Out of the Wilds

Prologue

Fenn yawned, cracking his neck and shaking himself to help stay alert. It had been a long day, standing watch over the city's gates, he'd been on duty since morning, now it was dusk. He supposed it couldn't be helped, the city guards were stretched thin at the moment with the autumn festival now upon them. It was an old tradition, stretching back to the time of the old Vaden Empire. Even centuries after the empire had been broken into dozens of petty kingdoms it continued. At the time of the autumn harvest, when the peasants had reaped their crops and prepared their goods, trading caravans from all over the kingdoms would set out to barter goods with the other lords and nobles. Everyone needed something, and had something to trade in return.

The city of Valensk was full to bursting as it always was this time of year. Caravans of oxen and horses had streamed in through the sturdy gates bringing goods and merchants to the trading city. The river gates had been open as well as barges and boats brought all manner of products to the city in anticipation of the great market. Empty stalls and market squares were swept clean and occupied as the nobles charged their rent.

For a little while now the cobblestone road before them had been quiet, the last of the caravans having trundled past some time ago. "Looks like it's time to close up now. It's going to be dark soon."

"Haven't gotten any caravans for an hour, and the city's fit to burst anyway. Looks like there were more people this year than the last, I don't know how they cram them all in." Said his companion.

"With triple bunks and rent gouging." Fenn chuckled. "Alright, let's head inside. Anyone this late deserves to sleep out in the cold for one night."

The second guard nodded and was about to turn before some movement caught his eye and he looked back. "Hold." He said, peering into the darkness. Fenn frowned, lifting his halberd and squinting.

Out of the thickening shadows of the tree shrouded road one final figure came walking down the path at a brisk pace, coming into the edge of the light. It was hard to tell but the figure seemed to be male, dressed most entirely in brown leather. The chestpiece was sturdy enough to be armor, well fitted leggings and traveler's boots looking like they had seen a lot of wear. There was a pack on his back, as well as a bow slung in quick reach with a quiver placed sideways on the back of the figure's belt, which also carried a glinting steel hand axe. The figure's face was hidden by a hood and the deepening shadows.

"Ho there traveler, rather late to be on the roads alone." Fenn called out, raising his torch to try and get a better look at the newcomer.

"Suppose it is." Said the figure, standing on the edge of the torchlight.

"Take off your hood so I can get a look at you." Said the second.

The figure turned to look at him, before the gloved hands went up and pulled back the hood. The guards were not sure exactly what they had been expecting, but it wasn't this. Fairer skinned than a Brayton but more tanned than the Vadens themselves, his ears were long and pointed like a Mayagen but were shorter and broader than those elegant creatures. The man's eyes were amber and seemed to almost glow in the low light, but that was probably just the reflected torchlight. He seemed on the younger side, most certainly below thirty years, unshaven stubble on his cheeks that would probably become a full beard if left unchecked. His hair was black and shaggy, falling on the longer side behind his pointed ears, which twitched slightly as they listened.

"From where do you hail stranger?" Asked the second guard.

The young man raised a hand and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "North."

"And where are you headed?" Continued the guard.

The man pointed through the gates. "South."

"Come for the markets then?"

The man nodded. "I am looking for something."

The guard rolled his shoulders. "Well I'm sure you'll find it, they have everything in there. I'll need a name for the record." He fished out a notepad and readied a quill.

The man cocked his head slightly and looked at the note, before he shrugged. "Wulfric." He said simply.

"And is there a second part to that name?"

"No." The outlander said with a little smirk.

The guard sighed. "Very well, welcome to Valensk mister Wulfric, don't cause any trouble and I'm sure you'll find whatever it is you're looking for."

He looked up from the notes to see that Wulfric was already walking through the gates. "Thanks." The man said simply, looking up at the vibrant city as he passed through the walls.

The guards looked at each other. "Well that was odd." The second said, going to close down the stall outside, packing everything up and then heading for the gates. "Have you ever seen the like of him?"

Fenn looked after the figure, vanishing already into the distant crowd and tapped his chin. "I wonder... if he's one of the Valdyrkin."

"Never heard of them." Said the other guard, shrugging as they passed through the gates which began to rumble closed behind them.

"Not surprised. I only heard of them in passing from the traders a few years ago. They're supposed to live far to the north. I heard they were a bunch of wolf worshipping savages."

The other guard shrugged, eager to put the odd encounter out of his mind. "No matter, I doubt the merchants will care where he comes from so long as his coin is good. Now come on, I need a drink."

The first guard nodded, it wasn't their problem anymore in any case. He looked up after the unusual figure, but the young man was already gone, vanished into the crowd.