I Am Myth

Part of the Pack

Brian slept peacefully and happily, for once in a few months. The sleep replayed the past night, when Brian and the dragon had returned to the cave. For some reason, the dragon refused to chain up Brian again, and the wolf and it had held a growly argument until Brian clasped on the chains himself. Both the wolf and the dragon were surprised by this gesture and held another argument, though it was quick and short-lived before sleep found Brian.

The peaceful sleep was due, in part, to the warmth that had eluded him the other nights. Though he could not place where the warmth was coming from, his subconscious state, refusing to wake up from the rest, nevertheless tried to find the source of the warmth. Brian's hands moved slowly, driven only by his curiosity, and felt warm fur.

Fur?

Brian's first thought was that the hunters had rescued him. But if they did, then the dragon would be...

Brian's eyes snapped open and he sat up suddenly. Instantly the dragon was by his side, draping a wing over him. Brian's heart rate slowed and he realized the fur was the wolf.

"You're okay!" He barely whispered as he tried to banish all the fear of the dragon being dead out of his mind. He hugged the scaly beast around the neck and didn't let go for five minutes.

"Wow. Looks like someone's less stiff than we thought." The wolf commented and Brian smiled at him. Then Brian realized his hands were no longer cuffed, and since when did the wolf sleep beside him to keep him warm?

"Welcome to the group, kid." The wolf grinned a placed a paw on Brian's shoulder. "You're one of us now."

A lone figure snuck through the woods towards its prey, a buck that made the other deer look like mere fawns. Although ever-alert, the buck failed to see the man clad in a deerskin cloak advancing towards him.

When the figure was still a ways off it let out a howl one could only describe as pathetic. But it did the trick and soon the buck was leading its herd strait towards the opposite side of the meadow. Strait towards the wolf.

A furry beast leapt out of the forest, scattering does and bucks alike, and switched the deer's direction.

Stupid deer, Brian thought with amusement as the creatures ran terrified into the dragon's grasp. The biggest buck turned and fled towards Brian. Perfect.

A slight tilt of the bow and Brian lined up, taking his time with the patience of a dragon and the cunning of a wolf. Both traits had rubbed off on him from spending three years with the mystics.

The arrow struck hard and true and the quarry fell dead.

"Ha! How was that for awesome? My deer is bigger than yours!" Brian gloated to the wolf, who rolled his eyes in return.

"Not bad aim." A smirk spread across the wolf's face, "But an absolutely terrible howl." Brian's grin dropped and he pouted dramatically.

Wolf, as Brian had decided to call him since none of the mystics had a name, examined the deer Brian had brought down.

"You could skin it," The wolf suggested, "Its coat is thicker than the doe's you're wearing right now. It would keep you better protected."

"From what?" Brian laughed, "the few mice that dare come into our cave?" Despite the jest, Brian knew what Wolf meant. The hunters were still out there, though the small group of mystics had been able to elude them so far. Still, being shot at by a hunter was none too small a possibility. Brian smiled to regain the positive and joking atmosphere. "Besides, it didn't protect him very well." The wolf smiled and rolled his eyes. "hotshot." He muttered under his breath.

Brian laughed and followed the wolf through the all-familiar path back to the cave, dragging the deer behind his as if it weighed but a feather. Upon returning Brian found the cave strangely quiet. Sure, there was always the slight trickle of water and a soft echoing brook at the back of the cave, but usually they could hear the spider's movement, no matter how slight, as it worked tirelessly building thousands of webs.

"Spider?" Brian asked quietly. Nothing came in response. The spider was gone!