Gale continued walking, the weight of the wolf’s presence beside him a constant reminder that something had changed. The creature moved like a shadow, silent and observant, and Gale’s mind drifted back to the night before.

"You need a name," he muttered. "Something more than just ‘wolf.’ Something that fits... everything about you."

He paused, looking at the beast. The wolf’s coat shimmered in the dim light, the silver streaks almost ethereal. Its eyes—yellow, glowing—seemed to hold ancient knowledge.

After a long moment, Gale spoke with quiet certainty. "Varys. It means ‘shadowed one,’ but also ‘whisper,’ like a secret carried on the wind."

The wolf’s gaze met his, steady and unblinking, as if it understood. Gale nodded. "Varys it is, then."

With the name settled, the wolf let out a soft huff, as if acknowledging its new identity, and continued walking by his side.

Kayla kept tiredly walking

They traveled for days, the path growing steadily rougher as they neared the stone walls of Iekburgg. The village had always been a place of rumors—whispers about strange happenings in the woods, about men disappearing without a trace. Gale had no interest in the tales, but he could feel the tension in the air as they approached.

As they neared the village gate, the distant clang of metal on metal echoed through the morning air. A group of guards stood at the entrance, their eyes narrowing as they spotted Gale and his wolf.

One of the guards, a bulky man with a scar running down his cheek, sneered. "That beast’s not welcome here," he growled, pointing a spear toward Varys. "Turn back."

Gale didn't flinch. "Varys stays with me," he said evenly, his voice calm but firm. He wasn’t in the mood for confrontation.

The guard scoffed, stepping closer, the others following his lead. "You think you can just walk in with that thing? It’s not a pet. We don’t take kindly to monsters."

Varys’ low growl echoed through the village gate, the deep rumble of warning unmistakable. Its yellow eyes glowed with a quiet menace, and the air seemed to hum with tension. The wolf stood rigid, ready to defend.

Before anyone could act, the scarred guard lunged forward, raising his spear. "Get back, or—"

In a flash, Varys was upon him. The wolf moved faster than Gale could blink, its massive form colliding with the guard, knocking him to the ground with a terrifying force. The other guards scrambled, but Varys was already positioned between Gale and them, its growls deep and resonant.

"Enough," Gale commanded, his voice sharp. The wolf, sensing his command, stopped its advance but didn’t lower its guard. Varys stood tall, muscles rippling, eyes locked on the remaining guards.

The scarred guard struggled to rise, his face pale as he looked up at Gale. "You—"

“Tell your men to back down,” Gale cut him off, his voice cold as ice. “Varys will not hesitate again.”

The remaining guards hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. The scarred one, his pride bruised, motioned for them to lower their weapons.

"Fine," he muttered, backing off. "But you better keep that beast on a leash."

Gale’s lips twitched into a slight smile as he turned, his voice carrying a quiet finality. “Varys doesn’t need a leash.”

With that, they passed through the gate, the guards silent behind them.

Kayla kept walking until she heard a city. She didn't dare show herself yet, but kept walking the edge of the forest, barely out of sight

Kayla decided to not go into the city in fear of being taken again. She wouldn't make that mistake a second time, Gale had made sure of that. She turned and took off running back into the forest

Kayla stopped running and slowed down to a walk, sub-cinciously knowing she would be on the move all day. She hummed to herself, just giving herself something to do

The deeper they ventured into the woods, the more the sounds of the village faded away. The air grew cooler, the thick canopy of trees casting long shadows over the path. Gale adjusted the straps of his pack, glancing over at Varys, who moved with the quiet grace of a hunter. But Gale knew that despite their attempts, they weren’t exactly silent.

The sound of their movements echoed faintly through the trees—his boots scraping against the underbrush, Varys’s massive form pushing through the dense foliage. Even though the wolf moved with an almost unnatural ease, his size made it impossible to go unnoticed. The snap of a twig underfoot, the rustle of leaves—each noise made it clear they weren’t the stealthiest of travelers.

Gale’s hand tightened around the strap of his pack as he pushed forward, the silence between them not as comforting as it should have been. He was used to being followed, used to the shadows, but something about the constant awareness of their presence gnawed at him. It wasn’t just the forest that held its breath. It was the people they’d left behind.

Varys stopped for a moment, his large head swiveling as he sniffed the air. Gale paused as well, his senses on edge, but after a long moment, the wolf continued on. Despite the noise they were making, there was no immediate threat. No sense of danger.

Still, Gale couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

“Let’s move faster,” he murmured, glancing once more at the wolf.

The deeper they moved into the wilderness, the more the forest closed in around them. It felt like the trees themselves were pressing in, their ancient boughs entwining above them like a natural canopy. The quiet was thick with tension, and while the forest might have been silent, Gale knew the world around him was listening.

Varys didn’t move any faster, but the way his head turned sharply at every sound told Gale the wolf wasn’t completely at ease either. They were far from the quietest travelers—but that was something both of them had grown accustomed to.

Kayla heard a distant voice that sounded vaguely familiar. Stupid mind playing tricks on me. She thought, but fell silent and stepped over a log