Chapter 9

The innkeeper was attending the bar, as usual. Even this early in the morning people wanted their ale and spirits. The large man had his usual green bandanna tied on his head. He absent-mindedly cleaned a large glass mug while observing his patrons. Yori approached the counter from the man's right side.

"Excuse me sir, could I ask you some questions about the area around Esaron?"

The tanned man blinked and turned a large smile towards Yori. He leaned over, placing his elbows on the counter and crossing his arms.

"Of course! You're new here, right boy? The one the Guild Master sent over here before. Well, what would you like to know?"

"I'm curious. What kind of monsters live around here?"

"Oh, all sorts! A young villager like yourself will definitely wanna' stay inside the wall and barrier unless you're with an escort. You can hire them at the Guild if you need one. Planning on going on a trip?"

"Uh, no, I just… want to know more about the area. You see, I met a young Adventurer yesterday and they were asking where they should hunt, but having just got here I wasn't able to be of much help to them."

Right, no one is going to assume or understand that I am seeking out monsters to hunt. That is like someone actively seeking out death to them.

Yori averted his eyes, feeling uncomfortable with having lied to the innkeeper. He did not want another person worrying or telling him not to do this, though.

"Ah, I see. Well, that is very nice of you to want to be informed to help others. Hmm…"

The tall man lifted his crossed arms from the counter and placed a hand on his chin as he thought.

"If it's an Adventurer then they usually like to start out hunting wolves in the caves to the South. Pretty easy, lots of 'em and their pelts and fangs are worth a pretty penny. Just gotta' find the stragglers. An entire pack can be a handful for even seasoned Adventurers."

"Perfect! Thank you! I'll let them know if I see them again."

"Hold on, before you go, I have a package for you. You're Yori, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me. Thanks…"

The man handed him folded piece of paper laying on top of a round wooden container. He opened the box to find a small meat pie. Yori looked at the letter that laid atop.

Dear Yori, Thank you for even just that one day of help on the farm. Lady Elina filled us in on what you have been up to. Please do not feel bad, we understand that a boy needs to do what

he needs to be done to accomplish his destiny. I made you a pie so you can keep up your strength. We believe in you and please take care of yourself. You are welcome back any time! Please be safe.

It was signed by the Rutherfords. Yori sprinted out the door in an attempt to hide the tears welling up in his eyes as he thanked the man. It felt good for someone to care so much about him, even someone he barely knew. He headed towards the South Gate of Esaron as he consumed the meat pie. It was cold but fragrant and flavourful, and gave him the sustenance he very much needed. The innkeeper seemed to know what he was talking about so far. There were plenty of Adventurers coming in and out of this entrance, putting stock into the advice he had been unknowingly given. This was clearly a popular spot, and for rookies at that. Most of the gear that the Adventurers around him had looked shabby and cheap. They definitely would not hold up against a strong opponent, so their prey must be relatively weak. Everyone seemed to be walking through the gate without interference. Yori attempted to go with the crowd and simply walk through like the Adventurers, but a guard called him over as he was passing. The man stood half a head shorter than Yori, and was quite stalky.

"Ey lad, it's far too dangerous for a boy like you to be goin' out there unarmed and unescorted. Do you have bodyguards accompanyin' you?"

"Uhh, well you see, I do have escorts… they're just waiting for me outside the gate…. I'm supposed to meet them out here."

More lies, and once again he felt bad, especially since everyone seemed to be so trusting of him. Unfortunately, he could not think of another way of getting his way.

"Oh, ok. Let me help you look for 'em, do you know their names or what they look like?"

Glancing ahead, Yori spotted two Adventurers walking away from the entrance. One was talking quite loudly while the other simply shook his head at what his companion was chatting about. They seemed to be moderately well armed and were too old to be rookies. He figured the guard was more likely to believe his story if they had some experience. Yori pointed at the two men to indicate they were his hired guards.

"Those two up there. The Guild assigned them to me. Thanks for your concern, but I better catch up to them."

"Ahhh, Jaya and Bobu, eh? Alright, no problem lad, be careful out there."

To his surprise he was correct in his assumption, but the lying to everyone was still eating at him. He would have to apologize to them all once he became an Adventurer. Running up ahead, Yori followed the unsuspecting men, keeping his distance so they did not get suspicious of his proximity. Once they were out of sight of the gate entrance Yori peeled off into the forest that lined the roadside in search of his next target.

The ground began changing elevations as he entered the foothills of the Bowren Mountains. The mountains were quite far away but their peaks could be seen on the horizon, disappearing into the clouds. These foothills were much more difficult to see ahead in than the plains were where he fought the jackalopes. Taking careful steps, Yori noted that he would have to be very cautious in the environment. He may be searching for a wolf, but there was always potential to encounter an entire pack, or something more dangerous.

Wolves were well known to have sharp hearing and a keen sense of smell. This meant that, similar to the jackalopes, he was unlikely to be able to sneak up on them unless they were distracted.

Perhaps I should let them come to me instead.

Yori decided his best course of action was to remain patient; to lie in wait and pounce when they least expected it. His first course of action was to disguise his scent. During his entire childhood his mother had had a garden full of an assortment of berries. Hoping he would recognize some that were not poisonous, Yori looked around at the surrounding vegetation. A small bush of dark purple berries with lots of bumps on the surface sat under a large oak tree. Yori recognized them as mulberries that his mother used to make jam with. Grabbing a handful of the berries, he smeared them on his arms and the back of his neck, along with some mud. Hopeful that it would be enough to mask his scent Yori decided to climb a tree and wait for his victim to appear. If facing a jackalope head on was difficult, he needed every advantage he could muster to on a wolf.

He sat in the tree for what felt like hours. The forest around him was silent aside from the occasional chirp from a bird and buzz from an insect. The quieter it got the more he questioned everything he was doing. At one point he saw a rabbit hop into view and munch on some of the mulberry leaves. When it first appeared Yori thought it to be a jackalope, but either way, neither was worth the time or effort.

Am I wrong to wait for the wolf to come to me? Am I wrong to fight wolves in general, or to even try to fight at all? I could die, after all.

As his mind became shrouded in darkness and doubt, a glimmer of hope shone through the forest. A wolf. A lone wolf. It sniffed the ground a few feet from the tree Yori was perched in, and lifted its head to sniff the air. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time, and luckily for Yori, appeared to be traveling alone. It walked forward, stopping once again, this time under his branch. For this moment he forgot about the doubt he was feeling and decided this was his chance. Grasping his dagger in his right hand and steadying himself with his other, Yori took in a deep breath… and pounced.

Dagger outstretched, he plummeted towards the wolf hoping to land a decisive blow. Aiming for the wolf's neck, Yori dove and hit the ground. As he had feared, the animal's hearing was excellent and its head spun around at the sound of the branch's rebound from his jump. The wolf had reacted in time to avoid a fatal blow, but he did not completely avoid injury. On the way by, Yori's dagger managed to connect with the side of the wolf's neck. The cut appeared only skin-deep at most as no blood dripped from the wound. He quickly realized why daggers were not popular weapons for Adventurers. Although sharp, the blade had barely connected with more then the creature's mane. It was just too short for him to land a blow on something that had this much fur protecting its vitals.

Fearing a counter attack, Yori rolled away from it and stuck his blade up to defend himself. This way it was more likely for the wolf to encounter the dagger before harming his body. To his surprise, the wolf also jumped back and sized him up, circling the boy while doing so to seek out an advantage. It did not appear as aggressive as the jackalopes. Instead of mindlessly doing an action as with the rabbit-like creature had, the wolf was intelligent. It was trying to learn all about its foe before it struck, or perhaps escaped. Yori could immediately feel the difference in strength between the wolf and the jackalope, and it caused the doubt in his mind to overtake his better judgment.

Yori took another half step backwards, dagger still between him and his target. Seeing this as a sign of weakness, the wolf launched itself towards the boy, mouth agape. With this attack, Yori waved his arms in front of him frantically as if he were trying to simultaneously wave away his doubts and the enemy before him. Neither notion worked as a sharp pain shot through his left arm. The sudden pain cause Yori to close his eyes, and as he reopened them his heart raced faster at the sight of his own blood. Large white canines were embedded in his left forearm, raised protectively in front of his face. The full weight of the wolf hitting him in the chest followed the bite, knocking him to the ground. Now flat on his back with the creature atop him, Yori yelled out in pain as the beast jerked its head to the side, attempting to remove the boy's arm from his path to Yori's neck.

As his vision began to blur from pain and doubt in himself, Yori remembered his father's favourite saying.

Nothing beats hard work, patience, and the accomplishments that come with them.

This was just a set-back, he had not lost yet. A new burst of determination overshadowed the doubt. There was only one option in Yori's mind. One word that ignored all the uncertainty, all the hesitation. Fight!

It was the only way he could live, the only way he could get stronger. He needed to fight and fight until he killed this monster; until he became an Adventurer; until he gained enough strength to protect the ones he loved. He stabbed upwards with his dagger, still gripped in his right hand. The blade went directly into the jaw of the wolf. Unfortunately, his arm was still in the grasp of the wolf's jaw, which meant that the blade also impaled the side of the already damaged limb. Adrenaline dampened the pain emanating from the wounds. Now aware that the blade would not easily penetrate the thick fur covering the animal's neck, Yori had deemed this a better option.

The new gaping hole in the side of the wolf's face caused it to unclench its jaw and jump back again. Yori pulled back his dagger as it did this to avoid damaging his arm further. The creature seemed to be rethinking its strategy. Luckily for Yori, the large wound in the canine's jaw would greatly affect the animal's bite force, and therefore its ability to fight. Preparing for the next pounce, Yori adjusted the grip of his dagger in his right hand, making sure it was secure.

The pounce did not come. He recognized the look in the creature's eyes just in time to act.

"Dammit, it's going to run away!"

Yori dove for the wolf just as it began to turn tail and run. The blade of his dagger dove deep into the back right hip of the animal as it attempted to flee. The wolf let out a yelp which Yori hoped would not attract its friends. With his left hand Yori managed to reach up and grab the back of the wolf's mane, sending intense pain throughout his whole body. Managing to just barely hold on, the sudden force caused the animal to arch backwards. Razor sharp claws flitted in the sun as four paws flung in the air as the wolf was overturned. The weight of the animal landed on Yori's chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Without being able to muster up the strength in his left arm to hold on any longer, he had to act fast before the wolf regained its footing. As it began to struggle back its feet, Yori stretched out his right hand and drove the dagger sideways into the animal's ear. A high pitch whimper echoed through the forest as the creature stopped moving. Yori let go of his dagger, pausing for a moment to ensure the wolf was dead. The canine was perfectly still. Dark red blood stained the fur around the fatal head wound. Yori had won. Once again, he had defeated an enemy that others told him was too dangerous and beyond his abilities. Just downright foolish to try. But he had won.