~~~~
The Ranger adjusted
their position slightly. The gnarled branches of the old tree they’d hidden in
were less than comfortable, but they did their best to make do. The forest
canopy was so tight that even now, in the middle of the day, the forest floor
was dark. If it weren’t for the fact they’d long since adjusted to the
lighting, the whole area would probably appear pitch black. However, even with
their improved vision, the pack of black wolves they watched, seemed to blend
in with each other. The only distinction being the eerie glow of their bright
yellow eyes.
“Not yet,” the mumbled
to themselves, their real target had yet to appear. These wolves were a danger the
brave few who still lived in this dark forest, however not nearly as much as
they used to. Before they ran rampant through the woods, attacking travelers,
farmers and merchants alike. The local guard struggled to cull the threat so
they outsourced to any adventurer they could find, with the promise of a reward
as an incentive. Within a few months, the wolf population was reduced to a
manageable level. Rewards were still offered for slaying these black as night
wolves, but with the population down the rewards were decreased in value. It
wasn’t worth it to hunt the majority of them, except one, Blackfang.
When the wolves were
slain in mass, one pack leader rose among all the others, a giant wolf with a
crooked black tooth. Just when it seemed the wolves would become a non-issue,
Blackfang proved the troubles were far from over. The beast was cunning, and it
preferred to lurk in every dark corner of the woods than ever risk appearing in
the open. A grand reward was offered to any who could slay the beast. But, the
potential prize was so grand most adventurers fought each other rather than the
creature. However, the Ranger was ready and would not allow themselves to fall
in such a trap.
The Ranger had kept an
ear out for other adventurers looking to bring the beast down. One such pair
was on their way now, a couple of warriors who planned to cut down wolves until
they drew Blackfang out of hiding. The Ranger knew the pair was unlikely to
succeed, even if they drew the beast out, it’d just overwhelm them with greater
numbers. However, the Ranger only needed them to draw the creature out. Once
Blackfang was out in the open, they’d plant as many arrows as they could in the
beast’s hide, and it’d crumble. With their numbers down and leader slain, the
pack would disperse. The exhausted warriors wouldn’t be able to stop the Ranger
from claiming the prize.
“Here they come,” the
Ranger smirked as the pair of warriors came over a nearby hill and waded into
the pack of wolves. They drew first blood as their swords cleaved into the
wolves’ flesh. The beasts struggled against the heavily armored men, their
fangs unable to pierce the plated armor. The Ranger readied their bow, the
Blackfang might arrive soon.
The fight went on for
half an hour, a half-dozen wolves had fallen, an equal number were severely
wounded. The Ranger felt they had underestimated the warriors, at this rate
they might kill Blackfang on their own. They wouldn’t have to wait long to find
out, as right over another hill, the beast had come.
Bathed in the darkness,
its position betrayed only by a pair of bright yellow eyes, Blackfang stood
atop a hill. The pitch-black beast was flanked by four equally dark wolves. The
four were quite large specimens, big enough to give even the most confident
hunter pause, yet Blackfang dwarfed them all. The wounded wolves moved to
position themselves between the warriors and Blackfang’s group. The warriors
stood ready, even as the quartet of wolves charged down the hill and leaped
over their injured brethren.
The fight was fierce,
but the four giant wolves proved to be more than a match for the two warriors.
However, Blackfang just stood and watched, even as the wounded wolves retreated
into the brush. The Ranger took their chance, their bow was notched, and they
let loose an arrow at the distracted beast. Their projectile landed true and
embedded itself in the creature, but it barely flinched. The Ranger let loose
several more arrows, but nothing seemed to harm the animal, some even bounced
off its thick hide.
At this point the
warriors had been sent running, having only managed to kill one of the four
wolves. The wolves howled at their victory but did not give chase. Blackfang’s
eyes turned to face the Ranger, who felt their heart stop as the massive beast
gave them its full attention. However, the wolf merely stared at them. Then it
ripped one of the arrows out of its hide and spit it onto the ground.
Eventually, the beast turned, pausing only to kick some dirt in the Ranger’s
direction with its back paw, before it disappeared into the brush. The rest of
the wolves followed suit.
The Ranger cursed under
their breath, the beasts had won this day. They wondered to themselves if
Blackfang had known they were there from the very beginning. Was this a display
of strength? The beast was known to be clever, but the Ranger had not expected
behavior like this. The Ranger wondered if they should just slink back to town,
or make another stab at the beast.
~~~~
You know what they say about best-laid-plans right?
(Most certainly not inspired by all the time I've sunk into Classic Wow, and all the sneaky jerk snatching quest objectives right out from under me.)
Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
~~~~
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