The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light filtering through the trees as Gale trudged deeper into the woods. His cloak was wrapped tight against the chill, the fabric swishing softly with each step. He didn’t look back. Didn’t need to. The camp—its bickering and distrust—was fading behind him, but the anger still burned in his chest.
He walked in silence, the only sound his boots scraping the dirt and the occasional rustling of branches overhead. It was easier like this, alone. He could think. He could breathe.
A sudden shift in the air stopped him dead in his tracks.
A low growl rolled out of the shadows, the sound low and threatening, vibrating through the trees. Gale’s body tensed instinctively, but he didn’t turn to face it. Instead, he closed his eyes for a brief moment, listening. The growl grew louder, followed by the crunch of leaves and the shifting of something large moving through the brush.
Then, a flash of gleaming yellow eyes—too bright for an animal of the night—and the massive form of a wolf emerged from the darkness, stepping into the clearing in front of him. It was enormous, its coat as dark as the night itself, with sharp teeth glinting like daggers in the moonlight.
The creature stopped a few paces away, its eyes locked onto Gale, hunger burning in its gaze. The growl rumbled from deep within its chest, a sound that vibrated through the very earth beneath Gale’s feet.
Gale didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. He stood tall, arms loose at his sides, face unreadable.
“You want me dead, don’t you?” Gale spoke calmly, as if addressing an old acquaintance rather than a deadly predator. He wasn’t afraid. Not of the wolf. Not of death. It was just the next thing to come.
The wolf bared its teeth, taking a step forward, lips curling into a snarl. It was close now, the hot stench of its breath drifting across Gale’s face.
The hunter and the hunted.
Gale exhaled slowly, not backing down. “Go ahead. Do what you’ve come to do.”
The wolf froze for a moment, its eyes narrowing, considering the human before it. It seemed to hesitate, the tension hanging heavy between them. But then, just as the beast prepared to spring, something strange shifted in the air.
Gale’s voice was quiet, but firm. “But if you do, you’ll die too.”
The wolf’s snarl faltered for just a second, a flicker of something unfamiliar in its wild gaze. It wasn’t just hunger. There was something... else. Something that hesitated. Something... recognizing. Gale didn’t move, didn’t take a step back. He stood there, unwavering, locking eyes with the beast.
And then, the wolf did something unexpected. It lowered its head, almost in submission, its growl turning into a low, guttural sound of frustration. But it didn’t attack. Instead, the beast stepped back, eyes never leaving Gale as it circled around him, stalking like a predator—but not lunging.
Gale’s lips twitched in the faintest of smiles, a quiet acknowledgment of the strange turn of events. He tilted his head, speaking once more, as if addressing an old rival who had just become something else. “I see. You’re not just here to kill.”
The wolf’s gaze held steady, its body coiled with tension, but it didn’t strike. Instead, it walked behind him, keeping its distance but now following.
For a long moment, Gale stood there, the tension in the air thick as he contemplated the creature behind him. He could still feel the weight of its presence, like a shadow that refused to leave. But for some reason, it didn’t feel like a threat anymore. There was no violence in the air, no instinct to kill. Only an unspoken understanding that neither of them would back down.
Finally, Gale sighed, shaking his head slightly. “Fine. Follow me, then. But don’t think you can control me.”
The wolf’s yellow eyes flickered with a strange, almost knowing gleam, but it kept pace with him, stepping silently through the underbrush, its heavy paws barely making a sound on the forest floor.
As the two moved through the woods, the silence between them stretched out, neither of them speaking, but there was a strange sense of agreement in the air—a pact of sorts, unspoken yet firm.
Gale knew this wouldn’t be an easy journey, but there was something strangely fitting about the creature’s presence. The night felt... different, now that it walked beside him.
Heavy Downpours, Flood Warning
