We made our way back to the inn where we had first met. Those two days were long as we missed those we had left behind.
The inn was just as we remembered it. Nothing had changed. The innkeeper smiled as he met us at the door, showed us a table and had our meals quickly brought to us.
Andrys looked around the room after finishing his dinner. "This is always the border for me. I allow myself to reflect on my home until this point. Tomarrow, we must look forward to our journey not back at what we left."
"How long will it take to reach the Oracle?" I asked.
"The journey to the Caverns of Night is about three weeks. Once there, though, it is up to the Order and the Oracle if we actually see him."
"You keep talking about the Order, what are they?"
"The Order of Night was created to protect the Oracle. No one knows how long they have been around. They live much longer than normal Elves. Also, they stay within their caves. Very few venture outside their caves.
"Their skin is very pale, almost white. They can all fly and turn to mist. Their teeth are very sharp, like a wolf's."
"Sounds like vampires." I said.
"What are those?" pup asked.
"They are another myth from my world." I said. I told them the Legend of Dracula.
Xiona snorted. "Trust people to fear what they cannot explain."
"The Order is not evil as is the creature in your story," Andrys said. "They are people, pure and simple, with both wonderous gifts and an important purpose. If you don't threaten them or the Oracle, you have nothing to fear from them. During our stay in their caves, pup and I befriended many. Their Lord Night, and their Lady, Vix, are wonderful friends.
"More than this though is up to them to reveal."
By this time the night was late and we all turned in for a rest.
As we left the inn the next morning a thought struck me.
"Any chance we can get some horses?" I asked.
"What for?" pup asked back.
"You know, to ride."
The three Elves all looked at each other, perplexed.
"Ride? What do you mean?" Xiona asked.
"Because a horse can move much faster than a person and riding is nowhere as hard on the feet as walking."
"They can't move faster than a wolf." Tira sniffed.
"Not all of us can change to wolves, Tira." I said. "Wait a minute. Don't tell me, you don't know how to ride a horse."
"No, we don't. Horses are rare in the Elven lands. I have never seen a person actually ride on." Andrys told me. "Although, I have heard that they are common among the humans."
"You have to be kidding me."
"What?" they all chorused.
"OK, you have to be joking."
"Oh, no, I'm not." Andrys said.
"Dear God," I said, clapping one hand to my forehead.
"Is something wrong?" Xiona asked.
"Yeah, no horses. Don't you and the humans around here trade ideas?"
They all looked at each other.
"A thousand years of peace and you haven't even bothered to try trading with your neighbors?"
Andrys looked sheepish. "We didn't think they had anything we would want."
"Believe me, they have at least one thing you might want. The first chance I get, I'm going to buy four horses and teach you all to ride."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," pup said.
"Too true, mine," Andrys said. "Let's be off."
We settled into an easy travel pattern. Each day we would get up before dawn and walk until almost sunset. There were very few villages and after a few days I noticed our supply of food was almost gone.
I mentioned that to Andrys and he told me not to worry.
"There's a village up ahead. We should be there early this afternoon."
I accepted this and mumbled something about finding a stable.
Everyone, even Tira, laughed at me.
When we came upon the village we realized that we would find no help there.
The town was a shambles. Buildings were toppled, their stone walls shattered. The villagers were trying to clean up and repair their homes.
One of the villagers saw us approach and screamed a warning to everyone else.
All of the townspeople scattered into the surrounding woods.
We made our way into the village, looking in dismay at the destruction. It looked as though giant hands had slapped at the buildings. Under one pile of heavy stones we saw a hand sticking out.
No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't find any of the survivors, much less get them to come near us. We offered help but no one would even come out of the woods to accept or reject our offers.
Defeated in our attempts to help, we walked on.
That evening we stopped early to make camp.
"The next village is well over a week away. We will have to make camp here and resupply ourselves. We will need to hunt and gather other edible foods."
"The hunt is easy," Tira said, raising her head from beside the fire. "There is ample prey here. Dan, pup, and I will attend to it."
Andrys looked at her. "I hadn't thought about that. That leaves Xiona and I to get everything else. I usually prefer to hunt but I can't find a good argument against this. Be careful though, I have heard that these woods are protected."
"I have felt Him." Tira said. "The Guardians do not argue against the cycle of life though, only waste."
"When do you want to start?" I asked, thinking of my sore feet.
"Now is good," she answered.
I sighed as I went to the packs and pulled out an extra cloak.
What is that for?" pup asked.
"A travois, I don't plan on carrying a lot of meat back on My back," I told her.
Everyone laughed.
pup and I went to over where Tira was waiting, impatiently, at the edge of the camp. We both shimmered and Changed.
The three of us turned to trot into the forest. Then pup ran back to Andrys and licked his face from chin to eyebrow.
She ran back to us, he tongue lolling out, as Andrys wiped his face, sputtering.
Together the three of us wolves hunted. We came across rabbits and squirrels aplenty but they would not serve our needs.
"Although a good squirrel is always a tasty treat," Tira said.
Then we found a herd of small deer. We watched them for a while and then picked our choice. As we attacked the herd scattered. I was concentrating on our prey when pup saw a buck trip over a branch and go down. She changed course and took it. Tira and I stopped chasing the herd and went over to her kill.
"Good instincts," Tira said, licking the side of her face.
"Thank you, honored sister," pup replied.
I Changed back to human form and said, "Good job, pup."
She Changed to the lovely Elf I had come to see as my pack sister. "this one thanks You, as well."
We started to butcher the deer, working together. Tira lay down to watch. No hands.
After the initial work was done I went to find some good branches for the travois. Tira stayed with pup as she continued to work.
When I returned to them, pup and Tira were both staring at something in the forest.
"Taking a break?" I asked.
"What are you doing?" A quiet, powerful voice said in my head.
"Huh?" It was the most intelligent thing I could think of.
"I asked, what are you doing?" the voice said again as a unicorn emerged from the trees.
The creature was pure white. It was horse-like but not exactly a horse. Its delicate body was smaller than most horses, almost pony size. At the ends of it legs were ivory cloven hoofs, much like a deer or goat. Then there was its golden horn. Long and graceful, it stood straight from the equine forehead, its shining length spiraled.
"We hunted," Tira told the unicorn, finding her voice.
"I see THAT," it answered. "Did you not know this is my forest? That these creatures are protected by me? I have not been here long, having only been sent here."
"We are from far away," I said, swallowing. "We did not realize that we would give offense."
"You are human and can be excused. The woman is Elf and can be excused. The wolf though should have known better, that is unacceptable."
"I take responsibility," I said. "We all hunted as wolves. I accept blame, if there is any, as pack leader."
The unicorn looked amazed. "You are wolves as well as human and Elves? Are you mates?"
"No, the Elven woman's mate is also an Elf. She is 'gifted'. My mate is far from here. These two are my pack sisters."
"Very well, then you are responsible, pack leader. I will treat you as a wolf."
"Do what you will," I said.
"Change, Dan," Tira said.
"What?"
"Change."
"Very well," I said and Changed.
The unicorn stepped back in surprise. "You. She said you would come. I am sorry. I did not know that you would arrive so soon. Be well and good luck." And with that the unicorn turned and disappeared into the woods.
"What was that about?" I asked Tira.
"He said he was new to this forest, that he was only recently sent here. I thought that the Lady had probably sent him. If that were so, she would have told him about us."
"And if so she would have told him to expect wolves hunting and described us." I said, the idea dawning on me.
"And You are the only silver wolf anyone has ever seen," pup said.
"Well, we had better get this done and return to camp."
We finished butchering the deer and loaded it up on the travois.
On the way back to camp I looked at pup. "I've noticed something. When you are in wolf form you seem much more aggressive, much less submissive."
Tira answered, "It is the way of the wolf. We cannot be tamed. pup's true nature still comes through though. In either shape, she is Andrys' and, for her, that is right."
"I am His, Tira," pup said.
We made it back to camp and spent that night and the next day preparing the meat and the many roots and vegetables that Andrys and Xiona had gathered.
Our dinner that second night was about the best stew I had ever tasted. Xiona had taken many of the spices she had found to create a work of art in food.
After too much to eat. We settled in to tell stories and entertain each other, as we had come to do every night.
This night though Andrys asked what I had been waiting for someone to eventually ask.
"I know that the ceremony of the sword is always a private one, and I do not want to pry into a personal matter between you and your sword but, what happened to it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Where did it go? We were all surprised that it disappeared but no one wanted to ask what happened."
"Don't worry, any of you. The sword is still with me. When I ran my hands down the blade, the magic of the Sphere, my own gifts, and the magic within the sword all combined. The sword became one with my cross. When I don't need it, it stays as the pendant but, if I ever call it, it will be there."
"Thank you, Dan," Andrys said. "It is a honor to be told the secret of your ceremony."
"Not a problem, Andrys. You are all too close to be denied knowing."
"Then let me tell you about my sword. His name is Primus. He told me this one the day of our ceremony. I had received him from my father, before he continued on his journey. Our own ceremony was at dawn. The burning sun shone down on us at the edge of a cliff. When I had told him of my dreams and beliefs, he revealed to me his power. A ring of fire surrounded us and quickly drew in until it was upon us. The fire did not burn only warmed. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, the fire was only in the sword. He then told me his name, Primus, and that his fire would never harm me, only those that sought to hurt me or those I cared for."
"What about your friends?" Xiona asked.
"He will serve you as a sword but, he will only come to life in my hands. Dan, swords like this are very rare, I know of only a few."
We sat quietly for a while, thinking of the swords that served us and how special they were.
Then pup asked, "Mine?"
"Yes, pup?"
"May this one dance?"
"Of course." And we lost ourselves in pup's dance.
We arrived at the next village without incident. Finding an inn with rooms, we went straight to bed forgoing dinner.
The following morning we met downstairs to eat. I, for one was famished. The breakfast was hot and excellent, though not as good as Xiona's and pup's meals.
After breakfast we went through the village replenishing our supplies. Most of the things we needed were easy to find although we did have a problem finding a new cloak to replace the one I had used as a travois.
It took us another week of traveling to make it to the Caverns. The journey was easy and we returned to our patterns with ease.