Kyne approached the village warily. A foul scent was on the wind. He knew he was getting close. His prey wasn't far ahead of him, less than two days travel. The clothes he wore were stolen from a farmhouse six miles back and he hoped no one here recognized them. He’d been careful to pick the blandest outfit the absent family had, something fairly common for a traveler to be wearing. His own were getting too ratty to wear, barely more than a few shreds of fabric held together by ratty strings. He knew the villagers wouldn't trust him regardless of what he wore. A strange man walking through a backwater town unarmed, with no guard and no horse, was not a good sign when there were werewolves about. These days you never trusted anyone who wasn't kin, and even then the trust only went so far.
He walked past the outer row of houses; his senses open for signs of were-folk in the area. The town was bustling even this early in the morning, shortly after dawn. The villagers he passed eyed him suspiciously. He ignored them. Let them think what they want. He could protect himself from them long enough to escape. Over the years he'd gotten good at running. It was about the only thing he was good at.
The inn ahead of him seemed like a promising place to find a meal. It fit right in with the drab wooden houses of the village. Its size and the sign above the door was the only thing that separated it from being just another house. The sign proclaimed it the 'Golden Stag', with the picture portraying a slightly yellowish twig-like horse. As he pushed the door open, Kyne was met with a sudden hush from the few villagers scattered around the common room, their talk ceasing the moment of Kyne's appearance. They were plain folk, farmers for the most part guessing from their garb. Kyne was pleased to note from the look of the plates before them that the inn boasted a decent breakfast.
Without any outward sign that he noticed the townsfolk's behavior, Kyne headed directly towards the chubby old man who stood behind the bar. The man watched him intently as he polished a mug with a small rag.
"Are you the innkeeper?" Kyne's voice was a bit rough and gravely from disuse, coming out harsher than Kyne had intended.
The man nodded once. "That I am."
"How much would it cost me to rent a room for a few hours and a sizeable breakfast to go with it?"
"Six silver, I'd say, providin' ye can prove ye not one of 'em were-beasties."
Kyne had been expecting that. "There's not a full moon for another ten days."
"Aye, but the beasties don’t need that t' be roamin' as men."
"Do you have any Wolf's Bane or silver?"
The innkeeper gave him a shrewd look. "The beasties be not afraid of 'em no more."
Kyne sighed inwardly. He’d hoped he could get by on some of the old superstitions, but the innkeeper was making it difficult. At least it was better for the villagers' sake that they were learning not to trust the old tales. Not that it would keep them safe if a werewolf really did try to attack them. "How would you like me to prove I’m not a werewolf?"
The man gave him a quick look over. "Answer me this: how come ye be travelin' alone 'n unarmed when the wolves be about?"
Kyne could see the villagers watching him out of the corner of his eye, waiting for his answer. He plastered a false cheery smile on his face as he held up his left hand, palm to the ceiling. "I’m a wizard." A small flame appeared above his palm, barely the size of a grown man’s fist but still enough to impress these backwater folk who’d probably never seen a real wizard in their town. The innkeeper recoiled and waved Kyne to put the flame out.
"Enough of that, I believe ye." Kyne could tell the others were suitably impressed and the din of low talking began once more. The villagers may not believe the stories about werewolves, but they believed the ones about wizards. The innkeeper reached under the bar and handed Kyne a key, which he quickly pocketed. "Top of the stairs t' the left, second door on the right wall. Will ye be wantin’ ye food now or later?"
"Now, please."
"Have a seat."
Kyne nodded and complied as the man disappeared through a door behind the bar. He chose a seat against the far wall with openings on either side of him, his back to the wall, and a good view of the entrance. The innkeeper returned a few moments later with a plate heaped full of food and a large mug of ale. Kyne stopped the man before he could return to his post. "Any news in these parts?"
"Not much would interest one such as yeself."
"And the wolves? Have you had word of their movement?"
The innkeeper gave him an intent look, his suspicion returned. "What business d' ye have with the beasties?"
Kyne answered truthfully. "I hunt them." That was all the man needed to know of his quest, of his compulsion.
The man nodded a little sadly. "We see many of yer type 'round these parts. Though once we see 'em, we nary see 'em again if ye get m' drift. They be heading south last we heard, though with the beasties ye can never tell what they be really plannin'. This pack's big. Perhaps the biggest. 'N they got a real mean brute with 'em, big as 'n ox they say. My advice t' ye: join up with the other group that's 'ere. There be safety in numbers, even for a wizard such as ye."
Kyne tensed though he didn't let the other men see it. He kept his voice neutral, sounding only mildly interested. "Other group?"
"Aye, a squad from Aiken Castle. Heard they be lookin' for something and someone: a boy 'n a book, though they wouldn't say why."
Kyne nodded absently. "Are they still around?"
"They rode out this mornin', some hours b'fore ye came. They be back at nightfall, if'n ye wants t' meet 'em."
Kyne shook his head. "I only plan to stop for a few hours."
The innkeeper nodded and left him. Kyne finished his meal quickly, he was near ravenous with hunger, but he was used to that by now. For the first five years of his quest he'd only stopped to eat when he absolutely had to and only slept when he fell over from exhaustion. Two years ago the curse had lightened enough to let him chose when he stopped and where.
Kyne paid the innkeeper on his way to his room, the coin stolen from the same place as his clothes. After years of constant travel he'd gotten used to thievery. He had no intention of being around when the party from Aiken Castle returned, and that meant being ready to leave at a moment's notice. That also meant getting his sleep now while he could. He locked and charmed the door to his room once he was inside. Master Oliander didn't keep apprentices so the group from Aiken Castle would only have a wizard if they rented one. Considering Oliander's distaste for others of his kind, that was highly unlikely.
Kyne doubted that anyone in the party would recognize him. He'd grown a lot in the seven years since he'd been forced to leave the castle by Oliander's curse. But all he needed was for them to have someone knowledgeable of wizards and he'd be found out. His cheap parlor tricks wouldn't fool them as they had the village folk. The only magic he had was a few charms and the fire he'd shown the villagers. That was all he'd been able to pick up from Oliander's books before he'd been forced to leave.
Oliander's lost spell book was his quest and he wouldn't let the other group find it before he did. Kyne didn't know why Oliander had sent a group after him, the curse still held strong enough to drive him on his mad search. Probably the old wizard was getting tired of waiting for Kyne to return, though how he'd expected an unskilled boy to return with his book was beyond Kyne. Whatever Oliander was up to it probably wasn't good. Nothing the wizard did was ever good. Besides, if anyone at the party had been at the castle seven years ago then they would probably guess Kyne for what he really was... a werewolf.
Eiden surveyed the darkening landscape, his senses stretched out before him as far as his mind could reach. They'd spent the day circling the village in a wide arc, always scanning outward for signs of werewolves. "There are no werewolves in the area. They've fled, Talris."
His companion kept his eyes forward though his frown deepened. A black ponytail hung down to the middle of the man's back, a sharp contrast against the gray metal the man wore. Large and muscular, he was the Captain of the Guard of Aiken Castle and the leader of their quest. "And the one you sensed yesterday?"
"Gone." Armor clinked as Talris turned his horse back towards the village and Eiden quickly did the same. Night was falling. Not even armed troops were safe outside when night fell. "What if the boy's dead, Talris? Have you considered that?" Eiden didn't want to bring up the subject but he was beginning to think their hunt was in vain. They'd been sending out search parties for over a year and no one had caught sight of the boy.
Talris gave him a sharp glance but Eiden knew the malice in it wasn't directed at him. All the people that had been at Aiken Castle hated Wizard Oliander for what he had done seven years ago. Talris and Lord Deveshal were both extremely devoted to righting all the wrongs Oliander had committed. That included hunting down a young boy cursed to find a book of Oliander's.
"If he's dead then there's nothing we can do but pile more curses on Oliander's grave. But if he lives, then we must find him and break the curse."
"It's been seven years, Talris. Most folk in these parts haven't heard of Kyne and we have no idea what he looks like by now beyond brown hair and brown eyes."
"Even so, Eiden, I can't stop looking."
Kyne slipped out of the village late in the afternoon after a few hours rest. He waited until he was out of sight of the village before slipping into the woods and reverting to lupine form. He hurried to pick up the scent of the pack he was following, his nose pressed to the ground as he sniffed their trail. They weren't far; the scent was still fairly fresh. He'd catch them either that night or the next. How he'd steal the book from an entire pack of werewolves was a matter Kyne didn't want to think about. His last attempt had nearly lead to his death, but he couldn't stop his pursuit. The curse wouldn't let him. As he ran through the woods, the curse tightened around him. It grew stronger every step closer to the book he got, a mad force driving him to his doom.
"Good evenin', m'lords. Was ye hunt successful?" The innkeeper of the Golden Stag welcomed Talris and his men warmly. Considering the amount of gold Talris was paying him to house and feed twenty men and their horses, the warm greeting was no surprise. This was probably more business than the small-town innkeeper saw in half of a year, all at once.
"I'm afraid not, good sir." Eiden stepped forward to answer the man, his long red ponytail swaying as he moved. The tall man had always been better at dealing with townsfolk than Talris. "Any news while we were gone?"
"Not much, m'lord. Had a strange traveler about, rented a room upstairs. A young wizard."
Talris and Eiden exchanged a glance. The most of the wizards they knew would never set foot outside their castles unless they were on a mission of dire importance, and their apprentices were about the same. "Did the wizard give a name, good sir?" Eiden asked.
"Nay, m'lord."
Talris' eyebrow rose. "Which room is he in?"
The innkeeper gave him an apologetic look. "I'm afraid he left two or three hours ago. Headin' south I believe. Said he was huntin' the beasties." If the innkeeper was puzzled by their questions he didn't show it, and maintained an air of friendliness.
Eiden looked back at Talris, who nodded. Stepping forward, Eiden handed the man a bag of coin as Talris motioned his men upstairs. "We'll be leaving tonight. Can you give us a description of the wizard?"
The innkeeper nodded. "Average height, short brown hair cut unevenly, brown eyes. He wore plain clothes, m'lord, typical of the folk in these parts. Kinda lean and underfed, with circles under his eyes."
Eiden nodded and thanked the man. Talris and the others hurried to gather their gear from their rooms upstairs and Eiden followed. He pulled Talris aside as soon as he got the chance. "That sound like the boy you're hunting? A wizard?"
Talris nodded. "Kyne was always interested in reading Oliander's books. He could have picked up something from them. It's him, I'm sure of it."
Eiden nodded and prepared himself for the hunt.
He ran through the woods, dodging trees and fallen branches as he sped past them. He could smell it ahead of him, the object of his quest. The pack wasn't far ahead. He could sense them, which meant they could also sense him if they were scanning for other wolves. Kyne stopped when the pack stopped, and he knew they'd sensed him. Hiding his mind and moving downwind, he snuck forward to spy on the group. They were arranged in a circle, waiting for him inside a large forest clearing. Nearly thirty wolves stood around their master. Their eyes glowed in the dark much the way Kyne's own did. The book was in the center of the group, guarded by the Lord of the Pack.
Kyne recognized the beast and his blood ran cold. Their Lord was the beast that had first bit him, the one who had made him what he was today. He was sure of it; there was no mistaking the creature's size. Kyne knew he had no hope of getting the spell book even as his blood compelled him forward. A noise to the north made him look up, though he resisted the urge to open his senses. The scent of horses and men drifted to him, mixed with the smell of the pack before him.
A wolf was the first to break through the foliage and attack the pack. Magic tinged the air just before lightning stuck several of the beasts and Kyne marveled at a true werewolf-wizard. A troop of men broke through seconds later and Kyne could tell from the coloring of their barding that they were from Aiken Castle. These were the men sent to find him. Panic broke loose among the wolves as they faced the attack and nearly every wolf hurried to join the fray. The master watched from farther back, seemingly uninterested in the battle. The book was on the ground before him.
Kyne barely had enough thought to register that he was running before he broke from the trees, compelled by his curse to snatch the book. He wasn't seen as he approached, no one was looking at him. He almost had the book in his teeth when he was batted aside by a giant paw. He whimpered in pain as he rolled to the side, fiery strips burned in his flesh from where the Wolf-Lord's claws had cut him.
Kyne rolled to his feet and faced the lord, growling menacingly as the curse took over his mind. Instinct alone controlled him and he lunged for the beast's throat, a futile gesture. Great teeth caught him and shook before tossing him aside like a limp doll. Another wolf lunged at the large beast and Kyne saw that as his chance. He darted forward with lightning speed and snatched the book from under the Wolf-Lord. Victory was his for a few short moments as he disappeared into the trees, heading straight for Aiken Castle as fast as his wounds would allow him. An eerie howl from behind him made Kyne's blood curl. The Lord was calling a pursuit. In a few moments, Kyne would have the entire pack after him. He increased his speed and felt his wounds burn, but he knew nothing could save him now.
Crashing behind him alerted Kyne of pursuit. He couldn't run any faster or he'd pass out from the pain. He somehow managed to anyways, his vision floating under waves of pain. His body was too battered from his attack on the Wolf-Lord to sustain him for long. He could see lupine bodies racing forward on both sides of him, gaining on him from behind. Kyne was fast, but they had a large advantage over him in his fatigued and bleeding state. A wolf appeared on either side of him, snipping at his heels until they drove him where they wanted him to go. The two wolves fell off as they broke through the trees, circling to the side as Kyne skidded to a halt before the edge of a large cliff. The rest of the pack emerged behind them and formed a half-circle around him, trapping Kyne against the precipice. The Wolf-Lord took a step towards Kyne, his eyes glowing fiercely.
"Drop the book."
The command echoed in Kyne's mind but the curse wouldn't allow him to. He backed up until his feet brushed the edge of the cliff, a long drop opening behind him with rushing water below. He could hear the men from Aiken Castle rushing towards them, but they would be too late to help Kyne. He took one look at the Wolf-Lord approaching him before his curse compelled him into action. Turning swiftly, he jumped off the cliff with the book clenched tightly between his teeth. The Wolf-Lord snapped after him but Kyne was already out of their reach and falling swiftly to the ground far below. Darkness took him before he'd fallen more than a few feet, his mouth still holding the book tightly even in unconsciousness.
Prologue | Index | Chapter 2