Prequel: The Bond part 1

The Bond part one

A tremor jolted the wolf awake, she was shaking. Something called to her, nagged at the back of her mind. She rose, left the den. It called again. She shook herself, silver fur shining in the moonlight. She ran through the night towards the noiseless call.



H’kira woke in a cold sweat. These dreams, they plagued her very soul. In her dreams she ran with the pack on four legs. Silver fur…amber eyes, singing, hunting…what was wrong with her? She heard Imoen call out after her as she ran down the hall.


Narhari the alpha and Hunter were mind-speaking.

*Packmate elf comes* Narhari sent.

*Alpha silver travels from her den* Hunter replied.

*Is something wrong Hunter? *

*Strange two-legs are in our woods, it bothers me*

*They will never drive us from our home, packbrother, if I must I will die fighting for it*

*Strange things are afoot*

*We shall confront this as a pack*

The cubs began to yelp in excitement as H’kira trotted into view.

*Greetings elf-sister* Narhari greeted her.

*Greetings packbrother*

*We need to speak with you as a pack, in the clearing*

*I come* she followed the alpha to the appointed place.

Close, so close, nearly there. The Silver one was close. The strange two-legs were roaming the woods. She would investigate the matter later. She pushed her body to its limits, almost there.




*The half-elf is no packmember, she is a menace* Scar was back at council, and his hatred for men had come with him, *She has brought the two-legs to our wood! *

Narhari snarled *You know not why they are here, scarred one, and you know H’kira has nothing to do with it, your hatred taints your mind. *

*She is no packmember Narhari, *

*She is packmember in all but body* Hunter spat.

*I have brought no two-legs to the wood, Scar, I would never endanger the pack, * H’kira put in.

*SILENCE MAN-CHILD, YOU HAVE NO VOICE HERE* the irate wolf shouted.

*Then how is it I speak as your kind do brother? How is it that when no other man-kin hear you, not even the druids, I do. No other ‘man-cub’ can hear you as I do and you all know it* H’kira clarified.

*So you can hear us elf-child* The silver wolf strode into the circle.

The other wolves lowered their heads in reverence. H’kira looked up into it’s beautiful amber eyes.

*My dream* the half-elf sent.

*My call* came the silver’s reply.

The Silver set her head on H’kira’s shoulder. *This elf is under my protection; if any harm her they will answer to me. *

H’kira roamed the wood with the Silver wolf for nearly a week before she deemed it time to return to Candlekeep.

*Where go you, packmate? * Asked the Silver as H’kira began her return.

*Back to the place of men, my wolf, my kind are probably worried. *

*I will travel with you, my call*

*So be it, my wolf*




H’kira walked into the dining hall, wolf in tow.

*What is that smell, call?*

*Stew*

*I like it*

“H’kira you’re back,” Imoen yelled and tackled her.

*Packmate…Protect!* the wolf lunged.

*No!*

The wolf managed to skid to a stop mere inches from Imoen’s face. The girl’s eyes widened and she screamed.

“What’s wrong Imoen?” Gorion yelled, running acrossed the room.

“She meant no harm Imoen, she was protecting me,” H’kira explained.

*Why did she jump on you, call?*

*It’s called a hug, wolf, people do it when they’re happy to see each other.*

*Two-legs* the wolf muttered.

“H’kira…H’kira? What are you doing?” asked Imoen.

“Speaking to the wolf, Imoen.”

The girl’s mouth formed a wide O.

*Come, wolf, and let’s get something to eat.*

*Coming*

H’kira ladled stew into two bowls and sat at the table.

*Is it customary for your people to sit on those contraptions?*

*When we eat* H’kira replied.

*Then I will follow custom*

The wolf leapt up unto the chair beside her and sat down. H’kira placed a bowl of stew in front of her friend and began to eat. The wolf sniffed hers tentatively and dug in.

*This is good, call*

*Glad you like it*

*One question though*

*What?*

*Why do you burn your meat?*

*If we don’t it can make us ill*

*Your people have weak stomachs call*

*I suppose*

*Call?*

*What?*

*May I have some more burnt food?*

*Certainly*

H’kira rose and went to get another bowl of stew, only then did she realize that she was getting some strange looks. Oh, well, she thought, they deal with me all the time they should be used to it by now. When she returned to the table she found Imoen sitting there, staring intently at the wolf, who was studying Imoen’s hair.

*Was she born with hair that color?* asked the wolf, sending H’kira a rather amusing picture of a pink wolf cub.

*No she dyed it*

*It’s unnatural looking*

*She wanted to stand out*

*Two-legs…*

*Oh, you know you love us*

*I love you, call, but you don’t have pink hair*

*You’re a dear, my wolf*

Three bowls of stew for the wolf later….

*I could get used to this burnt food, call*

*Really…I wouldn’t have guessed*

*Are you getting smart with me?!*

*Never*

The wolf glared at her for a few seconds and then let out a laugh.

*Wolf?*

*What*

*I’m going to bed*

*Then I will follow*



Gorion walked to his foster-daughter’s room, the door was open, he gazed in. The half-elf was using the great silver wolf as a pillow. The beast’s eyes snapped open and she stared at him. This wolf was strange…strange indeed. He hope H’kira would be safe with such a creature. He would write Jaheira on the matter.


A week later….

H’kira sat in the Library, learning the many uses of magic. She stroked the wolf’s silver fur absentmindely. Narhari’s sharp bark rang out in the courtyard.

*Packsister, the strange ones attack, we need you!*

*I come*

Her classmates gasped as she ran from the room. The half-elf, the Silver one, and Narhari ran, to the pack.



The strange ones were attacking. Every time the pack slew one it came back again, healed. Hunter was bleeding, his ear had been torn off, his paw was broken, but he was the Hunter and tonight he would hunt for his life.


H’kira dashed into the clearing, trolls, the strange ones were trolls. She drew her scimitar and the gift that could save them…a fire enchanted dagger. Narhari and the silver leapt into the fray. H’kira whirled into action…plunging her dagger into any trolls near death and cutting to pieces the ones still alive. There were too many. The wolves, bravely as they fought, were dying one by one. Narhari’s strength was failing, the Silver’s leg was broken and H’kira’s left arm was nearly useless.

Still they fought on…drove the beasts back. The trolls retreated, but they had taken their toll. Hunter’s corpse had been rent to pieces, Scar was dismembered, cubs, alphas, commons, lay broken and strewn throughout the forest. And Narhari…the great black alpha, lay dying in H’kira’s arms.

*You…You have done us proud, packsister, you* he whimpered in pain, *You are a true wolf this day, the packs will never…will never forget*

With his last breath the majestic wolf howled a proclamation, *H’kira the Wolf*
His great yellow eyes glazed over, H’kira’s packbrother lay dead.

H’kira gazed about the clearing, every last wolf save the Silver, was dead, ripped to pieces by beasts against which they had no defense. The Silver alone stood, in agony, cuts splayed across her hide. The great wolf barked a warning…too late.

A great green arm knocked H’kira flat on her back and the largest troll of the lot leant over her, “I Torgal, tiny one, I am your doom.”

He hit her hard in the head, fracturing her skull and leaving a deep gash across the side of her face. Hissing with pain, H’kira drove the dagger deep into the troll’s side, it ran, stumbling in pain, back into the wood. The blow had struck true though, H’kira was dying. The Silver limped over.

*Call…call listen to me, there is not much time, we can perform the bond, it can save you*

H’kira nodded, pain flared through her skull.

The wolf began, *My heart is yours*
H’kira echoed, *My heart is yours*

*My soul is yours*

*My soul is yours*

*My mind is yours*

*My mind is yours*

*My strength is yours*

*My strength is yours*

*You are my call*

*You are my wolf*

*We are one*

*We are one*

The wolf touched her head to H’kira’s…they melted together. One form, two minds. The wolf’s strength saved H’kira from the brink of death…together they were strong. Even as she fainted H’kira’s beautiful blue eyes were fading to molten amber. They were one, the wolf dwelt within.



Gorion rode out to meet Jaheira and Khalid, the druid and her husband had agreed to meet with his daughter and find out just what the hell was going on. A young boy galloped up to the group on a grey gelding.

“Sir..Sir..H’kira’s gone…she ran off to the forest again.”

Gorion nodded and they headed for the wood. As they rode he explained his daughter’s odd tendency to run into the forest and remain with wolves for weeks at a time. The tethered their horses at the edge of the forest and continued on foot. Twenty minutes later he found the dagger…covered in ichor and blood.

He gasped, “I gave this to her…she must be in trouble!” The mage began to run.



Jaheira swore when they found the corpse of a large wolf, rent to pieces, whatever could do that to a wolf could do far worse to a man. Then they found the clearing, wolf corpses lay scattered about, the dead eyes of cubs stared vacantly into nothingness. Blood soaked the ground. The druid uttered a prayer to Silvanus as she walked. A scimitar covered in blood. They walked on.


Jaheira found the girl, one arm twisted unnaturally, the other cushioning the head of a dead black-furred alpha wolf. The girl had a deep head wound, various other injuries, and was barely breathing. She immediately began healing.




Gorion knelt over the still form of his foster-daughter, even after the healing she had not woken and Jaheira could do nothing more for her. The druid had not dared carry the injured half-elf far and so they had camped in a wolf den. Gorion rose and went to gather firewood.



H’kira coughed violently and slowly sat up, she felt awful, but she was alive. A half-elven woman sat next to her, the woman spoke, “I am Jaheira, are you all right child?”
H’kira shielded her eyes, damn it was bright in here…In Narhari’s den.




Jaheira watched the girl look at the surroundings in sorrow. There was something strange about this. The firelight caught the girl’s eyes, they reflected the light like an animals. Amber eyes…and unusual color. The girl stiffened and rose…resisting attempts to keep her in bed, she uttered in the common wolf tongue , “You do not belong here druid, I bid you leave.”



H’kira and the wolf seethed, they should not be here, anywhere but Narhari’s cave. She strode out into the moonlight, mostly healed and spoke to the druid again.

“You should not be here, this is not your place, I bid you again druid, leave.”

The druid nodded and moved camp, out of the cave and into the woods. H’kira began her task…collecting and burying the wolves. Tears ran freely down the half-elf’s face. She carried them to Narhari’s cave, setting them gently on the stones. It seemed to take hours. She carried Narhari back last and placed him at the front, etching the sign of bravery in elven on the floor. Then she began to stack stone in the entrance, this cave would be sealed forever. When the rock wall covered the entire entrance, she allowed Jaheira to aid her by sealing the stone together into one smooth arch.

She drew her enchanted dagger and carved an epitaph on the smooth gray surface.

-----------------------------------------------------


Mourn my wolves,
My steadfast pack,
Tonight the Hunter,
Has hunted his last,
Hunted for life,
To no avail.

My pack lies,
In the alpha’s den.
No more will I hear,
Their songs in the night,
Or hunt beside them,
Or aid their fight.

The Hunter hunts,
In the everlasting wood.
The alpha has fallen,
My pack sleeps,
The neverending dream.

The brave, the cowardly,
The weak, the strong,
The old, the young,
They all have fallen.

The strange ones
Have dealt them
The final blow,
My pack, my wolves,
I will never forget.


------------------------------------------------------


Finally she was finished. She repeated those last words over…a vow to herself,
“I will never forget.”

*Nor will I, my bond, someday we will avenge them, someday, I promise*

*Thank you my wolf*

H’kira shifted wolf and curled up in front of her packmates’ tomb. A lost soul…with a broken heart.