Slipping away from Faybridge

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Third

Third

Apprentice
(Dated Sunday, July 21st, noon.)

Watching the bustle of the Festival of Crows drawing to a close, Third glances at the sky and winces. "Midday already. I need to be gone from here."

Matching action to words, he quickly gathers his gear and leaves Faybridge, striding steadily towards Calanhelm. Soon Faybridge disappears behind him, and the last few sounds of the festival fade into the sounds of the forest as he walks. After several hours, as the afternoon wanes, he abruptly turns off the road and strikes deeper into the hills, clearly seeking an uninhabited area. Progress is much slower in the thick brush, but he stil puts several miles behind him as night falls, and even more as he continues on until moonrise.

Stopping abruptly, he feels a tingle chase itself down every nerve in his body. His head, as though drawn by a string, turns to look at the moon as it rises, round and full, over the hills. With a spasm of pain, the change begins, and he falls to the forest floor, writhing. A series of gristly pops and unpleasant wet noises, accompanied by agonized groans, silences the nearby wildlife, only the pervasive mosquitos seeming unperturbed.

Soon, panting, the wolf hauls itself upright and tastes the air. It remembers being Third, remembers his pressing desire to get away from people, but the concerns of the human seem to weigh less on the wolf as time passes. Catching a tantalising scent on the rapidly-cooling air, he slips deeper into the brush, the man's worries seeming frail and insubstantial against the wolf's pressing need to hunt.
 
Vaegar steps out from behind the tree shadow, cast by the light of the full moon, tapping his finger to his lip. He watched as trees swayed in the wind and waited for the howl of joy as Third made his way in to the night. He was hoping that the change would take place in the City. It would have been a delightful sight to see all the sunheads running and screaming, knowing full well they would be in no danger, but alas it did not happen and here he was trailing after his charge in the brush of Feybridge. "Prehaps I should tail him, at least for the time" he said to no one, or maybe Kerza (he happened to be a good sounding board). "Or perhaps I should just let him run free, I did promiss the elf that I would look after him as long as he remaind in my employ......But then this could lead to trouble that the Empress would not approve of ". With that Vaegar plunks his things down next to thirds and deccieds its best to wait for the wolfman, plus he would have someone to poke fun at while heading home.
 
The wolf stops, and settles into the brush as he catches a familiar scent. The dark elf, with a human. The wolf salivates as he listens to their heartbeats. They're far too calm. They must have lost track of him in the scrub, or maybe they simply think he's left entirely. Deliberately making a few small noises, he circles around them, watching.
 
Vaegars ears,even attentive, picks up the small sounds with quickly. Seems this wolf thinks he can out smart me, he thinks. Warming his hands over a small fire he started, Vaegar says, in a loud voice, to no one in perticular "Its always funny how the hunter tries to be ever so sutle when out stalking the night. I remember when that big House Cat tried, and failed. I remember when the big wolf did the same on our first meeting. Its too bad they cant learn new tricks when interacting with me."

slowly and softly Vaegar checks that his knives are lose in thier places of rest, hoping he would have no need of them. Looking after the young wolf was a responsibility but if it came down to it he would desstory it if necessary.
 
The wolf snarls in frustration as the prey, clearly aware of his presence, fails to indulge it by running. He wants a chase!
Making more noise now, he circles closer to the fire, even letting himself be glimpsed though the foliage, growling steadily.
 
"There you are little pup," Vaegar states as he catchs te golden shimer from one of the wolfs eyes, "I have been expecting you". Vaegar brings his hand up and rolls it in the air in a "come here" motion. "you must be hungry having not stopped to eat yet, come, sit and you can be back out in to the wild till sun up. I have been waiting till we have been alone".

The air of calm contiues to exude out of vaegar, his old training helping.
 
His shield placed to block the glaring light of the fire Kerza silently gives ear to his Master’s banter, all the while scanning the woods for the silhouette of the creature, and other yet unnoticed threats.

His only concession to the nearing presence of the beast is to slowly and deliberately pull his shield leg back half way into his fighting stance.

At Vaegar’s words of being “alone” with the creature Kerza frowns, but quietly backs away out of the fires light though never giving his back to the “wolf”.
 
Circling the tiny lit area,snarling in frustration at prey that doesn't have the sense to run, the wolf tenses before launching itself at Vaegar's unprotected back. At the last second, Third manages to assert some semblance of control, and the wolf-that-is-third veers suddenly, smashing through the small camp, and directly into - and through - the fire. Logs, ash, and sparks explode out in a blinding cloud, and by the time anything more can be seen, the wolf is gone. A long pause follows, and gradually, the natural sounds of the forest resume.
 
Hours later well after the sun has risen and normality been restored, Third walks back into the small clearing to collect his gear.

"You shouldn't have followed me, Vaegar. If you'd been alone, I likely wouldn't have been able to stop the wolf. Now, though, I need to go. I intend to be in Calanhelm within a week. You're welcome to accompany me if you want."
 
Turning his side slowly, Vaegar catches the briefest glimpes of the face Kerza hidden behind his shield. Keeping his eye on the wolf in the trees Vaegar quiets his voice so that Kerza can hear. "Have no fear my staunt defender, Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. You have brought me both pride and honor. Something I can never repay in kind. I am bound to this wolf by honor, and can not break what was done." Vaegar turns his head to look at Kerza, Staring straight in to his eyes, "I will never forget.". Bad move. The softest of foot falls is all that Vaegar hears before the Wolf is at his back and jumping. With no time to act Vaegar instead remains were he is to receive what ever action will come from his miscalculation, Thanfully the only probelm was the flash of fire light as the embers scatter in the wind. "Seems Ill have teach that boy a thing or too about control, He could use a month or two at the hands of mother."

The night progress.

At morning Vaegar is still awake at the site where he layed is possesions down. Hearing the foot steps of a man approching he calmly gets up and gathers Thirds cloak and extends a hand out as the boy enters the camp.

"Too the last point, my friend, It would be and honor to travel with you. And too the first part I made a poor choice to turn my back to the Wolf, one that wont be repeted. Untill then, I have questions for you now that the Earth Weavers can not lay their hands upon you. This walk will prove very......informitive." a small smile crease the lips of the dark elf as he picks up his packs. "come Kerza you may need to hear this too if you plan to stay by my side."
 
Kerza looks to Vaegar with one eyebrow raised, his mouth turned down as if a bad taste fills his mouth. "Though it pains me to do so Master Vaegar you voiced that I should give word to thoughts that may be in your best interest to hear. Is it wise for me to hear of such things when I may be honor bound to profess them to the Home Guard when I enter their service?"
 
As he walks Vaegar anserws the question, givin to him by his man, only after careful consideration."Kerza, my understanding of Thirds situation came to light by a chance incounter in the streets of Calanhelm. It was only later that I found out that the witches of the Earth Weavers and Mobeus had already made preperations to contain the Wolf in the city by converting a cell in of the homeguards buildings. It was after this but while he was in my employ that I made it my dutiy to watch over Third. If things go the way I believe they may, Kerza, You and your new found companions may be the only thing that can hold him if he surccumbs to the beast. I hope it never happens but I will not take chances." Vaegar nods as if to reasure both himself and his words and continues on his way.
 
"Then perhaps we should make haste to Calanhelm, where I may make my oath and take on the blue tabard of the Homeguard."
 
((Time Stamp: July 22)

Kerza takes his master's silence for assent, and begins the long walk to Calanhelm
 
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