The village had gathered to watch night fall. No one could say why, but they all stood ready, as if the moment they could not see the sun, giant, demonic wolves would come pouring out of the trees.

Even without the pitchforks and torches, a glance over them would tell you who was on first watch. They shifted uncomfortably, checked equipment several times over and occasionally moved to get a better view of the woods.

Everyone except Toland, who was on the other side of the village, by the well, helping old Shudlow up the hill.

“Is a strange time when a direwolf makes it this far north…” Shudlow mused as he stumbled into the unfamiliar terrain of the village.

He leant heavily on his stick and on Toland’s arm.

“Do you know about direwolves?” Toland asked, “Have you ever fought one before?”

“Fought? Gods no! However, I have run from one before. Me and a few of my pals were hired by a village not so dissimilar to this one… far to the south of here though… but we were told they had a pack of wolves preying on their livestock. Of course, when we found out it was a pack of direwolves, we immediately downed tools and ran for it.”

“What happened to the village?” Toland asked, horrified.

“I don’t know, I presume they fled as well in the end, or maybe they let all their livestock loose to draw the wolves away and took up agriculture.”

“What did they look like? The direwolves?”

“Oh… Eight feet tall, red eyes, black fur… apart from that, just like a normal wolf.”

Toland swallowed nervously.

They made their way back up to the village and Toland put Shudlow on a seat in the tavern and drew him a tankard of ale.

“Oh, thank you Toland, but won’t master Neshian be concerned for the loss of his good ale?”

“Its fine, he’s an old friend of Dad’s.”

Sudlow shrugged and took a swig of the ale.

“It certainly is marvelous, I can’t remember the last time I had a drink this good.”

“Right, I have to go, we’re on first watch, don’t wander off, okay?”

Shudlow laughed, “I swear on my honor as a lord of Hiremiath that I shall not leave until the morning sun.”

“You told me that story before, you just impersonated a lord of Hiremiath…”

Shudlow chuckled into his ale.

Toland just rolled his eyes and left, he stopped in at home to pick up a sword from the forge and headed off to the village centre.

His father spotted him before he even had a chance to look for him.

“Toland!” Rin shouted and grabbed the boy’s shoulder.

“Dad!” Toland jumped.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m coming with you. Ir Shan said that all the men of the household were to come…”

“Toland, you are fourteen, you are not a man of the household, you haven’t even used a sword before, what on earth are you planning on doing with that thing?”

“Its… I’m… It’s just keeping watch, I wasn’t planning on fighting the thing in single combat or anything.”

“No. Absolutely not!”

“But Dad! I’ll be fifteen in the spring, I’m six months from being a man.”

“Boy, look into my eyes, this isn’t a debate, back in the house.”

“But Kinic is on the second watch, you don’t have anyone who knows about healing, what if the wolf attacks and someone gets hurt. What if Fel gets his arm bitten off? I could help.”

Rin looked at Fel, who shrugged, then absent mindedly rubbed his shoulder.

Rin rubbed his beard.

“You stay with me at all times, okay, and give me that, you’re more likely to damage yourself than the wolf.”

He took the sword from Toland.

“Run home and pick up a shield, as big as you can carry. Then get some medical supplies from Kinic. If you see the wolf, you run. Understand?”

Toland nodded.

“If someone gets hurt, we get them away from the wolf and you treat them where its safe. You do not run in to help. Okay?”

Toland nodded again.

“Swear to me Toland, swear on all the gods, if it’s a choice between you and someone else, you chose you. Swear it.”

“I swear,” Toland said solemnly.

“Go get your stuff then.”

Toland ran off and picked up a shield from home as well as string to act as a tourniquet, then he headed off to Kinic’s to get a package of bandages.

Kinic was busy getting things ready for his nightly activities as well, including packing a bag with a few rolls of clean cloth for bandages and, to Toland’s surprise, included a sword lying, ready to go, on a table.

“I didn’t know you had a sword,” Toland said.

Kinic looked up, “Toland? What are you doing here?”

“Well, I came to ask for some bandages, I’m going with the first watch.”

“Does your father know about this?”

“Yes, he says I’m to stay at the very back and to run away if I get in trouble. I’m just there if anyone gets hurt. I’m on a strictly no fighting policy.”

Kinic shrugged, “Well, you might as well take this then.”

He handed him the backpack.

“Just make sure at the end of your watch you bring it back to me.”

Toland slung the backpack over his shoulder and thanked Kinic, then headed off to join Rin and Fel.