An immense figure sat impassively in front of a blazing fire. The flames' unpredictable flickers and minor fluctuations reflected in his eyes, the sole source of light in the rock-strewn valley where he sat.
His soldiers slept in crude tents arranged in a half-circle around the blazing fire. Exhaustion and frustration pulled them into a fitful slumber, but sleep still eluded Berik.
Three days ago, Berik and his warriors had come tantalizingly close to their targets. Unluckily, the monsters stole away during a torrential downpour, and all traces of their trail disappeared with them.
In the morning, Berik knew he would have to tell them they’d failed. None of them could bear the thought of heading home to the remains of their lives. He had no idea what they would do next.
Suddenly, Berik’s ears caught the sound of labored breathing, and a twig snapped a few feet from where he sat.
He drew his sword and ran toward the sound. Growling low in his throat, Berik raised the blade high before dropping it again in surprise.
"Nabin?"
The prostrate form of an elderly hare lay unmoving on the ground in front of him.
"Lev!" Berik bellowed. "Get over here; I need food and medical supplies now!"
One of the tents rustled, and a groggy voice said, "Eh? Da, Berik, I am coming."
Berik reached into a pack on his shoulder and pulled out a waterskin. He bent down and gently cradled the hare’s head in his beefy paw.
Leaning the animal’s head up gently, he tipped a little water into Labin’s mouth.
The hare sputtered, coughed, and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Berik, they grew wide with excitement, and the Alabai had to stop him from leaping to his feet.
"Easy, old friend, easy. You look about done in. What brings you out to this wasteland in the dead of night?"
Labin took a breath and a slow sip of the water Berik offered. Then he met the canine’s eyes and said, "Berik, it’s the Ravog. I caught sight of their army heading south in a hurry."
Berik’s features hardened. He turned his head and barked out
"Everyone up NOW!"
For some dumb reason, Substack is not currently letting me attach footnotes to my posts, so I'm adding one here for the word Alabai if anyone is interested in knowing more about why I've included it in this post.
1. Alabai, AKA the Central Asian Shepherd, Bred to defend flocks from wolves and bears, guard property and have also been used in fighting historically. Related to the Georgian Shepherd and The Kangal, this dog is a formidable nemesis of the wolf.