---RYNE---

I was heaving as he recounted his story. He could have died. I supposed this strong concern for someone else's well-being was what Wilbur felt for me. It felt new to me, to care for someone as I care for him. Yes, there were the many infirmed and injured whose lips called for warm milk, for medicine, for Wilbur’s—and sometimes—my name, but this was different.

We were quiet for a while, and then Claude asked, “Whatever’s happening with the mountains and the forest, would it reach Rothfield?”

“I think the dark forest protects Rothfield somehow, Claude,” I answered carefully. Why I was more open to other villagers and not my only friend in some areas of my life, I wasn’t sure. “And it isn’t just here in Mount Lhottem. Other mountains and probably other terrains, like deep lakes and roads must be affected. You heard about the early snow, yes? It is not just here.” I saw worry pass his face. “But I think we can get through this.”

“How?”

I did not answer him directly. “Something about Rothfield is special, can you believe that?” I broached the topic delicately. “Something about it is bright and good and we… can feel how to work with whatever positive force is in there.”

He fixed me with a solemn look. He nodded and smiled. “Yes. I believe there is a bright force there.”

Relief flooded me. It was so easy to talk to him.

There was another softer growl from somewhere and I whipped my head around to check for furry foes. There were none. When I returned my gaze, Claude looked sheepish. His hand was on his stomach.

Laughter erupted from me before I contained it. I could not help it. He was grinning himself, his hand scratching the back of his head.

“Here,” I said and took from my side the canister of soup that I blessed earlier. Back at Rothfield.

“You are always prepared,” Claude commented, eyes wide.

I pushed him to finish it all, telling him honestly that I had already eaten at the village before it was attacked.

“A proper celebration? I missed those…” he commented as he supped gratefully. When he had finished, he returned the empty canister to me, hoisted his sword, and placed its flat base on top of his shoulder. “Well, where to next this night?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

“I’m sure that meeting you here and stopping two wolves from old folktales isn’t the only reason coincidence set me on this path this night.” Claude suddenly arched a brow, thoughtful. "Say, what happened to the other wolf?"

"Never mind about that," I said quickly, bringing his attention back to me.

I felt unsure about this. It’s one thing to bring my brothers into this mess, but Claude? Not to look down upon his station, never that, no, but his childhood and background… he has only known fields and family and carving. He is a child!

Then again, so was I, if I were to listen to Wilbur and Woodrow. I studied the way he carried himself and how he carried his sword. He’s capable. Woodrow said himself that he was a quick study. If the dark forest thought him to be more than worthy, then maybe this was what was supposed to happen. I couldn’t send him back alone, anyway. Maybe he is safer with me.

“There are precious ores we need to mine for Wilbur’s experiments. Do you know fire opals? They can be found near dormant pools of lava. We need ones to wake up some flowers in Wilbur’s garden. Some flowers need certain minerals to bloom, just like how crops need fertilizer to grow fast and strong,” I explained. Claude was listening intently. I winced. “And we may face a greater foe lying inside.” I waited for his response.

“If you think I’m going to pass an opportunity to finally see inside Mount Lhottem with a friend, and let that friend go by himself with those beasts roaming, then Ryne, forgive me, but you must have lost your head.”

Oh. I did not realize that he meant that I would not be able to defend myself. I smiled and shrugged. We turned around, heading inside the mountain’s maw.

Claude shuddered when we passed the mouth-like entrance, whispering, “Blast, I forgot we needed a torch.” Thankfully, glowworms were hanging on the walls of the cavern, leading us to a big downward tunnel. “Let’s take a moment for our eyes to adjust.”

I grabbed his hand and walked carefully. I felt like there wasn’t any time to waste. We followed the trail of glowworms, all the while guiding my friend carefully. Our fingers curled against each other’s palms. I told him when to duck around a large stone hanging overhead and told him to avoid small holes. I heard his steady breathing and his beating heart. I heard the tip of his sword scratching the mountain wall.

“You look tired. I hope Wilbur and Woodrow are fine.” Claude squinted at me in the dark, his voice echoing. “How do you manage to see so well? You’ve been guiding me without light.”

“Our eyes adjust well at night,” I said, squeezing his hand. Claude said no more. He continued to follow me. I was grateful for that.

He wanted to be a soldier, I remembered. I also remembered in this moment the heightened strength and courage of the villagers of Kent the moment my prayer before meals activated. I turned back and checked his spirit using Gaelmar’s influence. Part of me too wanted to know if I raised his defenses by giving him the crops.

He glowed. It was not much, but he was glowing a bit of light blue and light red. Maybe that meant he was raised temporarily with might and defense?

Claude kept bumping into me as he slipped. As we got deeper, soft snores echoed in the tunnels. We crept slowly, hugging the walls, until we saw a soft red light glowing from far ahead. We were near the chamber with the lava pools and fire opals.

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The alpha direwolf slept ahead.

We emerged to a spacious cavern. I felt Claude stiffen behind me when he saw the great beast, bigger than the ones we faced. Her white fur was bathed pink by the glow of the lava. I thought Claude would reconsider. He did not. He raised his sword and breathed out, readying himself for a fight. He’d truly make a fine soldier someday, I thought.

I scanned my surroundings. There were unlit torches made of curious bronze set on the walls of this chamber. It looked as if it was waiting for a fight or a challenge.

Suddenly I knew what to do. “Claude, I’m not sure how, but when those torches light, it means we have to fight.”

He nodded, drawing his sword and pointing it at the alpha direwolf. Discreetly, I cast kindflame on one torch. As I suspected, when I lit one, the flame jumped to light the rest, filling the chamber with a whooshing sound. Only when the final torch was lit did the alpha direwolf stir from her sleep. She opened her eyes, yawned, and stood. She stretched, claws sharper the Claude’s sword emerging, scratching the ground. She was about to lick her paws when she smelled something in the air. The scent of intruders.

Her ears pricked, her tail went up, and her eyes fell on us. She growled. Claude slowly walked in front of me.

“Get to cover, Ryne!”

“And leave you to deal with that? Not a chance.”

The alpha direwolf sprung. I touched Claude’s hand when he blocked the big paw swinging at him and a glowing force pushed her back. Not enough to hurl the beast away, but only singed her fur. She looked stunned and prowled around Claude. She waved her paw, licking her small wound. Then her big eyes saw me. Her eyes suddenly shifted into something like recognition, but then she growled and strained against herself as if she were not in full control of her body. She shook her head, and snarled, dead set on me. They were now eyes of red fury.

Now. Woodrow said to use most of my power here.

Claude focused on the wolf, so he did not notice when I grabbed the hilt of his sword. I closed my eyes and channeled most of Gaelmar’s flame. I thought of Woodrow as he battled. I thought of Wilbur as he healed people. I felt Claude’s noble courage and friendship. And I thought of myself, finally doing my part in combating the darkness.

The sword blazed to life, a light-blue flame surrounding it, but not harming Claude. We felt its pleasant heat. The great white direwolf saw and she stepped back and snapped at us.

Claude shouted, amazed, and possibly afraid, at what he was witnessing, but still he held the hilt firmly. The alpha direwolf circled around us, clawing the ground and making lunges with her mouth. Claude leaped and swung at her, jumping from my side, but of course, she dodged it with ease. I saw the blade sputter as if a wind was blowing it away and realized that I had to be near Claude for it to light fully.

I ran to him. The alpha direwolf seemed to register the connection. She stared, then quick as a flash, brushed her tail across the ground and threw pebbles and dust at me. My focus broke. After I spluttered and clawed my eyes for dirt, I saw that the sword’s flame was dying and that the alpha direwolf was about to pounce.

Claude managed to block the pounce successfully, and aided by the remaining embers, countered it with a swipe of his own.

The alpha direwolf bled. It did not disappear. Claude and I looked at each other. This creature was not of shadow, but living, real. The beast howled, enraged. She slithered between us, separating us, swishing Claude away with her tail. I called after him but the wolf stared me down and bared her fangs. The sword stopped glowing.

As the direwolf stared me down, I saw the glow inside her eyes. Past her red pupils was a smaller figure of herself. Her soul. It was a caged pup. A starlight-white fluffy docile pup, ears low on the ground, fur so soft. Startled, I grabbed the beast’s face closer. I spoke to the soul inside.

“Hear me,” I said to the pup.

The direwolf stilled as the pup inside listened to my voice. Its ears pointed up. She raised her head and barked softly at me. It was like looking at the inner child of the monster. I felt the body of the direwolf bend low. It was as if I was looking through the obscure window of an abandoned house. The pup crawled forward to stare at me. She looked like she was in a dark abandoned cavern herself.

“I hear you,” I said to it calmly.

Her adult physical body calmed. The fur that stood on its edges softened. I heard Claude approach me, but my eyes were set on the pup.

“You’re not like the others. You’re trapped.”

She made a pitying sound, and I wanted to snatch her away, reach into those pupils, and take her. Then the pup barked again and whimpered. A distasteful coldness grabbed me. Miasma surrounded the pup, forming a leash around its neck. Her adult form began to growl again.

Her heart. Strike her heart. She will be fine. Trust me. The voice Gaelmar guided the warmth in me. It flowed from my heart and into my hand.

“Be brave, young one. Look at me. The miasma will not hurt you anymore. I promise.” I encouraged her gently. “Come now, you will be free. Come back to me. Trust me.”

The pup shivered. Slowly, she looked at me with watery, beady eyes. She let out a squeak. Her adult form stilled once more.

“Strike at her heart, Claude,” I whispered calmly.

Claude, shaking, aimed his sword at her chest. “Show me exactly where,” he said.

I guided his hand downward to its soft fur. “Strike true.”

“I hadn’t realized this before… but she is beautiful.”

And then, we both plunged the sword down into her chest, the fur thick as a mattress. The alpha direwolf’s adult form only yelped a little, and she sank to the ground. I knelt as I carried some of her weight. Still, she did not blink. I cradled her neck and stroked the top of her head. Claude sat with me on the ground and smoothed a free part of her neck. Our pinkie fingers connected. The white fur felt like soft blades of grass sticking between our fingers before evaporating. I smoothed her fur and with my other hand, sank Claude’s sword deeper. She did not make a sound. She stilled, paws limp.

I looked deep into her eyes and told the pup inside, now struggling free of the fading miasma, I whispered, “I purify you. I unbind you from the Chaos.” I pressed my lips to her soft head. I welcome you home to Rothfield.”

The pup inside barked, her tail wagging. It looked like she knew the place. The miasma around her formed into leashes once more; hoops for binding the legs and mouth. But the pup growled at it and with an adorable but ferocious bark, pushed the miasma away like wind blasts bad smoke.

The body of the direwolf shrunk, its long fur retreating. She finally closed her eyes and glowed softly; a friendly yellow light that turned into floating motes that disappeared in the air. Claude closed his eyes, but I waited for the purification to finish, not daring to break the connection until there was a fluffy ball of fur sitting on my lap.

The puppy looked up at me, black beady eyes wide. Her head cocked to the side. Claude breathed out while I brought my face close to hers. Her eyes were adorable, like shiny black marbles. A tongue licked my nose. Both of us chuckled as the direwolf pup, quite larger than a common pup, hopped off from my hands and lap and onto the ground, stretching, yawning, and showing her soft canine teeth. She smelled Claude’s boots and his iron sword and then nuzzled her face close to ours. Claude and I held her, bouncing her gently.

I scratched her behind her ears, down her back. “I’ve always wanted a pet dog,” I said in awe, remembering how other dogs hated us.

She barked happily, her tail never stopping to wave in the air. I knew, from looking at how she reacted to my words, that she understood me. We have a connection now, and I will keep her safe for as long as I am able.