The journey begins...

[Myth]

As the sun went down, Dautry bleakly surveyed his surroundings. There was no one in sight, except for Red of course. And a couple of wolves. Also, of course.

 

The panicked fervor of his initial escape had long since been replaced by growing fatigue and an ever-present dull ache. He knew now that he would never see his father again. Most likely, Lord Byron's lackeys had made sure of that, one way or another. Dautry reflexively wiped his eyes for tears, but they no longer came. That well had dried up days ago, filled with an emptiness so deep that he doubted he would ever cry again.

 

He had made his escape to the east, toward the Plains of Maredo, figuring it would be harder for anyone to sneak up on him in the open, and Red would be able to outrun everyone else. For the most part, his plan had worked flawlessly, if not easily. He hadn't seen another human in days.

 

He just hadn't expected the wolves.

 

They were always there. On the edge of his vision, in his dreams. It was like they were watching out for him, but that was impossible. Surprisingly he hadn't had to struggle to find food so far, because it seemed a rabbit here and there stumbled into his path just when he decided to start looking for one. It could have been coincidence. It could have been, except for the fact that a wolf was always standing there watching until he noticed him after taking down the rabbit with his bow. He almost would have preferred going hungry. Almost. The sizzling, savory rabbit smelled delicious, but thinking of how he had come by the meal always made it taste like ashes. So he tried not to think about it.

 

He hadn't gone hungry, but he hadn't slept well in days. His dreams of late had been consumed with running, but not the fun sprints and long runs he could remember since he was little. He was running in fear, terrified of something unseen but heard in the distance. Dogs barking and men shouting. Lord Byron's men. Those dreams had wakened him several times, but they were just normal nightmares born of his situation. He could live with those if he had to. It was the others that woke him soaked in sweat, the dreams of running with the wolves, that convinced him he was losing his mind.

 

In those dreams he wasn't running away from the men and dogs, but towards them, teeth bared in the hunt. The wind whistling in his face felt rapturous as the ground flew under his feet. The wolves ran beside him, urging him to run even faster. It felt real. It felt too real. And it scared him to death.

 

Sitting alone in the dark, his fire long since gone out, Dautry dreaded closing his eyes. But he couldn't stay awake, not again, so he checked to make sure he was alone. His only company on the empty, rolling grasslands was Red and the wolves, and as sleep stole over him, he knew they would come close again. He felt them watching, waiting for him to sleep.

 

They found him in his dreams.

[Wayfarer]

Tracking hadn't been necessary when came to the man he was looking for now. The wolves had not only warned of the man he had been sent to find, but they had also taken good care of him. They had shepherded him so that he ran into no other people. A good thing in that his golden eyes would be a dangerous thing for the man to be seen with. That wasn't to say that people instantly took to drawing Dragon's Fangs or calling you Darkfriend outright. But there was suspicion, and out here who was to say what had happened?

 

Hunting had also been easy, the pack showed him how they drove game towards the man. It also limited the man's need to move about. Not that the man's damn horse hadn't made things difficult. Anton had a preference for his own two feet, especially with the company he kept now. Horses would scare all too easily, they never quite fully became comfortable with wolves. A shame for some, especially this one who would find he would struggle, especially if he took up a wolf companion.

 

If he made it that was.

 

The dreams that the man manifested were, troubling. The things that the wolves showed him certainly led him to believe that the man was traveling due to more than just his eyes. That to struggle with along with his howling was going to make things difficult for the man. Anton had struggled enough himself and he hadn't had any worries to deal with, and he'd known that Wolfkin existed. Of course, he'd also thought that they could tell just by looking at you the first time if you were one of them, he hadn't thought that it could manifest later on. It had taken much longer for the howling to come for him, unlike others.

 

But there was the camp. The first thing he did was head over to the man and get a look at him. More than anything, the troubling nature of the man's sleep was apparent on his face. The first thing Anton did was put the man's bow out of reach, he had no intention of being shafted for his troubles. The fire came next, and the geneoristy of the local wolves saw to a pair of rabbits being brought in. This wasn't to say wolves were servants and did so at command, rather they did so because they regarded the man as a sick pack member.

 

Fire was a matter of stoking the embers and kindle, those things he could manage. The wood needed was already there, and soon the fire was burning once more. His stave lying on the ground, a basic meat stew with grass and a few other odds and ends was the best he could do and using the man's pot, the meal was soon boiling away. As far as breakfast went, it was a little heartier than what he was used to but Anton preferred it to nothing and he was fairly certain the man would as well whenever he woke up.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

 

OOC: Up to you when you wake up, though don't let the stew get cold :) Could wake up to find Anton eating using your bowl and such, then have Anton fill the bowl up and hand it over to you. Or whatnot, etc etc.

 

Also another possible touch is for the wolves in the dream to give Dautry an image of Anton along with the idea of him crossing many miles on foot (hence Farpaw) if you want. Etc etc :)

[Myth]

OOC: here we go! hope this works for ya... now back to IC...

 

He knew he was still sleeping, but this time his dream wouldn't let him stay asleep.

 

This time he wasn't running, even though he wanted to. The wolves had him surrounded and every time he tried to make it past them, they would growl menacingly. He kept getting flashes of images in his head, coming at him in a whirl. He couldn't make out much of it, but he had the idea he was supposed to wait for something. So he waited.

 

Time is funny in dreams, apparently even in the ones where you knew you were dreaming. It seemed like he had been sitting there for hours, alone in the dark, except for the wolves. He was just beginning to get hungry when he was overwhelmed by thoughts of another wolf coming from a distance. He could barely make out what he was seeing in his head, but it was something of a wolf running from a long ways off trying to get somewhere important. But that wasn't all, something about the wolf was unusual, like it was different somehow, but as soon as it was there the image was gone.

 

Turning to look at the wolves, Dautry noticed them all staring at the fire. It wasn't the image of the fading embers he had left before dozing off, rather it was blazing! And with it came the mouth watering smell of roasting meat.

 

Now time was moving way too fast. As he watched, the fire grew larger as the tempting aroma became stronger. The fire kept growing, but he couldn't move! He was held motionless as the heat of the flames reached out to him, beginning to heat his arms uncomfortably.

 

"Wake up, Speed! Wake up!" He couldn't force himself to wake up. The old women always said to pinch yourself to wake up from a bad dream, but if he pinched any harder, he'd tear a hole in his arm. Frantically he eyed the approaching flames. This was it. He knew it.

 

But just as the first fingers of flame reached out to caress his body, he awoke with a start.

 

Quickly looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone. A man was eating out of his bowl at his fire! A second look around found his bow missing. Easing his hand toward his belt knife, Dautry wondered how much trouble he was in.

[Wayfarer]

The man looked a bit harried as he awoke, and he seemed to fixate on the bowl Anton was holding rather quickly. It was about the point where the man started going for his knife that Anton decided to do something. Finishing off the last of the stew, he went to the pot and using the sleeve of the leather jerkin he wore, gripped it and tilted the pot as he refilled the bowl. Cursing as he splashed the hand holding the bowl, he quickly set the pot down and swapped hands so he could shake the other one. Stupid pot.

 

Putting the spoon he'd been holding in his mouth back in the bowl, he looked to the man whose camp he'd intruded on. "You're a hard man to find, why did you have to come to the Plains of Maredo where there are few to no natural landmarks? But nevermind, you're found now and that is the main thing. Here, take this." Stepping forward, Anton offered the man the bowl which was accepted after a moment. Food had a way of making friends, or at least stopping people from freeing their belt knives. Something Anton appreciated as he sat down on the ground opposite the man.

 

Yes, his eyes had gone gold much like his own, that would help. Pointing to his own eyes, Anton smiled. "You aren't the only one my friend, which is what brings me here. You are Wolfkin, that is why your eyes have gone gold, your dreams have been more vivid and these wolves have been protecting you. They've been steering you away from any other people, our eyes don't always win us friends. As to your dreams..."

 

Anton rolled around the words in his mind before speaking. "Every new Wolfkin goes through what is known as the Howling. Its a time when the part of you that is wolf asserts itself. Thats why in your dreams you've not been yourself. If you don't have help, then the wolf will take you completely and you'll be a danger to everyone around you."

 

"But then, thats why I'm here. I'm here to bring you home so you can learn to control it." His head resting on his tucked knees, Anton knew that there were going to be many questions that needed asking. He had known the Wolfkin before he had gone through the howling, and he'd still had no shortage of queries. "Ask what you will of me, I am here to help."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Myth]

Standing there, mind whirling in a blur, Dautry could barely make heads or tails of what the bloody ashes was going on. He heard the stranger mention that he was hard to find, well he certainly hoped so! But who was this guy and why was he so intent on finding him? He didn't look anything like Lord Byron's men. Before Dautry could ask, the stranger took the spoon out of his mouth, stuck it in the bowl of stew, and handed it to him. It was only then that Dautry noticed the other man's eyes.

 

Standing there motionless, transfixed by a golden-eyed stare he had only seen before in a mirror, the stranger's words flowed mostly unnoticed past Dautry's ears. He caught something about Wolfkin and something about Howling, you could hear the importance of the words in the man's tone. When the stranger mentioned the dreams, Dautry froze even more still, like a deer about to take flight. The man's relaxed posture and easy manner was the only thing that kept Dautry from leaping astride Red's back and high-tailing it out of there right then.

 

Dautry knew he had missed most of the message, but just before the stranger finished talking he heard, "But then that's why I'm here. I'm here to bring you home so you can learn to control it. Ask what you will of me, I am here to help."

 

Looking down at the bowl, Dautry eyed the slobbered-on spoon, sighed, and sat down. "Well, first off, who in the bloody ashes are you? And why should I want you to take me back home? It's dangerous for me there. Why else would I be out here in the middle of nowhere trying to hide? How did you find me, anyway?"

 

Looking askance again at the spoon, Dautry dug into the stew. One thing he had already learned while on the run; you never knew when you'd get a chance to eat again, so make the most of your opportunities.

 

Before the stranger began to answer his queries, Dautry added around a mouthful of stew-breakfast, "What was all that about Wolf clans and Howlers and such? I was a bit distracted, you see." As soon as he was done eating, if this weird dude got any weirder, Dautry would leave him eating Red's dust. Until then, he'd get his questions answered and his belly full.

 

The stew was pretty good.

[Wayfarer]

Sighing, Anton held his hands up before him as he spoke. "Calm, no need to rush." Why was it that no one ever seemed to hear him the first time when he spoke of these things? Wanderers seemed incapable of hearing things right the first time. Then again, he hadn't been much of a gem either, maybe he should have become a Watcher instead. Anton would have been quite happy with watching, but then Janna had been an influence in his decision. She'd saved him, it would be a poor way to return her grace and kindness by then not doing the same for others.

 

"I am Anton, and we are Wolfkin. The basic way to sum it up is to say we're half wolf, but that isn't quite right. Nevertheless, it'll serve for now. The wolf side within you is just awakening and its trying to take over, we call that the howling. If you don't get it under control you'll kill people, and not just with your bare hands but you're teeth. Do you want to do that? No? Good, then listen because this bit is important."

 

"I'm taking you home. Not your old home, but your new one. There are others like us there, those that can help you learn how to get this under control so you don't go mad. While its a struggle now, there are benefits to it. You may have noticed already you might be seeing more clearly in the night, smells are sharper, and likewise your other senses are better. They will improve with time, though sometimes I wish my sense of smell had remained the same." Smiling, Anton spoke on.

 

"As to how I found you, the wolves inform us when a new wolfkin is found. They even did me the favour of guiding you somewhat closer. But, perhaps it is your turn to talk now no? A name would be a good place to start since we'll be traveling together for awhile."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Myth]

As Anton spoke, Dautry forgot all about the stew in his hands. It sounded too strange to believe!Trying to take it all in, Dautry's mind was reeling. "I don't like the idea of being some kind of a half-wolf, whatever this guy says," he thought before speaking aloud.

 

"It sounds like Aes Sedai work or some such, to me, even if I've never even seen an Aes Sedai in my life, as far as I know. I'm not some Darkfriend trickster who steals babies in the night, no matter what anyone says or what color my eyes are. And as for killing somebody with my teeth, that sounds like all the more reason to stay away from people, not go chasing off to the Creator knows where in search of others."

 

That led him to the next thought, which stunned him to silence. "There were more like him? And it sounds like some sort of organization the way he talks about 'em."

 

Catching his breath, and growing angrier, he continued belligerently, "What do you mean, 'you're taking me home?' What if I don't want to go with you and listen to your crazy wolf talk? I don't much like the idea of something tramping around inside my head without my permission, and I can't say as I care to act like some wild creature from a gleeman's tale. And if this Howling thing is so dangerous, why should I try to make it happen? It seems to me, maybe I should try and get cured, 'cause it sounds a lot like some kind of mind sickness. Maybe I'll go mad, and maybe you already are.

 

"How did these wolves know about me, and how do they go talking to people about it? I've had wolves tailing me all summer, and none of 'em has said so much as a 'Bless the Queen' to me. So why should I believe you? And as for being rude, I didn't just lick your spoon and hand it back to you, now did I? And I didn't stroll into your camp un-invited, either. So who are you to talk about being rude?

 

"But I suppose you're right about giving my name, you did make breakfast after all. Thanks, by the way," he muttered a little too late to sound genuine. "My name's Dautry, but most everybody calls me Speed."

[Wayfarer]

Lying down, Anton slipped his hands behind his head as he looked up at Dautry. He was being particularly troublesome, mainly because he didn't seem to be listening. All well and good to be a bit confused at finding someone in your camp and such, but considering everything that the man would have already been through in comparison it could hardly seem all that strange. Either way, if worst came to worst he could tie the man's feet up and tie the other end onto the saddle. Dragging him a good few miles would make him more pliable.

 

Not that Anton considered it seriously, but the thought did float through his mind. Being told he was making 'crazy wolf talk' and having to listen to someone whine like a child had that effect. He wondered whether other trackers had this problem. They had to have the same problem, if only to share the misery of trying to be patient with it. Sighing, Anton gathered his thoughts as he thought of what best to say. "Well Speed, here is how it is. We have limited time, and whether you like it or not your Howling has started and it won't stop until either you get through it or you succumb."

 

"And whether you like it or not, I can't leave you to go your own way. If I do and you succumb, you could end up at some farmstead ripping some girl's throat open. There might be a little bit of you still remaining inside of that, or maybe there'll be nothing of you left, I'm not sure which is worse and I don't think either of those choices are good ones no? I didn't want this either, but I got stuck with it and I dealt with it. Now its your turn to do the same, because otherwise you're going to end up losing your mind and with blood on your hands. I know what your dreams have been like, chasing men in the hunt, that will be your fate without help."

 

That seemed to get through to him a little. "As to the wolves, they speak but not as we do. You ever have images just pop into your mind every now and then? The wind as it sweeps across the plains? An animal you killed before it even came into your view? Maybe not, different packs treat people differently. I was north of Elmora in Tarabon when the Howling came to me, the pack there was not so kind."

 

"But yes, have you had thoughts which weren't yours since your eyes changed?"

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Myth]

"But yes, have you had thoughts which weren't yours since your eyes changed?"

 

He knew, thought Dautry. This was no joke, and he wasn't going mad. Well, he was sort of, but not the normal kind of mad. What in the blood and ashes was he going to do now?

 

"Well, Anton," Dautry began hesitantly before picking up steam, "It seems I'm facing a dilemma. On the one hand, I'm stuck out here alone in the middle of nowhere, doomed to an almost certain murderous madness, where I'll live out my few remaining days in horrified solitude. On the other hand I go with you, where I face the prospect of becoming as crazy as you are with a bunch of other folks who are just as crazy."

 

Pausing briefly, Dautry laughed enthusiastically and smiled warmly. "Well, at least going with you won't be boring. And I can't say that the prospect of eating children is at the top of my to-do list for anytime in the near future."

 

Getting up and stretching, he looked at Anton stretched out on the ground peering at him suspiciously. Offering his hand out, Dautry added, "I'm Dautry Ayers, the fastest rider on four legs and the fastest runner on two anywhere in Tear, hence everybody calling me Speed. My Da liked to say it was because I pick up on things real quick, but as you can see that's not always the case. Sorry about being rude, but I'm guessing you can understand to some extent. I don't much like the thought of going crazy, but once the cows are out of the barn you have no choice but to deal with it, as my Da always said."

 

Spooning up a second helping of stew, Dautry added, "This is some fine stew." Talking around a heaping mouthful he added, "Yes, I've had some weird dreams, as you already guessed. The images while I'm awake just started happening, but I can't make much out of them." Taking a deep breath, Speed steeled himself as he stepped onto the path that led him away from the life he used to know and into completely un-mapped territory.

 

"What do I need to do?"

[Wayfarer]

Well, it seemed that Dautry was calming down at least. That was a good sign, and also allowed Anton to relax more. He'd still have to be careful around Dautry, the Howling wasn't kind to people and sometimes they couldn't control their actions. But Anton was confident it would work out now, if nothing else he at least had a horse to tie Dautry to if the worst came to worst. But, that wouldn't be needful. No, things were going to be smooth from now on, and that was that.

 

They would have to travel north west, maybe they'd cut across the country once they were in Andor and go straight for Whitebridge instead of going by Caemlyn way to stay on the road. If the boy could keep up, hopefully he'd been smart and picked his horse for endurance rather than speed. Along the way he'd be able to do what he could for him, teach him whatever rudiments he could to help keep Dautry sane. It was going to be a long journey after all, and it would wear on Dautry in much the same way it had worn on Anton when he had traveled to the Stedding. Of course, he'd also had a fairer guide as well, Janna was certainly a bit easier on the eyes than himself. Unless Dautry was one of those.

 

"Well, first off you need to give me all your money." Laughing at the look he got from Dautry, Anton gestured to the lad's bowl. "Hurry up with the food, we've got a long day ahead of us. We'll be going west then north then west again. Our home is in Western Andor on the Mountains of Mist. So we'll be going quite some way. Also, the wolves won't be hunting for us any longer, so we'll be making our own way. I hope you've a fair aim with that bow or we won't be eating much meat. Didn't I say hurry up with the food? Eat."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw