[ALANOR]
The old man just looked at Alanor, almost like he was expecting the angry outburst. the child was right. They had done so much damage to his family. But there was still more than met the eye, and the only way Alanor would find that out, was if he listened.
"Some questions are better left unanswered, young Wynter. When the time comes, fate will give you the answers you seek. But for now, say goodbye to your parents, and don't come back to Udrad, at least not for now.
"You know they will spite you. They will make you leave either way, so while it's still peaceful for you, leave. And if my offer interests you, just know there will always be a room in Greroth waiting for you to occupy. Until then, goodbye, child. And may the stars guide you" The old man said as he locked the Udrad gates.
The man hadn't lied one bit about what would happen if Alanor stayed, but was that supposed to make the kid happy or sad? Sure, his life would be saved, but at what cost? So much had already happened, So much had already been lost, but even then, hope was all he had.
Alanor was yet to process everything that the man had said. For all he could think of, the man was probably blabbering. So shaking his head, the young Wynter rushed to the hound territory, to be with his parents.
However, at the back of his mind, Alanor knew better. He knew that this wasn't just a coincidence and while he was too young to understand how the fates worked, he would understand everything. Bit by bit. Only of he lived long enough, which at the moment, didn't really seem like a good idea to him.
Maybe he would sit there and wait to be attacked by the hounds for him to be with his parents. That seemed like a better option than living life alone. He was a lycan and naturally, he was stronger than the hounds, but the kid didn't feel like fighting anymore.
Alanor was tired of everything.
Taking one last look at what had been his home for the longest time, Alanor wished to never come back here. He hated this place and would pay everything just to never show up here. He wanted a different life, but he was alone.
An orphan with nowhere to go except the direction of the hounds, the vilest creatures that the goddess had created. It was almost like they were created to annoy everyone around them, but then again, those were just speculations.
Alanor didn't want to think about the hounds because he didn't care.
He would do whatever it took just to get to his parents and see for himself where they were, and where their dreams as a family were shrunk.
'I have to make it there. I really have to. So help me, goddess.'
Running through the forest, Alanor had one goal. To meet his parents, or rather, to get to their graves, if there were even graves. He wasn't sure that the old man at the gates had told him the truth, but then there was only one way to verify it.
He had to find his way through the dangers and head south.
The young boy knew Udrad wasn't so kind, and he knew there was a chance that the king would come and get his parents from where they were buried and actually feed their bodies to the wild dogs. And so he ran, barefoot in a forest filled with thorns and spikes.
The border.
His desperation was so harsh to the point that he didn't care about the bruises he got while running or even the pain he was experiencing. His body physically hurt and after running for an hour, the boy figured it was time to see if he had lycan speed.
The Lycan children normally got their abilities matured when they hit fifteen, so young Alanor knew this was just him hoping. He knew it was probably going to be a failure, but he knew he would rather try and fail than not try at all.
So he tried the first time and failed. A few more tries and Alanor was hopeless. He wasn't sure any of this would work. His body was slowly giving up and he had nothing to rely on and no one. Maybe he could just give everything a rest and let it all unfold.
He had already lost everything and had nothing more to lose. So dejected, the kid slowed down, taking slow steps in the directions where his parents were. The forest was big and getting to the farthest end, needed someone to have a mature Lycan's speed.
A regular Lycan would be able to walk to that end day. And that was a matured lycan. So what of him, a kid who hadn't eaten since morning and was barefoot? There wasn't so much to hope for and for the second time, Alanor Wynter slumped on a tree back, and slept.
If this was to be his end, then he would let it be. He didn't care anymore. He didn't have to fight. He was done and tired of all that had happened to him. He had no other reason to hope.
'This is it, for me mother, I know I wanted to hold on a little longer, but the night is almost here. If I don't see you tomorrow, then I guess we'll meet in the afterlife, mama,' Alanor said to himself as he finally let himself go.
Alanor didn't know how long he had slept before he was woken up by a group of hunters a few meters away from him. They were loud and annoying, Alanor wished he could just make them shit up. His head was hurting so bad, and their chatter wasn't making git any easier on him.
"You think the hounds will show up today?" One hunter asked his friends. Alanor couldn't make out how many there were, but he knew there were a number of them. No one in their right mind would show up in this cursed forest just because they wanted to stroll.
There was a reason this forest was used for trials only. Because apparently, no one would ever miss the people locked out of the kingdom.
Either they were dog food or they were hound food. But whichever way, the hounds were way too cruel than the dogs, which made this the befitting punishment for Alanor's parents.
"Of course. I know they'll be here in three hours. Until then, we stay in the dark and wait. Last time one of those beasts almost bit my legs, man" another hunter said while Alanor was listening for footsteps. Even though he was tired, he knew he needed to be alert.
As much as he wanted to be hound food, he didn't want the stupid human hunters to know he was here. A few more steps in his direction and Alanor knew there were four hunters. He knew they had no senses so they wouldn't be able to know that the young lycan was here.
These people probably never knew that there were lycans in the unclaimed forest.
"You whine a lot man, let's shut it until we hear them come, okay."
"Fine."