Sinclair sits on a stool at the end of a small wooden table with a mug of loose leaf tea sitting in front of him. The strong, bitter smell of the tea made Sinclair’s nostrils flair – he was more in keen for a strong cup of coffee with a dab of whiskey mixed in.

Howling Wolf sits down on the stool on the other end of the table with a rolled-up piece of parchment in his hands. Sinclair lifts up his mug and waits for Howling Wolf to unravel the parchment to reveal a makeshift map filled with illegible writing and sketches of various symbols.

SINCLAIR

I reckon this is the way to Dalley’s city?

HOWLING WOLF

Yes, it should take you about a week on horse if you follow the trail. 

SINCLAIR

Did you meet him, Mr. Dalley?

HOWLING WOLF

Only briefly and they were not here long, Dalley arrived in a ship twice the size of yours and with an entire caravan alongside him.

SINCLAIR

To you imagine they made it to their destination?

HOWLING WOLF

[Points to the marking of red scribbled lines] I’ve marked down certain trails to avoid, survivors returned with news of attacks and some carriages never arrived to their destinations.

SINCLAIR

I’ve heard rumors of entire caravans sent by the trading company go missin’ in a few days of arriving, do you reckon your people had something to do with it?

Howling Wolf looks down at his cup of tea with a longing look to his eyes, as if a word of great disrespect was ushered. He then pulls out a pouch from the coat of his buckskin vest and empties out the contents are three black human teeth.

HOWLING WOLF

You people you refer are the savages, no? I hear the men of the ships talk about them; the redskin savages who lurk in the shadows of the woods and slit their throats while they sleep.

SINCLAIR

Are these tales true? If I must be honest I am not one for rumors, but there’s no denyin’ that something has been working against the colonization effort for the past decades. 

 HOWLING WOLF

[Pushing the teeth closer to the lawyer] You see these teeth here, blackened as the night and belonging to a creature more evil and foul than any evil a man can conceive. 

SINCLAIR

[Picking one up to inspect it] where did you get these, from an animal?

HOWLING WOLF

No animal, I found them in the skull of my son. 

SINCLAIR

[Ashamed] You will have to excuse me and my arrogance, I am most regretful for my insensitive words. 

HOWLING WOLF

You do not mean any ill, lawyer, I do not blame you for the prejudice of others. I can already tell you are different from the others and the rumors about my people will exist if more of yours go missing on my land.

SINCLAIR

If I may ask – how did your son pass? 

HOWLING WOLF

[Points to an area of the map with an feather marking on it] His body and that of twelve others was found on this path, they were escorting a large shipment of supplies to Mr. Dalley when they were found days later – torn to shreds and the meat on their bones chewed, but not eaten.

Sinclair was now becoming aware that the people here were not fond of Dalley. 

SINCLAIR

An animal that kills and leave it’s meal behind? Are those types of beasts common here?

HOWLING WOLF

As I said Mr. Sinclair – these are no animals teeth, they are human, or once were human.

Before Sinclair could question what the elder meant, the elder stands up and leaves his cup of tea to rest on the table. 

The elder rolls up the parchment map and guides Sinclair to the exit – Sinclair was at the end of his accommodation.

Next Chapter: Act 1 - 4. Ext . Trail Entrance - Midday