Balrog took the last watch, and he roused the others just as the morning sun appeared over the eastern horizon. It seemed that Nathan had not slept at all, as he waved the stocky man towards the youngest member of their party before Balrog ever got close enough to shake him. Victor took a solid shake of the shoulder before he moved, but his discipline quickly showed through as he nodded to Balrog, groaning quietly as he drew himself to his feet. He ran his fingers through his thick brown hair once, and somehow every strand fell in place exactly as it always did. The young man claimed to know nothing of magic, but Balrog somehow wondered how he could so easily control his mop of hair without some supernatural aid.
The three of them were quickly prepared to move, and they were soon well on their way, Nathan once more setting a healthy pace while his companions kept up. With several hours still to go before reaching Outpost, however, the black wolf at their fore made certain that they all stayed together. His companions were thankfully up to the task of keeping his pace now that they were rested, and they made good time as they made for the haven of Outpost and whatever summons had called Nathan’s attention. The journey passed in silence as such patrols were often wont to do, and barely a word passed from one of them to another before the stark stone walls of their destination rose into their view. None of them questioned it when their leader accelerated his pace. He clearly had not been able to determine anything further from his vision of the previous evening, and he wished to know what its intention might have been as soon as possible. Their reception at the walls was a little more complicated than usual, and it took little time for them to discover why. Vic looked as though he had been shot through by a crossbow when he heard the word plague uttered from atop the walls, and Balrog had to clap a hand on his shoulder to steady him. A few brief words sufficed to clarify that the patrol had left the Keep several days prior to the quarantine, and their entrance was permitted to allow them to rest from their work. Of course, rest would have to wait for a more opportune moment. The black wolf who headed the patrol wasted no time in making his way to the keep to seek out information about what might have caused the strange premonition that had struck him outside of Metamor. It comforted him somehow when he realized that, had he not redirected his team only an hour from the walls, the plague would have kept them out all the same. While he had confidence in the discipline of Balrog, the youngest member of the squad concerned him. Faced with the idea of being trapped away from his family while still so close to them, the wolf wondered if Victor would not have rushed the gates had they gone to Metamor as planned. All things told, it was for the best that they had turned back sooner rather than later. The lupine scout was unsurprised when he was informed that speaking with Hareford’s commander would require more than tales of some vague premonition. Nathan sighed, but he was unable to think of any reason that would seem more important enough for the guards to grant him entrance. He thanked them for their work, and stepped aside with a shake of his head. Few people ever respected the claims he made regarding his abilities, and he could hardly blame them. All he could ever claim were vague emotions and impressions, while others who claimed some form of prescience could at least present some idea of particular events they foresaw. As much as he wished to do so himself, he could not clarify much when he understood very little himself. As he mused over his thoughts, however, he heard another man speaking with the guards who oversaw the security of Hareford’s keep. It seemed to be an innocuous conversation at first, as the man inquired as to potential patrol responsibilities in the near future, revealing him as another Metamor patrol commander who had been trapped without the walls by the onset of the plague. The guards told him that all commanders were to remain available in case of their services being required, and there is where the current of the conversation caught Nathan’s attention. “I am willing to be sent on patrol, of course, but my patrol has been handicapped by the loss of one of our members. His mind has been overthrown by the Curse and some unknown working of our enemies. We are doing all we can to break whatever it is that holds him in that state, but until we succeed it will be difficult for us to operate at our fullest capacity.” The wolf turned to see who was speaking. The lynx who stood at the door was perhaps half a head shorter than he was himself, but his bearing suggested that he had quite a significant degree of experience as a military commander. The topic of the man who had been somehow affected by the Curse’s magic was what truly interested the wolf however, and he approached with hardly another thought. “I understand, but Sir Dupré is thoroughly occupied with the details of the Keeps’ defense over the course of the quarantine,” the guard was responding. “Barring extraordinary necessity, I cannot defy my orders and allow you to see him while he is occupied by such vital affairs.” The lynx clearly felt similarly regarding the guardsmen’s orders as Nathan did, as he expressed his understanding with resigned understanding. He nodded to the guards and turned to walk away, only to come face to face with the approaching wolf. “Excuse me,” the wolf said by way of introduction. “I overheard what you said. You have a friend that needs magical assistance?” The other Keeper eyed him warily at the question, either because of the clear implication of eavesdropping or because of his unexpected appearance. Whichever of the two it was, the reaction was thankfully brief. “That is correct,” he confirmed with a short nod. “Why does it interest you?” The black wolf hesitated. He considered telling the man about the truth of what had brought them to Hareford, but he worried at what the reaction might possibly be. Even Balrog was uncomfortable with the idea of such a power, and Nathan knew and trusted him. A stranger could not be trusted with such information. “We received a request for aid while we were on patrol in the area,” he responded. He actually felt quite proud at the amount of confidence he managed to put into the words. “Our party’s mage has studied the workings of the Curse for some time, and I believe that he would be able to help remove any magic that might be working to reinforce it.” The lynx evaluated him silently for a few moments before finally nodding. “Very good. My party is attempting to find a remedy in the barracks. You should be able to locate them with very little difficulty; we have not made our presence secret at all, so you should be able to ask almost anyone about where we are.” “All right, then. Who should I ask for when I arrive?” “My name is Alex,” his counterpart replied. The wolf nodded with a broad smile. “Well met. My name is Nathan. I will go to seek out my company’s mage and meet you and your party within the barracks.” Without further farewell, Nathan left to find Balrog, leaving Alex to observe the wolf’s retreat with uncertainty. As much as he felt relieved by the help that had been offered, its unexpected arrival left him feeling suspicious. After a moment’s hesitation, he set a brisk pace towards the barracks as well. Lucy and Julian would no doubt expect warning before a stranger came knocking, and Alex also hoped speak with them privately before the wolf arrived. They could not risk letting their guard down just yet. --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
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