The Wolf of the Wilds

The Inn

"Ow. Ow, oww. Stop it, Adrian!" Helena hissed as Adrian hastily withdrew his hands. 

"It's your fault for falling asleep outside while sitting upright," he chided, moving in to give her shoulder another prod. Helena caught him in a stern glare, her lips pursed in mock annoyance. The effect was ruined as the boat swayed and she tripped, grasping the railing to prevent her fall. Pain shot through her back again and she swore loudly for everyone in the vicinity to hear.

Adrian watched on with a quirked brow and smug grin.

"Are you sure you don't want that massage?"

"You're such an arse sometimes," she muttered under her breath, batting him away with light taps to his arm. His grin just grew and he buffeted her side with a playful nudge.

"I'd be no fun if I wasn't," he countered.

Helena rolled her eyes with a snort and stretched her back. It clicked with a satisfying pop. She shook out her limbs and loosened her neck, scowling slightly as another ripple of pain coursed through her muscles.

"I suppose that's true. You're just about tolerable on the scale of arse-ness," she replied, turning her gaze back to the ocean.

The water was a cool grey, pale foam writhing atop each passing wave as they jostled the large ferry. In the distance the cliffs of the Imber coastline were visible. A while back they had passed a series of jagged islands, and the water had grown ever more rough as they approached the natural harbour of Semul.

A cluster of gulls floated above them and several other boats could be seen out on the water, fishing lines dangling from the top decks. Large woven baskets of freshly caught fish sat behind the fishermen, each filled to the brim with various species of edible delicacies.

"I think I can see the city," Felix said, walking over with a squint on his face. Both wolves startled at his sudden appearance.

"Where?" Helena asked, turning her head towards where his gaze fell. He stuck an arm over the side of the railings, pointing to where the coast descended and met the sea. It was partially obscured by some rather foreboding looking rocks, but spindly plumes of smoke on the coast line marked Semul's whereabouts.

"Ah I see," she murmured. Adrian leaned over and scrunched up his face.

"I don't see it," he huffed, bending further over and putting up a hand to shield his eyes from the, albeit dim, sunlight. Helena leaned closer to him and pointed.

"Do you see where the cliff dips?"
He gave up with a defeated sigh, stepping back from the edge.

"Kind of, but it's all blurry. I hate my poor eyesight. I wish I could get some spectacles, but no one near the Montis makes them," he muttered with a deep crease of frustration between his brows.

"There's probably somewhere in Semul that'll sell them," Felix pointed out, lightly tapping his foot against the wooden floor as he leant into the metal beam.

"I suppose we should keep an eye out then, shouldn't we?" Helena said with a half grin. Adrian sent her an unimpressed stare, while Felix tried his best not to laugh.

Semul harbour was a massive complex of marinas and docks, all tinged with the aroma of fish and seaweed. The ferry moored along the quayside, squeezed between two massive cargo ships. They quickly assembled their things and disembarked the boat in an orderly fashion, meeting again once on dry land.

Edgard had the directions to their accommodation and led them down the tall, twisting streets of Semul. They took a right turn. A left turn. Another right turn. The pale stonework was uniformly grimy and it all seemed to blur together into a grey maze. After taking them down increasingly dismal alleyways, Ed finally admitted defeat and handed the map to Hermine. Hermine, having had the wisdom to consult their navigator, led them to the inn long before evening set in.

The Lonesome Succubus was a seedy kind of establishment. The sign outside was lopsided and the paint was cracked, causing the words to be barely distinguishable against the dark brown background. A garden sat outside, but it appeared so neglected that even weeds refused to grow there and just leafless husks poked out from the oddly dark mud. It didn't have its own stable apart from a rather decrepit shack beside the latrine. Cheval point blank refused to step past the crooked fence posts and in the end they decided to take the horses to another stable about a street away.

Beyond the dust smeared glass of the door, a bar resided, encompassed by a thick cloud of foreboding. It appeared almost empty and only a couple of wolves sat in one corner, huddling around a shadow veiled table. Helena could smell the cannabinoids on them and she squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing a sneer.

"Edgard," she said slowly, "how exactly did you come to find out about this place?" Her voice wasn't completely acidic, but it carried a sharp edge of warning to it. The disgruntled man threw her a frustrated look and gnawed on his lip with his crooked teeth.

"My parents." His words were angry, upset and embarrassed all rolled into one.

There was a series of muttered curses from various wolves in the group. Petrine's lips were so firmly pressed together that they almost disappeared entirely.

"Those conniving mutts!" She spat, her coarse voice sounding almost like a feral growl. Her skin had taken on a purplish tint as she attempted to suffocate her bag strap. "I can't believe we once obeyed those two! Those bitter, twisted snakes!"

One of the warriors quickly came up close to her and slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. They were similar in looks, both adorning slicked back brown hair, their medium brown complexions marred with fine lines. He flickered her forehead with his right hand.

"Calm down Sis, we don't need you making a scene," he muttered.

The two alphas looked at each other and shared grimaces.

"It's annoying, but I suppose we can't change anything now. We're just going to have to grit our teeth and bare it I'm afraid," Hermine announced to the group. "We're only sleeping here at night and as long as we lock our doors firmly we should be fine. Hopefully." She didn't sound very convinced.

They begrudgingly took their keys from the ratty lady at the bar and went up a rickety set of stairs. On the way up Helena could of sworn that she saw a rat scurry across the corridor and out of one of the smashed glass window panes on the second story.

Helena was sharing a bedroom with Petrine and a female warrior who was apparently called Abella. None of the occupants seemed thrilled by their forced cohabitation, but the two Montis wolves were quick to claim the sunken double bed, neither wanting to sleep beside the rogue. Not that Helena was complaining. She was content enough with the urine scented rectangle that was masquerading as a single bed on the opposite side of the room.

It would have to do anyway.