After a fortnight of travel through the northern forests of the New Wandar Province, the weary companions were starting to get on each other's nerves. Spring was just beginning in the southern lands, but up here in the north lands it was still some ways off. So not only were the days short and cold but the nights were long and even colder. Soon all of that would change as the forest hurried to take advantage of the short growing season with ferns bursting from the forest floor while trees and shrubs filled with leaves. Animals would be quickly trying to put enough food away before the next long night of winter. But for now it was all the travelers could do to find a patch of ground clear enough of snow for a campsite so they could keep somewhat warm until the next day.
It did not help that the howling of wolves was becoming constant at every sundown putting everyone on edge. Natalia started assigning four-hour guard shifts during the night which made them not only cold, but also tired throughout the days. She grew fearful of the Grim Wolves getting bolder the closer to the Snow Forest they traveled. She had never heard of them attacking a band of people on War Horses with Tundra Wolves along, but then she had never heard of such large packs this far south either. Things were changing up here in the north, and that was no doubt why WizLoke sent them on this journey. However, they were just supposed to spy on the doings and movements of their ancient enemy the Druids Bane, not fight off roving packs of Grim Wolves.
"Are you sure we are going the right way Nat?" Kaleb asked one morning after a small breakfast. "None of us have ever heard of these 'standing stones'. And how can a bunch of rocks protect us from wolves anyhow? I say we head for the nearest village until these wolves move on."
"I'm afraid we are far, far away from any village, or any kind of farm or cabin for that matter," Natalia said. "And I never said that the stones could protect us, I only said they were the best place for us to go. I've camped at the standing stones many a time with my father and whatever protection they gave I think left them a long time ago with the ancients who built them. However, you do get a sense of restfulness when you're there. The meadows around them stay clear of trees for some reason, and the grass is always short giving clear shots with our bows if the wolves do attack."
"Well, I hope we have enough arrows," Kaleb said. "It sounds as if more and more wolves are on our trail every night. How far is it to your uncle's house from these stones anyway? If we can make it there that is."
"Kaleb, don't be an ass!" Alvari said. "Natalia is doing everything she can, and you volunteered to come on this journey, in case you don't remember!"
"That's ok Alvari. I'm a bit afraid too," Natalia said. "It will take us a week of hard riding to get to my uncle's cabin from the stones, as long as there is no sudden snow melt. I don't think there is much chance of that."
"I am not afraid!" Kaleb said giving Alvari an angry glance. "It's just...this is not how I pictured my death to be!" he walked away and began loading the pack horses. He may have not been afraid, but that comment from Natalia had shut him up.
"He planned on dying gloriously in battle on a burning Sea Lord ship," Kal said quietly as he walked by her and Alvari carrying a load to tie on the horses.
As they rode forth that day Natalia told them everything she knew about the standing stones. Her father had been taking her to them almost every summer since she was a little girl, so she knew them well. They always stopped there when they traveled to her uncle's place in the Snow Forest. Both loved the stone site and would often camp there a few extra days because of the excellent hunting in the surrounding forest. Also because they would feel very rested and refreshed after a few nights of sleep within the ring of stones.
There were two standing stone sights on the southern edge of the Snow Forest, one in a lower meadow and the other higher up on top of a hill in a meadow of its own. Trees did not grow around the stones nor on the wide path between the two sites, just grass which only grew to about knee high and was always a beautiful emerald green. She had never seen the meadows in the winter months, but her father had and told her even with snow deep in the forest around the meadows the grass was never covered. He thought some ancient magic was still at work keeping the meadows green all the time.
Natalia then went on to tell the three young men about the stone sites themselves. The stones at the bottom were called the Lowhenge, or the Smallhenge. The ones at the top were called the Upperhenge, or the Tallhenge.
Smallhenge was older by thousands of turns her father thought. The stones were not dressed as well as they were on Tallhenge, and all of the cap stones had fallen from the tops of the upright stones. The upright stones that still stood only did so at odd angles to the earth. She said it looked as if a giant had played a game of pick-up sticks leaving the stones in a jumbled pile.
The stones of Tallhenge were dressed and polished, to a degree, and much more worked than Smallhenge. The standing stones were laid out in a large circle that went about a hundred paces across. Every other section between the upright stones held a cap stone that spanned the tops, all but the western most section where a huge piece of solid granite sat, that had been notched on the top. Her father had told her that was where the sun set on the first day of summer as the ancients must have planned, which was amazing. She hoped someday to witness the sight herself, with her father. The huge slab was the most beautiful piece of granite she had ever seen. The big stone was made up of colorful brown, pink and white swirls that seemed to move when you watched them. She said she would lay on the grass and look up at it for hours picking out different figures, shapes and animals as they ran through the rock. It was as if the great slab held a magical world all of its own inside.
The stones on the east side of the circle were the lowest, only about five paces off the ground, as they faced down to the Smallhenge. The stones on the west side stood the highest, about ten paces from the ground. The stones stepped down in height along the north and south sides, and each point on the compass held a cap stone. There were also worked stones in the grass surrounding the ring of stones of all different shapes that went out in circles from big too small.
Her father thought the standing stones were the way the ancients kept track of the movements of the sun, moon and stars across the sky. He had no idea what the other stones outside the henge were for. She only knew that each stone was a beautiful piece of work and wondered how the ancients moved them to where they were, most were so big.
They rode in silence that day after she had described the stones. All the animals were skittish and Natalia was receiving warnings from her Tundras of danger-near constantly. Bull Roar stayed close and within sight on the trail behind them. Usually, they would not see the bear for hours. Even the War Horses seemed almost as fidgety as the pack horses. The only animal that remained calm and took everything in stride was Daisy. It was just another day for the sturdy donkey.
None of them got any sleep that night. They all sat quietly around the campfire after eating, bundled up and trying to stay warm. It was impossible to ignore the calls of the Grim Wolves coming from the dark forest all about them. They had a distinct sound, all their own, much different from that of the Tundra Wolf or the gray wolf. Instead of a long slow howl, theirs was a yipping howl that rose and fell in growls and barks. It was a grating sound, especially when it was all around you. The black wolves had started howling at dusk and had not stopped except to interject yapping snarls, as if they were welcoming another pack. Natalia had never heard of Grim Wolves working together and was starting to wonder just how bad things were getting in the Snow Forest, and beyond.
The Tundras did not rest either. The three continually walked in a circle around the campsite. Somehow they made everyone feel better with the low rumbles of their growling when they would walk close by. After Daisy had lain herself down by the packhorses, Bull Roar came up to lie almost on top of her, like a big bear blanket. Every time they looked towards him, they could see his two beady eyes as pinpoints of light as he stared at the fire. He did not seem to close them once during the night. Even the War Horses stood close to the pack horses attempting to keep them calm, one on each side of the two all night long.
Nothing happened that night but when the sun rose the next morning, it found everyone tired and even more on edge. The day seemed a little warmer until a mist moved in that hugged the ground and floated through the trees. It blocked the sunlight as it swirled around them on a light breeze giving an eerie chill to the air. The riders bundled up in their heavy gossamar cloaks that they wore over their riding leathers for warmth. Natalia debated on having them don their armor. She wanted to be ready in case the Grim Wolves attacked. However, in the early-morning hours, the howling and braying died down making everyone a little less wary.
It was just after mid-day when they rode single file out of the forest of confining trees. As they went into the meadow surrounding Smallhenge, they welcomed the openness and the light from the afternoon sun. The stones stood just as Natalia had described as she led them around, all fallen and jumbled. The meadow was open and clear at about a hundred paces all the way around the stones. The old-growth larch trees crowded close together at the edge of the meadow making the forest seem darker and more forbidding than what they had just ridden out of. The worst part was the silence of the place. It felt as if they were being watched by a thousand eyes from the trees. Through the mist they could see the stones of the Tallhenge at the top of the meadow, standing there like an ancient palace. Natalia felt the comfort of the place already but the three young men just shivered at the misty sight and kept looking at the trees not knowing what to think.
Because of the short day, dusk was only hours away when they reached the top of the meadow and the center of the Tallhenge. The Tundras had arrived at the circle of stones first as they had run on ahead through the tall grass. They were excited and had a good feeling of the place. It gave both Natalia and Alvari a good feeling also, as they could sense the happiness from their wolves through the bond. The Tundras ran about the standing stones marking them every so often while they've sniffed about. In the back of her mind Natalia felt the time was short, so she started giving orders to the three boys once they had dismounted.
"Kal and Kaleb, could you please go into the forest and bring back as much firewood as you can carry in the next hour. Alvari and I will feed and rub down the horses and start setting up camp. I'll send Beauty and Bash with you to help keep watch," Natalia said.
"Natalia, there is firewood already stacked and ready to burn," Kaleb said pointing at the wood by the largest standing stone. "Why in the heavens do we need to go into the forest for more?" he demanded to know.
"My father always said it was bad luck not to leave firewood here for the next traveler, that is why that firewood is there. Besides, I hope I am wrong, but I have a feeling we will be needing quite a blaze tonight, so the more firewood the better," Natalia said as she unloaded her armor and pack from Dancer.
Just as Nat finished talking, a broken mournful howl came from the woods down by the Smallhenge. It was followed by more, farther away. All three of the Tundras and the cave bear were growling as the fur raised along their spines. Everyone stopped what they were doing as they stared down the hill.
"I think we are running out of time. I want to be ready if the Grim Wolves do attack. They hunt at night and this just may be the night. We will need a lot of firewood, Alvari and I will leave the saddles on the War Horses, in case we have to make an escape. Let us hurry and get ready before the sun goes down," Natalia said.
Kaleb did not argue anymore and walked towards the forest with his brother as Beauty and Bashful led the way. She and Alvari picked up the pace and started unloading the packs from Daisy and the packhorses, so they could run faster if the need arose. Next they broke out feed bags, filled them with grain, and put them on the horses. Sirus laid upon the grass under the eastern capstone intently staring down the hill at the forest surrounding the Smallhenge. The gold and black hair along the big wolf's back was slightly raised as he emitted a constant low growl, not unlike the noise an earthen quake makes when it is just getting started.
Bull Roar stayed just outside the circle of stones, pacing back and forth as bears do when they are angry or upset. He was constantly looking down the hill and at the spot along the forest's edge where the twins entered for firewood. Occasionally he would run back to see Daisy and then return to the path he was making in the grass on the eastern side of the stones. He was a very anxious cave bear. After a time, when all looked to be calm, he wandered off into the forest, for what reason only the bear knew.
Kal and Kaleb were returning with their second load of firewood with Beauty and Bash in tow. They were piling up quite a stack when Kal said, "We found plenty more firewood at a lightning struck deadwood not too far into the forest. We can double this stack if we take one of the packhorses."
"I'm not sure if we have the time Kal," Natalia said. "We probably have just over an hour of daylight left. Can you and Kaleb be back in time to put your armor on before dark?"
"We know exactly where we are going and a pile of wood awaits us that we could not carry on our last trip," Kal said as he went to pick up a coil of rope and untie one of the horses. He noticed the look of concern on Natalia's face as he led the packhorse Amber out. "Do not worry Nat, we will take good care of her. We shall be back well within the hour, my word!"
The two Sea Lord Marines left the stone circle with the packhorse in tow. Natalia nodded at her two Tundras to follow and then watched as the twins walked away with a worried expression on her face. They had not heard the howling of the black wolves for some time, but the lack of howls did not mean they were not around. Natalia sent a quick prayer to the Maker for their safety and then began looking about forming a plan in her mind for the defense of the circle. She and Alvari started talking about it as they put on their armor while the twins were away.
A fire pit was at the center of the circle, she and her father would sleep around it when they stayed here. The firewood that fed it was stacked against the tallest and widest standing stone to the west. Much to Alvari's displeasure Natalia decided the horses would be best defended along the stone, so the firewood had to be moved. He wished she had told him that before he had put on his armor. He was not a soldier and became very uncomfortable moving about with parts of him encased in metal.
Sirus was still keeping watch on the meadow below and started to let out excited whines amongst his growls. Bull Roar was nowhere to be seen, and they could no longer hear his thrashing about in the forest.
Alvari stopped working all of a sudden as a surprised look came to his face. "Sirus smells something awful from down below. He sees movement, lots of it, in the tree line," he said with his face full of happiness and warmth as he looked to the big Tundra. Connecting with your wolf was always a loving experience no matter what was happening.
"Ok, stack the wood in the fire pit, stack it high, we will need a big blaze and may have to light it soon. I'll put the horses by the stone. Kal and Kaleb will be back any moment. I can feel my wolves through the bond," Natalia said as she dropped her last armload of wood.
Natalia put a rope all the way around the large standing stone and tied it off, she then tied Daisy and the other packhorse, Bass, to the line. One did not tie a War Horse to any kind of line for none would keep them, and they became furious if you tried. They either stayed with you, or they didn't. Natalia knew from being around them all of her life these four would stand by them. She knew by how these War Horses acted. They had adopted everyone as their field-mates and would never abandon them. The horses would stand and fight like warriors if the black wolves attacked.
The twins returned and started untying the ropes holding the largest load of firewood yet on the back of Amber. Natalia came up and said, "Armor up Marines! The sun is starting to set, and I have a bad feeling about tonight."
The twins were armored up in minutes, helping each other with their straps and buckles. Their lives as Sea Lord Marines made them old hands at putting their armor on. Natalia looked them over as the fire started to flare up behind them. The brothers stood side by side at attention, as if they were on the deck of a Sea Lord vessel.
Alvari, finished with the fire, came to stand next to the two young men. All stood tall in their plain steel armor and they looked like proper Wolf Pack Rangers to Natalia, even though they weren't. The three broad-shouldered young men looked deadly and ready to fight. The sun started to go down behind the trees as she pulled on straps and slapped at the plate steel that protected them.
As Natalia looked them over, she noticed the moon rising in the east from behind the trees, the full Flower Moon as the Wolf Witches called it at this time of the turn. However, it was not the usual bright white light of the full moon that she saw filling the sky. It was the dull reddish glow of a Blood Moon, and it filled her with dread. The Tundras were looking down the hill. They started barking, howling and growling and making their loudest noises yet. Waves of alarm came rushing through the bond.
*****
Thank you for reading!
Tony