Book 1 Chapter 19: Growth

Vero hurried back to the library. After running the manuscript out once again, he was surprised at how busy the store seemed. The demand for more and more of their ‘pamphlets’ had been spreading and people were even traveling from the distant towns to see this. Many merchants had protested at the steep price change, but after negotiating with them and settling with a fine, they would soon be joining the growing change in production. Artist were struggling to adapt to this, but Vero and Ylva had found a way for them to get paid per book that was printed with a block print of their art. The many changes in the industry had spurned a newfound fever in books.

The manuscript he had just dropped off was the newest one and the Yowlumne were gobbling up these ‘legends’ or ‘rumors’ as so many called it, when it was in fact, history. Even humans showed interest in it. Vero felt lighter than he had in a while, but the church’s steeple in the distance reminded him of the care they had to take.

So long as the church wasn’t aware of their intentions with these mini books, they had left them well enough alone. Their focus was on the Ulrika and the wars. Vero sighed. It had been years now since Filtiarn left. He had heard of some elite soldiers coming in to help and Ylva hadn’t seemed surpised, but he did wonder if it had to do with The Master. A few humans had come to join them for freedom in innovation with the ships, but that still had yet to see great results.

For now there was little need to worry over these matters as time would sort them out, but Ylva and Vero knew it was only a matter of time before the church reared it’s ugly head and they hoped to have the people on their side by then.

Vero nearly laughed at the thought. He wouldn’t have to worry for long. More people had been coming to the store lately and his frequent visits had made it seem like he was the author of these books. When he was there, the people had so many questions as to where he was getting the info, and he replied some older books, to which they would ask if what he was writing was history or not. His reply was always the same. “If you want to know, then read and study it. The truth of it is in the words.”

Ylva and him had come up with it, to encourage the Yowlumne to read. Besides, with a fake name on the page, no one besides those who saw him, knew about him being the author.

He wanted to burst through the doors to where he knew Ylva would be, but he calmed himself and quietly pushed on them.

If not for the decrease in cost of paper, this would have been considered a treasure room. Inside was stacks of books and papers that Ylva and him had taken out of the library so they could work, while managing the business and the war efforts. They needed to be a bit more reachable than in the archives.

He walked past the stacks that were taller than him, and that was even after his sudden growth spurt. Ylva was commenting on that he was a growing young boy. But it hadn’t hit till he had troubles judging where things were in relation to himself.

As if on cue, his tail whacked a stack and he quickly turned as the pile swayed back and forth. He tried to stop it but was rewarded with a crash while loose papers floated into the air as he was squashed under the weight.

He let out a huff as he hit the ground and heard some footsteps coming towards him. He opened his eyes to see Ylva standing over him, folded arms, scowling at him.

“Hi,” Vero muttered with an embarrassed smile. Ylva sighed and reached out for his hand and pulled him out from underneath. She then used both hands to lift the pile and place it back in it’s spot.

Vero tucked in his tail as he walked over to where some papers were still on the ground. He gathered them before handing them to Ylva. She took them before placing them on top and then walking back to her spot near the balcony.

It had been months since they had initiated this project to inform the Yowlumne, but despite all the work, she still would look out towards where she had last seen Filtiarn from the office window. Vero knew that she was missing him, since he was a better sparing partner, but seeing her watching and waiting certainly dampened his enthusiasm.

“Ulrika,” he said, and she whipped her head to face him. He knew that she loathed being called that but he needed to grasp her attention, even if she would be slightly irritated by him. He chuckled.

“What?” she asked in a harsh tone and he straightened at her one word.

“The manuscripts are already sold out. So far, it appears that our plan is working,” Vero answered. Ylva’s eyes softened from their fierce anger and he continued. “If this goes well, we could be ready to begin the next stage in a week,” he commented and she nodded thoughtfully. Her gaze drifted to the window once again and he decided to leave her be for the moment. He carefully maneuvered himself through the stacks of papers and books and arrived at his own desk. He gratefully sat down and leaned in the chair. He glanced at the papers on the desk that he had set aside earlier as potentials and sighed.

Who was he kidding, he was still just a kid. And yet he was helping in one of the largest overthrowing in the history of the Yowlumne, and against religion of all things. Something told him that he was doing the right thing and that he belonged, but he was beginning to have his doubts.

He righted himself and stretched, forcing his nagging doubt to the back of his mind. He picked up the quill and began pouring over the manuscript he was assembling. He knew that this one just might attract the attention of the church if he wasn’t careful and while he knew that Ylva and the Ulrikan would protect him, making it so his life was safe and secure, he didn’t want to have to burden them with it.

As he came to the end of the manuscript he sighed and carefully deposited the quill in it’s place before watching the ink dry, right before stacking the pages and compiling the set. He took it in hand as he navigated through the sea of papers, careful to keep his tail and feet away from the stacks this time.

He quietly walked to where Ylva was working on translating once again; much to his relief. She looked up at him as he set the manuscript on the table and she only glanced at it before slowly taking it and flipping through the pages. He had added in some of the religious ideals that Amarok was striving for and the peace he was working to achieve, while making sure to put it in a more back row light so not to attract undesired attention.

Ylva read through it, and he knew she was being thorough. They had to be. There was too much at risk for them to be lenient. He saw her slightly frown and an inaudible sigh escaped her lips. Internally he groaned. Something about this one was off still, and she was going to have him redo it.

“I’ll defer to your judgement on this one, pup,” Ylva said as she handed the manuscript back to him and he looked at her in shock. “What?” she asked.

“I just thought that you would have me rewrite it,” Vero replied.

“Well, it is a bit more than I would like, but if we only did what we liked, then we wouldn’t be getting anywhere. Besides, you need some more confidence in yourself. I can’t be looking over your shoulder all the time with these to make sure you are doing things right,” she said it so matter of factly that Vero had to rethink what she said again, just to wrap his head around it. Once he realized it, he bit his lip. So she was going to let him gain that ‘experience’ that she was going on about, and she was going to let him gain it now. How he wished she would just tell him, but this was her decision, and he respected it.

He returned to his desk and carefully read over the manuscript, trying to think more like a man who had everything to loose and yet had an important mission. He made a few adjustments and then reread, imagining himself as one of the priests of the black wolf gods, and modified the statements so it would seem beneath them to worry about it, while the common people would cling to it as a new truth, one that they had been missing and were glad to have. With the modification applied, he rewrote it the whole manuscripts so it wouldn’t have his notes and scribbles and then looked up as his stomach growled. He noticed a plate of food near a lit candle and realized that he had been working till late into the night.

He sighed as he ate the food and then his eyelids felt incredibly heavy. He chuckled once to himself before sliding the papers away and resting his head on the desk. Who knew that he could become so focused to loose track of time. This certainly was a first. His eyes closed and he felt the sweet peace of darkness take hold as he fell asleep.

Falling asleep at the desk became a habit of his when working late. Months began to pass and he published several more pamphlets and a larger book filled with info from the black wolf. He curated it so it seemed like he was a prophet rather than a god.

So far the people seemed to be accepting the idea, but there were discourses he would pick up on when out of the palace that seemed to spark rather heated arguments. Some began to revere the black wolf as a prophet, but some, wether by the church’s order began to fervently preach against it. Those who were discovered to be reading the pamphlets were ostracized by their devout family members.

Vero felt sorry for them. However, it drove home just how dangerous blind faith could be. Even, lazy faith in a religion could be dangerous. Thankfully, they had anticipated this and had the printers keep it secret and deliver the pamphlets to locations were the ostracized could get them for free.

According to reports, more and more citizens had been reading, and while some had burned the pamphlets, many more had pondered them, which was promising.

The news of more pondering believers wasn’t so secretive. So Vero was hardly surprised when the priests rudely began pestering the palace guards again.