(Jormund POV)

So here I am, standing in the middle of nowhere, a long way from home, with three enormous wolfkin intent on tearing me to shreds.

The largest of the bunch is to my left. It’s massive, a murderous muscular monstrosity, covered in mottled black fur. In each hand it grips a large bone club - I note they have nails, rather than claws.

The middle beast is smaller and leaner than the other two. That doesn’t mean she’s less dangerous, though - speed can be as lethal as strength, as I learned the hard way. In the adrenaline-fueled focus of pure terror, I note her fur is shorter than the others’, with a dappled coat of light brown.

In contrast, and only in contrast, the final beast doesn’t seem all that dangerous. It’s eyes dart across the campsite, taking in everything. The brains of the operation, if I had to guess.

All in all, my chances of beating them in a fair fight are absolutely zero.

----------------------------------------

"Really? They’re already building tank/healer/rogue combos? Well, if it ain’t broke, I suppose…"

----------------------------------------

Very slowly, I back away. They don’t follow me, instead preferring to watch. The third seems slightly bemused by the whole situation, although the others more than make up for it with the venom in their glare. Still, perhaps I’m not going to die immediately.

I stop, a few paces out of easy reach, and keep cataloguing their appearances.

I can’t get over how huge they are. They would stand at least a head above even Yor. Their arms are long, too, giving them easily twice the swinging range of most humans. In contrast, their heads seem comparatively small, but they could easily bite through my wrist with those teeth.

Their chests are broad, but they have surprisingly narrow waists, tapering into long, sinewy legs. It gives them a slightly top-heavy look. Perhaps those legs might be a weak point, if I could aim a solid blow at them? No, they’re clearly used to running on all fours, and three legs is nearly as good. Also, that means getting close.

I’m coming to the conclusion that the goblin’s have picked a terrible enemy.

The third wolfkin hunkers down a little, so that his eyes are on a level with mine.

"Well, now. Humans. We were right, Mokra."

His voice is guttural, but clearly not unused to speech. They may look like beasts, but I need to be careful not to underestimate them - they are quite as capable of finding our weaknesses as we are theirs. And we have rather more of them.

Behind me, I hear the rest of the party rising. Good thing we keep our weapons within easy reach while we sleep. The other two wolfkin take the opportunity to start circling us, with a distinct lack of concern in their demeanor.

"They’re shorter than those elves. Ah! I wonder if they can run as fast?"

To my left, the lean wolfkin yowls, and speaks.

"Oh, we’ll find out soon enough. Unless, of course, they hand over the goblin."

From the darkness behind us, the largest wolfkin rumbles in a deep growl.

"The goblin came here expecting help. They are in league, clearly. We should kill them. Now."

Keeping an eye on the curious one, I try to signal to Forgu that we need to start negotiating. Apparently he agrees.

"Ah… Greetings. We have no quarrel with you, Wolfkin. We’ve come to talk."

The dappled female turns towards Forgu and snarls at him. The party raises their weapons as one, and I desperately hope that nobody does something rash.

"Let your packleader announce his intentions. We have no interest in the words of his underlings."

Forgu looks shocked, as do we all. I don’t know what I expected, but that wasn’t it.

"I am the leader!"

Suddenly, the large black wolfkin appears behind Forgu.

"Do you think us fools?! The strong leads the pack, and you are not the strongest of this pack."

"Is it the boy? Or, perhaps the silent one, behind whom the goblin cowers..."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

I was hoping that they would be less frightening now that they’re talking, rather than immediately about to kill us. Apparently not. They keep circling the party, never ceasing in their movement, always seeming in perfect synchrony. Occasionally they vanish into the darkness, only to duck back into the light where I least expect them. In the privacy of my head, I offer a brief plea to the Jade woman. Perhaps she can help me? Or perhaps I’m just going to die here.

If we’re going to get out of here, I need to make a gambit.

"What do you want, Wolfkin? Come into the light, we are not prey!"

"A bold claim, human. Whether you are prey is ours to decide. And we want the goblin."

Ah yes, the goblin. I’d forgotten about it in the confusion, somehow. I turn to look at the creature in question, and find it curled up in a ball in the middle of our group, shivering madly.

It’s clearly utterly panicked, and I hear a low stream of muttering as it raves to itself.

"Stupid Kali! Should have stayed in the warm and dark! A bad plan, this was a bad plan, it’s grandfather’s fault, yes it is! Hunters would have been so much better, easy and quiet, had it so good! But no, wanted to see the world, made all kind of silly moves, and now I’m going to die! Going to be all crunched up by wolfkin! Agh!"

Not hugely helpful. Still, I can’t bring myself to throw the pitiful thing to the wolves. And, I must admit, I’m curious as to why it’s here in the first place.

"Strange as it may seem, we’re no friends to the goblins. We came looking for someone to help us against them, in fact. The goblins have been raiding us, and we hoped we might find allies among their enemies."

"Help you? Hah! Why should we help you? A pack that cannot fend for itself is no worthy ally!"

"They don’t deserve our help. They deserve our jaws, Shintra!"

"Silence, Mokra. So, humans, how do you answer him? Why should we defend the weak?"

"You misjudge us, wolfkin! Forgu, show them the fangs!"

It’s a desperate bluff, but it’s something. Thankfully Forgu’s wise enough to see that, and follows my order. No doubt I’ll pay for the insolence, later, but at least there might be a later.

Kneeling at his pack, he grabs a pouch and throws it to me. I catch it without fumbling, just, avoiding another obvious sign of weakness.

"So, wolfkin, you think us weak?! Then how have we slain those you could not?!"

I pull the seven sets of fangs from the pouch, recovered from the goblin raiders, and dangle them from my open hand.

"You see these? We took them from the corpses of a goblin raiding party. Their previous owners were slayers of wolfkin and the strongest of their horde, and now they lie dead at our hand. You wish for a sign of strength, well, here it is!"

The goblins are weak, and it is by our might rather than yours. We hope for allies not to defend ourselves, but to annihilate them entirely! What say you? What say you?!

Silence, and darkness, for several minutes. None of the party moves, and the only sound is that of the whimpering goblin. I stare into the blackness, looking for movement.

Then, before me, the wolfkin  pace into the light of the campfire.

"So be it. Rest here, tonight. Tomorrow, we shall take you before the Alpha. It is to him you shall make your case."

I silently thank the Lady of Jade.

----------------------------------------

(Shintra POV)

The sun has passed its zenith by the time we reach the village. Mokra keeps complaining about how slow the humans are, and Trai has decided to try talking to them.

For some reason beyond my comprehension they’ve decided to drag the goblin along with them, and then I do mean drag. The damn thing tried to get away several times, and now they’ve attached it to their pack leader by a rope. Perhaps it’s some form of war trophy? Or perhaps it’s fodder for blood magic, such as the elves practice?

Ah, we’re close now.

"Trai, Mokra watch our... guests. I shall inform the Alpha of our arrival."

The large cave that we call home smells of smoke and meat and the pack. At the back there’s a smaller grotto, held by the Alpha, and it’s there I head now.

He’s waiting as I enter. It seems our scouts are getting better, if even I can’t spot them.

"Ah, Shintra. They tell me you’ve brought home something worthy of my attention. Is that so, huntress?"

"Yes, Alpha. A party of humans, and a goblin. The humans disturbed the Ardron, we picked up their trail in its wake. The claim to have come to ask our tribe for assistance. As for the goblin, I have no answers. It’s their prisoner, or… something."

"Indeed? Odd. What kind of help do they desire?"

"They wish for our co-operation in an attack on the goblins. They claim the goblins are weak, currently, as a result of a failed raid."

The Alpha raises his head in bland surprise.

"Curious. This is all… most curious. You have done well, Shintra. Go to the other elders. We prepare a Minor Conclave for the evening, six days hence. A decision of this magnitude requires no less an honour."

A Minor Conclave. Such an occasion has not been held within my lifetime! I nod in mute acknowledgement, and return to the main cave.

----------------------------------------

(Jade POV)

John was checking his inbox before lunch when I received the message.

"Uhmm, John? We have an appointment in Throughout the Ages."