Morning found Orion exactly where the night had left him.
Outside the western palisade.
He crouched in the damp grass with one knee against the earth, studying the tracks pressed into the mud.
The rising sun had barely cleared the mountains, leaving the valley washed in pale gold.
Behind him, the village was beginning to wake.
Ahead…
The forest remained quiet.
Garrick stood several paces away, following another line of prints toward the tree line.
“Seven,” he said.
Orion didn’t answer immediately.
He traced one print with his eyes before shifting toward another.
“Eight.” Garrick stopped.
“You’re sure?” “One stayed farther back.” Orion pointed toward several faint impressions near a patch of grass.
“Smaller than the others.” Garrick walked over and studied them.
After several seconds, he grunted.
“Eight.” He scratched his beard.
“Not the twelve from the northern stream.” “We don’t know that.” “Think they split?” “Maybe.” Orion stood.
“Could be the same pack.” “Could be another.” “Could be four wolves stayed behind.” Garrick gave him an amused look.
“You really hate guessing.” “Guessing is useful.” Orion looked toward the dark trees.
“Confusing guesses with facts isn’t.” The older hunter chuckled.
“Your father used to drive me mad saying things like that.” “So I’ve been told.” Garrick’s expression slowly became serious again.
Eight wolves had approached within fifty paces of the village.
That wasn’t normal.
Wolves occasionally wandered near isolated farms during difficult winters, but a populated settlement was different.
Smoke.
Dogs.
People.
Fire.
Noise.
Wild predators understood those signs.
They usually stayed away.
Usually.
Garrick looked down at the tracks.
“Hungry.” Orion nodded.
“Probably.” There was no anger in his voice.
The wolves hadn’t come because they hated humans.
They had smelled sheep.
Food.
Nothing more.
Unfortunately, understanding the reason didn’t make them less dangerous.
Orion turned toward the gate.
“We tell Tomas.” “And everyone else.” Garrick raised an eyebrow.
“Everyone?” “They’ll notice four hunters standing on the western wall tonight.” Orion stepped through the gate.
“Better they hear the truth than invent something worse.” Garrick smiled.
“Now that…” “I agree with.” …
The village bell rang shortly after breakfast.
This time, the meeting was brief.
Elder Tomas stood beneath the ancient oak while villagers gathered around him.
Some carried bowls.
Others still held tools.
Children lingered beside their parents.
Rowan stood near Elena, gripping his wooden practice spear with both hands.
Kael rested against her chest.
Elder Tomas didn’t waste time.
“Wolves approached the western palisade last night.” A murmur moved through the crowd.
Tomas raised one hand.
“Eight, according to the tracks.” Someone immediately asked, “Did they enter?” “No.” “Attack anyone?” “No.” “Livestock?” “All safe.” The tension eased slightly.
The elder continued.
“They approached.” “They observed.” “Then they returned to the forest.” A farmer frowned.
“Wolves shouldn’t come that close.” Garrick answered from beside the elder.
“Hungry ones might.” That silenced several conversations.
Everyone remembered the missing sheep.
The empty hunting grounds.
The warnings from farther north.
Elder Tomas looked around.
“We are not under attack.” His voice remained firm.
“But we will adjust.” Again.
That word had become familiar.
Adjust.
Not panic.
Not flee.
Not fight.
Adjust.
“Beginning tonight, four hunters will guard the walls after sunset.” “Children return home before dark.” “Livestock remain near the village center.” “Lanterns will be placed along the western and northern palisades.” “And we’ll prepare additional watch fires outside both gates.” The blacksmith nodded.
“I’ve got spare iron baskets.” “I’ll reinforce them.” The baker raised her hand.
“Night watch needs food.” “I’ll prepare something.” A farmer called from the back, “I’ve got dry timber.” Another voice followed.
“I’ll help carry it.” Within moments, worry had transformed into work.
Kael watched silently.
He was beginning to understand these people.
Fear didn’t paralyze them.
They gave it a task.
…
Rowan waited until they returned home before expressing his opinion.
“I don’t like the new rule.” Orion was repairing an arrow near the table.
“What rule?” “Inside before dark.” “Ah.” “I can see our house from the square.” “Yes.” “And the square can see our house.” Orion paused.
“I’m not sure the square has eyes.” Rowan frowned.
“You know what I mean.” Elena turned away to hide her smile.
Rowan planted his practice spear against the floor.
“Why do I have to stay inside when you’re allowed outside?” Orion’s hands stopped.
For a moment, he simply looked at his son.
Then he placed the arrow down.
“Because my job is to make sure you can.” Rowan blinked.
The frustration disappeared from his face.
“But…” “What if you need help?” “I’ll have Garrick.” “He’s old.” From outside came an offended shout.
“I’m not deaf!” Rowan’s eyes widened.
Orion covered his mouth.
Elena failed completely to hide her laughter.
Apparently Garrick had been walking past the cottage.
His voice came through the open window.
“Keep talking, boy!
We’ll see who’s old when I race you tomorrow!” Rowan ran toward the window.
“I’ll win!” “You couldn’t outrun my beard!” “Your beard can’t run!” “Exactly!
And you’ll still lose!” Garrick’s laughter faded down the road.
For several moments, even Orion forgot the wolves.
…
That afternoon, the village prepared the watch fires.
Iron baskets were positioned beyond the main gates and filled with dry wood.
Smaller lanterns were hung along the palisade, spaced closely enough that large sections of the outer ground would remain visible after sunset.
The livestock were moved farther toward the village center.
They complained loudly.
Especially the goats.
One particularly stubborn animal escaped twice before Rowan attempted to help.
“I’ve got him!” The goat stared at him.
Rowan stared back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then the goat lowered its head.
Rowan’s confidence disappeared.
“Father?” The goat charged.
Rowan ran.
“FATHER!” Orion caught the animal by its horns before it reached him.
Rowan hid behind his father’s leg.
“I think that one’s dangerous.” Orion struggled not to laugh.
“I thought you were protecting the village.” “From wolves.” Rowan pointed accusingly at the goat.
“Nobody said anything about him.” Even Kael found the scene amusing.
Yet while everyone laughed…
He noticed something else.
Orion looked tired.
Not the ordinary exhaustion that followed a long hunt.
Something deeper.
Dark shadows had begun forming beneath his eyes.
He had spent yesterday in the forest.
Last night on the wall.
This morning examining tracks.
Now he was helping move livestock.
And when darkness came…
He would stand watch again.
Yet he had still taken time to speak with Rowan.
Still stopped beside Kael’s cradle.
Still helped Elena carry water before leaving the cottage.
For the first time, Kael understood something important about his father.
Orion wasn’t tireless.
He simply rarely allowed his exhaustion to become someone else’s burden.
That realization changed something in Kael.
He had admired strength before.
Physical strength.
Knowledge.
Adaptability.
Survival.
But this…
This was another kind entirely.
Being dependable didn’t mean never becoming tired.
It meant continuing because someone was depending on you.
…
Night arrived.
The western gate closed.
Four hunters climbed onto the palisade.
Orion.
Garrick.
Finn.
Doran.
Below them, the watch fire burned steadily.
For the first hour…
Nothing happened.
Then another.
Finn shifted his weight.
“My feet are numb.” Garrick didn’t look away from the forest.
“Good.” “Good?” “Means you still have feet.” Doran chuckled.
Finn sighed.
Another hour passed.
The moon climbed higher.
The village behind them grew silent.
Then…
One of the sheep bleated.
Orion’s head turned.
Another answered.
A village dog rose from beside the gate.
Its ears pointed forward.
A low growl escaped its throat.
Finn immediately reached for his bow.
“Wait.” Orion’s voice was barely a whisper.
The dog continued growling.
Then another joined it.
Orion stared beyond the watch fire.
At first…
Nothing.
Only trees.
Shadows.
Darkness.
Then two pale eyes appeared between the trunks.
Finn’s breathing changed.
Another pair appeared.
Then another.
One by one…
Shapes emerged at the edge of the forest.
Seven wolves.
Thin bodies.
Dirty fur.
Ribs visible beneath several of their coats.
They didn’t growl.
They didn’t charge.
They simply stared beyond the fire…
Toward the smell of livestock.
Finn slowly raised his bow.
Orion placed one hand against it.
“Don’t.” Finn looked at him.
“They’re right there.” “I know.” One wolf stepped forward.
Then another.
The fire crackled between predator and village.
Hunger pulled them closer.
Instinct warned them away.
For several long seconds…
Neither side moved.
Then the largest wolf took another step toward the firelight.
Orion’s hand slowly reached toward the burning wood beside him.
“Not yet,” he whispered.
The wolf stepped forward again.
And this time…
It did not stop.
_________________ The wolf crossed into the light.
For the first time, Finn saw just how thin it truly was.
Its coat should have hidden the shape of its body, but hunger had stripped away that illusion.
Ribs pressed visibly beneath dirty gray fur.
Its stomach curved inward, and one of its hind legs carried an old scar where the fur had never properly grown back.
It wasn’t some monstrous creature from a fireside story.
It was hungry.
Desperately hungry.
And that made it dangerous.
Finn’s fingers tightened around his bowstring.
“Orion…” “Wait.” The wolf took another step.
Its nose remained pointed toward the village.
Toward the sheep.
Behind it, the remaining wolves shifted restlessly near the tree line.
They wanted to follow.
Fear held them back.
Hunger pushed them forward.
Orion understood the battle happening inside them.
He had seen starving animals before.
A healthy predator avoided unnecessary danger.
A starving predator made mistakes.
Sometimes fatal ones.
The lead wolf stepped closer.
Thirty paces.
Finn slowly exhaled.
“I can hit it.” “I know.” “Then why—” “We aren’t hunting.” Orion’s voice remained quiet.
“We’re defending.” Finn hesitated.
It sounded like a small distinction.
Standing there with seven wolves outside the palisade, it didn’t feel small at all.
Garrick understood immediately.
“Kill one and the others might run.” He paused.
“Or they might smell blood.” Finn looked toward him.
Garrick’s expression remained serious.
“Hungry animals don’t always behave the way you expect.” Another step.
Twenty-five paces.
The village dogs were barking now.
Several sheep began bleating nervously.
The sound immediately affected the wolves.
Their ears rose.
One paced sideways.
Another lowered its head.
The lead wolf stared directly toward the livestock enclosure.
Orion reached toward the watch fire.
He selected a long branch with one end burning brightly.
Sparks drifted upward as he lifted it.
The wolf stopped.
Its ears flattened.
Good.
It still feared fire.
Orion waited.
The animal backed away half a step.
Then the sheep bleated again.
Hunger won.
The wolf moved forward.
Orion threw the branch.
It spun through the darkness.
The burning end struck the ground several paces ahead of the animal.
Sparks exploded across the wet earth.
The wolf jumped backward.
“Now.” Garrick slammed the wooden shaft of his spear against the palisade.
BANG!
Doran followed.
BANG!
Finn understood.
He lowered his bow and struck the wall with its reinforced grip.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
“GET!” Garrick’s voice thundered across the night.
“BACK!” Doran shouted beside him.
The village dogs erupted into furious barking.
Orion threw another burning branch.
The sudden explosion of noise, fire, and movement shattered the wolves’ hesitation.
One turned first.
Then another.
The lead wolf remained for a heartbeat longer, staring toward the village.
Orion stared back.
Then the animal spun and ran.
Within seconds, seven gray shapes disappeared between the trees.
The hunters continued making noise.
Not because the wolves could still see them.
Because Orion wanted them to remember.
Humans lived here.
Fire lived here.
Approaching meant danger.
Only after several minutes did he raise his hand.
The banging stopped.
Silence returned.
Finn breathed out.
Only then did he realize how hard his heart was pounding.
“That’s it?” Garrick looked at him.
“Disappointed?” “No.” Finn quickly shook his head.
“Definitely not.” Doran smiled.
“Good answer.” Finn stared into the darkness.
“We didn’t kill any.” “We didn’t need to,” Orion said.
“But they’ll come back.” “Maybe.” Finn looked toward him.
Orion lowered the burning branch.
“If they find food somewhere else, they won’t.” “And if they don’t?” Orion’s eyes returned to the forest.
“Then we’ll be here.” …
Inside the cottage, Rowan stood on a stool beside the window.
He had woken when the dogs began barking.
Elena had told him to stay away from the door.
Technically…
She hadn’t said anything about the window.
He pressed his face against the glass.
From here, he couldn’t see the wolves clearly.
He could see the watch fires.
And above them…
His father.
Orion stood upon the palisade with a bow across his shoulder, firelight flickering behind him.
To Rowan…
He looked enormous.
Unstoppable.
Like the heroes from the stories Garrick occasionally told children around the winter fire.
Rowan’s eyes practically glowed.
“Mother…” Elena stood behind him holding Kael.
“What?” “Father scared away wolves.” “I know.” “He didn’t even fight them.” “I know.” “Did you see?” “I did.” Rowan turned toward Kael.
“Did you see?” Kael stared past him.
Yes.
He had.
But he had noticed something Rowan hadn’t.
After the wolves disappeared, Orion rested one hand against the wooden railing.
Only briefly.
His shoulders dropped.
His head lowered.
And when he removed his hand…
His fingers trembled.
Not dramatically.
Not from terror.
From exhaustion.
Adrenaline.
Days without proper rest.
Rowan saw the greatest hunter in the world.
Kael saw something more impressive.
A tired man standing between hungry predators and his sleeping children.
His father wasn’t fearless.
He wasn’t invincible.
He wasn’t some legendary warrior incapable of failure.
He was human.
And he had stood there anyway.
Kael’s tiny hand tightened around Elena’s clothing.
For some reason…
That made him admire Orion even more.
…
Morning came without another incident.
The western gate opened shortly after sunrise.
Orion and Garrick immediately walked toward the place where the wolves had stood.
Finn followed eagerly.
Doran remained on the wall in case anything returned.
The muddy ground preserved the encounter perfectly.
Seven sets of tracks.
Garrick crouched.
“They scattered here.” Orion followed the prints toward the trees.
“Then regrouped.” Finn pointed.
“They went north?” Orion shook his head.
“Southwest.” The three hunters followed the trail a short distance.
The prints remained easy to read.
The wolves weren’t returning toward the northern hunting grounds.
They were moving toward the lower slopes.
Toward farms.
Isolated homesteads.
Smaller grazing areas.
Finn frowned.
“Why go that way?” “Food,” Garrick answered.
“Always food.” Orion remained silent.
The northern forest was emptying.
Predators were moving south.
Prey animals were abandoning familiar territories.
Now wolves were actively searching near human settlements.
The problem was spreading.
Not across the kingdom.
Not across the world.
Across these mountains.
For the people living here…
That was large enough.
…
Word of the night’s encounter spread quickly.
Predictably, Rowan told the story differently.
“There were twenty wolves.” Garrick nearly choked on his breakfast.
“Twenty?” Rowan nodded confidently.
“Maybe thirty.” Finn stared at him.
“I remember seven.” “You probably didn’t see the others.” Garrick slapped the table.
“Of course!” “Hidden wolves!” Rowan nodded solemnly.
“Exactly.” Orion walked past carrying a water bucket.
“There were seven.” Rowan’s shoulders dropped.
“…Seven very big wolves.” “They were normal wolves.” “…Seven very dangerous normal wolves.” Orion smiled.
“I’ll allow that.” Laughter spread around the breakfast table.
For a brief while…
The tension disappeared.
…
It returned before noon.
A man appeared on the southern road.
He wasn’t riding.
He was running.
The gate guard spotted him first.
“Someone’s coming!” Orion looked up from repairing a section of fencing.
The man stumbled once before catching himself.
His clothes were muddy.
Sweat covered his face.
Orion recognized him.
“Harlan?” The farmer lived at a small homestead several miles southwest of the village.
Orion hurried toward him.
Harlan bent forward, hands resting against his knees.
“My family’s fine.” Those were his first words.
Orion immediately relaxed slightly.
“What happened?” “Boars.” Garrick approached from behind.
“How many?” “At least nine.” Harlan wiped sweat from his forehead.
“Maybe more.” “They came into the fields this morning.” “Didn’t care about us.” “My sons shouted.” “We threw stones.” “Nothing.” His expression twisted with frustration.
“They broke into the feed shed.” “Ate what they could.” “Ruined most of the rest.” Orion’s jaw tightened.
Wild boars normally avoided people whenever possible.
Especially several shouting adults.
Harlan looked toward him.
“I’ve seen hungry boars before.” “These…” He shook his head.
“They weren’t afraid of us.” Orion and Garrick exchanged a look.
Wolves approaching fire.
Boars entering farms.
Livestock disappearing.
Game trails emptying.
Different pieces.
One pattern.
Elder Tomas arrived shortly afterward.
He listened without interrupting.
When Harlan finished, the old man looked toward Orion.
“How many families still live beyond the palisade?” “Six nearby.” Garrick added, “Nine if we count the northern holdings.” Tomas remained silent for several moments.
Moving families wasn’t a small decision.
They had homes.
Animals.
Tools.
Fields that required attention.
But waiting until something worse happened would be an even greater mistake.
The elder looked toward the mountains.
Then toward the wooden walls surrounding his people.
His decision was made.
“Bring them in.” Orion nodded.
“Today?” “Today.” Tomas turned toward the gate.
“Every outer family.” “People first.” “Livestock second.” “Whatever belongings they can reasonably carry after that.” The old man’s voice hardened.
“No one sleeps outside these walls tonight.” Across the village, the bell began to ring.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
And for the first time since the warnings began…
The little mountain village started making room for those retreating from the forest.
End of Chapter 14.