Now that she was downwind her target, Nadia started heading toward the clearing. A bird called, prompting her to stop; unfamiliar woods meant unfamiliar fauna and flora. Another bird flew to the first one, and she continued her slow progress.

She was now about eight hundred paces from the clearing. There weren’t many obstacles, which was both good and bad as it also meant her target would see her. Dire wolves grew big not only because they were strong, but also because they had the intelligence to avoid danger.

‘Almost.’ She adjusted the grip on her spear and unsheathed her sword with her left hand. Ideally, she would have preferred the pavis, but the environment didn’t allow for it. As for the targe, it was unlikely to provide much protection against the large creature.

She bolted down the calculated path at inhuman speed. Not fast enough to take the monstrous creature by surprise, though. The giant wolf avoided the spear by jumping forward and to her left side, the one with shorter weapon. The beast was also deceptively fast for all its cow-size, and discreet too. Maybe as much as its smaller cousins.

She dodged the sweeping claw with ease but at the cost of her counter. She sneered, “Clever dog.”

In only took a few heartbeats to turn around, but by the time she was done, the creature was already a good ten paces away, standing on a mound. The glade was his domain, the broken trees its moats and walls, and the mound its watch tower,

The clever knew apes and their tactics well, it surveyed the area for signs of reinforcement but found now. Still, it was too early to dismiss an ambush. The female ape was upon it again, jabbing her spear at its left eye.

The dire wolf lunged under the shaft of her spear, but it was too late and took a glancing blow on the crown of its head. The reinforced bone broke with a sound of thunder and the beast let out powerful roar. A roaring dog was already an astounding surprise, but much more importantly painful enough to stagger the huntress.

This tiny sliver of time was all it needed to run past her, albeit with broken bone and a gash across its jaw. It ran toward wit the determination to put as much distance as possible between it and this terrifying ape. Whatever awaited in the forest couldn’t be worse than what it’d left behind.

It ran one of its many predetermined courses. This one was littered with obstacles it could easy jump over or across with its size but large enough to stop a small pursuer. Or so it thought; it could feel the pursuer drawing closer with every instant.

Nadia cursed as another gap cost her precious time. She had long lost line of sight of her target, barely following by its trail when suddenly, there was a ledge and the beast running her.

Since it could not outrun its pursuer, the wolf had selected this place for its last stand. It was its one and only chance to kill the ape before it touched ground.

Moving with inhuman speed, Nadia, stabbed her spear into the giant back and used its own speed to propel herself upward.

“Damn dog! Look at what you made me do!” To begin with, a pristine pelt didn’t exist in nature: all living things bore the scar of life, with maybe the exception of dragons (on the assumption they were organic, which was far from certain).

Had the wolf been capable of speak, it’d have listed complains of its own. Then again, so would have the livestock and people it had eaten. Nevertheless, it had other thing on its mind right now, like the fast-approaching wall if was about to ram into.

The sound was deafening and the impact staggering. Even with her armor, she wouldn’t have gotten out of this without serious consequences. Thankfully, the only one who got to suffer, was the wolf itself, and it wasn’t about to end.

With her left, she brought down her sword upon its neck and b lood spurted as the razor-sharp blade embedded itself into the axis bone. It turned around to bite only to be meet the shaft her spear.

Once again, the giant found itself smashed against the wall, but head-first this time.

Nadia tore the blade from the absurdly thick bone with a grunt. The gash widened into an open fracture, which caused the dire beast to pass out from spinal trauma. In no hurry, the warrior took careful aim then thrust the tip of her spear through the eye socket. There’d be no waking up from that.

Nadia conscientiously cleaned her weapons, out of habits more than of need since there wasn’t even a trace of blood. Pride overcame her; no one could deny her worth: she’d became one of a bloodied... And not with some easy prey like most of the guy back home.

Many, many bells later. “Dear Nadia. I’m happy to see you this soon. I thought it’d take you longer, since you left this behind.” She kicked the magic backpack lightly.

“I... I made a travois.” A magic bag was far too precious to risk into the forest.

“It can carry hundreds of pounds and naked blades. Do you really think a branch is going to do lasting damage. Even if it did, it’s imbued with regeneration.”

“Why didn’t I hear about this?”

Impishly. “I don’t know, maybe because you fainted the first time? Or didn’t listen to a single word I said the second?”

“I was still groggy at the time.” Countered Nadia.

“I see. What about the third?”

“I’m sure there wasn’t a third!”

“You’re right, but there might if you didn’t suddenly start treating like a stranger.”

“Isn’t this your own fault for teasing me all the time!”

Fondly, convincedly. “That’s what friends do! I read it in a book” She’d always dreamed of a friendship like in her mother’s book.

“Do they, though?” She’d never seen or experienced it herself.

Varisa wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t about to let reality get in the way of her dream. “Staff, please?!”

“Yes milady? How can this old man help you?” This wasn’t the man who greeted them this morning; to begin with he was easily twice their age.

“Rickerd, sir?! I though you left with Oto.”

Why was he given a title when his master wasn’t? “This old man wanted to talk to ask for forgiveness... Milady, I told master he shouldn’t associate with your kind. I called you a vixen. I thought you ’d put master under your spell.”

“Not with these looks. Come on, even at his age Oto can do better than this.” She wished he’d been younger and unmarried... but also knew in her heart they wouldn’t have had as good of a relationship if he were.

“There’s more to a person than their look. If I was fifty years younger…”

“Yes?” What an unexpected and amusing development.

“I’d have acted like an idiot and ruined everything. Assuming I even got the courage to talk to you in the first place…” He shacked his head. “I must admit I saw your kind as savages and backstabbers and I’m glad you've proved me wrong.”

Varisa was almost chirping. “That’s so sweet… But you weren’t wrong about the other stuff. My people are brutes, some are barely apes.” In case anyone wondered, she meant her brother.

“Milady?!” Protested Nadia.

“I’m joking.” Not entirely, though. “I haven’t forgotten about the salve. I'll have it delivered to you as soon as we get back.”

“My master seems happier now, he lost haunted look he used to have.”

“Really? I’ve always known him as the man he is.” Resolute, kind and enthusiastic.

Rickerd brushed his finger across the dirty fur. “What a wonderful fur, even my old unfeeling hands feel warm and fuzzy.”

“Nice, isn’t it? It was all my Nadia’s work.” She sounded like a proud mother. “Hunted and delivered within the single day.”

Between her teeth, she added. “Unlike my useless hack of a brother, she also walks the walk.”

“What was that milady?” Inquired the warrior?

“Nothing.”

They said their goodbye and when they respective way. After some time, Nadia inquired: “Why are you so kind to random Ravealian but so harsh toward our owns?”

“I like to think I treat people with the respect they deserve.” Stupid, petty, mindless, conniving... She had a lot to say about her people, little good. “The old man is Oto’s butler. A devoted but ruthless man. He has even more influence than his own master, in some circle. I had never expected someone like him to admit his wrong.” Their pigheaded elders certainly wouldn’t have.

“Mis… Varisa, do you really hate your brother this much?”

“You heard me, uh? From my point of view, he exemplifies everything that’s wrong with our tribe. A stupid, incompetent brute, but everybody likes him because he killed a monster as a child. I can’t believe my father prefers that oaf over me.”

“Are you jealous?” She had a hard time believing the word coming out of the once cold headed hero.

“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve being ostracized for doing the right. I’ve sacrificed everything from them, even my own self! And yet! A bloody moron who can’t find his own ass without a guiding hand is their hero? All because he killed few monsters! Everybody kills monsters! We’re bloody hinterlanders, that’s all we ever do!”

“I never knew… You seemed so calm and assured.”

“That’s what it means to suppress oneself! But it's all in the past now.”

The bitterness didn’t escape notice. “Is it really.”

“I try and need to, my dear Nadia. No one can help those who won’t help themselves. Our current mutually beneficial relationship is the best I can hope from them.”

The arrogant smile of the elder council flashed into her mind. “Don’t you worry about them overtaking you.”

Varisa burst in an incontrollable fit of laughter, so much she had to lie down to find her breath again. “Do you believe them capable?”

“No… I don’t think so.” But if they did, they’d ruin everything.

“What about you? Will you run back to them with all my secrets and contacts?”

Nadia walked herself into it, but it still hurt. “I’ve made up my mind long ago to live as a Warrior. You are the only master I want or need.”

“That’s my girl!” Spoke Varisa softly, barely holding up her tears. “Still, my advice is to keep your options open. You never know, maybe someday you’ll wish for little barbarians of your own.”

“As if! Wait, are you telling me to report to them?!”

“Your choice. You don’t have to tell them everything, nor the truth. Blame it on my corruptive influence on young, impressionable women; that’s what they always do.”

Nadia; the most corrupt of them all; laughed heartily.