakably the woman he was here to rescue. The tresses of black hair and pale skin was exactly like her portrait, and the smell was unmistakable. This was Lady Idrenne, kidnapped from her home by a gang of ruffians and then dragged here. And yet, as Wulfric looked at her, she didn''t seem to be all that distressed with her present situation. She relaxed against the pillar with a calm, confident air, her eyes slowly scanning over the crowd as if she was examining them from a great distance. Her dress was immaculate, without a single wrinkle or ruffle on the smooth, shining fabric. Her hair had been controlled to within an inch of its life, with every last hair dressed and ordered atop her head. She looked like nothing but one more socialite here to enjoy high society. In fact, she looked a fair sight better than most of the gaudy nobility mingling under her gaze.


    Wulfric looked around tensely, but didn''t see any guards or defenses there to keep her from escaping. No thug dressed up to blend in standing at her elbow or anyone watching the door to make sure she didn''t run. Nothing to indicate that she was, in fact, a kidnapped ransom target who wasn''t supposed to be able to just get up and walk away. Criminal organizations didn''t tend to like it when their meal tickets idly wandered off without being guarded. It was possible that she was restrained in some other way, perhaps sorcery was at work here, keeping her from leaving the premises. He''d heard of some mages who could ensnare the minds of their victims, controlling them like puppets, but he''d never met one with that particular talent set. Perhaps she was a prisoner in mind, if not in body?


    In any case, the chance to make contact with his target was too good to pass up over his nerves, so he put down his glass and began walking over. He moved slowly, keeping his eyes out for any unusual activity. But nobody seemed to be taking an interest in him heading over to Idrenne, no guards rushing to intercept him or camouflaged agents coming to move her away. Absolutely nothing. His tension mounting, he drew near her, at which point Idrenne took notice of him. Her cool blue eyes flicked over him, examining the newcomer with a critical gaze.


    "Yes?" She asked after he drew near, sounding more bemused than concerned.


    "I was wondering..." Wulfric began, inventing some reason to have gotten this close. "If I could have this dance?" He held out a hand, giving her an inviting look.


    Idrenne raised a brow slightly. "And why should I dance with you?" Her voice was playful, but not in a way that Wulfric liked very much. He couldn''t quite pin down what it was, but something in that voice was as sharp as a razor''s blade.


    "Because it would let us talk without drawing attention to ourselves." He said, his own voice smooth despite his mounting confusion and worry.


    Idrenne gave a small amused noise, not quite a laugh. "Very well. I suppose we have much to discuss." She said, taking his hand and letting him lead her out onto the dance floor, his insides feeling like he had ice cold snakes wriggling around in his belly.


    The pair began dancing to a slow, formal song, Wulfric managing an acceptable copy of the movements he saw other men performing in the background. At least, he thought it acceptable, Idrenne seemed to not appreciate his dancing very much, though at least he hadn''t stepped on any of her toes. Idrenne gave him a rather patronizing look as he moved out of synch with the music.


    "I suppose it was too much to expect him to send someone who could actually blend in." She grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Now. I''m not interested in negotiating, so I''ll just give you the facts. The exchange will be inside in an hour, you will bring the gold or your boss is never going to see his dear brother again. It''s as simple as that. The price is non-negotiable, be there with the money or else."


    A chill passed down Wulfric''s spine, it wasn''t just her words, it was her tone. She gave her threats in the same half-bored half-playful drawl. In the few moments she''d been speaking, everything about this situation turned on its head. He needed time to think about this, to process it.


    "Understood." He said simply, keeping up his fa?ade as much as he was able. She just grinned at him, taking his confusion as fear, which evidently seemed to satisfy her.


    "See you inside then." She said, if a faux sweet voice, before she left him there on the dance floor and headed back up to the manor, her dress shifting and billowing a little in her wake.


    Wulfric stood there in stunned silence for a long moment, until another dancer bumped into him and he got off the dance floor. He frowned, getting himself another drink and running his hand through his hair, processing all this information. He didn''t know exactly what someone bewitched into submission might act like, but he certainly didn''t expect that, she seemed too lucid for someone being controlled by an outside force.


    And certainly too decisive as well, giving orders, but why? He puzzled through it, brow furrowing. Now that the shock had worn off, pieces started falling into place, the more he thought about it the more it made sense. She''d been kidnapped by someone skilled enough to get past all their defenses, and knew just how to get into their vault and take just the right things, all at once. Either the attackers were supremely skilled... or they had inside help. Then just after Wulfric tracked her to this city he finds that some unknown newcomer had arrived in the criminal underworld, someone with money and power to start taking over the existing operation.


    Her scent hadn''t been in the hideout because she''d been held captive there, she''d been hiding there herself while waiting for the next stage of her plan to be ready. He wasn''t sure how she''d managed to worm her way into the underworld here so quickly, but then she had probably been planning this for a while. Fake her own kidnapping, run away from home with the family treasury and then take over the criminal underworld of a nearby city? Wulfric snorted, it was a convoluted plan to be sure, but who could fathom how these nobles minds worked? Half the things they did made no sense to the wolf, so why should this? He couldn''t understand how someone who lived in such total luxury would feel the need to gain more somehow, especially through a plot like this.


    He turned, glancing back at the gates. He could just turn around and leave now, call the job off. She wasn''t a kidnapped damsel but rather an aspiring criminal mastermind, he doubted she''d go home quietly. And rescuing someone willingly coming with you is certainly quite a bit easier than trying to subdue and capture someone who is going to be fighting against you the whole way. Still... he wouldn''t be paid if she didn''t get home, and like it or not, he was still on the job. It was more than wanting to be paid though, he had a reputation to uphold. When he was hired to do a job, he did it. No excuses, no exceptions. Complications or no, criminal ambitions or no, Lady Idrenne was coming home, even if he had to drag her in a sack the whole way.


    Wulfric checked the map in his pocket, checking the location of the hidden entrance to the smuggling tunnels underneath the manor. He went inside, finding the guards had been instructed to let him in. Considering that Idrenne seemed convinced he was the representative of... whoever she was blackmailing she had probably instructed them to let him inside. The entrance was down in the wine cellar, and soon enough he''d found it, pushing a brick with a funny little marking on it to open up the passage.


    It was a dimly lit and rather dusty passage, looking like it was an old part of the foundations that had been repurposed. Ben was waiting there, looking up from where he''d been trying to hide, his daggers at the ready.


    "Glad to see you made it Ben." Wulfric said, looking around. "Was this unguarded?"


    "Nah." Ben smirked, nodding to a side passage. Wulfric leaned over, seeing the erstwhile guard tied up and gagged in the corner.


    "Ah, well, that''s good then." He said with a shrug. "Listen, this situation just got more complicated.


    Wulfric took a deep breath and began explaining, laying it all out for Ben to mull over. Ben''s expression slowly turned from confusion, to a sort of horrified understanding as he put the pieces together just like Wulfric had.


    "It... isn''t something I would have expected." He muttered. "But now that you said it, it sort of makes sense."


    Wulfric pursed his lips. "Doesn''t make sense to me, why you''d go to the trouble of doing something like that after she was already so well off."


    Ben snorted, "Yeah, well, that''s how these rich toss pots are a lot of the time. No matter how much they have, they always want more. It''s not enough to just be richer than most everyone in the Vadenland, oh no they''ve gotta get richer than their neighbor, and then the next neighbor. Hell the number of damnfool things I''ve heard of them doing just because they were bored, or because they were somehow insulted..." He shook his head and made a disgusted noise in his throat. "So, what''s the plan now? Considering this lady isn''t exactly going to come quietly."


    Wulfric considered. "Well I''m still going to try and take her back. Hopefully I''ll get paid either way but if she really is the one who''s taken over the underworld here, then it''ll still help you if I get her out of here."


    Ben nodded. "Aye, that would be a great help, if she''s the one in charge now. To get where she is she''s had to eliminate a lot of the old bosses who ran things around here, probably been setting things up for a while in order to be ready when she finally moved in herself. If she''s gone then a lot of their operations could just fall apart without her hand on the tiller. Still... not going to be easy."


    Wulfric nodded. "Aye, not easy at all. I''m thinking our best bet is to keep playing along, get in close and then see if we can get the jump on her, then hightail it out of here with her in tow."


    "Sort of hard though, not knowing what she expects of us. And I''m betting whoever is actually coming to negotiate isn''t going to like you being there. You said it was someone''s brother she was holding, right?"


    Wulfric nodded.


    "Mmm, probably Marcus then, he''s the only boss I know who has a little brother tangled up in this mess. Brother''s a right idiot, probably got himself stuck in something too serious for him to handle and ended up getting captured."


    Wulfric sighed. He felt like he was out on the dance floor again, expected to go through the steps of a dance he didn''t know. His response was the same, more or less. Move with the music as best he could and try to see what others expected of him. It was all he could do given the situation they were in.


    "So what do you want me to do?" Ben asked, bringing Wulfric back to reality.


    The wolf considered, rubbing his chin. "I think you should try to stay out of sight, this tunnels is our best chance to escape, so we need to make sure we can get out through it. Come out a little bit and lay in wait, this prisoner exchange is probably going to happen somewhere in these basements."


    "And when she realizes you aren''t supposed to be there?" Ben asked with a worried look.


    "I''ll have to improvise." Wulfric said, and gave Ben a rather toothy grin.


    Thorulf walked out of the cellar, following Idrenne''s scent. He still had no idea what he was going to do. Lie in wait until the opportune moment and then strike. Idrenne may fancy herself some kind of criminal mastermind, but she hardly looked like much of a fighter, so he doubted he would have that much difficulty subduing her. The real problem would be getting her back down those tunnels and out of the city. He doubted that she would make for a very cooperative captive. Still, there was no other path forward, so it was time for the leap of faith. Wulfric closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He remembered the frozen fields of his home, remembered the lessons mother had taught him. The hunt continued, the principles were the same. The long stalk was over, now was the final close with the prey. He opened his eyes and proceeded further into the manor.


    Soon the scent of his quarry was joined by others, the deeper he got into the manor. The place seemed largely empty, from what he knew of southern nobles they usually had their house teeming with servants to pamper and obey them, but this place seemed oddly quiet. He supposed most of the servants were outside serving the guests, and possibly that they had been ordered to clear out so as not to disturb the illicit dealings within.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Wulfric was about to turn the next corner, when he heard muffled voices coming from the next hall. He glanced around, eyes narrowing as he saw a pair of armed guards standing post outside a pair of double doors. Muffled voices came from within, and Wulfric ducked back out of sight as one of the guards glanced over in his direction.


    The Valdyrkin weighed his options. Rush the guards and take them down? He was sure he could take them, but they would likely raise the alarm before they were both disabled, and then he would be fighting through whoever was on the other side of those doors too, and his prey could easily escape. No, an alternate angle was required. He walked to the nearby window and leaned out, the room he sought was just next to him, probably fairly large judging by the location of the door. He looked up, seeing he wasn''t that far from the roof.


    Wulfric drew his axe and reached under his fine clothes to his belt, drawing out a length of braided cord, tying one end to the ring on the axe''s handle. He grabbed the window frame and leaned partway out, letting the cord run through his gloved fingers until the axe dangled down by a good two feet. He began to swing the axe around in great wide circles, building up a good amount of momentum, the blade whistling through the air. Then he let go, slinging the axe up through the air to the rooftop. The Vadens liked putting a lot of crap on their buildings, decorative railings and spikes, plenty to latch onto. With a metal ''clunk'' the hook of the axe''s head latched onto something on the rooftop.


    He tested the grip, putting some weight on the cable to see if it would hold. When it stayed steady, he nodded to himself and swung out onto the side of the building, the cord taking his weight without any difficulty. Planting his feet on the side of the building he began to climb, pulling the cable in one hand at a time while walking perpendicular to the wall, making his way up the side. Clambering up onto the rooftop, he retrieved his axe from where it had hooked around a weather vane, skulking along the rooftop. There was a skylight up ahead, it looked like it would be in the right place to be over the guarded room. Keeping low to the rooftop, he walked over, peeking in.


    He couldn''t hear what was going on in the room below, but he could see plainly enough, and that was enough to figure out what was going on. The prisoner exchange was taking place. Some well-dressed man flanked by two guards was speaking to Idrenne. He could practically smell the tension in the room, the stiff way everyone was moving, how the guards never moved their hands away from their weapons. Everyone was on edge, apart from Idrenne herself, who looked utterly at ease. Wulfric''s eyes narrowed. In his experience only two kinds of people were so relaxed in dangerous situations. Either fools who didn''t realize the danger they were in, or someone who knew they were in complete control of their surroundings.


    There was another man apart from the guards, a younger man, tied up near Idrenne. Wulfric frowned as he examined that man. He also looked unusually calm, not relaxed but placid, as if walking in a dream. He stared off into space, moving slightly where he stood, but his eyes did not follow any movement in front of him. His brows furrowed as he watched, seeing the dazed young man wobbling slightly, Idrenne smiling at her opponent while she spoke, slowly, playfully. Her smile had the infuriating quality of a poor card player who knows they have the better hand, confident, arrogant, assured, and not bothering to hide it.


    A bag of money was exchanged, tossed across towards the smirking woman, who picked it up. She gestured forward, the bound young man walking forward steadily until he had drawn close to the other man, the one Wulfric assumed to be his brother, come to rescue him from his mysterious kidnapper. He spoke to the bound man, but the hostage did not respond, not even when the older man grabbed him by the shoulder and started to shake him, shouting in his face.


    Clearly upset, he pushed forward and raised an accusing hand at Idrenne, who seemed to giggle, before she raised her hands, moving her fingers in some complicated pattern, saying something as she did. Wulfric could not hear her voice, but on some level he heard what she said, some primal sense hearing an echo of those words of power. He saw something move in the air between them, though in reality it was quite empty. Both there and not there, cords of ethereal energy moved from the woman''s fingers to the bodies of the men, binding them, making them shudder and contort, clutching at their heads as they fell to their knees. Idrenne walked over, her smile shifting from coy to triumphant, as she cradled the leader''s head in her hands, continuing to whisper magic words to him, binding him to her will.


    Wulfric pulled back from the skylight, he had seen enough to know what was going on here. It seemed the ambitious young noblewoman had concealed her talents well. Mind affecting magic of this kind was generally a forbidden art in the Vadenland, from what he understood, no noble wanted to fear their rivals gaining control over them in such a way. Naturally of course it was still practiced by the ambitious and the powerful, just out of sight. Hypocrites they may be, but nobody wanted to get caught doing it, or those same rivals would attack them with the law.


    Considering that Idrenne was probably up to her shoulders in illegal activity, it wouldn''t be much of a stretch for her to apply forbidden magical arts in this quest for greater power. It would explain her sudden rise to power, how the city guards didn''t move against her, how she had so quickly taken over the criminal underbelly of this city. Perhaps she planned to eventually complete her rise by controlling those who officially ran the city, with herself as the spider at the center of the vast web she was weaving. Well, such plans wouldn''t have time to blossom if he had his way.


    He continued to watch from his secure vantage point as the newly controlled victims shakily stood at their master''s command. Idrenne rubbed her temple, looking irritated for a moment, before she ordered them out of the room. Wulfric grinned, these southern mages tended to be overconfident when it came to their abilities. So sure that they could command such powerful forces. Was she finding it difficult to control so many at once? That might be a weakness he could exploit. He saw her order her minions out of the room, following them herself. Wulfric opened the skylight and hooked his axe onto the lip of the window frame, descending silently on the cord. He flicked the thin rope when he reached the bottom and held up his hand, his axe unerringly falling into his open palm before he stole up to the door, listening. The guards on the other side had gone.


    Quietly, carefully, he opened the door and sniffed, ears quivering attentively, picking up on her scent once again. He had a lock on it now, underneath the perfume, her actual scent, she wasn''t slipping his trail this time. He padded silently over the carpet, thinking about the floor plan, the position of the smuggler''s tunnel down in the basement, her scent trail was leading somewhere on the second floor, and he was following along with her. He peered around the corner, seeing her dismiss the last of her guards before entering another room, leaving the door hanging open.


    Wulfric''s heart beat a little faster, his eyes narrowing. This was the opportune moment to go in and attack. Now, while she was alone, while her defenses were down. He didn''t fancy the idea of fighting past all of her controlled minions, this would be his best chance to get her. But... this could be a trap couldn''t it? He paused, hesitating. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to jump her and capture her, but what if that was meant to bring him in? He frowned, it was possible, but then she probably didn''t know he was on to her, and even if she did this pampered princess, so sure of her abilities and powers, probably wouldn''t think like that anyway. But even if it was a possibility, he would just have to take his chances anyway. He may not have another opportunity like this, and if it did prove to be a trap he would simply have to fight through it and triumph.


    Steeling himself, the Valdyrkin crept across the thick carpet, axe in hand, the familiar weight in his hand comforting him. He looked through the crack, seeing a large open room, possibly a bedroom. A window on the far side, the curtains hanging open to let in a sliver of light from the lanterns outside. He lingered for a long moment on the doorway, hearing nothing. Had she gone to rest after the exertion of the magic?


    Wulfric brushed the door open, the hinges swinging silently, recently oiled by the smell of them. There was Idrenne, standing before the window now, looking outside. Wulfric slowly crept into the room, lowering his hand to the pouch containing his climbing cable, he would have to bind her and then run for it. She did not move as he approached, didn''t move at all, staring out the window. He raised his hand, ready to grapple, and then froze, sniffing. The woman before him had no scent, none at all.


    He whirled around, axe raised just in time to see the real Idrenne raising her hands and whispering an incantation. Twisting bolts of green energy lashed out from her fingers like emerald lightning. He slashed at them with his axe while dodging to the side, deflecting the spell and making it burn off a good chunk of wallpaper, the false image of the mage vanishing like so much mist behind him.


    Idrenne paused as she saw him deflect her spell, cocking her head and looking at the axe in his hand. "Now what is a savage like you doing with something like that?" She asked, voice curious and relaxed.


    Wulfric growled. "It was a gift." He wanted to keep her talking, judging by what he''d observed of her, if he could keep her thinking she was in total control here she would end up making a mistake.


    "Hmm." She mused. "Quite a gift then, only a powerful enchantment could parry that attack... I''ll have to study later."


    He shifted his grip a bit, keeping the axe up between them. "Not exactly going to give it to you."


    Idrenne laughed. "Oh yes you are, I can be very convincing." She crackled more emerald energy between her fingers.


    His amber eyes flicked over the room, looking for options. She was between him and the door, the window was at his back. Escape or attack? "I saw as much. Interesting scheme you have going here. Run away from home and mind control the criminals in a nearby city? Was being a rich noblewoman in a manor house not enough?"


    She snorted. "And that was all I would ever be. Sitting in that house for the rest of my life, nowhere to go and nothing to accomplish. Managing an orchard and a bee farm and lake fishing? I''m capable of so much more than that. Maybe a barbarian like you doesn''t understand but there aren''t a lot of opportunities for advancement in the Vadenland, you''ve got what you''re born with and there''s hardly ever any change in that. By the time I''m done here I''ll have this city, and the barony around it, and my own lands once the inheritance becomes mine. All in all, a nice step up from being a glorified fishmonger."


    "So, all of this is a monument to your own ego then?" He asked, giving a little shrug. "Can''t say I''m that surprised really. You lot don''t seem to ever understand how good you''ve got it. You were born with more than most anyone could ever want and you''re throwing it all away because you want a bit more."


    The smile on her face turned rather sour. "I would hurt you for that... but I don''t want to damage you too baldy. I''ll rather like having a Valdyrkin in my... shall we call it my employ?"


    He raised a brow. "You know of my kind then? I''m flattered."


    She let out a little scoff. "Oh yes I know of your kind, I knew you were no thug the moment I saw you in the party down there. You looked distinctly out of place rubbing elbows with the other idiots, and once you didn''t show up at the prisoner exchange I knew you had to be a bounty hunter looking for me. If anyone in this city had a Valdyrkin as an enforcer you would have been at his side, to use the myths about your people as intimidation. And I suppose that explains how you''ve been following me all this time, your people are supposed to have great tracking abilities."


    "Nice to be appreciated." Wulfric shrugged. "Most don''t know where the myths end and reality begins, if they''ve even heard of us at all."


    "You would not believe some of the things that I''ve read." She giggled. "Actually I don''t believe half of them myself. But I suppose you''ll tell me everything I need to know anyway. I''m done humoring you, now..."


    Wulfric leaped forward, legs springing beneath him to send him flying through the air, axe slashing. Idrenne''s eyes went wide as she dodged to the side. Soft she may be but her reflexes were quick. She made another sign and stamped her foot, sending out a shockwave of emerald light that forced him back, barely keeping his balance.


    "Enough games!" She hissed, all pretense at casual confidence gone as she made complex motions with her fingers, whispering words of power to the ether. Those not quite invisible tendrils of energy shot out again, grabbing onto him, trying to take control of him. He felt the magical attack break upon him like water breaks upon a rock.


    "You are going to have to do better than that." Wulfric growled, and was pleased to see that for once, that smirk was wiped completely off of her face. "Try to control too many at once? Or only weak minded fools?" He launched himself forward again, lashing out with a fist, but Idrenne blocked him again with a blast of energy that deflected him to the side before she bolted for the door.


    Wulfric didn''t waste time with taunts, snarling angrily as he reached out for her. He had almost grabbed her tailing hair before the door was slammed. He kicked, hard, then rebounded, she''d sealed the door with magic. Well, he would just have to break through that. Wulfric drew himself up and shifted his form. Clothes and skin were replaced with shaggy fur, his form swelling and growing, muscles expanding. All his items, his clothing, his gear, those all vanished, but not the axe in his hand. Instead the hand axe was changing as well, the handle elongating and thickening, the blade growing larger and longer. When it had done, the small hand axe had changed into an enormous great axe. The shape of the blade was similar, the blade still hooked with a large spike on the back, but it had increased several times in size, the wooden handle now long enough to be held two handed by Wulfric''s enlarged form.


    The Varulfur slammed the axe into the door, the wood splintering. Green sparks and energy erupted from where the blow fell, while his own axe blade seemed covered in a blue-white sheen, the color of a frozen lake. The spell buckled, but held. He drew his axe back again and slammed it down once again, and again. On the third blow the spell broke and the door exploded into a shower of splinters, the enormous shaggy wolf monster tearing through into the corridor beyond.


    Idrenne had summoned her minions to cover her escape, smugglers cutthroats and thieves rallying to his position. The first group came around the corner and pushed forward towards him, whatever compulsion she had them under seemed stronger than their fear of an axe wielding wolf beast the size of a bear.


    They rushed forward, blades rising. He could slay them all he was confident, but who knows what Idrenne would do with that time? She seemed skilled in building up powerful enchantments, did she hope to delay him to buy time to craft some powerful spell as a defense? He could not take the chance. The thugs were entering the corridor from both ends, trying to block him. He sniffed the air, turning to follow her scent to the right. He charged the men there, the first raising a sword against him. Wulfric raised a powerful digitigrade leg and slammed his broad paw pad into the man''s chest, sending him toppling back into his fellow, the wind knocked out of him. Another stabbed with a long dagger, Wulfric jumping back from the blade, raising his axe high and bringing it crashing down, cleaving through the man''s collarbone and into his torso, wrenching the axe free with a snap of bone.


    A flare of pain lanced up his side as a blade struck from behind, stabbing through his shaggy fur to bite into a flank. He whirled around, slashing his claws over the attacker''s face, the bloody blade falling to the ground with a scream. He had to get moving, he was going to risk becoming bogged down in this melee if he didn''t free himself from it. He turned again, back in the proper direction, cleaving his axe in a wide arc before him, sending his attackers back with cries of pain and alarm. Then he launched himself into the unbalanced crowd, battering them aside with his momentum. The big axe was less useful in such cramped space, but he lashed out with his left hand claws and his enormous fangs, biting, clawing, trampling. More pain as swords and daggers struck him. His right arm, left side of his chest. The thick fur protected him to a degree but they still got him.


    And then he was clear of the crowd of attackers and charging through the manor after the scent. It seemed that most of her minions were in the thong behind him now, as he met little opposition, and one or two thugs her little chance of slowing him down as he barreled through the corridor.


    When he burst through the final door and laid eyes on his prey once again, he was a terrifying sight. Breathing heavily, snarling, bloody teeth gleaming, his timber wolf coat stained with blood, his own and his enemies'', bloody axe in hand as he advanced. He was gratified to see Idrenne''s surprise, perhaps she had thought the Varulfur some foolish legend made up about the Valdyrkin, but she recovered quickly.


    They were in an empty ballroom, large, open, hard wood floor beneath his paws, lit by the moonlight streaming in through the glass ceiling high above, furniture covered in dust cloths stored along the sides of the room for later use. Idrenne stood in the middle of the dance floor, within a circle of glowing green light she had drawn on the floor.


    Wulfric''s blood was up, a not insignificant part of him wanted nothing more than to tear her limb from limb, but he had to master that impulse, he needed her alive and intact. Wulfric raised his axe again, gripping it firmly in both hands and adopting a guarded stance, steadily advancing into the room. She had stopped here for a reason, his every scent alert for magical traps and defenses.


    "End this now." He growled. "Your minions cannot stop me. You cannot stop me. If you fight me, I might have to hurt you."


    There was fear in her eyes, her face pallid and patchy from nerves and stress, but she held her ground. "No. I''ve beaten every obstacle, I''ll beat you!" She began rapidly chanting an incantation, clasping her hands in front of her, the same words over and over again with a look of intense concentration on her face.


    With a creak and grown, the covered furniture along the edges of the room began to move. Chairs and tables rattling against each other as they came out of their neatly sorted rows. Knowing what was coming, Wulfric whirled his axe in a defensive pattern as the first of the animate furniture rose into the air and was hurled at him. He dodged under a thrown table, then smashed a chair to splinters and continued to advance. There were a lot of missiles in here waiting to be thrown at him, if he could get close enough to her he could probably keep her from throwing things at him, lest she strike herself.


    More objects came pelting at him, smashing into each other mid-flight with creaks and groans before continuing on their way. He pushed forward, deflecting a large round table with a sideways swipe, leaving himself open for the next chair to slam hard into him, clubbing him about the head and shoulders before he smashed it to fragments with a claw. Snarling in pain and anger he pressed onward towards her.


    Idrenne did not look anything like the composed, assured young woman he had seen earlier. Sweat ran down her cheeks, her hair was out of order, her hands trembling where they were clasped before her, the young mage chanting on as she continued to hurl her missiles. She had to be pushing herself to the breaking point now, keeping up this attack on him and still puppeteering her small army of entranced minions? There was only so much power she could have available to throw at him.


    "Is this all you have!" He roared, bisecting a dinner table with a cleave of the axe, two neat halves falling to either side of him. "A few blunt objects to hurl at me? All that mage training really paying off? I''m going to take you hog tied back to your father! Back to the apple orchard and the bee hives and the fishery and you will never ever leave!"


    A muscle was twitching in her cheek now, his taunting making it harder for her to concentrate. She was sweating more profusely now, but the chanting became stronger, lifting more objects to throw at him. He grit his teeth as some of them hit home, battering and buffeting him around, paws sliding across the hardwood floor. "You overreached! You arrogant child! You can''t possibly control all of this, you''re out of your league against me! Did you really think you could just walk in here and take over, and nobody would stop you?" He wasn''t entirely sure what he was saying at this point, mostly babbling as a lot of his attention was on stopping the various blunt objects from braining him.


    He was getting close to her now, and she was getting more desperate, the thrown objects were coming more numerous than ever but her aim was becoming more poor at the same time, missing him completely a good number of the time, though he was still battered about. He was not far from her now, a good ten feet. He drew his legs beneath him and leaped through the air, right at her, claws outstretched. Then he slammed into a solid wall in thin air, a green bubble of energy flaring into life where that glowing circle was drawn, keeping her from him.


    Even so, the sight of him, bloodied and furious just a few feet away broke her concentration, making her eyes go wide and back up a little. He drew the axe up and brought it crashing down on the force bubble, which shrieked and squeaked as if in pain. He drew the axe back again, smashing it down on the ward she had created, the icy blue-white energy of his magical axe attacking the emerald light of her spell. Finally the spell broke, the membrane of energy losing rigididy, slashed apart by his axe''s magic. The spell released a powerful wave of energy as it broke, blasting him back and sending him toppling to the floor. He recovered his balance as quickly as he could, leaping back to his feet. There was another crash behind him, the door flying open.


    One of Idrenne''s minions was coming through, only for a massive hand to sieze him and pull the unfortunate man backwards through the door, tumbling back down the hall. "Wulfric!" Ben gasped as he jumped in through the door. The big man sported a number of cuts on his arms and his blades were both bloodied. "Tha devil did you... do..." He trailed off, seeing the scene inside, broken debris of furniture scattered across the floor, Idrenne with her hands raised, crackling with eldritch energy.


    "You''ll do!" She gasped, lashing out at Ben, those tendrils of magical control snaking out towards him. Wulfric acted, she was distracted now, this spell took too much attention to cast. He hurled his great axe end over end towards her, though it would strike just to the left of her if she didn''t move.


    She reacted as he''d suspected, stopping her attempt to control Ben and bringing her hands up quickly, slashing one through the air in a protective motion. A broken table flew up, intercepting his spinning axe with a thud. As the table flew aside, it revealed Wulfric leaping through the air behind it, having jumped just after he threw the axe, claws outstretched. Idrenne''s eyes went wide as he grabbed her by the shoulder, knocking her to the ground and pinning her underneath his bulk. Before she could say a word, her backhanded her, knocking her out instantly.


    Wulfric panted, slinging Idrenne over his shoulder with one hand, picking up his axe with the other. "Ben." He panted.


    "Yeah?" The big man panted, giving the enormous bloodied beast a half wary, half concerned look.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Well." The man shrugged, Wulfric walking over, his many injuries starting to wear on him a little, though his body was already healing. "All the goons in the building kinda went crazy at once, started shouting and running. I figured you''d been discovered so I came running to try and bail you out of whatever trouble you were in."


    Wulfric opened the door, looking out at the hallway. It was filled with the carnage of battle, many of the entranced minions laying on the ground clutching their heads or unconscious. It seemed that the spell they were under had broken, leaving them incapacitated as well. "Thanks. Her defenses were rather tight, you distracted her."


    "Aye, and kept them from coming through the door behind you." Ben grunted, kicking one of the downed men, who whimpered. "They were tryin'' ta get in and help her out. So... what now?"


    "Now? Now we get out of here, I restrain her for my trip back to her father and get paid. We seem to have done what we intended to do."


    Ben nodded. "Aye, aye. Seems our partnership has come to a close."


    Wulfric nodded, wishing he could do something more to help the man who had aided him. Ben would stay here, fighting his one man war against the smugglers and the corrupt, while he would move on. But... "Ben." He grunted, turning to point at the bedroom Idrenne had led him to. "While you''re still here, that''s the bedroom where she was staying. As it happens, she was taking control of the entire criminal underworld here. Magic, you know." He shrugged, Ben frowning but listening. "I imagine she had some rather incriminating papers in there on some very nasty people. And at the very least, there is a large bag of gold sitting on the bedside table. Should be worth quite a few drinks down at that old dive."


    Ben''s face broke into a wide grin. "I''ll be sure ta toast you with one of em."


    Epilogue


    Fenn blinked the bleariness of sleep out of his eyes, looking out again down the forested road outside the city. It was morning, and he was pulling first shift at the northern gate. The festival was winding down, and soon the trader caravans and traveling nobility would be heading out, back home or on to the next stop of their trade route. He yawned, the guard on the opposite side of the gate looking about as groggy as he did. Nobody liked getting pulled out of bed after the celebrations they''d had last night and then given morning duty like this. There was not enough morning tea in the world that would make this acceptable.


    He was about to open his mouth to grouse to his comrade, when there was a sudden noise behind him, a cry of alarm, someone shrieking. "What the..." He picked up his pike and turned, just in time to jump out of the way. A wolf the size of a small horse leaped past him, sailing through the open gates before pounding up the road away from the gate, moving at a full sprint up the cobblestone street. Fenn had just enough time to see a young woman, draped in expensive silks and looking very woebegone, bound and gagged, tied to the huge creature''s back, before wolf and unwilling rider vanished out of sight in the treeline.


    "Fenn... what the hell was that?" Breathed his comrade.


    Fenn shook his head. "Nothing I get paid enough to worry about, that''s for damn sure."


    Fin.