The forests and meadows were beginning to show signs of life after the long cold of winter. Deep snow that had covered the ground was melting away as the days grew longer and warmer with the onset of spring. It helped the four young travelers to make excellent progress as they followed the game trails in the sparsely populated countryside of the northern Wolf Lands. The lass who led the little band knew the back trails of the land well from spending every summer hunting them with her father. She guided them away from the main thoroughfares leading to the strongholds, villages and farms along the rivers and lakes as they went. Having a cave bear following in their tracks would be difficult to explain to any soldiers and villagers they might meet, no matter how friendly it was. It was hard enough for the companions, wolves and horses to get used to, and they had already met the bear.

Even without the bear it was a strange procession of people and animals making their way towards the Tundra in the north. At the core of the group were three young men following a girl of sixteen summers, all riding upon Wolf Pack War Horses. On the trail ahead of them ran three great Tundra Wolves and following behind were two pack horses, a donkey and, of course, the bear. The people of the northlands were used to many strange visitors this close to the Snow Forest, but this little band of travelers were a tad more unusual than most.

Two of the young men were named Kal and Kaleb. They were eighteen-winters old and identical twin brothers from Svealand. Both were in the service of the famed Sea Lord Marines. They were battle-hardened long ship warriors about as far away from the sea as one could get. Despite being twins they were as different from one another as two people could be.

The only resemblance the two had to the Sea Lord race was their height and their long blonde hair that had been bleached white from lengthy days on the sea. The sea folk have bodies that are tall, slender and graceful and their skin is bone white, almost translucent. The twins were deeply tanned with broad shoulders and muscular bodies. Even though they worked and fought in the service of the Sea Lords, no one would ever mistake them as one.

Both brothers owed their lives to the girl who led the little band of travelers. She had found them lying amongst the wooden wreckage of several destroyed sailing ships on a stretch of sandy beach along the shore of the Gulf of Estland. The Sea Lord long ship on which they sailed came upon a squad of a dozen Roman war galleys and a sea battle ensued. Sorely outnumbered, their vessel put up a good fight before being sunk. They destroyed at least four of the enemy ships and damaged many more before going down in a blaze of flames from a bombardment of oil filled ceramic jugs launched at them from all sides. Kal would have been incinerated on the ship if not for his brother pulling him out from under the burning main sail. As it was, he received terrible burns all across his shoulders and back. Kaleb managed to get him off the ship and onto some floating debris, but only just in time before succumbing to a blow he received to the head. They were the only two survivors from the many drowned sailors the girl had found lying upon the beach.

She spent two days tending to their wounds and getting them well enough to be left on their own. She needed to ride to the Altera Long Hall which was about a day away to get a wagon and someone to help her with the two Marines. She wanted to move the two young men back to the Long Hall for better care.

While she was away a young Finni barbarian happened upon the twins. Just in time she returned to the campsite and found the two injured Svealanders about to come to blows with the stranger. Fortunately no one was hurt, at least not any more than they already were, and the young stranger ended up being the fourth member of their little band that was to travel north.

The young barbarian came upon the twins while he was following a band of sea raiders. For many days with very little sleep he trailed the raiders from the shores of Finnic, across the Northern Sea and into the Gulf of Estland. On a tiny fishing sloop he took from his village he followed their long boat as they rowed out to sea. Fortunately for the young Finn the raiders did not unfurl their main sail. On his little sloop he was able to keep them in sight as they rowed their much larger and slower boat across the open water. To his great anger the young Finn lost the raiders when they joined with dozens of war galleys, each marked with a huge eagle painted across their mainsails, out on the open water. He lost sight of the long ship as he turned his small boat to avoid the fleet of war ships. All thoughts of finding his prey was forgotten for a bit as he spent his time trying to avoid the sea battle building in the Gulf between Sea Lord longships and the strange war galleys. After many days of searching along the southern shore of the Gulf he finally came across the long ship beached many miles east of the city known as Wolfs Gate. The ship was abandoned and the exhausted young Finn could see he was now very far behind as he grabbed his supplies and weapons to follow the trail inland.

The reason the young Finni barbarian was so intent on tracking down these raiders was because they had with them his mother and three sisters. Days ago while he was away on a hunt the raiders had attacked his village and killed many of his friends. Those they did not kill they enslaved and carried away. He was to find out later these raiders were led by a fist of the evil Druids Bane. The same black sorcerers who in later days would lead the assault on the Altera Long Hall. The young man joined the little group of companions on their quest into the north with the hopes of rescuing his mother, sisters and the people of his village.

The young Finni's name was Alvari and he was the same age as the twins, eighteen winters old. The small village he hailed from on the southeastern shore of Finnic was called Ranta. He was an adopted son, having been found floating in the Northern Sea when he was just a babe. He stood almost as tall as the twins and was just as muscular, but not quite as skilled in the ways of the warrior as they were. He was an excellent woodsman and hunter and much more adept on the back of a horse than either of the brothers. He wore his long brown hair in a tautly pulled back ponytail to keep it out of his face as he always had his horse-bow handy, constantly on the lookout for game. Alvari and the twins were often at odds with each other as their homelands were frequently at war, but so far on the journey they had managed to remain somewhat civil to one another. It was a welcomed relief to the young woman who led them.

Alvari usually rode point with his newly adopted bond-mate, Sirus, a big wolf of the Saddleback Tundra Wolf tribe. He was a beautiful golden wolf with the black patch of fur that made the shape of a saddle across his back. Sirus never strayed too far from Alvari, mostly trotting close to the young Finni's side. The wolf would often glance back over his shoulder, looking with his orange glowing eyes, always keeping aware of the great cave bear that followed somewhere behind. Alvari would send down loving words and thoughts telling the wolf everything was ok, as they moved through the forests and meadows. The young Finni was constantly amazed at the bond that had formed between them through the Wild Wolf Magic.

Natalia was the lass who guided the little group and was the most unusual out of the small band of travelers. She was a slender girl of sixteen summers, not very tall, and much stronger than she looked. Her strength and endurance had become even more enhanced after she bonded with her two wolves, a trait that came about through the Wild Wolf Magic. The lass was a Warrior Maid and quite skilled with many types of weapons from long turns of training on the Battle Grounds as she grew up. She was very quick with a blade, as all three of the lads traveling with her had found out. She was also an excellent shot with a long-bow and could place an arrow on any spot that she aimed. This caused much grief to the young Sea Marines, who were supposed to be the best. Natalia won almost every shooting contest they held.

Natalia wore her thick, long light-brown hair in a tight braid that went straight down the middle of her back. She always took care to make sure her hair covered the tops of her slightly pointed ears in an effort to keep away any questioning eyes. Her father was Captain Anthon Greyrite and commanded the Wolf Pack Rangers of the Altera Province. He was bonded to a big silver Tundra Wolf named Granit and the two protected the Wolf Lands for over fifty turns. Natalia worried about the two as she traveled northward. They were down in the western Wolf Lands south of the Estland Gulf leading Rangers in battle against a foreign invading force that had landed upon the shores of the Arvendon Province.

Natalia's mother was an Elven Princess of the Eastern Vale Elves. "Serin Ellel Elisvens" the Elves called the Vale in their tongue. The Vale was located high in the Tallspine Mountains, and that was where her father and mother had met. It was seventeen turns ago when the two were married, they had been much in love and had planned to make the Eastern Vale their home. Tragically Natalia never got the chance to know her mother as she was killed when Nat was but a babe. Her name had been Katina Kaylessa, and the story of her death was a heartbreaking one, as she could always tell when she looked into her father's sad eyes when he talked of her. Her father brought Natalia back to their farm in the Altera Province after her mother's death. He could not stay in the Vale because everywhere he looked he was reminded of his wife and the love he lost. Her father was loving and caring to her and their life was good on the farm, even though his duties kept him away from their home for long periods of time.

Her father claimed she inherited her pointed ears and beautiful looks from her mother. Her almond-shaped eyes were the color of rich brown earth in which golden flecks floated. One would swear they glittered in the dark. They sat under long beautiful eyelashes and slightly arched brown eyebrows. The eyes looked out over a cute button nose and rich full lips. She had beautifully clear skin that was always a sun-kissed golden brown from spending every minute she could outdoors. Her long light-brown hair was streaked with thick burnished strands of spun gold which enhanced her beauty even more.

She wanted more than anything to be a Wolf Pack Ranger like her father. She cut a striking figure in her well-worn riding leathers, with the hilt of her long sword sticking above her left shoulder, as she sat atop her War Horse, Dancer. All three of the young men riding with Natalia looked to her as the one in command, despite being two turns older and so much larger than she.

Natalia was newly bonded to two lovable Tundra Wolves (lovable to her, they terrified everyone else) who ran on ahead. They were constantly marking the trail while they smelled and looked at everything they came across, with the curious nature of turnlings. The wolves were brothers of the same litter from the Solid Tundra Wolf Tribe. One was a dark gray and the other black as night. The gray was called Bashful, and he was the friendliest, most outgoing Tundra Wolf Natalia had ever met. Beautiful was the name of the black, and he was anything but beautiful. He had been attacked by a badger as a pup and had white scars crisscrossing down the left side of his snout, across his right eye and was missing part of an ear. He also had an attitude that was anything but beautiful, the total opposite to his brother. Tundra Wolves named their young usually based on their nature or their surroundings within the first turn of their lives. Sometimes the humor of the names shown through to the people who bonded with them.

Natalia loved both of her wolves more than anything she could have thought possible. It was one of the most wonderful days in her young life when the two wolves chose her in the early morning hour on the bonding grounds of the Tundra Wolf Clan site. It was most uncommon for a girl to bond with one Tundra Wolf, and exceptionally rare for one to bond with two. It had been over five hundred turns since a person of the Wolf Lands had bonded with two Tundra Wolves at the same time. Something that had not happened since the great Lady Katrine with her two giant wolves, Calles and Cirten, of the White Tundra Wolf tribe. She knew she was nothing like the mighty Battle Mistress, but she could imagine how she felt being the bond-mate to two of the great wolves.

The large bear that followed them, and made everyone so nervous, was at least fourteen feet tall when he stood on his hind legs. He had been thrust upon their little quest by the Wolf Wizard Loke. It was not because of them or the Wizard that the big bear ambled along behind. It was because of the donkey, Daisy, that the Wizard had forced them to take along as one of their pack animals. The big cave bear was enamored with the little donkey from afar and would follow and protect her to the ends of the earth. At night they had to tie Daisy to a separate rope line from the other two pack horses because the bear, that the Wizard had named Bull Roar, liked to sleep next to her. That was why WizLoke (that's what everyone called him) made them take her, so the bear would stay close to help protect them all. It just made traveling through the civilized lands of the north a bit more difficult. Having a large cave bear walking along behind looking for any nut and berry it could find was a little unsettling. Soon they would be in the wilds of the great north, crossing into a region of the New Wandou Province, where few people lived. Then it was into the Snow Forest where none but the most daring lived.

The land they traveled through was peaceful and well kept. What roads and trails they did ride upon were in very good condition for such a sparsely lived in area of the Wolf Lands. The people of the northern Provinces had once made their living as foresters and woodsmen cutting down and clearing the trees that had carpeted the hills. That was why so many of the villages had grown up close to lakes and rivers. So the logs they cut could be floated down to the towns and cities in the center of the Wolf Nation for market. As more land became clear, the people turned to farming the soil that had been liberated from the great forests. Those that chopped down the trees for a living became more scarce. Farming was still hard work but not near as hard as cutting down and preparing the huge logs for a ride down a river, or across a lake. Natalia had loved this part of the land from the time she was a little girl. When her father would take her this way to hunt in the Snow Forest.

Natalia was getting more and more comfortable riding with the three young men as the days went by. They passed the time in easy, friendly banter among each other that made the traveling go by that much faster. Kaleb was filled with tales of his and Kal's life at home and on the sea. He could talk forever about the very interesting lives the two had led the last couple turns as Sea Lord Marines, especially for two so young. There were times when Kal would interject, "Kaleb, that's not how I remember it!" Especially when the story would turn on him. Then Kaleb would say, "now, now little brother, everyone knows all those knocks I gave you in the head during swords made your remembering a tad off." Everyone would laugh and every time Kal tried to dispute a story Kaleb would say, "now, now little brother...." and shut him up.

Kaleb enjoyed referring to Kal as his little brother, almost as much as Kal hated it. Kaleb was just a bit taller, a tad broader and also the first born. It made him older by minutes, a fact that he never let Kal forget. Kaleb was the warrior of the two, and he practiced night and day with his weapons. He especially liked working with his Sea Lord trident made of the finest silver. All he wanted to be was the Captain of his own ship, a Bireme of the Sea Lords Knights Class. One of the finest sailing ships in all the fleet, according to him.

Kal had different goals. He wanted to be a designer and builder of the Sea Lord ships, making them stronger and faster. Both brothers had big dreams, for Kaleb knew that no farm boy had ever been a Sea Lord Captain, not even of their long ships. Kal knew that no human had ever worked on designing their great ships, they only helped build and repair them. They had come far in the Sea Marines for two so young, both being Sergeants and commanding archer bands of twenty men each on a long ship. Both brothers seemed committed and just headstrong enough to make their dreams happen. Once they finished helping Natalia on her quest of course.

The little band rode as far as they could each day, keeping their War Horses to a fast walk. The War Horses could travel at a faster gate, even run the whole day at a gallop, and sometimes got a little feisty wanting to do so. However, the riders kept them to a walk in consideration of Daisy and the two pack horses that would not last at a War Horse pace.

Each night they set up camp, talked for a little while and then went off to their bedrolls. They felt no threats in this part of the land so they did not set up a night watch as of yet, letting everyone get a good night's sleep. Besides, no one could get by three Tundra Wolves and a cave bear, they all seemed to sleep with one eye open.

At night, they could hear the howl of wolves coming from the hills around them. It was only the little gray ones, the smaller cousins to the Tundras, and of no concern. They were not close enough to the Snow Forest where the dreaded Grim Wolves lived. Those howls they never wanted to hear. Once they were sure they heard the roar and growl of a Dread Cat, the most dangerous animal of the forest. Everyone was on edge for days after that, with the pack horses and Daisy being skittish as the smell lingered. Bull Roar walked much closer for a time which made most uneasy, especially the pack horses. In the end, it turned out to be a blessing, for all got to know the big bear and his gentle giant ways. The pack horses actually liked having Bull Roar around. So much so that they became nervous at night if not tied to the same rope line as Daisy, with the big mound of fur sleeping nearby. Even the wolves and the War Horses did not mind the cave bear's company. The only ones that were still unnerved by it were the three young men. They just could not get used to having a wild animal around, unless it was a Tundra of course.

The War Horses were indifferent towards the bear as they were to just about everything else. Unlike a common horse, they were fearless and did not know the instinct of flight. The only one that had affection for its rider was Dancer, Natalia's mount. They had been together since she was a little girl and had grown a bond not unlike that of a person to a Tundra Wolf. The other three big horses were still getting used to their riders, just as much as their riders were getting to know them.