Wolf Neighbours

Tonight, I will begin to tell you a story of wolf neighbours.

Featuring mist and murder, regrets and revenge.
Content warnings for body horror and violence.

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Wolf Neighbours – Chapter 11

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Gove’s first thought was that no, Miter had not been lying; these were not town guards.

The north circuit guardsen were equipped in proper armor, heavy broad iron plates tied together and rattling across their torsos; they had shortbows stowed in quivers hung across their backs. Their boots were thick, fine leather; she could hear the muffled wood soles booming across the planks of the bridge. And they all looked like they’d wrestled a bear or two; the two women in front both had scars visible on their faces beneath the telltale fur hats.

The confusion of the difference meant that she did not immediately bolt, as she had promised herself she would; and Miter grabbed her arm before she changed her mind.

“Gove—” he gently led her back against the house where he’d met the weaver earlier; “—don’t do anything stupid.”

She turned to glare at him, and saw him staring at the parading guards with a strange look on his face — his eyes alight, his brow furrowed.

“Do you … know them?”

Miter nodded, absently. “I don’t know why they’re here, though.”

The flow of the crowd had completely reversed. People were following the guards back into the square, and the volume of conversation was rising with excitement. Gove saw two guards hand-pulling a cart, laden with pelts, and standing in it was a woman who was undoubtedly in charge; she had a formal shawl over her armor.

Miter’s hand on her arm twitched as he stared at the woman, who was holding up wolf pelts and draping them over her arms despite the heat.

Gove whispered; “Who is she?”

“That’s the captain, Yaska.” He kept staring as the cart wheeled through the fog towards the market.

Behind the cart walked two guards with pelts hung like banners from long spears; wolf pelts, Gove guessed. Another ten or so marched behind them; and the crowd followed. She hesitated as Miter tugged her with him towards the market square; but her curiosity got the better of her.

The market square had rearranged itself around Yaska, who stood atop the cart draped in full north circuit regalia and layers of wolf pelts despite the season. Gove suddenly felt chilled in her summer shift and shortened pants. She had tried to tuck herself half behind Miter, but he made some comment about blocking her view, and firmly pushed her in front of him. Mercifully the square was thick with people and fog, and they were to the side, not directly in the captain’s line of sight. Gove took in a deep, steadying breath.

Wolf Neighbours – Chapter 12

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Captain Yaska started with a formal greeting, gesturing at the river and the buildings and the escarpment, and encompassing the whole community.

Gove had to admit, she didn’t seem like your usual guardsen. She was shorter than most of them, though probably not as short as Gove; she wore her long hair loose under the official fur hat, and she spoke like she was hawking wares at the market, not showing up to presumably collect taxes to take south.

“You have heard the rumours, and I am here to tell you that they are true. We have been crusading against the cruel northern wolves for two years now!” She pulled up one of the wolf pelt banners and hammered the staff loudly on the wagon bed. “They will take no more of your livestock, they will take no more of your lives!”

Gove snuck a look back at Miter; he was smoothing his beard, and half-smiling. He caught her looking, and shrugged. “Yaska loves a dramatic entrance.”

For a bit, Gove thought the townsfolk had actually bought this transparent excuse to bring a whole team of guardsen, all well armed, into their midst; but finally an older woman interrupted the captain’s claims.

“But what about Mabek? Did their curse get him?”

Mabek. Cold lightning ran up Gove’s spine.

Immediately, Yaska’s broad-armed, friendly posture closed back up into a frustrated glower. She turned her gaze on the woman, but before she could respond, the crowd began to join in.

“Was it the wolves? Didn’t they curse Lorel?”

“Mabek wasn’t the first! What about Derva?”

“Are we all cursed by the wolves?”

Yaska hammered her staff on the wagon bed until the crowd went silent.

“Mabek!” She paused to stare at the sky and take a deep breath. “Mabek was my trusted second in command, gone over two months now, and I will not have his memory sullied with superstitious talk of curses.”

Gove felt suddenly very aware of the cool touch of the gathering fog on her skin. Two months didn’t make sense. From behind her in the crowd, someone called out;

“But what could have killed a young man like Mabek!”

Gove twitched as Miter’s hand fell on her shoulder again. “Gove, just wait —“

But Yaska turned their direction and, seemingly staring directly into Gove’s eyes, pronounced with unsettling finality;

“You can rest easy, I know exactly what killed him—“

And that was enough for Gove. She turned and fled; away from Miter, away from the crowd, away from the captain of the guard who very clearly knew more than she should, into the fog.

Wolf Neighbours – Chapter 13

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The town had felt easy and open when Gove had arrived; now the fog made it seem like an endless maze of narrow bridges and docks, many still clogged with craftsfolk. She couldn’t find the bridge to the shore; no matter where she turned, she kept ending up facing the river. The third time she nearly ended up in the water, a familiar arm caught her across the shoulders.

“Gove, you need to stop.”

Miter was breathing hard, and he still had that condescending look on his face.

“I’m not sticking around to get arrested! I know what that’s like!”

“You didn’t hear her! She said he fell into a northern ravine – wait, you what?”

Gove stepped away from his reaching hand, suddenly lost. “He died in a ravine?”

“Gove–”

“Miter, how could he have died in a ravine?”

“When were you arrested?

“I killed him. I saw the ax connect.”

They paused, staring at each other. Miter sighed, staring up at the sky for a moment. “I told you already. It wasn’t a person.”

Gove was bewildered. “That doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense!” The fog suddenly felt claustrophobic, haunted. “I’m going home, whether or not you think I’m going to get arrested. This isn’t worth it.”

She pushed past him, and Miter didn’t try and stop her this time; he simply called after her: “No one here is out to get you!”

Gove turned back to have the last word – and her ears caught the mist-muffled sound of footsteps – fast footsteps, running footsteps –and before Gove could react, someone burst into view, running full tilt for the end of the dock.

They collided – the stranger slammed into Gove, who fell backwards into Miter – and then all three were on the ground, blinking away the shock.

Gove was buried underneath something – something heavy, soft, musty – furred? She pushed heavy pelts away from her face as the person above her was shifting their own weight off of her ribcage – and then she was staring into the eyes of someone impossible.

The woman paused as they made eye contact, and Gove held her breath – she was ageless, a long face with striking eyes, an intense amber, and her black and silver hair fell to pool amongst the furs. She blinked, slowly, eyes narrowing, and Gove desperately fumbled for an appropriate greeting  – but footsteps rattled the boards of the dock, approaching quickly, and in a flurry of motion, the woman was standing, grabbing the fallen pelts with a ferocious focus.

Gove was still staring at the strange woman as the footsteps turned into voices – people were shouting at her to stop, put down the pelts, something about how there was nowhere to go – but all Gove cared about was watching her turn to her pursuers, give them a smile that was all teeth, and then before anyone could do anything, she ran and leapt off the end of the dock. The fog muffled the splash.

Behind her, someone spat “Shit! Shit shit shit.” Gove turned around and there, holding one pelt between them, stood three of the north circuit guardsen.

Wolf Neighbours – Chapter 14

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Miter needed a hand getting himself back on his feet; he’d landed on his bad hand, and couldn’t use it at all. One of the guardsen hauled him up by the shoulders and leaned him against a railing before squinting into his face and breaking out into laughter.

“I can’t believe it – Miter!”

He smiled as Golot dealt him an enthusiastic hug. Behind her, Doren was helping a stunned-looking Gove to her feet, collecting the scattered contents of her basket, and Ildie was staring into the fog after their lost quarry.

“You nearly had her, old man!” Golot smacked him on the shoulder as she handed him his staff. “How you got in front of her, I couldn’t guess.”

“Who was that–”

“Give it up, Ildie! She’s gone. Come here and look who it is!”

Miter was quickly surrounded. Doren and Ildie quickly boxed Gove and him in against the railing, all three guards delighted to see him.

“What has it been, five years? Six?”

“Miter, last I heard you’d settled down in a swamp!”

“Don’t tell me you’re still using the walking stick?”

He caught Golot’s half-mocking, half worried grin. “It’s useful – I like to be prepared.” She snorted in response.

“You do! You always did. And don’t say I didn’t learn from you!” She stepped back and brandished a blade as long as her forearm, as Ildie whistled. “What do you think, Miter? Jealous you didn’t get one?”

They’d never used blades like that in his time. “You aren’t telling me Yaska’s letting you all slice yourselves up with these nowadays?” Miter could feel the old familiar banter returning.

Doren smirked. “She bought these for us herself. Everyone who’s done the circuit ten times gets one.”

Miter wasn’t sure he believed that, though he wasn’t going to argue – but his face must have betrayed him.

“You haven’t heard, hey?” Ildie nudged Doren. “You should tell him.”

Doren made eye contact with Golot, and Miter could see them shrug off Ildie’s comment.

“I’m sure he doesn’t need to hear more about Yaska.” Golot caught Miter’s eye and winked, and then she leaned against the railing and gave Gove the once-over. “So, you Miter’s new flame?”

Gove looked like a rabbit gone tharn, and Miter interjected; “Golot, what are you doing?”

Golot nudged Gove’s shoulder. “Just saying, you used to like them a little older –”

Gove squeaked out, eyes on the ground; “I’d never – with a m–”

Miter interrupted as fast as he could. “I knew it, dagger or no dagger. You’re still just a hopeless gossip, after all these years.”

Doren laughed at Golot’s expression. “You don’t forget a thing! Still our commander at heart, hey?”

Golot rolled her eyes. “Once a guard, always a guard. Well, you heard him, boys. Time to be useful.” She hefted the single pelt they held. “Let’s go break the bad news to our captain.”

They walked off, heads together, thick as thieves. Miter knew he shouldn’t have pulled rank, given he had no rank anymore, but Golot always got under his skin. There was no need to pick on Gove…

Right, Gove; who had clearly not missed a word of that exchange, and was staring at him with sharp betrayal on her face.

“No wonder you don’t listen.” She was hissing through her teeth. “You’re guardsen.”

This wasn’t how he had planned on this conversation happening.

“Gove – I’ve retired –”

But she was gone, already invisible in the fog, footsteps fading into the distance.