Howling Echoes

Chapter 12

Howling 12

The entrance is packed with people in a seamless, peaceful town by the ocean. Merchants, adventurers, soldiers, and ordinary citizens gather here. The soldiers only let the others leave after checking them. Groups of people go once they have passed what seems to be a checkpoint. Wolf and Adolpha wanted to leave but were stopped by a soldier.

Wolf, unaware of what is happening, gets defensive. More soldiers surround them. "Calm down, sir; I need to see everything is in order." Adolpha is scared. Wolf stands in front of her. Other people stare, which makes Wolf uncomfortably uncomfortable. The soldier repeated that he needed to check them.

Wolf relaxes and asks the guard what he needs to see. The other soldiers also relax; they leave and patrol. The soldier asks Wolf if he has his escorts. Wolf replies that he doesn't need them. The soldier, dissatisfied with his answer, gets mad. "We have been through this..."

Wolf was confused. "I can protect myself," he said. I know you can, but we don't need the trouble..." "What trouble?" The soldier called someone over; another soldier came. He was his superior. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked. The soldier told Wolf to talk.

Wolf, confused, spoke to him; he told him he could protect himself and his family, so they didn't need escorts. The soldier looked at him. "What clan do you belong to?" he asked. "We are nomads," Wolf replied. Adolpha hid behind Wolf. The soldier noticed the baby.

Wolf could hear others talking about them. The soldier asked where they were headed. "King's Land," Wolf replied. The soldier remained silent for a moment. "Do you like your family?" "Yes..." "Do you want to see your child grow up?" "Yes..." Wolf again was confused. "I know your kind, and your race is very strong, but put that aside for now."

Wolf apologized and told him he did not understand. The guard began telling them stories about some families they let through. These families had warriors in them and claimed to be strong. The soldier said they all died and never made it to their destination. "I know this war is hard on people, but we must remain calm for your family."

"War?" The guard tells Wolf to return when he has the proper requirements. Wolf didn't want to make it any worse, so they left. Adolpha quietly follows behind him. Wolf and Adolpha return to town and think about what happened. Adolpha asks Wolf what they would do.

Wolf pulls out the map he bought and looks at it. "We can sail west. We can head north if we get off where there is no one. I don't know what is happening, but staying here too long might be bad." Wolf tells Adolpha they would need to go back to the ocean. Adolpha didn't like that idea.

Wolf explained that it was their only option. "There is so much we missed. Whatever is happening, we don't want to get involved. We won't be able to leave from here." Adolpha was upset; she said she wanted to go home already. "I understand, please, listen to me." Adolpha finally agreed to follow the plan.

Wolf and Adolpha returned to the docks and walked towards their boat. "Wait!" Wolf said. A group of soldiers was looking at their boat, and other soldiers questioned the fishermen there. "Seem they are looking for the owner of that suspicious boat..." Wolf and Adolpha heard the older man they had met earlier say.

The soldiers began to move the boat. Wolf was ready to draw his sword. "I wouldn't do that," said the older man. The older man told them to wait. "Come sit," he told them. Wolf and Adolpha sat beside the old man's boat on some crates. After a while, the older man invited them aboard the boat. "No need to be cautious; let's talk."

The older man smoked a pipe. The workers were leaving. The older man sat and asked Wolf about their destination. Wolf told him they were heading to King's land. "King's Land, HUH..." he was relaxed. "Did you hire an adventurer's group?" he asked. Wolf shakes his head. "Are you heading out with the next group?" he said. Wolf again shook his head.