List Of Ten The Werewolf Edition
Assignment: List of ten
Assignment #: 2
Written By: Fruanc J.H.
Period: 2
Entering the room, I immediately knew something was dreadfully wrong. The first clue that tipped me off to my own peril was the open window. We always kept the windows shut tight. It was part of the rules we'd agreed to in order to survive the winter here in Hawks Spine. Ever since we'd reached this miserable place everything had begun to go wrong all at once. We'd originally been five. My Brother, a Trader that we had agreed to escort, his two sons and myself.
The trip had gone off without so much as a single hitch. The group had made excellent time and we thought we'd make it through the pass before it closed up entirely.
The trader had thought to treat us all to a stay at a town inn before the last stretch of the trip. He said my Brother and me had more than earned it after such a smooth journey. I had been all to willing to accept. My Brother, however, had been less inclined to accept such a reward, stating that we had merely done our job. "Thanks but we couldn't possibly impose." That had been his attempt to avoid the offer even though I scowled at him with one of those "You're-gonna-get-an-ear-full-for-this-later" looks for declining such generous offer. The trader (God bless him.) Was not in the mindset to take "no," for an answer. "Nonsense" he bellowed slapping my brother on the back. "You boys have done a fine job, and besides it's cold out the wagon won't possibly be warm enough to keep you two comfortable and well." This he had stated as he hustled us into the inn ending further opportunity for my Brother to decline or so the Trader had assumed. Being an experienced escort my Brother tactfully compromised while keeping the decline in the mixture. The Trader was a touch greedy and so relented to allow us to sleep in the hayloft instead. Seeing how three rooms would have been painful for the Trader's moderately fat purse, which had swelled considerably over the course of the journey so far as we'd stopped in one town after the next, selling everything from seed for the coming spring pots and pans fine silks and frabrics laces and a number of tools. I tried to get my brother to at least get us a hot meal in the bar that sat beneath the rooms for rent. He was having none of it though. He told me that as long as he was my elder on this trip I would not be going into any bars. It was a good thing we had declined, because... sometime during the night after seven too many drinks the Trader started an argument over nothing. It turned into a huge brawl that lasted an hour. It stopped only when enough of the combatants had been knocked cold or been killed. Among the dead were the Trader and his eldest son. The younger boy seeking vengeance forgot us and pursued the man who'd murdered his brother and father. His body was discovered two days later. Or, at least what was left of a body was discovered you couldn't tell whether it was the murderer's or the trader's boy. But whoever it had been, it looked as if wild dogs had torn it apart. The paw prints of timber wolves left little wonder as to what the man's fate had been. At least at first, further investigation showed a rather strange phenomenon. Amid the wolf prints were those of a mans bare feet. But they looked wrong like a wolf had stepped in it, like a wolfs paw had been stretched to fit the length of a man's bare foot! In the week that followed the dead trader's cart was stripped of every thing then hacked into firewood by five of the towns inhabitents. My Brother had no intention of claiming the wagon that would only draw attention to us now and the fates of our compatriots was proof of the fate that awaited those who drew attention to themselves here.
In order to survive we quickly adapted creating a set of rules we would abide by until the spring thaw cleared the pass which incidentally closed up shortly after our employers passing. Something to do with an avalanche. The rules were as follows
Don't draw attention to yourself.
Talk as little as possible.
Trust no one.
Do not accept gifts or invitations from strangers.
Do not go out at night if it can be helped.
Always carry a weapon.
Do not believe that any one is your friend or ally. They will use you as long as you are pleasing to them. Then when you are no longer of use to them, they will dispose of you.
Taking a room at the town butchers shop we also took up working for him. Not trusting the man an inch. We did our best to keep a low profile.
For the next two months, things went on in a routine like fashion. Rise at dawn, wash, dress, eat breakfast, go to work eat supper then to bed. Every now and then, our schedule would have a slight variation like hunting or fire wood chopping but things mostly stayed the same. When there was no further incident, we began to calm down a bit and ease off our guard some. That changed however when my brother came upon a fight in the streets. Three impossibly pale men were assaulting another man who was equally bizarre. He was huge! Something in my brother caused him to go against his own rules. He entered the fight siding with the big guy who despite his size seemed out matched. Taking one man from behind with a knife in the back, he then turned to take the next. The man he had stabbed died instantly from a pierced heart, his dying cry giving the other two a chance to react and get on the defensive. One of them lunged knocking Raron down moving to take the knife and kill him. But in about the time it took for the man to rest the knife from Raron "about thirty seconds" the big guy was able to come to his rescue. He had changed. No longer a man, but a wolf with the insanely masculine body of a man covered in fur with a tail, paw like hands and feet, and a wolfen head. Almost pouncing the wolf man ripped off the head of the one who had lunged at Raron with his jaws. Finished instantly he then turned on the third one who was now fleeing. Catching the pale figure from behind in a fierce embrace there came a stomach turning crack the struggling man fell limp and was then ripped limb for limb and beaten to a pulp with his severed arms and legs. The wolf man then, turning to Raron approached my stunned brother at a jovial trot. Crouching down he licked him across the face and then breathing on him, turned and bounded out of town away into the forest. Some new rules were added to the list that day after Raron had calmed down enough to recount his tale. The new rules were as follows:
Beware the overly pale and the overly massive.
If you happen to draw the attention of some one despite your best efforts not to remember this do not leave town until you have dealt with, satisfied, or evaded their interest.
Do not get singled out by any of them or you most surely will be killed.
Our routine changed drastically we stopped hunting and only went out in the day light now as the pale ones stalked at night. And the massive wolf men stayed as men in the day. The man my brother had assisted did eventually seek Raron out and he was not alone either there was another man with him shorter than he the man looked vaguely familiar. The one he had aided asked him if he'd like to become a wolf like him. Bewildered and frightened by the offer he declined as was his way when he was afraid of accepting the consequences that would come with an action. The wolf man seemed disappointed but said, "at least think about it you would be most welcome among us. Your friend here is." He patted the other wolf man on the shoulder and then smiling at Raron they left. The other one was the Traders Younger Son! We didn't venture out much after that or at least I didn't my brother did however. After an initial week of brooding over what had been said. Raron was more and more frequently leaving at dawn and getting back at dusk. At first, I didn't understand it or maybe I just didn't want to but either way slowly yet surely I could feel myself loosing him. One day acting on impulse, I followed him. He met up with a group of the massive wolfen ones sure enough one of them did look like the traders younger boy. And I feared the worst. But I also didn't dare to follow them I wandered about the town instead, aimlessly going in circles for a few hours. Then I went to work for the butcher. It was only when I was closing up the shop and going to our room that I felt something to be very, very wrong. Opening the door I froze the window was not only unlatched but it was wide open! Rushing forward I made to close it but stopped dead, knowing I'd trapped myself when I entered the room. Turning I saw it massive, hulking, beast of a man; he knocked me to the floor. The blow caused my lunges to empty out leaving me gasping for breath and great black flashes in my vision. Taking advantage of my stunned state the man beast caught my hands in one of his pawed ones holding me aloft by my wrists. Holding me up against the wall, he began to lean toward me his jaws parting moving in the direction of my throat. My breath recovered I tried crying out but he forestalled my scream with his other paw covering my mouth suppressing the sound before it began. Moaning I cried. It was so unfair! I'd followed my brothers rules perfectly. I felt betrayed he'd gone and broken every single one even handing me over to the creatures he'd told me to be wary of. The wolf licked my brow instead of tearing out my throat. Licking away the tears welling up in my eyes the monster carried me to the bed in the room pushing me down on it. He used the sheets to bind my hands and feet while keeping my voice smothered with either a hand or a lick across the face. Finally, when he had me bound he made a hushing sound and took his hand from my mouth only to have to replace it when I tried shouting again. He growled in frustration causing me to fall silent. Trying again to loose my mouth, I didn't cry out this time. Instead, I just cried letting the tears flow freely blinding me. He didn't like that either, but he allowed me to anyway licking my face sweeping tears away again he made a low soothing sound, I didn't get it. Where was Raron? Why had he betrayed me like this!?!
A burly man entered the room through the open window patting the wolf that held me, on the head he spoke to him "So this is the reason you didn't want to join us." The wolf holding me down nodded and brushed a paw through my hair "Well there's no reason why he can't join us too." Sitting down on the side of the bed, so he was on level with the wolf he said. "Go ahead Raron, Join him to the pack." Understanding dawned on me instantly. Old habits kicking in I gave the wolf accosting me another one of my "just wait till we're alone then you're gonna hear it" looks. growling at me the wolfen features re-instilled fear in my mind. I decided that I wanted no part in this. Struggling against him I moaned as Raron leaned down to the base of my neck where the neck meets the shoulder. Pulling my shirt back, he licked the spot as I battled to brake away. Once, "get off of me." I shouted. Twice, I tried to hit him with my bound hands and feet. Three times, crying now I begged "No Raron please don't" and then my brother's teeth sank into me. I yelped, going still, shocked then confused then angry and then hurt feeling. Fire seemed to spread from where my brothers teeth had broken the skin slowly moving through me burning, my throat my head, my shoulders arms and chest burning all of it burning. My heart! Beating, beating, like a drum in my head. Beating Faster. A hammer Beating in my whole body. Legs on fire feet... A presence becoming tangible in me followed by dimmer ones at the edge of my consciousness. Then...
Blackness. I went unconscious.
Waking some time later, I found I was wearing the body of a wolf and lying next to me was another wolf watching over me. I recognized him instantly. Raron I said, or barked. He looked down on me smiling. Something I hadn't seen him do in a long time. Why I began to ask he answered in a fiercely affectionate protective tone that made me flinch. "Because you're my little brother whom I love." His tone softening then, "and because I learned another rule."
If you can't beat em join em.
I smiled back at my brother in this new wolfen form. "I think I like this rule better than the others," I said "me too bro me too."