Of how everything suddenly ended, and then started again.
"Endings, and begginings. I once heard a wise man say that, whenever something ends, something else is just born, just starts to exist, develop, unfold... Perhaps it's true. Perhaps it's just coincidence. But it's just what happened that day, the day Gareth Greymane was wrong. He entered the barracks one day like any other, and put a contract on the table. We all gathered around it to read... and then the outrage broke out. I had been named his second-in-command a couple years back, his trusted Beta, and this was the first time a serious argument broke out. He wanted us to assault a caravan, a caravan one of the many noble houses of the lands would get important supplies from... and this would, in turn, benefit another house. He didn't seem to realize, but he was getting the Grey Wolves involved in a never-ending war, a dangerous game not everyone lives through.
Still loyal and obedient, we did obey, though. I thought it would be just that contract, good coin from the nobles and we would be back in track, since our numbers did nothing but grow, and keeping everyone fed within the den was proving to be more and more difficult every day. But it didn't just end there. The great Greymane got greedy, and began accepting the upcoming contracts without even caring who wanted us to do what anymore. And with great pain in our hearts and doubt in our souls, we carried them out, for the loyalty we had sworn to the pack.
Then, one day, the disaster I had foreseen struck us. We were in one of said contracts again, apparently meant to avoid a bandit raid supported by some nobles against some other's farm. Their names? Their reasons? Do they even matter? Gareth wanted us there, and at least this time we would be doing some good. A group of five left the den that day: Illias, Breggo, Velkor, Arnor, and myself. It was a long journey, so we did stop for some rest as night closed in. Velkor offered to scout around, as we began preparing the campfire. Barely an hour later, he came back running to us. He had found something, he said. He had been following rumors about a lone old man living in the forests, an old man who seemed to own something that would bring peace between the always in conflict houses. He did encourage everyone to follow and see, and before I could object, everyone was already on their way. I followed, last, ignoring signs I now know as obvious such as the hint of a footprint that wasn't from one of ours, or a broken branch in a side of the path we didn't walk through.
We finally arrived at a single house, a humble cabin in the middle of the woods. We all took cover behind some bushes, as Velkor began telling us about how lucky we had been, and how we should seize the opportunity to set things right. I gestured him, his brother and Breggo to stay there, and took Illias with me to inspect the house. The door seemed to be somewhere on the opposite side from where we took cover, so we walked around the house, slowly and carefully, as if expecting to be jumped at any moment. We stood in front of the door for a few minutes, Illias and I, looking at each other without really knowing what to expect. Then, I knocked on the door. No response. I banged my fist roughly. Still nothing. It was then when I decided to walk to one of the windows and look through. 'Oh, come on, Bren, you and your manners...', Illias said with a chuckle as I walked off, as he reached for the door's knob, turned it and pushed it open.
'No, Illias, wai-', I began saying. I began running back to him... but it was already too late, for the so familiar clicking sound, and the sliding of rope began to be heard. A trap. Three crossbow bolts blasted through the still not fully open door, two thrusting on Illias' chest, and the third on his neck. As he fell on his back, five armed men rushed out of the trees and bushes behind us. Rage took over my every action, as I just realized we had been ambushed a minute too late, and both my blades flew out of their sheaths, thirsty for revenge. A short battle and a few bruises and cuts later, I stood there, between five dead men and a dying one. I kneeled next to my great companion and best friend, trying to comfort him, as deep inside I knew there was nothing I could do for him anymore. 'Protect them, Bren. Go back to where everything began, and protect them... from themselves, from those who mean them harm... Bren, never let anyone suffer the way we had to...'. I nodded slowly to him, said I promised I'd make everything right... and with that comfort in his soul, Illias departed our world.
I stood next to my good friend's body for a few minutes, until I realized the others may have been attacked too. I closed Illias' eyes, and picked up my swords to run for our companions, see if they were alright. When I arrived back, Breggo was nowhere to be found, Arnor laid face-down on a pool of his own blood, dead, and Velkor was kneeling next to him, hands set on his own belly, dripping with blood. I ran his way, called his name... but Velkor didn't seem to even hear me. I kneeled next to him to tend to his wound... and that's when it happened. A flash of a grin, two malicious eyes looking at me for a very brief moment, while Velkor jumped on me and ran a sword through my chest. Truth then exploded right before my eyes. Velkor had sold us out. He killed his own brother, got Illias himself killed, doomed us all... and not only that came to my mind at that moment. My parents had died before I had a chance to meet them, I was set into a miserable existance in a dirty orphanage. Years ago, five foul men tried to rape a young girl named Erin, and would have got both of us killed in our attempt to fight back. Greedy, cowardly people waged a secret war all over the land, getting innocent people involved and killed every day for their selfish purposes...
It was as if every single grief, affront and insult I had to endure for my whole life came to my mind at that precise moment, and as if I had just decided to take my revenge for everything at once at that very instant. I jumped back, the sword stuck through my chest, and I began casting a flurry of blows on Velkor with a single thought inside my head. 'I am going to die'.
Velkor was an able warrior, but the surprise and the fact he only had a dagger in his hands to defend with turned the battle on my favor. I was losing so much blood, but a greater purpose drove me to victory. Grievous cuts, broken bones... Velkor had to hold on much before I finally stabbed him through the neck with one of my blades, and left him there to meet his maker. And then I fell down on one side, as my eyes closed ready to meet mine as well, as the world turned black before my eyes... 'I am going to die'.
Or, am I?"
- Brenorn Greymane
