Dawn was breaking the next day when the boy awoke, upon waking, the boy took the chance to survey his surroundings. This revealed a modest wooden hut with a spacious bed and adjoining fireplace. Suddenly the boy cried out in shock "argh." On the floor lay a gigantic jewel green python who was leisurely sleeping by the fire only to be awakened by the boys cry "What's thisssss," hissed the snake in mind speak "the boy wakes."

Staring back at the snake unsure of how to respond the boy bowed his head "thank you for letting me in, are you Darius?" The snake chuckled and the boy watched agape as the snake shifted into the form of an old man. "Yes," said the man as a suddenly solemn expression appeared on his face, "now tell me what is someone who smells of shadow wolf doing here? Weren't you warned that the centre of the forest is my territory?"

Darius watched as the boy made a saddened face, "they're gone," he said in a small voice "they're all dead." As the words echoed loudly through the now silent hut Darius sat back and paused for a moment " it sounds like quite the story, you better start from the beginning." And so the boy started to talk and the old man sat back and listened.

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At the same time the boy recounted his story, the hunting party started to make their move towards the centre of the forest. "Any trace of the boy yet?" questioned Lord Varet. "No my Lord," answered the head knight who was lucky enough to survive the previous night's slaughter.

"The trail continues, but we are still unsure of where the boy in question is. And I'm worried after not finding him after this long, that it is possible that this is a false trail or that the boy was finished off by a beast." The Lord turned away slowly facing the trail "if the boy is alive we kill him, if he is dead we take his body."

Continuing on the hunting party gathered at the boundary between the centre and the middle of the forest, after having searched with no avail for the boy, the group were deciding on their next course of action. "I think we should continue." Said the Lord, not to be dissuaded, after coming this far for his sons revenge. The knights mumbled among themselves, it was public knowledge that the centre of the forest was at least ten times more dangerous than the middle of the forest and was to be avoided if at all possible.

Upon seeing the soldiers unease, Mervyn made his decision and spoke aloud. "Although I am strong, I am not willing to waste my time or endanger my life for the sake of your pointless vendetta against a child who looks to be about five winters old, so thus we part here."

Upon hearing this sudden declaration the soldiers could only stare in shock as the magician turned to leave "Pointless? Pointless? That boy murdered my son - he deserves to die!" Spat out the Lord infuriated at Mervyns word. "So, his family is dead and so is yours i'd say it evens up quite fairly."

The Lord snarled "his family, as you call it, were a pack of mongrel dogs, how could their deaths possibly equate to my sons?" At this proclamation Mervyn turned around and once again faced the Lord "Even if so, why should I care, he was not my son? Why should I endanger my life?" And with those parting words Mervyn walked off into the distance and disappeared for good.

"That halfwit, that buffoon. I am a Lord! How dare he disobey me!" As the Lord raved, the knights exchanged glances wondering what they should do next, when all of a sudden the Lord calmed down. "Who cares about the halfwit?!? March on, we move into the center of the forest, we will avenge my son or die trying!" With these words the lord determinately marched forward into the center of the forest followed by the somewhat reluctant knights.

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Back in the hut the boy had just finished divulging his tale to Darius and sat back watching the old snake's reaction. Darius looked solemn as he turned to face the boy, "I'm sorry for your loss" he said as he bowed his head, the boy looked away and faced the wall threatening to tear up.

"I have not seen your mother in years but I will honour her last wish, you will become my apprentice, from now on you will address me as master." the little boy nodded slowly "Yes master." The man smiled slightly

"Now last order of buissness, if you're going to be my apprentice I shall need to know what to call you, what is your name boy?" The boy shook his head

"I've never had a name, in the clan you are only eligible to receive a name on your seventh winter." The man shook his head in disgust.

"I'll never understand you wolves and your backwards customs, from now on your name will be Lupos. It means moon in my language, I believe it to be a fitting name for a boy raised with wolves, understood?" Lupos nodded his head smiling happily "Yes master."