Bloodfang launched himself, bones scattering down the pile from where he leapt. Redclaw shifted to the side, so that the bulk of Bloodfang’s weight missed. His left arm shot out, grabbing Bloodfang’s wrist. A tug, and they rolled atop one another, snarling and biting. Redclaw had timed it well, however, and he ended their roll with his hind legs tearing into Bloodfang’s thighs and his claws pinning him to the ground.
“Obey,” he cried, his roar thundering across the Gathering.
“No.”
Redclaw held him there, and he felt all eyes upon him. Wolf must not kill wolf, he thought. Be King, leader of all packs, not just one. He shoved away and walked to the edge of the bone pile. Behind him, Bloodfang stood, blood dripping down his arms and legs.
“You are weak,” Bloodfang snarled. “You are a fool. You are not worthy of any pack, and I will-”
He howled, and his back arced as gore spilled atop the bones from the gaping wound in his belly. Murdertongue held him in a mockery of an embrace, his arms flexed, his claws opening the wound further. Bloodfang struggled, but his strength quickly fled, and his head rolled to one side. Murdertongue dropped the body and kicked it, sending it tumbling off the pile.
“Will you challenge me now?” Redclaw asked, standing to his full height. His voice, however, was but a whisper, almost a plea in the raucous night.
“Bloodfang’s pack is mine,” said Murdertongue. “And I still think you are a fool, Redclaw. But perhaps, just perhaps, you may lead us to victory.”
He turned to the crowd, lifted his arms to the moon, and then knelt in submission.
“My pack swears obedience,” he said, and the entire Gathering erupted into chaos.
Redclaw stood among it, grinning at the crowd. He’d done it. The first step of a hunt was always the hardest. Between Moonclaw and Murdertongue, he had the beginnings of an army. He approached his new comrade, knelt before him, and pressed his nose against his to show their friendship.
“I will reward us with a kingdom,” he whispered.
“Pray you do,” Murdertongue whispered back.
Standing, Redclaw addressed the crowd, knowing now was the time to solidify his position.
“I am your Wolf King!” he cried. More cheers and howls. “I am leader of packs, now few, but soon to be many. The humans are weak. Their skin is soft, and their minds dull from years of safety. We are the vicious. We are the destroyers. Come the full moon, when our goddess shines and watches our victory, we will cross the river. We will take their land. We will feast upon the flesh of men, women, and children. Imagine the taste of their blood! Imagine their screams in your ears! Few now, but when the Wedge hears, when all know Redclaw stood before the humans and made them tremble, the rest will come. Every pack will kneel. Let your cry reach the stars! All the west will be our prey!”
“You speak the words of the Wolf King,” Moonclaw said as he and Murdertongue joined him at the bottom of the bone pile. His fur stood on end, and he clearly felt the excitement of the others. “They cry for blood.”
“To the north is a small pack of bird-men,” Redclaw said. “They are few, and stay at the edges of my land. Send our wolves upon them. I want them sharp, ready. I want to remind them how poor our food is, tough meat and hollow bones. When we cross the river, I don’t want them angry. I want them hungry. ”
“As you wish…Wolf King,” Murdertongue said, leaving to address his pack, now merged with those who had followed Bloodfang. Before he turned, Redclaw saw the faintest hint of a smile on his lips, though what its meaning was, he didn’t know, but he felt certain he wouldn’t like it if he did.
11
Jerico slept well into the morning, having already given Jeremy orders for the townsfolk to follow. His rest was not deep, nor fulfilling, and he rose red-eyed and groggy. His breakfast was meager, various vegetables fried in animal fat, with only water from the town’s well to wash it down. After that, he donned his armor, even though he expected no combat. It would do the people good to see him prepared, he knew. With his shining platemail and thick shield, they might think they had a chance to survive while protected by such a warrior.
Even though it was hopeless. Jerico had seen the pack gathered that night. But he dared not voice that belief, and he felt guilty enough thinking it in his heart. Nothing was hopeless when Ashhur was at his side. But no matter how often he reminded himself that, he also remembered that terrible vision of the Citadel cracking and falling, and of the belief that its fall would mean the end of his order. The end of him. Was this where the last paladin of Ashhur would fall, some backwater village lost to the belly of beasts?
“Sorry,” Jerico muttered to his god as he stepped from Jeremy’s home. “I’m cranky and stupid. Ignore me.”
Darius was already up and about, but he stood in the center of town with Pheus at his side. Wishing nothing to do with the priest, Jerico instead found Daniel and his men guiding the rest of the townsfolk in preparing the defenses.
“You look like shit,” Daniel said at his arrival.
“Feel like it, too. How goes the defenses?”
The lieutenant gestured about him. Before three particular buildings the people were digging trenches, boarding up windows, and planting stakes.
“We decided cramming everyone into one single building wasn’t feasible, so we settled on three: the inn, the tavern, and Mr. Hangfield’s estate. They all have their unique quirks, but we think with enough time we can nail shut the doors and block every window. When they attack, we’ll funnel them to a single doorway. If we can negate their numbers advantage, we might stand a chance.”
“Where’s all the wood coming from?” Jerico asked.
“We’ve had volunteers. We’re tearing down other homes within the wolf-men’s circle. Nearly everyone figures they can rebuild if we survive.”
“A large if,” Jerico muttered.
“The trenches should slow them a little,” Daniel said, glaring. “And we’ll fill each one with stakes and traps. Figure to build as many as we can before each of the three entrances. All the buildings are within sight of one another, which’ll help too. I figure we’ll have an archer atop each one, and use ’em to thin the wolves at the doors. Darius also says that priest of his should prove dangerous with open space to cast, so we’ll probably stick him atop of Hangfield’s.”
“As solid a plan as any,” Jerico said. “What if they try to starve us out?”
“Well, time’s on our side, not theirs right?”
Jerico saw the desperate hope in the lieutenant’s eyes, wanting reassurance more than anything.
“Of course,” said the paladin. “One of the other towers is bound to notice our absence, if not the traders.”
“Right.” Daniel looked at the townspeople, and a smile touched his lips. “They’re good workers here. If they have any sons to spare, I’ll probably try to bring them back with me to Blood Tower. This is the fine stuff true fighters are made of, not those sniveling brats nobles send off in hopes of winning their family honor.”
They walked between the three areas, Jerico pointing out gaps in the defenses, plotting locations of more trenches, and correcting angles of the spikes.
“They like to leap,” he said. “Remember that. They aren’t charging men on foot. Push the tips higher. Make every one of them suffer for jumping too much, or too little.”
When he was back at Jeremy’s, Jessie came out to greet them. She looked about as bad as Jerico felt, and he felt guilty for not being there to protect her against Yellowscar’s attack. He knew it was irrational, but he felt it all the same. After Yellowscar’s burial, he’d gone inside to help with the others. The image of that room had haunted his dreams, robbing it of rest. He thought of Darius’s anger at giving the creature any form of honorable death. Viewing that carnage, he finally understood.
“Jerico?” she asked, and the paladin bowed politely.
“Yes, Jessie?”
“We, well, some of the others were getting together, and we were hoping you could, you know…”
He smiled even as the selfish part of him wished for anything else in the world.
