This story is being rewritten! The new version, A Price in Memory, can be found here. 

 I highly suggest you read the new version as this one won't be completed. Also, there has been a lot of changes so you won't be able to continue with the other where this one left off.

A rhythmic tap travelled along the road as the six hoofs of the d’yar struck the ground in a lethargic pattern. A soft breeze blew through its short brown fur as the mid-day sun warmed the beast.

They had picked up the d’yar that morning from the stable Red had found, before heading for the northern gate of the city. There they had met the merchant as arranged by Kali, next to a wooden cart filled with supplies, most of which consisted of grain and seeds. A request from one of the people at Stronghold, Y’rid had learned.

He had observed the d’yar for a while after they left the city, half expecting it to try and run away as they left, but it seemed content with pulling the cart along, four of its six eyes closed while the other two showed a laziness he didn’t expect from a beast.

Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure if it counted as one.

“Are d’yari beasts?” He asked, turning to Red, who was walking beside him.

The big man looked at the creature in question.

“They are not aggressive. Further west and south, in the plains, wild ones roam in herds. I heard they are fearsome opponents. But I have yet to see such a thing.”

“You don’t want to,” Rhone replied from the front. “The only things stupid enough to attack a herd of wild d’yari are those that don’t value life. Facing down a charging herd of thousands of these things? Just let me get struck by a behemoth. It’ll be a quicker and less painful death.”

“Then why do all the ones I’ve seen look so docile?” Y’rid asked.

Rhone turned to him after a moment’s pause.

“They grow confident in herds. As long as you keep them in small groups, they are easy to manage. Just give them food and water and they’ll follow along without too much prodding. For a large group, you’ll need to keep an eye on them at all times. If the group has a few hundred, then you can forget about controlling them. And in the plains, there are herds that number in the thousands.”

Y’rid looked toward the d’yar, its chest was broad and its six legs knotted with muscles. He imagined facing down a thousand of the things charging at full speed and shuddered at the thought.

That… would be bad. Very bad.

“I want to see the herds,” Hadi said and grabbed the beast’s tail from where he sat on the front of the cart. It merely turned its head to look back at him, two more of its eyes opening as it stared at the boy before giving a snort and turning back.

Red laughed

“Maybe you will little one. Looking at this one though, I think those tales of wild herds are a bit far-fetched.”

Y’rid was about to voice his agreement when he saw Kali emerge from the treeline, making her way over to them. She and Holin had gone scouting the road ahead after they had left the city to make sure there weren’t any surprises along the road.

“See anything?” Rhone asked as she joined them.

“Nothing to be concerned about. There’s a group of seekers heading this way. I spoke to one of their scouts and they haven’t had any problems the last few days, other than a few steelwolves that the scout thinks have been shadowing them.”

Rhone nodded.

“What are seekers?” Y’rid asked Red.

“Fanatic followers of the travelling god.”

“He is one of the elder gods, right?” he asked, remembering a conversation with Kali about the religions of different regions, though he had to admit, he had only been listening as an excuse to take a break from sparring with Holin. Even then he had only used one ear.

“That’s right,” Kali said as she fell back to the side of the cart and ruffled Hadi’s hair, dodging out of the way when he protested and tried to grab her arm.

“So… are they seeking their god?” Y’rid guessed, taking a shot in the dark.

“No. they-“ Kali turned towards him. “Didn’t I already tell you this?”

“I don’t think so. You mostly talked about Tu’her himself,” he replied, mentally giving himself a pat on the back for remembering the god’s name.

Kali gave him a suspicious look. “I don’t see how I could have talked about him without mentioning seekers. But in any case, They are the ones who search for the land Tu’her promised his people.”

Y’rid nodded. “I see.”

He was lost. Promised land? He vaguely remembered that Tu’her supposedly travelled the world, so maybe he found some kind of refuge, away from the beasts? If so, why didn’t he just tell his people where it was?

After the few days on the road from Riversedge to Lok, he was hard-pressed to imagine people travelling through the wilderness without a clear destination. In his mind, he could still see the expressions of the refugees from Riversedge, the blank looks of those who lost their place in the world. Though perhaps that is what drove these seekers?

He was starting to regret not paying attention to the conversation back then. But he couldn’t ask now as that would mean admitting he wasn’t listening. He shook his head. It didn’t matter. Everyone’s life was their own after all.

They kept walking for a while longer before the sounds of a mass of people moving through the forest reached them. Faint at first but growing in volume until the group of seekers rounded a bend in the road, bringing them into view.

A large caravan was being pulled by four d’yari and surrounded by people dressed in brown and green leather and cloth, wielding a variety of weapons. On top of the caravan sat a man with a strung bow across his lap as he pretended to inspect an arrow while his focus never strayed from Y’rid and the rest.

“Ho, travellers!” A bearded man called out from the front of the group with a pleasant smile on his face.

Y’rid looked past the caravan to see another coming around the bend also surrounded by people, though noticeably less armed than the first, some of them barely older than children. The scout Kali had mentioned had probably informed them of the group's approach.

And they’re not taking chances. Is banditry common here?

He couldn’t imagine that it was. Not with the dangers that lurked in the forest. Perhaps the seekers were just being vigilant.

“Seekers,” Rhone said in an easygoing tone as the man approached them. “You heading for Lok?”

“hm,” The man nodded as he stepped up between them and the caravan that continued along the side of the road. A few of the others did the same, trying to look casual as they formed a disorganized defensive line.

“Well if you’re going in Riversedge’s direction, then I suggest stocking up at Lok, the city fell a few days ago.”

The man’s eyes widened. He took a breath before shaking his head. “No city is safe anymore.”

“They never were,” Rhone said.

“All the more reason for our journey then. Mortend awaits us,” the man said and paused, looking at the group before continuing. “We would always welcome those who seek the Sanctuary. The road might be long, but it is worth it. Though I don’t suppose a follower of Uldar would take the offer.”

Red shrugged. “Balance cannot exist with absolute safety. You are searching for a place that does not exist.”

The bearded man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Red. Y’rid also couldn’t help his eyes straying over to the big man. From what he had seen, Red had an easy-going personality. He didn’t expect the man to so casually shrug off someone else’s faith.

“Thank you for your offer,” Rhone quickly interjected, “but we’re still needed here. We wish you good fortune on your quest.”

The man grunted before turning back towards the caravans that had just passed. Y’rid scanned over them until his gaze met the eyes of a young girl looking at them through the open shutters before a woman hurriedly pulled her back inside.

Children?

He frowned looking at the caravan.

“Come on,” Kali said in front.

He turned back to see the others were already continuing on their way.

“There are children in the back caravan,” he said looking back at the now closed shutters.

“Of course,” Kali said, looking at him. “They are searching for the Sanctuary. They wouldn’t leave their families behind…”

Her word trailed off as she stared out in front of her.

“I saw the dangers on the way to Lok,” he said as he felt a hint of anger rising in his chest, “and you know them better than me. What do you think their chances of survival is if they go towards Riversedge?”

Kali stayed silent for an uncomfortable moment. “Well, maybe they are not going in that direction or perhaps luck will be on their side and they’ll avoid the beasts still in the area.”

Red snorted, but didn’t comment.

“And this is what the travelling god asks of his people? To place their families’ lives in the hands of luck?” Y’rid asked.

“Of course not! The seekers… they are different… they dedicate their lives to finding a safe haven. And not all-”

“You can’t find what isn’t there,” Red said. “Seekers are seen once and never heard from again.”

“Maybe that’s because they found the Sanctuary, or maybe they can’t leave once they’re there,” Kali refuted.

“Enough!” Rhone said, causing the others to quiet. He continued in a softer tone. “This argument leads nowhere, and we still have a lot of ground to cover.”

A strained mood clung to the group as they walked on. Kali seemed to have lost her normally talkative mood, and Red never had one to begin with. Rhone didn’t seem to feel the need to break the silence either as he walked in front. Hadi, sensing the atmosphere looked between them, before quietly paying the knife he got in Lok.

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Y’rid barely noticed this though. He was still irritated by the irresponsibility of people dragging their families into danger in search of something no one knew the location of. Their willingness to risk everything for a better life might have been praiseworthy if they didn’t place their faith in what seemed to be luck. As it stood, it seemed reckless at best.

But why did it bother him so much? Wasn’t everyone’s lives their own? But what of the girl he saw in the caravan, did she choose to risk her life on this search?

“Is that our new thing? Brooding together?” Holin’s voice came from behind.

Y’rid spun round to see the man walking up to them, a big forest lizard in one hand. He just couldn’t get used to how quiet the man was, even if he was almost certain he was doing it on purpose to mess others.

Holin drove a thin dagger through the lizard’s head and into the side of the cart, nailing it in place. “I take it you’ve met the seekers then. A strange group of people, but then again aren’t we all? You know, I once knew this mercenary named Two-shits-“

Rhone sighed as Red burst out laughing.

“We don’t need to hear that story again,” Rhone said. “Once was enough. We need to set up camp early, I want to be back on the road with first light. Someone needs to go see if Watchman’s Point is taken. If it is we may need to push through to Ald’s Creek. If you have nothing to do-”

“I’ll go,” Kali said quietly and unslung her bow from her back before setting off. Y’rid frowned as he looked in her direction.

“Well then,” Holin said, turning towards him. “While we’re walking, why don’t we practice a few sword forms?”

Y’rid suppressed a groan, what the man really meant was that he was going to have to spend the next few hours swinging a sword while being criticised the whole time.

***

Kali had returned to meet them on the road a few hours after she had left, confirming that Watchman’s Point was indeed empty. Other than that she didn’t speak much, still seeming a bit withdrawn.

They arrived at their campsite some time later. With a name like that Y’rid had expected something more. Perhaps an old outpost or something similar. What he found was a simple hill a short distance from the road that had been cleared of trees and bushes.

Like they had done the previous nights, Y’rid and Holin set out into the forest to set a few traps while the rest set up camp. Moving through the forest didn’t take all of his focus like it did a week ago, allowing his mind to wander.

“Does Kali have some history with the seekers?” he asked causing Holin to stop and turn to him. The man shrugged.

“I suppose it isn’t a secret,” he said before walking on. For a moment Y’rid thought that was all he was going to get for an answer before Holin spoke up again. “Her father was part of the order. A good hunter. In fact, he was the one that put Red in his place, long ago, when the big guy was running around challenging anyone that looked at him strangely.

But I guess he just wasn’t cut out for it. He was a believer of Tu’her, the travelling god, which isn’t bad in itself, but he became obsessed with the promised land. Convinced that it was the answer to the world’s problems.”

A hint of malice entered his voice but disappeared so quickly that Y’rid doubted he heard it at all.

“He eventually left with a group of seekers,” Holin said, “proclaiming that he’d be back with the location of the Sanctuary. Presumably, he is still searching. Either that or he has given up or died. Kali was still young at the time and he was the only family she had. After that Red had stepped in and watched out for her for a while. Until she passed the ritual of course.

Now focus, I don’t need you breaking through the undergrowth and scaring off the animals. We want the locations of the traps to be as undisturbed as possible.”

“Wait. What ritual?”

“Shh!” Holin said holding a finger to his lips, though Y’rid could see the amusement flickering in his eyes as he ignored the question.

Y’rid followed Holin in silence through the trees as he thought of the man’s words. A few times he had brought up the characteristic red eyes of the hunters in the order, yet each time the subject was sidestepped or he was directly told that he’d know when the time came. He felt as if a piece of the puzzle had been revealed to him but instead of clearing things up, it just raised more questions.

He sighed. Whatever this ritual was he would find out eventually. He was too committed now to back out. Not that he wanted to, in any case. He placed his focus back on moving through the forest, avoiding the undergrowth where possible and stepping on the roots and rocks. Seeing the ease Holin had when striding silently over the ground had sparked a desire to do the same.

After they had walked a while Holin started to set up the traps, instructing Y’rid whenever he had questions. The man seemed to share his knowledge freely if asked but remained silent otherwise. This was something Y’rid had brought up with him once, only to get a rather blunt reply.

‘The first requirement to learn is to recognise that you don’t know shit.’

At first, Y’rid had simply assumed the man was not a good teacher, but the more he thought about it the more he began to appreciate the truth in the simple statement. After that, he began observing what Holin did, actively looking for questions to ask so that the man would explain the process.

The trap he set up this time was a simple deadfall, consisting of a large slab of rock and three sticks. Holin took the leaves he had plucked along the way and crushed them in his fist before rubbing them into his hands to mask his scent, something he had explained when Y’rid asked him.

After that he quickly set up the trap, one stick straight into the ground with another on top of it at an angle, one end holding up one side of the rock while the other balanced on the third stick that was set horizontally into a groove carved into the first. If the horizontal stick was nudged, the whole thing would collapse bringing down the rock onto whatever had caused the disturbance.

“What are you going to use as bait?” Y’rid asked, noticing that the man didn’t have any small lizards or such on him as they had used the previous times.

“This,” Holin said, pulling out a small vial which he uncorked. He stuck his fingers into it and pinched out a few small whitish crystals which he then sprinkled onto the end of the horizontal stick and ground.

“Salt?” Y’rid guessed.

“Yeah. I asked Kali to get some back in Lok. A bit expensive, but it works well and won’t spoil. It’s not really necessary today but it is a good idea to keep a small vial with you for when you can’t find bait or just don’t have the time.”

Y’rid nodded. It seemed like a bit of a waste to him, but he could see the merit in having some for emergencies. If Holin had told him about it before he might have bought some. If he had asked Holin what he needed for building traps then the man might have told him.

After setting up the trap they moved on. They set up a few simple snare traps as well as another deadfall that Holin made him construct. It took him a lot longer than it had Holin, and the structure had collapsed twice almost crushing his hands underneath, but he eventually got the trap stable enough that a breeze wouldn’t set it off.

Returning to camp they found the other four sitting around the fire. Rhone was busy throwing some green vegetables into a pot that sat on top of a bed of coals. Whatever else was in the pot made Y’rid’s mouth water as the aroma spread through the air alongside the sizzling sound of frying meat.

Back in Riversedge, the hunters had been forced to leave behind some of their belongings, as no one expected the wall to fall. Obtaining a pot was easily done in Lok, and increased the number of possible meals quite a bit, something Y’rid was quite looking forward to.

***

Y’rid walked through the forest, keeping his steps as light as he could, as he followed the landmarks he had marked in his mind the previous evening. He had already been visited most of the snares, all of which were empty. The only ones that remained were the two deadfall traps and the last of the snares.

The chirping of birds echoed through the forest as he approached the location of the first deadfall. As the trap came into view he saw it had collapsed. He quickened his pace, Hoping to find a something underneath. Al of the game they had eaten so far had been caught by Holin and Kali, it didn’t feel right, leaching off of the others. Supplying a meal here and there should be the least he could do, after the help they had given him and Hadi.

He reached the trap and lifted the rock with a heave. Nothing. Maybe whatever had sprung the trap was quick enough to escape… or large enough to render the trap ineffective. The thought caused his back to stiffen as he hurriedly scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of a passing threat. he was just about to relax when he saw it. A partial footprint left on a patch of dirt, half hidden by leaves and twigs. He would have missed it had he not been looking.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he reached out and brushed away the fallen leaves, revealing the print. It reminded him of a wolf, but the paw was almost as big as his hand. Certainly bigger than any wolf he had seen in his previous life.

Steelwolf?

He had heard Holin describe them. Lean creatures that reached a man’s shoulder in height, with a distinctive silvery-grey coat and sly temperament making them prone to attacking when their prey least expected.

Taking a few deep breaths, he looked at the surrounding trees, as his hand felt for the blade at his side. After a few minutes he judged that the beast must have already left. He turned towards the direction of the camp, then stopped.

He still had to check the other deadfall, and retrieve the last of the snares. He could go back, but that would mean giving in to fear. It would mean admitting his reliance on others. Rhone had warned him of the dangers of joining their order the first time he brought up the subject, yet he had decided then to continue.

It probably left last night anyway.

Having made up his mind he stood and headed towards the final deadfall trap. His gaze kept darting to the shadows cast by the trees as he walked, expecting to see a pair of eyes observing him. But none did. As he neared the location of the trap a sound caught his attention. A scratching sound as if something was digging in the dirt.

His eyes focused on the trap as it came into view. The slab of rock had fallen on top of a brown rabbit, pinning it to the ground. It seemed to have just failed at getting away, its hind legs crushed by the rock. Deep grooves could be seen in the dirt as it had evidently been struggling for a while now but was unable to free itself.

Y’rid watched the rabbit as he approached, its ears were shorter and snout longer than those of his old world, but it was still unmistakably a rabbit. The rabbit turned its head towards him as it heard his approach, its struggling ceasing for a heartbeat’s time before it begun to renew its effort it panic. Even if it got free now it wouldn’t survive, with its back legs broken.

He knelt next to it and pulled out his dagger from its sheath as he reached down to grab the animal’s neck. The rabbit suddenly stopped its struggle, staring at him. No, not at him, he realised. Its gaze was aimed to the side ever so slightly.

Y’rid froze as his heart began to speed up. He strained, focussing al his attention on his hearing as he willed the sense to expand. Then he heard it. The soft crunch of a leaf crumbling under pressure. His eyes widened as he dropped his dagger and went for his sword. His hand, slick with sweat closed on the hilt just as he heard a pounding on the ground. His instincts screamed at him to get away, to move. Trusting them, he dove to the side, rolling on his shoulder as a figure shot passed him, its form a blur in the corner of his eye. He swung one leg underneath him as he spun towards it. His eyes catching the creature just as it lunged at him. Unable to draw his sword in time he raised the bracer on his arm to shield his face from the threat.

The jaws of the beast snapped shut onto the steel, the force behind it driving Y’rid onto his back. The wolf jerked its head from side to side, dragging him on the ground as he struggled to keep his arm covering his face. He felt the warm spit of the of the beast’s snapping maw fly onto his face as he grit his teeth.

With a snarl, he let go of the sword’s hilt and drove his elbow into the wolf’s side, again and again. With one last strike he pulled the bracer a bit closer to his face to bring the beast nearer as pushed his forearm into its side with all his might, barely managing to tip the creature of balance and onto its side. Keeping up the movement he rolled on top of the wolf reversing their positions as he pushed down onto the bracer forcing it deeper into the beast's jaws and pinning it to the ground.

It struggled fiercely as it began to panic, but Y’rid kept his weight on top of it as he reached out with his other arm grasping for the dagger he dropped while not daring to take his eyes off the wolf. His hand crossed over something hard lying onto the ground and in desperation his fingers latched onto it. A rock. With a wide swing, he struck the side of the wolfs head with the rock. A yelp of pain escaped its maw as he raised the rock and struck again before the beast finally got its hind legs between it and his chest. With a growl, it thrust its legs outwards throwing Y’rid off into the air. He fell hard onto his back, pain lancing through his body, but he ignored it as adrenaline coursed through him. He scrambled onto his feet and drew his sword just as the beast was lurching onto its own, one of its eye sockets caved in and the side of its head covered in red.

With a roar, Y’rid charged forward holding the bracer in front of his head as he thrust out with the sword. The sword drove into the creature's side as he barrelled into it, slamming the bracer into its face in an effort to keep its jaws at a distance. Together they tumbled onto the ground with him on top. The beast’s howl mixed with his own cry as he twisted the blade and pushed it deeper into the flesh, the warm blood spurting into his hand and armour. The wolf kicked a few more times but he pressed it down with all his weight as its struggles grew weaker before it finally stilled. He laid there for a few more moments, his the side of his head buried in the coat of the wolf before he released the blade and pushed himself off of the corpse. He fell onto his back and heaved for breath.

His lungs burned, but the air had never tasted sweeter. A chuckle escaped his lips as he laid there, soon it grew to full-blown laughter, the likes of which he had not felt in a long time. The sheer joy at being alive ran through him as he stared up at the sky through the canopy of branches.

***

Holin stood with his arms crossed as he watched Y’rid finished off the wolf from between the trees. As the wolf had followed Y’rid, he, in turn, had followed it.

He shook his head. A horrible display. The kid saw the tracks, and was cautious at first but through it to the wind when he saw the rabbit. Holin had been tempted to beat the wolf to its target just so he could beat some sense into the young man himself.

Yet despite his criticism of the Y’rid’s performance, he couldn’t stop the smile forming on his lips. He knew it. The kid had potential. It was rough and unrefined, but it was there. Riddled with flaws though, a natural talent with the sword leading to an overreliance on the weapon.

A notion that was proven when he dropped his dagger in favour of his sword, a sword he should have realised he didn’t have time to draw.

He would have to beat that habit out of him. A glint appeared in his eye as he thought of the training to come.

Many of the order were growing increasingly stagnant. Contented with just surviving. Even the weaver’s focus had started to shift to understanding the beasts’ movements, attempting to stop only the most dire of threats while allowing the rest to fester like untreated wounds.

No, something needed to change. He didn’t know what but he knew there would be a need of hunters with the right mindset. An unrelenting mindset. The kind that would barrel into a steelwolf.

His thoughts strayed back to when he first noticed Y’rid. He saw back then that there was something about him, something buried deep beneath the surface.

Oh, how he looked forward to seeing the kid’s Aspect.