Chapter II

          Birds chirped noisily for the arrival of spring with snow still lingering on the ground. The snow was melting, but the air remained cool, especially for Dante as he walked alongside Rowen, Pylo, and Asaru. The three wolves and human traveled along at a moderate pace through the forest. Much to his relief there were no signs of skeleton creatures prowling in the forest, or lurking along the road. Due to returning clouds, the forest appeared well shaded, but brightness up ahead signaled a new terrain.

          “That's the last tree line." Pylo pointed ahead.

          “Phew." Dante released a satisfied breath.

          “Heh. Nervous?" Rowen grinned.

          “Well, my original journey to Trent wasn't supposed to be this stressful." Dante held up his bandaged arm, but grinned anyway. “But I'm happy that I made it here in good company. Thank you all for your help."

          “Of course. We're more than happy to help." The wolf nodded. The area opened up as they were on the top of a little slope overlooking a field towards the left and rows of apple trees to the right. Buildings appeared in the distance beyond the edge of the apple orchard.

          “And this is the first orchard, which has tasty apples." Pylo happily mentioned as they continued walking. Dante noticed weeds were encroaching upon the dirt road, another sign of declining use.

          “So why are you three going to this town?" The human curiously asked.

          “Trent is a beautiful town known for its arborists, as you already know." Asaru mentioned. “But we want to find out if there's any more information about the skeletons. Sightings, or anything really."

          “And I like to look at the marketplace as well." Rowen spoke up. After passing the apple trees, they approached a modest sized plot of land was being tended to by a lone raccoon. The soil was rich and dark in color while she used a hoe to till the ground. The female was topless, not at all minding how her naturally hanging breasts openly swayed from bending forward and digging up the ground, but the pants and hat she wore spoke of some agrarian modesty that the wolves didn't possess.

          Chickens were foraging around the freshly tilled earth and nearby grasses while the raccoon worked. However, the working woman paused and looked up at the wolves and human approaching along the dirt road.

          “Is that you Rowen?! Pylo?" She called out and waved at them.

          “Hey!" Rowen waved and trotted over with Pylo followed by Asaru and Dante.

          “Don't you dare pass by my home without visiting!" She playfully scolded them. The raccoon had a cheerful rustic accent that was warm with hospitality.

          “Hah! I was wondering if you would recognize us." Rowen smiled as they met at the edge of the hand tilled field.

          “I haven't seen any of you in weeks!" The bare chested raccoon gave all three wolves a hearty hug.

          “I know! We need to visit more often!" Pylo laughed.

          “Heh. You just appreciate my cooking." She pointed out with a friendly smile.

          “It certainly is tasty."

          “Where's your husband at?" Rowen noticed she was alone. “He should be doing all of the digging, not you." The wolf teased.

          “He's up in the hills working with an arborist." She pointed with the wave of a hand. “I'm sure he will return right after I finish up out here." She found it funny.

          “What brings all of you here? Something at the market, or something more serious?"

          “Unfortunately, it's more serious." Pylo rubbed the back of his head.

          “We will be going to the market though." Rowen chimed in.

          “Ah, I understand." Abigail gave a sober nod. “All of the bandits have fled since the start of winter. I suppose that's the only good thing to come of it." She shrugged matter of factly. “I just had my crossbow restrung too."

          “Heh. No one would mess with you armed." Asaru smiled and they shared a laugh.

          “Well who do we have here?" The raccoon looked at Dante curiously with a slight grin, but didn't reactively cover her chest in his presence. If anything, the human stood out in the group.

          “This is Dante." Rowen introduced the human. “Dante, this is our good friend, Abigail."

          “It's nice to meet you, Abigail." They kindly shook hands.

          “It's nice to meet you too. What are you traveling with these wolves for?" She gave them a silly wink.

          “I'm hoping to officially become a scholar."

          “Ah, you are?" She looked at him eagerly.

          “I was looking to study and research with arborists since Trent is well known for its work with trees and plants."

          “Well, you came to the right town, er, but maybe not the right time." Her grin faded. “Some of the arborists have left given everything that's happened this winter."

          “I hadn't considered that." Rowen admitted.

          “That's not surprising given everything that's happened as you mentioned." The human agreed. “I think the skeletons don't want me to come through and do any research." Dante joked and held up his bandaged arm.

          “Oh my! You poor thing!" The raccoon's face lit up in sympathetic surprise at the human's injury.

          “Thankfully I was saved from a worse fate." He looked at the three wolves accompanying him.

          “I would expect no less from these three." Abigail smiled at the wolves.

          “It wasn't exactly charity work, just doing the right thing."

          “If any of you are feeling charitable then I could use some help out here." She offered with a friendly smile.

          “I'll meet up with you three in the afternoon." Pylo agreed to help and stepped forward.

          “One lucky volunteer!" Abigail beamed a smile and picked up her hoe. “Let's get back to work then. I appreciate it."

          “Don't work him to death." Asaru teased.

          “Hah. I've already done most of it myself." The raccoon laughed. “You three take care!" She waved.

          “Thanks!" Rowen, Asaru, and Dante resumed walking along the dirt path passing by Abigail's farm and house.

          “She's very friendly." Dante spoke up.

          “Abigail is wonderful." Rowen commented. “If we finish up early here, I'll have to pester her about cooking." He joked.

          “She'll have you working out in the field next." Asaru teased her brother.

          “Have faith in Pylo! He's an older wolf, but they'll finish up before us." He smiled. Turning a slight bend around a small grouping of conifers, they had full view of the town immediately before them. There were no gates, only the dirt road connecting to a street bordered by small homes with gardens and other buildings. Larger houses with farmland and pastures stretched out beyond the denser buildings where a few cows were grazing leisurely amongst freshly flowering daffodils.

          “Here's the town of Trent." Rowen stated as they walked into the urban environment.

          'I'm only a day late.' Dante thought to himself. Considering what could've happened the previous day, he felt lucky to be a mere day late. There was an air of normalcy in the town despite the dangers in the nearby forest. A middle aged mink was working with a badger to repair a wheel on a handcart. A pair of red vixens were walking along the street, quietly gossiping amongst themselves. 

          “It's a little smaller than where I live." Dante noticed. 'And few humans.' He spotted a middle aged woman working at a bakery shop.

          “There's fewer people than when we last came here." Asaru quietly noted.

          “Yeah." Rowen agreed as they passed by a coughing cougar who entered a home. After walking down the street and turning a corner, they entered the small town square only to find hardly anyone there.

          “Is there no market?" Rowen was surprised.

          “Is today supposed to be a market day?" Dante asked.

          “Yes. They used to hold the market here every week." The wolf looked around.

          “Maybe more people have left than we thought." Asaru guessed. “The young woman who sews beautiful clothes had already left last time we came here."

          “Sheesh-oh?" Rowen turned as a sheep trotted up to them. It stood there with the three and wiggled its little wooly tail.

          “Hey there little fella." Dante pet the affectionate animal.

          “Maybe the sheep have secretly taken over." Asaru giggled and teased her brother.

          “Sorry!" A pine marten darted out and grabbed ahold of the animal. “She's the most difficult out of the entire flock."

          “She's a friendly sheep." Dante pet the soft animal.

          “She looks tasty." Rowen said much to the owner's discomfort.

          “Rowen…" His sister frowned.

          “What? We clearly don't need the wool." He pointed out. Asaru rolled her eyes as Dante held back a laugh. The sheep nudged the human's hand for more pets.

          “Are you two from the hot spring village?" The pine marten guessed.

          “Yes, we are!" Rowen happily stated. “Can you tell us anything about the skeletons in the forest the past month?" Rowen inquired. “Part of the reason why we are here is to ask if anyone has seen anything recently."

          “I've heard some terrible things about what is going on."

          “Such as?"

          “Several townspeople have seen them during the late evening and early night. One farmer was attacked earlier in the winter. A militia was raised to try and fight them off, but almost no one volunteered."

          “Have you seen them?"

          “Yes." The look of worry on the marten's face was real. “When I was at my home in the fields, it was almost dark when I saw one trotting across the grass. I was terrified and told my wife and children to hide. The only weapon I had was a knife besides farming tools. I locked the door and blew out the candles to watch from a window. There was nothing else I could do, but it didn't attack any of my livestock." He happily noted and patted the sheep's head.

          “What happened after that?"

          “It went across the field slowly, pausing several times, before turning and hurrying off in another direction. I haven't seen one since then."

          “Does anyone have any theories on why they appeared and are causing trouble?"

          “I've heard some guesses, but no one really knows why." The marten said. “Someone told me it could be a curse, another mentioned an evil sorcerer lurking around the forest, or maybe the local bandits did something to cause this. Although, I have no idea why either." His sheep baaed when he finished.

          “Thank you for telling us all of this. Our village is in the middle of the forest." Rowen told him. “We've had to fight them on a few occasions."

          “Best of luck to y'all. I truly mean it." The pine marten nodded.

          “Take care." They bid the pine marten farewell and kept walking.

          “That's odd how that one didn't attack any livestock." Dante noted.

          “Yeah. Maybe they only attack people." Asaru mentioned.

          “Let's ask someone else." Rowen meandered around the mostly empty town square before approaching a young red fox who wore a charcoal colored robe.

          “Hello there!" The vulpine greeted them warmly enough. “I'm sorry, but the shop is closed today. I'm just tending to my plant." He gestured to the potted sapling.

          “Hello. We're not buying anything. What can you tell us about the skeletons that have been roaming around the forests this winter?" Asaru asked the fox.

          “Oh. Everyone is worried about them." He readily spoke. “I've heard about a bandit disappearing during one night by a merchant who visited a few days ago. Another bandit told him the story about the creature appeared with dull red glowing lights in its eyes when it attacked them."

          “When and where did this happen?"

          “He didn't say what day, but it happened recently. I haven't seen any myself."

          “You haven't?"

          “No." The cloaked fox shook his head. “I'm not from this town. I'm a sorcerer's apprentice keeping watch over the shop that my uncle owns." He nodded over his shoulder. “He left town about two weeks ago."

          “How many others have left?"

          “I don't know." The fox admitted. “But it is quite a few given how quiet the town has become."

          “What kind of plant is that?" Dante curiously eyed the potted plant.

          “This is a weather tree." The young sorcerer happily showed them a young sapling with green leaves already emerged. “Its leaves will change color depending on the forecast."

          “I could tell you the weather by looking around outside." Asaru grinned.

          “Yes, but the weather tree will predict what hasn't happened yet." He explained with enthusiasm.

          “That's impressive." Rowan said.

          “What will it predict right now?" Dante curiously looked at the small tree.

          “I'm glad you asked!" The fox clasped his hands together. “Let's find out. Dante watched with intrigue as the energetic red fox tapped the pot. A few seconds passed by before everyone exchanged glances.

          “Is the tree asleep?" Rowen held back a chuckle.

          “Hmm… maybe if I-." The young sorcerer tried to touch the plant itself only for the twig to bend away much to everyone's amusement.

          “Heh." Dante let a laugh slip out.

          “Eh, they are known for being stubborn." The fox shyly grinned.

          “I see." Asaru grinned.

          “Sorry, I'll have to do a little bit more research." The fox apologized.

          “That's fine. Thank you for showing us." Rowen said before leaving.

          “Take care."

          “So I'm guessing the arborists you're looking for would be the Green Company run by the Hawthorn brothers?" Rowen asked Dante.

          “Yes. How did you know?"

          “They're the most well known group around this area, and have a second office in another town further west. Their building is across the street here." Rowen pointed and led the human to a tall yet narrow three story building with a heavy door. “I haven't interacted with them before, but I'm sure Abigail and her husband have."

          “Thank you. I appreciate it!" Dante eagerly ascended a pair of stone steps. For a moment he felt bad about parting ways with the tribal wolves, but he had research to do to become a scholar. The human knocked on the door before grabbing the handle only to find that it wouldn't budge. The door was locked.

          “Uh oh."

          “Closed until further notice." Dante read a hanging sign in dismay.

          “Abigail was correct. There aren't many arborists left in Trent." Rowen whispered to his sister.

          “Or well trained sorcerers." Asaru added. Dante turned around and felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

          “I'm sorry that you couldn't find the people you were looking for." Rowen felt sympathetic towards the human.

          “I should've expected as much." The human stated soberly.

          “What did you plan on doing now?" He asked, but Dante felt unsure what he should do next.

          'If I tag along with Abigail and her husband, I may be worked to death.' He thought about the raccoon lady tilling an entire field by herself. 'Then again, the fox sorcerer didn't strike any confidence in me either.' The young vulpine lacked experience to say the least, and other arborists had left Trent entirely. That left him to stay with the wolves and look into the mysterious skeleton presence. However, that was fraught with its own dangers.

          “I'm afraid I haven't quite made up my mind yet." Dante admitted with a lack of enthusiasm.

          “That's fine. Don't worry about it." Rowen reassuringly spoke. “So what do you do back in your home town? Since you work for a library, I'm assuming reading and writing are most common." Rowen curiously asked the human.

          “Maintaining records and keeping track of town documents for the most part." Dante began. “In Malomasso dairy farming is popular, but not everyone is literate. I did well in a small local school so I was originally taken as an apprentice at the library."

          “Any other talents or interests that you like to focus on?" He asked.

          “I'm afraid the only interesting thing I know is how to break locks." Dante admitted.

          “Well, that can be useful."

          “Yeah, but it can get me into a lot of trouble too. Locks are used to keep things secret or protected."

          “Sounds like there's an experience you should tell us about." He grinned.

          “I'm afraid it isn't very exciting, but if I was caught then I would've been kicked out of the library altogether." Dante feared. “It's illegal to break into something."

          “Fair enough." Rowen shrugged. “You can come back with us to our village in the meantime." The wolf offered. “And if you'd consider it, you can always help us with the skeletons."

          “Well…" Dante hesitated only for Asaru to interrupt.

          “Are you sure you'll be able to help us?"

          “Why are you asking him that?" Rowen looked at his sister.

          “He can't fight any of the skeletons. We know he isn't a warrior." She pointed out with a quick glance at the human. “It's difficult enough for any wolf warrior to fight the undead."

          “We can't just cut down every skeleton that rises from the grave!" He argued with her, and looked at Dante, but the human had already turned away. The human felt a little dejected from the wolf's dismissal on top of the arborists' absence. Rowen brought an arm around his shoulders and stepped aside with him.

          “Don't mind her." He whispered to the human. “She's the type of person who takes a while to warm up to someone." Rowen reassured him. “Trust me. I'm her brother."

          “Thanks." The human didn't know what to say.

          “Let's get Pylo and go home." Rowen suggested. Asaru gave a nod of approval. The trio left the town empty handed with only some extra second hand information about the undead skeletons prowling the forests. A rabbit darted into the field as they approached Abigail's home.

          “Looks like they finished up." Rowen smiled. They spotted the raccoon sitting with her back against a fence post. Her hoe was propped up beside her, and holding her hat. Pylo was seated near her in similar fashion.

          “Hey!" Pylo and her waved. The wolf and raccoon rose up from their comfortable spots and approached the dirt road.

          “That didn't take long." The raccoon spoke up. “How was town? Quiet, ain't it?"

          “Yeah, it was sad to see." Asaru said. “There wasn't much of a market either.

          “Get any information that you were looking for?"

          “Unfortunately, nothing entirely new." Rowen shrugged.

          “I'm surprised you're still with us, Dante." The older wolf noted. “Maybe that's a sign you'll end up helping us after all."

          “He hasn't decided on what to do yet." Rowen explained. “Like you said earlier, most of the arborists have left town."

          “The group I was looking for have left town." Dante added with an unfortunate shrug.

          “I'm sorry to hear that your bad luck isn't letting up. You can always stay with us." The raccoon offered and pointed over her shoulder. “My husband knows the arborists around here pretty well, even if most of them are gone, and you won't be bored either."

          “Thank you. I'm returning to their village for now, but I'll keep that in mind." Dante told her.

          “You're welcome."

          “Thank you for keeping Pylo busy." Rowen joked.

          “Heh. I didn't work him too hard. Yours truly did all of that already." She winked.

          “I'm sure of that." Rowen grinned as Pylo shrugged. “We'll come by and visit again."

          “You better come by and visit." She eyed all three wolves in a friendly threat before they departed. “Take care and come visit more now that the weather is warming up!" Abigail called out after them.

          “Yes ma'am!" Pylo called back.

          “We'll come during a storm!" Rowen teased, but smiled and waved. Ascending the gentle little slope, they walked along the forested path as they had done before. Leaf buds were visible on many trees, and birds were still chattering. The forest would return to a lush green very soon.

          “That's rain." Asaru spoke up. Dante glanced up and heard a soft gentle patter. He hadn't noticed until she had spoken up.

          “Wasn't there heavy snow just recently?" He joked.

          “March is a funny time of year where winter fights to stay and spring must win out to arrive on time." Pylo joked.

          “Hah. That's a good way of saying it." The human grinned.

          “Stop." Rowen paused and looked to his right, ears attentive. The wolf's gaze was stoic and unmoving.

          “What?" Dante looked around the trees.

          “Can you hear it?" He whispered, but Dante failed to notice anything.

          “Are those cries for help?" Asaru stepped towards the edge of the pathway. Dante looked at them both in confusion, but Pylo's ears perked up as well.

          “Only one way to find out." Rowen walked off the path and into the forest.

          “What exactly are you three hearing?" Dante whispered to Asaru as they followed.

          “Cries." She whispered back. “Cries for help."

          'I hope everything will be okay.' Dante thought to himself and quietly stepped behind her. The trees and foliage prevented them from seeing very far in any direction. There was no doubt in the human's mind that he would've become lost on his own.

          “Help…."

          “Help!" The distant cries finally reached the human's ears.

          'There are people crying for help!' Dante heard them clearly. They hurried through the undergrowth and stumbled upon a small clearing in the midst of the forest.

          “Oh my ancestors…" Asaru's jaws gaped open. Dante's eyes widened in surprise at what they had found. A barred carriage wagon of sorts was abandoned with two wheels stuck in the mud. No draft animals were attached to the front, but four ladies were inside huddled together under blankets. Three of them were young adult humans, but the fourth was a female Doberman. All of them were otherwise naked, and shivering feebly in the cold air with meager blankets to cover with.

          “What happened?! Who are you four?" Rowen ran up to the barred wagon with Dante, Asaru, and Pylo beside him. The trapped women crowded up to the metal bars together, speaking frantically with wide eyes.

          “Help us!"

          “Help! We are trapped!"

          “Thank goodness we are saved!"

          “Those thugs ran away and abandoned us."

          “Who?"

          “The ones who captured us."

          “Captured, eh?" Rowen tapped the bars keeping the women imprisoned. “What happened to your captors?"

          “They were attacked earlier during the morning by… these monsters."

          “Monsters?"

          “Yes!"

          “There was a terrible sound from the forest and these scary skeletons emerged from the brush." One woman shuddered from retelling the morning's events.

          “The skeletons!?" Dante looked around, half expecting one to emerge.

          “Mmhm!" One teary eyed woman nodded. “They had glowing red eyes."

          “Everyone ran screaming, and left us here." The Doberman concluded. “The monsters followed them."

          “Free us!"

          “Please! We're freezing!" Another woman's teeth chattered. They needed to act fast to rescue to women.

          “I'll look for a way to open this." Rowen stated. “Asaru, you and Dante look around the ground for a key or something. Pylo, check the brush around here." He quickly ordered.

          “On it!" Pylo darted away while Dante and Asaru scanned the leaf littered ground. It only took several seconds before the human found something of interest.

          “There are plenty of human footprints." Dante noted the impressions in and around the mud. They were all going in one direction just like the carriage, indicating that people had fled together.

          “Those aren't the only prints in the mud." Asaru pointed out indentations that bore claws. Dante looked closely and felt uneasy as he looked at the imprints of bones.

          'There certainly was an attack.' Dante noted the messy ground. He could imagine how chaos must've erupted in an instant as the carriage was suddenly overwhelmed by the skeletal monsters.

          “I found one of the guards!" Pylo called out from somewhere nearby.

          “You did?" Rowen called over his shoulder.

          “He is dead." Pylo answered. Dante shuddered at the news.

          'I hope we are not next.' He fearfully thought.

          “Have you found anything yet?" Asaru asked while studying the ground.

          “Unfortunately, no." He couldn't find anything other than numerous footprints scattered around before leading off into the woods. The human didn't dare follow them.

          “I found the lock!" Rowen called out and tugged at the bars only succeeding in rattling the iron barred door. The trapped ladies huddle close to the door, desperate to escape. Their hands grasped at the bars and reached through the gaps.

          “Find any key-? Wait!" Rowen paused. “Dante, can't you break this lock?"

          “Break it?" The human scurried over with Asaru.

          “Yes, you told us earlier how you could break into locks." He recalled. “Can you attempt to break it?"

          “Uh, I can try." The human's eyes darted from the wolf to the iron lock to the desperate ladies inside.

          “Hey! I didn't find much on the guy I found." Pylo quickly returned. “No keys."

          “Thanks. Dante is going to open the lock though."

          “Um. I need something made of metal to stick in the keyhole." Dante felt the pressure of the situation as the naked imprisoned ladies shivered together.

          “I've got a knife." Rowen pulled out his knife and shoved the tip into the opening.

          “Yes. That should work." Dante carefully placed his palm atop the knife's end and applied a little pressure.

          “Perfect." Pylo felt optimistic and watched closely. The human took in a hasty breath and then exhaled.

          “Aremrelio Lexant!" He exclaimed only for silence to return. Everyone looked, but the lock remained steadfast.

          “Anselmeru Lexant!" Dante tried again with a variation, but nothing happened again.

          “Did it work?" Pylo whispered.

          “Try again." Asaru insisted.

          “Sorry!" He gripped the knife nervously and felt unsure while everyone watched him. “Maybe I was right the first time." Dante told himself and tried a third time.

          “Arenrelio Lexant! A-!" Dante gasped as the lock opened forcefully, and the gate gave way.

          “Thank you!" Each lady said as they jumped out of the wagon. Asaru and Pylo gave a triumphant clap and bark. They huddled close together for warmth, but thanked the wolves as well.

          “Nicely done." Rowan patted the human's back before retrieving his blade.

          “Yeah." He took a deep breath of relief only to notice something peculiar around the ladies necks.

          “Those look like slave collars." Dante observed a metal ring around the Doberman's neck.

          “Slave collars?" Rowen gave the human a serious look before taking a peek himself.

          “Yes, slavery has been illegal for many years, but everyone knows what the old collars look like. Anyone engaged in the practice can end up in jail, or be forced to pay an enormous fine if they're wealthy enough to avoid imprisonment."

          “Do all of you have them around your necks?" Asaru asked. The freed ladies looked at one another and quickly nodded.

          “Yes! We all have them."

          “Did someone put this around your neck?" Rowen asked the canine.

          “I don't know…" The Doberman thought for a moment but couldn't recall. The rest of the women looked equally puzzled and didn't speak.

          “Do you know how captured you?"

          “We can't remember anything!" The Doberman lady said in frustration.

          “We only remember our names, and that we were captured." The woman with short wavy blonde hair added. Rowen, Asaru, and Dante glanced at one another.

          'That's very odd.' Dante realized something was afoul.

          “Something's not right… Those aren't just collars. They're memory charms." Asaru observed the back of the Doberman's collar.

          “What? How do you know?" Pylo inquired.

          “There's a marking on the back of each one." She pointed out. “See?" They looked closely at a unique, puzzling set of inscribed white symbols.

          “This is all done on purpose then." Rowen frowned. “Is removing slave collars similar to destroying locks?" He asked.

           “Y-yes, but I don't know…" Dante nervously stared at the symbols, and started to sweat as he thought of information he hadn't used in some time.

          “Well?" He asked.

          “I don't know how to remove them safely. I'm afraid breaking them the wrong way may be harmful." He was afraid to tamper with the collars.

          “No problem. It's too cold to worry about removing them right now anyway." Rowen observed their shivering. “Let's hurry back to the village so they can warm up and recover." He ordered. Without wasting another moment, they hurried through the forest back to the dirt path as the light rain dissipated from above.

***

          The freezing women were brought as quickly as possible to the wolf village and taken to a guest lodge with a warm fire.

          Dante watched from across the room by peering around a wall. Asaru and a female elder who understood some magic had just finished removing the collars from the four kidnapped women. It was a little comical seeing the four beautiful ladies lounging around the hearth, completely oblivious of their nakedness. They seemed so innocent to everything that had transpired. It was a relief that they had been rescued with little trouble.

          'They are all in good health, and beautiful.' Dante noted. 'No wonder a bunch of thugs would kidnap them for a lot of money.' The three humans and Doberman had very attractive figures. Their breasts were modest in size but nicely rounded. The three women had thick dark bushes of hair concealing their womanhoods with some modesty; their legs were toned and supple with soft fair skin; and each of them had nicely styled hair. Their hands and feet were not scarred or rough. They certainly weren't prostitutes by any measure. The Doberman of course had fur that appeared smooth and soft. Her hands and paws were delicate like the human women.

          Asaru spotted Dante and walked towards him.

          “The elder said that they'll be okay. These memory charms only work when worn, but once removed their effects fade very quickly."

          “So there's no permanent damage?"

          “No." She shook her head. “She told me that the way they work is that it contains one's memories to a very recent time." She held up her hands cupped together. “But they will be fine now."

          “That's good to hear." He grinned with clasped hands. The wolf gave him a curious stare. “My hands are still cold." He rubbed them together.

          “Humans rely on their clothing." She mused.

          “We have to." He insisted only to look over as the elder wolf approached them. Her fur coat was white and brown with hints of grey and even black along her extremities. She wore a lengthy loincloth with decorative tassels and a half poncho garment around her shoulders that covered most of her upper body. Her long dark brown hair was adorned with feathers and a few beads.

          “Hello, I am Hulipi." She briefly introduced herself. “Thank you for helping to free them." The old female wolf smiled gratefully, showing all of her teeth.

          “Oh, you're welc-ome!" Dante was surprised as the elder gave him a strong hug. A clawed hand fervently patted the human's back

          “Heh." Asaru found it humorous.

          “Let me know if you need anything." The elder told him once she undid the tight hug. “Thank you again."

          “Thank you." He bashfully spoke as she left them alone.

          “Hulipi didn't scare you, did she?" Asaru teased but didn't received a response. “Hey, are you okay?"

          “Huh? Yeah." He simply looked away, unsure what to say.

          “You look tense. Let's go for a walk." Asaru suggested.

          “Okay." He followed her outside. It was warmer, but still cool, and all of the snow had melted from the morning and brief drizzle. Dante could hear a few pups playing somewhere nearby, squealing happily and yelling. Besides that, the quietness was peaceful. He spotted a pair of wolves tending to a lengthy clothesline, and another carrying water in a bucket. It was a nice calm environment, but he could easily imagine many people visiting for the hot springs under normal circumstances.

          “It is quiet." Dante spoke as they leisurely walked along a pathway bordering several vacant guest lodges.

          “Yeah, it's a little odd for the village to be this quiet." Asaru admitted.

          “Is that really bad?" Dante wondered how the village would handle the problem.

          “Thankfully our village is more than just a hot spring for travelers, or we would have had a worse time this winter." She noted.

          “I thought Rowen said that hunting was the only other mainstay for your village?"

          “That's true, and hunting has taken a hit as well, but we are largely self sufficient." She explained.

          “That's good." He gave a simple nod.

          “So what's got your mind worried?" She asked.

          “Do you think the ladies will recover quickly?" He asked.

          “They should be okay." Asaru was confident as she spoke and walked. “Like I said before, such memory charms do not last very long on their own. They should remember the most important things by tomorrow, and then everything else in just a few days. There shouldn't be any problems."

          “That's a relief." Dante blew a content sigh.

          “You were just happy to see a bunch of naked humans." She teased.

          “Pf. You can pay to see that in any city." He half laughed.

          “But you didn't have to pay this time." Asaru winked at him.

          “I could just look at you… you know?" Dante suddenly felt his cheeks turn red and he bashfully looked away. The wolf's ears perked up in surprise at the comment, but she ended up smiling.

          “This will sound strange, but the village feels normal again now that you and the four women are staying with us for the time being." Asaru mentioned. “We would always have visitors during the wintertime."

          “Is it normal for you to have several naked women lodging in one room?" Dante half joked.

          “Since we are known for our hot springs, it's common to see breasts and bushes around here. Is that what you call the low patch of fur? Bushes?" She asked. Dante felt his face redden somewhat at her casual question.

          “Uh well, yeah." He rubbed the back of his head as a mental image of the four naked ladies they rescued formed in his mind.

          “You're acting modest now." She giggled. “Humans are always scared to even say such things."

          “It's just funny that you-uh talk so openly about it." He shyly grinned.

          “It's no different than shedding." Asaru brushed it off.

          “So… How did you recognize the symbols on the back of the collars?" He changed the subject.

          “I just guessed." She admitted. “They're wearing slave collars and they happened to not have any recent memories, including their names. I just made a guess from that."

          “I think slave traders do that to make… all of that easier." Dante shuddered at the thought.

          “If someone tried to put one on me, I'd use every claw and tooth on them." She wiggled her nose defiantly.

          “Anyone attempting that would be foolish." He admired her strength.

          “Some people do anything when they're desperate." She told him.

          “What do you mean?"

          “Decades ago when slavery was still semi-legal, some wolves were captured by bandits and sold as slaves. Hulipi's brother who has since passed was one of them. Luckily, they all managed to escape."

          “Oh. Wow." He realized why the elder was very happy towards him earlier.

          “When I told you about the scars on my back, I could've suffered a similar fate." She pointed out.

          “She still didn't need to thank me." Dante downplayed it. “I only played one small part."

          “Nonsense." Asaru stated. “You don't have to refuse any praise or thanks after helping."

          “I never would've heard them calling out for help." Dante thought aloud. “Even if I did, I might've just imagined it was the wind. They could've froze to death." He felt a chill run up his backside.

          “Humans don't have exceptional hearing like wolves do." Asaru told him. “That would not be your fault. Besides, you helped break the lock for us."

          “I want to help, but I don't think I can." He admitted. “You said it yourself back in town." Her ears fell back briefly from his comment.

          “I'm sorry for doubting your help earlier today." She apologized. “It may have taken you more than once, but you did break that lock and set them free. Have a little confidence in yourself." She suggested. “You helped us."

          “Thanks." Dante felt her honesty.

          “When I first saw you I thought you were a warrior, and I couldn't really see how someone else could help us. I was disappointed, but that doesn't mean I can't teach you a few things about combat." She added with a small grin.

          “Well… I'm still not sure…" He didn't know what to say. 

          “I'll tell Rowen that you'll be staying longer." She mentioned. Dante paused in his step before continuing alongside the pretty wolf. Her tail swayed very subtly behind her steps. He didn't say anything but had a feeling that she would put him to the test somehow.

          'Maybe I should've stayed with Abigail and worked on her land.' He wondered what the female wolf had in mind as his decision had been made entirely by someone else!