Prologue

Fenn yawned, cracking his neck and shaking himself to help stay alert. It had been a long day, standing watch over the city's gates, he'd been on duty since morning, now it was dusk. He supposed it couldn't be helped, the city guards were stretched thin at the moment with the autumn festival now upon them. It was an old tradition, stretching back to the time of the old Vaden Empire. Even centuries after the empire had been broken into dozens of petty kingdoms it continued. At the time of the autumn harvest, when the peasants had reaped their crops and prepared their goods, trading caravans from all over the kingdoms would set out to barter goods with the other lords and nobles. Everyone needed something, and had something to trade in return.

The city of Valensk was full to bursting as it always was this time of year. Caravans of oxen and horses had streamed in through the sturdy gates bringing goods and merchants to the trading city. The river gates had been open as well as barges and boats brought all manner of products to the city in anticipation of the great market. Empty stalls and market squares were swept clean and occupied as the nobles charged their rent.

For a little while now the cobblestone road before them had been quiet, the last of the caravans having trundled past some time ago. "Looks like it's time to close up now. It's going to be dark soon."

"Haven't gotten any caravans for an hour, and the city's fit to burst anyway. Looks like there were more people this year than the last, I don't know how they cram them all in." Said his companion.

"With triple bunks and rent gouging." Fenn chuckled. "Alright, let's head inside. Anyone this late deserves to sleep out in the cold for one night."

The second guard nodded and was about to turn before some movement caught his eye and he looked back. "Hold." He said, peering into the darkness. Fenn frowned, lifting his halberd and squinting.

Out of the thickening shadows of the tree shrouded road one final figure came walking down the path at a brisk pace, coming into the edge of the light. It was hard to tell but the figure seemed to be male, dressed most entirely in brown leather. The chestpiece was sturdy enough to be armor, well fitted leggings and traveler's boots looking like they had seen a lot of wear. There was a pack on his back, as well as a bow slung in quick reach with a quiver placed sideways on the back of the figure's belt, which also carried a glinting steel hand axe. The figure's face was hidden by a hood and the deepening shadows.

"Ho there traveler, rather late to be on the roads alone." Fenn called out, raising his torch to try and get a better look at the newcomer.

"Suppose it is." Said the figure, standing on the edge of the torchlight.

"Take off your hood so I can get a look at you." Said the second.

The figure turned to look at him, before the gloved hands went up and pulled back the hood. The guards were not sure exactly what they had been expecting, but it wasn't this. Fairer skinned than a Brayton but more tanned than the Vadens themselves, his ears were long and pointed like a Mayagen but were shorter and broader than those elegant creatures. The man's eyes were amber and seemed to almost glow in the low light, but that was probably just the reflected torchlight. He seemed on the younger side, most certainly below thirty years, unshaven stubble on his cheeks that would probably become a full beard if left unchecked. His hair was black and shaggy, falling on the longer side behind his pointed ears, which twitched slightly as they listened.

"From where do you hail stranger?" Asked the second guard.

The young man raised a hand and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "North."

"And where are you headed?" Continued the guard.

The man pointed through the gates. "South."

"Come for the markets then?"

The man nodded. "I am looking for something."

The guard rolled his shoulders. "Well I'm sure you'll find it, they have everything in there. I'll need a name for the record." He fished out a notepad and readied a quill.

The man cocked his head slightly and looked at the note, before he shrugged. "Wulfric." He said simply.

"And is there a second part to that name?"

"No." The outlander said with a little smirk.

The guard sighed. "Very well, welcome to Valensk mister Wulfric, don't cause any trouble and I'm sure you'll find whatever it is you're looking for."

He looked up from the notes to see that Wulfric was already walking through the gates. "Thanks." The man said simply, looking up at the vibrant city as he passed through the walls.

The guards looked at each other. "Well that was odd." The second said, going to close down the stall outside, packing everything up and then heading for the gates. "Have you ever seen the like of him?"

Fenn looked after the figure, vanishing already into the distant crowd and tapped his chin. "I wonder... if he's one of the Valdyrkin."

"Never heard of them." Said the other guard, shrugging as they passed through the gates which began to rumble closed behind them.

"Not surprised. I only heard of them in passing from the traders a few years ago. They're supposed to live far to the north. I heard they were a bunch of wolf worshipping savages."

The other guard shrugged, eager to put the odd encounter out of his mind. "No matter, I doubt the merchants will care where he comes from so long as his coin is good. Now come on, I need a drink."

The first guard nodded, it wasn't their problem anymore in any case. He looked up after the unusual figure, but the young man was already gone, vanished into the crowd.

Chapter 1

Wulfric wondered if he would ever get used to these cities. So many people living in one place for so long that they became part of the earth until the place itself tasted of them. He remembered when he had first come to a decently sized farming village and had been shocked by the size of the buildings and the number of people. Now that seemed like nothing compared to where he was now. Buildings of wood and stone rose multiple stories high, glass windows shining with firelight out onto the street. His ears flicked and twitched as they strained to process all the noise from around him. Hundreds of voices, the neighing and stamping of horses and grunts of oxen and the clatter of shoes upon cobblestones all blending together into a vast background hum like the rumbling of some great beast.

The smells were almost too much at first, his nose wrinkling as he tried to parse it all. Countless people living in close proximity, along with their dogs and horses and oxen and chickens and spirits alone knows what else. Then there was the food, meat and vegetables and fruits of all kind being cooked and spiced and cut and served with beer, mead, wine, vodka and more. Every scent blending together into a hurricane of information that had all been here for so long it seeped into the stone and wood of the buildings and into the very soil itself until nothing and nowhere was rid of the pervasive scent of the metropolis. He supposed it wasn't an unpleasant stink exactly, but was frustrating. Back home, on the tundra and forests of his homeland, he could find his way home by scent alone, or track prey for miles across icy hinterland. This great mess of humanity would make tracking so much more difficult than it had to be.

For the past two weeks he had been constantly on the move, barely ever stopping to rest, eating on the run as he followed the trail down long roads, across country and through towns, following the scent trail of one human in particular. It had begun simply enough, another job, but at this point was dragging him out of his element, and he was becoming more anxious by the day. Grumbling to himself, he bought some smoked meat from a street vendor and sat down beneath an overhanging roof to eat, thinking about the journey he'd been on.

Two weeks ago he had been passing through a small fishing village, looking for work. It was a fairly normal town in the Vadenland, a little on the smaller side, dedicated to fishing in the nearby lake, the whole town smelling of fish guts. He had been traveling through the Vadenland for some time by now, moving from one little kingdom to another. From what he understood they had once been united in one big kingdom, but that had long since broken up into many smaller lands which quarreled and traded with each other. He still didn't understand it that well, back home there were no kings or kingdoms, and only a few towns at all, mostly the cold north was populated by the wandering tribesmen of the Valdyrkin, who were hardy enough to thrive in the forbidding landscape. He heard a commotion coming from the towns square, a general babble of people talking, quieted when the town crier began an address.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" The crier shouted, standing on an upturned fish bucket and clanging a bell loudly. "The baron Marcus Idrenne has need of a servant possessing bravery and skill, willing to endure hardship and danger for a substantial reward of gold! If ye know of any who might answer your lord's call, he begs you implore them to seek out his estate!"

Wulfric pushed forward through the crowd, which parted before him quickly after they got a good look at him. Wulfric had gotten used to this reaction by now. Valdyrkin almost never left their homeland and were the subjects of much rumor and mystery to the townsfolk of the Vadenland. Even if they didn't suspect his origins however, fishers and farmers tended to scatter when a well-armed and mysterious stranger wandered through their midst. "I will answer your lord's call." Wulfric barked, holding his head up proudly.

The crier led him through the countryside up to a large manor house that sat in the center of this little kingdom, or barony, or whatever the locals called it. Vadens seemed to love their titles, the more long winded the better. A guard at the door opened it up for them, and the crier jogged ahead, explaining the situation to an elderly man that had been lingering in the entrance hall. Wulfric stepped in, tracking a little dirt on the thick carpet and inspecting a small statuette that sat on a nearby table.

"You are here to answer my call for aid?" The old man said, making Wulfric straighten up and walk over. The man's hair had gone grey, and the large cloak he wore seemed oversized on him. Probably meant to puff up his profile a bit, it did not disguise the air of feebleness that the man possessed. His weak gaze that didn't seem to want to lock eyes with Wulfric certainly did not inspire respect. Still, he had gold.

"I am. What is your problem?" He said simply.

The nobleman dismissed the crier with a wave. "Come alone young man I will explain." The man walked through the halls of the manor, Wulfric jogging up to walk beside him. "Last night, I was awoken from my sleep by the shouting of guards, informing me that we had been robbed!" He said, managing to instill some alarm into his weedy voice. "Bond notes were taken, as well as jewelry and coin, the attackers somehow knew how to get into the vault, but"

"Bond notes?" Wulfric interrupted, not understanding.

"Yes er..." The man saw his uncomprehending expression. "Pieces of paper, that command banks and trading guilds to pay money, quite a lot of money, but only one of my house could authorize the payment. And I fear that is why they have taken... taken my daughter." The man paused for a moment, swallowing and looking shaken.

Wulfric paused, waiting for the man to continue when he was ready. Eventually he did so, waving for Wulfric to follow him on. "Taken right from her bedroom, from what we can tell. Taken before she could even fight back! My daughter is an apprentice mage, you see."

From what he had learned, many Vaden nobles wanted to learn magic, but here the magical knowledge was hoarded by the mage's guild. This Isabel Idrenne must be fairly convincing to convince them to teach her. "Apprentice?" He asked.

"Yes, she has studied hard for some time, and has a firm grasp of the basics I believe." The man wheezed, waving a finger at nothing in particular. "I do not understand such things though. I never had the taste for magics."

"I see. Can you show me to her room? I'll need to investigate."

He led her to a bedroom that was all he'd come to expect from Vaden nobility. Lots of cushions, silks and decorations. Bookshelves along one wall, tomes of magical learning and history and other subjects. There was a powerful smell in the room, a scent of honeyed sweetness with a spice like cinnamon.

"What's that smell?" He asked, sniffing about.

"What smell?" the lord asked.

"That sweet smell, like honey." He followed the scent to a dressing cabinet.

"Oh, my daughter's perfume." The man answered. "It's quite unique isn't it? We make it specially here for her."

Wulfric frowned, picking up a potent smelling bottle. It would make it difficult to track her scent if she slathered strong smelling stuff all over herself. "If you could, I'll need some time alone here to investigate."

"Oh, of course." The man said, nodding and shuffling out the door. "If you can return my daughter to me, I will pay you quite significantly! We can hash out the exact details when you're done." After he'd left, Wulfric looked around, noting the lack of a fight, the open window, trying to get a fix on the scent of the young woman who lived here. Eventually he was able to get a solid fix, taking a bit of clothing from the wardrobe and tucking it in his pack to help him keep the scent, before he went back down to the lord to negotiate his fee.

Thus had begun a merry chase lasting over two weeks that had taken him from town to town until he'd finally lost the scent near this damnably huge city. As best he could tell the kidnappers had taken on the guise of respectable merchants and come in that way, though for what reason he wasn't sure. It was possible they intended to trade off their loot in the market to throw any pursuer off the track, but he couldn't be sure of that. Exactly how the traders did their business was still something of a mystery to Wulfric, it seemed such a needless complication to pay someone to go get something and bring it to you rather than just getting it yourself, but he chalked this up to one more oddity of civilization and thought little of it.

He was hunting for one specific prey in a vast and unfamiliar ecosystem. All around him were the dens and grazing grounds of creatures similar to, but distinct from, ones he fully understood. He had to find his prey quickly if he was to succeed, or else she might be gone to somewhere he could never track her down. It would be a few days before the caravans all started leaving, but once they did they would be departing in such numbers and to so many different places that his chances of finding the one with his quarry in it were miniscule. She was here, he was certain of it, the scent had led him down the long dirt road to this city before he'd lost the trail amidst all the other visitors coming to the gates.

Wulfric tore into the smoked meat with his sharp teeth, standing in a cobbled square and looking around at the thronging masses. Even after the sun had set the city didn't sleep, people going this way and that on whatever business they considered more important than sleeping as big lamps lit the street with an orange glow.

His quarry was somewhere in this great city, he was sure of it. But this was starting to get beyond his field of experience, he had to admit. He could track an elk across miles of open tundra, as he'd tracked this kidnapped woman across countless miles of countryside and roads. But now she was somewhere in this enormous mess of stone and timber soaked in the scents of humanity's masses living in close proximity.

He took a deep breath, calming himself. His quarry had gone to ground, perhaps in an environment he was not so used to yet, but the principle of the hunt remained the same. Somewhere in this great forest of manmade artifice they crouched in a den, hoping the hunter wouldn't catch their trail and track them down, if they knew he was out here at all. The options before him remained the same as any hunt, track the quarry down and take them by surprise, or flush them from their den and overtake them as they flee.

Another advantage he held was his natural talents. The civilized folk didn't have much contact with his people, and they didn't seem to understand the abilities the goddess had given them, especially not to someone like Wulfric himself. His sense of smell was his greatest advantage, the civilized folk didn't have nearly as keen a nose as he did, they couldn't even do the most basic scent tracking. If they didn't expect it, they wouldn't plan for it, and that was how he'd been able to track them thus far. But now that sense was failing him as he wandered through the streets of the big city, sniffing at the air in vain as he hoped to pick up on a scent.

He began to despair as he walked the streets, looking at the odd stores and workshops and other things he didn't understand. How was he expected to find one person in all this chaos? Wulfric rubbed his temple, there was no point getting upset like this. It wasn't going to get him anywhere productive. He needed to calm down, maybe rest a little. He'd been on the road all day and he hadn't had anything good to eat for days before that, just jerky and sausages and river water. He needed to relax a little, clear his head. He lifted his nose again and sniffed about until he caught the sweet scent of mead and followed it down the street.

It took a little longer than he'd liked. He had passed by a few places that didn't seem to be what he was looking for. Oh they were quaint enough and maybe another time he would have stopped by, but he was looking for something a little more... feral. After wandering through the city for a while he heard laughter and music emanating from a pub down the street. This one looked a little less upscale than the others, and as he approached Wulfric could smell sweat and a little blood mixed in with the tantalizing smell of red meat and alcohol. Grinning, the Valdyrkin walked over and pushed his way through the doors.

The inside of the dive was quite a bit different than the other taverns he had stopped at along the way. There was a bar and some tables set up to eat, but the middle of the dive was dominated by a large mat fenced off by ropes. Two men, naked from the waist up, were currently beating on each other in the ring, punching and jumping at each other. Wulfric stopped for a moment and wondered if some disagreement had broken out, but after watching their stance and how they moved he realized this was more like play fighting than an actual brawl. Sure the punches landed with heavy and painful sounding thumps but there seemed to be limits to this fight.

Deciding he quite liked the atmosphere, the wanderer walked over to the bar and flagged down the barmaid. "I'll take mead, and some meat, whatever you have so long as it's hot." He said, before leaning back on the bar and watching the fight. The bigger man was using his longer arms well, but the smaller one was keeping on the offensive, getting inside his reach and taking direct shots to his opponent's body to keep him off balance and prevent him from using the full range of his arms. Wulfric dropped a few copper coins on the bar to pay for his food and then turned his full attention to the fighters before him.

Wulfric had never seen this kind of fighting style before and watched with great interest. Their feet moved like dancers and their fists at times seemed to vanish with the speed of their movement. The fighting style Wulfric had learned was a far cry from that, a lot of grappling and pinning and biting. As his food arrived he continued watching, seeing a few other fighters gathered around the outside of the ring. A chalked scoreboard on the wall made clear this was some kind of local phenomenon. Eventually, the larger male had taken one too many uppercuts to the jaw and held up his hand in surrender, the victor pumping his fists in the air and laughing, covered in sweat and basking in the cheers of the assembled bar goers. Wulfric raised his mug and gave a little cheer as well before he drained his drink and sent it back for another, then he grabbed the hunk of beef he'd been given and sinking his teeth into it before ripping off a good chunk and gulping it down, getting juice on his cheeks and chin.

He continued tearing into the meat until he'd gnawed it down to the bone, watching the next fight, though less interesting than the first. It wasn't as even a matchup, one man clearly better than the other and winning in short order. Still, he got into the spirit of things and raised his flagon high to cheer on the victor.

"Oi! Watch what yer doin!" Bellowed a rather loud voice to his side.

Wulfric jumped a little and looked at the origin of the noise, seeing a rather large man standing up from his bar stool. His tunic had a large wet spot on it, and Wulfric realized with a sinking feeling that he'd just spilled some of his mead on the rather large, irritated man. "Um, sorry." He muttered, putting the flagon down before he did something else unfortunate with it.

"Sorry are yeh? Not yet I dare think. Then again I don't think yeh seem to know good manners, considerin' yer face be covered in fat an' meat juice drippin' down yer chin like a common beast." The big man bellowed, people nearby starting to take notice of the man's shouting.

Wulfric blinked in surprise, standing up and taking a step back, before he growled and lowered his chin. "I said I was sorry, maybe you shouldn't have been sitting practically on top of me." His lips curled as his ears flicked back, the hackles on the back of his neck going up.

The big man crossed his arms. "So ye think ye can just flail about and smack into anyone that happens to be nearby?" He bellowed. "Did yer mother never teach ya manners boy!"

Wulfric snarled. "Do not speak of my mother you bastard!"

He was about to lash out at the big man before the barmaid caught his attention with a shout. "Hey! Ben, you know the rules, settle it in the ring." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Wulfric looked between the big man and the padded ring, before he snorted and nodded.

"Aye." The man, Ben, nodded. "We shall."

The Valdyrkin walked over, seeing the man pull off his shirt. He looked to an empty table and started removing his gear. The dress code seemed to be barefoot and bare chested, so he took a little while disarming himself, getting some odd looks as he dropped his bow, quiver, axe and a few knives on the table, then his pack, satchel, gloves, and finally his heavy coat and undershirt before he kicked off his boots. He turned back, seeing his opponent was ready and waiting for him, Wulfric stepping into the ring and raising his fists.

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"Hold on a sec." A third man said, stepping into the ring. "Looks like we have a newcomer here, what's your name kid?"

Wulfric's ears lowered a little. "Wulfric." He grunted.

The man nodded, before he spoke up. "Alright, the rules are simple, fight until someone gives up, or can't stand up anymore. No eye gouging, no ear pulling, no biting, no kicking or tripping, settle it with your fists and your skills." The man nodded and hopped out of the ring. "Well what are you waiting for?" He shouted as the crowd let up a cheer.

Wulfric let out a snarl and jumped in, clenching his fist and lashing out at the big man, going for the belly. Ben batted his blow aside and sent one of his own towards Wulfric's chest, which he pivoted to let glance off his torso with a grunt. He figured his best bet was to stay close inside his opponent's reach, where he would have difficulty using his full strength. He saw the man's arm pull back and jumped in, ready to strike, until he felt the man's other fist slamming up into his belly, driving the wind from his lungs.

He staggered back, regaining his footing and trying to figure out what had just happened. He'd been feinted! And he'd fallen for it so easily. He caught his breath and brought his fists back up to his sides, ready to go back at it. He jumped up, springing up off the mat and punching at the man's face. He saw his opponent's eyes widen a little as he saw the blow coming and leaned back to avoid it doing more than a glancing blow, but Wulfric also struck out at his chest, striking a solid hit as he went back down to the mat, before he dashed back to avoid the counterstrike.

Ben laughed and lashed out again, stepping forward to keep in range. Wulfric had brought his hands up to block but the blow slipped right past his arm and slammed into his chest, sending him reeling. He recovered just in time to see his vision filled by the man's knuckles, smacking into his forehead and sending him reeling back until he hit the ropes. Wulfric blinked and shook his head to clear his vision, snarling again and jumping back into the fray. He kept his body low, tucking his arms in tight in front of his chest to block another strike like that, sending more punches at his opponent.

Ben shifted, his long arms reaching around Wulfric's blocks to smack into his sides, making him wince and flinch. He grit his teeth harder and jabbed at the man's belly, landing a smack on muscles that felt like solid iron before he barely fended off another strike to his own head. His next blow glanced off of Ben's blocking arm and the man slammed another hit into his chest in return while his arm had been overextended.

He shifted his approach again, jumping up clear off the mat and punching at the man's head. Ben took the blow with a grimace, before his fist connected with Wulfric's chin in a powerful uppercut that sent him flying backwards and slamming into the mat with a gasp. The man loomed over him, waiting for Wulfric to climb back to his feet. He was woozy and wobbled a little in place, but wasn't backing down that easily.

Growling his frustration, Wulfric stepped forward and threw out another punch, which Ben blocked. Then the big man drove forward and punched as he stepped in, going right through Wulfric's block to pound him in the chest again, then another blow to the head sent him reeling. He brought his hands up to protect his head and just earned himself a series of body blows that left his chest feeling like one big aching knot. He groaned and dropped his hands a little, just in time to get another punch to the head that spun him around and slammed him into the ropes.

"Jus' tap out boy, you've got no chance." Ben said, dancing on his feet a little, alarmingly agile for someone so big.

Wulfric shook his head and snapped his jaws. "No!" He grunted, and jumped in with renewed ferocity.

Ben widened his eyes in surprise, batting away the blows and striking back, though Wulfric managed to get a few shots in. On and on it went, more and more blows smacking into him. Ben just seemed to soak up any punishment Wulfric could give out. Again and again he went to the mat or the ropes, shaking stars from his eyes and hauling himself back to his feet. He knew he couldn't win, at some point, this way of fighting was too alien to him and Ben clearly knew what he was doing. But he wouldn't give up, he couldn't!

He lashed out again, and again, and again, and didn't seem to accomplish anything. Again and again his strikes were met with powerful counter blows or simply ignored. Once again, that big fist slammed into his head. Wulfric twisted in position, falling to the ropes.

"Just tap out boy, I've never seen anyone take so many hits to the noggin." Ben said, a note of worry in his voice.

"N-No..." Wulfric said, staggering back to his feet and blinking, wondering why Ben suddenly had a twin brother beside him. "I can take both of you..." He mumbled, before the whole room suddenly tilted sideways and the mat came up and hit him.

Wulfric blinked awake sometime later, trying to remember exactly what had happened. He looked up to see Ben's face peering back down at him. The man turned back to the bar. "He's alive!" He shouted, to some cheering.

Wulfric blinked again, trying to think past the throbbing mess that passed for his head right now. "What... happened?" He asked, wincing a little.

"What happened?" The man asked. "What happened is you just took enough of a beating to put down two men an' ya kept getting' back up." He said, pushing a horn of ale into Wulfric's hand.

Wulfric looked at the drink before taking a pull. "And... then what happened?"

"Well and then you fell down after most men would be pulverized on tha floor an I dragged you over here ta recover."

Wulfric nodded again, slowly putting the pieces together. "And you're giving me a drink because... why?"

"Well because I've never seen a man take that many blows ta the head an still know how ta speak afterward." The big man said, scratching his chin. "And I figured any man who can take that much punishment deserves a drink. You're a lot tougher than ye look."

The Valdyrkin nodded again, and took a long pull of ale. "Makes sense I suppose." He said. It didn't really, not right now, but he wasn't going to bite the hand that offered him free drinks. He took a long pull and sat up more in his chair, blinking the stars in his vision away and reaching up to massage his aching neck. He would heal soon enough, so until then he just had to grin and bear it. "That was... very different." He grunted, getting comfortable.

"Different how?" Ben asked, getting himself a fresh drink.

"That kind of fighting. I'm not used to it." Wulfric admitted. "It's very different to how I learned to fight bare handed."

"Oh so they don't have boxing where you come from?" Ben said with a nod. "Odd, where are you from, actually? If'n you don't mind my asking. I've never seen one quite like you before.

Wulfric shrugged. "I'm one of the Valdyrkin, my people live many leagues to the north of this place. Up in the foothills and mountains and snowy plains."

Ben nodded, rubbing his chin. "Ah, I see. Honestly I was wondering if you were some kind of half breed or something, but that wouldn't explain the eyes. Oh pardon my rudeness, I didn't mean to pry."

The Valdyrkin waved a hand before he sipped more ale. "It's alright, it's alright, any rudeness is excused on account of giving me ale." He said, his bruises starting to recede as his gifts of rapid healing started to work now that the fight was over.

"Right, a good drink makes everything better, speaking off..." He raised his voice. "Another round for my friend and me!" He bellowed, bringing the barmaid over with a pitcher of ale for the two to share.

Their cups refilled, they each took a deep pull of their drinks before setting their cups down. "So." Ben asked. "What brings you wandering into our little tavern eh?"

Wulfric shrugged. "I needed someplace to work out my frustrations, seemed as good a place as any."

"And did it work?"

He cocked his head. "Well... I think so. I'm not annoyed at what I was worrying about earlier." He chuckled, feeling the knots in his muscles unkinking themselves and smoothing out. "Been searching for something." He took another drink. "Someone, really."

Ben nodded, taking a pull. "Ah, business or pleasure?"

Wulfric mulled it over. Maybe he shouldn't talk about his mission, but then again he was on his own here. Some local perspective might be a good idea. "Business." He said eventually. "I'm searching for a young woman, kidnapped from her home. I've followed the band that took her across the countryside and the trail brings me here. I fear that they plan to smuggle her off to parts unknown from this place with the ending of the festival markets. If that happens I don't think I can find her again."

Ben nodded gravely, sighing as he set his drink down. "I see. This city of ours may be fair but it has its dark underbelly as well. There's a gang of smugglers and cutthroats who use this place as a hub of sorts, moving their merchandise through the city. Secret passages and corrupted guards and all of a sudden they think they run the place. Damn parasites."

Wulfric cocked his head, a little surprised at the outburst. "I admit, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me." He said, looking down to his ale before he gulped down some more. "We didn't have anything like that where I came from. What exactly do they smuggle and why?"

Ben grimaced. "Herbs and potions that affect the mind, is the largest bulk item. Then there's forbidden magical items, really anything that the town guards have decided is worth confiscating, they'll run through if you pay them enough."

"And this is bad?" Wulfric asked, cocking his head again. Why make such things illegal in the first place? There was no such idea of something you were forbidden to sell among his own people.

"Well, perhaps not the items they're running." Ben admitted. "But they do more than that. They pay off the guards to look the other way and intimidate anyone they can't bribe. More recently they've started bullying shopkeepers and merchants to start buying 'protection' from them. If you don't pay up then they trash your business, or just burn it down as an example if you're too stubborn for them to take over."

Wulfric scowled. "Sounds like a bunch of carrion-eating scavengers to me."

Ben nodded, taking another pull of his ale. "Aye, that's about a right description for the bastards."

"You seem to know an awful lot about them, is this common knowledge here?" Wulfric asked.

Ben made a face. "Well, yes and no. I suppose I've had more than my fair share of run-ins with em. See I make my living doing various odd jobs you know? Bartending, bouncer, heavy lifting, that kind of thing. Done a few odd jobs for the shopkeepers and well, I got tired of seeing them get pushed around." He took a long pull, tapping the flagon thoughtfully. "So I pushed back. The next time the thugs came around lookin' for money I sent em scurrying back with bruises and bloody noses."

Wulfric grinned, imagining them scampering off and whimpering, such a big man could probably intimidate most city folk fairly easily.

"That... was really a mistake in the long run. I made em mad." He admitted, sighing. "Once I got on their bad side I couldn't keep working for the shopkeepers like I had before, not that many people were willing to work with me. They thought my bad relations with the blighters would rub off on them and then they'd be a target. But I make do, still getting by."

Wulfric nodded slowly. "I see. I don't think I would have done differently in your place. I'd rather fight than run down a burrow and hide."

Ben gave him a little grin, nodding to him. "Aye, I imagine ye would." He finished off his flagon and set it down. "Well Wulfric, you're an odd sort, but not a bad sort. It's been nice chattin' but it's time for me to get going."

Wulfric nodded and stood up. "I should as well. Do you know anywhere I could rent a room for the night?"

Ben nodded. "Aye, there's a place on the way to my home, come on I'll show you the way."

Following along, Wulfric let his friend lead him out of the little tavern. It was fully nighttime now, the last vestiges of the sun's rays had vanished from the horizon. The city was entirely lit by lamplight now, and even this great city had slowed down in the nighttime hours. People didn't loiter about now, those on the streets were walking briskly to their destinations, or closing down for the night.

They walked in silence for a little while, before Ben looked over to him. "I hope you find her, this lady you're looking for."

Wulfric nodded up to him. "Yes, I do too. Judging by what you're saying about these criminals then I doubt they have anything pleasant in mind for someone like her."

"You're certain they're involved then?" Ben asked.

Wulfric considered it, cocking his head as he thought. "It makes sense." He shrugged. "From what you've told me then I doubt that they would be happy if some outside force came in and started doing business in what they see as their territory. There would be a conflict between them. If you want to hunt in someone else's territory then you go and make a show of respect to the leader. You don't do it without permission hoping that they don't find you. Besides, with what they stole they're probably looking to get the stuff smuggled off to who knows where through this city. I don't think they came to a city with a large smuggling ring and a corrupt guard force by accident while they were smuggling stolen goods."

Ben nodded, scratching his chin as he thought about that. "Mmm, yes that does make a good kind of sense. If they were just looking to stay unnoticed you'd think they would stick to back roads and camp in the countryside, not go through the difficulty of getting their loot into the city, never mind a kidnapped woman along with all the rest of it. That can't have been easy and it's not something they would do without planning on it."

"Exactly." Wulfric said with a grin, glad that he didn't seem to be grasping at straws with his theory. "They probably don't know I'm following them, so they wouldn't go here to lose me off the trail. They must have another plan. And I doubt it's a coincidence they're here while this harvest market is going on."

Ben nodded again, turning another corner on the streets. "Aye, they're busy this time of year. All kinds of smuggling going on, and plenty of rich merchants to extort. In fact I'm hoping to track down a lead on a.... oh."

Wulfric paused, his hand straying towards his weapon, feeling that something was not right here. His ears flicked up, there were footsteps, nearby as well. He let out a low warning growl as four figures stepped out of the shadows. They didn't seem that different from most of the people in the city, though they looked a little harder than your average city folk. Stronger, faster, more primal than the coddled folk he was used to finding in these big towns. There was something about their scent as well, a kind of spicy organic scent that he couldn't place, tickling his sensitive nose.

"How's it going Ben?" Asked one of the men. There was a glint in his eye, the glint of a predator having cornered its prey.

"Fine... It's a nice night." Ben said, his voice level, but there was a bit of energy in his words, he was anxious. Wulfric's nerves ratcheted up another notch, he was on edge. "You boys out enjoying the fresh air?"

"I suppose you could say that." Said one of the men, "Going to visit a friend."

"You, as a matter of fact." Said the first, who seemed to be the leader of this little band.

"I'm flattered." Ben grunted. He seemed casual enough to the untrained eye, but he was ready to spring into action if need be. His fingers slipped into his pockets, thumbs hooked into his belt. His stance shifted, ready to fight.

Wulfric wasn't sure who these men were, but he didn't like them. The way they held themselves reminded him of a predator used to taking weak and defenseless prey. Casual, almost arrogant, they taunted Ben with their words.

"But you, I don't know you. Run along then, you don't want no part of this." The leader said, gesturing at Wulfric.

"Ye should probably go." Ben said, "I don't want tae get you mixed up in-"

"I'll stay, thanks." Wulfric grunted, hardening his stance.

The posture of the four men changed a little at his defiance, more confrontational, glancing to their leader for direction. Ben gave him a little look, but said nothing.

"You new to this city or something?" One of the men asked. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

The leader grunted. "Course he's new, I never seen anyone with ears like that around these parts. But whatever, we can do them both for all I care." The leader looked back to Ben. "You've been sticking your nose in the wrong places Ben, and the boss is getting sick of it. Poor old Blake still ain't walking right. But more importantly, you're cutting into the money, so..." He said, lingering on the word as he drew a dagger. "I'm afraid you've got to go. Either leave this town and never come back, or you're ending up at the bottom of the river."

"I don't take too kindly ta threats, lad." Ben said, voice steady, but his eyes were appraising the four men, looking for weaknesses, watching their movements. "The last man that tried to threaten me was Blake, an' you know how he ended up."

"We're warning you Ben..."

"Nah, I'm warnin' you." Ben said, spitting on the cobblestones. "That you've got one chance ta back down 'afore I give ye such a beating yer nads will crawl up inta yer body for mercy. Not that a man with a face like yer's needs em very often though, right?" As he spoke, Ben gave perhaps the most patronizing grin that Wulfric had ever seen.

"Bastard!" The leader of the thugs cursed, lunging forward with his knife.

Ben whipped his hand out of his pocket, smashing upward with a massive uppercut. There was a heavy crunching sound and the man reeled back, clutching at his nose and trying to stem the blood running down his face. Ben had something on his knuckles, a shiny piece of metal between the fingers of his hand, with little studs on the outer plate.

"Don't just stand there you rats!" The leader choked past his broken nose. "Kill 'em!"

The Valdyrkin flashed a savage snarl as he whipped his hand axe out of its clasp at his belt, bringing the shining steel weapon up. One of the men had squared off against him, having pulled a curved dagger out of his belt. Wulfric raised his axe, the other hand up with his fingers spread like a claw, ready to grasp and grapple. His heart pounded in his chest, ready for battle as he bared his teeth to his opponent. His ears were upright and poised, his sharp teeth gleaming in the low light and a deep, menacing growl was rumbling out of his chest.

His snarling display seemed to unnerve his opponent, just as he'd hoped. Wulfric's blood was up, ready to attack, ready to spill blood, but he waited. Patience, sometimes a hunter had to show patience, let the prey make the first mistake.

The thug stepped forward and made a swipe with his knife, cutting at Wulfric's left hand. Seeing he'd taken the bait, Wulfric stepped in and slashed with his axe, catching the man's arm before it could be withdrawn. The brigand cried out in pain as the steel blade cut into his arm, withdrawing the bleeding limb. He kept his nerve though, readying himself for another go.

Wulfric's ears twitched, keeping some attention on what was going on around him. Ben was tussling with two of the other men and seemed to be holding his own, but he couldn't spare much attention for the man right now. The scent of blood on the outside of the fight let him know the injured leader was hanging back for the moment, shouting encouragement from the sidelines and probably looking for an opportunity to get in and strike a telling blow on the big man.

"I'll have those ears for trophies!" Hissed the man he was fighting, bringing the knife up again.

"And I'll have you for dinner." Wulfric chuckled, before he let out another savage snarl and jumped forward, on the offensive himself this time.

The knife stabbed towards him as he jumped in, trying to cut him down before he could get in and strike another blow. It was the predictable move though, and Wulfric had planned on it. He swept his left arm forward and to the side, deflecting the thrust and leaving his opponent open for the next attack. The axe blade went up, then came flashing down, burying itself in the flesh and bone of the man's shoulder. The scream that went up pierced the night, as the man cried out, reaching up towards his shoulder as if to pull the axe blade free. Wulfric did the job for him, raising a booted foot and kicking him hard in the chest while wrenching the axe back. It came free with a spurt of blood that began staining his shirt.

The scent of blood spurred Wulfric on, jumping forward again. The wounded man held up his blade and slashed diagonally to try and ward him off, but Wulfric dropped low, hooking the axe head around the man's ankle and pulling hard. Wounded and disoriented, his opponent lost balance and came crashing to the street, the knife skittering out of his hand. The Valdyrkin wouldn't give him the chance to get up, he was on the man almost as soon as he hit the cobblestones. The axe came up, the gleaming spike on the bottom of the handle pointed down, before Wulfric drove the point of the spike into his downed enemy's chest and through his beating heart.

He heard a voice behind him swear in the local tongue and he stood up, drawing the axe's spike from the man's chest with a wet squelch. The leader, having seemingly gotten over his broken nose, was looking at the ruined form of his comrade, bringing that long knife up in a fighting stance. "I'll have your eyes for that you bastard!" He spat, coming in with the knife ready.

Wulfric just snarled, bringing himself back to a fighting stance. This man seemed more competent, he smelled of anger rather than fear. He would have to be more cautious with this one. The shining knife came in, a low probing attack towards his belly. Wulfric kept his limbs tucked in close, protecting his core with his arms as he jumped back a bit. He was light on his feet, jumping side to side a little bit, never staying in one place for too long.

The brigand's eyes strayed to Wulfric's bloody axe, and he took advantage of the brief distraction to slash at his opponent. The man jumped back, barely avoiding the whistling blade, giving a return slash at Wulfric as he dodged back, the knife glancing off his thick leather coat.

"You'll have to do better than that I'm afraid." Wulfric snorted, giving the man a grin that was more a baring of teeth than anything else.

"You'll never get out of this city alive!" His opponent swore. "The others will hunt you down, no one crosses the guild and lives!"

Wulfric gave a little shrug. "Still living." He pointed out. Then he sprung forward, slashing widely. His enemy jumped back in surprise, which was just what Wulfric was hoping for. Wulfric himself leaped backwards to put some distance between them, leaving himself wide open. The brigand leader saw an opportunity and charged forward, just as Wulfric brought his hand down, throwing his axe towards the charging man. The brute saw the weapon spinning through the air towards him, but it was too late. The spinning blade sunk into his chest, the blow sending him staggering and stumbling, falling to the ground. Wulfric was on him before he had a chance to adjust, grabbing him by the shirt and chin, forcing the chin up to expose the downed man's neck. Wulfric snarled and lowered his jaws. His enemy's cries reached a new pitch as the familiar taste of blood filled his mouth. With a snap of his jaws and a wrenching motion he tore out the downed man's throat and stood up over the dying man, his struggles fading until he lay still.

He pulled his axe free and looked over to see how Ben was doing. The big man had a few superficial looking injuries on his arms, but it seemed he'd triumphed over his opponents, the two thugs laying at his feet, broken and beaten if not actually dead. The big man was panting, turning to look around and make sure they were safe.

"Alright, alright it looks like that was all of them, we'd better get off the street before... by the gods what happened ta you?" He asked, seeing Wulfric wiping blood off his chin.

"It's alright, not my blood." He said with a shrug, licking his hand clean and wiping his face again.

Ben shook himself visibly and kept going, waving for Wulfric to follow him. "Well come on, we've gotta get out of here before anyone finds this carnage. We can't go to an inn now, come on my place isn't far. You can stay with me for the night, at least."

Wulfric shrugged, but gave him a little grin, his blood still up from the fight. "Hah, that's kind of you. I appreciate the offer."

Ben gave him a look for a moment, as if judging him, before he simply shrugged and led Wulfric on through the dim streets.

Ben's home was a shabby looking little place tucked between two large brick buildings. A little narrow but with two floors, old wood coming apart in places and patched back together. Still, it was a nice enough place and Ben assured him they were safe here.

Wulfric sniffed about after they came inside, hanging his coat by the door and leaving his gear on a table. The place smelled of Ben, he must have been living here for a while.

"It's not much, but it keeps the rain out. Mostly." Ben said, locking the door behind them. "Now I didn't intend to dump me problems on you lad, I didn't want you to get involved in anything out there. But I do appreciate you sticking up for me against those thugs."

Wulfric had gotten a cloth out of his pack, finishing cleaning himself up. He shrugged. "Seemed the right thing to do."

"And, that's it?" Ben asked, looking surprised. "It just seemed like the right thing, so you killed two men? Two men connected with the local smuggling guild and possibly making yourself an enemy of them? Just because it seemed right?"

Wulfric shrugged again, leaning against the wall. "That's about it, yeah. Besides, you gave me some useful information, and if what you said is right then I'm already an enemy of these people. And besides, dead men tell no tales, they can't know who it was. Probably just blame you for it."

"That is... comforting I suppose." Ben said, shaking his head. He went into the little kitchen and started fixing something. Wulfric sniffed around a little more. He couldn't find anyone else's scent here, at least not very strong. Ben must live alone.

"You're an odd one, Wulfric." Ben said from the kitchen, pouring some tea and putting on some meat. "And not just because of your looks. Not many men would jump in to help someone they barely know like that."

Wulfric walked over and took one of the tea mugs, letting the ceramic warm his hands as he sniffed the scent. "How I was raised, I guess. You don't let people like that just kill someone in front of you if you can try to stop it. Especially not if that person has bought you a drink."

Ben laughed, taking a sip of his own tea, stirring the stew he was heating up. "Aye, true enough. Was brave of you though, and you're a hell of a fighter, that's for sure."

Wulfric cocked his head. "It sounds like you're trying to ask me something. What is it?"

Ben nodded. "Seems you can see right through me, thought subtlety was never me strong suit. Look, that little encounter... it wasn't the first time the guild has tried to get to me. I've had to move around a few times when they found out where I was living. This place I've been in for a month or so now, they haven't managed to find me yet. Belongs to a friend of mine who's letting me stay here, at least for the time being. I've been a thorn in the side of these bastards for a good while now, but I don't feel like anything's happening." He took another sip of tea, leaning against the wall and looking thoughtful.

"Too many of the guards are on their payroll now, and too many of the people are either scared or just don't care so long as it all stays out of sight. I've busted up a couple of their deals, beat on a couple of their thugs, but I can't really do anything about their operation. So... that's where I think you come in." He collected himself, taking another sip. "Between the two of us, I think we might have a decent chance, at least against most of the rabble they use as enforcers. We've got an enemy in common it seems, I want this scum to stop ruining my city, and you want to find this girl. I need your help to make these bastards bleed, and you need my help finding your way around this city. So, what do you say? Can we help each other?"

Wulfric considered the idea. It did seem to make sense, without some kind of local informant he'd be wandering at random again. Ben was a solid fighter it seemed and he already had knowledge of this group they were facing. He'd go into conflict against these smugglers anyway in the course of his assignment, so it seemed pretty logical to get some help from a man who had already been dealing with them.

The Valdyrkin smiled. "I think that's an offer I can take you up on. Now, tell me everything you know about these smugglers."

They spoke for some time more, Ben filling Wulfric in on everything he'd learned about the group. They fashioned themselves as the 'smuggler's guild' it seemed. Everything seemed to come back to guilds in the Vadenland, Wulfric didn't quite understand it. It seemed that one of their more profitable smuggling operations was moving some kind of herbal reagent. He'd seen potion making back home but it was still a bit beyond him. Suffice it to say it was illegal but people still wanted to have it, so the smugglers were making a tidy profit running it past the guards who were still actually doing their jobs. It was one such shipment that Ben was tracking down, with a friend coming over the next day to fill him in on where it might be held. With nothing else to discuss, the pair went to catch some sleep, Wulfric unrolling his bedroll in a corner and laying down, drifting off to sleep without much difficulty after his long day.