Natalia's blood-sword dripped with the black blood of an untold amount of Grim Wolves, but for all she killed it did nothing to slow the evil tide circling the Tallhenge. The wolves crowded onto the higher cap stone west of her and on the lower one to the east. For now the stone she stood upon was clear of wolves, but as she watched they bunched themselves up to make another jump from both sides. At first the attacks were all in a rush and they knocked each other off the stones trying to get to her. Now the attacks seemed to be getting more coordinated, as if someone were controlling them.

Natalia thought she knew who was taking command of the Grim Wolves. From the firelight shining through the gaps between the upright stones she could see a big She-bitch standing on one of the larger boulders in the meadow outside of the Tallhenge. The wolf was huge, as big as any Saddleback Tundra Natalia had ever seen. It was scarred and misshapen, the victor of many battles to the death, to remain supreme as a pack leader. The big wolf growled and howled as she barred her black fangs, stopping and directing others on their run around the circle of stones to do her bidding. Natalia watched, wishing she had more arrows.

The She-bitch was flanked by two male wolves even larger than her. They cowered and snapped at her as she screamed at them, but they did as she commanded. Through her howls and barks wolves were jumping up and filling the cap stones not occupied by one of the companions. Other wolves she sent to keep up the attack on the Tundras, the bear and the horses in the circle. Natalia looked both ways knowing the wolves would be jumping any second. She counted four big black snarling wolves that would be charging her at the same time. She dropped the face guard of her helm and hefted her shield that was getting so very heavy on her arm. She raised her blood-sword while saying a silent vow to kill as many as she could before they tore her down.

Just as the wolves made their move towards her a whoosh could be heard coming from above. Black shapes came diving down from out of the night sky grabbing at the backs of the jumping wolves with large, wickedly sharp talons. One came on each side of Natalia's stone, knocking the wolves off balance and into each other while they were in the air. The wolves screamed in pain and anger as claws raked their backs. Three of them missed their mark altogether and fell to the earth below. The fourth landed on its side and slid towards Natalia, desperately trying to regain its feet. She stepped out of the way and dispatched the wolf with a quick sword strike to the heart as it passed by and fell off the end of the cap stone.

"Red Wing Hawks!" Natalia thought after getting over the fright and surprise of the big birds. She watched as another flew over to assist Kal, scattering wolves off of the cap stone above him. She was amazed as she looked upon the great birds dipping in and out of the firelight. From being around them all her life she knew they were far from home, she also knew they were almost always in the company of Little Fliers.

Just as she started to look around two large shapes came rushing down from the sky over the meadow before her. She looked on as they dropped ceramic globes of Wizards-fire on the circling wolves below. The meadow grounds erupted with explosions as flames and flying pottery filled the air. Screams and yelps of pain could be heard coming from the field. Grim Wolves hated fire more than they hated water that went up over their heads. The only grooming the black wolves performed was to rub their coarse fur along the trunk of a tree. The trees filled their mangy coats with sap that mixed with the grease from the fat of their kills. Their coats went up like an oil soaked torch when fire touched them. Wolves ran in all different directions down in the meadow to get away from the flames. Many of the beasts were on fire, screaming, as they ran back down the hill or off into the forest. Two Little Fliers in their gossamar gliders were attacking out of the blackness of the night's sky.

The She-bitch screamed and snarled in anger and frustration at the dark shapes as they flew by. She gave a fierce growl to the big wolves around her, and they all looked up to the stone Natalia stood upon. The She-bitch, moving as fast as a snake, ran and jumped up on the cap stone below Natalia. Razor-sharp claws scratched on the smooth stone as the wolf balanced itself to make the jump across to her. One of the big males followed while several more jumped up on the cap stone above, all of the wolves were looking towards the sky as they made their move. Once they were on the stones they looked towards Natalia, and once again she raised her shield and sword waiting for the attack. These wolves were not going to wait for any birds. They were moving fast.

Just in time, the hawks returned raking the backs of the wolves as they jumped. These hawks were much larger than your normal hawk, or even an eagle for that matter. They were almost the size of a gray wolf with a huge wing span. However, they were not large enough to pick up the big black wolves. With their sharp-pointed talons they caused a lot of damage and pain as they knocked them off their balance. This time only two of the wolves missed their mark while two made it onto the cap stone where Natalia waited. The She-bitch approached from one side as a huge male stalked towards her on the other. She went into action the second the wolves landed.

She quickly put her sword in her shield hand and in a fluid motion rapidly pulled throwing stars and knives out of her belt one after the other hurling them at both wolves. The stars hit the big male in the chest and snout, and one of the knives embedded itself in the She-bitch's shoulder. Both wolves snarled and screamed at her while trying to paw out the embedded weapons. Natalia then prepared to charge the She-bitch with her sword raised.

Just before Natalia made her move a Little Flier came flying in, dangerously close, shooting darts from a crossbow slung under the wing of its glider. Several darts struck the big male knocking it off the stone. Only one dart hit the She-bitch, near where Natalia embedded her knife, causing the wolf to roar in pain. As the Little Flier went by a wolf on the lower cap stone jumped and clamped massive jaws onto the wing and held on. The glider maneuvered wildly as it flew down the hill with the wolf pawing and scratching at the wing as it tried to get at the Little Flier underneath. The other Little Flier was following close behind the first dropping more globes of Wizards-fire on the meadow below. It stayed on the tail of the glider with the unwelcome passenger as it continued on down the hill. The glider in front was desperately trying to stay in the air with the big black wolf swinging on its wing. Natalia had no time to watch as she faced off against the She-bitch still on the stone before her.

Alvari was just finishing off a black wolf in front of him when something big and dark came flying in over his shoulder and scattered two wolves behind him. It surprised him so much he almost jumped from his stone to the horses below. The young hunter was never so frightened and so grateful at the same time. He looked around the circle of stones and saw the largest birds he had ever seen swooping in and out of the firelight tearing into the Grim Wolves with every pass. He watched as two Little Fliers flew in fast and graceful setting the meadow to the north on fire. This was Alvari's first time seeing the small folk flying about. What little he knew of them he learned from the stories traders would tell when they visited his village. Alvari was mystified, until now he thought the Little Fliers only flew around the Wolf Lands far to the south.

Kaleb fought with an intensity he learned from the Sea Lord Battle Masters. With their tall graceful bodies they taught a fluid, balanced way of fighting that was deadly efficient. It was a style they developed after many centuries of battle on the sea. Kaleb moved with the same grace as he swung his mighty Sea Lord trident at the wolves charging him. He was on the lowest of the cap stones and the easiest target, but the wolves only faced death when they tried to jump at him. The young Marine moved as if he were on the deck of a ship in rough waters. None of the black wolves could get close as he jumped and turned while whirling his weapon around to slash out throats and bash in skulls. He dripped with blood and gore, but he did not tire nor waver no matter how many wolves he faced.

Kal also received the same training as his brother and was every bit as deadly. He fought at the onslaught of wolves with his long sword and heavy round shield. With strong arms he bashed the black wolves to the ground with the edge of his shield and then dispatched them with a quick and lethal sword strike. He was a blur as he moved from one end of the stone to the other taking on every foul wolf that came at him. Not once did he stumble on the blood and gore, but instead used it to slip and slide around the small platform always on the attack. Like his brother, he too did not tire, due to the long hours of training with the Sea Lord Battle Masters. They both had learned how to conserve their strength while being deadly efficient in the fight.

Both brothers were surprised and then grateful when the Red Wing Hawks came to their aid. They were familiar with the great birds, and the Little Fliers whom they flew with, from their time at sea. Neither had time to wonder at their appearance so far in the north as they faced teeth and claws at every turn.

The Tundras and Bull Roar were in a fight for their lives in front of the fire within the stone circle. They fought from behind a ring of dead Grim Wolf bodies which grew higher with every passing minute. The three Tundra Wolves bared long furious fangs that drew blood with every bite. They stood back to back with the cave bear and tore at every Grim Wolf that came close. Bull Roar raked the black wolves with his huge claws, shredding them with every swipe. The four animal warriors were holding their own as they fought from within the tight wall of bodies around them. All the time they worried about those they loved who fought from where they could not get to.

Natalia watched as the big ugly She-bitch slavered and growled baring huge black fangs at her. The wolf was able to dislodge the knife from her shoulder but not the dart as she slowly limped forward getting ready to strike. Natalia put her round shield to just under her eyes and balanced her sword along the edge pointing it at the wolf. She could see no hawks around at the moment able to come to her aid. Natalia could feel both of her Tundras through the bond as they desperately tried to get to her from below, but they were still fighting for their lives and could not get away. She set her stance and got ready for the wolf's charge.

The She-bitch ran full on at Natalia, jumping like a cat with claws extended and maw wide open. Natalia crouched low watching the wolf come at her while trying to get her whole body behind her shield. The She-bitch landed on top of her knocking her back, but not before Natalia lashed out with her blood-sword cutting the wolf across an eye and the snout. The wolf tumbled over her, roaring in pain and rage at missing its prey and receiving the wound. Its claws screeched along the stone as it tried to turn itself for another attack. Natalia rolled over as the She-bitch went by and quickly regained her feet. She charged the off-balance wolf and stabbed it in the shoulder while pushing it with her shield. She hit the She-bitch hard and knocked it all the way off of her stone.

"Take that you monster!" she yelled at the wolf as it tried to catch itself before slipping over the edge. The big wolf fell to the ground, trying to turn its body in an effort to land on its feet. It was only partially successful as it landed on its front legs and heavily on its left hip. The wolf gave a loud yelp as it hit the ground and a terrible sounding 'snap' could be heard. Natalia stood at the edge and watched as the leader of the Grim Wolves got to her feet and slowly limped towards the forest with her tail between her legs. The She-bitch stuck to the shadows as it dodged between the flames. The wolf feared being attacked by its own kind in the weakened state it was in. All of the fight was out of the big black wolf.

Natalia looked around the Tallhenge and saw black wolves running off in all different directions. Bodies of the beasts were piled all around the base of the stones and throughout the hillside. With the attack from the air and the loss of most of their pack leaders the wolves who were left could not stomach any more fight. They were cowardly beasts to begin with. It seemed the battle with the Grim Wolves was over.

To Natalia's relief each of her friends were standing upon their cap stones and also looking around for any more threats. They all seemed to have come through the battle unscathed. The same was not so clear when she looked down at their animal companions below. The flames at the center of the Tallhenge were dying down and it was hard to see their animal friends amongst the piles of dead Grim Wolf carcasses.

She climbed down from her perch and immediately went to check on her wolves. Tundras will disguise their feelings of pain and hurt to their bond-mates, but Natalia could still tell something was not right. She was not getting the usual feelings of contentment and love when she looked upon her wolves. She went to Bashful first putting her arms around the big gray's neck. She felt wetness all around the thick mane of fur but could find no punctures. All the blood on Bashful was not his own.

Beauty was a different story; no feelings were coming from the big black Solid, which was not unusual, but when Natalia laid hands on him she felt the faint glimmer of pain. She examined him from tail to nose while he made soft, non-threatening growls. She found wounds along his sides and on his neck. Natalia rushed to her pack to get her Wolf-Witch healing salve and a water skin and ran back to dress his wounds. Tundras are immune to the foulness of the Grim Wolf's bite, but their wounds may still become diseased. Natalia knew the big wolf would lick up the salve from the wounds he could reach, but his clean licks would help him heal more quickly.

Natalia wrapped her arms fiercely around the Tundra's neck and said softly into his ear with tears in her eyes, "Looks like you are going to have some more white scars my black Beauty, but you are going to be fine!"

The wolf gave a soft whine and then a soft growl and licked at Natalia's face washing away her tears.

Wolf-Witch salve was an ointment infused with the Wild Wolf Magic and made by Witches and Wizards of the Wolf Lands. It was made with secret ingredients and a secret dose of magic only they knew. The salve was a light green in color, had the scent of the sea and replenished itself by growing inside the container in which it was stored. They said the magic made it alive and when applied to a wound it would eat up any infection and help with the healing. As long as there was a little left in its special ceramic container you would never run out.

While Natalia was checking the Tundras the twins mounted up on their War Horses and rode to her. All the War Horses made it through the battle unscathed, thanks to the Maker. Natalia asked them to ride to the bottom of the hill and look to see if any of the black wolves were about. She also wanted them to check on the Little Flier who flew down there with a wolf on its wing. The Little Flier was last seen making a hard left turn while flying low over the Smallhenge. The glider then went out of sight when blocked by the trees. The other Little Flier could be seen doing lazy figure eights over that part of the forest while the three Red Wing Hawks were flying all over the meadow looking for Grim Wolves.

After talking to the twins Natalia went to check on Bull Roar who was on the other side of the fire doting on Daisy. She saw Alvari was down from his stone and going to check on the two packhorses with Sirus in tow. Natalia looked over to Daisy on her way to the bear and noticed she fared well during the battle. The sturdy donkey received no injuries from the many dead Grim Wolves laying at its feet. The big cave bear was covered with wolf bites all around his neck and shoulders. Upon inspection Natalia found the bites were only impressions on his fur, none of them made contact with his skin. The big bear's winter coat was so thick and matted none of the bites were able to get through. Natalia gave the courageous cave bear a hug with arms that could only go about a quarter of the way around its great neck. Bull Roar crooned back a feeling of warmth while closing his eyes.

Alvari then called Natalia's attention to the packhorses. Bass was fine but Amber received some serious bites and scratches on her rump. The wounds looked terrible with the foulness of a Grim Wolf bite already polluting Amber's flesh. Alvari was quickly putting a pan on the fire to heat some water while Natalia came over with the ceramic jar of Wolf-Witch salve.

"There was quite a battle here among the horses," Alvari said looking around. "I thought I was in trouble up on my stone, but looking around here...," he shook his head. "There are dead wolves all over the place."

Dead and broken Grim Wolf bodies were heaped all around the base of the huge granite slab Alvari had been on. More than a few were still burning in the bonfire in the center of the stone circle, all put there by the powerful hind kicks of the donkey and horses. War Horse and packhorse alike all had hooves covered in the black blood of the wolves. Bass and Amber overcame their fear during the battle and joined the fight.

"The horses kept a lot of wolves from your stone, and our supplies," Natalia said. "This was a no ordinary Grim Wolf attack. These wolves went after every part of our group, and they did not stop. I've never heard of Grim Wolves acting like this."

"This is bad," she went on as she cleaned the big packhorses wound. "We have to get Amber to my uncle's place as soon as we can, he may know how to help her. I don't know if this salve is going to be enough."

"But tonight, or what's left of it, we have to sleep. We are tired, and the animals are tired. Will you and Sirus go get more water while I finish up here with Amber? There is a stream just to the west, we all need to clean this black blood off of us and eat something," Natalia said as she started to work salve into Amber's wounds.

Alvari had been kneeling on the ground checking on Sirus. The wolf's fur was matted with blood and gore. He had scrapes, and a few bites that he cleaned with water and a gossamar cloth, but none broke the skin that the young Finni could see. Alvari did not look any better than his bond-mate, but there were no wounds upon him either. He was covered with Grim Wolf blood and slaver from killing the wolves with his blood-sword. The bite of the blood-sword was clean and sure and it opened up much blood letting on its foe.

"Are you sure you're ok, Alvari?" Natalia asked gently, and not for the first time.

"I'm fine Nat," Alvari said softly. "I've just never been through anything like that. I was so worried for Sirus, for everyone."