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Part II
Chapter 3:
Face the Facts
Marcus heard something, like a small scratching noise at the door. He looked at Margaretta who had fallen asleep in her chair quite some time ago, as did he. He’d only stayed in the cabin because Margaretta had put water on to boil for spiced tea. Marcus was in need of something to counter the bad ale he’d drank several hours ago. He was sure she’d wake up when the water boiled.
He stood up and stretched. Again, he heard a small scratching noise at the door. Slowly, he walked over to the door, not quite sure what to expect. The scratching continued. Marcus peered out the window toward the door. He couldn’t see what was scratching at the door, but he could still hear it.
Cautiously, Marcus lifted the handle on the door and peeked out the crack. As he looked down, he noticed a slightly familiar, furry snout poking in sniffing, snorting, and whimpering to be let in, much like that of a small dog or perhaps a young timber wolf.
Marcus opened the door a bit more to get a better look at his new friend. Sure enough it was the same wolf he had freed from the hunter’s trap. He let the wolf in and shut the door.
Margaretta opened her eyes as Marcus was kneeling down to the wolf’s level for a pet.
“Who’s your friend?”
“Huh? Oh, uh… I don’t know. I freed him…,” lifting the wolf’s tail to look, “her….ok…’HIM’ from a trap in the woods. It seems as though he’s found me, again.”
“Wolves are very loyal to their packs. Though territorial, and hunters, they have soft spots for those that they travel with or the ones they care about. Most say that they are almost human, in nature. More so, than we are.”
Marcus thought to himself, “how profound for an old woman”, and smiled.
The wolf’s ears went flat back, and he growled while crouching in a defensive stance toward the door.
“What is it, little guy?” Marcus asked attempting to comfort his new friend.
A small scratching noise came from the door, much like the one his little friend gave earlier.
“Scritch, scritch, scritch…”
“…”
“Scritch, scritch, scritch…”
“…”
Marcus looked at Margaretta, then to his little friend, now growling harder and began to whimper…
“Is that another friend of yours?” Marcus said, as he got up to look out the door.
As he barely touched the door handle, a great force threw open the door pushing Marcus through the air, and landing him face down on the table.
Margaretta jumped up with a start, but kept her composure in front of her new guests, while the dwarfed wolf barked and growled, and bared his teeth at the gigantic version of himself standing directly in front.
The first of two gnarling beasts fixed the small wolf a look of death. The wolf whimpered and backed up behind Margaretta.
Two distinctive smells of essence filled Kritzia’s nostrils. She couldn’t identify one. Kritzia stepped toward Margaretta, sniffing her closely.
“Hellllo, motherrr…..”
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