This is bizarre. I have seen many men fall at the hands of these cunning beasts. Men more capable and experienced than the companion. Although I don’t know how much experience the companion has dealing with life and death situations like this or of handling beasts with cunning and ferocity as one’s we encountered. But I do know this, he was completely incapable of doing what he just did when we met. His posture and attitude were not even remotely of a warrior. But now, he seems to possess calm and collected demeanor of a general who commands hundreds of thousands of men.
The horse is running at full gallop. In a small treacherous road like this, controlling a horse at this speed would require someone with years of experience and a strong connection with the beast. Not only that, the wolves are still following us. Although at this speed we will be clear of them in a matter of minutes, their sounds from behind should make the stead go berserk. But it is holding its head and following the companion’s every signal. It is just too bizarre.
I can hear the sounds behind us slowly diminishing in strength and number. Some of the wolves have left our pursuit and started falling back. The rest are also losing interest as their voices are slowly turning less and less aggressive. Unless something goes stupidly wrong, we are already out of danger. The more I think, the more it feels like something the Wise would have done. Using the strength of what we had with a short distance, fast running animal to gather distance between us and a pack of long distance but slower running animals. Now the wolves may still be able to track us and follow us over a long distance but the bigger distance we generated between us just now gives us a large chance of getting out of their territory and out of danger before the pack can do so.
Not only the Wise, the charge toward the wolves and the jump were almost a hallmark move from the book of the Strong. He would have scanned the surroundings to find the weakest spot in the formation of the beasts. Not only that, understanding the follow through after the charge was one of his strongest suits. Getting through the wolves on the left instead of the right so that the road ahead becomes clear for a quick gallop that gave us a chance to gather distance before the wolves even had a chance to respond.
As the feeling of danger is leaving us, the companion seem to be returning to his slouched farmer like posture and his stupid grin has returned. This is the guy who picked me up, not the warrior he turned into. It seemed like he was possessed by both the Wise and the Strong. Now either he is actually a general and commands an army or he somehow got the essence of two of the greatest warriors ever to have accompanied me. Since I was able to send some commands to him earlier, I see the second scenario being so much more plausible. In any case, this has been a most intriguing encounter.
I am still clanking around in the pot. It seems as though even after saving the day, there is no real reward for me. Next time when we meet some other animal, I will just let them eat him. Unless he cleans and oils me as soon as we get off this awful journey and out of this expanse. It has been a long time since I was left in this forest and almost forgotten by the world. Now in the hands of someone who can listen to me, well not actually but close enough, I can get back to my mission of killing every one who stands in front of me and my companion. Cutting and slicing into the flesh and bone of the warriors, chipping and breaking shields which give them a false sense of security, slicing through the blades and axes and see the look in there eyes when they realize the end has come for them at last and they will get no quarter.
Let everyone know the bloodsucker is back, and this time it is she who will rule the world.
"And the hearth cooks the meat. Bam Bam Bam."
On the other hand, I may just let the next wolf eat him.
