Read Online Wizard's Heir (A Bard Without a Star, Book 1) by Michael A. Hooten - Free Book Online Page B

Nose’s time grew closer,
and she rarely left the den. He hunted for her, bringing her his kills. It
took most of his time, but he was happy to do it for her. One morning, Moon
Howl said, “I go to the hunt, my love.”
    “Don’t leave,” she said. “I
know my time is near, and I do not want to be alone.”
    “You need to eat, for the pups.”
    “I am fat from sitting and
doing nothing. I will be fine for a few days.
    Moon Howl crouched beside her
and nuzzled her. “What is wrong?”
    “Nothing,” she said. “I just
don’t want you to leave right now.”
    “But how is it different from
any other hunt?”
    She licked his paws, not
answering. After a bit, she said, “I worry that you will not return.”
    “There are no other large
hunters in the area. Why would I be in danger?”
    “It doesn’t feel like danger,
not exactly,” she explained. “I just worry that you will leave, and I will
never see you again.”
    “My love,” Moon Howl said, “Nothing
would stop me from returning.”
    It took a while, but she
finally relented, and he set off for a spot that had been especially rich
lately. He trotted through the forest, feeling contented despite his mate’s
unease. The feeling lasted up until he was deep in the forest, where the light
was dim and green even at noon. A movement off to his left caught his eye, and
he turned to see something glowing a little ways off. His hackles rose, and he
felt a growl in the back of his throat.
    Stiff legged, he walked toward
the unknown glow. As he got closer, he saw the figure of a man, sitting at his
ease about five feet off the ground. The man had a snow white beard and blue
eyes. Moon Howl felt two names come to mind; first, Math, and then Gwydion.
    Math said, “It is time to
return to the world of men.”
    Moon Howl remembered that
world, and he whined. Math removed a rowan wand from his sleeve, and before
Moon Howl could run, he felt it strike him across the shoulders.
    Gwydion knelt on the ground,
feeling disoriented and nauseated. His hands seemed alien, and when Math told
him to stand up, it took an effort to remember the motions necessary. He
swayed as he looked at his uncle.
    “It is time to come home,” Math
said.
    “This is my home,” Gwydion
said.
    Math shook his head sadly. “You
are but a visitor here, a stranger who has sojourned for a season.”
    “I have a mate, and pups on the
way.”
    “And they will thrive and
prosper, I am sure,” Math said. “But they must do it without you.”
    “It’s not fair,” Gwydion said.
Even to himself it sounded like a petulant whine.
    Math looked genuinely sad. “When
I was your age, learning these lessons, I felt the same way. The world is not
interested in how we feel about it, however; disappointment is as certain as
death, and sometimes just as bitter.”
    “I have to go back to the den,”
Gwydion said.
    “She will not recognize you.”
    “It doesn’t matter. I know
what I promised to her, that I would return no matter what. I have to know I
kept that promise, even if she does not.”
    He turned and began walking,
not even caring if Math was following him. He paused for a moment to get his
bearings; everything looked so different now that he was upright. And unable
to smell.
    He made it to the den more by
luck than skill, and peered in. Smooth Nose was licking the caul off of a
small blind pup, and another lay nearby, yawning. She looked up and saw him,
and made a low growl in her throat. He opened his mouth to respond, but could
not think of how to express his feelings from human to wolf.
    They stared at each other for
some time. One of the pups, in a fit of exertion, crawled to the lip of the
den and tumbled down to land at Gwydion’s feet. Smooth Nose let out a worried
whine, which only intensified when Gwydion bent and picked up the little blob
of fur and feet. He smoothed the still wet fur on the pup’s head, and lifted
him to look him in the face. The pup yawned and rested his chin on