Rawr Wolf DNO Older bling in fam's blog: "Wolf's Tails"

  “I am Sheri Langstone of the W.N.N. coming to you live on this, perhaps one of the  most momentous events in the history of our race.” Sheri took a dramatic pause and looked around the massive vessel. “Here,  on board the only Trans-Universal ship in existence, The Quest, we shall attempt to do what none has done before. I, along with the brave crew of this craft, will pass beyond ‘The Wall’ and enter a completely new cosmos.”

 Pause for the hover cam to pan around the Quest, showing the crisp people in their even crisper uniforms.

 Sheri started for the bridge before continuing her monologue. “As you all know, scientists puzzled for centuries over the mysterious  ‘Dark Matter’ that could have explained why the universe did not have as much mass as they had calculated it to have. Later we found that beyond all the planets, beyond the stars, even beyond all the galaxies; there lays a great barrier that no being has ever breached.”

 As she stepped through the bridge door, Sheri continued, “Now here is the Captain of this gallant vessel. Captain Stillburr please tell us what we are in store for.”

 “Well Sheri,” said the Captain in his best authoritative tones, “we are here at the edge of the universe; readying the Gravo-Magnetic engines for the break through. The shields have been fine tuned and we are in the final stages before we try to break that wall.”

 “That is extremely exciting Captain,” Sheri stated, “but what is most on my mind, and on the minds of our viewers is what will we find on the other side?”

 The Captain replied, “Frankly Sheri, no one knows the answer to that question. There is lots of conjecture and very few facts. I am sure that you have heard some of it.

 Some authorities feel that we will find another dimension, or series of dimensions. Others follow that we will find a different dimension all right, but one that goes beyond the three dimensions we live in. One small faction argues that the ‘breakout’ will disrupt the fabric of space and time, though most of the experts do not follow this theory. Still others believe that beyond ‘The Wall’ is nothing, a complete emptiness.”

 “Yes,” agreed Sheri, “there are so many different theories. Personally I think that we will find a universe much the same as ours, but with a few minor differences.”

 “Well Sheri,” Captain Stillburr interjected, “now is our chance to find out. The Engineering Officers report everything green and we are ready to bust down ‘The Wall.’"

 “Wonderful,” Sheri enthused,” do you have any last minute words for prosperity?”

  “Yes Sheri, I do,” Stillburr drawled in his best down-to-earth tones.”In the name of knowledge, we now step where all others must follow.”

 Captain Stillburr turned to initiate the final launch sequences; while Sheri addressed the audience.

 “All of you who are viewing us; even those who are not, are about to enter a new era, for good or ill, nothing will ever be the same. We are carrying the most advanced communications devices known to science. It is not known whether this will allow us to stay in contact on the other side. It should not matter, even so. We are only going for a few hours. Long enough to make a few observations and then return to pass on what we have been able to learn.”

 This last was timed to allow one more dramatic pan by the hover cam, capturing the exact moment when Captain Stillburr gave the command for launch.

 “This is it folks,” shouted Sheri, “See you on the other side.”

The Quest leaped forward and collided with “The Wall”...

  “Overlooking the rolling hills of Livermore, lies Cal-Physics laboratories. We are here to view some of the most intriguing works in science today. This is Thui Vu, for “Science 2175.” I am here to interview Dr. Cindy Goldstein, engineer in charge of Project Creation. Dr. Goldstein could you please show us around your lab.”

 “Certainly M. Vu,” answered Dr. Goldstein, as she walked over to some large viewing ports. “as you can see, in this room is fifty of what we call ‘magnetic bottles’. These ‘bottles’ are reinforced, so to speak, with the cutting edge of gravidic technology.

 Inside is a minute amount of hydrogen, pressurized to the point of a spontaneous explosion. By controlling the results we get sort of a ‘little Big Bang.’ We then utilize the gravidic equipment to speed up the process of galaxy formations.”

 “Dr. Goldstein,” asked M. Vu, “what is it that you are going to so much trouble to find out and why?”

 “Well, mostly we are studying the formation of planets and stars. As to the why of your question; our race has always gone to much trouble in the name of knowledge.”

 As M. Vu looked upon the blue glowing spheres, that were the “bottles,” one flashed and disappeared with the quick brilliance of a bulb burning out.

 “Dr. Goldstein,” asked Thui, “could you tell me why that one ‘bottle’ did what it did?”

 Dr. Goldstein looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, “We are still studying that effect, all we know is that for some reason the structural integrity of the ‘bottle’ will eventually fail. Of course this means that the one experiment is completely ruined...”

  I sat contemplating the sedimentary rock, thinking about how things overlap. It's strange how they do. Take land and sea for instance.

 The surface of this world is about 70% water and 30% land. Yet originally the water wasn't here. It's just a byproduct of the effects which created our atmosphere. Then again, now water is everywhere. Sure, in some places it's rarer than in others, but it is still there. And more food for thought, just about every place on earth is, was, or will be under water.

 By now you're wondering where this is going and I will tell you, but all in good time.

 On a warm summer night, I was bored and a little lonely. So I decided to wander down to my local saloon. Just to see what was up you know. Not much as it turns out. My friends had all packed it in for the night and no one there seemed to attract my attention.

 Since I lived in a oceanside town, I roamed along the beach on my way home. A little out of the way, but the ocean life at night is well worth the time. As it turned out, more than worth it.

 I walked along the sand, watching the night birds fly and the crustateans explore the ever changing beach.

 Now it is the strangest thing, I swear for many years, I have felt like there was someone calling me. It has been the most frustrating experience, being drawn somewhere, yet having no idea where or why.

 For some reason, why I was soon to find out, this call was stronger than it had been in many years. Fact is, the feeling had gone on so long with no answers; that I had given up. Told myself I was silly for believing such things. Yet, when the feeling was strong, out I would roam.

 I walked my walk and thought my thoughts while watching the silver fire of the moon dance in the waves. When rounding a bend in the seashore, I spied a woman sitting on a rock about 10 feet out from the sands.

 This in itself was a little strange; but add to the fact that there were several varieties of seals surrounding her, until I showed, made it very unusual.
 Let me tell you; this made me pause and take notice. As the wakes of the sea mammals still rippled, proving that I had not imagined this, I took a closer look.

 She had skin like foam on the waves. Her hair was black, like the color of the deepest depths of the ocean, with glimmers like the sands. And her eyes, the very thought of them still make me sigh, they were the palest blue, like the ocean shallows. To top it off, she was small and petite, as if a delicate water blossom.

 Even though it was a warm night, it was still too cold to be sitting how she was, lightly clad and her legs trailing into the water. The ocean is cold here; the currents having come from the Arctic circle. Much to cold for anyone normal. Silly enough, at first I thought I was seeing a mermaid.

 Still to this day I wonder why she didn't flee like her marine companions. Perhaps my bumbling way of wandering up seemed unthreatening. Or maybe she sensed a kindred soul in me. Then again, per chance she might have heard the call herself. I don't know, all I know is her face lit up as I came close.

 She greeted me like I was the only one in the world and she had waited a lifetime for me.

 "Heyyas, how's it going?" I replied, wondering what I had found this eve.

 "Good," she smiled, "what brings a lonely wanderer out my way?"

 "Just roaming around looking for company." I answered, "Perhaps I have found it."

 She laughed and said, "Perhaps you have."

 We talked for the longest time; the hours slipped by like minutes. All the while she sat with her legs immersed in the sea. When I asked her why she told me that she was an enchantress and the sea was her power as well as her bane. She told me of a magical life that I could hardly believe and I told her of my common, lonely life.

 Despite her bantering replies, I sensed deep sadness and pain. It made me wonder what she had been through. As I looked closer into her eyes, I saw angry storms and fear. My instincts told me right away what it was. So I confronted her while she was teasing me about casting a spell on me and asked her directly of her husband.

 "Oh," she said, "I am just a trophy to him. He cares nothing for me, just the status a pretty wife like me brings."

 I shook my head for that wasn't the first time I had heard that and asked, "Can't you leave?"

 "And go where?" she sighed, "My parents sacrificed me long ago. My jailer is a Sea Warlock and has power well beyond mine. The last time I tried to leave, he sealed me in a cave for many months."

 This struck me as an odd way of putting it, but I left it to later to find out what she meant. Little did I realize how strange the truth was.
 Before either of us had realized it, the sun was up and life was stirring in the normal world. With a look of worry she bid me adieu, after asking if I would be back. I reassured her I would and she slipped off into the fog, leaving me wondering if she truly had just disappeared under the waves like a seal.

 I walked home as if in a dream, never really noticing the things around me, for my head was filled with thoughts of the Lady of the Sea.
 All my life things haven't made sense. No matter how hard I tried to find some order in the events of my life. It just didn't fit right.

 Now suddenly something felt right deep down. Oh, I had myself fooled for awhile thinking I wasn't in love, as we met time after time. I told myself we were just close friends and she needed someone to lean on. But as time wore on I found that inside my heart I would do anything to help my Sea Lady.

 And she had changes of her own, when I first met her it was like she had no hope and was just waiting to die. Gradually as we grew close that changed, it was like I gave her the strength to go on. That wasn't all either. When we met she drank some strange brew from a shell, which she laughingly called sea nectar, but it had the effects of alcohol. As time wore on though, she didn't seem to partake of the nectar nearly as much.

 My Sea Lady opened up even further and I learned to my shock and dismay, that the word sacrifice was literal. When she was but a child, the Sea Warlock took notice of her and she was chosen to be one of his brides. When she reached adulthood in her culture's eyes, she was literally given to the sea. Cast into the waves and left for dead by her very parents.

 Ordinarily a person would have died, but her husband granted her the ability to live under the waves. She had everything a person could ask for, except freedom or love. For it was true; she was only an object for his pleasure, a pretty fish in a gilded bowl.

 Another price she paid was the lose of her chance to have a child. For that's how the magics worked, in striving off death, it also destroyed the possibility of creating life. A cruel and terrible fate he had forced her into, it seemed to me.

 And even worse fate considering that he was ages old, kept alive by his magic, but so old he was feeling time slip away from him. In her thoughts the Sea Warlock did not have long to live and his power over her was growing weaker.

 In my eyes though, this was not always the best of things. The warlock was very angry about his mortality and often took it out on my Lady of the Sea.

 I can not describe what it did to my heart to hear her words of horror as she told me of the tortures he put her through. To see bruises appear and slowly heal over the days and nights we spent together. To hold her and wipe away the tears of pain as she hugged herself after he had beaten her.

 I found my rage and anger at such injustice grow until I swore if she would come with me, I would forever protect her from such pain. I knew to see this Lady safe I would die in her place. For I also knew the Warlock meant to torture her to death before he died, just so he could take his possession with him to the grave. This I vowed would never happen.

 As time passed, his attention slipped further and I gave into my heart and she gave into hers. I later found out using her powers, she used to watch me even when we were apart for she felt as if I was something she just had to be near. That she had never felt these feelings she had for me before. And somehow my Lady of the Sea was drawn to me. It was amazing to see how possessive of every little minute together she was. My Sea Lady made me feel like I was the only other person in the world besides herself.

 We spent many a night touching and whispering sweet words to each other. Even this was new to her; something my Sea Lady thought was for other people and not her. I awoke feelings and a longing deep inside her. And she soon came to crave the love I offered, unknowing what the actual act fully meant. For to her it was about fear, humiliation, and pain. Not love in my opinion.

  One very magical night, the Sea Warlock attention was fixed on something else. He was angry, for the seas were raging with storms. But whatever it was, it wasn't my Lady of the Sea.

 She smiled very shyly as she drew me farther up into the sands than she had ever been. I was startled as I followed her, wondering what was on her mind.

 Tracing her hands along my chest, she whispered, "Show me love, show me what I wake at night longing for."

 Not daring to speak, I tried to show her with my body and soul what my heart and head had been describing for so long.

 How can I put into words something so beautiful as one act was? Her lips were salty sweet, begging me for my touch. Her flesh was hot and willing, as she quivered, feeling things she had never felt before. Her touch was like an equator current suddenly flowing in the Arctic, tracing lines of liquid fire on my skin. And the finale hit us like the crash of a tidal wave, carrying us on its peak for what seemed forever.

 Afterwards as I held her, she begged me never to leave her. This I easily was able to agree with; for I had long felt I never wanted to be apart from her. I told her that first chance we had; I was taking her away to spend forever and always together and meant it. She held me back, weeping softly, praying that it truly could happen that way.

 Time passed as it will, the seas ebbed and flowed as we met, talked, and loved. Every day bringing us closer as the longing grew. We talked about the things we would do and see. Oddly the things she long for the most, was the things we take for granted. Like having a normal life, to be happy, and to understand love.

 I swore to her that I would protect her, help her heal the deep scars she has been carrying, teach her what true happinesses was and never harm her in the way the creature that possessed her had.

 My Lady of the Sea swore to be mine until the end of eternity, to aid me with all her powers and to protect me as a part of her. For we had both become to feel that way, as if the other was an essential part of ourselves. Time apart had no meaning; time together made everything else fade away.

 Together under the eyes of the old gods we pledged our love and vows. It seems to me that those gods smiled on us that day. Much had happened to try to tear us apart. Frustration at our situation, temptation reared its ugly head as always. Jealousy from not being truly in each other's worlds hurt. Fear drove its razor sharp claws into us both. Her situation worsened as the days went on. Sometimes my Sea Lady would be in a rage from the abuse she had taken and I would hold her whispering how much I care while she raged, striking out in random.

 But stressful as it was we endured, were made stronger by the strife. Our love though taking some blows never faltered and one magical day it happened.

 The Sea Warlock had raged hard for nearly a week; I will not tell of the damage done to my Lady of the Sea, but it was the worst. He had exhausted himself and was resting to recoup his dwindling power. His control over my Sea Lady slipped and his attention wandered. We being no fools took the opportunity and fled for my love's life.

 Weak he may have been, helpless he wasn't, before we had gone ten feet the waves had swelled and the ocean was roaring. In a matter of moments what was a placid seaside had turned into a deadly hurricane.

 With the winds threatening to knock us off our feet, the ocean foam clutching at our legs, and flying sand ripping at our eyes we ran up the dunes. Have no doubts, had we been caught by the waves we would have both died a slow agonizing death, far worse than drowning.

 It seems I chose our path well, or maybe the old ones guided our way. It was close, once I almost lost her as a deep patch of seagrass wrapped around her feet and tripped her. I ripped her free and pulled her up running, with the tides lapping at our heels what was 20 feet above the sea level.

 Escape we did; both of us leaving behind the lives we knew. She had traded freedom for comfort and I love for security. The journey was hard, more hard than anything else in my life that I had faced before.

 In many ways the flight was worse than the agonizing longing to be together. During the course of events our safe places slowly turned out not to be as safe as we had hoped. We were forced to move time and time again to protect ourselves.

 My Sea Lady and I, much to our sorrow, lost almost everything we held dear, except each other. Somehow and I swear the gods intervened a few times to save us; we managed to hold onto each other against all odds.

 Now if this was a fairy tale, it would end here with a happily forever and always; but this is real life.

  I sat contemplating these thoughts and smiling at my love from afar; when another parallel of land and sea entered my mind. I remembered that both land and sea have mirages.

 As the thought passed through, suddenly everything wavered and my Sea Lady laughed as she disappeared. I fell to the ground weakened beyond belief. As I raised my hand to get leverage on the rock, I was agonized to see that it was wrinkled and aged.

 Somehow, I don't know when; she had woven an illusion around me. It might have been when we made love, or maybe it was when we had very first met. Using the power of this glamour she had sapped my energies or soul if you will, aging me decades in months.

 My head was spinning as I propped myself against the rock and realized I was too weak to make it back to civilization. In fact I was quickly fading as it was.

 With the world growing dark and my body failing; my last dying thoughts were that my Sea Lady wasn't a lady at all, but a Sea Witch and she has been the death of me.

  FireHeart looked around with excitement, after all this was his first Moot after surviving the Rite of Passage. An unusual rite that was, it is common for a were to die every once in a while during the Rite of Passage, but FireHeart was the only survivor out of four.

  As he watched his pack mates he noticed Greymane, the tribe's leader stirring uneasily, his hackles raised. This made him feel a little better, for being here, somewhere deeper in the forest than any other of his pack had ever been, apparently made all of them feel a little nervous. The air here was alive with a charge of some kind of energy. Making his fur tingle. It was almost as if there was a Caern here. But that was impossible, for they knew every Caern in the forest.

  FireHeart looked for the Dark One, as everyone called him, that appeared one night, warning the whole tribe about an attack by creatures of the Wyrm. There was no way the tribe could have survived that fight. FireHeart wondered how Greymane felt after being literally snatched from the jaws of the Wyrm by the Dark One. After that night, the mysterious wolf  was allowed to stay with the Red Talons.

  ''Another unusual thing." FireHeart muttered faintly, causing several of his packmates to turn and give him warning growls. For younglings were not supposed to interrupt anything. Even waiting, no matter how odd the idea that a Ronin would be allowed to stay with the pack with no further explanations.

  Whenever asked, the Dark One would reply, "The next full light of Luna I shall show you where I came from." This is all he would say on the subject, no matter who asked him.

  And much to FireHeart's surprise this was enough. It was not fear, he could not smell fear on any of his pack mates. The Dark One certainly was not of the Wyrm, that was obvious the night he appeared. Nor was it a glamour, by this time if it was that, someone would have broken free and wrecked a blood vengeance on the midnight black wolf.

  If anything, it was the same thing FireHeart felt, a somehow overpowering sense of awe. As if this black wolf was somehow much more than what he seemed. And the only scents that the pack could pick up was an ever changing smell of the Wyld. Not something that a Red Talon would mind, but not normal either.

  Suddenly in the middle of FireHeart's musings, the Dark One just appeared on the rock in the center of the clearing, causing the tribe to jump and several of the Ahroun to almost go into a rage.

"The power here is almost more than we can handle," FireHeart thought worriedly, "even I want to change and I hate the two legged form."

  The Dark One ignored the ripple of unease that ran through the Sept. Instead he turned to face the east, where Luna was just beginning to appear in full splendor.

  As the shadows raced across the clearing, the Dark One let out a long howl of greeting to Luna and then turned to face the wolves surrounding him.

 "Welcome my children." said he, as another ripple crossed the pack, this time for a much different reason. "Listen as I tell you of a story from before the Wyrm turned evil, and the Weaver went mad.

  Long ago when the triat was whole, the Weaver would weave the pattern, the Wyld infused the spirit, and the Wyrm maintained the balance of life, death, and time.

  In the beginning there was much creation on the parts of the Weaver, whose patterns shaped all things, and the Wyrm who controled life and death. Soon the Celestials like Gaia and Luna were brought into being. And even they, the creations of others, made their own servants to carry out their will.

  The Wyld looked on his brethren's work and at first found much joy at the sight. For Gaia had created the beasts and plants to roam her being, The Weaver had created patterns that made one want to weep, and the Wyrm maintained the balance to keep it all in harmony."

  FireHeart had a sudden shock as the words brought back a memory from his Rite of Passage. All of a sudden he could once again see the bodies of his playmates scattered dead, on the forest floor as the creatures that killed them stalked up. Then suddenly there was some ever changing spirit in front of him. Going from creature to creature with no rhyme or reason to the shape.

  Once again the black lupus' words startled him from his thoughts.

  "But as time past the Wyld grew envious of his sibling's creations. Since the Wyld's spirit was in all things created, the other two felt that the Wyld should be content and not want to have so much. He would say to himself, 'Why should the Weaver be able to create the patterns of life, when I, who gives those patterns the essential spirit, can not make my own patterns?

  Why should the Wyrm control life and death when I, who gives the spirit, may not?

  Why may Gaia, only a Celestial, make her servants and the creatures of the wilderness, when he could not?

  So the Wyld set upon a plan, he would waited until the Wyrm in an act of balance smashed some of the Weaver's web. The Wyld was found throughout the pattern at that time, so the Wyrm would think  nothing of the Wyld being right there. Then the Wyld could take some of the web and shape his own creations."

  As the energies flowed through the night a wave of transformation hit the pack. Almost without knowing it, the wolves rippled through the change that left them either much larger wolves or half wolf and half human. Meanwhile the Dark one continued.

  "The Wyld did so and the next time the Wyrm smashed the pattern, the Wyld was there to take any pieces he could find. What was found one one large piece and five small pieces, which he took with him into the deepest of forests.

  Out of the large piece he made the Wyldling we call the Vortex. Since that piece was weak, the Vortex's violent energies tore pieces off itself creating the Lesser Wyldlings. These he made his personal servants and messengers.

  Each of the smaller pieces the Wyld made into Wylders, to insure the Wyld's presence in the pattern. To the Wylders, the Wyld gave the gift of form. These creatures could take shape of anything that belonged to the Wyld and since all living things had the Wyld's spirit, there were many forms to take."

  Again the vision of the ever changing creature that helped him kill those shadowy demons that killed his play mates, stabbed against FireHeart's brain.

  "Now the creations were eventually found out by the Weaver and the Wyrm. The Wyrm just planned to wait until there was a time to balance the pattern. But the Weaver was angered to unreasoning. For the Weaver felt the Wyrm destroying her lovely web was bad enough, but to have the Wyld to steal that selfsame web was too much.

  The Weaver then tried to spin a web over everything, incorporating it into the pattern. She could not weave the ever changing Wyld in completely, but did catch the Wyrm in the web. This caused the Wyrm to go mad and to try to destroy everything. For if it could destroy the pattern then it would be free.

  As the places between worlds got harder to get to, the Wyld pulled all but his spirit siblings the Wylders into the Deep Umbral. The Wylders stayed to protect the Wyld in the physical realm."

  The speaker seemed to be swallowed in shadows as his emerald eyes bored into FireHeart's.

  "This place is where the Wyld created his children and one of the most powerful of his Caerns has grown here.

  The Wyrm grows more powerful each day, and we need to go to fight it elsewhere. So I entrust this Caern to you, especially the youngling here. We will be back, as well as around, at times. So I need not remind you  that this is a very powerful place. The Weaver nor Wyrm must never find it, or the Wyld and Gaia shall loose much."

  And with that the long, lean, black furred wolf transformed almost instantly into an owl and flew off, leaving everyone staring in the direction of Luna. Except FireHeart who still stared at the rock, jaws wide open.

   Sorsha sighed wearily as she slumped against the cliff face and looked to see if anyone else survived the dragon's suprise attack. As she looked around, her despair grew. The elf twins were obviously dead; Trila's head laid several feet from her body and Tiri was so much elven jelly between the dead dragons claws. They hadn't even had a chance, the dragon hit them first and before anyone could blink they were both dead.

 Suddenly Sorsha heard a groan and she stumbled over to Magnos. It had been Magnos' spear strike to the dragon's eye that allowed Sorsha to get the killing blow in, but as soon as he had made his thrust, the dragon had hit him with its tail and smashed him against the rocks.

 Sorsha feared the worst as she searched him for wounds. A strike like that killed most people and she feared she was going to see a good friend die in her arms yet again.

 She almost wept with joy when she found that besides a few nasty cuts and bruises, his main problem was a broken left arm.
 Magnos groaned again and opened his eyes as she was finding out how bad the break was.

 He looked at Sorsha and whispered, "Damn girl, what did I do to you that deserved your trying to beat my brains out?"

 Magnos then tried to rub his head with his wounded arm and went very pale as the pain shot through him, then slumped back.

 Sorsha could tell that the huge fighter was only hanging on to conciousness by his fingertips. She leaned him gently back and prayed to the Goddess that his head wound was just the simple bump it appeared to be.

 "Keep with me Magnos," Sorsha said, "you need to stay awake."

Magnos cracked an eye open and groaned, "How bad is the damage Sorsha?"

 Now this above anything had Sorsha worrying for usually Magnos was a flirt of the worst type and never stopped with the complimants and little petnames. For him to call her by name was a bad sign.

 Sorsha tried to banter,"Nothing for you to worry about o furry one; it is broken I am sure even you have noticed, but hasn't penatrated that thick skin of yours."

 Magnos didnt reply in form, instead he just whispered, "What about Trila, can she heal me?"

 Sorsha just shook her head and answered in a whisper, "Trila won't be healing anybody from now on."

 Magnos just shut his eyes to this and Sorsha quickly poked him in the ribs.

 "I told you to stay with me, you hairy ox." she prodded, "Let me set your arm and lets get some shelter found."

 Magnos opened his eyes and winced but he stayed awake as she went and picked up the broken spear shaft. Sorsha broke a section into two pieces the size she needed and walked back to Magnos.

 "Talk to me Magnos." Sorsha quietly said as she set up lengths of rope to bind the wound. "Let me know your still awake."

 Magnos actually managed to give Sorsha a weak grin and replied, "What? Here I am wounded and you want me to entertain you too? How about telling me one of your famous stories? Better yet, why dont you tell me why you never gave me a tumble."

 Sorsha gave him a smile for the humour was the best sign yet Magnos would be alright once she got him to a healer. She cared for the big ape, he was one of the best mercinary fighters she had met in years of adventuring and the past few months with him had been the most profitable she had had. It was too bad about the elf twins though, they were a large part of the team's success. With them gone a large part of the spirit was also gone.

 Sorsha saw herself walking alone again soon. A disaster like this brought many changes. She was going to miss these past few adventures. Sorsha also knew that this would sadden Magnos greatly, for he had grown very fond of Sorsha over the past few months. And Sorsha would miss him too. He wasn't bad looking in a big, blonde, hairy kind of way. His half serious bantering to convince her to take a try in his sleepsack were often more funny than serious. So she decided to gift him with his request and finally tell him why she didn't share a bed with any man.

 Sorsha gave him a wicked grin as she crouched by him gently cutting the shirt sleeve away. Magnos looked back at her wondering what he had just gotten himself into.

 "Be careful what you wish for, my friend. For the fulfilment may not be to your liking." Sorsha started talking and had to immediately supressed a giggle as Magnos' eyes widened and he glanced out of habit for escape from a possible threat.

 "Try to imagine me nothing like how I am now, long ago when I was just a little thing, still living in the town where I come from. I was a tavern keeper's daughter, who's biggest dream was to marry a blacksmith or maybe a merchant."

 Magnos shuddered at the thought, for he had great respect for the woman in front of him. He opened his mouth to make some kind of comment, but Sorsha shushed him and continued what she was doing with his arm.

 "One day while I was helping my pa in the tavern, a young man about my age walked in. He was everything opposite of what I had seen before. For our town was mostly farmers and every once in awhile a exotic mercinary would blow through." Sorsha laughed a little ironically here, for she is now by far more exotic than those ever were.

 "He made me smile just by the way he walked in and got my attention. He was so tall and lean, dark with wild animal type of manners and a merry glint in his eye like all of life was a joke. It didn't suprise me at all, when he said his name was Wolf. There was something in him that spoke the quiet preditor of the dark. You know what I mean Magnos, he had a way of looking like everyone around him was a sheep and he was just choosing which one for dinner."

 Sorsha continued gently straightning Magnos broken arm so it was laying parallel to him as she spoke.

 "I felt drawn to him, he didnt look at me like I was a sheep. In fact, I could see in his eyes he had found another of a kind. Something deep in me opened up and suddenly a new world unfolded in front of me. I knew we had to meet together after this and made him promise to meet me when my shift was done.

 He was just as drawn to me and purchased a room from my father. We met after and you can wipe that grin off your face, Magnos. I am not going to tell you that kind of story."

 Sorsha laughed teasingly as she mocked punched at Magnos and then sighed for his face lost what little color it had gained.

 Sorsha continued, "We met that night, I won't even begin to discribe it to you, you old bear. Let us just leave it as everything you thought I couldn't be, I was and far more."

 Sorsha giggled as Magnos' eyes grew wide at the thought, broken arm or no.

 "He stayed for awhile, the days and nights bluring into endless laughter and pleasure. But it wasn't all fun and games; in me he found a match, yet untrained.

 I learned much from that preditor, he taught me his trade in thievery. As I learned he didn't look at others as prey for little reason. Most of the populous in any town, are sheep. They will happily give up their freedom for whatever little (usually false) sense of security they can get.

Wolf did not steal from those that had little; instead he took from those that were well off and returned to the honest workers that gain in the form of free spending.

 Many a time we would travel to the next town or city and prey on it's officials. Only to spend the coins gained on the people in my own town.

 When I asked him he said, 'You do not take from your packmate's mouth to fill yours; instead you work together and share the kill with the whole pack. That way you grow strong and they grow strong.'

 Sorsha smiled to herself at some warm memories as she placed the broken spear shaft on both sides of Magnos' broken arm.

 "But," She spoke on, "most importantly he taught me the sword. I should have seen it that first night when purly by accident I disarmed him by a cut across the knuckles.

 I think he did; I remember him gazing thoughtfully at me as he wrapped his hand in a cloth and then showed me what skill can do."

 Sorsha chuckled ruefully, "He showed me in more ways than I care to count. He kept me stumblin backwards till I fell into a haystack, stripped my sword from me with the flick of a wrist and pinned me with my first adult kiss. I willingly lost more than my sword that night.

 He had won me, my heart and my soul. Goddess bless him for knowing it too and handling me the way he did.

 I learned fast and before I knew it I could match him by the sword anytime. Oh I would never be the thief he was, not in a thousand years and a wish. But I had more than passed him with a sword.

 I hadn't realized it at the time but our paths were seperating. Wolf knew it though, from day one he had his nose to the trail he was following. What I did was sense it slowly."

 Magnos growled quietly as Sorsha moved his arm just a bit. "Hey, lets remember the present love. You know, like dead dragons, broken arms, and me?
Unimportant it is true, but umm kind of here."

 Sorsha's eyes glinted as some of the old Magnos was returning, the biggest sign yet he was going to be alright. Though she would rather die than show the joy in her heart.

 "Shush orcbait," Sorsha chided, "you want me to finish or not?"

 Sorsha almost laughed as Magnos subsided childlike, eager to hear the rest, forgetting for the moment his arm.

 "I started talking bout my plans for us, grand adventure, heros in many realms. Sadly I forgot he was more interested in fun than fame. My sweet wolf preferred kicking back in a tavern to fighting impossible odds for glory. But my soul had heard it's calling as well.

 One day when the sun was bright, he turned to me and said it was time for us to part. My heart froze in that moment and I could not get warm, no matter how hot the day was.

 I clung to him and cried as he showed me my path as my soul long for. Then with a quiet regret, which I shall remember to the day I die, he told me of his own path.

 I saw in my heart it was true, but being young I still fought against what needed to be. I swore to give up my dreams, just so I could be at his side."

 Magnos attention was fixed on Sorsha's dark eyes, which were misting up in a way he never had seen in her before.

 "With a sad smile I see every night before I sleep, he looked deep into my eyes. I could see his own pain now shining through as he whispered in my ear with a kiss and then slipped away into the shadows. In broad daylight he vanished into a shadow.

 What he said to me was, 'A clean break is much less painful than a partial wound, never healed properly.'"

 With that Sorsha suddenly yanked on Magnos' arm setting the break into place. She laughed as he howled and kicked, but held him in place while tying the spear pieces tight.

 "I have sinced learned the value of that lesson." Sorsha talked to calm Magnos down again. "It is better to let go swiftly, setting the break, than to hang on, letting the pain linger on and never heal properly."

 With that Sorsha tied the broken left arm to Magnos' chest in a sling and helped him up.

 Magnos glared and grumbled, "Couldn't you have found a better way to make your point?"

 Sorsha smiled wickedly and said with a shrug, "The timing couldn't have been resisted. Now let's get you back to that last village."

 Magnos snorted as he snagged Trila's staff and leaned on it, staring greedily at the dragon.

 "The last village is a day back and if we go and come back someone will have stripped this beasts lair. We are off to do onto others before the do onto us, my dear."

 Sorsha groaned knowing that he was not going to be talked out of it, but having to try anyways.

 "The lair??? Did that dragon crack your thick skull more than I thought?"

 Magnos grinned, "No, but have to have some coins to spend on our bed tonight love. Only the finest sheets to share with you."

 Sorsha mock punched him in the left arm and muttered something about men; as she helped him down a slope....

 As I sat looking into those lovely blue, grey eyes of hers, I wondered how I ever could have been so lucky as to have attracted this lady's attention. I caught my reflection in the water glass of the restaurant I had taken her to. Just a medium looking fellow I am, with dark brown hair and eyes. I am tall, but the thinness subtracts from that, barely held off by my broad shoulders.

 "Ah well," I sighed silently, "guess its the imagination and the personality which counts here."

 I grinned and winked at her, enjoying the way her eyes lit and the slow way her smile spread.

 She took my hand and asked, "And what may I ask brought that grin on?"

 "Hmmn?" I replied, "I was just wondering when you were going to tell me your name."

 She laughed and said, "Now I already have told you my name, Lady Wolf, what more can I tell you which would mean anything?"

 She finished this off with a grin of her own, that sent images of a wolf stalking its prey into my mind.

 Now this image didn't upset me like most of you would believe. I met Lady Wolf one fateful evening. I had just returned home from the gaming shop with my latest prize. The newest book in the gaming system I like to play.

 Eager to try the new rules out, I quickly revamped my character out, (a fine figure of a noble elf, if I do say so myself). I then signed on to the net, to join my on-line role playing group.

 Now for those of you who still live in the dark ages, role playing is when folks take on the personification of a character. This character can be just about anything, from a dragon to a star pilot, from a wild west gunslinger to a super spy, and just about anything else you can think of. For those of you who still live in the 50's, the net has become a huge medium for fantasy play. There are whole systems dedicated to role playing world wide. But I digress, on with the story.

 I connected to Powers Of the Realm, my favorite place to play on the net and settled in after saying hello to all my friends there. Yes, we do make friends on-line. Which is one of the things I like about it. In the several years I have been on-line, I have made many good friends all around the world.

 I was minding my own business when a lady character wandered by. Now I had seen Lady Wolf around before, but we never talked. I, being the friendly cuss I am, said hello and things led from there.

 We ended up talking for hours, (or is that typing)? We then decided to play together. I found not only did we seem to very much enjoy each others' company, but we also made a good team. Between my character's abilities as an elf and her's as a fighter mage, I had started to believe there was nothing we couldn't take on.

 The best news was, for once I had met someone that was close enough to me to actually meet. For that has been a bane in my life, it's extremely hard when you care deeply for someone that's thousands of miles away. Take my word for it; for I have done it many times.

 We played the night away and thoroughly enjoyed each others' company. I loved her wild style and imaginative mind; she even had a long story developed about how her character was cursed with being a werewolf. I found she liked my gentle romantic style.

 After which we met a few times on-line, each time more fun than the last. I admit it; I was falling head over heels with the lady. This went on over a few weeks and one night, while we were talking, she asked me if I wanted to go out. Needless to say, the thought delighted me and I said yes.

 Oh Goddess, how do I describe that night beyond extasy? She met me at my place and we almost never left there. It was like we were made for each other, wild but sensual, shy yet imaginative and almost as if we were one mind in two bodies, we were so close.

 Her eyes, her laughing eyes, were so beautiful. Her sweet lips felt so warm to the touch. Her strong arms clasping me to her breast. The scent of her which lingered long after she left to remind me, was more than I could bare.

 It was those eyes I feel, so mysterious. They almost reminded me of a wolf, but they were not the golden yellow of wolves' eyes. But the blue, grey eyes of... of... I didn't know what. I just knew I had to see those eyes shine for me again.

 So with my heart full of song, I signed on the next day, hoping to spend it with her. She was there. Before I could say anything, she laid her finger on my lips and whispered, "I long ago learned that if you love something, let it go. If it returns to you, you have not lost anything and if it doesn't return, what you lost was never yours."

 She continued, "Please don't think I don't care for you, for I do. More than you may ever know, but there are times when one must walk alone."

 With that she signed off and I didn't hear from her for weeks. During this time I thought about what she said and decided for myself that if I ever saw her again, I would prove to her that she never would lose my love. For I could not get her wondrous eyes, her sweet taste, the mind wrenching scent, or the feel of her slim body next to mine, out of my mind.

 And one faithful day I saw her again. It was while I was idly seeing who was around. I happened to run across her, in an out of the way area, on the net, called Wolves Haven.

 Needless to say, I joined and proceeded to convince her; not only had I returned to her, but was not going to leave. I pointed out that we shared the same taste in everything from music to food, (she even liked her meat very rare like I do).

 After many days of poetry, doing anything I could think of to make her smile, and just odd gifts where I could, I got her to agree to another date. This time we picked the night of a full moon. I insisted, knowing how special those nights are for her. Which, as tales have a way of doing, brings me back to where I started; wondering how such a beautiful lady could be mine.

 Tracing her cheek and reveling in the way her hair brushed my hand; I whispered, "Why don't we head back to my place, since you seem to be done."

 My heart nearly stopped when she smiled and said, "Reading my mind again? That could be dangerous."

 I laughingly answered, "That kind of danger I think I can happily handle."

 Her eyes went serious and I swear there was sadness in them as she replied, "I truly hope so."

 Then the light came back in her eyes as she said, "I think I would like to put you to the test. Lets go."

 I was overjoyed and put my arm around her waist as we walked back the few blocks to my place. I was surrounded by her scent and the moon in her hair made an almost magical glow as we wandered the streets.

 We reached my house in short order and before I knew it we were locked in an embrace which drove all thoughts but her out of my mind. I felt like I had left the earth and was drifting through space holding her. Each kiss was born from fire; each touch was like molten lava on the skin.

 Suddenly she pushed me gently back and whispered, "Before we can go on, my darling, you must know who I am. For this one thing is the core of my being and if you truly love me, you must know."

 I stupidly was thinking that she meant to tell me her real name and was going to tell her that it didn't matter, nothing mattered except her. But she sensed this and placed a finger tip over my lips, just as she had done on-line so long ago.

 "Shhh dearest," she softly said, "this must be done, I must know whether I will walk alone still after tonight."

 With that she somehow started to change. I could see her hair shorten on her head, while the soft fine hair on her body, which I loved to stroke so much, grew. I could feel her delicate fingers on my lips roughen to a pad like texture, while her nails turned to claws so sharp that one flex would have driven then deep into my flesh.

 I started back reflexively. I could feel my mind numb as I watched her lovely face lengthen into the snout and jaws of a wolf. There is no telling of the superstitious terror that seeing ears, teeth, and tail appear on the lady I love, caused me.

 All through this she made not a sound, her beautiful blue, grey predator eyes never leaving me, while the moon covered her fur in liquid silver fire. I know she could see the fear in my eyes, smell the sweat which blind terror brings, and taste the dread in my soul.

 She howled deep and loud as a wolf might and I somehow felt a sadness and longing in that howl. It was as if her heart were breaking or her soul was dying. I knew this like your lungs know to breathe. From deep within it came.

 She snarled and advanced on me. I shaken and rooted to the spot in mortal terror, could barely make out the words she growled.

 "Ah, again I must choose to walk alone. For your fear has proven that you truly were not mine. And once again I have lost nothing, but if that's so, why do I feel so empty?"

 Another gliding step she took towards me and I in my fright tried to jump back, only to slam into the wall inches behind me.

 Again she howled, somehow this time even more tragic than the last.

 "I had hoped that with your imagination and your love," she snarled, "I had found someone to walk beside me, but no, it is not meant to be."

 Suddenly with one of those flashes of insight we experience at times like these, I knew what those eyes reminded me of. Not a wolf, no, but a husky's eyes. I wondered about her lineage, but this wasn't the time to ask. In fact, the only thing this looked to be, was the time to die.

 "I must kill you," she continued, "for with knowing what I am and your fear of me, you would do me harm."

 I couldn't even deny this charge so overpowered by senseless horror was I. And it was probably true for we humans always harm what we fear.

 A tear glistened in those blue, grey eyes, which held mine fast in the eternal stare of the hunter and the prey, as she advanced close enough to touch me had she tried.

 In a growl so soft it was almost a whisper she said, "How I hoped it would be otherwise dearest. How I prayed these endless nights of loneliness would end. I wish it could have been different, with you I felt like we could have roamed under the moon forever, but alas, this wolf is destined to walk alone."

 Somehow it was here I found the courage to do what I did. And no, it was not to preserve my miserable little life, or to beg for mercy which drove me on. I sank to my knees and bared my neck to her, willing her with my actions to see what my human instincts had hidden.

 What caused me to do what some would consider a foolish act was not self preservation. Nor was it an action to show that I had accepted my fate. In fact, it was just the opposite. I was fighting what seemed to be my fate to die. What drove me to this was not fear, nay it was the image of the woman I loved, living out her days in loneliness and sorrow. So strong was this image that it drove all fear from my soul and caused me, (no matter how fumbling), to show her in her own way, that I accepted her as she was and loved her still.

 That moment in time was caught up in a stillness, it seemed that the very air held its breath, waiting to see what came next.

 What did come next, was a howl so loud and joyful, that it sent my senses swimming. My sight was covered in darkness as I felt her hands (?) on my shoulder and her sweet breath on my neck.

 That was last night; for I woke to find myself on my bed, the scent of her lingering through the air like a promise. And I found a wound like the bite of a wolf in my shoulder.

 I now sit here putting a bandage on my lady's mark, wondering about her. Like who let whom free? Did she let me free only for me to find my way back to her and a wondrous new life? Or did I set her free from sorrow and loneliness?

 I don't know...

 The only thing which I do know is someday I shall lovingly hold my Lady Wolf again.