The Valley Of The Wolves

Lore, stories and connections.

I woke up to a wet nose touching my face. I yawned and looked around. The coppery wolf was staring at me. I was laying on my stomach and was a bit startled to see the wolf, for a moment forgetting all about last night.

I tried to push myself onto my legs to stand but all I did was get pushed into a sitting position, not as high as sitting up as I usually am. I look down at my.... Where are my hands?!  I stare at the white wolf paws where my hands are supposed to be.

Startled, I tumbled backwards onto my back. Letting out a confused worried whine. The coppery wolf cocks her head at me as I roll back onto my feet. I look back at my rump where a bushy white tail is. I spin around trying to grab my tail with my mouth but then realize I look ridiculous, like a dog chasing their tail. I stop and sit back down, folding back my ears.

The coppery she wolf sits up and walks over to me. I flinch as she licks my mussel comfortingly. She then walks deeper into the cave where the rest of the wolves sleep soundly along with the wolf pups. My heart squeals at the sight of the pups sleeping so soundly.

"They lost their mother to the cold." says a voice sadly. I look over to the coppery wolf, folding back my ears in surprise.

"I can understand you." I say breathlessly. She gives a small, gentle nod. "They lost their mom...?" I ask carefully and sympathetically.

"Sadly yes. That's why they had no fear of you, Their mother hadn't taught them. I've tried but they don't listen." She told me sorrowfully. "I thank you for the rabbit you caught, they were starving. The animals have moved into this valley, we were too scared to risk the humans hunting us off. But we had no choice last night."

I look slowly from her to the pups and settle on watching the pups' chests rise and fall. "When the pack ran into you they didn't know where I was, they were hungry and tired and scared."

"It's ok." I breathe. "I would be too."

***

Once the rest of the pack woke up they were startled to see me.

    "Who are you!" snapped a male wolf with a grey pelt. His brush shook angrily. Aki the coppery she wolf stood in front of me.

"She is the human girl from last night." She explained calmly.

"Wolf walker." Spit the white wolf with a ragged scar across his back. He looked and sounded old, like he had survived a lot.

    "Like you're any better, Tsura." Aki's words were laced with a growel.

The white wolf that she had referred to as Tsura lowered his head and layed down. He grumbled something inaudible under his breath.

"What did he mean, Wolfwalker?" I asked. She hesitated, not meeting my eyes but instead looking out of the cave over the snow covered ground.

The snow had stopped falling and it appeared to be sunset.

"Wolfwalkers are humans who at heart are wolves. They are told to possess the power to become wolves while their human bodies lie sleeping." She says not meeting my eyes.

"Will I be able to turn back?" I ask gingerly.

"Not exactly." She responds, "You're not really mortal any longer, Wolf or human." She pauses, trying to explain further. "You have no smell, or shadow." I glanced back at the wall and sure enough no shadow was cast in any direction. "When in human form, If it's even possible to turn back... You would be invisible to humans maybe, or too wild to fit in"

"Realy..?" I ask. She gives a slight nod of her head.

"You see, Wolf walkers were born human, with a soul of a wolf. It's unavoidable to turn into a wolf. And rumored to be impossible to turn back." She said, trying to comfort me. Not that I cared. I had always wanted to be a wolf, this was a dream come true. I looked her in the eyes.

"Is this a dream?" I asked.

"No," she smiled amused at my reaction. "Is it a good dream, even though it's not?"

"Yes." I laughed.

***

"Ok pups rise and shine." Aki called. The pup's eyelids fluttered open and they rolled over onto their little legs with a yawn. "It's night time, time to hunt." She grinned.

The rest of the wolves stood up and shook out their fur. I stretched out my legs.

I wasn't well rested but I was ready for a hunt. I mimicked the bigger wolves and shook out my fur too. The air made my skin cold and a shiver ran up my spine.

    There were 7 wolves not including me, Aki and the pups; the white wolf named Tsura, a light brown wolf named Nichsu, a pitch black she wolf named Kuinsa, a red grey male wolf named Gansa, a tawney she wolf named Uroco, a grey male wolf named Irakusa, and a male red wolf named Ulagee.

Light brown fur; Nichsu. Black; Kuinsa. Red grey; Gansa. Tawney; Uroco. Grey; Irakusa. And red; Ulagee. Ok got it. I attempt at remembering all their names.

She continued, "The pup's dad is Gansa, and their mom's name was Gwinsin." She tells me, "The golden male is Ljeon," The little pup gives a friendly yip. "The tawny grey male is Okeu, and the light grey girl is Tsuki."

After I was introduced to the whole pack we stalked out of the cave, Gansa stayed behind with the pups.