Chapter 47: Lefty - The Wolves

The secret passage, Cat’s Eye claimed, was through a hidden door located near the northwest guard tower. From there, they would have access to a number of secret doors that led in and out of the fortress of Rumadrane. This, he said, was the privileged information of a veteran smuggler who had spent most of his life working his way in and out of various secure locations on business.

The rest of the goblin’s information proved to be just as useful. He told them the leader of the goblins was not, in fact, a goblin but something far more sinister. Rumor was that it was a woman and a powerful sorceress who could change shape among other powers. The goblins, Cat’s Eye said, were infatuated with her and that her charisma and power had unified nearly every tribe in Sommerdale. He said she had unified thousands of goblins, perhaps even tens of thousands by this point and that her intention was to unify all of the goblins in Sommerdale into one sovereign nation under her rule.

She also, supposedly, had a young girl in her possession that had a mysterious birthmark on her shoulder that just happened to be in the shape of a burning shield. This, Cat’s Eye explained, just happened to be the holy symbol of the goblin war deity Goroush.

Finally, Cat’s Eye added that his platoon of goblins had been attached to the rear guard of the goblin army which was out conquering some neighboring tribe. They would be returning shortly, he said, likely via a similar route.

So it was that Grumner pulled out his map and after a long discussion of just how they would avoid the army and still make it through Krakoam Pass to Rumadrane. Within an hour, they were off again.

Lefty, marching at the center of their formation, tried to gather just what Feathers’ opinion was on the situation, but the duck remained stoic. For not the first time, he found himself pondering at the true nature of his feathered friend and just why exactly a sentient duck had chosen to partner with him at the same time he became stuck on a real life video game world. Was Feathers a person who was now trapped inside the body of a duck? Or was his feathered friend something more mysterious? Lefty could remember everything of how he had played Sable Unlimited back when he had been a human on Earth. He had stopped taking familiars after the first few had died because each one who died meant that he, as a wizard, took a statistical penalty for each of their deaths. Now, here on the real world of Wraath, whatever powers that were had put a clever, violent, and very judgmental waterfowl as his companion and, for whatever reason, the duck seemed determined to stay by his side. Was the duck his protector? Or was it merely a marriage of convenience? After pondering this for nearly an hour, Lefty decided there was nothing more to do than to wait and see how it all turned out.

The sun was fading in the west when they heard the first howl of the evening. As a party, there was a collective moment concern as, to a man, they stopped and listened. Seconds later, a second howl echoed through the hills. Then another, and another until a chorus of wolves were ringing through the trees. May whatever gods inhabit this world keep these creatures from our camp tonight, Lefty thought as he listened to wolves howl.

“I think we better build another fire tonight,” Lefty said quietly.

“I think so too,” Grumner agreed.

The howling returned while Lefty was on watch. He was sitting against a tree with his unlit torch in his lap when he heard the first wolf. The howling they had heard earlier that day had been distant, from wolves that were at least a mile or two away. This one was closer. This wolf could smell the camp. Lefty cursed under his breath. Obviously, the gods of Wraath had decided to ignore his little prayer.

Waiting, Lefty wondered what the wolves were doing and if he should wake the others. Are they hunting for food or are they hunting because they’re mobs looking for adventurers? He still wasn’t sure of the nature of anyone on this planet who wasn’t a player. His understanding was that it was a world in the sense of any other world, but could these wolves be controlled? Were they being controlled? Or were they just wolves looking for their next meal? And how brave are they? Will they attack a camp full of armed adventurers? Or are they just looking for easy prey?

Another howl. Closer this time. The wolves were circling now. Lefty could hear them running in the dark. There was a dozen, maybe more. When he saw the first shadow, it was much bigger than he expected. The beast’s head looked like it could easily reach Lefty’s stomach and tear his belly open. A scout, he realized. They’re scouting our camp. We’re all gonna die.

Quickly, he walked to the fire, lit his torch, and started waking the others. He got Grumner first and within moments, the dwarf was circling the tents, torch and axe in hand. The scout had disappeared, but the howling continued as it echoed through the trees. Like a ghostly chorus, the voices of the wolves were all around them. There are far more than a dozen, Lefty realized.

The rest of the party was soon awake and it wasn’t long after that the next wolf appeared. This one was even bigger than the first. Indeed, this wolf wandered right into the light where Lefty could see the gray mixed with what had once been jet black fur. Scars and worn tufts of fur marked his body. This was the alpha. The tall wolf lifted its head and stared straight at Grumner. Something intelligent seemed to happen behind the wolf’s yellow eyes as he stared at the dwarf. Then, with a tilt of his head, the alpha then loped off into the dark.

A moment later, the howling died.

“What was that about?” Lefty asked.

The dwarf grumbled, “I don’t know, but keep your torch lit.”

While the wolves were silent, it was over an hour before anyone else from the party went back to their tents, and even longer before any of them managed to sleep. When Kevin relieved him, Lefty lay in his tent and stared out at the stars for a long while before sleep finally took him.