Halston rewrite

Halston

The snow fell, a cold sheet of death over the now homeless people. It had only been a few days, a few days since barbarians invaded their home taking what they wanted and destroying what they didn’t, but many had already perished in the harsh winter.  It was dark and the weary people were taking rest. The only protection they had from the cold were the animal pelts and clothes they carried with them. They couldn’t start a fire for fear the light would give away their position to the barbarians.
They had assigned watch shifts but the active guards were too tired and had already fallen into the dark embrace of sleep from which some of them would never return. Only one person was awake now, leaning his shoulder against a tree with his arms crossed under his large bear cloak. Halston looked back towards his home. It wasn’t in sight but he was as wild as the wolf that lay beside him and he knew the forest as well as any animal.
He recounted his life up until that point, meeting his only friend and family and surviving with him through all those years spent wandering aimlessly. His mind trailed back to the beginning, the first memory he could recall.
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Halston opened his eyes. He couldn’t move his head to see where he was, he couldn’t move at all. He remembered nothing, not where he was or even who he was. He was beaten and his body ached and he had to fight to keep consciousness. He noticed something moving between the trees but his vision was blurred and his head throbbed with horrible pain. Whatever was out there was walking towards him and he could only hope it was friend and not foe.
It finally came into view, walking just close enough to be seen clearly before taking a seat in the soft snow. It was a small, grey wolf pup and it sat staring at the motionless boy. Halston knew what this meant; this pup would prove no danger but the grown wolf looking for it definitely would. His thoughts were correct and a much larger wolf approached behind the pup as his vision faded and he slipped back into darkness.
He wasn’t entirely correct, however. He awoke some time later surrounded by the whole pack with the pup resting against him. With renewed strength he began to study his surroundings. Noticing the wolves around him he wondered why they left him alive and feared they might not let him stay that way very much longer. Pushing the sleeping pup aside he rose to find his way away from the animals but just as he thought he was out of their grasp the small pup would appear right behind him with its mother in pursuit.
None of the wolves were hostile and it seemed as though they were accepting him as one of their own. He would try to leave, try to tell the pup to stay, but it would always follow and always bring the pack with it. After a while he decided his efforts were meaningless and sat against a tree with the pup beside him. For a moment his mind slipped away from his new found companions and he thought of himself, trying to remember who he was, but no memories would come to mind.
It was only then that he had noticed the scabbard on his waste which appeared to hold a short sword. He reached for the hilt and drew the sword. It was broken, no longer than a dagger, Inspecting it he noticed how finely it was crafted. As he inspected the broken sword his eyes came to rest on the name engraved into the hilt. “Halston.” He read. He did not know whether it was his name or maybe the name of the man who crafted the fine blade but from that day forward he took it as his own.
He saw that the wolf pup was also eyeing the name and he decided if they were to be friends then he too would need a name. He said every name that came to mind but stopped when the wolf placed its paw on his leg. Balderei was the name the wolf had chosen.
In time Halston had learned the ways of the wild; had learned to hunt using only his blade and how to move quietly through the trees to stalk his prey. He had truly become like the animals he was growing up with. He had evolved from a boy out of his place in the snowy wilderness to a man with sharpened senses as keen as his loyal companion and best friend, Balderei. Of course Balderei had also reached maturity and together they could take on the largest of animals, including the great brown bear whose pelt he wore as his cloak.
They had moved away from the pack, had lived as wanderers for some time. One day, however, they came to a settlement. The people there were just as hospitable as the wolves who had adopted Halston and they gladly accepted him into their community. After wandering for so long they had finally found a place to call home and people to call friends, but it wouldn’t last for long.
Halston lifted his hand to his hood, feeling the slash on the left eye of his cloak as he remembered all that he and Balderei had been through. With the cloak pulled over his shoulders and held tightly around him he slid down the tree and laid against it. He knew he was the only person awake too look out for any barbarians but he let himself slip away.

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         Balderei nudged him awake in the morning as the people awoke and prepared to move on. He put his hand on Balderei’s neck and stood slowly trying to wake himself up. Standing, he looked for Kailias. Kailias was another wolf that had followed Balderei back the first time he had ever left Halston’s side. Halston knew it wouldn’t be long until he had his own pack of pups following him around and wanted nothing more than to put an end to the chase.
         When the three had found each other they set out once again with the survivors following them. They all knew Halston knew the forest best and was their greatest hope of finding refuge from the weather and the invaders. The plan for the day, like all the days before, was to walk until they couldn’t go further due to either exhaustion or weather and the latter would claim that day. Every minute they walked the wind became faster and faster blowing the snow until they could see nothing but a great shroud of white everywhere they looked.
         They pressed on, however, until they came to a large cave where they could wait out the storm. Halston and Balderei, being the best combatants, entered first to ensure the cave wasn’t home to any dangerous animals. Thankfully it wasn’t and the survivors were able to take refuge from the storm. Within the safety of the cave they were finally able to light a fire without fear of being detected.
         The blizzard kept up, trapping the people in the cave for a few days at least. The food they were capable of carrying with them was running low and they would soon starve. The blizzard had let up to about half its fury and Halston decided to leave the cave in an attempt to find food for the people rather than sit and let them all starve. He left with Balderei and Kailias who refused to stay behind.
         The sun had fallen by the time that returned and their hunt proved unsuccessful. However with one failed hunt another proved successful indeed. Returning to the safety of the cave, Halston tried to ignore the looks of the disappointed people as he slid to the floor near the entrance. For some time it was quiet, the crackling fire being the only noise in the cave. Halston paid close attention to the crackling fire, allowing it to ease his mind away from the sure thoughts that their flight would end with their demise.
         Time ceased in Halston’s mind as the fire grew louder and louder sending him into a meditative state. He had no idea whether it had been minutes or hours but for once all his worries left him. A loud snap ripped him back to the world and his eyes shot open. Other than Halston only Balderei, who was looking out towards the trees, had noticed the noise. They both stood; Halston drawing his broken blade from his belt; he had thrown away the needless, oversized scabbard long before. He refused to part with the blade claiming that it was his fangs and claws.
         He held the blade upside down to allow for a better fighting style. It allowed powerful slashes and he could rest the blade against his arm so it wouldn’t get in the way in a close fight. A final advantage was that barbarians weren’t used to protecting themselves against the different attack angles.
         The two walked out of the cave too see what had made the noise. For a moment it was silent as they looked around and they would have headed back to the safety of the cave but Halston was well adapted to living in the wild and could sense the danger. His fears were confirmed when a loud yell exploded from the trees as multiple barbarians rushed them.
         Balderei drew first blood when he jumped forward, knocking a barbarian to the ground while tearing at his throat. Halston ducked under a horizontal axe swing and retaliated with an upward slash cutting deep into the barbarian from his stomach to his forehead. The survivors with weapons that were capable of fighting rushed out to help. No one thought of ending the fight they only needed to buy some time for the others to run away.
         The fight raged on but the brutes kept coming, each wave larger than the last. Most of the survivors escaped with a few fighters to fend off any pursuers and the only goal left for Halston and the others was to find a point to flee. They were drawing back and about to run when Halston heard a noise that would scar him for as long as he lived. From across the battlefield he heard a shrill yelp. Looking over he was Balderei laying motionless on red snow.
         He only stared, unable to continue the fight, he didn’t notice the barbarian approaching from behind him. “Halston!” A voice called. “Halston!” it called a second time but he didn’t notice through the shock. “Halston!” It yelled a third time so loudly and furiously it ripped his attention from his fallen friend. “Run!” A man instructed as he jumped in front of the barbarian blade. Shocked and confused he did just that.
         He ran until the brutish cries and clash of metal were out of range and he had caught up with the survivors. They stopped moving when they saw him approach and he slowed as he neared them but continued to walk past them as they followed. Kailias took a position beside him but he took no notice of her. The others wondered where Balderei was and could only fear the worst. Halston noticed nothing and kept a quick pace far ahead of the others who tried to keep up. Finally he sunk down beside a tree with Kailias beside him. Every time she tried to move closer to him he pushed her away until finally she stayed her distance but her gaze never left him, she knew what had happened.
         The survivors, still under guidance of the traumatized man, stopped with him not willing. to go any further without him more for the fact that they relied on him than anything else. He sat in the same spot looking down with his hood pulled over his head until night had fallen. With no signs of pursuers the survivors finally took enough comfort drifting away one by one.
         When everyone had fallen asleep, Halston, without a word to anyone, stood and started away from the group with Kailias close behind. She gave him his space but wasn’t going to leave him altogether. He walked until nature stopped him with another blizzard and took shelter behind a large boulder opposite the wind. After a while he himself drifted into unconsciousness with his thick cloak pulled tightly around him.
         He awoke a while later. The weather was calm now but he was covered in a layer of snow. He stood up brushing the snow from his hair and cloak. He was alone, he didn’t know where Kailias had gone. He looked around and found her lying under a layer of snow herself; motionless and cold. When he saw her he dropped to his knees. Balderei and Kailias were the only family he ever really had and in one night he had lost both of them.
         He thought about ending it there, thought about plunging his blade into his own heart. The thought ran through his head as he slowly drew his blade. He stared at it for a moment, admiring its expert craftsmanship one last time. He held it before him pointed at his chest. He took a deep breath and was about to end his sorrow when he saw something. A small pile of snow moved beside the lifeless wolf.
         He dropped the blade and it plunged into the snow standing upright. He quickly uncovered what was under the snow and was shocked by what he found. A wolf pup! Kailias’ pup! He quickly moved, digging into the snow with both hands ignoring the bitter cold. He found the rest of the pups but they too had died in the cold. He turned back to the pup he had placed beside his blade.
         He picked up the dagger eyeing it then shifting his gaze towards the pup. He picked up the new born wolf in his other hand and held it before him. “Balderei.” He said as he slipped the blade into its home in his belt. He cradled the wolf close to him as he began to walk. The mental trauma had made an extreme impact on his mind. He believed Balderei never died and his companion was the very same Balderei that had saved him all those years ago. This new Balderei had grown to be just as strong and fast as his father and had a matching unique personality.
From that day forward Halston would only speak to and have any emotion for Balderei, to everything else he was silent and cold. He returned to his old lifestyle of wandering aimlessly and living as a wild animal beside his only friend and family member; Balderei.