Things have been getting rough here in the kingdom and specifically here near the frontier. A famine is soon to set in, the harvest was not very good and it will only be so long until food runs low. We try our best but there is no support from the kingdom and the mayor of the town does nothing for the villagers. Not that those living in the town are doing better, not everyone that goes in leaves alive. Bandits are rife here even with the adventurers, well not all the bandits were always bandits... even me and my friends are now getting desperate. We are simple hunters but game is hard to get in the forest with all the monsters and wolves, we can fight one or two but packs....

It has gotten to the point that we finally decided to try to get something from the next party that passes through the path through the forest to Trosafen. Unfortunately so far it is only equally poor people so nothing we can truly glean but that is until we see someone heading along the path on horseback. Judging from what we can see he is rather well off from the cut of the clothes and the bags he has on his horse. Stepping out I start engaging him in talk in order to see if we can get anything from him, my fellows head along the trees and brush to ensure he cannot escape. Hopefully he can spare something as I do not want to have to hurt someone but I cannot abide starving so easily. Looking closer as he gets off his horse to speak to me I see the emblem of a doctor and a slightly wrinkled face of an older man. He appears older than me, perhaps as old as my uncle but still I have to try so I start trying to amicable get him to voluntarily donate something.

Thankfully he does hand things over with a kind smile and I feel ashamed at taking advantage of this kind hearted man, he has likely taken care of many on his travels and so does not hesitate to hand out food to the needy. After handing a few small bags over he starts asking about things and feeling happy at nod needing to do anything violent start replying without care. I only notice afterward that I spoiled my story but he only nods sadly and advises me knowingly about some game he spotted past him. I can only hang my head in sadness at being seen through so easily, wishing the kindhearted doctor well I decide to do as he says and gather with my comrades for a hunt. Perhaps if we meet again I can treat him to some good game as a thank you for his kindness to a stranger in the past.

Backtracking the doctor’s path I see indeed the sign that several animals have been here recently at some speed. Something startled the game here, seeing fast moving wolf tracks but only one so far it appears a lone wolf was pursuing game. If it is only one then we are safe as there have not been much chorus at night so the chance of a solitary male is likely. With three of us we can deal with one wolf and start working together to see if we can find any of the animals whose tracks are left.

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RUN RUN FEAR FEAR

A primal mind that knows only of eat, sleep, the wild hunt, preparing for the time of cold, and having offspring feels a fear so strong that it wipes it’s mind out in white noise. It was startled by something that it cannot fathom, a black swirling void like a hungry moon. A thing of 4 legs, a prey was there with it but it knew not to halt as both run together as only a forest fire in the past caused. There is only fleeing the thing but as it proceeds past it on a course that does not follow it’s own it slows and rests. Tongue lolling it watches the other, the prey as both stare the other down and hearts pound their quickened beat. On any other day this would result in a fight for life as one attempts to bring down the to devour it for life but now the existence of the other prompts both to head their own path instead. As it passes on an unfamiliar part of the wild domain it stops as it hears something break.

The wind flows behind it forward so it cannot scent whatever comes, tensing it starts circling to find what caused another disturbance but one that does not inspire fear but caution. A strange noise like that of air flowing against a broken branch occurs and as ears perk to listen pain lances through the side of the beast. The bite of something into its flank prompts canine eyes and nose to find whatever attacked it, the alpha without a pack. However more bites arrive on its flanks and as it sways in pain a final bite into its shoulder causes it to fall, snaps are heard as if sticks are broken and the fangs in its sides twist. Growling in pain and loss of life blood it knows it’s end is coming unless it flees, attempting to rise the whistle of air and something passes it’s head.

Attempting to run in the direction which it scents nothing is more things pass it to hit tree or dirt but it cannot sustain its current pace, the previous run along with blood loss sapps its strength as burning muscles are finally unable to bear it’s weight. Eventually it collapses and as it looks back it sees two legged things, other hunters of the wooded domain advance. They come to slash and bite, to consume this one to live themselves as he can finally scent as the wind turns the hunger they contain in themselves similar to it’s own. Where the beast would normally feel defiant fear toward these that seek to end it but with the previous encounter it only fears contempt that these attempt to inspire such feelings in it but fail.

Giving one last burst of defiance that only one who has faced true death and lived has it pounces using the last of it’s life force on one of the creatures. Claws rake across the chest of the two leg and flesh is rend asunder as it falls onto it’s back and fangs bite into the shoulder, as the two leg attempts to buck it off but only succeeds in bleeding further the sweet metallic liquid. Feeling proud that it could die tearing into something that can be torn into and taste blood and flesh and not frozen in fear from that thing it passes away as the pained cries of it’s hunter seem to fade away. It does not know having passed but the other two intrepid hunters managed to pry it’s fangs out of their comrades shoulder and started to treat the wounds.

They will gain much from the corpse of the lone alpha but first it is the wound they must deal with, perhaps the doctor from before could help but it has already been hours and they have a wound right now and not distant hope to contend with. As they start to clean and bind the wound before preparing the bring the beast to be butchered and rewarded with turning it parts in, they feel a little bit of hope for the future from this prize. Perhaps they can bring down another or two creatures and all three will be set for weeks with the bounty they harvested with their own hands. Working together to bring both the wounded fellow and dead beast they know not of other beasts who were driven there and now hunger. Perhaps they will survive or perhaps not, but for now their tale ends and we continue with our own as the butterfly moves on to find it’s dark flower in the field of death.