“Good morning, Rowan, Jorah,” Bethal called out as they rode up to the house. “I didn’t expect to see you this early today!”

“Yes, ma’am. We finished up our morning work so we could come check in on Cali. And you. And make sure you hadn’t had any boar sightings,” Jorah said, blushing.

“No boar sightings. But we do have a lot of sausage and some fresh biscuits still on the table. Come on in and help yourselves!”

Cali and Chase came into the kitchen, joining the group. “Mum, you really do make the best jams, and gravy of course!” Cali laughed.

“Do you think your dad and Bodric will bring back that boar today?” Jorah asked.

“Maybe, I would love to have another boar hide to work! I’d make straps to sell to everyone!” Cali said, excited at the idea of having an even larger boar hide.

They sat and talked until Bethal ran them out of the kitchen so she could start prepping for lunch. “Why don’t you go work on your quiver. And you can keep an eye out for your dad.”

The three of them went to the barn to see if the leather had dried and was ready.

“Jorah told me how good you are at this, Cali. He was right, you really are. Do you take requests?” Rowan asked.

“For you all? Sure, of course, I do! What are you thinking?”

“I’d love to have a decent sheath for my sword. I don’t carry it often, Jorah or me either one, but with the increase in animal attacks, I think we should. And it would be nice to have a decent belt sheath for it,” Rowan said.

“Are they short swords, or long?”

“I have a longsword. Jorah now, he’s fancy,” Rowan joked, “he has a longsword and a short sword.”

“Really, Jorah? Do you use them both?” Cali asked, surprised.

Jorah turned red at the attention. “Yes, I’ve been practicing. But we don’t use them much, mostly just bows for hunting, you know.”

Rowan laughed at his brother. “Ah, he’s being modest, Cali, he’s really good. He’ll be a much better swordsman than me soon.”

“I’d love to make you new sheaths. I’ve not made those before, so no promises!” Cali laughed.

“I know they’ll be great, everything you’ve made so far has been!” Jorah said, still blushing.

Cali started cutting the remaining hide into pieces she would need for sword sheaths, while they sat around talking about the possibility of having the next big boar gathering at the lake. Or at least part of it at the lake, then the feast at the Flynn farm.

It was mid-afternoon when they heard what sounded like horses coming up the road. They walked out of the barn and toward the house as Bethal walked out from the kitchen.

“That’s old man Jossin’s wagon,” Rowan said. “You’re dad’s driving.”

They were watching, wondering if they had a big boar on the back of the wagon.

“Wait. That’s Bodric’s horse. Where’s Bodric?” Cali asked, a knot forming in her stomach.

“Oh no,” Bethal said, running out to meet the wagon. Cali, Rowan, and Jorah followed close behind.

They reached the wagon, all breathing a sigh of relief to see Bodric in the back. Injured, and in pain, but alive.

“What happened?” Bethal asked.

As Erwin came down from the wagon Bethal grabbed him looking him over to make sure he wasn’t hurt then wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Jorah and Rowan helped Bodric down from the wagon gently. He was shaky, Rowan put Bodric’s good arm over his shoulder and helped steady him.

“Come on,” Rowan said, “Let’s get you into the house.”

They all went into the house and got Bodric relaxed and comfortable on the couch as Erwin told them the story. The farmhand broke in, “I’ve never seen anyone shoot a bow that fast, or pick up a grown man so readily. Erwin was incredible, Bethal. We would’ve been wolf food if he hadn’t been there.”

Bethal shared a long look with Erwin, thankful that her husband had been there, but even more that he was safe.

“Cali girl, I made your dad bring you back the pelt. It’s a silver wolf, real large. Would make a nice cloak.” Bodric smiled at Cali.

“Yes, it’s on the back of the wagon if you want to get it to the barn, honey,” Erwin said. “Jorah, maybe you can help? I’m sure she’ll want to get it on the rack.”

“Yes, sir, I’d be happy to help! Come on Cali, let’s check out this giant wolf hide!” Jorah said.

Erwin ran his hand over his tired face. “The boar is still out there. We’ll not go after it right now, but we will have to hunt it down soon. Until then, everyone stays in pairs, stays armed, and doesn’t stray far from the farms. Rowan, you make sure to spread that word over on your farm, okay?”

“Yes, sir. I will let Father and everyone know. I’ll go get Jorah and we’ll head back now to spread the word,” Rowan replied.

“Thanks, Rowan. And thanks to you and Jorah for coming over and checking on things.” Erwin smiled.

Bethal brought a blanket in and covered Bodric’s legs. “You are going to rest, and you’re staying here until we get you fixed up.”

“I know better than to argue with ya, Bethal.” Bodric smiled. “Now before you go getting your hackles all raised, this was animals, plain and simple. Something has them riled to be sure, but it’s likely nothing more than a new alpha in the area somewhere.”

Bethal didn’t look convinced.

“Honey, he’s right. I know you’re worried. I’d say it’s this larger boar. From what we saw it looks to be a real monster of a beast,” Erwin said. “We’ll track it down and have another gathering soon, but first we could all use some rest.”

After the initial rush of visitors checking in on Bodric, life settled down into its normal routine over the next several weeks.

Bodric healed well under Bethal’s care and her “smelly, magic” salve, as Bodric called it. Cali had been working on a pattern to make the silver wolf hide into a cloak. And there had been no more sightings of the massive boar, or any other animal attacks.

Erwin and Bodric gathered several farmhands and set off to begin tracking the boar. They started in the area where they first saw evidence of it along the road. Each time they went to scout for the boar, they took a different path from that starting point. On their third outing, they found it’s trail.

“There!” Bodric pointed.

They had gone a fair distance into the forest where the underbrush had grown dense. It was clear the large beast had been through recently. Small branches were bent and broken, the underbrush trampled down, and hoof prints were noticeable in the soft dirt.

“Okay men, here is where we start. We stick together and watch our flanks. A beast this big can’t sneak up on us, but we may stumble over him.” Erwin spoke confidently to the men. “Bodric, how’s the arm?”

“Good as new if not a little more decorated.” Bodric smiled showing off the jagged red scar above his bracer. With that, they headed deeper into the woods, following the trail left by the boar.

The path was easy to see if not quite so easy to follow, and the men had stopped to take a breather when they heard the rustling nearby. They slowly inched toward the sound, taking care not to make any sudden moves or noise. It was gloomy under the thick cover of trees, but they could see the massive shape ahead of them.

Each man took a spot behind a tree in case the boar charged, and as they were preparing to aim, the wind shifted and the beast caught their scent. Turning to face them, the men could now see the boar clearly.

Over half as tall as Erwin, it’s tusks could easily skewer a man clean through. It sniffed the air, pawing, then let out an awful bellowing screech before charging toward them.

“Now!” Shouted Erwin.

The men all shot at the creature then drew to shoot again. It still rushed forward, even with arrows sticking from its shoulders.

“Aim for the neck with me now! Shoot!” Erwin commanded.

The men all aimed for the neck as the boar screeched and lumbered closer. Erwin got off two more arrows and finally, the boar stopped and fell onto its side. They slowly approached and Erwin stabbed his dagger into the boar’s heart to finish it off.

“By the Mother, I’ve never seen a monster that size,” Tom, one of the farmhands said.

“Nor I,” Erwin replied. “In all my years, I’ve not seen one that big.”

Bodric laughed, “aye, he’ll make a fine roast! And Cali will be thrilled with this hide. Why she’ll be rich with all the straps she can make from this monster!”

Bodric prodded the beast with his boot. “Why don’t you two head back out and prep the wagon, we’ll gut this thing and start dragging it back out.”

Erwin, Bodric, and the two remaining hands cleaned the boar. It was much too large to carry on a spit between them, so they made a makeshift sled, pulling the boar behind them back out of the forest.

It took a much longer time getting back to the road with their haul, but they had enough daylight left to wrestle it onto the wagon and start making their way back home.

As the sound of horses approached, Bethal stepped out of the kitchen. “Hi, boys!” she waved at Rowan and Jorah. “Good to see you!”

“Hi, ma’am. Any word on the boar hunt?” Rowan asked as they dismounted.

“No, nothing yet. But I don’t think they’ll come back empty handed!” Bethal replied. “Cali is out in the barn, and if you get hungry, there’s plenty of food.”

“Thanks! Cali told us to come over today, so we’ll go say hi.” Jorah smiled. Rowan smiled, rolling his eyes and followed his brother toward the barn.

Cali was just walking out from the barn when she saw them walk up. “Jorah! Rowan! Glad you stopped by. Come on in the barn, I have something to show you!”

They walked into the barn, and she handed each of them a box. “Go on then, take a look!” she said.

Opening the boxes, they saw the gleaming leather sheafs. A longsword sheaf for Rowan, and one long and one short sword sheaf for Jorah. In addition, she had made each of them a belt that matched.

“This is amazing, Cali,” Rowan exclaimed. “You really are incredible at this!”

“Cali, thank you! These are, I don’t know, they are beautiful!” Jorah smiled as he ran his hand across the oiled leather.

“Aww, come on guys, these are just my first try, I’m sure I could do better once I have more practice,” Cali said. She was trying not to blush but was secretly thrilled that they seemed to love them.

“So when Da and everyone gets back with this big boar, we will need to plan the party. I still think we should get everyone together and go to the lake first. What do you think?”

“Rowan and I were talking about that too, we could get everyone, make a whole day of it, it would be a lot of fun. Have you talked to your mom about it, Cali?” Jorah asked.

“No, but I’m getting hungry, so let’s go talk to her about it now,” She said as they started walking from the barn.

“Well, sweetie, I think that is a great idea,” Bethal said after hearing Cali’s plan for having a big get-together at the lake for the next gathering. “But we should probably see if your dad and Bodric bring back a boar first.” She laughed.

They sat around the kitchen table eating and making plans for having a huge get together at the lake before the actual gathering and feast.

Cali wondered if she would be able to get more orders for plow straps, or maybe some other items. If the boar really was as big as they said, she would have a lot of hide to work with.

As the sun started sinking lower and the evening light came in through the kitchen windows, they heard the horses and wagon coming up the road. Excited to have her husband back, Bethal tossed down the potatoes she was peeling and headed out the door, the others close behind her.

Bethal gasped. “Well, I’ve never…” she trailed off.

Even with a bit of distance, they could see the hulking shape of the boar in the back of the wagon. Cali grabbed Jorah’s arm in excitement, jumping up and down, then took off running to meet them.

“Da, Bodric, how did you ever get that thing on the wagon?” Cali asked.

“Cali girl!” Bodric smiled. “Oh, this beastie, he put up a good fight, but we wrestled him up on there. You ready to get rich making straps for people?” Bodric winked as he hopped down.

Erwin pulled the wagon closer to the barn so they could unload the boar. Jorah and Rowan pitched in and helped, but even with all of them, it was still not easy. Cali was so excited she was beside herself, she ran into the barn to grab her skinning knife.

“Okay, guys. Let’s start spreading the word tomorrow that we’re having another gathering!” Erwin exclaimed, clapping his hand on Bodric’s shoulder in celebration.

“Beth, honey, are you ready for another feast?” Erwin winked at his wife.

“Absolutely! I’ll have some of the ladies come over and help too, we’ll make this one even bigger than last time. And Cali and the boys had a great idea to have a party at the lake before the feast.” Bethal smiled at them.

Cali and Chase headed to the small barn right after breakfast. “Come on, Chase, we are going to finish your collar today!”

Chase happily bounced at her feet. She had oiled the collar yesterday and only needed to finish the sizing holes and fastening the buckle. As she was clamping the buckle onto the leather, Bodric walked up.

“Hey, Cali girl! I brought you a little something before we head off to find our next boar to roast!” Bodric smiled. He handed Cali a small leather pouch with a drawstring.

Excited she opened the pouch and poured the contents into her hand. A shiny tooth, encased in silver on the large end hanging from a thin rawhide string, and a smaller tooth with the same silver, but with no string, just a silver ring.

“One for you, one for your foxy!” Bodric smiled. “Here, let me put that on his collar for ya!”

Cali slipped the necklace around her neck, adjusting the rawhide sting to the right length. Then put Chase’s new collar around his neck.

“Oh, Bodric, I love it! And Chase does too, look!” Chase bounced around in the grass.

“Well, you and wee beastie there helped with the first boar, it was only right that you had a trophy from it!” Bodric replied.

Cali, Chase, Bethal and several farmhands were in the yard near the back garden to see Erwin, Bodric, and the others off on their trip. Bethal had packed plenty of food, dry clothes, ointments, and about anything else she could think of. She was nervous about their trip, but she knew Erwin was right to take the extra time to stop by the other farms.

“Cali, honey, you stay near the house and help out your mother while we’re gone,” Erwin said.

“Sure, Da, I will! If you find another boar, can you bring me the hide?” Cali asked, excited at the prospect.

They all laughed, Cali caught the leatherworker bug ever since selling the plow straps to Jenkins and wanted to try her hand at making more things.

“I sure will, Cali, don’t you worry!” her dad laughed. And with a long look at his wife, they turned and headed up the road toward the east fields.

Before mid-morning, the group reached the spot where Cali had the encounter with the other boar. Dismounting, they looked around next to the road. There was no sign on the road of a large animal.

“She never saw the beast, but I believe we’re looking for another boar, boys. Let’s head into the brush a piece and see what we can find. Stay within eyeshot of each other.” Erwin said.

They spread out and headed into the undergrowth. The brush and thickets in this part of the woods were dense and heavy and made moving around difficult, but it would also make finding evidence of a large boar easy.

“Aye, fellas, come over this way, and step light,” Bodric yelled.

They all met where Bodric was standing. Broken branches and twigs, leaves strewn about, and an obvious path back deeper into the forest. Kneeling down, Bodric ran his hand over the ground, finding prints from what could be a boar, and looking up at Erwin.

“If this path and print are any sign, this boar is bigger than the first.” Erwin rubbed his face, looking around at the thick, shadowed woods around them. “Let’s set up a few traps, and head on up to the Jenkins farm. We’ll stop by here on our way back.”

As they were riding up to Jenkins’ house, Jorah came quickly around the corner of the house and scanned the group. There was a flicker of disappointment on his face that Bodric couldn’t help but smile at.

Jenkins came out on his porch. “Hello, Erwin! What brings you out on this beautiful day?”

“Hi, Jenkins, we are heading around to all the farms to see if anyone’s having any more animals go missing. Have you had any problems here?” Erwin asked as he looked around at the farm.

“No, can’t say as I have. It’s been quiet. Do we have another wild animal around?”

“We believe so, Jenkins. Cali ran into something on her way back from here yesterday on the road and —”

Jorah looked shocked and angry. “Is she okay, sir, it didn’t hurt her right?”

Bodric coughed to keep from chuckling. Erwin smiled. “No, lad, she’s perfectly fine, just had a little scare is all.”

Jenkins gave his son a stern look. “No, Erwin, I appreciate you stopping by, but we haven’t had any animals go missing. I know old man Jossin said he was missing some sheep, but that’s all I’ve heard.”

“Good, good. Jorah, you and Rowan stick close to the house here and make sure you all keep your weapons handy. If we’re right, this boar looks larger than the first,” Erwin said.

“Yes sir, we will, I’ll make sure to tell Rowan as soon as he’s back. We’ll watch for it,” Jorah replied. “Do you want me to ride over to your farm to check on things since you are heading further out?”

“That would be fine, Jorah. But if you do, make sure to take Rowan or a hand with you. No traveling on the road alone until we take this one down.” Erwin smiled.

Rowan may have no interest in his daughter, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Jorah certainly did. He was a good boy, strong, tall, he looked young, but he was a capable lad.

As they turned to go, Erwin said, “Thanks, Jenkins, keep a sharp eye out and we’ll let you know what we find.”

The news was the same at both the Calbert farm and Nomarr’s farm. Neither had any missing or dead animals, although Nomarr’s farm had more broken fences than usual. Erwin warned them of the large boar that was roaming, and to keep the girls close to the farm and the hands armed when out in the fields.

They camped over at Nomarr’s, heading out to the farthest farm, old man Jossin’s, the next day. He had the best vineyards and sampled his own wines a bit more often than proper, but he was a good, honest farmer. Making steady time they reached Jossin’s farm with plenty of day left.

Tired and dusty from the ride, Erwin and the group dismounted as Jossin stepped out of his barn.

“Oye there! Erwin Flynn, Bodric, it’s good to see you, boys! What brings you all the way out here?” Jossin said, walking towards the group. He motioned for a farmhand to come take the horses.

“Jossin, it’s good to see you! We think we have another boar roaming around, and got word that you’ve had some missing sheep again?” Erwin said, shaking Jossin’s hand.

“Yeah, yeah, come on inside, all of you, my hands will water your horses. Let’s go inside where it’s cooler and we’ll get you some drink from my latest barrel!” Jossin motioned for them to come in the house.

“I’m glad you came, Erwin. Yes, I’ve had some animals go missing again. But one that didn’t get dragged off I found dead in the fields. But I tell you, I don’t think this was any boar. It wasn’t gored.” Jossin shook his head.

“Oh? What then, a bear?” Bodric asked.

“Oh no, no, I don’t think it was a bear either. I think we have some wolves running around. There weren’t no claw marks, no goring, but plenty of ripping bites. I haven’t found the others yet. I’m a bit too old to go hunting wolves, and I won’t send my son out there alone.”

Erwin rubbed his chin. “No, that’s good, no one needs to be out in the woods alone till we get these animal attacks dealt with. Point us to where you think they are, we’ll go check it out before it gets dark.”

“Jorah, you are seriously going to make me ride over to Cali’s with you?” Rowan complained.

“Erwin is going to be gone until tomorrow sometime. They are there by themselves. And there’s a large boar roaming around. We are going to the Flynn farm.” Jorah wasn’t taking any excuses.

“Brother, you know they have a small village of farmhands, right? I doubt they need our protection.” He punched Jorah’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go check on your sweet girl.”

Jorah’s face turned red as he punched Rowan back. “We’ll be back soon, Father. We’re going to ride over to the Flynn farm,” Jorah called out.

They rode fast, not wanting to stay long. As they galloped up to the house, Bethal came out to greet them.

“Hi, boys! What can I do for you? Everything okay over at the farm?” Bethal asked.

“Yes, ma’am. We knew Erwin and the others would be gone to the other farms, so we wanted to ride over and check in on you,” Rowan replied.

Bethal tried to hide her smile. “That’s kind of you, come on in and take a rest. I’ve got some snacks.”

Jorah and Rowan came in and sat at the kitchen table as Bethal set out a basket of fresh biscuits and different flavors of jam she had been making.

“Is Cali around, ma’am?” Jorah asked. “I know Erwin was telling everyone to stay close to their houses until this boar is caught.”

“Oh, she’s out in the small barn with Chase, working. You say that Erwin said it was a boar?” Bethal asked, looking at the boys.

“Yes. They stopped by yesterday.” Rowan answered.

“Jorah, why don’t you go see about Cali, and tell her to come on back in the house as soon as she’s finished up, would you?” Bethal asked.

Jorah jumped up and headed out of the kitchen in a flash. Both Bethal and Rowan smiled.

“Rowan, I know what your father thinks about Cali… and you. But I have to ask, what do you think?” Bethal looked at Rowan pointedly.

“Ma’am?” Rowan was caught off guard by her direct question. “Cali is a great girl, don’t take me wrong...”

“But?” Bethal prompted him to go on.

“But, she is like a younger sister to me. Please don’t be mad. She is wonderful, and she would make some farmer a perfect wife, better than perfect!” Rowan stammered. “But, well, it’s… it’s not me who is crazy about her.”

Bethal smiled. “That’s what I thought too, Rowan. Thank you for confirming it for me. So, now tell me what my husband said about this boar.”

“Cali?” Jorah called out when he reached the barn. There was no answer. “Cali!” He called a little louder.

Cali stepped out from the corner of the barn, surprised to see Jorah.

“Jorah? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi, Cali. I was… well, your dad stopped by and told us about the boar, and that he would be gone until tomorrow, so I, Rowan and I, we came over to check in on you. And your mom.” Jorah answered. “Oh, and your mom said to come in the house if you are done.”

“I’m about finished, come look if you want,” Cali said, turning to go into the barn.

She had cut several large pieces of the boar hide and soaked them. Now they were formed around a thick branch to form the shape of the quiver she was making.

“Cali, you are really good at this. Are you going to start selling the things you make?”

“I think so, Jorah. It’s a lot of fun, and the coins I made from your father made me want to do more!” Cali laughed.

“Hey, what’s that?” Jorah pointed at her necklace.

“Oh, this is one of the boar’s teeth! Look, Chase has a matching one. Bodric made them for us, do you like it?”

“I do, it’s great! Oh, we better get inside before your mom worries.”

Cali turned off the lanterns, leaving them in an almost darkened barn as they headed back to the house.

“Cali, there you are. Rowan was telling me about what your dad found with the boar.” Bethal smiled at them.

“Cali, you and your mom be careful and keep an eye out. Jorah, we need to get back home before it starts getting dark.” Rowan said.

Jorah looked at Cali, “We can ride back over in the morning to check in on you again.”

Rowan glanced sideways at Bethal trying to hide his smile. “That’s a good idea, Jorah. Would that be okay with you, ma’am?” he asked Bethal.

“Why, yes, Rowan, I’d appreciate that very much since Erwin won’t be home until late tomorrow at the soonest. Thank you, boys,” Bethal said.

Erwin and the men rode into the fields with Jossin to the area where he found the dead sheep. “Here’s the place.” Jossin pointed to the repaired fence. “From what Tad and I could tell, they came from the area toward the foot of the mountains.”

“Okay, Jossin. We’ll go in a piece and see what we can find. You and Tad stay here with the horses and wait for us,” Erwin said as he and his men dismounted and headed to the tree line.

It was clear from the smaller area of broken branches and the path disturbed in the underbrush that Jossin was correct and it was likely a wolf. Erwin nodded to Bodric and they set off with their farmhands to see what they could discover.

“Spread out, but not far, keep each other within a few paces distance. We don’t know what we might run into out here.” Erwin told the men softly as they headed into the woods.

A hundred or so paces in, they heard it. A low howl that seemed to come from ahead of them closer to the mountain. The men came back together and decided to go in two pairs to get the wolf from two different angles.

As Bodric and Erwin were the most experienced fighters, they each took one farmhand and headed further in. They quietly closed in on the area, shocked to discover it was not one wolf, but two.

Erwin silently motioned to Bodric for them to take the smaller of the two wolves, while he took out the larger wolf. The wolves caught their scent and started pacing anxiously, and in the second before they could strike, both wolves lunged, running full speed at Bodric.

Bodric and the farmhand took down the smaller wolf as it ran at them, and although Erwin and his man shot the larger wolf twice, it was still going for Bodric. It happened fast. Erwin heard Bodric’s scream as he loosed two more arrows at the wolf fast as lightning.

Running fast, he dropped to his knees beside Bodric. The wolf tore a massive gash in his arm.

“He was a fast monster, eh?” Bodric laughed weakly.

“Hang on Bodric, we’ve got you, that wolf won’t get anyone else. Hang on.” Erwin said calmly as Bodric fell into unconsciousness.

Erwin pulled off his shirt, ripping it in half, tightly wrapping one half around Bodric’s arm.

“You, go back quick as you can and grab my horse, bring it here. Go!” Erwin shouted. “And you, keep your bow ready in case there are others.”

He took the other piece of shirt and tied it tightly around Bodric’s upper arm, slowing the flow of blood coming from the gaping wound. “Come on, Bodric, we’ve got you. Come on.” But Bodric was still unconscious.

The man arrived back with Erwin’s horse, and to the surprise of the men, Erwin lifted Bodric and put him on the horse with ease. He climbed on the horse behind Bodric and let out a yell, spurring the horse into a full run. The farmhands followed, jumped on their horses, and along with Jossin and his son, Tad, followed Erwin back to Jossin’s house.

They put Bodric on the long kitchen table. Jossin brought pillows and blankets to keep him warm. Tad started a fire in the cookstove and placed a large pot of water on the fire to boil.

“Jossin, do you have anything we can rip up and use?” Erwin asked.

“Of course, I’ll get them.” Jossin hurried into the other room.

“Tad, go to my saddlebag. There’s a large jar of green ointment.” Tad ran out the door to Erwin’s horse.

Jossin came back in with a sheet he was already ripping into strips and putting half of them into the boiling pot of water. And then got a large bottle of dark liquor from the cabinet.

Erwin nodded at Jossin. Tad returned with the ointment.

“I need all of you to take a spot and hold him down. He’s unconscious, but he may not be here in a second.” Erwin uncorked the liquor with his teeth, and unwrapped Bodric’s arm, fresh blood started oozing from the wound. He loosened the other piece tied around his upper arm, then poured the liquor over the wound. A shriek like a banshee’s cry brought Bodric back to consciousness, but only for a moment.

“Here. My knife, heat it in the fire.” Erwin handed his knife to Tad as he kept the pressure on the cleaned wound. There was a lot of blood on the floor, on Bodric, on Erwin.

“One more time, hold him down.” Erwin took the heated knife and gently laid it flat along the edges of the jagged cut. Thankfully for him, Bodric remained unconscious as the skin sizzled under the heat of the blade. The blood flow stopped. Erwin had managed to cauterize it successfully.

Jossin took strips of the sheet out of the boiling water, letting them cool slightly and handing them to Erwin. The first one he poured some of the liquor on and gently cleaned Bodric’s arm and around the wound to see if he had missed any other spots. He then slowly loosened the shirt piece that was tied around his upper arm. Loosening it a little at a time to allow normal blood flow back into his arm, Erwin wanted to make sure the wound wouldn’t start bleeding freely.

He liberally applied the green ointment to one side of another strip and wound it around Bodric’s arm tightly enough to hold the wound closed. Erwin finished cleaning the blood from Bodric, then took a strip rinsed in cold water and applied it to Bodric’s forehead.

Bodric’s eyes fluttered open. Looking around in a bit of a daze he said, “Did you give that hellish beastie a sharp arrow for me?”

Erwin laughed a little. “I sure did, my friend. I sure did.” They got him onto the couch in the other room and helped him lay down. Then made him drink some of the strong liquor.

Erwin went back to the kitchen. “Jossin, thank you. All of you, for your help. I think we got it in time.” Erwin looked tired. From the other room, they heard groaning and headed back in to check on Bodric.

“You okay, Bodric?” Jossin asked as he knelt down next to him.

The liquor had started working on Bodric, but he mumbled. “Get the hides. Erwin. Get hides for Cali.” And then he fell asleep.

They all laughed. “The hides. He’s worried about getting the wolf hides for Cali.” Erwin shook his head at his friend.

“Me and the hands will go back out and bring the wolves in,” Tad said. “You and dad stay here and watch over Bodric.”

Erwin stood and shook Tad’s hand. “Thanks, Tad, truly. Watch yourselves out there, I don’t think there were others, but be safe.”

As Tad and the hands headed back out, Erwin took the bottle of liquor and poured himself and Jossin a large cup.

Erwin stayed by Bodric’s side the entire night, taking short naps in the chair next to him and checking on his arm while his friend slept.

It looked like they had gotten it in time, there was no unusual swelling, redness or heat. But he would wait until Bodric woke in the morning to see if he thought he would be okay to travel back home.

The next morning, the smell of frying sausages and coffee woke Erwin. He immediately checked on Bodric, no fever, pulse felt good and strong. He left him to sleep and walked into the kitchen.

“You did good, Erwin. Bodric looks to be doing fine if a little pale.” Jossin said setting a huge pile of sausages on the table beside of an enormous bowl of scrambled eggs. “You should try to wake him and see if we can get him to eat a bit.” He handed a plate of food to Erwin. He went back to Bodric and pulled his chair close.

After Bodric was sound asleep out the night before, Tad had lifted Bodric into a sitting position while Erwin tied Bodric’s arm in a sling against his chest. The sling was still holding Bodric’s arm securely, but Erwin was careful not to jostle him when he tried to wake him up. Bodric squinted opened his eyes and groaned.

“How do you feel?” Erwin asked.

He groaned again, closing his eyes. “Like I went into a giant wolf’s mouth and came out the other end!”

Erwin couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, the wolf didn’t eat your sense of humor, I see.”

Bodric opened one eye and then promptly shut it again. “By the Mother, did the foul beastie bite my head too? It’s splitting!”

Erwin, trying not to laugh more said, “No, my friend, that would be the liquor we gave you last night for the pain and to help you sleep. Besides, your head is too hard for even a giant wolf!”

Bodric sat up with a little help from Erwin, as the other men came in to check on him. He ate some of the eggs and devoured several sausages. “Did you get the hides for Cali?”

“Yes, don’t worry, we are taking the biggest one, and the smaller one stays here,” Erwin said.

“I want to head home this morning, we still need to check on the boar traps,” Bodric said, feeling stronger now that he’d eaten.

“I don’t know, you may want to give it another day. That was a nasty attack,” Tad said. “What do you think, Erwin, Dad?”

“He’s not fevered, there’s no swelling, and he’s not incoherent, if Erwin thinks he’s strong enough, then I’d say it’s okay,” Jossin replied.

“Jossin, do you think we could use your large wagon? I can put Bodric in the back with the hide, and then I can have one of my hands bring it back over to you.” Erwin asked.

“Nonsense. You take the wagon, I’ll send a couple of my hands along with you to bring it back themselves. Send a couple jars of Bethal’s jams back with them, eh?” Jossin smiled.

“Thanks, Jossin, that sounds great.” Erwin shook his hand and headed out to pack the wagon. They placed the large wolf hide flat on the wagon, Tad added more salt to the hide for the trip. Jossin came out and had Tad load up two barrels of wine and two more of whiskey to take back.

They helped Bodric onto the back, and Jossin gave him a silver flask full of the liquor for the trip. “This wagon rides a bit rough, you’ll need a few nips of that before you get home.” He smiled at Bodric.

“Jossin, thanks again, and you send word if you run into any more animal problems,” Erwin said. And they headed off on the trip back home.

“Mum, I’m going to head over to the Jenkins farm this morning, if that’s okay? I’ve finished those plow straps he wanted and I was going to take them over to him,” Cali said.

“Yes, honey, that’s fine. You’re going to ride over so you can get back by lunch, right?” Bethal asked.

“Yes, Mum. And Chase has gotten very good at following with me when I’m riding, so he can come along.”

“I didn’t expect anything else, Chase is always with you!” her mom laughed. “Just be careful and come back as quick as you can. Oh, and take Jenkins some of this jam that I made.”

Cali packed the jars of jam along with the new straps into the saddlebag of her horse. Her mom had surprised her with a sort of a sling so that she could carry Chase while still having her hands free. He was growing fast, but sometimes still wanted Cali to carry him.

She adjusted her bow on her back and put Chase in the sling so he could ride with her for a bit. They climbed up into the saddle and set off towards Jenkins’ farm. It was a bit of a trip, but on horseback, she shouldn’t be gone past midday. She was anxious to get back, she wanted to start working on her new quiver, and the collar for Chase.

Passing through the east fields, Cali waved at the farmhands. Ahead, the trees grew thick and closed in around the road that led to other parts of Edelaine, including Jenkins’ farm. She urged the horse on to a trot, excited to deliver the straps to Jenkins and get her first pay.

It had taken slightly longer than normal to fully prep the boar’s hide for working since it was thicker than the hides she normally worked with. She was surprised that it wasn’t much more difficult to work than the thinner hides though.

Cali hoped Jenkins would like the new straps. She had cut the straps and embellished the edges with thin rawhide stitches for reinforcement.

It was cooler here on the road under the thick trees, but the day was going to turn hot. Cali wanted to make quick work of this and head back home before it got too humid. She decided once she got back, she would work on Chase’s collar first.

Chase seemed content in his sling and didn’t want to run alongside, he alternated between napping and looking around.

Cresting the top of a hill she could see the small road to Jenkins farm ahead on the right. Unlike Cali’s family farm, you didn’t have to go through fields before getting to his house. She rode up, tying her horse to the post as Jenkins walked around the corner of the house.

“Young Miss Cali!” Jenkins shouted, raising his hand in welcome. “How are you on this beautiful day?”

“Hi, Jenkins! I’m doing great, thanks. Mum sent you over some jam, and I’ve brought your new plow straps.”

“Oh, Cali, you have made my day! I’m not sure which I’m more excited about. Those old straps of mine are about worn through.” Jenkins replied. “Come on in the house, let me get your pay.”

They walked inside when Chase poked his nose out to look around. Cali sat at the kitchen table as Jenkins went to get her pay. He stopped by the back door telling Rowan to go say hello to Cali.

“Father, really, Cali is a bit young, don’t you think? I’ll not be married off yet!” Rowan complained but did as his father asked.

Rowan walked into the kitchen nonchalantly, with Jorah running in excitedly right behind him.

“Hi, Cali. Oh, your mom sent jam?” Rowan asked seeing the jars on the table.

“Cali! It’s great to see you! Hey, when are we all going to head over to the lake?” Jorah asked, his words coming out all in a rush.

“Hi! Yes, that is from Mum’s latest batch, and there’s more where that came from.” Cali smiled. “Hi, Jorah, it’s been so hot, we ought to get everyone to the lake soon before summer is gone.”

“Here you go, young lady. My, that little fox is growing! He’s almost twice as big as when I saw him at the gathering! You’ve got him trained up good?” Jenkins said as he came back in the room.

“Yes, sir. He’s a great friend, smart too,” Cali replied. “Wow, Jenkins, this is more coin than I expected, are you sure?”

“Cali, you did fine work on these straps, you deserve no less. Oh, tell your father that old man Jossin was rambling on the other day about losing some sheep again. It’s probably nothing, but I know he’d want to know.”

“I sure will, Jenkins. I better be heading back, I told Mum I’d try to make it back by lunchtime!”

“Then you better be off, young miss! And tell your mother no one makes jams like her!” Jenkins laughed.

With several shiny silver coins jingling in her small drawstring purse, Cali and Chase pointed the horse back toward their farm and set off.

***

Chase ran alongside Cali on the ride back, jumping at bugs and the occasional leaf. With the sun at its peak and no breeze, it felt stifling even in the shade of the thick trees on the road. She was thrilled at the money she made from Jenkins and couldn’t wait to tell everyone at home.

Suddenly, Chase stopped in the middle of the road with a low growl, looking into the forest. Cali jumped down from her horse thinking he may have hurt a paw and knelt beside him. He was trembling, fixed on whatever it was he sensed in the woods.

“What is it, boy?” Cali looked around at the trees but didn’t see anything.

There were no sounds. Not even the rustling of leaves in the heavy air. Breaking out in a cold sweat she could feel eyes on her, but there were no eyes she could see. She scooped Chase into his sling, brandished her knife and got back on her horse. Something was not right here. Not right at all.

“Who’s there?” Cali demanded. “I know you’re there, come out!” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. A tremble of fear crept across her skin raising the hair on her arms. She needed to get away from there.

Urging the horse to a full run with her heels, she leaned forward to protect Chase and gain speed. Once she entered the east fields she finally slowed and rode on to the house. Bethal saw Cali ride up and met her by the back garden.

“Hi, sweetie, I’m glad you made it back before lunch. Are you okay, you look a bit shaken?” Bethal asked. A farmhand came over and took the horse to the barn.

“Mum, I’ve got some great news, but I have to tell you something else first.”

They walked into the kitchen. Cali sat at the table, Chase hopped down and sat beside her. Bethal poured a cold drink and handed it to her daughter.

“Mum, there was something in the woods about halfway back from Jenkins. I think there’s another boar or something out there. And Jenkins said to tell dad that old man Jossin said he had some sheep go missing.” Cali said in a rush.

Bethal’s eyes widened. “Did you see this animal, Cali?” she asked, then called out the door to the worker to go find Erwin.

“No, Mum. I didn’t see it. Chase sensed it first and was mad and scared. And I could feel it looking at me, I know it was there, I could feel it there, Mum, I could!” Cali said, trying to convince her mother.

“Cali, honey, it’s okay, I believe you. You and Chase are safe and back home. That’s what matters. It’s okay. Here comes your dad, let’s tell him and then you can tell us your good news.” Bethal smiled. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes though.

Cali told the whole story to her dad and Bodric who had come in too. Erwin and Bodric planned to ride over to see old man Jossin the next day and would look along the road to see if they could see any signs of the animal.

“Now, what’s this good news?” Bethal tried to lighten the subject.

“Oh, Mum! You aren’t going to believe this!” Cali jumped up and jingled her drawstring pouch around. Chase bounced around at her feet. Cali proudly poured her coins out onto the table for everyone to see.

“Well, looky at that, Cali girl!” Bodric said. “You’re a gonna be richer than all of us soon!” he laughed.

“That’s good pay for those straps, Cali.” Her dad said. “Did you see Rowan while you were there?”

Bethal lightly smacked Erwin’s shoulder. She knew that Jenkins not-so-secretly hoped that Rowan and Cali would eventually be married. She also knew that Cali had no interest in Rowan, even if he was a handsome older boy.

“Sure did, Da. And Jorah, too. We are going to get everyone and go to the lake soon,” Cali said.

“You know, honey, that Jorah is a good boy, and he’s only a year older than you,” Bethal said slyly.

“Mum!” Cali rolled her eyes and headed to her room. She put her coins away, then headed out to the small barn to work on Chase’s collar.

She had forgotten all about the animal in the woods, and was focused on what she was going to make next, and if she should start making leather items to sell to the other farms.

***

“Erwin, you and Bodric go and check that place out tomorrow. And you let me know what it is.” Bethal said once she knew Cali was out of earshot heading to the barn.

“Beth, dear, it’s just animals. I’m sure of it. Of course, I’ll let you know either —”

“I think we need to sit her down and —” Bethal started.

Erwin held up his hand, interrupting his wife. “No, Beth. No. If we run into any sign this is anything other than just hungry, wild animals, then we’ll talk about that. But right now? No.”

Bethal wasn’t convinced, but she trusted her husband.

“Bethal, I’ve known you all since we’ve been little sprouts, listen to Erwin on this one. You’ve got nothing to worry over. And that’s a heavy burden to put on anyone, you know that best of all,” Bodric said, trying to ease Bethal’s mind.

“I know, and you’re right. I just can’t shake it. I guess I’m just jumping at shadows — or boars — in this case.” Bethal laughed. “No, we won’t tell her, no reason to.”

“It’s been generations since it was needed. Since well before our time. And there’s no need now. Don’t worry yourself.” Erwin stood, giving his wife a kiss on the forehead.

“Bodric, come on, let’s get a couple of the hands to go with us tomorrow, we’ll stop by the other farms too and camp overnight at Jossin’s.”

Bodric laid his hand on Bethal’s shoulder. “Only thing to worry about is all that cooking for another boar roast coming up!” He winked, laughing as they headed out the door.

It took much longer to return from the west fields with the weight of the large boar. The sun slid behind the mountains and darkness settled in.

Bodric talked about how he was looking forward to the smell of roasting boar. Erwin thought they should invite all the farmhands and their families over and make a gathering of it. Cali was most looking forward to working the hide into a new quiver or belts, or even a coat.

When they finally came into view of the house, Bethal, Cali’s mom, came out to meet them.

“Well, that certainly does explain a lot!” She said, seeing the boar swinging between them as they walked.

“Beth, honey, our daughter has something to show you. I told her she could keep it, but that it was her responsibility,” Erwin said, with a half-smile.

“Cali, what did you drag home now?” Her mom demanded.

“Mum! Look, isn’t he just adorable? He’s sweet as he can be, and he really likes me.”

Rolling her eyes, her mom looked at the little furry bundle as he yawned and stretched in Cali’s arms.

“A fox! Really, Cali?”

“Mum, I couldn’t leave him there, I just couldn’t. That boar got his mother, he was all by himself!”

Bethal knew better than to try to argue with her daughter about it. Cali had a big heart and animals just seemed to love her.

“Okay, honey. But he is yours. You have to train him and take care of him. I won’t have some wild fox running around here stealing food and trying to eat the chickens!” Bethal sighed. “Now, there’s food in the kitchen, you all go in and help yourself, everyone else already ate.”

“We’ll go get this boar handled, and we’ll be in,” Erwin said as they turned toward the small barn.

Bodric and Cali made quick work of the boar. Pleased with the hide, they put it on the rack. She saved the coarse, quill-like hair to see if one of the farmhands knew how to make brushes. Her dad and Bodric hung and salted the beast, and decided tomorrow morning they’d invite everyone for the roast.

Famished and tired, they headed to the house to eat and rest. They sat at the table, talking about how the others would be happy to know the culprit behind their livestock deaths was no more.

Bodric said he and some hands would ride to the neighboring farms the following morning and invite them to the feast, and spread the good news.

Cali took an extra blanket and made a small bed on the floor beside her own for the baby fox. He’d had a big day, and although he whimpered a bit, he seemed to adjust well enough.

As Cali lay in bed, she looked down at the little fox. “We’ll have to find a good name for you. What do you think? We’ll give it a few days and see what name fits.” She scratched his ears and drifted toward sleep.

Cali woke as the light came in through her window. The little fox had climbed on her bed and curled up against her during the night. The first smells of breakfast came floating in, and her little fox woke up sniffing too.

“Come on, little fella, let’s go see what Mum’s cooked up for breakfast.”

“Good morning! I see our new family member is still doing good,” Cali’s dad said as she came into the large kitchen.

“Morning, Da, Mum. He’s doing great. I am going to give it a couple days to see what name suits him. He seems to like it here!”

“Of course he does, honey,” Cali’s mom said. “You’ve always had a way with animals.” She smiled as she put a plate of eggs and sausages down in front of Cali.

“Bodric has already headed out to the other farms to spread the word about the boar,” Erwin said. “You stay around the house today and help your mother to get things ready for the gathering.”

“Sure, Da. I was going to start training the little fella, and I wanted to work on that hide,” Cali said.

Smiling, Erwin shook his head at his daughter and her new fox. He stood, giving Bethal a quick kiss, and headed out the kitchen door. Cali thought it was sweet how her parents wore matching pendants.

I’ll have to remember to ask her Mum about them sometime, she thought to herself.

“Mum, do you need me to do anything now?” Cali asked.

“Not much, honey. But if you could bring me some fresh carrots and onions from the back garden, that would help,” Bethal replied.

Cali and the little fox headed out the kitchen door to the small garden next to the kitchen. Grabbing a basket, she headed to the carrots first. The little fox jumped and tried to play with the carrots as Cali shook the dirt off. He scampered and hopped around the garden, chasing bugs and butterflies as she worked.

Cali let out a low whistle to see if the fox would respond, but he kept right on playing in the garden. She stood, walking to the row with onions, and as soon as the little fox saw her walking, he ran over to follow her. She let out the low whistle again. He looked up at her with his head cocked to the side.

“Good boy! When I whistle, that means you come to me. But don’t worry, we’ll work on it.” Cali smiled.

She took the vegetables back to her mother. “Anything else I can do, Mum?”

“No, mostly it’s just cooking to do. Why don’t you go check your hide, and train up your little friend there.”

Cali grabbed an apple and headed out toward the small barn. Even in the dark, she had done a good job cleaning and racking the hide. In the clear morning light, the boar looked even larger than when they carried it home last night. She was thankful she hadn’t gotten any closer to it when she rescued the baby fox.

Examining the hide closer, it was very thick. It was a good strong hide, and Cali was anxious to work with it. She was already imagining a new quiver, belts, and…

“A collar!” Cali said. Scratching the little fox behind the ears, she said, “I’ll make you a collar, oh, and maybe some armor to protect you from any future boars!” she laughed.

Cali and the little fox spent the rest of the morning playing in the field near the fire pit. The fox was a quick learner and seemed to pick up on Cali’s instructions well. They shared the apple and headed back to the kitchen to see if her mom needed any help.

“Ah, perfect timing, Cali! Can you bring me that basket of potatoes by the door, please?” Her mom said.

As Cali carried the basket of potatoes, one fell and rolled across the floor. The little fox instantly gave chase, tackling the potato and playing with it with happy little barks.

Bethal laughed. “Well, he seems to be making himself right at home, eh? Any luck starting to train him?”

“He’s doing great, Mum. Watch!” Cali let out a low whistle. The little fox looked up from his potato, looking at Cali. She gave another whistle and he hopped up and ran over to her. “Good boy! And good job chasing down that potato!” Cali laughed, scratching him behind his ears.

“That’s it!” Cali said. “I’ll call you Chase. What do you think, little fella?” The little fox rolled over looking up happily at Cali. “What do you think, Mum?”

“Well, he does seem to like to chase things. And he seems to like it. Chase it is! Welcome to the family, little Chase,” her mom replied as she began cleaning potatoes.

Several of the wives gathered to help with the cooking the next morning. They expected the gathering to be bigger than the last. The weather was perfect, the heat of the day had eased, and farmhands and neighbors from nearby farms started arriving mid-afternoon. They marveled at the size of the boar and complimented Cali on a fine hide.

Jenkins from the closest farm asked if she had enough hide left if she would make him a new set of straps for his plow. Cali was excited, this would be her first real paying job in leatherworking.

Everyone helped themselves to the delicious boar and food, and sat around the fire pit late into the evening talking and comparing farm stories. The young ones ran around the field playing and having fun with Chase. The sense of relief over the boar was obvious with all the farmers.

Cali and Chase sat a bit away from the fire pit with friends from the neighboring farms. The Jenkins boys, Rowan and Jorah, Sarah from the Calbert farm, and Flora and her two young twin sisters from the Nomarr farm. They all loved hearing the story of how Cali rescued Chase.

“I would’ve shot that boar right between his big eyes if I’d been there with you, Cali!” Jorah boasted.

Rowan, his older brother, punched him in the shoulder and shook his head.

“Right, Jorah, and when the arrow bounced off its skull and he charged you down?” Rowan asked, laughing.

They all laughed and joked about how they would have taken down the boar, and saved the fox at the same time. Then started making plans to go to the lake soon.

As the night wore on, their friends began to leave, heading back to their own homes. With congratulations and pats on the back to Bodric and Erwin, they left, fading into the darkness until only Bodric and her parents remained around the fire.

Chase climbed up on Cali’s lap and fell asleep. “Mum, Da, I’m going to turn in.”

“Goodnight, honey.” They called back as Cali carried Chase into the house.

She didn’t bother putting Chase on his blanket, instead curling up in her bed with him next to her. Hearing her parents and Bodric outside talking, she soon drifted away into a deep sleep.

“Are you sure this boar was what attacked the animals, Erwin?” Bethal asked.

They were still sitting around the fire with Bodric as the others had all left. Bethal fiddled with her pendant, staring into the flames.

“Fairly certain. It seems the likely culprit. It had blood on its muzzle. And an animal that size would explain how many of the livestock had been killed or gone missing.” Erwin replied.

“Aw, don’t you worry now, Bethal,” Bodric said. “That old boar was trouble. And if there are any others, we’ll find them and roast them up too!”

Bethal laughed. “True. And I’m sure we’d get no complaints from everyone if we had another boar roast! Still, just seems odd that a boar that size would have just suddenly turned up.”

Erwin eyed his wife. “Beth, it’s just a boar. And at worst, maybe two boars. If there is another we’ll get it. But don’t worry yourself about it. There’s nothing to show that it’s anything more than just that, they probably just came down from the mountains.”

“You’re right, Erwin. You both are right. I’m just tired I think.” Bethal replied.

Bodric laughed, “I would say you should be given how much food you put together today! I’ll be heading home, myself. Day will be here before we know it.”

Erwin took Bethal’s hand and stood up. “We’re calling it a night, too. We’ll see you in the morning, Bodric. No hurry though, get some rest.”

Bodric raised his hand in a wave as he left, as Bethal and Erwin headed into the house.

“Cali! Cal!” Her mom yelled. “Get your nose out of that book and get down here. You’ll need some lunch before heading off to the west field.”

Cali sighed. “Yes, Mum, on my way,” Cali yelled back.

Placing the braided ribbon in the book, she stood, stretching as the warm summer breeze rustled the tree leaves overhead. She’d have to wait until tomorrow to find out if the battle turned for the heroes.

Walking down the hill she could smell fresh-baked bread and something else… the faint whiff of cinnamon. Her belly growled pushing her annoyance out of her mind as she hurried to the back kitchen door.

The table was almost full, with some of the farmhands standing around eating before heading back out for the afternoon’s work. Cali was heading to the west fields today with her father and some workers to check the fences and animals. They had lost some livestock over the last month and needed to check the traps they’d set out.

Cali grabbed a bowl of her mom’s famous sausage and wild rice, and added gravy over the top, sitting down to eat.

“Callera Flynn, why on earth do you cover up your food with gravy like that?” her mom laughed.

But of course, her mom reveled in the fact that everyone from family to farmhands loved her cooking. And even though she poked fun at Cali for putting gravy on everything, there always seemed to be fresh gravy made.

“Hey Cali girl, what’re you reading on today?” Bodric asked.

Bodric was a dear friend of their family, and had been on the farm since before Cali was born. He helped teach her to ride and shoot and loved to hear her talk about the stories she was always reading.

“Oh, you know, Bodric, still the same one as last time. I can’t seem to find enough time to finish,” Cali replied, smiling sweetly as her mom narrowed her eyes, grinning.

“Bodric, you know her, she fills her head with those fae-tales, of far-off lands and battles between good and evil. Silly stuff,” her mom laughed again.

“Yes, Mum, and I was just getting to the battle when you called for me,” Cali complained.

Her mom rolled her eyes, laughing and turned back to the stove.

They ate and brought their plates over to the large sink before heading out to the fields for work. Cali, Bodric, and her dad, Erwin, gathered supplies and headed out to the west fields.

Cali brought her large skinning knife and the short bow that Bodric hand-carved for her. They were hoping to catch what had attacked their animals, thinking it was maybe a wolf or a small bear. Cali, who was quickly turning into the best skinner and leatherworker of the lot, hoped to skin the beast.

It took some time, but they made it to the west fields. The animals were all accounted for, so they split up to check the fences. Nothing out of the ordinary, only normal needed fence repairs.

As Cali turned the last bend of her section of the fence she heard a quiet mewling coming from the woods. It sounded like a baby animal, a kitten perhaps.

Always careful, she readied her bow and stepped toward the tree line. The sound was close, and she searched the area to see if there were any large animals about. She saw a large fox laying near a tree, killed by the same animal that was terrorizing their flock it seemed. The silence under the heavy canopy of trees made the cries seem louder.

Keeping her arrow nocked and ready she continued to look around and found the source of the crying.

A baby fox!

Making sure there were no other animals around, she turned back to the baby fox. The dead fox must have been its mother. Putting her bow on her back, she took out her knife and knelt near the baby fox.

It was tiny, with a reddish-brown coat and some white around its muzzle. It had a large bushy tail, and its ears seemed twice as large as its head. Cali knew she couldn’t leave it here to the same fate of its mom.

She pulled an apple out of her knapsack and cut off a small piece with her knife. She sat near the fox and held the slice of apple close to it. The baby fox was still crying, but after a bit, its hunger ruled out and it inched toward Cali.

Sitting very still, she kept the apple slice in her hand and let the fox come to her. It grabbed the apple slice and backed away, eating quickly. Moving slowly, she cut another small piece of the apple and laid her hand on the ground again. The baby was quicker to come take the apple slice this time and didn’t move so far away.

Cali was getting ready to cut another piece of the apple when she heard something moving in the underbrush nearby. Something definitely bigger than a fox. A shiver ran up her spine as her hair stood on end. She quickly grabbed the baby fox, and with the knife in hand backed slowly out of the tree line and to the fence. Whatever the animal was, it didn’t follow her, but she could feel it was near.

As she reached the fence, Bodric and her dad were walking in her direction. Seeing her backing up brandishing her knife they ran to her side, then went into the trees after the larger animal.

She knew her dad and Bodric would be fine, they were both experienced hunters. The fox had started mewling again. She held him close while she pulled her other apple from her knapsack. She took a small bite of the apple and put it in her hand for the fox to eat.

Sometime later her dad and Bodric came out of the trees carrying between them what looked to be a large boar. Not an animal you would want to run into without a weapon. The large protruding tusks were longer than Cali’s hand, and it still had blood on its muzzle from its latest kill.

“Hey looky at this beastie, Cali girl!” Bodric said with a huge grin. “We’ll have to roast this one up!”

The thought of roasting a boar over the pit near the back garden made Cali’s mouth water. She hadn’t realized how long they had been gone to the west fields, but the sun had started sinking behind the trees.

“I have a beastie of my own! Da, Bodric, come look,” Cali said.

The baby fox had decided it trusted Cali enough after stuffing itself full of apple, and it fell asleep curled in the crook of her arm.

“Cali. Sweetie, you know how much work that little guy will be, right?” her dad asked.

“Yes, Da. But I won’t leave him out here to fend for himself, he’s too little,” Cali said, ready to argue her side.

“Okay, but he’s yours, and yours alone.”

And with that, they turned to head home with a fresh boar and a new baby fox in tow.