The early morning dew wrestled with the small wooden cart as it passed through the thickly wooded stone passage. Many a walk had stopped the stones he’d laid from being reconnected with the other side of the forest. Sunlight started to break through the dense treetops, letting thin lines of light through.

Geki yawned to himself pushing the full cart of his gardens vegetation. He’d done well planting them at the hills flat edge. Everything had grown twice the size of last years yield. A lot of trial and error.

Then he smelled it, a sweet smelling fragrance. Almost a mile out, with it a sweaty smell. It had been years since anyone ventured up into these mountains. Probably just someone who got lost. It had been even longer since he’d actually spoken with anyone.

Sitting on the steps of his small cottage, an apple in hand with a blade cutting it into slices for him and the two fat tree climbing rodents. Rodents who he had very frequent encounters with for his fruit. Last summer he’d accidentally caught the light browned furred one. So to keep them out of his garden, he fed them. They quickly scurried away at the sound of the approaching footfalls.

He’d guessed maybe one or two people at most. This was a search party from the looks of it.

“I guess your not just some lost wanderers?” He questioned looking at the four girls ahead of him, followed by a large man. “Who might you be looking for way out here?”

“The last werewolf…” The purple eyed girl who stood behind the twin girls spoke out.

The first of the group was in her early twenties, without children for sure. He could smell that on a woman. Royal by the looks of her shining armor and colored fur adornments. Beautiful by all means, purple eyes that seemed mystical. A body that many a man in her kingdom would have fought to the death over.

The next two were twins, roughly in there mid teens. Unlike the other girl they had less rich adornments. Except the one had jet black hair unlike her sisters dirty blonde. Both had matching arm sleeve tattoos on their opposite sides. Eyes both a clear ocean blue. Each of them seemed to be looking straight at him as if they were in awe.

A growl escaped my lips as I seen the third girl, the smallest of them all. An elf with a green crystal chain around her neck. At the growl the young elf girl backed up. She to wore expensive looking light armor, encrusted with a green crystal. Terror plastered across her face, fear pouring from her body like her life had been threatened. Green eyes darting toward the big man behind her.

The large man grunted stepping forward. He was like a large oak tree, muscular and full. Armor adorned his body but it was tested, bends and reseals. A warrior for sure, his right eye was patched with a gnarly looking scar coming from his forehead center. Across his right eye and down nearly to his jawline.

“I didn’t much like the thought of it either… Nobody should be a slave” The large man said gruffly, reaching a hand out to the poor girl for comfort.

“I ment you no harm little one. I knew many tree elves that fought beside us in the Pantheon wars… I ask while your on my property. You remove her binds…. This is free land”

“She was a slave…. I was given her on my eighth birthday…. That collar is so men don’t try to harm her….” The purple eyed female said in ernerst. “She’s one of my closest friends…. I would never dishonor her like that”

“You disrespect me by not releasing her on my land. No harm will come to her here.” Geki stood up and the man stepped forward.

* Flashback / One *

Night had fallen once again, the shouts and howls of the battle waged on. Two magic elves stood to his sides, they had been all that was left from his small group. They had started with ten in total, the two elves were the last.

The first a high elf female, noble born. Joined the war efforts just so that she wouldn’t get married off to the highest bidder. A real spit fire, especially because fire magic was her specialty. A few goblins had broken through the line, crawling past the large catapult with small bats in hand.

Dova made quick work of them as a blast of fire exploded from her lips. Engulfing the little green bastards in one swoop. Ednar the dark elf, her hidden lover. Was clapping happily at her, his golden cat like eyes locked on her.

They denied it, but he could always here and smell their late night meetings. It meant nothing to him that his kingdom was on the other side of the war. He was as brave a warrior as the man who grew up on this side.

Ednar was a talk skinny man, his magic was objectively moving things. He’d pushed that catapult clear over at least twenty men from the other side.

Nobody expected the three arrows that flew high out of sight as Geki continued to rip goblins and orcs alike into pieces to come down through the dark elves chest. Dova’s shrill screams caused him to turn around as his body collapsed into the dirt and bloodied grass.

It was the way of war, everyone lost.

* End Flashback / One *

Geki looked at the man with a grin before raising his hands in mock surrender.

“I do not wish to hurt you guard. But I will not see anyone in chains after I fought in two wars to see people were freed” His face lost the cockiness, it was replaced by a deeply wounded expression. “I watched many die so that chains wouldn’t be on their people. Yet somehow you all still do so”

“She is free to take it off” The purple eyed girl stated looking back at the elf.

“It reminds me that others of my kind…. Even in the capital city…. Aren’t free….” She didn’t look at Geki but stared at the floor.

“Capital city…. It’s been a long time…”

* Flashback / Two *

A large stone wall weathered by time and the elements stood off in the distance. Maybe a few miles ahead of them. Standing at least a hundred feet off the ground. The men guarding the walls looked like spice drops from this distance.

“Captital City ahead!” One of the men shouted out of the crows nest above the air ships center mass.

The ground was all forests and stone roads lost to time and nature. He’d never ventured this far north, especially on the sky charters. Something had been pulling his soul in this direction, after an old merchant had spoke of it in a southern bar.

“Are you ready to have your paws back on solid ground?” Elivor’s girlish laugh called his attention behind him.

The woman who stood before him was magnificent, her long straight blonde hair tied in a single ponytail blew in the winds much like her personality. Bright blue eyes that stood out from white sand colored complexions of the far south beaches. Full lips showing her almost perfect white teeth, except for the gold right canine tooth. She’d lost it in a bar fight in her early years. Or so the story had been relayed to him.

“Of course darling” He said back as their lips mashed together quickly, grabbing her by the waist.

“You think the scrappy dog is ready to settle down now?” She whispered into the crook of his neck, sparks bouncing off where her warm breath trailed to his jawline.

“Dog! How dare you?” He hissed playfully, watching as the biggest city on the northern coast got closer and closer.

“Can’t say the wolf word” She bit playfully at his throat, which only caused a low growl to go form in his chest.

“Don’t make me take you below deck” He whispered back at her kissing her forehead and grabbing at her posterior forcefully.

“Don’t promise me a good time” She quickly turned pulling away from his warmth, her hips swinging side to side like a pocket clock catching him in a trance.

“I think a puddles starting to form on the floor. Keep staring you might accidentally drown the city” A snide comment and chuckling caused him to look toward the fair heighten chubby man coming up from below deck.

“Done being sick I see” Geki countered, going back to his duty of watching the tree’s.

Wood elves, Tree elves, Or Wood Pixie’s were a large problem for the local city’s residents and traveling merchants. Which is why the air charter had been necessary.

“I hope you get a wood arrow to your knee” Shanook shot back, red hair shaved at both temples. Braided together into large knots, warrior braids of the south east dune cities.

“I could go for some silver right now” He countered but Shanook’s face contorted at the mention of his greatest weakness.

“You two need to stop the jokes” He whispered coming to stand at the ships edge. “Someone could over hear it, report you to the Dominion of Elven Assembly “

“Fuck those self proclaimed leaders. They slap chains on their own kind….”

“They also wiped your people from the map my friend. Please be careful not to engage their wrath”

* End Flashback / Two *

“Twelve years….. as my father tell stories of your valor…. The last living werewolf….” The purple eyed girl met his gaze with a smile. “Shanook spoke of you as a man of honor and strength…. Before you vanished to the south lands beyond the forgotten mountains….”

“I wasn’t the last… Once I had a beautiful mate…” Sadness echoed in his thoughts as her name flashed through his mind.

“That I know as well…”

“Shanook is your father…. That explains how you have come to find me….” Geki shook his head thinking of the bloody battles he’d fought side by side with that man. “How is my old friend?”

“Taken sir” The large man spoke, seemingly impatiently. “He was taken by a group of Orc’s. Lead by a very powerful sorcerer….”

“Why?”

“The dark mountain elves in the south, the sand peoples of the banished mountains, Orc’s of the forgotten mountains, even some tree elves…. They all have been rampaging through the forest and then into capital city…..” The purple eyed girl looked angry as she gripped the hilt of her long sword. “They took him to gain an ear with the Dominions Leadership “

“Did they really think that would work? He’s been their least favorite leader since they tried to make me king” He laughed to himself remembering the Nobel group of stuck up elves that hid in their northern castles.

“They seem to want to join the ranks as an equal “ The purple eyed girl twisted a long strand of her hair away from her eyes.

“Then they are even less informed on the audacity of those old bastards” He huffed. “I have no reason to join another war. I send my condolences to your family and I wish your father a long life…” As the tall muscular caramel skinned man turned towards his front door.

“I brought you something you didn’t know you had…” The purple eyed girl spoke and he turned.

The girl was pointing at the two twin girls that hid amongst satin blue cloaks. It hadn’t even dawned on him that it was much to hot for those adornments. Each of twin girls seemed scared and unsure. He could smell the hint of fear on them. Yet they smelled oddly familiar, a scent that brought him back to the ocean isle far south.

“They are your daughters….” The purple eyed girl smiled, as both girls slowly waved.

Pulling down the cloaks hoods the firsts blonde hair shimmered like gold in the afternoon sun. The other girls pitch black hair could only have been achieved by coal setting, a thing rich Nobel girls used to do to hide their roots. Yet both of the girls had pointed elf ears.

“Is this a joke? Did your father put you up to this? I’ve never laid with an elf” As he spoke the girls reached and pulled away the wax looking ear extensions. “What kind of witchcraft?”

“My father’s idea on how to transfer two young wolf pups into the north without any of the elves getting suspicious “

“A clever man for sure” He smiled thinking of how much he’d learned from the chubby bastards eccentric fuckery. “I have no kin…. It’s impossible….” Returning for the door knob he turned.

“Elivor….. Our mothers name is Elivor…..” The black haired twin stepped forward.

“She was killed…. By the raiding party’s on the way to capital city…..” The blonde spoke out, as tears poured from her sky blue eyes.

“Looking for you…. She was on the way to my father to see about you….” The purple eyed girl said with a sadness, eyes starting to water.