Nighttime� The old man had told me to meet him at this time, in the grove. Other
adventurers call him �Old Wolf�. "Watch the Old Wolf" They�d tell me. "Watch your
back" I was told� "Don�t try to cross him, whatever you do!" Not that I had any intention
of doing so, let me tell you. I had to gain his approval if I was to move any
further forward in the Guild. Warily, I entered the Grove and saw the Old Wolf sitting in front of a campfire. He motioned for me to have a seat. After several long minutes with the only sound the crackling of the fire, he shifted to look at me. I shuddered as that look, so filled with age and wisdom that it seemed to look right through me, to look right into my soul. Finally, he spoke. "So Young Wolf, you would seek to enter the Den of the Vagrant Wolves?" Licking me lips, I only nodded. "Do you understand us? Why do you wish to join the Wolves?" I took a moment to collect my thoughts, and finally I told him about all the great deeds that The Wolves have done across the lands drew me to them, about how wherever I go, the Wolves are spoken about in only positive words, high praise. After I stopped, he was silent for a long moment. "So then, you wish to join us because you wish to do great deeds and be spoken well of? You can do that without us." He shook his head, "You know why you wish to join us, but you cannot bring yourself to say it." A wolf howled in the woods, a mournful cry. At that moment, I saw several shapes moving in the darkness and I knew what they were...Wolves. One walked right into camp, and curled up at the feet of Old Wolf. They knew they�re own, I guess. "You see," He said to me, "You do not understand yet." Standing he said, "We are the Vagrant Wolves! We are Vagrant because we have no masters; we owe allegiance to no man or woman!" I heard then, a whisper in the woods �We are Vagrant� I whipped my head around to find the source of the whisper, but I saw only the wolves. Old Wolf�s voice rose as he continued. "We are Vagrant because we wonder where we will! We go where we please, regardless of the rules of Man!" �We are Vagrant� came the whisper again. Was I going to die here I wondered. The old man continued on, without even looking at me. "We are Wolves because we are family, all of us! We are all brother and sister!" �We are Wolves� Finally the Old Wolf looked at me, and I understood. I felt the words in my heart and the came to my tongue, almost unbidden. "We are Wolves, because we call for our own. We are Wolves because we know our own, we are Wolves because we are wild and no Man can own us!" �We are Wolves� Came the whisper, touching my soul like a lover�s caress. More Wolves came into the camp. I had heard the call all this time, and never knew it, but now I was home. Old Wolf smiled as he looked at me, "Now you understand Young Wolf. Welcome to the Vagrant Wolves." |
GUILD HISTORY |