Our Destiny: Bearers of the Dagger

Journey South, Part 4

The news shouldn't have surprised him. Nick knew they would run into trouble at some point. The chances of them making it across the mainland without something going wrong just wasn't possible. Not when you considered all the crap that had happened so far. But so soon? When they had barely left the Freelands? It almost made him angry if he wasn't so scared.

A wolf pack. A bloody wolf pack.

'How do you know there's more?'' he asked Charlie.

Everyone had now reunited around the campfire. Steve and Malik were keeping an eye out in the darkness.

'They're wolves,' his friend told him. 'It's how they hunt.'

'How do you know that?' asked Chris. 'You read that in a book too?'

'We fought dogs before,' said Luke. 'At Aston's village.'

'They were different,' said Michelle. 'They were like pets. This wolf was stronger and wilder than those ones.'

'And I think that was the runt of the litter,' Charlie explained. 'Chewed up and scarred. Wolves made it their scout to track us while the rest follow.'

'Seriously?' Chris laughed. 'They're damn wolves for god's sake.'

Charlie ignored him.

'They're not ordinary wolves,' said Michelle. 'The one I fought. It seemed... smarter than the others. I don't know.'

Nick frowned at her.

'Smart or not,' Malik called over, 'I don't want to hang around to find out if that guy does have friends with him.'

Sophie nodded. 'Seconded. If there's danger, let's get out of here. How far away would the pack be?'

Charlie shook his head. 'Can't be that far.'

'So, what do we do?' said Emma.

Nick sighed. He had to have a handle on this. 'Alright,' he got their attention. 'I don't know anything about wolves but I'd rather keep us safe just in case. First light tomorrow morning we run.'

'Run?' Luke's puzzled reaction mirrored the rest of the group.

'We don't stop til sundown.'

'Sundown?' Sophie exclaimed. 'Are you serious?'

Nick nodded resolutely. 'We'll put as much distance between us and that wolf's body as possible. If there is a pack out there, we'll be too far away for them to threaten us.'

'I agree,' said Charlie.

'Me too,' said Steve. His eyes were glued to the darkened treelines.

Everyone else eventually approved the plan. Once watches were decided, everyone hunkered down in their blankets and tried to get as much sleep as possible.

'Why do there have to be wolves after us?' Nick heard Sophie groaning.

'We're just unlucky,' said Malik.

Yeah, Nick thought to himself as he lay amidst the backpacks, really unlucky. And then he felt a stiff lump against his chest and reached down to examine it. It was the Dagger. The 'Dunamei' was whatever Veyron called it.

Nick held the weapon up in front of him and glared at the cracked wooden handle and ugly leather sheath. His eyes then turned to Charlie, sleeping across the camp.

Unlucky?

Sure.

The next day the sky was heavily clouded. Streaks of thick grey covered the heavens in a darkened gloom so they all left camp in the morning a lot later than Nick would have liked. Plus, they weren't running. Not really. It was more like a brisk jog across the hillsides and half of the group were ambling about, grumpy and tired from lack of sleep. Maybe they didn't believe there was pack on their tail and maybe they were right, but couldn't they at least try? He might have disagreed with a lot of Charlie believed but Nick knew that his friend was afraid. And that gave him cause to move.