The group continued along the winding path after parting ways with Hopeless, still occasionally glancing back as though half expecting the druid to reappear in a swirl of petals. When he didn’t, they focused once more on the road ahead.

  Before long, the dense woodland thinned and opened into broad stretches of farmland. Low fences marked the edges of neatly cultivated fields, where golden wheat swayed lazily in the breeze like a rippling sea. Scarecrows stood watch among the crops; some were simple bundles of straw in old tunics, while others had been decorated by creative farmers with carved pumpkin heads, feathers, or patches sewn into crude faces. A few chickens darted across the path, scattering dust as they fled from the group’s approach.

  Bhel let out an appreciative whistle. "Nice change from underground, isn’t it? No stone, no stink, no goblins trying to eat our boots." He lifted his arms and stretched. "Just fresh air, farms, and the distant smell of manure. Bliss."

  Perberos sniffed faintly. "That is hardly what I would classify as bliss."

  Bhel grinned at him. "Oh right, I forgot. Mister High Elf. Your nose only accepts the scent of lavender and judgement."

  Perberos frowned, though it carried more confusion than irritation. "I do not judge. I simply prefer more… refined smells."

  "Uh?huh," Bhel said with an exaggerated nod. "So that face you’re making right now? Absolutely not judging?"

  Perberos tried to adjust his expression, settling into something that was meant to look neutral, but only made him appear deeply uncomfortable. The rest of the group chuckled.

  They continued on, passing a herd of wooly, long?horned cattle grazing behind a wooden fence. One of the massive beasts lazily lifted its head and blinked at them before returning to chewing grass.

  A little farther north, the farmland gave way to patches of forest, small clusters of tall pines interspersed with sprawling oaks and silver-barked birch trees. Dappled light danced across the ground, illuminating small flowers that grew in bursts of colour. A fox skittered across the path ahead of them, pausing long enough to give the party a curious glance before disappearing into the undergrowth.

  Carcan inhaled deeply. "I missed this. Fresh trees. Open space. Honestly, it feels weird not having to watch every shadow for a monster."

  "We shouldn’t get too used to it," Brett replied. "We’ll be fighting something soon enough."

  Josh nudged him lightly. "Yeah, but let’s enjoy the peace while we have it. Might be the last calm we get all day."

  Perberos nodded thoughtfully. "There is balance in such moments. The world cannot be solely danger and struggle. Even in times of conflict, it grants reprieves. Those who do not pause to appreciate them risk losing more than their strength."

  Bhel raised his brows. "...You sure you don’t write poetry on the side?"

  "I do not," Perberos answered plainly.

  "Shame. You’d sell at least two copies. One to Josh, one to your mum."

  Perberos blinked. "My mother does not read poetry." He paused. "She writes it."

  The group burst into laughter, and even Perberos allowed himself the faintest smile as they continued northward, the path still quiet and untouched by threat.

  The forest thinned gradually until the party stepped out into a wide, open pasture, the late morning sun spilling across rolling grass and scattered thickets. At first the scene looked peaceful, a quiet stretch of open land bordered by trees but as they walked further in, that illusion fell apart.

  Brett slowed. "Uh… is it just me, or does this look rough?"

  Josh pointed toward a patch of shrubs that had been torn apart, branches bent and snapped in jagged angles. "Yeah. Something went to town on these."

  They wandered further, finding more signs: churned earth, gouges in the soil, and at least half a dozen bones scattered across the grass. Some were small, likely from rabbits or deer, others were longer, thicker, unmistakably canine.

  Bhel let out a low whistle. "Looks like a whole wolf pack came through here. Maybe more than one."

  Perberos stepped ahead, already kneeling beside a set of tracks half-hidden in the grass. His expression sharpened with focus. "Give me a moment. I can read this now."

  Josh exchanged a quick grin with Brett. "Look at him go. Doesn’t even brag about it."

  Bhel smirked. "He’d ruin his aesthetic if he smiled too much. Serious elves lose power when they show joy."

  Perberos didn’t look up. "I am perfectly capable of joy. I simply choose not to perform it for your entertainment."

  "Sure, sure," Bhel said with a snort. "Keep telling yourself that."

  Perberos ignored him, mostly and pointed to the ground. "Three wolf packs. Their tracks overlap in several areas. These were made recently, perhaps last night or early this morning." He shifted a few leaves aside, revealing an impression far deeper and larger than the rest. "And this… this is not a wolf."

  Josh crouched beside him. "Bigger?"

  "Much," Perberos replied. "Heavy. Broad paws. Deep claw marks." He traced the shape with his fingers, brows drawing together. "Judging by the spacing of the prints and the weight distribution… this creature is either a dire wolf or something of similar size if I had to guess. It’s been moving slowly, perhaps stalking or searching."

  Carcan glanced around the open field, her hand drifting toward her weapon. "So there’s a giant wolf somewhere nearby?"

  "Potentially," Perberos said calmly. "Or it has already moved on."

  Bhel groaned. "Why is it never a nice, harmless, oversized rabbit?"

  Perberos stood, brushing dirt from his gloves. "We proceed with caution from here. The smaller packs may be nearby or they may be avoiding whatever left these larger prints. Either way, we should expect trouble."

  Perberos motioned for the group to follow, his eyes narrowed and focused as he traced the largest set of tracks leading north. The prints carved a clear path into a denser stretch of forest, where the trees grew tightly together, branches forming a canopy that choked out much of the light.

  "The bigger creature went this way," Perberos murmured, crouching low as he brushed his fingers across the disturbed earth. "Heavy. Fast. Recently through here." His tone was calm, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed his concern.

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  They followed him into the treeline. Almost immediately, the air changed, cooler, stiller, and far darker. Tall pines blocked the sun, their trunks packed close enough to feel like silent sentinels watching their every step. The undergrowth thickened, shrubs and brambles tugging at boots and greaves.

  Josh, who normally struggled to notice tracking signs, paused as he spotted a scattering of deep paw prints pressed into a patch of soft mud. "Even I can see these," he said, stepping back to make room for the others. "There’s loads of them."

  "A whole lot of activity," Bhel agreed, lowering his hand toward the ground but not touching it. He looked around, ears twitching. "This whole forest feels jumpy."

  Carcan nodded uneasily. "Wolves don’t usually get this close to farmland. Something’s pushing them or stirring them up."

  Brett shifted his grip on his staff. "Probably that giant whatever-it-is. Because obviously we’re not just dealing with normal wolves."

  "I wouldn’t worry too much," Bhel added with a smirk, nudging Perberos lightly with an elbow. "We’ve got the most serious elf in the whole of Eldanar here. Nothing’s getting past him."

  Perberos didn’t even dignify it with a glance. "If you’re finished, the tracks continue this way." He stepped over a patch of tangled brambles, moving smoothly into the darkened woodland.

  Bhel grinned and whispered loudly to Josh, "See? Serious. Like he was born with a stick already in his—"

  "Focus," Perberos said without turning around, his voice sharp but not unkind.

  Josh snorted a laugh. "You walked into that one, mate."

  As they moved deeper, the forest grew even quieter. No birdsong. No rustling. No wind. Just the soft crunch of leaves beneath their boots and the faint, distant echo of something moving far ahead.

  "Tracks are fresher now," Perberos said softly. "Stay close."

  Perberos raised a hand, signalling sharply for the others to stop. The motion was quiet but commanding, and the entire party fell still behind him. His ears twitched as he listened, then without a word he slipped forward, steps feather?light on the forest floor.

  The trees here grew closer together, their twisting branches dimming what little sunlight filtered through the canopy. The air hung thick with the damp scent of earth and old leaves. Ahead, something shifted.

  Perberos crouched low behind a fallen log and peered through the foliage. Two young wolves snarled at one another, circling the carcass that had been dragged halfway from the undergrowth. Their shoulders were broad, their frames towering far beyond the size of the hounds that he’d seen in any town. Their coats were a ragged tangle of mottled grey and brown, matted with dirt, brambles, and the crust of old blood. Golden eyes glimmered in the half?light, sharp and predatory, yet carrying an unsettling spark of intelligence.

  One wolf snapped at the other’s muzzle, teeth bared. The second lunged back, hackles raised, fighting not out of hunger but something more instinctive and erratic. Both creatures looked underfed and strangely wild.

  Perberos motioned quietly for the others to join him. "Two juveniles," he whispered. "Distracted. This is a good chance."

  He slid an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, and exhaled slowly. His posture shifted, controlled, deliberate. He took his time, steadying the shot, tracking the slight movements of the wolf as it snarled over the carcass.

  The bowstring hummed.

  The arrow flew.

  It struck cleanly through the eye of the first wolf, dropping the creature instantly with a heavy thud.

  The second wolf wheeled around, baring its teeth, only to be engulfed by Brett’s flame lash. Fire spiralled from his hand, whipping around the beast’s torso and slamming it to the ground. The wolf yelped and writhed, pinned firmly in place by burning chains of mana.

  “I’ve got it held!" Brett shouted, sweat beading across his brow.

  Perberos was already drawing another arrow. With the wolf restrained, his aim steadied to near perfection. He inhaled, exhaled, and released.

  The wolves soon dissipated into drifting golden motes, their bodies unraveling into light that winked out between the trees. In their place remained two thick tails and a scattering of coarse grey fur. Brett nudged one of the tails with his boot.

  "Well," he said, barely holding in a grin, "looks like we can make you another cape, Josh. Really complete the ensemble. Maybe go full wolf?lord next?"

  Josh swept his current cape dramatically over one shoulder. "Please. The world isn't ready for that level of fashion."

  The party groaned and laughed in equal measure before pushing deeper into the forest.

  The further they walked, the clearer it became that this section of forest was claimed territory. Claw marks raked across tree trunks. Large paw prints overlapped in the mud. A lingering musk of fur and blood hung thick in places. It wasn't long before they found more trouble.

  They crested a small rise and spotted two wolves prowling a clearing below bulkier than the earlier ones, with dark ridges of bristling fur running down their spines.

  Perberos lifted a hand in warning. "Watch their leap. If they jump, they’ll aim for the throat."

  Josh grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Then let's make sure they don't jump."

  Before the wolves could spot them, Josh charged down the slope, shield raised. One wolf lunged but slammed directly into his shield as he braced, the force driving him back a step.

  "Got you!" he grunted, twisting and slamming the edge of the shield into its snout.

  The second ridgeback darted for his flank, but Bhel barrelled into its path, swinging his axe in a brutal arc. The blow struck the wolf's shoulder, sending it tumbling with a yelp.

  "Stay down!" Bhel barked.

  Perberos finished the dazed creature with a clean, precise arrow to the heart.

  Josh pinned the first beneath his shield and drove his sword through its throat. The wolves dissolved into motes.

  As they moved through a tighter cluster of trees, Josh was the first to notice the rustling on both sides.

  "Ambush!" he barked, instinctively raising his shield.

  Two wolves launched from opposite sides of the path.

  Josh blocked the first, the impact rattling his arm but holding firm.

  Brett reacted instantly. "Flame lash!"

  A whip of fire snapped out, catching the second wolf mid?air and slamming it sideways into a tree trunk.

  Josh counterattacked. He stepped in, sword flashing, and cut a deep line along the wolf's neck. The creature stumbled back, snarling, only for a streak of silver to whistle past as Perberos loosed another arrow, dropping it cleanly.

  The fire?pinned wolf struggled, singed fur smoking, until Brett tightened the lash. Bhel rushed over and ended it with a quick strike.

  "Nice teamwork!" Josh called.

  "Honestly," Brett said, shaking his hand as the lash dissipated, "I'm starting to get good at setting things on fire."

  "Concerning," Bhel muttered.

  Soon after, they stepped into a broader glade where three wolves circled a larger one, a hulking creature with a white mane and a throat that glowed faintly with mana.

  It lifted its head and howled.

  The sound punched through the air like a shockwave. Brett staggered. Carcan winced and dropped to one knee.

  "It’s a howler!" Perberos shouted. "Take it down fast!"

  Josh charged the nearest wolf, parrying its bite and slamming his shield into its jaw. Bhel flanked the same one and crushed its hind leg with a brutal downswing.

  Meanwhile, Brett raised both hands, drawing mana into a fiery burst.

  "Firebolt!” Flame exploded beneath another wolf, sending it flying. The creature hit the ground and did not rise.

  The Howler lunged at Josh, faster than its size suggested. He barely rolled aside, slashing at the howler with his sword.

  "Josh! Bring it this way!"

  Josh sprinted toward Perberos, the Howler snapping at his heels.

  Perberos exhaled slowly. Waited. Waited.

  Then released.

  The arrow struck the Howler square in the eye. It howled again, quieter this time, stumbling blindly.

  Brett hit it with another Flame lash, yanking its head down.

  Josh surged forward, sword raised, and with a fierce yell, drove the blade deep into its exposed neck. The Howler collapsed and faded into motes, leaving behind a pristine white tail and a gleaming fang.

  The party stood breathing hard, surrounded by the glittering remnants of wolves.

  Bhel let out a low whistle. "That was a big one."

  "Think we earned a break?" Josh asked.

  "A short one," Perberos said, already kneeling to examine tracks again. "There may be more ahead."