Adventure of Raedwulf 1

Raedwulf leaves the western watchfire with his weapon at his side, Alyndra beside him and Anewyn close beneath his arm. Cold settles over Hearthhollow’s homes.

He leads them along sheltered paths beneath blue ward-lights, showing orchard, watchfires, homes, and the guarded road while recounting the manor fire and hidden escape.

Anewyn studies him with playful curiosity, interrupting eagerly. Alyndra’s guarded reserve softens as she listens, quiet pride replacing the caution carried from Willowmere.

Raedwulf smiles at Anewyn as the ward-stones brighten along the orchard path. Then he looks back toward Sava, his relaxed expression tightening into focused intensity.

Raedwulf walks the cold orchard paths with Anewyn beneath his arm, recounting the manor fire, hidden roads, treaty hearings, and the refuge built at Hearthhollow.

Alyndra walks beside them with a relaxed expression, while Anewyn watches Raedwulf with playful curiosity. His smile answers her questions until his gaze returns sharply toward Sava.

A faint unfamiliar sound comes from behind an orchard tree. A small, agile black wolfdog hybrid, a young female with a narrow muzzle and folded ears, lies there, breathing shallowly, eyes closed, with visible bruises and cuts across its body.

Raedwulf walks the frost-bright orchard paths with Anewyn beneath his arm, recounting the manor fire, hidden roads, treaty hearings, thieves, and the refuge built at Hearthhollow.

Alyndra listens with relaxed warmth, while Anewyn studies Raedwulf with playful curiosity. His smile meets the girl’s questions before his gaze returns sharply toward Sava.

A faint unfamiliar sound comes from behind an orchard tree. A small black wolfdog hybrid lies there, a young female with folded ears, shallow breath, and visible bruises and cuts.

Raedwulf kneels beside the injured wolfdog, checking for breath and a heartbeat without moving her unnecessarily. She remains unresponsive, but life still stirs within her.

The wolfdog’s breath remains faint but steady beneath Raedwulf’s examination. A broken thorn catches his palm, drawing a narrow line of blood as he checks her ribs.

Anewyn races toward the nearest watchfire, calling for the healer. Alyndra follows at once, shouting across the orchard while keeping the girl within reach.

A Hearthhollow healer, an elderly beastfolk woman with silver braids and a broad red cloak, hurries from the houses carrying a satchel of herbs and linen.

The healer kneels beside the wolfdog and confirms the shallow pulse. Anewyn returns with Alyndra, frightened but determined, while Sava watches the dark trees for whoever left the injured creature there.

Raedwulf walks the cold orchard path with Anewyn close beside him, smiling as her playful questions follow each danger. Alyndra listens with relaxed warmth, pride softening her guarded face.

Raedwulf’s smile remains for Anewyn, then his gaze returns sharply to Sava. The faint rustle behind an orchard tree interrupts the lesson.

A small black wolfdog hybrid lies beneath the tree, a young female with folded ears and closed eyes. Bruises and cuts mark her still form, though shallow breath moves her ribs.

Raedwulf kneels, checks her breath and heartbeat, then lifts her carefully without twisting her spine. He carries her toward the healer as Alyndra, Anewyn, and Sava hurry alongside.

Raedwulf carries the injured wolfdog toward the healer’s room, keeping her spine supported. Behind them, frost cracks beneath a deliberate step beyond the orchard wall.

Sava halts beside the orchard path and studies the snow. A second trail joins the wolfdog’s tracks, deeper and more deliberate, ending where the trees conceal the town road.

Anewyn presses against Alyndra’s side, her playful curiosity gone as she watches the dark orchard. Far beyond the trees, a branch snaps, followed by retreating footfalls.

Raedwulf helps the elderly Hearthhollow healer carry the injured wolfdog inside, supporting her spine and keeping her head steady. Anewyn stays close, visibly worried.

They place the small black wolfdog gently upon a clean bed in the Hearthhollow healer’s warm room. Firelight reveals the bruises and cuts, while her shallow breathing continues.

The Hearthhollow healer washes each wound with warmed water and bitter-smelling herbs, then wraps the wolfdog in fresh linen. Her breathing steadies beneath the blankets.

Anewyn settles beside the bed, watching every rise of the wolfdog’s chest. Outside, Sava raises the watch, while the Hearthhollow healer continues tending the injured stranger in peace.

Raedwulf studies the small wolfdog’s folded ears, compact frame, and dark coat, searching his memory for a match. The unfamiliar traits resist his knowledge.

The healer examines the creature more closely, comparing her paws, muzzle, and unusual markings. Her expression shifts from concern to startled recognition.

The identification changes the room’s silence. The stranger is not merely lost wildlife, but a people-linked breed from distant lands, carrying a mystery the healer cannot yet explain.

Beyond the warm room, watchfires burn along the orchard and Sava’s raised guard holds the night. The unknown wolfdog breathes steadily beneath her blankets.

The healer parts the wolfdog’s dark fur and examines each wound beneath the firelight. Her fingers pause at several narrow cuts, then trace the bruising along the ribs.

The healer lifts a broken black thorn from the blanket. Its tip glitters with pale ash-sap, the same residue found on Hearthhollow’s eastern ward posts.

The wolfdog’s breathing steadies as the healer places the thorn in a small glass vial. Outside, Sava’s watchfires shift toward the eastern orchard, and a lawful trail begins to emerge.