CHAPTER XXIX Abridged
in which Ra'jira is almost eaten by a direwolf...
While traveling north, up the lake coast, the Silver Foxes notice odd pleas for help in the otherwise deserted landscape. They soon find two hunters entangled in a fight against a gigantic direwolf. Glad, who flew ahead to scout, is too late to save the first from being eviscerated. However, his aerial archery and lightning is enough of a distraction to allow the second hunter to escape, though badly injured. The rest of the party catches up and the beast retreats. Haas, and the rest pull the second hunter to safety where they begin to treat his injuries. Meanwhile, Krom, Glad, and Ra'jira give chase to the direwolf. Glad stages a potent lightning attack to use against the beast, but the spell backfires when the staged energy is manipulated by something that exists across the lake. Ra'jira gets a few shots in with his bow but is soon leaped upon, requiring an aerial rescue by Glad to get him out of the way. Not trusting his magic completely, Glad lobs fire arrows and explosives upon the building holdout of the two direwolf partners, mixed in with lower level electric attacks. The crumbling ruins and attacks seem to land, but one of the direwolves emerges and seems to be healing. More coordinated attacks drive it back into a whole whereupon Krom crushes the beast with earth evocation.
They rejoin their party afterwards where the rescued hunter demonstrates the value of direwolf blood by healing his wounds. He gives his story and strikes a deal with the Silver Foxes to buy the remains of their kill off them. They agree, though Glad keeps some of the kill himself to use in various magical potions.