"Grim Wolf" A Tundrawolf Story

Part Six "The Rescue"

"Hullo there, Rangers!" the Little Flier hollered down to the two Sea Marines. "Sure be taken your sweet time gettin' down here did ya! Don't mind me, I just be hangin' around waitin' for a wee bit a help. Bet your glad me and me sis didn't take our time comin' ta your rescue! Ya wouldn't have thought ta bring a wee bit 'o' rope with ya? Unless you two fellows see a different way down that I be missin'. Well...? " From behind goggles of crystal clear quartz the Little Flier glared down at the two. His fists were on his hips as he hung swinging in his harness.

The twins sat on their War-horses looking up at the little dangling body. Both had their hands resting, lax, on the pommels of their saddles, their mouths were open and a look of surprise was on their faces at the reception they had just received.

"I'm thinking we leave him up there," Kaleb said quietly to his brother.

"Well, he did help in saving our lives," Kal whispered back. "Maybe he'll be a little politer once we get him on the ground. Let's see if he finds some manners, if we leave him hanging just a little bit longer."

"We don't have a long enough rope," Kal yelled up to the little man. "My brother will stay here in case the Grim Wolves return. I will be right back," Kal turned Brandy and nudged the big War Horse into a gallop back up the hill.

"Don't go anywhere!" he yelled out as he left.

"Don't go anywhere! Bloody hell, very funny that one. Very clever he is," the Little Flier shouted down to Kaleb. "I thought Rangers had more of the manners and always be prepared."

"Well, to be fair, we thought you were dead," Kaleb said. "My name is Kaleb and that was my brother Kal. We are not Wolf Pack Rangers, we're just wearing the armor. We're Sea Marines along on the journey to help Natalia, and we are at your service!"

"Oye, don't you be the talkative one," the Little Flier said. "My name be Tac, Tac Wind, and that be me sister flying up above, Till Wind. We be told 'bout you two by the Wizard Loke. It be he sending us to be watchin' over you. Seems like we found you just in the nick 'o' time, never seen so many of them black devils in all me life! Oye, looks like me life be saved, here be your brother now."

Just then Kal came riding back holding a burning torch in one hand and his bow in the other. Slung across one shoulder was a thick coil of rope. A handful of arrows he pulled from the bodies of dead wolves poked out of the quiver on his back. As he rode up to his brother he started tying one end of the rope to one of the arrows.

"Why, you took your sweet time Marine, lost all feeling in me legs! Hey now, what's that bow and arrow for?" Tac asked.

Kal was pulling at the bow string while aiming it up towards the Little Flier, he then nocked the arrow with the rope tied to it and aimed it at the Little Flier. He smiled and handed the bow to his brother saying, "Lucky for you Kaleb is here. He's a much better shot than me."

Kaleb took the bow and aimed the arrow at a branch just above the Little Flier. He pulled half way back and shot the arrow in a gentle arch up and over the branch. The coil of rope that Kal laid upon the ground let out quickly as the arrow came falling down to the earth. Kal held onto one end of the rope while Kaleb went and took hold of the end with the arrow. They each pulled the rope tight and walked it close to the Little Flier.

"Think you can get yourself down with that little man, or do you want one of us to climb up there and get you?" Kal said once they had the rope in place.

"Oye, little man is it! I can manage on me own, thank you, you big lug, make no mistake. We be having' words when I get down there, that be for sure," the Little Flier mumbled the last part under his breath as he pulled the rope close.