Tying up the Story

Battered, bloody and reverted back to his human form again, Kane's body hangs hog-tied beneath the main beam of one of the spiked palisades. In spite of the multiple arrows and sword blows, the wolf-man just refused to die. It was only the purity of Liga Bur's small, silver kukri that seemed able to cause the supernatural creature any serious harm.

All four members of the party, mostly healed and back on their feet, stand around their unconscious assailant and discuss what to do with him. Regardless of the obvious danger in keeping Kane alive, Fortu spots an opportunity to redeem a previous mistake. In their haste to escape the Lightning tree, they'd not asked any real questions, despite the monstrous plant bragging of all the secrets it knew. Surely the wild-forest-living Kane would possess useful information about the mystical Dryad pool?

They watch him for a moment, face downward, each gasping breath causing his barrel chest to swell and the ropes to tauten, even as his hot blood drips from multiple wounds onto the cold earth beneath him. After a short debate, Rifkin heals Kane just enough to rouse him.

Stifling a guttural moan, the brutish looking man's eyelids blink open and, realising his predicament, he thrashes and strains against the tightly secured ropes. It's pointless though, in his human form he's simply not strong enough to break the tough bindings. Instead he twists his head to look across at Liga Bur with a resigned 'Well what?' expression.

His captors take turns asking questions, each one paying carefully attention to Kane's answers.

Fortu leans in first and asks their most pressing question.

"Why were you tracking us?"

Craning his neck, Kane appears momentarily nonplussed.

"Why? So I could prevent you from finding the Goddess of the Pool. I'd accidentally discovered your tracks leading from the War carcass and was merely hungry but when I'd realised that the wretched Lightning tree had given you the means to actually find her, I doubled my efforts."

Arowe arches one of his elegant elven eyebrows and asks the second question.

"And why would a monster such as yourself, care about that?"

Kane smiles bitterly.

"Whatever you may think of me, I was a good man once. I had a life full of optimism with friends and family. That was all before I was afflicted by this curse though. Now I'm little more than a feral beast, living just to stalk and devour its prey. Despite being this 'monster', I still remember my old friends and, although I'd probably try to eat them if I saw them, I've not forgotten my loyalty to them."

Schooled in the lore of fables and legends, Rifkin's eyes shine with tears and empathy.

"Poor beast; that's tragic. And this 'Goddess of the Pool', she was one of your friends?"

Surprised by the Bards' unexpected and heartfelt sympathy, Kane's eyes momentarily well up in response before anger flares in them again.

"Many years ago, Estrid and I were... more than just friends. I loved her and despite everything I've become, I'll see you all dead before you get within another mile of her!"

Roaring with rage, Kane's body spasms wildly and, even as his human form begins to swell and transform, his rope bindings threaten to snap. Fortunately for his three companions, the ever vigilant Liga Bur's focus never wavered from his task. As soon as he spots his prisoner's blood suddenly, unnaturally congeal, the Halfling darts forward and drags his silver blade cleanly across Kane's exposed throat.

After a few moments of impotent writhing, the look of gurgling surprise is frozen on the dead werewolf's face. His decades old curse is finally broken.