Stalking Along the Woodland Path
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Tuesday, 20 January 2009Chapter 1: Arrival (part 1)Chapter 1: Arrival Isa was being stubborn. “Come on, Isa,” I said, and continued walking for some distance down the tree-lined road. I hoped that by going on my way, that Isa would give up lagging behind and follow, her wolf pack instinct that wanted to stay with her pack taking over from the caution that slowed her advance. When five minutes had gone by and Isa still wasn’t co-operating, I turned around to look back at her. Isa had taken a few steps forward, so she was following me, but it was only enough to keep me in sight and when I called her, she refused to come any closer and barked at me. I began to wonder if she’d been injured somehow – the road was stroon with rocks and pebbles, so I could see how she could have cut her pads on one that was particularly sharp. I started walking towards her so I could check her over. Isa, thinking that she’d won the battle of wills, yipped at me and play-bowed, wagging her tail at mid height as she did so. Her ears were almost flat, but not quite and her mouth, with her tongue lolled out, was open as though she was laughing. I shook my head and stroked her ruff, remembering that wolves didn’t like being patted on the head when I drew level with her. I knelt down beside her, laying my quarterstaff on the ground. She licked my face and I was forced to push her muzzle away with my hand. Isa stood still while I checked legs and paws, but I found nothing visibly wrong with her. Picking up the quarterstaff and using it as leverage, I stood and looked over my shoulder at the town of Fardell sprawled five miles in front of us. “You just don’t want to go in there, do you?” I asked, though I didn’t expect an answer as I looked back at her, my free hand scratching behind her ears. “I guess you don’t like large settlements.” Isa whined at me. “Come on – there’s nothing wrong with you and we can’t stay here.” Dark clouds rolling from in the west threatened to bring rain. Not wanting to get caught in it, I started walking again and tried to persuade Isa further but to no avail. I don’t like leaving her out on her own, but she’s always been shy of large gatherings of people, (other than druids), and that incident with the farmer shooting crossbow bolts at her and setting his dogs on us for fear that she was a threat to his livestock a few days ago, didn’t do much for her confidence around people either. However, she’s a wild animal and a wolf at that, so it’s only to be expected. Non-druids don’t view animals, particularly predators, in the same way that druids do. I can’t blame her for being cautious about entering the town and in the end; I left her the countryside outside it. Also, it would be wise for me to check the town out to see what the reaction the town’s people would have to a wild wolf – it would be unfortunate for me to lose her over a misunderstanding. The road was busy, mostly with refugees coming from the north to find sanctuary in Fardell, refugees like me. Several times over the past few days Isa and I had been passed by wagons containing families and others – all fearful, all who have likely lost much more than just their homes to the enemy they are fleeing from. Isa and I had also passed groups of people on foot, all fleeing in the same direction. Isa would melt into the undergrowth and standing trees that lined both sides of the road at such times, melting away into the shadows. I doubt anyone even knew that she was there. I encountered no other druids on the road. Normally I would have taken enjoyment from the countryside I was travelling through, but there was an atmosphere of foreboding in the air, a darkness that was soon to descend on the town of Fardell and it had nothing at all to do with the rain clouds building up in the sky. Thinking of the refugees caused me to ponder the reason why I had started this journey. ------To be continued------ |
