Werelord Thal: A Renaissance Werewolf Tale Read Online Free PDF Page A

resigned himself to an unknown future and fell
asleep.
    In the morning rumbling hunger rumbled in his
belly and sparked his interest in hunting. At least his manhood had
not robbed him of that natural urge. He returned to the ridge and
walked to the waterfall. After quenching his thirst, he followed
the winding stream down the mountain. When he saw fish, he
contemplated how to catch them. He knew from experience that
nabbing a fish with his snout from rushing water was possible but
not easy. He looked at his hands and wondered if he could grab one.
He decided that his hunger was not yet sufficient to spend time
getting cold and wet on a potentially fruitless task.
    All day he hiked. The day warmed pleasantly.
Bumble bees cruised the young flowers. Susliks rummaged in leaf
litter seeking nuts and seeds. Thal eyed them out of habit even
though he knew better than to try catching one.
    Taking a break, he settled among some tall
dead weeds. Keeping still, he soaked up the sunshine. Its hotness
on his bare skin felt strange but he liked it. He let his mind flow
with the surroundings until the scent of deer focused his
senses.
    Across the stream a doe and her toddling fawn
emerged from cover. His mouth watered at the sight of white spots
on a red coat. The doe sipped from the stream and looked around.
When she moved along the bank, the fawn floundered in the muddy
edge. Thal leaned forward as he observed its shaky struggle to pull
its tiny hoof free.
    Before his excitement deepened, Thal
considered the impracticality of trying to slay the fawn. He
touched his teeth. Their bluntness seemed almost useless. How was
he supposed to kill?
    Men use tools, he told himself. They had
tools for everything, especially killing. I need to find men, he
decided.
    After the doe and fawn disappeared, Thal
hiked onward. The land flattened and the stream slowed down until
it was entirely lazy. The forest grew wetter until the trees gave
way to bog. His bare feet squished into the peat, and dark water
squirted between his toes. After only a few steps he knew that he
did not want to cross the matted vegetation that would likely give
way to sucking mud. He glanced around and saw where the forest grew
past the bog. He spent the rest of the day hiking around the
bog.
    Once he was past the wetland, he found
another stream and followed it down the next drop in elevation. At
the end of the exhausting day, he broke from the forest into a
pasture land. Only patches of woods remained, and sheep and cattle
dotted the hillsides. Men would be close to their livestock. Thal
had long known not to hunt in these grounds, no matter how
tempting. To kill here invited the wrath of men who would slaughter
a whole family over the loss of a few lambs.
    On the horizon he discerned a hill with walls
encasing large blocky buildings. A pointy tower rose above them.
The sinking sun splashed the old stone complex with rosy light.
    Mindful to keep himself hidden, he waited for
dusk before hiking across the open land. As night fell, his eyes
continued to serve him well. The land dipped again and he walked
down wooded slopes. He could smell water in the vale. The mountain
streams were gathering into a river. The scent of smoke and people
made him draw up next to a big tree.
    He needed to gather his courage. When he was
ready he started through the trees quietly. Thal had quickly gained
some skill during his long hike and was no longer blundering
noisily.
    Orange firelight pierced the darkness. Mixed
emotions assailed him upon seeing the hot fire. To an animal it
meant danger, but to a man alone in the dark, it meant safety.
    Closer to the firelight he heard voices. The
sounds were bizarre and unlike the languages of the many creatures
he knew so well. The jumble of sounds produced a hopeless
complexity that made his heard hurt. Thal crept closer and spent
more time listening. Three men were around the fire.
    Carefully he analyzed what he smelled. There
was food, cooked and mixed up.