After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic sheriff, Shade rode around Luther Lake, hoping to find that mysterious lake as well.
He still remembered the professor's hint, so he tried his best to forget the purpose of this trip. But the more he tried, the more all sorts of thoughts about the "Goddess in the Lake" echoed in his mind.
As a result, that entire afternoon, Shade did not encounter the "Goddess in the Lake," or even any talking black snakes, rabbits, or ravens. As the Sun sank westward and the evening glow appeared on the horizon, Shade rode along wondering whether he should return to the city now. Then he quickly noticed that, at some point, a pack of wolves hunting in the early winter had begun trailing him from behind. They seemed intent on biting Shade and the reddish-brown horse to death and storing them as food.
Already in a bad mood, Shade naturally had no intention of letting them off easily. After calming his frightened mount, he dismounted and charged at the wolves with Night Watchman in hand.
Thus, beneath the blazing sunset beside Luther Lake, the sword-bearing knight began battling the wolves.
This was not a large pack, with only eight or nine wolves in total. They had boldly surrounded Shade at first, but after he swung his sword and cleaved the wolves leaping from both sides in two, then kicked the lead wolf charging him head-on to death, and finally grabbed the broken-tailed wolf pouncing from behind and slammed it into the ground until it became a bloody mess, the remaining wolves immediately scattered and fled.
"Why did these wolves still dare attack me when I'm clearly carrying a sword and a gun?"
Shade was baffled.
Probably because they were too far away. Before they could