Nature's Wolf

Nature’s Wolf

By Aedan Stragon & Maggie O’Dempsey

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2017 Aedan Stragon & Maggie O’Dempsey

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

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I am so excited to share this story with you all. Aedan has been my editor and my most avid supporter for years. I have been bugging him for as long as I can remember to write a novel, because he is so much better at writing than I am. We share a passion for the Fantasy genre and it was my absolute delight to hear him ask if he could write a book in my world. We worked together to bring you this installment in the Rivercast Immortals series. I hope you enjoy it and to Aedan, my dear, Let’s do it again soon!

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

About the Authors

More books by Maggie O’Dempsey

Prologue

Cailen was not of the nobility, but his father the merchant had made powerful agreements and good trades, and with the wealth he amassed he may have well been noble, or at least his father had dreams of being noble and that was the cause of most of Cailen’s woes.

On his sixteenth birthday, the man was gifted a fine long sword and a swift stallion. None in the village could have afforded such lavish gifts save his father. Cailen's status made it difficult to have any friends, others thought he was too good for them so he spent most his time riding and hunting.

No more than a full moon had passed from his birthday when the family went to the local lord’s manor for dinner as his father was want to do every now and again to feed his desire of nobility. Dressed in their finest the family dined on succulent pig, venison and his father could not resist bringing a fine wine he had traded for from some far-off vineyard. After dinner Cailen stepped to the balcony to fill his pipe and gaze out at the world, while his father and the lord of the manor shuffled off to the study to discuss whatever it was they discussed when wine became involved.

On the balcony, the smoke from his pipe drifting away on the crisp autumn air, was where his father and the lord found him. They staggered in together leaning upon one another clearly having had too much drink.

Cailen, my boy, come here, come here, I have good news.

Yes, Father. He put out his pipe and stepped back into the house.

Good news my boy, it’s all arraigned, you’re going to wed Sammel’s daughter the first day of spring.

Cailen was taken aback. But father, she is still playing with dolls, she can’t be more than thirteen.

Lord Sammel looked up then and slurred, Laad, she be ferteen, by then, puurfect age to wed.

Do I get no say in this, Father?

Like a nail being hammered into a coffin they both looked at him. No! they said in unison, then laughing as if they shared in some grand joke they wandered off, most likely to find more spirits to celebrate.

It was a good pipe, it had a good draw to it, but it did not fly so well, when he flung it from the balcony, it flew perhaps only forty hands before breaking on the cobblestone walk below.

Whooo. An owl eyed the angry lad as though it had seen a squirrel.

Shoo you damn bird. Yah!

Animals could show fear, when they were hunted or wounded by one of his arrows, they show lust when spring rolled around and the bitches were in heat, but never before had he seen contempt from an animal, but that is what he read on the owl, it slowly turned and took silent wing in spite of him, disappearing into the darkness with nary a sound.

Winter was harsh that year, several times Cailen braved the cold to try and find a hare or fox, anything for the stew pot. He did not expect to find wolves though. Years before they had been hunted out of the woods he thought. Yet here they were, wolf tracks, for no fox could have made tracks that size. He followed them hoping to catch a meal that would last more than a couple days. The wind blew hard against his face, flinging loose snow into the air. There are tales of men seeing things when out in the snow for too long, Cailen wondered if that was happening to him. The woman was beautiful, she was clad in a flowing wool gown of the purest white, fur lined the cuffs of her dress, as well as adorning the hood to keep her angelic face warm. He battled against the wind, blinking several times against the wind and snow, just like that she was gone, the vision ended. He returned home bewildered and empty handed he would hunt again tomorrow when the wind and snow did not play tricks on his mind.

The snow began to thaw upon the land, and spring fast approached. His mother and father became preoccupied with the impending marriage. Clothing was made, festivities were being planned like the village had never seen. The day before the wedding arrived as Cailen strolled around the edge of the town not knowing where he was going when again he saw the angelic woman he had seen that winter. This time she wore a gown of vibrant green like the first grass of spring. She stood at the edge of the woods, seemingly watching him. With a slender white hand, she beckoned him to come closer, and stood patiently waiting for his approach, then just before he could reach out to her hand, she smiled, a sly mischievous grin of a child up to no good, turned and fled. As any young man might do in this situation he gave chase to the young maiden.

She was graceful such that it matched her beauty, she damn near floated from rock to rock, from tree to tree. He ran through brambles, he ran through mud, and no matter how much the crisp spring air burned his lungs he could make no ground on the lass. He paused to catch his breath, looking up at her as she stood no more than two dozen paces away, mocking him with her smile and the strong even breaths she took that made her chest rise and fall in an inspired way. She waved at him and stepped behind a large oak tree, the chase was back on. As he turned the corner of the oak though he found nothing, she had simply vanished. About the time he abandoned his search, he realized he had no idea where he was. Night was falling and the air grew chill, the sweat upon his skin began to freeze. Any way you looked at it he had run too far and he would never make it back to town before night, he knew that if he tried to navigate the forest at night there would be no telling what happened to him. In the fading light, he quickly gathered fire wood to light a meager fire. With the embers fading in the night, leaning up against a massive oak, his cloak little protection against the chill of evening. Teeth chattering exhaustion took its toll and he succumbed to sleep, he dreamed of a warm bed by the fire.

Morning light shined through branches just beginning to show the new life of spring hitting his face and casting its warm light through his closed eyes. He felt warm as if wrapped in a fine fur blanket. The blanket began to move, Cailen opened his eyes cautiously to catch the golden eyes of a wolf looking back at him. The warm fur blanket was no blanket at all but a small pack of wolves that had huddled around him while he slept. Thankful though he was the wolves were beginning to look at him like so much breakfast and he didn’t think he could reach his sword before they tore him apart. Then to his relief the wolves padded away silently into the woods. With that he started home, if he gave it a light jog he might make it home in time for his wedding. He found himself thinking that his parents must be panicked, well at least his mom, his father would be furious.

Cailen was no stranger to the woods, yet he found himself traveling in circles both large and small. It was on about the fourth time he passed the large oak he had slept under that he yelled in frustration, he was hungry, tired and very, very late; his father would never forgive him.

Gods, what is going on here, this cannot be happening.

Your gods have no traffic here, came a light, angelic voice from beyond the oak.

Cailen circled the oak trying to catch a sight of the person attached to that lovely voice, he was rewarded with what he now expected. The lass he had chased into the woods stood in her splendid green gown, black tresses falling in disarray to modestly cover her breasts.

Try as you like lord, you will not make it out from these woods this day, as the plants themselves conspire against you, and further more you will never catch me. And like a stag startled at the snap of a twig she was off again into the woods. He was too tired to even try to give chase. He tried once again to make his way home instead, but true to her words it seemed it was as if the woods had a mind of their own and by nightfall he found himself turned around once again to stand before the large oak tree. Oblivious to the cold for the second night sleep came from exhaustion more than from a desire to sleep.

He woke once again to the warmth of a breathing fur blanket. He stretched rousing the wolves from their sleep. Two days with no food, he began to wish he had not left his bow at home. A whine brought his attention to a wolf at his feet. His gaze shifted down to the wolf that unceremoniously dropped a hare at