Wolf Eat Wolf

Boredom was his disease; with the guards not allowing anyone out the gates, Logan figured the best way into the forest would be over the walls. Nothing like an evening of hunting. Cautiously, the Elf jumped from a nearby home to the wall. A lonely guard stood scanning the treeline as Logan landed silently next to him. In a second leap, he was over the walls into the trees. The slight ruffling of the branches is all the young guard heard. "I hope that was the wind," Logan to hear him say as he darted from bark to bark.

Lycan, though they were wolves of some kind, they were not his family. "Why did you ever create these?" he asked without speaking to the goddess of the forest. They were wolves once; wolves which desired to be men so the goddess granted their wish. She saw it as a fare trade; if man wanted to inhabit her forest, then wolves should inhabit the city. That is the legend Logan knew. This breed, bloodthirsty, ravenous, these were sick lycan. A wolf with rabbis. Creatures that needed to be put down.

Something moved in that shadow. Logan readied an arrow in his bow and focused his attention. The silence was unnatural. No owls hunting for voles who hid under dead logs. No bats out for the early spring insects. Especially none of his brethren while the Lycan controlled the forest. The wind changed and gave the beast away. It was already up a tree 10 feet from him when he turned and fired the silver tipped arrow. The arrow met the beast in mid flight as the lycan leaped towards the former Ranger. Reflexes took Logan down the trunk of another tree as the Lycan collided with his former perch. The snapping of the branch was louder then the beast's snarling moments before the two fell to the ground. A second Lycan took the opportunity to leap from the tree line to Logan's right. The arrow met this one square in the sternum, stopping it inches from attack. A quick ark of Logan's hand opened a clean slice across the lycan's neck which soon after fell back on his heels.

The howling told Logan that the first beast was not killed by the fall. Then it was the sight of it standing next to his former tree pulling the arrow from his shoulder which confirmed that fact. It seemed confused why another wolf was standing on two feet, this one holding a bow and knife. That confusion is what allowed a second arrow plenty of time to embed itself into his skull. Logan howled out a challenge to the rest of the cursed pack. He didn't have to wait long before the wind told him his message was answered.

It was a good thing these creatures hunted like wolves, surrounding their prey, circling it on all sides. whichever one Logan turned his back to would attack first, with the rest following shortly after. He slowly readied another arrow trying to stand perfectly still until...

The arrow missed its mark once Logan turned and fired as the beast rushed at him. The Lycan didn't have time though to dodge the blade of Logan's throwing knife as it went swiftly across his neck. The blood spraying across Logan's wolf mask/hood. "As long as none get on me," Logan reminded himself. The second attacker jumper from his right, the knife burying into his throat. By the time the third pack member was upon him, Logan dropped his bow, and side stepped to his left fast enough to slice across his belly with his short sword. with three down bloody pools thawed the early spring soil making it gruesome mud.

The fourth Lycan learned from its pack mates and approached Logan cautiously. "Care to just give up?" Logan kindly asked as he watched the beast circle the bodies. The Elf displayed his sword and dagger out to his sides. "I need this one still breathing to get the blood," he reminded himself just as the beast ran head long at him. Mouth open it tried to bite down on Logan's neck, but instead caught the pommel of the Elf's dagger to the side of his head. Not detoured, the Lycan took a swipe across Logan's midsection, most of which got absorbed by his cloak's thick hairs and mithirl lining. Logan staggered backwards though with the beast advancing. Just a few more steps and the tree would right behind him.

With the beast's lounge, all it got was a mouth full of bark. Logan grin at the humor in that as he sliced the legs out from under the Lycan who fell forward into the base of the tree. Turing over, its's jaw met Logan's boot. "Better to do this while it is unconscious," he said to himself.

With the vile of blood safely in his pouch and all his belongings on his person, Logan put the beast out of its misery. Dawn followed him over the city walls.

"Now to get this blood analyzed."