Chapter 10: The Quest of Vengeance
Back in the valley the following day, Robert and Viggo were once again sitting in lawn chairs on the slab of stone that jutted out from the ruins of Kate and Humphrey’s den. da this time, the humans had made themselves at home in the valley, setting up numerous tents and campfires. They had made it into just another campsite.
Viggo had cleared out the rubble from where Kate and Humphrey’s tana, den used to be and had set up a regular tent in its place, leaving his own personal one back at his main campsite. The rocky outcropping had survived the explosion with only a minor crack in the stone. Viggo and Robert sat atop it and gazed out at the valley below them as they spoke.
“I have a question, Viggo,” Robert said.
“Go ahead, Robert,” Viggo replied.
“Why do te have it out for this wolf?” Robert asked. “What did he do to you?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Viggo said. “Let me tell te a story. But I must warn you, it’s quite long, so te better grab something to drink.”
Robert took two bottles of birra out of a nearby cooler. He handed a bottle to Viggo.
“When I was a boy,” Viggo began, “my parents and I loved to go camping out in the woods successivo to the town in which we lived. My sister never wanted to come with, so she always stayed behind with a family friend.
“We would go to the same spot every year, and nothing bad ever happened despite a lupo pack residing in the woods in which we camped, but that was alright because they never bothered us. Until one anno when I was ten.
“The giorno started like any other. We set up camp and had fun exploring the woods. That night, we were roasting marshmallows over the campfire when we heard howling close by. We didn’t think anything of it at first as it was normal to hear the Lupi howling in the woods successivo to us.
“However, this time was different. The howling began to get closer until I spotted two pairs of eyes watching us through the trees. Two Lupi appeared out of the darkness and jumped on my mother and father. Without a secondo thought, I took a log out of the campfire and threw it at one of the wolves. My hand was burned, but I didn’t give a damn at the moment.”
Viggo pulled the guanto off his right hand showed Robert the burn marks on both the front and back of his hand, as well as the deformed skin on his fingers. He put the guanto back on his hand as he continued talking.
“The flaming log hit the lupo on his side and his pelliccia ignited and burst into flames. Both Lupi ran off into the woods. I was too late though, and both my parents died in my arms. From that giorno forth, I vowed to have revenge and kill the lupo that took my parents from me if he had indeed survived that night.
“You and I met not long after as te know. However, I would sneak back into the forest to the spot where my parents were killed, studying the nearby woods, venturing deeper and deeper every time I returned.
“I excelled in school and graduated early, which gave me più time to find the lupo pack. I went into martial arts and quickly progressed to a black belt. I then decided to continue my quest for vengeance, but first, I needed to learn how to track an animal through the woods, o I’d never get anywhere. So, I took tracking classes.
“That same year, I made my first kill. I was out again, looking for the pack when I was confronted da a female wolf. I managed to kill her and as a trophy, I took one of her fangs, which I later made into a pocket knife. I found out later that she was Mick’s mate, one of the Lupi in the group that came to rescue Humphrey’s sister.
“Anyway, a anno later I returned to the area and ventured back into the woods. As I’d hoped, I eventually came across a small lupo pack. Specifically, a few Lupi gathered around a mother who had just recently dato birth to a pup. I quickly deduced that the Lupi gathered around the pup must’ve been closely related somehow. I wasn’t certain that this was the pack I was looking for until one of the Lupi moved and I caught a glimpse of another lupo behind him. One with a large burn mark that covered the entire right side of his body and much of his back where the pelliccia never grew back. I knew immediately that this was the lupo that killed my parents. I had found the pack. Now I just had to exact my revenge, and I got the perfect idea on how to do that. Unfortunately, I stepped on a twig and was forced to leave before I was discovered.
“Over the successivo three years, I continued to return and watch the pack and I soon discovered that this pack’s territory wasn’t very large, which was good news for me and made my plan that much easier.
“One winter day, I came across an interesting sight. I was sneaking around as I usually did, when I heard a commotion at the superiore, in alto of a nearby hill. I looked up and I saw a lupo pup sliding down the collina in a log. I looked closer and I realized that it was the same pup whose birth I stumbled upon three years prior. My plan began to fall into place.”
“What was your plan, Viggo?” Robert asked.
“It was quite simple, yet the perfect way to make that lupo feel the pain I felt when he killed my parents. They say that Cani and Lupi don’t have emotions, but I can tell te beyond a shadow of a doubt that they do. However, I had to make some changes to my plan because, of course, I didn’t want to get hurt o killed in the process.
“I was known da almost everyone in the small town, which was another crucial part of my plan. As te know, the nearby town where we grew up dealt in an extremely illegal practice which was capturing animali from the forest and selling them as pets. Luckily, this went unnoticed da the Canadian government and I used it to my advantage.
“I planned on hiring two people who regularly dealt in this illegal business to go out and capture the two youngest pups, the purple one, and the lupo I am chasing right now, Humphrey, for whom my quarry would harbor the most affection.”
Robert began to speak up, but Viggo stopped him.
“You needn’t worry about how I know his name, nor about how I can understand their way of communication,” Viggo said. “All in due time, my friend. Now, back to the story.
“I wanted the men to bring the two pups to the shelter where I would then stop da and buy them. I then planned to take them back to the pack and proceed to kill them in front of every lupo in the pack, and make that lupo feel the same pain that he made me feel before killing him as well.
“I spent three più years patiently waiting for the opportune moment. And eventually, it came. I noticed the two younger pups and their parents leaving the pack. I followed them for around ten minuti and I soon realized that this was the moment I had been waiting for. I rushed back to the town and I ran into two people who happened to work for the shelter. I talked to them and told them that I’d pay them handsomely if they went and caught two lupo pups for me. I told them exactly where they’d be, and they left. They wanted the money right away, but that was no concern of mine. I waited for them to return but when they did, something happened that put a serious dent in my plan.
“When the two brought the pups to the shelter, they told the man at the counter about the nearby pack of wolves. That sparked a panic in the town and soon enough, everyone rushed off to get rid of the wolves. When I arrived, it was already too late. The pack had been decimated and most of the Lupi killed, unfortunately including the one that killed my parents. I noticed Humphrey’s parents still alive on the ground, so I simply raised my pistol and shot them. Not to put them out of their misery, mind you, no. I was simply angry. Years of work, planning, preparation, had all come undone because two idiots decided to tell the town about the pack. All was not lost, however. I could still exact my revenge. I would just need to alter the plan a bit. The parents were already dead, so that was out of the way. I noticed many, many pawprints leading away from the battle and into the forest. I knew the oldest grandpup was with the surviving wolves, but I didn’t dare go after him. The pack would have no doubt killed me on sight.
“My only other option was to go through with the other part of my plan and kill the two remaining pups. However, on my walk back to the town, I noticed strange marks on the ground. When I looked closer, I realized that they were tracks made from a cage rolling down the hill. One of the pups had, apparently, fallen off the cargo letto of the truck and rolled down the steep hill. I decided against going after him for the time being, seeing as how the collina was too steep to try and climb down and the sun was beginning to set.
“I was soon made busy for the successivo week o so and was unable to pick up the other pup at the shelter. When I eventually did get enough time to go and get her, it was too late. At around midday, I went to the shelter to pick up the purple pup. As I was walking in, I passed a man carrying a crate, but I thought nothing of it. I entered the building and asked about a purple lupo pup but the man at the scrivania, reception told me that she had just been bought da someone else. Realizing that the man I passed on my way in was the man that had bought the pup, I ran back out and saw him get in his car and drive off. Now I had no choice but to go after young Humphrey.
“Another week passed as I gathered everything I would need to survive in the woods. As I was about to leave, I was stopped da my sister, who insisted that I abandon my useless quest. We got into a very heated argument and it eventually became a little physical. That was the last time I saw her, but I don’t regret anything that happened that day. I heard she’s now working as a park ranger for Jasper. As if she believes these are creatures that should be protected and not exterminated. I was prepared to find and kill this lupo pup no matter what. Nothing was going to stop me from completing my task, no matter how long I had to wait. Which, of course, nothing did stop me. That’s why we’re all here, after all.
“I ventured back to the spot where the cage rolled down the hill. As I reached the bottom of the hill, I found the cage, broken open at the base of a tree, but this was no surprise. About half a mese had passed since this happened and there was no way the pup still would’ve been there. I was excited. I was enjoying this opportunity of a chase through the forest. I knew that little Humphrey already had a great head start on me, so I had a lot of ground to make up. Over the successivo two o three weeks, I continued to track him through the forest, quickly making up for Lost time. At first, I put many hours into my search, moving during both giorno and night. Eventually, I laid eyes on him, not two meters from where I was hiding. I was about to sposta in for the kill when I heard rustling in the bushes nearby. I got down and stayed hidden, hoping that whatever it was would pass by.
“But it didn’t. Soon enough, a coyote emerged from the bushes and approached Humphrey. I waited patiently for him to leave, only he did the exact opposite. He stayed with the pup and protected him. The two of them didn’t let each other out of their sight and I was forced to carefully trail them and wait for the right moment once again. Another mese passed when I got the perfect idea on to get rid of the coyote who had proven to be such a pain in my ass.
“I noticed that the two hadn’t drank in a while and they would most likely be heading toward the nearest fonte of water. Luckily, there was a lake about two miles ahead. They would no doubt be headed there soon, as even I could smell the moisture from the fog and mist the lake created. The large amount of mist also reduced visibility drastically, which was a key part of my plan.
“Before I left the town, I packed orso traps as a safety precaution to place around my campsite every night. I set one up near the lake in the mist and then returned to my campsite and moved it downwind of them so they wouldn’t pick up my scent. All I had to do now was wait. It didn’t matter who got caught. If the coyote was caught, the pup would be defenseless and on his own again. If the pup was caught, then that was even better because he couldn’t get away while I dealt with the coyote.
“When morning came, I carefully approached the lake and sure enough, something was caught in the trap, but I couldn’t see it well enough in the mist. I got closer and realized that it was the coyote. A bit disappointing, I’ll admit, but the plan was successful, nonetheless. I had no quarrel with him, so I simply set him free and watched as he ran into the woods. I turned and followed the tracks past the lake and into the woods. I was so close now. So close to achieving my goal.
“I tracked Humphrey all giorno and almost overcame him when it began to rain heavily, and I was forced to set up camp as best I could. He, no doubt, would’ve had to find shelter just like me, so I wasn’t all that worried about him getting too far ahead. Unfortunately, I underestimated the resilience and persistence that he had gained from the coyote because he didn’t take shelter that night. He kept going.
“Sometime during the night, I was suddenly awoken da a loud crash of lightning that had struck nearby. I didn’t think much of it and went back to sleep, the greatest mistake I would ever make. Later that night, my tent was destroyed da the strong winds and I had to build a lean-to to finish the night under. I spent most of the morning cleaning up my campsite, so I wasn’t able to leave until midday. But da that time, I was too late.
“I came across a fallen albero that had no doubt been struck da lightning. I figured it was the same strike that woke me the other night, judging from how far it was from my campsite and how loud the boom of thunder had been. I noticed many, many pawprints in the dirt around the tree, which led me to an upsetting conclusion. The albero had fallen on Humphrey, trapping him for the remainder of the night. Judging from the prints, he wasn’t freed until a few minuti before my arrival. I had the opportunity to get my vengeance once again and once again, I had missed it.
“There was no time for regret. Humphrey, had protection again, even più so than last time. I knew taking on an entire pack of Lupi da myself was suicide, so all I could do was sit and wait. Humphrey remained a part of the pack for a little over a year, during which I returned to the town and resupplied. Eventually, I finally had some luck.
“Humphrey was banished from the pack. Why, though, I cannot say. At that time, I was only just beginning to understand the wolves, so I couldn’t entirely make sense of what they were saying. However, my luck didn’t last for long. It seemed as if the universe was protecting this rascal because as soon as I began to follow him, it became far too dark to see much. I, once again, had to wait. I woke the successivo morning to find that luck was, yet again, not on my side.
“I followed the tracks into this very valley, which was inhabited da a fairly large pack of wolves. Once more, Humphrey was now protected. I set up camp outside of the wolves’ patrol route so they wouldn’t spot me.
“After a few years of not a single opportunity, I knew that Humphrey had found a comfortable home with this pack and wouldn’t be leaving for quite a while. So, over the successivo few years, I traveled across Canada and made a name for myself in the lupo community, exterminating entire lupo packs. There were very few instances where some Lupi escaped. They soon gave me a suitable nickname that I like quite well, and it still holds up to this day; The Wolfslayer.
“I returned to the town and enlisted in the military where we met again. After we served for a couple of years, I left and returned to the Western Pack, as the Lupi call this place. And as I’d predicted, Humphrey was still here. He had definitely grown up and despite all the hatred I harbored for him, I couldn’t help but feel proud, having watched him grow up, as if he had become a sort of ‘son’ to me. I don’t know why, but it may have simply been my humanity getting to me. Whatever the reason, I suppressed it and got back to business.
“A couple of days after I returned, I forged my sword. Over the successivo few weeks, I noticed something. Humphrey now harbored feelings for another wolf. I observed the Lupi here for another five years o so and over the course of those five years, I picked up on some pretty peculiar things. This pack was much smarter than any other pack I’d seen, o maybe I just hadn’t taken the time to pay attention to any of the others. This pack had their own set of laws and even their own sort of annual holiday.
“Every year, in early spring, the Western Pack and the Eastern Pack would meet for a sort of howling related mating ritual. Knowing this, I began formulating a plan to capture Humphrey. He was obviously in Amore with one lupo in particular, but every year, he never took the opportunity during the mating rituals, o the Moonlight Howl, as they called it.
“I must admit, I was quite confused about it until I realized something. It seemed to be a widely accepted law among the Lupi that the alphas and the omegas were never to mate. This realization accelerated my plan as it relied heavily on the fact that Kate, the female that Humphrey was attracted to, was still single at the time.
“In 2011, around five years after I returned, I found three men who worked for the Animal Relocation Society down in Idaho. I drove down and talked to them a few days before the Moonlight Howl was set to take place. I told them of two Lupi up north in Jasper Park that I believed would greatly help in repopulating the Lupi in the Sawtooth National Wilderness in which they worked. I told them where they were and gave them photographs of Kate and Humphrey as a reference. They thanked me for telling them and headed off toward Jasper while I remained in Idaho near the release site, waiting for the two to arrive.
“A few days passed and eventually, the giorno of the arrival came. I waited a half a mile o so away from where Kate and Humphrey were supposed to be released. I waited for an ora o so, and then I began to head toward the release site. Right away, I noticed two sets of pawprints sprinting off into the woods and I eagerly followed. The hunt was on.
“The tracks led to the edge of a cliff and continued at the bottom. How they managed to safely get down, I did not know. I followed the tracks to a golf course where I found something interesting. Feathers and bird tracks to go along with them. What followed was an even stranger mess of drag marks which led to a river. I followed the river until I reached a rest area where the tracks picked up again. I noticed something that was beginning to turn the tide in my favor. The tracks were getting fresher. I was gaining on them.
“I continued to follow the tracks which had now seemed to merge with the birds’ tracks. Apparently, Kate and Humphrey had made a few new Friends who were trying to help them to return home. Unfortunately, I Lost them momentarily when the tracks stopped at a cabina where they were replaced with tire tracks. Kate and Humphrey had hitched a ride back to Canada. I went all the way back to my truck at the release site and got onto the road and followed it, checking road maps every so often to be sure I hadn’t made a wrong turn whenever I came across one, which was rarely.
“I eventually had to stop for gas so, I reluctantly stopped at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere to refuel. I pulled in just as a small camper was pulling out. As I was waiting for my tank to fill up, I noticed the fence at the back of the building near the dumpsters had a large hole in it which was still smoking, possibly from a gunshot. I went to investigate, and I saw two pairs of lupo tracks. I was closer than I had previously thought. I quickly finished refueling and moved my truck into the woods successivo to the road and then rushed back and followed the tracks.
“It began raining, but it didn’t hinder me. The tracks led me to a ravine with fast flowing water at the bottom. As I tried to figure out how to safely get down, I looked over at the bottom and that’s when I saw them. They had reached the other side and were calmly walking away.
“Although I knew I had to get to them quickly before they got too far ahead, I couldn’t risk hurting o even killing myself trying to get down. It took più time than I would’ve liked, but I eventually was able to reach the other side. The rain was coming down harder than ever and there was no moon in the sky that night, which made it pitch black outside. It wasn’t ideal, but with the heavy downpour mixed with the low visibility, I didn’t have much choice but to find the best shelter I could. I awoke early the successivo morning to get underway as soon as possible.
“I followed the lupo tracks to a small, abandoned den, where they turned and headed up a nearby mountain. But I didn’t follow. I knew where they were going. This whole ordeal had taught me that these Lupi were incredibly smart. I knew they would be heading toward the train tracks at the bottom of the mountain, which lead directly past their pack.
“I climbed down to the bottom of the mountain da the tracks and waited. They would no doubt be coming my way to get to the train, which had almost arrived. I waited and waited, and yet there was no sign of them. I saw the train come around the corner and was growing impatient and frustrated. Over the loud roar of the passing train, I heard a faint sound up on the mountain. I looked up and to my surprise, I watched as Kate and Humphrey jumped off the cliff in an old log and flew directly into an open boxcar. The train passed too fast for me to do anything and soon they were gone.
“Disappointed at how spectacularly this brilliant plan had failed, I eventually found my way back to my truck and drove back to Jasper; back to my campsite. When I arrived, I happened to stumble upon a sort of wedding between Kate and another wolf. I began to return to my campsite when I heard an approaching stampede. Chaos erupted in the valley and when the dust cleared, it looked as though Kate was dead. She woke up, however, and the wedding had continued, this time, Kate and Humphrey were the two who appeared to be getting married. This turn of events was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. I knew that this was going to change everything since an alpha and omega mating was forbidden da most packs. I then returned to my campsite.
“A couple of months passed during which tensions among the Western Pack and other packs were high, since they broke their own pack law. Tensions were especially high with a particular group of Lupi who seemed to want to break away and Kate had become pregnant.
“Over the successivo couple of weeks, she became unable to hunt so Humphrey ended up temporarily joining the hunting party and the group of Lupi who wanted to leave became upset once Humphrey joined the hunting groups, probably because he was an omega.
“One day, Humphrey was attacked da the leader, who was banished on site along with all of his followers. Kate then went into labor. She gave birth to three pups. In the five years that followed, the Lupi that broke away mainly stayed away from the west, forming a very aggressive, all-alpha pack that later was referred to as the Rogue Wolves.
“One day, around five years after the Rogue Lupi broke away, something happened that sent Humphrey and Kate into a panic. Their youngest pup had been kidnapped da these wolves. Little did I know it at the time, but this sparked the beginning of a series of adventures the family would go on over the course of the successivo year. I didn’t tag along for most of them, as I knew one way o another, they would be back.
“Over the course of the successivo year, the Rogue Lupi were a persistent problem for the Western Pack. Eventually, though, the Rogue Lupi ceased their attacks for a while and there was a anno o so of peace. Then, Humphrey began retracing his past through the forest and eventually returned to the spot where he was kidnapped. I alerted a couple of men in the town to his presence, hoping they would kill him, and while they did manage to injure him, he was able to escape. I came to te afterward and asked te to attack the pack with some of my men. I did the very thing that foiled my original plan all those years ago; I told the town about the Western Pack and convinced them to attack it. I knew that they wouldn’t be able to defeat the wolves, but they would at least tire them out and make it easier for te and your men to finish them off. te attacked and captured Humphrey. But te failed to bring him before me. te heard the sound of many Lupi approaching so you, how did te put it? Dropped the dead weight?”
“Viggo,” Robert said. “I’m sorry, I-“
“No need to apologize, Robert,” Viggo replied, placing a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “I actually thank you. Because of your mistake, this game has become far più fun than it would’ve been otherwise.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, I left to go and find Humphrey, which began a seventeen-year-long game of Cat and topo, mouse between the two of us, very fun, might I add. I began to form the Crimson Pack right after his apparent ‘death’ and sent them to attack the Western Pack once they grew strong enough as Humphrey and I continued our little game.
“It ended just last year, when I finally caught him. I pinned him to the ground and told him of how I’ve always been watching him, how I’m the cause of all the trouble and misery in his pathetic life. Then I gave him a parting gift, ‘a little something to remember me by’ I believe are the words I used. I gave him the mark of the Crimson Pack, to remind him that he will never live in peace again, always having to look over his shoulder, around every corner for fear that I will be there, watching him. I returned to the main campsite in the woods and, well, the rest is history. The Crimson Pack returned and told te of their defeat at the hands of Humphrey’s pups, te contacted me and we planned our attack, your plan failed and then I took over, and now here we are.”
Robert detto nothing after Viggo finished telling his story, in awe at the incredible tale that had just been told.
“I agree, it is certainly quite the tale,” Viggo said. “I’ve been trying to get him my whole life, and now I can feel him within my grasp. But to achieve that goal, we need to get back to the task at hand, so-“
Viggo got up and set up a foldable tavolo in between them. He reached down into the bag that was sitting successivo to his chair and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper. Viggo unrolled it and placed it down on the table. A map of Jasper Park was laid out on the tavolo as Robert stood up to look at it with Viggo.
“Where were we?”
Back in the valley the following day, Robert and Viggo were once again sitting in lawn chairs on the slab of stone that jutted out from the ruins of Kate and Humphrey’s den. da this time, the humans had made themselves at home in the valley, setting up numerous tents and campfires. They had made it into just another campsite.
Viggo had cleared out the rubble from where Kate and Humphrey’s tana, den used to be and had set up a regular tent in its place, leaving his own personal one back at his main campsite. The rocky outcropping had survived the explosion with only a minor crack in the stone. Viggo and Robert sat atop it and gazed out at the valley below them as they spoke.
“I have a question, Viggo,” Robert said.
“Go ahead, Robert,” Viggo replied.
“Why do te have it out for this wolf?” Robert asked. “What did he do to you?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Viggo said. “Let me tell te a story. But I must warn you, it’s quite long, so te better grab something to drink.”
Robert took two bottles of birra out of a nearby cooler. He handed a bottle to Viggo.
“When I was a boy,” Viggo began, “my parents and I loved to go camping out in the woods successivo to the town in which we lived. My sister never wanted to come with, so she always stayed behind with a family friend.
“We would go to the same spot every year, and nothing bad ever happened despite a lupo pack residing in the woods in which we camped, but that was alright because they never bothered us. Until one anno when I was ten.
“The giorno started like any other. We set up camp and had fun exploring the woods. That night, we were roasting marshmallows over the campfire when we heard howling close by. We didn’t think anything of it at first as it was normal to hear the Lupi howling in the woods successivo to us.
“However, this time was different. The howling began to get closer until I spotted two pairs of eyes watching us through the trees. Two Lupi appeared out of the darkness and jumped on my mother and father. Without a secondo thought, I took a log out of the campfire and threw it at one of the wolves. My hand was burned, but I didn’t give a damn at the moment.”
Viggo pulled the guanto off his right hand showed Robert the burn marks on both the front and back of his hand, as well as the deformed skin on his fingers. He put the guanto back on his hand as he continued talking.
“The flaming log hit the lupo on his side and his pelliccia ignited and burst into flames. Both Lupi ran off into the woods. I was too late though, and both my parents died in my arms. From that giorno forth, I vowed to have revenge and kill the lupo that took my parents from me if he had indeed survived that night.
“You and I met not long after as te know. However, I would sneak back into the forest to the spot where my parents were killed, studying the nearby woods, venturing deeper and deeper every time I returned.
“I excelled in school and graduated early, which gave me più time to find the lupo pack. I went into martial arts and quickly progressed to a black belt. I then decided to continue my quest for vengeance, but first, I needed to learn how to track an animal through the woods, o I’d never get anywhere. So, I took tracking classes.
“That same year, I made my first kill. I was out again, looking for the pack when I was confronted da a female wolf. I managed to kill her and as a trophy, I took one of her fangs, which I later made into a pocket knife. I found out later that she was Mick’s mate, one of the Lupi in the group that came to rescue Humphrey’s sister.
“Anyway, a anno later I returned to the area and ventured back into the woods. As I’d hoped, I eventually came across a small lupo pack. Specifically, a few Lupi gathered around a mother who had just recently dato birth to a pup. I quickly deduced that the Lupi gathered around the pup must’ve been closely related somehow. I wasn’t certain that this was the pack I was looking for until one of the Lupi moved and I caught a glimpse of another lupo behind him. One with a large burn mark that covered the entire right side of his body and much of his back where the pelliccia never grew back. I knew immediately that this was the lupo that killed my parents. I had found the pack. Now I just had to exact my revenge, and I got the perfect idea on how to do that. Unfortunately, I stepped on a twig and was forced to leave before I was discovered.
“Over the successivo three years, I continued to return and watch the pack and I soon discovered that this pack’s territory wasn’t very large, which was good news for me and made my plan that much easier.
“One winter day, I came across an interesting sight. I was sneaking around as I usually did, when I heard a commotion at the superiore, in alto of a nearby hill. I looked up and I saw a lupo pup sliding down the collina in a log. I looked closer and I realized that it was the same pup whose birth I stumbled upon three years prior. My plan began to fall into place.”
“What was your plan, Viggo?” Robert asked.
“It was quite simple, yet the perfect way to make that lupo feel the pain I felt when he killed my parents. They say that Cani and Lupi don’t have emotions, but I can tell te beyond a shadow of a doubt that they do. However, I had to make some changes to my plan because, of course, I didn’t want to get hurt o killed in the process.
“I was known da almost everyone in the small town, which was another crucial part of my plan. As te know, the nearby town where we grew up dealt in an extremely illegal practice which was capturing animali from the forest and selling them as pets. Luckily, this went unnoticed da the Canadian government and I used it to my advantage.
“I planned on hiring two people who regularly dealt in this illegal business to go out and capture the two youngest pups, the purple one, and the lupo I am chasing right now, Humphrey, for whom my quarry would harbor the most affection.”
Robert began to speak up, but Viggo stopped him.
“You needn’t worry about how I know his name, nor about how I can understand their way of communication,” Viggo said. “All in due time, my friend. Now, back to the story.
“I wanted the men to bring the two pups to the shelter where I would then stop da and buy them. I then planned to take them back to the pack and proceed to kill them in front of every lupo in the pack, and make that lupo feel the same pain that he made me feel before killing him as well.
“I spent three più years patiently waiting for the opportune moment. And eventually, it came. I noticed the two younger pups and their parents leaving the pack. I followed them for around ten minuti and I soon realized that this was the moment I had been waiting for. I rushed back to the town and I ran into two people who happened to work for the shelter. I talked to them and told them that I’d pay them handsomely if they went and caught two lupo pups for me. I told them exactly where they’d be, and they left. They wanted the money right away, but that was no concern of mine. I waited for them to return but when they did, something happened that put a serious dent in my plan.
“When the two brought the pups to the shelter, they told the man at the counter about the nearby pack of wolves. That sparked a panic in the town and soon enough, everyone rushed off to get rid of the wolves. When I arrived, it was already too late. The pack had been decimated and most of the Lupi killed, unfortunately including the one that killed my parents. I noticed Humphrey’s parents still alive on the ground, so I simply raised my pistol and shot them. Not to put them out of their misery, mind you, no. I was simply angry. Years of work, planning, preparation, had all come undone because two idiots decided to tell the town about the pack. All was not lost, however. I could still exact my revenge. I would just need to alter the plan a bit. The parents were already dead, so that was out of the way. I noticed many, many pawprints leading away from the battle and into the forest. I knew the oldest grandpup was with the surviving wolves, but I didn’t dare go after him. The pack would have no doubt killed me on sight.
“My only other option was to go through with the other part of my plan and kill the two remaining pups. However, on my walk back to the town, I noticed strange marks on the ground. When I looked closer, I realized that they were tracks made from a cage rolling down the hill. One of the pups had, apparently, fallen off the cargo letto of the truck and rolled down the steep hill. I decided against going after him for the time being, seeing as how the collina was too steep to try and climb down and the sun was beginning to set.
“I was soon made busy for the successivo week o so and was unable to pick up the other pup at the shelter. When I eventually did get enough time to go and get her, it was too late. At around midday, I went to the shelter to pick up the purple pup. As I was walking in, I passed a man carrying a crate, but I thought nothing of it. I entered the building and asked about a purple lupo pup but the man at the scrivania, reception told me that she had just been bought da someone else. Realizing that the man I passed on my way in was the man that had bought the pup, I ran back out and saw him get in his car and drive off. Now I had no choice but to go after young Humphrey.
“Another week passed as I gathered everything I would need to survive in the woods. As I was about to leave, I was stopped da my sister, who insisted that I abandon my useless quest. We got into a very heated argument and it eventually became a little physical. That was the last time I saw her, but I don’t regret anything that happened that day. I heard she’s now working as a park ranger for Jasper. As if she believes these are creatures that should be protected and not exterminated. I was prepared to find and kill this lupo pup no matter what. Nothing was going to stop me from completing my task, no matter how long I had to wait. Which, of course, nothing did stop me. That’s why we’re all here, after all.
“I ventured back to the spot where the cage rolled down the hill. As I reached the bottom of the hill, I found the cage, broken open at the base of a tree, but this was no surprise. About half a mese had passed since this happened and there was no way the pup still would’ve been there. I was excited. I was enjoying this opportunity of a chase through the forest. I knew that little Humphrey already had a great head start on me, so I had a lot of ground to make up. Over the successivo two o three weeks, I continued to track him through the forest, quickly making up for Lost time. At first, I put many hours into my search, moving during both giorno and night. Eventually, I laid eyes on him, not two meters from where I was hiding. I was about to sposta in for the kill when I heard rustling in the bushes nearby. I got down and stayed hidden, hoping that whatever it was would pass by.
“But it didn’t. Soon enough, a coyote emerged from the bushes and approached Humphrey. I waited patiently for him to leave, only he did the exact opposite. He stayed with the pup and protected him. The two of them didn’t let each other out of their sight and I was forced to carefully trail them and wait for the right moment once again. Another mese passed when I got the perfect idea on to get rid of the coyote who had proven to be such a pain in my ass.
“I noticed that the two hadn’t drank in a while and they would most likely be heading toward the nearest fonte of water. Luckily, there was a lake about two miles ahead. They would no doubt be headed there soon, as even I could smell the moisture from the fog and mist the lake created. The large amount of mist also reduced visibility drastically, which was a key part of my plan.
“Before I left the town, I packed orso traps as a safety precaution to place around my campsite every night. I set one up near the lake in the mist and then returned to my campsite and moved it downwind of them so they wouldn’t pick up my scent. All I had to do now was wait. It didn’t matter who got caught. If the coyote was caught, the pup would be defenseless and on his own again. If the pup was caught, then that was even better because he couldn’t get away while I dealt with the coyote.
“When morning came, I carefully approached the lake and sure enough, something was caught in the trap, but I couldn’t see it well enough in the mist. I got closer and realized that it was the coyote. A bit disappointing, I’ll admit, but the plan was successful, nonetheless. I had no quarrel with him, so I simply set him free and watched as he ran into the woods. I turned and followed the tracks past the lake and into the woods. I was so close now. So close to achieving my goal.
“I tracked Humphrey all giorno and almost overcame him when it began to rain heavily, and I was forced to set up camp as best I could. He, no doubt, would’ve had to find shelter just like me, so I wasn’t all that worried about him getting too far ahead. Unfortunately, I underestimated the resilience and persistence that he had gained from the coyote because he didn’t take shelter that night. He kept going.
“Sometime during the night, I was suddenly awoken da a loud crash of lightning that had struck nearby. I didn’t think much of it and went back to sleep, the greatest mistake I would ever make. Later that night, my tent was destroyed da the strong winds and I had to build a lean-to to finish the night under. I spent most of the morning cleaning up my campsite, so I wasn’t able to leave until midday. But da that time, I was too late.
“I came across a fallen albero that had no doubt been struck da lightning. I figured it was the same strike that woke me the other night, judging from how far it was from my campsite and how loud the boom of thunder had been. I noticed many, many pawprints in the dirt around the tree, which led me to an upsetting conclusion. The albero had fallen on Humphrey, trapping him for the remainder of the night. Judging from the prints, he wasn’t freed until a few minuti before my arrival. I had the opportunity to get my vengeance once again and once again, I had missed it.
“There was no time for regret. Humphrey, had protection again, even più so than last time. I knew taking on an entire pack of Lupi da myself was suicide, so all I could do was sit and wait. Humphrey remained a part of the pack for a little over a year, during which I returned to the town and resupplied. Eventually, I finally had some luck.
“Humphrey was banished from the pack. Why, though, I cannot say. At that time, I was only just beginning to understand the wolves, so I couldn’t entirely make sense of what they were saying. However, my luck didn’t last for long. It seemed as if the universe was protecting this rascal because as soon as I began to follow him, it became far too dark to see much. I, once again, had to wait. I woke the successivo morning to find that luck was, yet again, not on my side.
“I followed the tracks into this very valley, which was inhabited da a fairly large pack of wolves. Once more, Humphrey was now protected. I set up camp outside of the wolves’ patrol route so they wouldn’t spot me.
“After a few years of not a single opportunity, I knew that Humphrey had found a comfortable home with this pack and wouldn’t be leaving for quite a while. So, over the successivo few years, I traveled across Canada and made a name for myself in the lupo community, exterminating entire lupo packs. There were very few instances where some Lupi escaped. They soon gave me a suitable nickname that I like quite well, and it still holds up to this day; The Wolfslayer.
“I returned to the town and enlisted in the military where we met again. After we served for a couple of years, I left and returned to the Western Pack, as the Lupi call this place. And as I’d predicted, Humphrey was still here. He had definitely grown up and despite all the hatred I harbored for him, I couldn’t help but feel proud, having watched him grow up, as if he had become a sort of ‘son’ to me. I don’t know why, but it may have simply been my humanity getting to me. Whatever the reason, I suppressed it and got back to business.
“A couple of days after I returned, I forged my sword. Over the successivo few weeks, I noticed something. Humphrey now harbored feelings for another wolf. I observed the Lupi here for another five years o so and over the course of those five years, I picked up on some pretty peculiar things. This pack was much smarter than any other pack I’d seen, o maybe I just hadn’t taken the time to pay attention to any of the others. This pack had their own set of laws and even their own sort of annual holiday.
“Every year, in early spring, the Western Pack and the Eastern Pack would meet for a sort of howling related mating ritual. Knowing this, I began formulating a plan to capture Humphrey. He was obviously in Amore with one lupo in particular, but every year, he never took the opportunity during the mating rituals, o the Moonlight Howl, as they called it.
“I must admit, I was quite confused about it until I realized something. It seemed to be a widely accepted law among the Lupi that the alphas and the omegas were never to mate. This realization accelerated my plan as it relied heavily on the fact that Kate, the female that Humphrey was attracted to, was still single at the time.
“In 2011, around five years after I returned, I found three men who worked for the Animal Relocation Society down in Idaho. I drove down and talked to them a few days before the Moonlight Howl was set to take place. I told them of two Lupi up north in Jasper Park that I believed would greatly help in repopulating the Lupi in the Sawtooth National Wilderness in which they worked. I told them where they were and gave them photographs of Kate and Humphrey as a reference. They thanked me for telling them and headed off toward Jasper while I remained in Idaho near the release site, waiting for the two to arrive.
“A few days passed and eventually, the giorno of the arrival came. I waited a half a mile o so away from where Kate and Humphrey were supposed to be released. I waited for an ora o so, and then I began to head toward the release site. Right away, I noticed two sets of pawprints sprinting off into the woods and I eagerly followed. The hunt was on.
“The tracks led to the edge of a cliff and continued at the bottom. How they managed to safely get down, I did not know. I followed the tracks to a golf course where I found something interesting. Feathers and bird tracks to go along with them. What followed was an even stranger mess of drag marks which led to a river. I followed the river until I reached a rest area where the tracks picked up again. I noticed something that was beginning to turn the tide in my favor. The tracks were getting fresher. I was gaining on them.
“I continued to follow the tracks which had now seemed to merge with the birds’ tracks. Apparently, Kate and Humphrey had made a few new Friends who were trying to help them to return home. Unfortunately, I Lost them momentarily when the tracks stopped at a cabina where they were replaced with tire tracks. Kate and Humphrey had hitched a ride back to Canada. I went all the way back to my truck at the release site and got onto the road and followed it, checking road maps every so often to be sure I hadn’t made a wrong turn whenever I came across one, which was rarely.
“I eventually had to stop for gas so, I reluctantly stopped at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere to refuel. I pulled in just as a small camper was pulling out. As I was waiting for my tank to fill up, I noticed the fence at the back of the building near the dumpsters had a large hole in it which was still smoking, possibly from a gunshot. I went to investigate, and I saw two pairs of lupo tracks. I was closer than I had previously thought. I quickly finished refueling and moved my truck into the woods successivo to the road and then rushed back and followed the tracks.
“It began raining, but it didn’t hinder me. The tracks led me to a ravine with fast flowing water at the bottom. As I tried to figure out how to safely get down, I looked over at the bottom and that’s when I saw them. They had reached the other side and were calmly walking away.
“Although I knew I had to get to them quickly before they got too far ahead, I couldn’t risk hurting o even killing myself trying to get down. It took più time than I would’ve liked, but I eventually was able to reach the other side. The rain was coming down harder than ever and there was no moon in the sky that night, which made it pitch black outside. It wasn’t ideal, but with the heavy downpour mixed with the low visibility, I didn’t have much choice but to find the best shelter I could. I awoke early the successivo morning to get underway as soon as possible.
“I followed the lupo tracks to a small, abandoned den, where they turned and headed up a nearby mountain. But I didn’t follow. I knew where they were going. This whole ordeal had taught me that these Lupi were incredibly smart. I knew they would be heading toward the train tracks at the bottom of the mountain, which lead directly past their pack.
“I climbed down to the bottom of the mountain da the tracks and waited. They would no doubt be coming my way to get to the train, which had almost arrived. I waited and waited, and yet there was no sign of them. I saw the train come around the corner and was growing impatient and frustrated. Over the loud roar of the passing train, I heard a faint sound up on the mountain. I looked up and to my surprise, I watched as Kate and Humphrey jumped off the cliff in an old log and flew directly into an open boxcar. The train passed too fast for me to do anything and soon they were gone.
“Disappointed at how spectacularly this brilliant plan had failed, I eventually found my way back to my truck and drove back to Jasper; back to my campsite. When I arrived, I happened to stumble upon a sort of wedding between Kate and another wolf. I began to return to my campsite when I heard an approaching stampede. Chaos erupted in the valley and when the dust cleared, it looked as though Kate was dead. She woke up, however, and the wedding had continued, this time, Kate and Humphrey were the two who appeared to be getting married. This turn of events was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. I knew that this was going to change everything since an alpha and omega mating was forbidden da most packs. I then returned to my campsite.
“A couple of months passed during which tensions among the Western Pack and other packs were high, since they broke their own pack law. Tensions were especially high with a particular group of Lupi who seemed to want to break away and Kate had become pregnant.
“Over the successivo couple of weeks, she became unable to hunt so Humphrey ended up temporarily joining the hunting party and the group of Lupi who wanted to leave became upset once Humphrey joined the hunting groups, probably because he was an omega.
“One day, Humphrey was attacked da the leader, who was banished on site along with all of his followers. Kate then went into labor. She gave birth to three pups. In the five years that followed, the Lupi that broke away mainly stayed away from the west, forming a very aggressive, all-alpha pack that later was referred to as the Rogue Wolves.
“One day, around five years after the Rogue Lupi broke away, something happened that sent Humphrey and Kate into a panic. Their youngest pup had been kidnapped da these wolves. Little did I know it at the time, but this sparked the beginning of a series of adventures the family would go on over the course of the successivo year. I didn’t tag along for most of them, as I knew one way o another, they would be back.
“Over the course of the successivo year, the Rogue Lupi were a persistent problem for the Western Pack. Eventually, though, the Rogue Lupi ceased their attacks for a while and there was a anno o so of peace. Then, Humphrey began retracing his past through the forest and eventually returned to the spot where he was kidnapped. I alerted a couple of men in the town to his presence, hoping they would kill him, and while they did manage to injure him, he was able to escape. I came to te afterward and asked te to attack the pack with some of my men. I did the very thing that foiled my original plan all those years ago; I told the town about the Western Pack and convinced them to attack it. I knew that they wouldn’t be able to defeat the wolves, but they would at least tire them out and make it easier for te and your men to finish them off. te attacked and captured Humphrey. But te failed to bring him before me. te heard the sound of many Lupi approaching so you, how did te put it? Dropped the dead weight?”
“Viggo,” Robert said. “I’m sorry, I-“
“No need to apologize, Robert,” Viggo replied, placing a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “I actually thank you. Because of your mistake, this game has become far più fun than it would’ve been otherwise.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, I left to go and find Humphrey, which began a seventeen-year-long game of Cat and topo, mouse between the two of us, very fun, might I add. I began to form the Crimson Pack right after his apparent ‘death’ and sent them to attack the Western Pack once they grew strong enough as Humphrey and I continued our little game.
“It ended just last year, when I finally caught him. I pinned him to the ground and told him of how I’ve always been watching him, how I’m the cause of all the trouble and misery in his pathetic life. Then I gave him a parting gift, ‘a little something to remember me by’ I believe are the words I used. I gave him the mark of the Crimson Pack, to remind him that he will never live in peace again, always having to look over his shoulder, around every corner for fear that I will be there, watching him. I returned to the main campsite in the woods and, well, the rest is history. The Crimson Pack returned and told te of their defeat at the hands of Humphrey’s pups, te contacted me and we planned our attack, your plan failed and then I took over, and now here we are.”
Robert detto nothing after Viggo finished telling his story, in awe at the incredible tale that had just been told.
“I agree, it is certainly quite the tale,” Viggo said. “I’ve been trying to get him my whole life, and now I can feel him within my grasp. But to achieve that goal, we need to get back to the task at hand, so-“
Viggo got up and set up a foldable tavolo in between them. He reached down into the bag that was sitting successivo to his chair and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper. Viggo unrolled it and placed it down on the table. A map of Jasper Park was laid out on the tavolo as Robert stood up to look at it with Viggo.
“Where were we?”