The next morning Lupos was waiting by the schools gate with Fenrir by his side waiting for Lucio. He was carrying a large bag that contained one slightly squashed snake as well as wearing the two poison daggers from Darius one on each hip.

Lupos had been waiting ten minutes when Lucio finally arrived "good morning Lucio." said Lupos trying to smile amicably "it is indeed a good morning but before we leave I have to set ground rules for how you are to act in my house." Lupos nodded curious to what sort of absurd rules he was going to have to abide by.

"Firstly," said Lucio "you must never address me by my name at the house, but rather call me young master." Lupos nodded trying to keep a straight face. "Second you must never speak to any members of nobility unless they speak to you first, understood?"

"Yes Lucio." Fenrir had already turned his face away by now trying to hide his laughter. "Very good, finally you must honour any request nobility asks of you." Lupos nodded once more but his eyes were hard and unrelenting. He would not give up his possessions that much was certain however it was better to play along for now.

"Luc...young master is there a forest near your house?" Lucio nodded looking even smugger "yes our estate is on the edge of the great forest, it is filled with magical beasts though so you had better avoid it, that's where my cousin and uncle lost their lives."

Lupos suddenly smiled happily before his face settled once again into neutrality. He'd never known the name of his forest home and knowing they were going so close made him a lot happier, after all it meant he could meet Darius while he was there and do some real training.

Lucio was about to say more when a golden carriage appeared at the gate. "This is my families second best carriage!" boasted Lucio proudly, however, Lupos paid no attention to him and instead stared intently at the thin but long scratches left on the carriage door.

He knew those scratches, Laikos and his mother had made them three years ago, the year before they died. The pack had laughed about these scratches and how they'd ruined the carriage. Lucio noticed Lupos staring at the scratches.

"It's a shame about the scratches isn't it, uncle mentioned how it was done by a group of cowardly wolves after him and his men had bravely attempted to capture one of their young to give to me as a baby." Lupos stared at Lucio in shock, his mother's other son, the one killed by Lord Varet. The reason he had been killed was Lucio's fault, if he wasn't alive, his brother would have lived!

A sudden calm overcame Lupos, he would kill them all after he was done with Mervyn. The whole family must pay. Not noticing Lupos' expression Lucio hopped into the carriage and turned to face Lupos "as we are of different social class I cannot allow you to ride with me, you may either ride one of the horses pulling the carriage or sit up front with the coach driver."

Lupos nodded still feeling calm "yes young master." Closing the coach door Lupos walked round the edge of the carriage to find and ask the driver about riding a horse. The driver was an elderly man who looked to be about sixty who immediately turned and smiled when he saw Lupos approach.

"You must be young Gale, am I right?" asked the old man, Lupos nodded. "I'm here to ask about borrowing a horse to ride to the Illio's estate." The old man smiled "of course young one you can use any of the four horses we have here as only two are needed to pull the carriage, the other two are insurance."

With this the old man gestured towards four beautiful steeds, however, one attracted Lupos straight away. It was a huge dark brown steed "can I take that one please?" The old man looked at the horse he gestured to, an uneasy look on his face, "are you sure kid, he's quite the handful. I didn't even plan on letting him pull the carriage he was just here to get some exercise."

Lupos smiled even more sure "yes I'm sure." He much preferred a real wild horse than a prim and proper show pony. "OK then," said the man with a resigned face "let me just saddle him up for you." Lupos shook his head "No thanks I'll ride bare back." at this point the elderly man just looked at Lupos like he was mad but sighed and decided just to leave it alone.

"OK kid, well, I'll saddle up the rest of the horses make sure you're ready to leave in five minutes ok?" Lupos nodded and made his way over to the horse with Fenrir by his side. For Lupos who had been raised with beasts he recognised it would have been seen as the biggest disrespect to force the animal into letting him ride it or to force a harness on it.

When he arrived by the horses side he put his hand on its forehead and conveyed his intentions using mindspeak. "Hello my name is Lupos and I wish to ride you on the journey back but I promise you I will not use any man made gear to control you."

The horse snorted "oh a child that can speak in mindspeak to creatures that aren't his summons, now that's interesting. Hello Lupos my name is Amazon I will permit you too ride me. However if you displease me I will throw you off me." Lupos laughed he had missed speaking to animals.

"Thank you Amazon. By the way, these are my summoned beasts, the large wolf is Fenrir and the snake I'm sure you can sense in my bag is Jormugand." The horses eyes widened slightly and he was about to say something when the elderly man called out "kid you coming or you need me to swap that Stubborn horse for another?" Lupos grinned "No I'm fine." he then smiled to the horse "let's show him a spectacle shall we?"

The horse laughed and Lupos easily swung up into the horses back "do you know the way home?" he asked, the horse nodded "then go as fast as you like." As soon as he said it Amazon took off running, already far faster than the coach and for the first time that year Lupos gave a genuine and happy laugh.