Wild (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 27: The Wolf and the Shade part 1

Talismen streaked through the forest, keeping up a strong silent gallop through the trees. He made sure to keep his large double-sided sword out of the moonlight. The chorus of howling and snarling sounded off a few hundred metres to the right where he guessed the fight between Sharrag and the Alpha of the Shrrg army.

A small rustle of leaves to the left told him that the elves were easily keeping up with his pace. He was surprised, for not many two-legs were as fast and agile as the Shrrg. The elves seemed right at home within this forest.

They passed through the middle of the valley, Talismen kept his nose to the air for any possible scent of guards. He couldn’t find any. That night was a calm one. There was no wind, which was an advantage and disadvantage at the same time. Scents were easier to smell in a wider area, but it also meant there scent was reasonably easy to pick up as well.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the other side of the valley. Talismen put a bit more effort into his strides as they made there way up hill. He made sure to keep his mind guarded against an attack from the shade, though he didn’t think it would make that much of a difference. He stopped on a small game path that wound its way through the mountain forest. The elves stopped with him.

“Can you smell anything?” asked Levial, crouching beside him.

Talismen shook his head in response. There was a possibility that the shade had cast a spell to prevent them from scenting him. All doubt of that however was defeated as a dark unnatural musk wafted over his nostrils. The hairs on his back raised and he let loose a low growl.

‘This way,’ he said to the elves.

They tracked through the forest for another few minutes, Talismen pausing every so often to recatch the scent. Eventually the wolf came to a stop at the edge of a small piece of flat ground on the mountain. One side was a shear cliff that fell about twenty metres. The other side was a steep angle up the mountain. In the muddle of the small enclave was the thing they had been looking for.

Sythrel was gazing down into the valley a small smile set upon his features. From his vantage point one could see the whole valley, including the fight that was happening just down below. The roars and howls of pain could even be heard echoing along the valley walls.

Talismen felt a low growl pass through his throat as the thing that had caused them so much strife stood right in front of them. He hunched his legs and gripped his sword tighter in his teeth. He was just about to leap into action when the shade spoke.

“I’ve been wondering when you would come,” it said, turning around to face them.

Talismen felt the two elves beside him freeze.

“Of course, I didn’t expect so many of you,” Sythrel frowned studying the two elves, “I was just wanting to fight ol’ Talismen here.”

He smirked at the Shrrg. Talismen growled back tightening the barriers around his mind and glaring back at the shade. A hand touched his shoulder causing him to hold back.

“Sorry to disappoint you but it is us that you will be fighting,” said Aradon, unsheathing his elfish blade in one fluid movement. His brother followed suit.