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The Lost Stars ChronicleChapter 35: BloodWolf Deja Vu
“What?” said Bjarn, “What shaft?”
“Blue fellow?” said Dractor.
“Yeah, the blue knight and the lady with the gold crown. Didn’t I tell you about them?”
“Gib, what shaft?” Bjarn persisted.
“Oh, it’s the well out in courtyard. It’s a long way down. The baron will be lucky if his neck isn’t broken.”
“Gold crown?” said Dractor, “That’s sounds like Elwen.”
Bjarn and Aros left through the archway, heading for the well.
“Yeah, that was her name, now that I think of it. How did you know?”
“She’s a friend of mine. What was she doing in here?”
Gib related the story of his brief encounter with Elwen and Jayko, being sure to include the details of his trip with Bernard as well. When Gib finished Dractor was silent.
“Strange and curious.” he said at last, “I hope she’s alright.”
Meanwhile, Bjarn and Aros were peering down over the crumbling sides of the castle well.
“Well he looks alright.” said Aros almost disappointedly, “It looks like the snow broke his fall.”
“What how can you even tell?” said Bjarn, still squinting into the darkness, “It’s so dark. I can only see shadows.”
“Yeah, well it looks like a long fall. He could be paralyzed or just had the wind knocked out of him.”
“How do we get down there?”
“How am I supposed to know? Let’s ask Gib.”
The two men turned and trudged back to the tower only to be greeted by a roaring scream. Inside they found Gib lying on a boulder, face up with a rag in his mouth, Anardan and Dractor on his arms and Voolmark and Shainya fussing about at his leg.
“Now quiet down.” said Shainya, “It’s your own fault for being such a man yesterday and not asking for help. You should have let me at this before.”
Gib muffled some intelligible reply as the lady continued her work. Another jolt to the leg and Gib wretched again. He had a good notion to scream again but kept it down to a stifled gasp at Shainya’s request.
“Well, we found Peregil.” said Bjarn, “Don’t worry though. Aros says he landed in some soft snow.”
Figures, thought Gib, I fall down and break my leg and he gets away scratch-free.
Another jolt and Gib groaned again. He was sure he would chew through the rag before it was over.
“It’s over.” said Shainya.
Her words surprised Gib. Over already?
“The bone’s been set.” she continued, “All we need to do now is dress the leg and wrap it up.”
Gib sighed, spiting out the rag in his mouth. It did feel better. Still hurt like the dickens, but not like what he’d been enduring ever since the bloodwolves attacked.
“Is there anyway to get down there?” Bjarn asked, referring to the well.
“There might be through the store room.” said Gib.
“Store room?” said Luxus, “You mean like where they have food?”
“Yes,” said Gib, “You might need to dig it out from under some rubble though.”
“I think I can help you out there.” Sir Dractor volunteered.
The knight set out with Luxus and Aros, in the direction Gib pointed them and Bjarn turned to Gib.
“Who is that Peregil fellow anyway? He seemed to have something against you.”
“Yes, well he has a right to some resentment I suppose.” the hermit’s eyes dropped to the floor, “He’s my brother.”
“Well that explains a lot.” said Bjarn when Gib had finished.
“I never did like that cocky LEGOlander.” said Anardan from where he sat listening by Voolmark and Shainya.
“Come on.” said Bjarn, “Let’s go see if we can get down there. And if we can’t we’ll go scouting.”
Meanwhile, Dractor and the two brothers had located the stairs to the storage room. Or where they would be.
“Alright, stand back.” said Dractor.
The knight heaved his weight against the largest boulder, blocking the way. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but the knight continued to exert his strength and soon the boulder lifted and rolled away. Panting, Dractor leaned against the wall.
“Well,” he gasped, “There better be some sirloin steaks there for me, after what I just did.”
But Aros and Luxus were already down the stairs and going through the new provisions.
Although his leg was still throbbing painfully, Anardan paced around the small room while Aros, Bjarn, Voolmark, and Gib scouted the terrain. Little light pierced the thick trees so, standing at a window slit so encrusted with icicles it was like a clouded pane of glass, he could hardly see anything. After fifteen minutes, he turned away from the window, watching Luxus and Dractor playing a game with a handful of acorns and a piece of string. Although he seemed lighthearted, Anardan could tell that the knight was tense, listening for anything out of place, ready to jump into action.
Suddenly, a far off yell pierced the silence, the crisp air seeming to reverberate with the sound. Everyone jerked their heads around, Anardan’s sword in his hand and Dractor’s halfway from its sheath as a long, low howl rent the air.
“Dractor, we’ve got to help them!” swore Anardan, looking frantically through the window. The knight’s sword was in his hand, and he took no time in replying.
“I’ll stay here to protect the wounded. Go see what’s going on, and if you need me, call!”
Anardan pulled a ram’s horn out of his pack and slung it across his back.
“I’ll take this. If you hear it once, stay put, if you hear it twice, come with all speed!”
Limping slightly on his injured leg, the Forestman captain hurried out into the forest. The howls became louder as he came nearer to the scene of the commotion, now he could hear yelling too. He slowed down, padding silently in the shadows as only a true Forestman can, his sword drawn.
The cries grew louder. In the midst of a clearing, a dozen Bloodwolves howled their keening, bloodthirsty dirge, surrounding a tree, four figures crouched in the branches. Two bloodwolves lay dead, Bjarn’s arrows sticking out of them like pins, but they still came. More Bloodwolves, drawn by the commotion, came in pairs or threes to the clearing. Anardan cursed silently, his head against a tree. No use calling the others to their deaths, they at least had a chance to survive unseen. A sound behind Anardan startled him, and he turned to see the red eyes of two bloodwolves staring into his own. His sworn came down in a great arc, the blood of the first wolf staining the snow crimson, two of Bjarn’s well-aimed arrows suddenly slamming into the second, which fell dead at his feet. But still they came.
The bloodwolves came in droves, attracted by the commotion, a whole pack of them. Anardan was driven up the old oak where Bjarn and the others were taking refuge, Gib helped him up while Bjarn neatly dispatched a charging wolf with one of his arrows in the beast's chest. The wolves circled the big tree just out of range, out for blood.
Suddenly Luxus ran forward, his face pale, his hands fumbling fore his Wolfpack amulet. The second the cold metal touched his bare skin it stuck tight, again sending a searing pain through the young lad. Energy was sucked from Luxus and another black cloud shot from his hand and descended upon the bloodwolves. Immediately the foul creatures were devoured and Luxus blacked out, flailing face first into the snow.
Voolmark rushed forward to Luxus while Bjarn and Anardan kept their weapons out, just in case more creatures attacked. But none did. Luxus’ amulet had taken care of all of them, but at a great cost.
“Tyco…” Voolmark swore as he rubbed Luxus vigorously, “That trinket acts like the Mana...to use power, it sucks energy out of the wielder...the megabloks thing nearly killed Luxus!”
Shainya rushed over and began to aid Voolmark while Sir Dractor limped up to converse with Bjarn.
“Bjarn, we’ve been cursed by bad luck sense day one, it’s been a miracle no one’s been killed yet...we should get down that well and find the Temple as soon as possible before Chodan knows what attacks us. Luxus can’t keep chasing off those tyco wolves, and none of us are in the condition to battle a hoard of evil creatures!”
“You’re right.” agreed Bjarn, “Anardan! Gather some rope and get a harness set up. We’re going down!”
“Right!”
As Anardan rushed off, a groan made Bjarn turn. Reno was awake, propped up on one elbow.
“Ugg...sup?”
“Reno, can’t tell you how glad I’m too see you're awake!” grinned Bjarn, “But we’re in quite some tyco right now…”
“Tell me what to do and I’ll try…” groaned Reno.
“You’re too hurt…” hushed Gib.
“‘M not!” insisted Reno. He rose shakily. Pain lanced through him, but he stayed upright.
“Why’s my voice sound so funny…?” he croaked.
“Long story...you can thank Voolmark later…” said Bjarn.
Reno picked up his sword and flexed his arms carefully.
“I’ll manage…”
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