Pho Teetoo snoozed in the meadow surrounded by sheep. She had grown up considerably since being handed to Wulf as an infant. Pho was now 18. She had developed into a young woman.
Pho had never been told her origin story or why Wulf was raising her instead of her own parents. Wulf was the only person she knew in the whole world. Pho had never set foot outside of the sanctuary that Wulf had set up as a base for himself.
Suddenly, whiskers were on Pho's face. They tickled her nose. She tried to brush away the animal trying to get her attention. The beast was a persistent one. Pho opened her eyes to see a field mouse. "May I help you with something?" She asked as politely as she could. Pho wasn't happy about being disturbed. Wulf used these small animals to send vital messages back and forth to allies. It wasn't unheard of for Wulf to send an animal messenger to Pho with some kind of instruction or reminder to perform her chores while Wulf was away from the sanctuary.
/Wulf wants you to collect some tomatoes and bring them to the Tavern at once./ The Field mouse's voice sounded a lot like Wulf's. Then, the animal scurried away, having completed the task it was assigned.
Pho groaned in annoyance. She was hoping for a lazy day of hanging out in the meadow and tending sheep. "Fine." She muttered to herself. Pho got up and went to the hut. "I don't know why Uncle Wulf doesn't just come and get his own tomatoes. Or at least ask one of his animal friends to come get the tomatoes for him. Still..." She looked longingly at the gate leading to the outside world. "it's a chance to see the outside." Pho shrugged. Wulf had taught her to read a map. She knew that if she stayed on the path she'd reach the village where the Tavern was located. The Tavern where Wulf worked as a chef.
Pho knew the way, because once, when she was twelve, she followed Wulf to the Tavern. Wulf caught her and sent her back to the sanctuary on a strong gust of wind that sent her flying into her bedroom. The door magically locked once she was safe in her bed. That was in the morning. The door stayed locked until well after dark. Pho learned a valuable lesson that day. Don't leave the sanctuary! Still, why would Wulf send a messenger requesting tomatoes, if she wasn't supposed to leave?
Maybe, Wulf thought that it was time that it was time for Pho to take on more responsibility. She had learned some healing spells and a little defensive magic. She was excited for the chance of adventure. Even if it was a small errand to deliver some tomatoes to the Tavern.
Pho got up from her cozy spot in the meadow. She stretched. She went to the little cottage she shared with Wulf. She went inside, got the tomatoes from the pantry, and put them into a messenger bag. Pho slung the bag over her shoulder., then, she set off. The path, as far as Pho remembered was well traveled and kept clear of debris, as well as vines and roots.
The day was sunny and pleasant. Not a cloud in the sky. Pho almost ran along the road, but stopped herself. /Why rush, why hurry?/ She thought to herself. It's a nice day. For the first time in her life she was able to look around outside of the sanctuary. Pho didn't want to waste the opportunity.
The trip along the road was uneventful. However, as she got closer to the Tavern, Pho saw smoke rising in the distance. She didn't think anything of it. Could be smoke from the chimney while Wulf was cooking.
Pho shivered. Something, didn't feel right. Pho looked around, she didn't see any birds or animals in the area.
The walk had been pleasant up until that point. Fear started to creep into Pho's heart. She hastened her step along the path. If something had happened to Wulf, she didn't know what she would do. Wulf had told her stories about the Forge Masters and the torture that they had put him through. As far as she knew, her father had been killed by the Forge Masters. Wild imaginings were making their way into her mind. Pho Teetoo was now running on the path to the village and the Tavern where Wulf was. She couldn't have been prepared for what she'd find when she got to the town.
As she reached the village gates, she was astonished to find several buildings on fire and others just ash and sticks. The town had been ransacked. Pho didn't understand what was going on. She stood, frozen. /Why was nobody in the village? Why was nobody trying to put out the fires?/ Pho knew that she had to find Wulf. She had to find him as soon as possible.
Pho forced herself to move her feet forward into the decimated city. She sprinted through the town towards Wulf's Tavern. If she could find Wulf, Pho knew that everything would be okay. When she got to the Tavern she couldn't have been prepared for what she found. The chimney and two upset picnic tables were all that remained of the Tavern.
When Wulf had left that morning, for the Tavern, everything seemed fine. What horror had happened? Pho picked through the wreckage. She found a tattered trenchcoat and an old beat up fedora that could only have only belonged to Wulf. He wore them proudly and didn't feel ashamed at all looking like an aardvark from a cartoon. Pho put on the fedora as well as the coat. They were way oversized for her, but she didn't care. As far as she was concerned, they were apart of Wulf. All she could think about was Wulf and getting him back.
Pho left the husk that was the Tavern. She wandered the town. Pho wandered until she came to the well in the center of town. She sat beside the well. She wrapped her arms around herself. Pho started to sniffle.
There didn't appear to be anyone in the town. Nobody was trying to rebuild. Nobody was trying to put out smoldering embers of what used to be housed. Pho had more questions than answers.
Pho feared that Wulf might be gone from her, for good. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. A rattle come from inside the well. Pho was too busy missing Wulf and feeling sorry for herself to notice.
Pho wiped her face on the sleeve of the trenchcoat. It wasn't like tears would bring Wulf back. She stood and sighed. Pho decided that she would get herself a drink. She peered into the well. There looked to be some water still in there, as well as something else. Pho saw a pair of eyes staring back at her from the bucket that had fallen into the well.
Pho was grateful that something was alive in the village. "Hey, are you okay in there!?" Pho heard a meow as a response. "Ah! So you're a cat! Here, let me cast a spell so we can talk to each other." Pho Teetoo cast Speak with Animals. "There, are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"I'm fine," The cat responded. "But can you raise the bucket to get me out of here?"
"Sure!" Pho grabbed hold of the handle and cranked the mechanism until the bucket and cat were out of the well.
The cat jumped out of the bucket. It landed on the ground. The cat started grooming itself. "Thanks. I wasn't sure I could jump out on my own. The bucket was wobbly and the opening was weird. "
"You're welcome." Pho stated. "Can you tell me what happened here? I'm looking for someone and I think that they got caught up... in whatever destroyed the town."
"I was here for the whole thing. I dived into the well for a hiding place." The cat said. "I'm the Miller's cat. I don't really have a name. I just come and go as I please."
"I see." Pho didn't want to be rude and give the cat a name it didn't want. Wulf had taught her to be respectful of animals. "Tell me what happened here."
"Sure," The cat responded. "But first, tell me, what do you know about the Forge Masters?"
Pho Teetoo gasped. Not the Forge Masters. If Wulf had been taken by them... He had to be rescued. "I've heard stories. But I've never seen a Forge Master. Not in person. My father was killed by the Forge Masters. Beyond that, I don't know."
The cat's fur bristled. "This area might not be safe. I know a fox den not to far away. This time of year the fox that lives there likes to winter in the south. There's lots of cover. It should be safe to stay there, for the time being." The cat shook it's fur. "Follow me!" The cat darted off for the woods. Pho followed after it.