Lindvald was taking a walk around the village with the usual kids on his back. It was a special day as it was the following day after the villagers finally defeated their long nightmare, the white bear beast.  The feast that was originally organized as an expression of gratitude for Lindvald’s help turned into a festival of defeating one of the bears as well. Thus the day of festivity was pushed earlier in order to celebrate both together as both were strongly connected with each other. So as the villagers were busy preparing everything unexpectedly earlier than previously thought, the wolf didn’t have anything to do plus he also didn’t want to get in their way, so he just took a walk.  As he was about to go, the kids caught him by surprise and thus just joined him like usual.

“What a bummer! I wished I saw Lind fight for real. I did hear rumors that it is a sight to behold. Unforgettable even!”

“Ydis, I think you heard wrong! I wasn’t even there when the bear was defeated. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Lindvald explained to an exciting kid.

 “Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what all humble warriors say.”

“Sorry to disappoint you Ydis, but from what my father told me, he really wasn’t there. Apparently our teacher was fast asleep.” 

“Huh?! For real? Lind, were you that tired that you didn’t hear the whistle?”

“Well, Ydis. If Lady Alaqa would open a restaurant in a big city, she would be famous for her exquisite dishes. Yesterday was not different. It was so delicious that I ate too much and after laying down I fell asleep like you kids.”

The wolf chuckled as he half lied. Then he continued.

“Enough for a walk. Let’s go back kids.”

“Okay!” 

The kids exclaimed simultaneously. On the way back to the mead hall, they came across Alaqa who was carrying heavy looking kitchen tools. Llindvald offered to help her and she didn’t decline. Everyone was busy preparing for the evening feast or more like a festival at this point. Thus suddenly it was already evening as the time passed by in an instance since everyone was running around even Lindvald helped here and there with transporting stuff around. Once the whole village gathered and sat down at a well laid table in the mead hall. The chief stood up and announced.

“We gathered here to celebrate our collective effort of the defeat of the white beast as it has been over 2 years that we last triumphed over one. Additionally, this feast was put together to express our deep and honest gratitude towards spiritual animal Lindvald for aiding and guiding us to better fight and thus protect our community from any beastly threat. And I haven’t forgotten that he got injured protecting one of our youngsters as well as teaching them.  So lift your cups and cheers to Lindvald!”

“Cheers to Lindvald!” Everyone followed the chief’s example.

The grey wolf couldn’t say anything against it and also he didn’T know how to behave at this attention towards him, so he just waited at everyone just drinking their cups in order to do the same and thus celebrate the festival until the owls came out of their hideouts in the late night hours. Once the village fell asleep, Lindvald picked up some toys and tools from the barn that was turned into his sleeping accommodations. He felt at the door handles of the kids houses a small figurine of a wolf crafted out of wood. However there weren’t only gifts for the children but also Lindvald crafted a new deerhead-bedecked cane for Elder Brigit and three cups with three different crests on them filled with sachets of three different herbal leaves. After leaving the farewell gifts, the grey wolf picked a direction and continued his traveling journey of finding …