Chapter 1
The air was thick and humid, and the sky was overrun by clouds threatening to downpour at any moment.
The village was quiet, aside from the whipping of the wind and the creaking of the trees in the nearby forest. The storm was approaching and everybody could feel it in their bones.
Among one of the many cottages in the village, Hebard and his mother tended to the fire and the stew that was bubbling away. They worked quietly alonside eachother, playfully bumping into eachother as they always did. This was one of Hebards favourite times, alone with his mother just enjoying eachothers company.
His mother Vivian was the kindest person he knew, with long flowing golden hair and eyes the colour of an evergreen forest, her face was kind and her contagious smile could make even the saddest soul merry.
"Have you washed up for dinner darling?" his mother called, as she dished the stew into bowls and placed them on the table next to the freshly baked bread. Hebard nodded drying his hands on his pants as he sat down at the table. "Now lets give thanks" she said taking his hand in her own and bowing her head.
Hebard spoke of his adventures during the day, his mother listening intently and smiling as he acted out their neighbor slipping in the mud and how another misplaced all seven of their pigs before breakfast that morning.
Their bellies were full and their hearts were content. It felt like the night couldnt get any better. After tidying up and giving their final thanks for the night, they headed to bed, Hebards mother tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. As she rose and reached for the candle, Hebard sniffled.
"Will father be home tomorrow?" Hebard asked, his heart sinking. His father Tolliver the first of his name, was the Leader of the Hunters Guild and he was gone for weeks at a time, hunting dire wolves and erradicating them. The Hunters Guild was established hundreds of years ago, and was always headed by the eldest son of his family. Hebard delighted in being the younger brother, knowing his older brother Tolliver the second, would take the oath like his forefathers before him. He couldn't think of anything worse than being tied to one spot his whole life.
He craved freedom.
It had been a little over four weeks now that they had been gone, visiting other kingdoms and hunting dire wolves.
"That's right" she said turning to smile at him and caressing his face, moving the hair from his eyes. "Your father and brother will be back tomorrow, though we don't know how long for" she said worry clear on her face. "I received a letter from a messenger this morning, King Tallan in Willowmead is in need of your fathers services, and they're two months ride from here." she sighed "But it will be nice to see your father and Ollie, even if it is for a day or so won't it?" she asked, her bright smile on show again, trying to hide the pain behind it, and he nodded once before snuggling back into bed.
She didnt know how much his brother loathed that nickname and Hebard loved to watch his face scrunch in disgust whenever she called for him. But both boys would never tell her, it was her own special name for him.
"Now go to sleep my sweet, I will see you in the morning" she leaned down again and kissed the tip of his nose. Gathering her smock in one hand and the candle in the other, she moved out of the room, the candle light dancing on the walls. Hebard watched her go, his eyes growing heavier with the faint patter of the rain.
Hebard was usually a heavy sleeper, but this night he tossed and turned, seemingly not getting any sleep at all. He woke with a start, his heart racing. He looked over and saw his mother in her bed, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, she was barely visible other than another dark lump in the room. He paused, holding his breath to listen and see better. He watched for the rise and fall of the lump, he took a relieved breath, not sure what he was expecting to see.
The rain had stopped but the wind was still whipping about.
He sighed and turned over, it was still early hours, far too early to get up and start the morning chores. He prayed he could get some sleep and slowly drifted off again.
This time Hebard was plagued with nightmares of a ferocious creature that stood twice as tall as the village mongrels, they resembled the creatures of the dark that his father told stories about, a creature that stole children, killed people and livestock.
The carnage they left behind was unforgivable.
At such a young age he was taught that these creatures were an abomination and he needed to do everything in his power to destroy them.
Hebard looked down, a simple knife in his hand.
Hebard had little training, only what his brother Ollie had taught him in secret, away from the village and his father. He would be furious to know that he was being taught something he wasn't destined for.
Hebard gulped, his legs shaking as he raised the knife in his hand, just as Ollie had taught him. The wolf stepped forward, its head held high. "Hello boy" the wolf snarled.
Hebard froze, his body stiffening.
Had he heard correctly? His eyes whipped around trying to look for where the sound came from within in the darkness. It sounded almost like his fathers voice.
"W-What..Hello? Father? Where a-are you?" he stammered, looking around, his whole body began to shake uncontrollably.
The wolf laughed "I'm talking to you boy" it toyed.
Big red eyes. Then a smokey silouette of a body. It emerged from the darkness.
The creature towered over him, its face contorted into a vicious snarl, teeth baring as a warning. They watched each other, both of them not backing down but waiting for a break in their composure to attack and deliver a leathal blow.
Its tail whipped around behind it, making it look even bigger than what it was. "You're here all alone aren't you?" it mocked, slowly circling him, not blinking.
Hebard lied "I'm not alone beast and if you take one more step forward, I..I'll kill you!" he brandished the knife at the creature. This amused it more and it laughed wickedly.
"I know you're all alone boy" it whispered, "because I've killed everyone else"
Hebards eyes widened in denial "N-no, you can't have, my father and brother are away on a hunt, they will be home tomorrow, you dont' know what you're talking about beast" his voice broke off as he looked down at his feet, all around him, blood swirled like a crimson sea, mixing with the dirt. The smell of blood stung his eyes and burned the back of his throat. He tried to swallow to rid the putrid metallic taste from his mouth, but it didn't help.
His head started to spin and he began to lose his footing. The wolf took its chance, bolting from its spot and knocking Hebard to the ground. It howled gutturally in triumph, other howls could be heard faintly in the distance returning the call. Hebards head throbbed, the wolf now stood squarely over his small body, the knife no longer clutched in his hand.
"No one here to protect you now little boy" the beast snarled licking its maw, the stench of flesh and blood emanating from it. The beast had pinned him down with one of its paws, the pressure of it on his chest was unbearable and Hebards vision blurred, he turned his face to see the bodies of villagers he didn't recognise, his brother and mother, their eyes wide with terror, blood drooling from their mouths. The beast chuckled as he watched the expression on Hebards face as he saw the carnage left behind of his family. "Now you'll join them"
Just as Hebard turned to look at the wolf again, it snapped forward, tearing at his face.
Hebard awoke with a scream, his mother was there, her eyes wide with fright.
"It's okay shhhh. You're okay. Just breathe" she comforted, bringing his head to her chest and rubbing his back. Hebards breath was ragged and he was gasping for air, his body slick with sweat.
"It was just a nightmare" she said tenderly, calming her own breathing as she continued to comfort him.
"It's not yet dawn but how about I make us some tea?" she asked, rising from the bed and holding out her hand. Hebard nodded, and smiled faintly as he took her hand. His body was still wobbly from the nightmare.
With the fire stoked and the water heating up, Hebard and his mother sat at the table in the dimly lit room.
"Would you like to talk about it?" his mother asked, giving him a comforting smile. He paused. He wasn't sure how much of it he wanted to tell.
He sighed and thought about it carefully.
"I was alone.." he started, memories of the nightmare flooded back, making his hair stand on end. His mother reached across the table and covered his hand with hers, giving him a gentle reassuring pat.
"There was a terrifying beast, like the ones father would tell us in his stories. But far more frightening" he paused again, searching for the words to describe it. "I-It was taunting me because I was alone, and it knew I was alone..because it had killed everyone. But worst of all, when it was talking to me, it sounded like..." he broke off and looked towards his mother, unsure if he should tell her that he thought the beast sounded like his father.
He took a deep shuddering breath "It sounded like a crazed beast" his heart was in his throat and she looked as though she was searching for words to explain the nightmare.
The weight seemed to lift from his shoulders, but the trauma from the ordeal was still visible on his face. His mother stood from the table and gathered his face in her hands, bending down to his level.
"I believe anyone who had a nightmare like that would be shaken my sweet. Let us pray that this is the first and last nightmare like this that you'll ever have." she smiled at him and kissed his cheek, returning to her full height.
She clapped her hands, seeing that the water in the cauldron was well boiled. "Now for some tea" she chimed happily, flitting to the shelf to get the tea and honey. After a few minutes of steeping, she placed a steaming hot cup of chamomile tea in front of Hebard.
The smell of it instantly put his mind at ease. He sighed.
"Thank you" he said taking a sip. The worries of his nightmare seemed to melt away.
A bell tolled in the distance, breaking them from their reprieve.
Hebards mother placed down her cup and moved to the window, opening it wide. She watched as worried villagers set out towards the town square. The sun had just started to peek through the morning mist.
"The chores will have to wait my sweet, looks like something is happening in the town square. We should make haste" she pulled her shawl off the hook and a cloak for each of them and they set off hand in hand.
Villagers were whispering to eachother as they neared the town square gate, the arches should have been replaced many months ago as it was lopsided on one end, but no one had got around to doing it and the ground was a slush of mud and stone making it hard to stand in one spot for too long.
As they passed under the arches there was a small group of people huddled by the town criers post, women could be heard crying and there were men shouting for a physician and a nun from the church.
"Oh dear" Vivian said, gathering her cloak around her tighter. "Someone must have been seriously hurt" she muttered through gritted teeth, the freezing breeze biting at her face, turning i red.
As they inched closer through the hoard of villagers, Hebard noticed a few of his fathers men from the guild still mounted on their horses looking shocked m. He went to call out until he noticed the trail of blood on the ground, it swirled and mixed with the slush of mud. His smile faltered and the smell of the blood burned their noses.
More villagers moved out of the way and Hebards heart sank, his face turning pale. A body lay there in the street, blood everywhere, the crying of women now louder than before. He saw a large man stooped on the ground, cradling the body, or what was left of it. An arm was missing, and it looked like part of the leg was hanging on by a thread of flesh. Hebards stomach turned and he clutched his mother tighter. Thankful that he couldnt see the face of the victim.
"Sir, your wife" a man said, his voice strained and noded towards where they stood.
Hebard recognised that voice, it was Killet, one of his fathers trusted right-hand men from the Hunters Guild. He was younger than his father but wise beyond his years, he had been in the Guild for longer than Hebard had been alive.
The stooped man, rose weakly from the ground, releasing his grip from the corpse, some of the guild members moved forward to help him up but he brushed them off with a wave of his hand.
Vivian screamed, her legs buckling beneath her as the man turned and caught her before she fell to the ground. Hebards voice was caught in his throat, tears stinging his cold face. The man holding her was his father and the mauled body on the ground was his brother Ollie.
