Where Werewolves Roam

"We're all gonna help watch him on the way home, Lee. We all know how sick and very crafty he is," said Braugh.

That's probably a really good idea, Braugh," agreed Lee. "We don't need him rushing off into the bushes chasing some phantasm again tonight."

The small procession began to move when they noticed the phalanx of humans moving toward them, pointy end out. Braugh roared a warning at them and the whole line stopped and quivered in fear. "Leave us be," said Braugh to the men. "We're not here to hurt you!" The citizen-soldiers stepped aside out of bewilderment and the werewolf procession passed into the night.

"Everything's going too be all right, Gyr. Manscellen is not going to attack us. They're terrified of us," he soothed as they walked. Gyr nodded his understanding.

The party of werewolves made it's way through the darkened Huertgallen Forest, heading in the direction of Wolf's Glen. On the street, Lee released Gyr's paw and began to fall out of the procession to head home. He was tired after his adventure with Gyr and wanted to go home to a hot bath, a hot meal, and a warm bed.

Gyr noticed right away and turned to see the only one he considered friend fading into the background. "Where are you taking Lee?" he demanded. "We're a team! You can't take him away! I'm not going anywhere without him," he screamed through his rising mania. "Lee! Lee!" he shrieked as his entourage continued to try to prod him toward his house and jail. At this moment, he began to struggle violently and broke away from his captors to bolt into the woods.

The werewolves were surprised by Gyr, but soon recovered and were in hot pursuit once again. Gyr's manic energy outstripped what the other werewolves could manage as they chased him over hill, over dale, tracking him by his insane laughter.

The tactically aware werewolves chased and herded the big werewolf up Cliffside Mountain and managed to corral him at the point of no escape high above the river. They were arrayed in a semicircle around him with his back to the three-hundred-foot drop to the river below.

Gyr stood, terrified as he looked around at the group arrayed against him and knew that more of them were arriving every minute The odds were hopeless. and he could see that he would not win against the converging pack. Suddenly, he screamed at the top of his voice, "You'll never take me alive! Then, jumped from the cliff as the pack rushed forward in shock at what Gyr had done. "I'll get you! I'll get all of you!" he bellowed as he fell. A splash in the river far below told the werewolves that Gyr was no more.

"Nobody could survive that fall," lamented Lief as he looked over the edge of the cliff and the long way down to the river. "That's at least three-hundred-feet down." On this announcement, the entire Wolf's Glen pack began to howl their remorse. They remembered who Gyr was before he got sick. He was the life of the party and one of the most popular werewolves in town. They had loved him and would sorely miss him in the coming months.

Cathedral Clearing in the forest served as the funereal chapel for the werewolves. They didn't have a body for Gyr's casket, so they just kept the box closed. Mourners would just have to imagine as they said their last words to their friend before carrying it to the graveyard for internment.

Rex stood in front of the assembled villagers. "We're here today to honour a great werewolf, Gyr. Gyr was taken from us way too early and stricken down at so young an age. We're all going to miss him in the coming months. He was always the life of any party and a deep thinker to help you figure out your problems. Gyr could be depended on day or night to help with whatever needed to be done, be it chop firewood, hunt, stand sentry or whatever else was at hand. We will sorely miss our dear old friend and only wish him well in the next life."

Each member of the pack strolled forward and placed his hand on the box, whispering a silent prayer for their old friend in his final journey. Work was suspended for the day, and everyone went to quiet places to contemplate and reflect on Gyr, how life was with him and how different things would be now that he's gone.

Wolf's Glen was quiet once again with the sudden disappearance of Gyr. The population began to relax and get back to normal relations with each other again, but signs that they all missed their old friend were everywhere. The general state of anxiety was reduced to almost zero. Once again, Wolf's Glen was a productive community.

They all hoped it would stay that way but knew that, sooner or later, that happiness would be shattered and all of them would be forced to once again take up arms to defend themselves. Until then, they would take their peace where they could get it.