The Resolution

The Wizard, Marksman, and Gunslinger creep their way through the woods. They have been searching for the Wolf for several days. Since his strange disappearance in Franklin, this trio has searched the searched glens, marshes, and ridges for their friend. Despite the expertise of the team members in hunting down individuals of interest, the trail has grown cold as has the morale of the team.

“This is pointless, he’s not here,” exclaims the Marksman in frustration, “I’ve hunted prey that others could only refer to as ghosts, people and beasts that weren’t even believed to exist. The Wolf isn’t that. He’s large and savage. He breaks tree limbs, he sheds fur, he leaves paw prints, and he leaves… other things. But there’s no sign indicating he’s been this way, so it is my professional opinion that he has not been here.

“No one wants to find the good Doc more than I do, but I have to agree with the Marksman. He’s not here,” says the Gunslinger in agreement.

The Wizard furrows his brow and twirls his staff, a cloud of multicolored cosmic smoke swirls creating a viewing portal. The Wizard focuses, trying to conjure up the whereabouts of the Wolf. The Wolf briefly appears, crouched and growling, but the viewing portal suddenly turns red and then black before going up in a puff of black smoke.

“Someone is preventing me from seeing the Wolf,” says the Wizard thoughtfully.

“They can do that? I thought The Timechanger gave you all that crazy cosmic energy and stuff’n of the like?” asks the Gunslinger.

“What you know about firearms and bounty hunting, you lack in knowledge of magic,” retorts the Wizard, obviously frustrated as well. “The ability to pull from the power of the cosmos, does not give me the ability to thwart all magic. Whoever is doing this is using corrupt and evil magic to cloak the Wolf. If I knew who and what it was, it would be easy to defeat it. Whatever this magic is, it is indeed strange and insidious.”

“So what do we do?” asks the Marksman.

The Wizard stares at this disheartened group of heroes, “I do not know, but I am resolved to find Dr. Wolf and bring him home. What about you?”

The trio look around at each other. The Gunslinger suddenly has an idea. 

“What do you do when your dog gets out?” asks the Gunslinger.

“I don’t know, what?” answers the Marksman.

“You bait ‘em in with a treat,” answers the Gunslinger slyly.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The Grower stands next to a tree in the middle of the forest holding the end of a rope. 

“I appreciate the gold but I do have to say that it seems like the waste of a good goat,” says the Grower, watching the Marksman tie up a slaughtered goat, before helping him hoist the goat into the air.

“I assure you, what we hope to capture is more valuable than a few goats,” answers the Marksman. He stands up and observes the area. Several trees are growing together with thick brush growing underneath.

“Looks like the perfect place for a trap,” says the Marksman.

 

Narrated by Brandon Warner