"Its not going to work," Arthur had long accepted that little was going to change his father's mind, for the King was far too stubborn to be easily swayed, and certainly not when his mind had been made up. All the same, Arthur had inherited the same trait and was not about to give up so easily. "He's not so stupid that he'll listen."

The King, who had come to see his son off. Not from sentimentality or love, merely a performance for the sake of one, either hadn't heard or didn't care to listen. The pair stood side by side in the cool night air, no warmth exchanged between the pair, only loveless words.

He remained in silence for a moment, before saying. "You're more persuasive than you give yourself credit for," he said simply. No tone of praise in his voice, calm and level as always. "You will come back with him."

No pressure, Arthur didn't say such aloud. "You saw what happened last time, father," he flinched. Even ten years later the memory was all too painful, the ache still filled his heart just thinking about it. "He wanted to stop the killing."

And as much as he hated to admit it, Arthur knew his father felt the same.

"Things change," the King replied. Keeping his voice quiet as not to rouse attention to their presence. It was long past midnight, their timing was carefully chosen. For the King didn't wish for anyone to know about his plan, even Robert had no idea. Though fortunately by the time he did, Arthur would be long gone on his quest.

Robert would have to wait until Arthur was back to skin the fur from his back.

"Not Charlie," Arthur said lowly. Looking down at the cobblestone under foot, anything to avoid looking his father in the eye. However, at last moment his eyes jerked upright and he caught his father's gaze. "He wanted to stop the killing."

"People are dying," the King didn't miss a beat. "Charlie can stop it, make him see that."

With a sigh, Arthur relented, shifting onto four legs. It was time and there was no convincing his father of anything else. He nudged the horse's sides with his heels, and soon they were moving. His father keeping careful pace, until they were at the gates of the castle. Looking out on the path which would lead them down from the cliff side and into town. Where Arthur would begin what would no doubt be a long search.

However, he paused just as he was about to step across the threshold and looked back at his father with a sigh. "I will try," and then he was gone into the night with a scattering of paws, and he didn't look back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been weeks since Arthur had left home, most of it taken on paw or foot. Though occasionally he had been able to hitch a ride from a local to the nearest town. Never giving tell as to who he really was, that would have been of no help.

Most of it had been spent chasing lose threads, reports of monsters and strange deaths within isolated areas of the Kingdom. Anything which might have helped him track down his brother, most of them had lead to nothing.

The most recent one, and potentially the most hopeful one had lead him northwards. To what appeared to be the only village for miles around, where he had heard tell of a monster inhabiting the woods. People turning up dead, and a multitude of wildlife being found slaughtered. It sounded all too familiar.

But then the information had been told to him in a pub populated by the largely intoxicated, so the extent to which it was reliable Arthur didn't know. However, he couldn't help but hope that at last his journey would be over.

Skidding to a stop as the trees parted, giving way to a path. It was poorly laid and a little too well trodden, but Arthur wasn't about to complain. It offered the oppurtunity to sleep under a roof instead of a tent for once, and he was all too willing to give it a go.

Changing forms, he shouldered the bag containing his currently meagre possessions in the form of a tent and a change of clothes. Arthur didn't want to hazard a guess as to how bedraggled he currently looked, but he felt he wasn't about to look out of place.

Arthur didn't have to look too far to figure out what the best course of action probably would be. The overwhelming stench of alcohol was enough to give him that evidence, and the ruckus of voices told him it was either a pub, or a very well organised brothel.

Either option would end happily in Arthur's opinion, he would either find information. Or at the very least have a good time. It had felt like years since the last time he'd enjoyed a night to himself. With better company.

Keeping himself to himself, the young wolf slipped into the pub. The sound of poorly played music caught him off guard at first, hurting his sharp hearing but he quickly grew used to the painful sound.

Whilst by no means did the smells of alcohol remind him anything of the fine wines and ports from back home, there was a level of familiarity to the smell, and there was a temptation to the smell as well.

You're here to do a job, Arthur, he reminded himself, though it was a little hard to pull himself away. He went to the bar, but with no intention of purchasing a drink. Figuring it was here he was most likely to find something useful.

Greeting the bartender with half a smile, Arthur settled himself in the one remaining seat at the bar. "Evening," Arthur said as loudly as he dare, trying to keep his voice above the sound of the music but not make it seem as though he was shouting.

The bartender only nodded, busy with drinks and not seeming all too welcoming of a newcomer. He paid little attention to Arthur. He had no need to, Arthur supposed. The kingdom was at war, people by the hundreds probably came in and out of this pub every week. Never to show their faces in the village again.

Arthur was going to be the same, but for different reasons than being lost to war.

He hoped so at the very least.

"I wondered if you might be able to help me," Arthur said a little louder. This time to no one in particular, hoping that anyone in range who was capable of making firm decisions would overhear him.

No one seemed to pay him much attention, but Arthur wasn't going to let that stop him. "I've heard stories of a monster in the woods north of here, do you have any idea of what it might be?" He asked.

This brought at least a little attention to where he was sitting. A range of eyes was now on him, from glares to looks of curiosity. Arthur pretended not to notice.

A older woman, by no means unattractive though appearing less than friendly at the time. "A monster is the perfect word for it," she growled through gritted teeth. "It has killed children and livestock, we don't know what it is. But it loves blood."

Arthur tried his hardest not to look too happy with this news. For it wouldn't look all too good in his favour if he perked up at the sound of death. However, it brought at least a little hope to him. It sounded a hell of a lot like the boy he had once known as Charlie.

But that boy had been a long time ago, and Arthur didn't dare wonder how much might have changed in the last ten years since they'd seen each other. God only knew how much Arthur had changed since then.

He wasn't entirely sure the boy he had once known was still alive, for now it was all hearsay.

"Do you want someone to deal with it?" Arthur asked, trying to sound more certain than he felt.

The response was a mixture of amusement, uncertainty and annoyance. "We'd love it, but please explain to us exactly what you think you can do against it?" It was the bartender who spoke this time, sarcasm rolling off his tongue a little too well.

You'd be surprised. "Let me give it a go," Arthur replied firmly. "Whats the worst that could happen?"

"We're the ones who'd have to collect your remains when it goes wrong," one replied. No faith to his tone of voice, Arthur found it very nearly amusing. If he hadn't been concentrating too hard on the multitude of voices now surrounding him.

"I'll try to keep it all in one place, make your lives easier." Arthur too was fluent in sarcasm.

"We cant pay you," said the same older woman from before. This time less hostile. "What's in it for you?"

"Death sentence on my head," was Arthur's response, a little too quick but it was a reasonable one. These days people would do just about anything to get out of having to go to war, Arthur was certain this much was believable at least.

This seemed to bring a level of amusement to the pub, and very nearly a level of agreement from at least a few of its patrons. "Fine," one of the men said, though his voice sounded less then certain still. "I'll take you there, but try to not get yourself killed." At the very least that sounded a little kinder than Arthur had expected.

Within the hour Arthur had been left at the foot of a large woodland. Unassuming at first glance, but even from this distance the young wolf could smell the metallic stench coming from within. It was overwhelming. Blood and death.

But no Charlie.

That wasn't enough to put him off, just yet at least.

Shifting into wolf form, the cracking sensation in his bones ached after days of constant journey but he ignore the pain as best as he could. Arthur made his way into the woods, following the scents as best as he could in spite of how masked it seemed.

He sifted through the woods with the efficiency of a trained tracker, fortunately it was a small woodland and the task wasn't too difficult. However, by the time he reached the edge of it, he was certain of one thing.

Charlie wasn't here.

Downtrodden and realising he was very much back at square one, Arthur was about to turn and follow the path back to the town. Thankful that he hadn't come across the horrendous monster they'd described to him.

Only to learn he had celebrated a little too soon.

Before him stood a monster. The creatures Arthur had learned to fear when he had known Charlie were less blatantly terrifying. For all purposes, Charlie was normal. No one would have guessed the truth from merely looking at him. Either in wolf form or human.

This was something else entirely.

The monster in question, a word which was all too perfect for the beast he was confronted with. Was massive, a boar. Its tusks stained red with what Arthur assumed was blood, and a darkness to his eyes that Arthur was all too accustomed with.

He didn't know why, and he didn't know how, but this creature was not natural.

And this creature wanted him dead.

Normally a boar would have posed him no threat, but this was something else entirely. Primarily due to the fact it was nearly his size, even in wolf form.

Arthur didn't as much as hesitate as he lunged, not for the boar. He at least had some sanity left not to decide that, but instead he lunged past the boar. Running as fast as his paws would take him, hoping to be out of the woods before the beast could catch up to him.

That would clearly have been too much to ask.

These woods were strange to him, and the paths unfamiliar. All too quickly the young man found himself cornered. With only one way out.

And that way out was currently being blocked by an animal entirely intent on his destruction.

Now with little other choice, Arthur lunged again.

This time colliding with the boar at full speed and force, bringing it to the ground hard. In a collision of fangs, claws and tusks. Both desperate to gain the upper hand, both intent on the other's death.

For now, it appeared the boar had the advantage.

Pushing upright, Arthur was caught in its tusks before he could as much as react and the young wolf was hurled with surprising strength. Arthur landed, hard against a tree and a howl of pain ripped from his throat.

Merciless, the boar lunged again. This time managing to drag its tusk through Arthur's leg with a fury Arthur had only ever seen from his father. The young wolf managed to bite back his pain this time, opting for using his jaws for something more useful.

Taking his chance when he saw it, Arthur lunged again. This time a little too aware that this could well have been his last chance or death would fall on his side of the probabilities. He wrapped his jaws around the beasts neck, and he held on for the life in him.

Not taking this kindly, the boar lunged upright. Desperately trying to shake the wolf's jaws from around his neck, the boar became desperate and furious. Its squeals were high pitched but it made the animal no less terrifying.

Like this the pair continued, both as desperate as the other to come out of this on top. The boar gave up on trying to impale the wolf and instead took off running. dragging the wolf as he went and Arthur struggled desperately to keep his grip.

It all ended with the most horrendous snapping sound, as Arthur finally caught his grip and managed to break the bone beneath the layers of meat. The pair went skidding as the momentum didn't stop, and Arthur skidded to a stop only just without the boar ending up on top of him.

Arthur paused, panting and hurting from the ordeal.

He was bleeding, heavily from the leg and it left him with a limp.

Flinching as he attempted to return weight to the leg, Arthur wasn't entirely certain what the hell he was going to do now. He would heal, but it would take time. Time was something he no longer had very much of on his paws.

At the very least though, he could put the minds of the town at ease.

Grabbing the now dead boar by the throat, the wolf lifted upright as best as he could. Limping still, but fortunately the chase had taken them back in the direction of the town, so at the very least it wouldn't have to be such as far a journey.

Arthur followed the path back to the town and in turn the pub a little less hopeful than when he had made the journey out. It was a victory, but not the one he had intended.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long to be noticed. For the boar was far too large for the door for him to even attempt to drag it through the door.

The bartender swore loudly when he saw what had plagued his town for weeks. "Well done." He said, the praise wasn't especially strong but it was better than nothing. "I can see why we've been having so much trouble," he admitted with a sigh.

"Thanks," Arthur's grunt was tired and hurting. He was eager to move on, to find somewhere to pitch up his tent and sleep. Potentially for a week. "I'd best be going, but thanks for your time." He said quietly.

For a moment the bartender and the group who had gathered to admire his handywork said nothing. "Are you sure you need to leave right now?" The man asked at last. "That leg looks nasty, and the least we could do is offer you a room to heal for the night."

Arthur thought for a moment, half intending to say no but his heart told him to say yes. The prospect of a bed was incredibly tempting, especially after the day he had been subject to with little result.

"I'm not going to say no," Arthur admitted with a chuckle. And he was soon lead to a room to sleep the night.

By the time morning came, his leg had healed at least somewhat. It hurt to put too much weight on, but he would survive and could continue his journey. The young man made his way down from his room and into the world outside, half blinded from the morning sunlight.

"Good morning," the bartender from the night before greeted him. Arthur had come to know his name was Sebastian, whilst Arthur doubted that the two would ever meet again, it was a nice detail to know. "I'm glad to see your feeling better."

"Thanks," Arthur said with a grin. "A bed was lovely," he admitted chuckling. "But I really need to get going."

This brought a sigh to the older man's lips, "You really shouldn't be walking on that leg, shifter you may be, but even they aren't fallible." I know all too well they aren't fallible, but the thought didn't cross his lips.

Arthur moved to say no, but he wasn't given a chance. "But of course you're not going to listen to an old man like me," Sebastian continued. "I've met enough people like you in my life to know better than that."

"Which," he continued before Arthur could think about taking offence to what had been said, "is why we put together and got you something as a thank you."

This took Arthur by surprise, and the young man didn't quite no what to say or have a clue what they might have been on about, "please, there was really no need. I needed an adrenaline rush anyway," he insisted but it quickly became apparent that he had no choice in the matter.

Half lead, half dragged from the pub. Arthur was presented with nothing, and for a moment he was left confused. Had it been some sort of trick, had they learned his idea and had lead him here to kill him.

But his concerns were soon banished by the sound of footsteps, and hooves.

And as he turned, he was met with the long face of a grey mare.

Author's Note

Yes, this chapter was almost entirely with the purpose of crowd pandering, but when I realised how many people loved the damned horse I thought I might as well XD here was the story of how Arthur met Lou.

Have yourselves a lovely day,

Madelynn.