The morning after our Adventurers witnessed the horror of the night before, they all had a hard time sleeping. Sam stayed awake, the lookout for the night to make sure he didn't come back. They were unsure as to how strong he was, but the scene from the last night made them all sure they wouldn't like to come across him ever again.
After waking the crew up from daybreak, Sam decided to let William do what he does best, cook!
After the group had something to eat, they all finished their meals and stuffed their ware back into their bags. As Nicholas voiced their direction of where they needed to be going, most of the group were still talking about the spectacle from the night before. The mental image still imprinted, the audible sound of the flesh being grounded into minced meat, the beastly sounds emanating from his throat. Every aspect a terrible reminder of what this forest was capable of doing to them. They could all imagine being the wolf on the ground, being eaten.
They were wishing they could still go back to the City, back home.
Our heroes are from Valdis, right outside of the Fae Forest. Valdis is a city inside the kingdom of Halthor. It's a city infamous for merchants and commercial business. However with that crowd of rich people, they also bring with them bands of mercenaries, guilds, and task taking organizations who hire contractors such as the group Sam runs.
They perform all types of miscellaneous tasks. Anything from War Contracts, Caravan guarding, and "Hunting". As the name sounds, it's the act of hunting a certain item, or person, for someone who is physically incapable of performing themselves.
As why Sam and his people are in such a dangerous forest in the first place...
As lovely as the name sounds, the Fae Forest is one of the most dangerous areas in the kingdom. Located on the western side of Halthors' Capital city. Inside the forest lie many different races, some born, others invasive; like the goblins and orcs. However with the danger of the forest, also lie the treasures that keeps adventurers and merchants yearning for items that lay inside. Treasure, fame, and fortune, all 3 can be found in a trip to the forest.
Sam is a private contractor working for a merchant in Valdis, he makes his living as that's all he knows, that goes for most of his group as well, besides William, who came from a well off family in the city.
As the group continues to travel with Nicholas paving the way, another person is watching, our Starving Wolf. Following the tracks of the people in front of him. He's watching, but he does not act, he is curious to say the least. brushing past various foliage, trying to stay low and quiet as he does a couple of hundred feet away from them.
He is unsure as to their goal in the forest which he lives, but it does not matter. He wants to know more about these people who look like him, who communicate and speak with sounds to each other. He wants to learn from them, but is unaware if they will accept him as their own kind.
He has taken a particular interest to the leader of the humans in front of him, the dark haired man whose name he has heard repeatedly. "sam?" the boy tries to speak the name he has overheard since watching them in their camp the night before. "Sam." the boy repeats over, stretching the vowels and syllables in the name; the wolf is learning.
He follows the group until nighttime as they come across a gorgeous crisp clear running stream. the group decides to set up camp for this night and have turns taking baths downstream. The group take their respective turns as sam is the last. Watching everyone come back from their lovely bath, as calm as sam usually is, he couldn't wait to take some rest for all the work he has been doing. putting his clothes next to the riverbed, he relaxes and cleans himself.
*pap* *pap* *pap*
eyes closed with water in his eyes, Sam sighs. "Please Clark, don't take my clothes away again, you know what happened last time"
*pap* *pap* *pap*
once more again, footsteps closing in.
"Sam"
Sam burst through the water with some still in his eyes, grabbing at the sword from under his clothes.
'whose voice is that? It's none of ours, it's far too coarse. I need to get ahold of myself or I could die here.'
After grabbing his blade, opening his eyes, he comes face to face with the boy from the day before. Holding his blade in a defensive position.
'It's him, that monster from yesterday, has he been watching us this whole time?'
The thought makes Sam shudder, wondering what the boy could have done to them if he was watching them since the night before.
The Boy stares from under the wolf head pelt, points at him and once more exclaims his own name.
"SAM!"
Fingers caked up with dried blood, fingernails sharp like his blade, and tangled hair creeping from under the hood. A sight so scary that even the calm and collected Sam started to sweat. With his hand turning wet under the blade. Having to readjust his grip, Sam asks the question on his mind ever since he set eyes on him the first time.
"Who are you?"
The boy points at himself, and repeats the question "Who. Are..... You?"
Sam backs up and yells for help, unsure as to whether the boy is here for harmful purposes or not. He is unsure as to if he can take the boy down; sword or not.
As the groups footsteps approach, the boy bolts back into the forest, leaving as fast as he came.
The Band arrives, and as comedic as Sam looks, naked and holding a sword, there is nothing but a serious look on his face. They know what happened by the look on his face, it was the same look they all had the day before. That boy appeared once again