Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf by A. E. McCullough Read Free Book Online Page B

the tunnel at bay.
    Rjurik was able to walk upright, head bowed a bit but upright. The elves found the traveling difficult. Being taller than dwarves but not as broad, they could only walk bent over. However the large barbarian found the passageway too small for him to traverse without crawling. Passing his torch to Tatianna, Hawkeye flashed her a wink and called on the magical nature of his race and shape-shifted into his wolf form.  
    Traveling underground was as natural to dwarves as swimming is to fish. The elves on the other hand, felt the imagined weight of the tons of rock overhead pressing down on them; only the fear of discovery by the gnomes drove them on. After several minutes, the passageway opened into a larger rough hewn passageway that was obviously the old mine shaft Rjurik had mentioned.
    Climbing down, the three elves immediately felt less claustrophobic in the airy mine shaft. As soon as Hawkeye leapt down from the passageway, he shifted back into human form. All three elves watched in utter fascination at the transformation. One moment, a huge white wolf was standing there, the next a fur wearing barbarian warrior.
    “Hawkeye, I have seen you shape shift twice now,” Khlekluëllin said. “Once into your wolf form and now back to human shape; both times you were fully armed. I have to ask, what happens to your gear when you transform?”
    Reaching up, Hawkeye pulled out a small leather pouch that was tied around his neck. “This is my medicine bag. Not every Highlander receives the blessing of the totem. It is a rare gift from Luna. Gaining the shapeshifting ability is a long quest but during the process the warrior must craft a medicine bag of their own. It acts as a storage place for our belongings when we shift forms.”
    He tucked his pouch back under his tunic. “Those that no longer follow the teachings of Luna, like Blackfang and his followers, find that their medicine bags no longer work. The fallen still have her gift but not her blessing.”
    Khlekluëllin shifted the torch to his injured arm, wincing slightly. “Thanks for that explanation. It has bothered me from the first moment I saw you change shape.”
    A loud crash echoed from the passageway they had just exited. The elves looked back only to see Rjurik walking up to them with a large grin on his face.
    “No one will be followin’ us that way, at least not right away.” Nodding his head, “Come on, we ain’t gettin’ nowhere standin’ round here with our jaws a flappin’.”
    Following the old dwarf, the party moved through the mine shafts with ease. Tatianna was helplessly lost and yearned to feel the wind on her face. Glancing over her shoulder at Hawkeye, she felt her pulse quicken with the knowledge that his shadowed form was only a few feet behind her. He radiated a sense of calm that soothed her frazzled nerves.
    Turning her attention back to their journey through the mines, Tatianna failed to notice that Hawkeye was watching her every move.
    After about an hour, the companions noticed a different scent in the air. Instead of the damp, musty smell of the mines; the air was full of musk.
    They had entered the lair of Grimclaw.
    Even Rjurik stopped in his tracks as they crossed the imaginary line that separated the mine shaft from the grizzly’s lair. Turning slowly toward his companions, Rjurik placed one finger in front of his lips in the universal sign for silence.
    Creeping through the cavern, the companions stepped over the loose rocks and scattered bones that littered the area. A rhythmic heavy breathing filled the air, while the musky scent grew stronger. Rounding a corner, they found themselves at a crossroads with the heavy breathing coming from their right. Rjurik nodded to the left with his head but took several steps down the right passageway.
    Khlekluëllin paused to watch the dwarf, while Mortharona and Tatianna moved slowly down the indicated passageway.
    Hawkeye drew up alongside the elf, bow strung and