Skyrim: Dark Firewood

The Wolf of Falkreath

Faendall could feel his chest tighten up as the guttural roar of a lycanthrope rang through the forest. Kerev acted almost immediately, grabbing his bow and dagger and running for the noises. All he could hear was a small child, head pounding and heart racing.

In mere seconds, the two broke through the trees and into a clearing. There, the air was sickly sweet and reeked of iron. A large lycanthrope stood in the center of a tiny clearing, claws raking and slashing at the small screaming mess that was a small Nord girl, mangled.

Faendall found himself frozen, fingers gripping his bowstring. The hulking, bloody werewolf before him was much too familiar. His blood ran cold as fear froze his heart. He could barely breathe steady, the piercing green in the beast's eyes cutting into his soul.

Kerev noticed the girl, the blood, and his dear friend, feeling adrenaline pour into his veins. The Dunmer let out a guttural scream, pulling out his dagger of inferno. He managed to sink the blade into the lycanthrope's fur, feeling it rip through a thick layer of muscle. The beast burst into flames, howling like a madman.

The howl set off a primal instinct in Kerev, sparking the fire in his heart. He felt a red-hot fury in his blood, which quickly cooled into a sharp pleasure of the hunt. He wanted to tear this other beast apart.

"Kerev," Faendall called out.

The Bosmer notched an arrow and kept a good distance, most of his shots missing. He couldn't help but glance at the mangled body of the sobbing child, unable to look away. He cursed to the Eight as he saw her arm fall off and roll into a patch of mud. 

The beast hollered and roared, swiping and slashing at the smaller Elf that was attacking him. Kerev managed to take blow after blow, Moonsugar and hype pounding in his chest. With each swipe, he brought up an arm. As jagged claws attempted to sink into Kerev's soft flesh, the Lycanthrope would find his fingers stopped by a sudden thick patch of fur. The patches faded just as quickly as they had appeared, and Kerev swung.

Arrows filled the air, fire burned away sweat and blood, the screaming of the girl turned to gurgling and silenced. The fight looked as if it would never end.

Faendall could sense this, and tucked his bow away. He started sprinting for his companion, pulling out a dagger of his own. He let out a gutteral cry and tackled Kerev to the ground. The two tumbled and rolled over rocks and roots, the beast rearing up in disgust.

As the horrid monster let out a glass-shattering snarl, the two Elves looked up to see the mangled maw of the beast. In an instant, its jaws slammed shut and its body was flung back, a crossbow bolt having struck it. The wolf was thrown into a tree, yelping and whimpering.

Kerev stood up, quickly yanking Faendall up with him. The two coughed and breathed heavily, staring at the Lycanthrope and his miserable kill. The Wolf began to de-transform, the whimpers and screeches melting into panting cries and choked out gasps for help. Faendall turned his head away, but Kerev simply stood and watched.

The man slowly manifested before them, stuck in ragged robes and coated in blood. The man had the crossbow bolt in his shoulder, and he held it in a vice grip. Kerev perked up as he saw the faint glint of a silver ring on the man's finger. It felt warm, inviting. As if it was calling to him.

Kerev slowly turned to face Faendall as he felt a tug on his arm. The Bosmer was struggling to keep his breathing steady and was shaking like a leaf. Kerev carefully pulled Faendall closer, worried for his companion.

"And you're not killing him?"

A sharp, high-pitched voice startled the Mer. Both turned in circles trying to find the source, to no avail. Twigs seemed to snap all around them, creating cascading echoes throughout the forest. Faendall notched an arrow and Kerev pulled out a dagger.