Later that evening, after a dinner of beef stew, Alicai got ready to take his usual nightly walk around the village. He often did this to clear his head when things were bothering him or to enjoy the outdoors, if it was nice out.

Once outside, the young tiger slipped his paws into his pockets and whistled a soft tune, flicking his tail along with the beat as he glanced around. He could see the distant glow of a campfire, along with a few silhouettes sitting or standing near it, and could smell the meat that was roasting over the open fire. If he hadn't already had dinner, he would've gone over to join in.

Alicai continued down the path until he reached the outer edges of the village, now skirting the massive stone wall that surrounded the entire village. It had been built for protection against invaders and was equipped with a massive metal gate as well as several guards patrolling the paths above between the great pillars. Alicai continued to whistle his tune, hopping on the scattered stones that littered the ground. As his tune came to an end and he landed on the last stone, he heard a distant voice. His ears perked up and he stood still, listening intently. It almost sounded like... a call for help!

He immediately leapt off the stone and took off in the direction of the call, the cool night's breeze sending shivers down his spine. "I'm coming! Where are you?" yelled Alicai, turning his head this way and that trying to pinpoint the source of the call.

"Over here! By the wall!"

Alicai turned to his right and spotted a figure slumped against the wall. He rushed over to help and was surprised to see that it was a guard! An eagle guard, to be specific. The guard had multiple bloody gashes across his chest that had gone through the thick leather, but no other serious wounds that Alicai could see. "What happened?" He asked, fishing around in his pocket for a scrap of cloth that he could press against the wounds to slow the bleeding. His heart was beating a million miles per hour, but the adrenaline rush was keeping him surprisingly calm.

It took a moment for the eagle to catch his breath so he could speak, having obviously been spooked by something before Alicai found him. He winced when Alicai put pressure on his wounds. "I-It was all just a blur... I was doing my nightly patrol when suddenly, someone lunged at me out of nowhere! They scratched me, knocked me off the wall, and then just took off!" He explained, using his wings to make gestures as he talked.

"They just ran off?" Alicai questioned, raising an eyebrow when the guard nodded. "Did you see what they looked like?"

"Well.. they weren't very big. Although I couldn't really make out what they were wearing, they kind of looked like a wolf." Then the guard came to a realization and widened his eyes. "It had to be Karver!"

"Who's Karver?"

"Karver is an outcast, banished from the kingdom by King Malik. I knew he was up to something!"

"But why would he just attack one guard and then run off?" Alicai asked, tilting his head to the side.

"What in the world is going on over here?!"

Alicai looked over his shoulder to see someone approaching with a lantern in one paw. He sighed in relief when he recognized the person. "Doctor Mason! Boy, am I glad to see you." He greeted the old cougar, shuffling to the side so he could see the guard. "I just found him like this. He said someone named Karver attacked him."

"Karver?" Mason sputtered in disbelief, taking a knee beside the wounded guard and placing the lantern on the ground. "Why, I haven't heard that name in years."

"You know who he is too?"

"Yes, yes I do. Help me get this fellow up, please." Mason muttered, slipping both arms underneath the guard's legs. Alicai supported the guard's torso and they both slowly lifted him from the ground. The doctor slipped his tail through the handle of the lantern and scooped it up so he didn't leave it behind.

"Can you tell me about him?"

"When we get to my office."

———

"So who is this 'Karver' guy? He sounds really bad." Alicai asked curiously, sitting with his legs crossed on one of the benches while he watched Mason clean up the guard's wounds. Although he wasn't a huge fan of blood and gore, he had always been fascinated by the way the old doctor patched up wounds like they were nothing. He had admired him ever since he was a cub, learning a few tips and tricks along the way.

Mason adjusted the glasses he usually wore while working on patients and huffed, glancing up at Alicai. "Karver was banished by King Malik years ago because he was viewed as a threat by the community. He often terrorized farmers by—please stop squirming—running through their fields and scaring their livestock." He explained, grunting with effort as he leaned over to fetch more cotton and some thread to sew up the wound. "Most just saw him as a nuisance, while others believed he was planning to do something much bigger. I think he was just misunderstood, to be honest, but that doesn't mean I respect him. I'm glad he's gone..."

Alicai nodded thoughtfully, twiddling his thumbs for a moment. "Why do you think he attacked him?" He asked, gesturing to the eagle with his head.

"Pah! Who knows?" Mason grumbled, sticking a bit a thread in his mouth for a moment while he got a needle. "It's impossible to understand why people do what they do sometimes. Could be a grudge, a family issue... hell, maybe he just did it for the fun of it! We'll never know."

Alicai sat back against the wall and let that soak in. Something about this 'Karver' intrigued him. He wanted to know more about him. Why did he attack this guard in this seemingly random attack? Was there more to the story? If there was, then he was going to be the one to find out.