Chapter Nine: The Second Battle

... the wolves attack once more

The farmer’s son was about to wake Lemuel to ask if he knew anything about the hermit’s disappearance when the quiet was shattered by the frantic neighing of Laoakan’s horse.  The assistant himself was screaming, as he urged the poor beast towards the small camp.  Grabbing his long sword, Calmando was about to confront the half crazed horse and rider when he heard the snarls and howls of the wolves that were following behind.  Realizing that he was outnumbered, he turned back to the governor’s nephew and yanked him out of the bedroll.

“Get up!” Calmando cried, pulling Lemuel behind him. 

With a loud cry, Laoakan turned the stallion towards where the pair stood.   He kicked the heaving sides of the stallion mercilessly with his heels.  Reacting with fear, panic and blind loyalty, the horse galloped as fast as his ebbing strength would allow " while the wound in his neck gaped even wider, spilling his blood faster.  The wolves, too, ran after their prey with renewed vigor, their hunger and bloodlust fueled by the stallion’s sudden burst of speed.  Their terrible howls rang louder round the canyon walls. 

Before the farmer’s son could stop him, Lemuel, now fully awake, ran to the fire and grabbed one of the flaming pieces of wood.  Then he turned towards the fast approaching figure of the mounted Laoakan, waving the torch madly and shouting at the top of his voice.

The horse suddenly reared, his forelegs clawing frantically against the blackness of the night sky, for greater than his fear of the wolves was his fear of fire.  Laoakan, unprepared for the sudden movement, lost his grip on the reins, but before he could grab hold of them again, the stallion’s legs gave way, its mighty heart had finally beat its last.  The assistant tried to kick himself free, but the strap of the bag had looped across the saddle once again, he could not get loose.  The poor beast fell lifeless to the ground, pinning Laoakan under. 

“Help me!” he cried, as the wolves surrounded him.  

Their fangs bared, they began to pull at the flanks of the dead horse, tearing at its flesh.  The alpha female jumped atop the exposed belly and bit down on it.  Laoakan felt the massive jaws of the she-wolf pulling at the soft meat mere inches from his leg.

Suddenly, the wolves turned away from their feasting.  Shouting and waving the torch and long sword, Lemuel and Calmando, reached the fallen horse and rider.  

“Keep them away for as long as possible, Lemuel, while I free Laoakan,” Calmando said.

“You do know we’ll regret this, don’t you?” the governor’s nephew answered back as he kept the wolves at bay with the torch.

Calmando did not reply.  Knowing that he could not possibly lift the dead stallion alone, he lay his sword down and grabbed the assistant’s arms and started to pull.  Laoakan moaned.  Calmando let go of him.

“Where is the pain, Laoakan?” Calmando said.

The assistant only moaned louder in answer.

“I don’t think I can hold them off any longer, Calmando,” Lemuel shouted.  The wolves had come closer again, snarling and baring their fangs.  The juvenile male lunged.  Lemuel managed to hit its snout with the torch.  It yelped and retreated behind the stallion, its tail between its legs, but it did not run away - it only growled louder.  By now, the two females had positioned themselves at opposite ends of the dead horse.  Calmando knew they were about to attack.  He grabbed the saddle blanket from the stallion and quickly wrapped it around his left arm.  With the long sword in his right hand, he stood beside his friend.

“Just remember to never turn your back on them,” he said.

The younger man nodded.  Philosophy had been one of his favorite classes under Falcon Eye and Lemuel had sometimes wondered about the reason for his own existence, his path in life and the manner of his eventual death; but being torn to pieces by a pack of wolves to save Laoakan never entered his mind.

The alpha female suddenly emitted a long howl, and the two younger wolves attacked.  Lemuel faced the younger female, swooping down on her with the lit torch.  She wheeled around and managed to elude the flame, but Lemuel quickly swung the stick the other way.  The searing heat struck her full on the face, immediately blinding her.   She yelped in pain and ran off clumsily into the dark.  Lemuel turned back towards the dead horse, when he heard a growl behind him.

The juvenile male jumped over the horse, its red eyes fixed firmly on Calmando.  The farmer’s son raised his left arm, the wolf’s jaws clamped shut just below the elbow protected by the blanket.  A vicious tug of war ensued, the male was young and probably inexperienced but he was, by far, the strongest of the three.  He bit down even harder on Calmando’s arm, at the same time shaking his head violently, intent on gnawing through the thick cloth.  Calmando could not use his sword, the beast was too close, there was no room for him to draw the blade - instead  he struck the crazed animal on the head with the hilt.  The blow hit the wolf at the top of its snout, the male immediately released Calmando’s arm.  This was all the farmer’s son needed.  Holding the sword with both hands, he swung the blade, slicing across the juvenile’s neck.  There was not so much as a whimper from the beast, its jugular vein was cut clean through " blood squirted through the deep gash and quickly matted the coarse fur around the neck.

The alpha female caught Lemuel off guard, he was not prepared for her.  She lunged at him, knocking the torch from his grasp.  He was now weaponless.  He would have to wrestle her bare handed.  Crouching down low, he prepared for her second onslaught.  The she wolf gave a low growl and leapt.  Knowing that she was aiming for his windpipe, Lemuel crossed his arms in front of him. 

Magdalo reached the camp just as the female was about to lunge at Lemuel’s throat.  With a cry, he ran towards them, his staff held in front of him.  The sound drew the she-wolf’s attention.   She jumped clear over the hunched figure of the governor’s son and ran towards the hermit instead.  This old man would be an easier prey, he would not be as strong as the other two.

Magdalo ran towards the alpha female.  He saw her sudden burst of speed, he knew she was about to jump him.  Then he remembered the dream he had.  He stopped, pushed his staff into the ground and crouched behind it.  “Help me, Magdanggal,” he whispered.  The she wolf gave one blood curdling howl and leapt into the air….then fell lifeless beside him, Calmando’s sword sticking out from its side.

Lemuel ran up to the hermit.  They embraced, then began to laugh.  Soon they were dancing around like the clowns in the travelling shows that stopped by the Great Market every few weeks. 

“What a tale to tell your children and your grand-children, eh?”  Magdalo shouted as Calmando reached them.

“What’s wrong, Calmando?” Lemuel said.

“I only found this,” the farmer’s son held up a saddle bag. “Laoakan’s gone…again.”