Chapter Twenty-Five

    We walked the streets of Kilkenny, laughing and celebrating with the townspeople on the downfall of the Lord Protector. People were hugging, cheering, and crying as we headed to the edge of town, where the gate lay, devoid of guards. People tore down banners, grabbed carpets from the castle, and took down flags. I even saw a person carrying the Lord Protector's cape. The people stacked tables, chairs, flags, banners, and other things from the castle into a huge pile. One person grabbed a torch and tossed it onto the heap, catching the wood and cloth, setting the whole thing alight, and making a huge bonfire. I also saw it as a symbol. The Lord Protector had been removed from the town of Kilkenny once and for all, taking with him all traces of the invaders.

    Me, Mebh, Moll, Robyn, Bill, and the pack walked a short way out of the town into the sheep pens. I turned about and addressed the crowd. "Townspeople, you are now free! Working side by side with us, with the wolves, you have cast the Lord Protector's tyrannical rule out of Ireland! I hope that you have seen now that wolves are not the savage beasts that the Lord Protector said they were. They are proud, fierce animals, yes, but they also are loving, caring, nurturing, taking care you their young just as you do with your children. They have a system of rule just as humans around the world do. 

    "Humans and wolves look very different, but on the inside, they are one and the same. Wolfwalkers are just an embodiment of that similarity. They combine the power of the wolf with the knowledge and experience of a human into a loving, fierce creature that shows the two sides of the world: man and nature. The Lord Protector said that humans must wipe out wolves, but this very battle has shown that people and wolves can work together to better them both. Now, you have no reason to fear these creatures. They just want to protect themselves. Now, with this battle, the wolves trust you." I glanced at Mebh. She seemed to tolerate what I was saying, so I continued. "And I hope that in fighting by your side, you trust us." 

    The wolves approached the townspeople with their tongues out and canine grins on their faces. Cautiously, the people watched as the creatures they had feared not long ago wove around their legs and licked their hands. As the wolves acted more friendly around the townspeople, the citizens, in turn, began to grow used to the wolves. Children laughed as Bill carried them on his back. People scratched wolves behind their ears like dogs and fed them bread. "Hey, Mebh," Robyn said, "There are some town tasties!" Mebh barked, and with a canine smile, she walked towards the humans to play.

    I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. Moll was standing before me, smiling. "Thank you, Sean. Not only did you help the wolves get rid of the Lord Protector, but you also freed the townspeople from his vice grip and harbored trust between our two species. Thank you."

    I smiled back. "No problem. Thank you for accepting me among your pack. I know it must have been hard to trust a human, after what he did to you."

    "May I ask you a question?"

    "Sure."

    "How did it feel out in the forest, alone?"

    "At first, I was scared. Without my parents, I didn't know what to do, so I walked away, in the opposite direction of Kilkenny. I stumbled upon an old cabin, and that cabin saved me. If it weren't there, or if I hadn't found it, I probably would have died. It gave me a place to sleep, some tools, and most importantly, things to do. Instead of thinking about what happened, I worked the feelings away for two years, hunting, repairing, and playing in the woods. That's when I met Robyn and Mebh. The rest is history."

    "I'm glad that you found them. If not, then who knows what would have happened? Maybe the Lord Protector would have killed us. I'm not really sure. But now, we have another wolfwalker and a new friend. Thank you." I nodded, and Moll headed out into the forest. The other wolves noticed she was leaving, and with a few playful barks, they headed off to join her for the trek back to the den. I joined Robyn, walking with Bill and Mebh. "Well, now what are we going to do?" I asked.

    "I'm not sure, but we can rest easy, that's for sure. Now that the Lord Protector is gone and the townspeople trust us, there seem to be no problems."

    "What about the bandits?"

    "Oh, shut up. Enjoy the moment."

    I chuckled. When we reached the den, the wolves broke into a frenzy, tackling one another and barking. All of a sudden, Mebh threw back her head and howled. The other wolves soon did the same, and I added my voice to the chorus of sounds. It felt good to howl. I felt energized, happy, and calm all at the same time like I could do anything. I could find my parents. I could stop the bandits. I could live freely in the wild, with wolves as my family now.

    As the howling died down, I spotted something. My old cabin, still sturdy and strong, was standing in the moonlight. I slipped away from the pack and walked towards the porch. Nudging the door open, I saw the familiar sights: the tools in the corner, the bed, the wood stove. But this wasn't my life. Not anymore. I walked out, giving my home one last goodbye, and as I did, I felt at peace, resolved. I was beginning anew, leaving my civilized life behind. I felt a bit sad, leaving all the memories, but at the same time, I felt excited. I finally had company, friends, and happiness. Where the future was going to go, I didn't know, but I would venture on until I found out. I walked towards the pack, towards adventure, towards freedom and a new life.

That's a wrap! I hope you've enjoyed this fanfiction adventure with Sean, Robyn, Mebh, and the pack as they fought for their freedom. This book was way faster than I anticipated it to be(under a month!), so if you guys want to, I'll make a sequel to this, following Sean's further adventures with his friends. This book was a joy to make, and I really liked the way it turned out.

Bye for now,

Slicerboy165