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David was out working in the shop, hammering out the metal for a new sword. He'd gotten this order only a few days before, but the customer had said that it was urgent he finish it as quickly as possible. So David had been working almost non-stop on the order, wanting to finish it by the end of the day. His hammer struck the metal, and sparks flew, hitting the heavy smith apron he always wore in the shop. His apprentice, a young man named James, stood by, waiting for orders. David struck the glowing metal time and time again, flattening it out into the shape of a sword. He was so engrossed in his work that he completely forgot that his new companion was supposed to arrive today.

David heard what sounded like an engine approaching the cabin. He glanced up from his work, only now remembering that he'd purchased a companion for himself. He looked over at James. "Go see who it is, will you, James?" he said. James nodded and headed out for the vehicle, which had stopped in front of the cabin. "What's your business here?" the young man asked. He heard a growl from the back of the vehicle, and he walked around to see what looked like a young woman with yellow eyes. "Don't open that cage!" he said suddenly, realizing that the young woman was most likely a werewolf. He went back to the forge to fetch David, who followed him to the vehicle. "Take that cage and set it here on the ground, then leave," David said, recognizing the signs that the young woman's wolf was wanting out. The guards obeyed, knowing that David probably had more experience with these kinds of things. Once they were gone, David sent James back to the forge while he dealt with the cage and chains holding the young werewolf.

David waited until he cold no longer hear the sound of the engine before kneeling down near the cage. He was a wolf, but he wasn't stupid enough to get too close. "Calm yerself!" David said, a definite note of authority in his voice. "If ye don't stop struggling, ye're gonna wind up hurtin' yerself. Calm down, and I'll let ye out, alright?" He sensed that the young werewolf had many words that she wanted to say, and he decided to give her the chance to say them now. "Say whatever ye want to say," he said. "I won't get mad, no matter what ye say."

David smiled as the she-wolf glared and growled at him. He knew she wanted out, but he wasn't going to give in so easily; he was made of sterner stuff than that. He watched as she continued to pull at the chains holding her to the cage. Apparently, she wasn't concerned whether she hurt herself or not, she just wanted out of the cage. Finally, after nearly ten minutes of watching her struggle, David walked toward the cage. Drawing his sword, which was always strapped to his back, he struck the padlock on the cage, slicing neatly through both sides of the loop. The lock fell from the cage, and David sheathed his sword and crawled into the cage. "Bite me, and I'll bite ye back," he growled, his wolf starting to show himself in his voice. He picked the locks on the chains around the young werewolf's wrists, then unlatched the chain attached to her collar before backing out of the cage. "Seein' as yer no longer chained to the cage, feel free to shift to your wolf and attack me if ye'd like," he said. His eyes were yellow, a sure sign that he was ready for anything she might try.

David didn't move when the she-wolf shifted to her wolf, watching the transformation. Apparently, from the way she whimpered after she shifted, she hadn't been in her wolf form for quite a while. David could feel his own wolf itching to shift, but he pushed him back, telling him, She doesn't trust us as it is. There's no reason to threaten her by shifting now. His wolf growled at him, but he kept a firm grip on his human form. He never let his wolf take the lead unless he knew it was something he couldn't handle alone. "There's a lot of woodland around here, miss, so make sure not to get lost, alright?" he said. "I have to get back to the forge. If you go for a run, make sure to be back here by an hour after sunset." With that said, he turned and headed back to the forge, wondering if the she-wolf would actually listen to him.

David worked until sunset on the order, wanting to finish it tonight. By the time the sun had actually set, the newly-forged sword had been placed in its scabbard and set by the door. He went inside and fixed dinner for himself and the she-wolf, hoping she'd be back soon. When she didn't return by the time he'd set, he wondered where she was. He gave it another half hour before he went to look for her. He stepped outside, sniffing the air but smelling nothing. Realizing that he had no choice, he shifted to his wolf form and padded toward the cage the she-wolf had arrived in, inhaling the she-wolf's scent as he walked around it. Once he had the scent firmly in his mind, he set off, following the she-wolf's trail. He followed it for a good fifteen minutes before coming across the smell of metal. He knew instinctively that what he was smelling was a trap that hunters had placed in the forest for game, including wolves, bears, and other predators.

He passed by the trap, giving it a wide berth before continuing his search. He found the she-wolf a short time later, curled up in the grass in her human form, sound asleep. He sat down beside her, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He did this for several minutes before shifting back to his human form. Kneeling down beside her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her awake, placing a hand over her mouth before she could say anything. "There's a reason I told ye to be back at the cabin an hour after sunset, miss," he said. "Human hunters prowl these woods at night, waiting for an unsuspecting wolf to step into one of their traps. Ye're lucky ye didn't step in one already. Now, will ye come back with me, or do I have to carry ye there over my shoulder?" He removed his hand from her mouth so that she could answer.

David shook his head when the she-wolf rose and moved away from him. It would take some time for her to get used to him, and he was very patient. He would let her run around the forest whenever she liked, provided she listened to him about the hunters. He followed after her, speaking quietly to her. "I know ye don't want my help, but wouldn't it be better to sleep with a roof over yer head than outdoors in a place ye're unfamiliar with?" he asked. "And ye have my word, I won't hurt ye or make ye do anything ye don't want to do." This was the only thing he could think of to say at the moment. Hopefully it wouldn't cause her to growl at him again, as that was rather annoying.