He Stood and Watched
When Count Phoitios of House Genlith was but a young man he joined a hunting party at Bandesbridge Lodge to take part in the expedition into the higher slopes of the mountains and to watch as the warriors hunted the great winter wolves that were plaguing the flocks of Bandesbridge
One day he was accompanying Elminval and the two had become separated from the others in the cold mists. By misfortune or the hand of providence they came upon a fierce but solitary wolf. As it snarled and circled the two hunters, Elminval felt the touch of The Iron Face and his inspiration.
"Here," he said to the young Phoitios, "You will one day rule over all the wolves of Genlith, and here is one that brings harm to the helpless." He tossed his own hunting spear to the boy and stepped back, his eyes on the wolf.
"What am I to do?" the boy asked, mastering his fear, lowering the tip of the spear toward the wolf. "What can anyone do? What you can. What you must." replied Elminval The beast snapped and pounced toward the boy. Elminval's hand went to his sword but he held himself in check. He stood and watched as the son of his liege lord, the Count of Genlith, faced fierce death and he trusted in the inspiration of The Iron Face not to have led him astray.
The boy held his ground and kept his nerve - he drove the spear with such ferocity into the great wolf that the spear shaft broke just below the tip and the wolf fell dead upon the boy.
It was the first blooding of Phoitios. When the lord of Esdrun heard of the circumstances he flew into a rage and ordered Elminval to be flogged for putting his liege's heir at risk, but the young Phoitios insisted that he would take half the strokes himself if the sentence were carried out, and so mercy was shown
"Here," he said to the young Phoitios, "You will one day rule over all the wolves of Genlith, and here is one that brings harm to the helpless." He tossed his own hunting spear to the boy and stepped back, his eyes on the wolf.
"What am I to do?" the boy asked, mastering his fear, lowering the tip of the spear toward the wolf. "What can anyone do? What you can. What you must." replied Elminval The beast snapped and pounced toward the boy. Elminval's hand went to his sword but he held himself in check. He stood and watched as the son of his liege lord, the Count of Genlith, faced fierce death and he trusted in the inspiration of The Iron Face not to have led him astray.
The boy held his ground and kept his nerve - he drove the spear with such ferocity into the great wolf that the spear shaft broke just below the tip and the wolf fell dead upon the boy.
It was the first blooding of Phoitios. When the lord of Esdrun heard of the circumstances he flew into a rage and ordered Elminval to be flogged for putting his liege's heir at risk, but the young Phoitios insisted that he would take half the strokes himself if the sentence were carried out, and so mercy was shown
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