Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, running the backs of her fingers gently across his muzzle. As long as nothing else gets near us, I think we're okay. I don't know what he'd do if anyone or anything else came close. Arryn adjusted her cloak about her shoulders slightly and rested her head against his shoulder. She let her eyes close. Despite the adrenaline in her system, she was still running on very low mana and hadn't let herself truly rest in a long time. She promised to make herself wake up for a bit every fifteen minutes, if not less. No, no. I have to keep him company. She opened her eyes, smiling to him tiredly, but she couldn't keep her eyes open for more than a few moments. She was warm curled up against his fur, and despite his different shape, he was still her Dayn. "Sorry, Dayn... I'll only doze, won't really sleep, promise," she mumbled, letting her eyes close.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn curled in closer around Arryn, surprised the he could move so closely in upon himself comfortably. He was now completely tucked around Arryn, though not too tightly. The air in the garden was cool, lightly damp from the creek running through it, and the last thing Dayn wanted was for Arryn to get cold. He was concerned about her. She hadn't slept since he had been attacked. He wished that there was some way he could speak to her, to let her know that he thanked her for her love and care, but that she needed to rest. Dayn hoped that his cuddling in tighter around her was enough to convey his thoughts to her. Either way, Dayn refused to sleep until he was certain that she had dozed off completely.


Arryn woke up a couple of times shortly there after. Each time Dayn would lick her face, reassuring her that he was okay, before watching her fall back asleep. He hoped that she would stay asleep for the remainder of the night. He worried over her. Her health could fail if she wasn't careful. Dayn, in truth, wanted to join Arryn, and he managed to nap for thirty minutes here and there, but for the most part he simply lay curled around her watching the night sky roll on by. He could hear the herd of deer moving like ghosts through the gardens, though they gave him a wide birth for sure. Finally, about an hour before sunrise, Dayn felt his eyes grow heavy as he slowly drifted off into a deep sleep. Sometime between his falling asleep and the rising of the sun Dayn shifted back into his human form. And there he lay, naked on the ground, Arryn's head against his chest as the rays of the first light from the morning sun shone in from the same hole that the moon had the night before.


Dayn stirred, opening his eyes slowly as he let them adjust to the morning light. He looked down and, despite his weary state, was surprised to see Arryn laying against his bare chest. He slowly lifted a hand to his face, feeling his natural human form. "Arryn....love...."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn woke up, smiling to Dayn, about to ask for another few hours of much needed sleep. Then it occurred to her, he had been a wolf when she'd closed her eyes. She sat up, saying, "Mo chroi, you're... human. Are you alright? Here," Arryn took off her cloak and laid it over him, then got up and brought his shirt to him. The big problem was that they didn't have any pants for him. Not that it really bothered her (she was a medic, after all), except that she figured it'd bother him. She leaned in and kissed him lightly, before pulling back and gently asking, "Did it hurt, are you alright? Do you remember any of it?" Had he truly shifted to human form while she slept? That would mean it had to have been nearly painless, right? Was that a good thing, or a bad thing?


She glanced around the garden, which was now dimly lit by the rising sun. Slowly, she ran the backs of her fingers across his cheek, laughing slightly with relief. Tears streaked down her face, whether from relief, pity, or joy, she couldn't tell. "Glad to have you back, beloved."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he shivered, the damp morning air cold against his now bare skin. He reached up and laid a hand against Arryn's cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I never left you to begin with." Dayn sat up and despite his nakedness embraced Arryn tightly. "Let's get a fire going, and I'll tell you everything."


The fire was a welcomed sight. Dayn sat up against Arryn, her cloak wrapped around him as they gathered next to the fire. "I don't remember much about the shift. All I can recall is the moon shining down on me. At first I couldn't feel anything, but after a few seconds it felt warm, like I had been embraced by the moon's light. Then I remember hearing my bones cracking. I know it was, or at least I think it was painful, I don't remember being able to tell what was going on. I might have blacked out. What I remember next is opening my eyes and seeing the moon. I felt like something was looking down at me, smiling. I remember howling, but there were words in it, like some form of song in the howl. The next thing I remember is...you."





Dayn pulled the cloak in tighter around him as he huddled closer to Arryn. He was still trying to adapt to his human body again. "I didn't feel like a beast. I felt....different. But it was still me. I could understand you when you talked. I even tried to talk back to you, but I couldn't form words. I remember wishing there was some way I could tell you what I was thinking, what I was feeling. I didn't want to harm you, let alone hurt anyone. I felt instinct, though. I wanted to hunt, to run and feel the strength in my body. Oh, the strength was intoxicating. To be fully aware of what you could be capable. It is hard to explain. But never once did I feel like I was losing control. If someone would have bothered us during the night though I.....I don't know. But what I remember was being concerned about you and making sure you stayed warm and protected."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn put her arms around him, laying her head lightly on his shoulder. He'd just admitted how much he'd wanted to run and hunt, but he had stayed with her the whole night, keeping her safe and warm. She kissed him, using her magic to relieve any aches or tenseness in his body. Yeah, she could still feel that mana drain , for certain. "I'm glad it wasn't too bad for you. Sounds like you almost enjoyed it...." The thought worried her. What if he considered not trying to fix it? He had just said he didn't know what would have happened if they'd been disturbed. Just yesterday he'd been crying about becoming a beast. They'd have to keep it secret and hide it, lest he be attacked. Even if he did gain full control, who knew what else there was to this? And what if he was angered as he had been after Kara's death and he lost it...? The book had mentioned animal tendencies showing through... Though he'd most definitely been Dayn last night, what if he slowly changed, becoming less like her Dayn? "I appreciated your concern, beloved, and your warmth. Not sure why you'd be concerned about me, though. I wasn't the one who was cursed and turned into a different species." Arryn sighed, closing her eyes. She was still terribly tired, and she knew he probably was too. They could go back to the inn now, back to the warm, soft bed.... After a few moments, she opened her eyes, saying, "Dayn, um, how are we going to get you back to the inn? People around here know you, and you only have a shirt and my cloak...."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn opened his eyes and stared at the fire for a few seconds. How would they get back to the inn with him having only a shirt, cloak, and no pants. They weren't terribly far from the Inn, so the walk wouldn't be long. Dayn then had an idea. "I have better senses now. I can hear someone coming from a good distance off, and if nothing more I should be able to smell them. As long as I keep my hood up and the cloak pulled tightly there shouldn't be a problem."





Surprisingly, the plan worked. Most people were out in the city getting ready for the Festival to start up again, making it that much easier for them to sneak into the Inn, which was empty, and get to their room. Once inside Dayn took the cloak off and walked over to his clothing and put on a pair of pants before tending to the fire. Once it was going and the room began to warm Dayn walked over to Arryn and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her neck. "Lets get some rest. I don't care if we sleep all day and don't leave this room, I'm not going any further until you are better."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had been concerned that she’d have to cast a glamour over Dayn, because she didn’t think she could hold one for more than a minute without passing out. However, his plan worked perfectly, so she luckily had no need. She leaned back against Dayn as he held her. “Why would I need to get better? I’m fine now.” She knew what he meant but wanted to play it off. She took off her weapons belt, laid back with her head on his chest and pulled up the covers.

Spoiler

Arryn turned around, having heard a scream. Not any scream, that was May’s scream. “No!” She knew where this was going. She could see May, and eight other members of her team, armed, in an empty and decrepit church, to which god, she’d never bothered to ask. She was standing behind the pulpit, her sword drawn. She glanced over herself. This was all her old equipment.


Not again, Gods, please, not again….


Arryn heard a screech, going into defensive mode instantly, her heart racing as she looked for the enemy. The back door of the church opened….


In reality, she stirred against Dayn’s chest, twitching as the fight progressed through her dream. In the dream, she was going through the worst pain she’d ever experienced all over again. She could feel the dagger hitting her back as it had before, she could taste the blood in her mouth as it had before, she could feel her body hit the ground as she slipped from consciousness….


She screamed as she bolted upright in the bed, then paused, gasping for breath as tears coursed down her face. She looked around, then at her arms, which were of course covered by her long sleeves. In her mind, she could still hear the screams, not the least of which her own. She looked at Dayn for a few moments, trying to understand everything, then curled up against him, shivering. “I-it always gets… real bad… with mana drain. I-it hurts….”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn pulled the covers up around them before wrapping his arms around Arryn. He hated her having to go through the dreams over and over again. He wished he could do more for her, if not make them go away altogether. "Don't worry about those now. Just focus on us here together. I am here for you, and I always will be." As they lay there in bed Dayn thought about the events of the past few days since they arrived in Riverbend, from the attack to his transformation. He had been so scared of becoming a beast, and yet last night after it had happened, and he realized that he was still himself and not some dangerous animal, Dayn had begun to wonder about the so called "curse". Was it really a curse? Did it affect certain people differently or were they all able to control themselves? Dayn wondered about what Arryn had said about finding a cure or a way to reverse the affects, and he fully understood why. Most people wouldn't accept him if they knew he was affected by lycanthropy. But, then again, they didn't know everything about the condition. Dayn sighed. He wanted to understand what it was before he made any decision about it. Besides, he didn't know if it could reversed to begin with...

 

[Dragongal]

Arryngale nodded slightly, waiting for her shivering to subside before gently kissing him then curling up against his chest again. On a sudden whim, she took his hand in both of hers, seeking a sense of consistency - something to keep her anchored to reality. She was scared of falling back to sleep, but her body didn’t seem to care, since she slipped back into sleep soon after, luckily without dreams.


When she woke up a few hours later, it was likely close to noon. She still held his hand between hers, thinking over things. So, Dayn had control as a beast… but why had the other lycanthrope attacked him? Why had it been a beast when it wasn’t the full moon? Here was a thought that really chilled her: what if Dayn would eventually become like that? They needed to learn more about this. But first things first.


Arryn gently kissed Dayn to wake him, saying quietly, “Dayn, we should probably get up… your parents might be here to visit soon. And anyway, we should look through the books again for more information.”

 

[BookWyrm]

"Huh?" Dayn blinked his eyes wearily after Arryn kissed him. It took him a few seconds, but he soon smiled and returned the kiss. She was right, they did need to be ready just encase his parents showed up. She was also right about needing to look through the books some more. "Alright, I'm getting up." Dayn sat up, stretched, and jotted down stairs to get a small platter of food, though it was mostly fruits and oatmeal this time around. Dayn had been paying attention to what Arryn was eating and what seemed to help her mana drain. He came back to their room and laid the tray down on the floor in front of the fire, gathered some pillows and the books, and sat down with Arryn and the book. Dayn figured they would look through the one that had the Northern lore, seeing as it had more information than the other one did. "Here," Dayn handed Arryn a small bowl of fruit and oatmeal, "You eat, I'll read."





Dayn browsed through the pages slowly, making sure to absorb any information he could. So far there was little that they hadn't read before. Full moon causes the turn, wolf had a chance of recognizing loved ones, could be dangerous, but finally Dayn found something he hadn't seen before. As he flipped through the pages he found what looked like a few pages from a journal or memoir that had been bound into the book alongside the other work. "I might have found something." Dayn placed his finger along the lines as he read, "I have been tracking the wolf for two months now and I have noted the gradual progression of his transformations. As what has become normal for some of the afflicted, the man has slowly been becoming more and more beast like as the weeks have progressed. I have wondered long about if this would be a side affect, and it would seem like I would be proven right this time." Dayn swallowed hard, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he continued to read. "Finally after the third month of my chase the afflicted man did not change back after the full moon. It would seem that he had been consumed completely by the beast and had regressed into a hostile state. I had no choice but to trap and kill the beast before he spread the moon curse further."





Dayn placed a trembling hand over his mouth as he sat there. The fear had come back. Wait. Dayn looked down at the page, noticing a small anecdote. "Here we go, what's this?" Dayn reached out and took Arryn's hand in his own as he continued. "I have to address a fault in my last entry concerning the moon-born. I had been traveling late one night to see a good friend when I was jumped by several highwaymen. During the scuffle I was aided by what appeared to by one of the moon-born. After the short scrum the wolf turned to me before shifting, and to this I could not believe my eyes, into a beautiful woman. I wrapped her in my cloak and brought her back to my home for the night. According to the woman, whose name I did not receive, the moon-born are not all beasts. She told me of how she had become moon-born, stating that she had been bitten to prevent her from dying. She stated that those who regress into beasthood were monsters long before they became moon-born. To them it is a punishment to expose their true nature so that they can never no peace again. Those that are kind hearted and pure that are blessed with the gift remain true no matter their form, even gaining control of their shifting so that they can call upon it only when required. It would seem that our knowledge of the moon-born has been one sided, for I did not expect a kind hearted and beautiful woman could be touched by the wolf's kiss."


Dayn looked up at Arryn with a questioning stare. "So, I'm not going to become a beast?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn finished her oatmeal and was eating a pear, looking at the book over Dayn’s shoulder. She’d gotten over the worst of the mana drain, and now was recovering mana, which was a very hungering process. Arryn finished her pear and reached for another, disappointed that there were no more. Pears were a rare treat she greatly enjoyed. She grabbed an apple, listening closely to Dayn, holding his hand. She didn’t like seeing him upset, but the last paragraph gave them hope.


“Well, it sounds like you’ll be fine. I mean, you’re pretty pure of heart, and kind-hearted,” she paused to kiss his cheek, “and plenty sweet. The trick is probably going to be keeping your temper, which I don’t think should be hard. I still think, despite the advantages of this, it’d be best to find a fix. But in the meantime, we can see if you can do the shift at will… after the festival is over, of course.”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn closed the book and laid back beside Arryn as he sighed in relief. But the thought occurred to him again. "What if we can't fix this?" Dayn sat up and turned to face Arryn. "I haven't seen anything describing a cure in the books, and we have both read through them so I know it wasn't just me missing something." Dayn's attitude became very somber as he searched Arryn for an answer. Did he really want to ask this question? "I love you Arryn, and I know you love me. But," Dayn hesitated, "If there is no cure for this, I....would you.....stay? Would you stay with me, knowing what I am? I couldn't blame you if you didn't. I mean, there is always the possibility of the wolf taking control, even if it was a small chance."





Dayn fought to hold back the tears. He wasn't sure there was a cure outside of death. Not saying that there wasn't a cure, but having not seen anything in the books talking about it made him wonder. And it said he could control the shifting, that he could do it at will. Would it hurt still, or would he eventually get used to it? Would the full moon still trigger the change? There were so many questions left to ask, yet Dayn could have cared less about himself. He didn't want to hurt Arryn, and he didn't want her to have to be on the run and hiding for the rest of her life. Sure, the journal pages were in the book, but they looked like they had been hidden to keep the general knowledge of them a secret. Did somebody want to keep people from knowing about those who could control the wolf? "If someone found out, I'd be shunned. I don't want you to have to run and hide for the rest of your days."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn paused, surprised by the question. “Dayn, I’ve told you before. I’m not going to leave you, no matter what. I couldn’t even if I was scared, I love you too much. I need you, mo chroi, you’re my heart now. I’ve been running and hiding for two years, you’re the first person I haven’t had to hide from. You didn’t leave me when you found out about me. I’m prone to insanity and wanted by the Black Market, and you never left me. I’m not scared of the wolf - it’s still you.”


Arryn smiled softly, then whispered, “Besides, as far as people shunning us, we’re on par now.” She held out her arm and rolled up her sleeve halfway up her forearm, revealing the ends of innumerable scars, thick and thin. However, the scars had a pattern to them. She didn’t show enough of the scarring for the pattern to be understood, though. After a few seconds, she rolled her sleeve back down, tears welling in her eyes. “Some people get scared, knowin’ how I got the scars, specially back up North. I can’t stand thinkin’ about it, much less talkin’ ‘bout it. ‘t hurts too bad.”


Arryn wouldn’t have shown him if she didn’t think he needed a promise, maybe some proof. If people were going to chase him away, they’d have to deal with her too. And she was used to the pain of shunning; she didn’t fear it anymore. She didn’t even fear death until she met Dayn, and now she only feared it because she didn’t want to leave him. She put her hand over his, smiling slightly to him.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn sat in silence, holding Arryn's hand as he ran his thumb gently over it. He nodded his head as he looked at the scars, understanding enough of what they could have meant. "We're in this together then." Dayn leaned forward and kissed her lightly before resting his head against her shoulder. He was still tense from everything, but it could be worse. She was right, he didn't leave her when she told him about her past, so why would she leave him now? "How about we go out and enjoy the Festival, hmm? Hows does that sound love?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, then raised his head so she could kiss him, using her magic to ease any pains. She wasn't sure how he felt now that he was human again. It seemed like the transition phase had been harder on him than anything. He'd been very high-strung and fast-paced before last night, acting before thinking, it had seemed. However, now he appeared to be back to normal. "Sounds great... after a bath," she laughed. Arryn glanced at her hands and knees - a thin layer of dirt was there, evidence of their time in the elven garden from last night.

 

[BookWyrm]

"Nah, we could start a new fashion trend. Dirty clothes," Dayn took a second to sniff himself, "And wet dog smell." He laughed casually as he got up to get the baths prepared, this time having a second tube brought in. Once the baths were prepared Dayn pulled the privacy wall between them and undressed, slowly sinking into the warm water. As he relaxed Dayn thought about what he would have done if he had to bath as a wolf. "I wonder, love, how would we go about bathing if I was a wolf?" The thought brought on some laughter as Dayn ran over the scenario in his mind.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed heartily at the idea. "I guess I'd have to magic up a shield to pick up some water and drop it on you repeatedly.... Or throw you in a river with some soap." After she'd gotten out and dried off, she chose a green long-sleeve shirt and black pants, then sat on the bed, carefully brushing her hair. She wanted to look good since she was going to be publicly seen with Dayn for the first time; she didn't want his parents thinking he'd picked up an adventurer who couldn't even look nice. She looked at her weapons belt, thinking. With the beast still on the loose, she thought it best to keep her silver dagger on her - and she couldn't stand being without her weapon. However, she decided against wearing her cloak, if they were going to be in crowds, though it was likely that she'd regret not having her hood at some point.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laughed as he dried off. The idea of Arryn trying to scrub him down as a giant wolf seemed like it could be fun. "We might have to try that last idea sometime." Dayn peaked out at Arryn, checking to see what she was wearing before taking note and searching through his clothing. He was able to find a shirt and pants that matched hers, though they obviously more masculine in design, and put them on before stepping out and looking to Arryn, "What do you think?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him and laughed. How could that be an accident? "I think it looks better on you than it does on me," she said as she tried to control her laughter. She sighed, still smiling, and put her brush away. "I might have to put on my cloak so people can tell the difference between us." Unlike Dayn, she wore her weapons belt; she wasn't sure if he was going to arm himself or not, but she had reasons, not the least of which was the other lycanthrope on the loose. She grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder, then walked over to him and took his arm. "So, mo chroi, if you're ready, where to first?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"One minute, my dear." Dayn walked over and put on his belt before attaching his roundel dagger. He stepped over to his equipment and pulled out his bastard sword before attaching it to his belt as well. Dayn looked around, checking to see if he had everything. "Dagger, sword, pouch, ah, yes." Dayn slid the talisman Arryn had made for him over his neck before turning back to her and taking her arm. "Now, I am ready."





The streets were filled with merchants and travelers as well as performers from all over Trulane. Dayn led Arryn down the main street of Riverbend where many of the most extravagant decorations and performers of renown were located. There, amidst the crowds of people and minstrels, Dayn caught sight of his family meandering through the crowd. Dayn watched as his sister Lillian turned and spotted him. She smiled before a look of surprise came across her face, only for her to begin jumping and pulling on Rasrik's sleeve. Dayn's father turned to Lillian, who pointed to Dayn and Arryn. Rasrik smiled as Dayn led Arryn forward. "Son, it does me good to see you again! But, who might this be?"


"Father, mother, brothers and sisters, this," Dayn's hand gently pressed against the small of Arryn's back as he introduced her, "Is Arryngale, my dearest beloved."





Rasrik, Dayn's father, bowed low before smiling. "My dear, I extend to you the warmest welcome to Riverbend and the Braegland estate and fief. I am Lord Rasrik, this is my wife, Madame Josephine. I have been told you have met Japhet and Geoff, but allow me to introduce my daughters, Lillian and Adalind." Dayn's sisters, who were fourteen and twelve respectfully, were all smiles and giggles as they ran forward and bear hugged Arryn. "She is pretty, I like her already!" As Adalind squeezed Arryn around the waist Lillian frowned. "Addy, stop squishing her and move over, I want to hug her to!" Now the girls were on either side squeezing Arryn while Dayn laughed. "Careful dearest, they have been known to squeeze the goo out of the manor cats."





Lillian turned to her brother, a hurt look on her face. "We do not! Ladies don't squish cats. but we do squish our brothers." She practically tackled Dayn, leaping at him with arms extended. Dayn caught her mid jump and spun her around before hugging her. "We've missed you brother! Have you been anywhere cool? Did you see a dragon? Have you rode a griffin?"


"Did you stab out a cyclops' eye?"


"ADDY!"


Adalind looked up at Lillian, spinning around to put Arryn between her and her sister. "What?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed as the girls nearly attacked her. "It's nice to meet you too!" She looked to Rasrik and Josephine, saying a bit apologetically,"I'd bow, but, um... I seem to find myself preoccupied at the moment." She looked to Addy and Lillian, saying, "Well, your brother did fight off eight vandals, and a mage, too, stormed a tower and everything." She winked at Dayn. Arryn knew what it was like to have children look up to you. She also liked getting the subject off of herself, but then she mischievously added, "But he did get a hit on his head while he was at it. That took me a bit to heal for him." Arryn looked back to Lord Rasrik and Madame Josephine, now that the sisters were a bit distracted, and bowed low. This was one of the few times she was willing to bow to a noble; despite how everyone else worked, she was the one who deemed them worthy of her attention or not, not they. However, the Braeglands already had her full respect.

 

[BookWyrm]

Josephine smiled before walking forward and hugging Arryn. "Dear, you don't have to bow to anyone here." She pulled back and kissed Arryn's cheek, left to right in the custom of the far South. "I had heard that Dayn had found a truly beautiful woman, but Hamish didn't seem to do you justice." "AAAAAHH!" Dayn suddenly fell over, gently, onto the ground as Lillian and Adalind "tackled" him. "Help me, I'm being mauled by brownies!" "We are not brownies!", the girls cried out in unison, laughing as they held onto their brother. Dayn sat up before kissing each on the forehead, trying his best to stand up and brush the dust off himself. "Girls, don't be so rough on your brother! He just recovered from being attacked you know." Dayn's mother scolded the girls, who immediately pouted and hid behind their brother. "We're sorry big brother."





"If you two will be good I might bring you back something special from Ironcrest, okay?" That, of course, caused the girls to smile and nod their heads enthusiastically. Rasrik turned to Dayn, a questioning eyebrow raised at the mention of the city. "What business is in Ironcrest?"


"Lord Rorik as asked for some form of assistance. We learned of it from Lord Aric in the South, though Rorik was not specific as to what it was."


Rasrik looked troubled, but quickly changed the subject. "Oh, forgive me for holding you two up. Please, go enjoy the festival! And, miss Arryngale," Rasrik turned before hugging Arryn, "I wish to extend to you the hospitality of our House and home. No matter what the situation, our home is always open to you."


Dayn hugged his family as they walked away before he turned to Arryn and smiled. "Where would you like to go now, my love?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn was rather surprised by how quickly Dayn's family accepted her. Normally, in the North, the mother and sister made threats to a potential wife, and fathers and brothers did the same to any suitor. This was not an unpleasant change, though she was perplexed by his mother's actions. She'd never been more than a few days South of Low Rock, so this was something she was not accustomed to in the least. She smiled to Dayn, still blushing slightly, saying, "Anywhere, as long as it's near you." She paused, then whispered to him, "I suggest no alcohol, dearest." They didn't know how he would react to that, especially large amounts. They'd had some mead since he was bitten, but not since he had turned, and less risk was better.

 

[BookWyrm]

"Yeah, that'd probably be smart." Dayn took Arryn by her hand and led her towards the river front. Dayn knew that there would be less crowds, good food, and wonderful performers around the river. So, figuring that it would be the best place for the both of them(better not risk any possible drunken fights), Dayn led her down the alley way that served as the short cut between the main road and the river front. About half way down the alley Dayn stopped suddenly. He froze, the color draining from his face slightly. "I can hear it howling on the other shore. The other lycanthrope, it's on the other side of the river."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn stopped suddenly, then said, "Dayn, we have to get Japhet and his men-at-arms, there must be silver spears and arrows somewhere, don't even think of taking it on by yourself. I can spin it so they won't know about you. There's enough time, surely." She didn't like the look on his face as he heard it; he seemed scared. Could he feel the wolf side coming out more, or was he just scared of the beast? If they got into a fight with it, her only bit of weaponry was a short, sharp piece of silver; there was no reasonable way she could get that close. In which case, she had only one other attack. It would almost certainly kill it, it's true, but the risk for it it didn't kill it was high, and she was fairly certain Dayn wouldn't want her performing that attack. At the same time, they couldn't risk anyone else getting bit. She could easily spin it so that there was only a chance that one would become infected, and Dayn was clear, she could spin her being from the North, a notoriously superstitious area filled with things that shouldn't exist, to their advantage. But they could risk this happening all over again if someone else was bitten.