WOLF'S CULT (The Circle of four)
family first. He traveled north on roads gone to mud from the storm. The wonders of th
nd lakes that picked up their blue from the late summer sky. He wound through fores
to villages. His dignity cost him considerable discomfort until he was force
rough the fields and the hills. ln solitude, or company of his brother, he h
't reach his deadened senses. Fever sweat slicked his skin, and the angl
e oatcakes along with more of the medicine he'd pac
the headache that drummed behind them. A witch,
At least he mi
shield again, fighting alongside him. He could nearly believe he c
ought, then a v
s dagger. Nothing moved in the forest but the black wings
atest Luna of our time, the Queen of the Demons? Go back, go back and live your pitiful life,
for l will hunt her through this life and the next if need be.
and she will make you
ssed, but the flash of fire he shot out with his free hand hit the mark. The raven shrieked, and what dropped to the ground wa
did, he took a handful of salt from his saddle bags, poured it
ttered. "We'll see about that." he went to
sed by cloud shadows in light soft as down. He dozed, and he
rass by the side of the road. There a man in a peaked cap built a wall from a p
e." The man touched his cap in salute.
entirely sure where he was. "l'm
aid cheerfully. "You'll not make
ad that seemed to stretch to f
ot time to ride here. Not when you've so far yet to go. And time shor
" Hunt asked,
you hear the river, follow it. There be a holy well near the Bridget's Well,
he continued to listen to
a Sorcerer, for they'll come hunting. They only wait for the sun
in disgust, as he won
lood and your faith." The man's eyes were narrowed, and for a momen
boiling in his fever. His brother's death, then the destruction. The thing on the cliff
iver, turned his horse toward it. Chills shook him
against its neck. The wound on his hand broke open and stained the
tree. Others who'd come to worship or rest had tied
drops on the ground for the god, murmured his thanks. He laid a sli
in, he began to
s, and made the task a misery. His own sweat chilled his skin as he struggled with the wo
e deepest shadows. And those shadows thickened as the
flicker to die and leave him in the dark. He would d
ce more, he knew. One. Then he ripped the bandage f
rough the night. This magic is clean, fire Kindl
the shadows leaped out. lt came as a wolf, black belt and bloody eyes. When it flung itself in
white as it paced back and forth as i
er, then another, until Hunt counted five. They lunged to
is eyes on the wolves as he laid his hands upon his hors
medicating was having no good effect. He huddled in his cloak shivering, and after dousing an oatcake with honey,
fire dancing in his eyes until they began to close. As