The Valley Of The Wolves

A long story

After helping drag back the kills and eating some I stalked away to explore the forests as a wolf. Aki warned me about traps but I wasn't worried, I've set them before, I know what they look like.

Honestly I wanted to practice being on four legs. It was weird no longer having longer legs than arms.

I practiced running and walking, those came naturally. I also tried jumping and leaping and pouncing, those also came naturally, but needed some work.

About an hour later as the sun began to rise I went back to the cave. Not yet halfway back I heard voices calling my name, I knew they were far but not for long. I hid and traveled through the bushes home... 'home, yeah. My home is with the wolves now.' I shook out my fur and held my nose in the air. Trying to sense which way they were going, unfortunately they were practically going in the same direction as I was.

I sped up and tried to walk lighter on the snow to make my pawprints less visible. I went through bushes and over rocks, anything to make my trail harder to follow.

Once I got back to the den Aki licked my mussled, scolding me for my foolish act. I apologized and told her what happened.

We curled up to sleep for the day, fur brushing against fur. One breath falling into rhythm.

***

Small cubs nudged me awake. Nipping my tail and ears. Drosaly I raised my head.

"You're watching the cubs today with Tsura." Aki told me. I rubbed my mussel with my paw.

"Ok." I stood up and shook sleep out of my fur. We touched noses as a goodbye and she ran off with the rest of the pack.

What was weird was when they ran away I had the longing to follow them, I felt my heart beat with theirs even though I hadn't walked more than two stepps.

I turned to look at the wolf pups. They wrestled and yipped at each other.

"So your names are Ljeon, Okeu, and Tsuki?" I asked. They glanced up knowing their names but went back to their miniature battle. I looked over at the white pile of fur that was the old wolf named Tsura. I remembered how he was upset by my presence but then Aki said 'Like you're any better, Tsura.' I pictured the old wolf's expression at the words. A bit of guilt? Anger? Remembrance?

I swished my tail back and forth. Deep in thought. He growled at me.
"Deep in though, eh? Thinkin' about my reaction to another wolfwalker." The pups tumbled over his tail but he paid no attention.

"Yeah." I took a step towards him. "How did you get that scar?" I asked warily. He ran his tongue over his mussel.

"That's a long story kid." He said slowly, more of a question whether I wanted to hear it. I scooped up the pups, gently picking them up by the scruff and placing them close to my chest. They nestled into my soft underbelly, content for now.

"Where does it begin?"

***

'When the wolves still lived in this valley and prey was plentiful for both humans and them I was still a human boy.' His raspy voice gave a feeling to the story, one I hadn't heard since the old storyteller died.

'It was spring and the grass was wet from all the rain. There were many trees, some as old as time. Flowers grew plentiful, as they will when spring comes to this small valley again.'

'The valley itself didn't look exactly the same either. This was before the flood of the land, so the mountains hadn't been carved by that river, therefore the silver wolf waterfall wasn't there.'

'The town was small and I was about your age. My father had me chop firewood until my hands blistered and until the sun was low in the sky. Sometimes if I was lucky he would take me hunting for waterfowl with him, being my favorite meat and all. The dogs normally killed the birds for us, but we told them when to attack. We sometimes snuck up behind the birds and scared them into a panic, and I would leap out and grab one with my hands, making my father proud and call me 'little bird hunter.'

'Then one night I couldn't sleep. I went outside to sit on the back porch, as I often did when It was hard to sleep.'

The wolf pups shifted position and raised their heads, beady little eyes full of curiosity.

'I saw a light dancing in the trees, and a howl raised over the forest calling me to it. I ran to it. Deeper and deeper the light led me. So deeper and deeper I ran.'

I watched his face intensely as he told the story.
'I got to the river when a pack of black wolves surrounded me. It was late so I could barely see them leap forward and latch onto my arm. I tumbled back into the river crashing down into the black churning waters.'

'I was unconscious when farther down the river a different pack of wolves pulled me out and tended to my wounds. I was a human boy but when I awoke I was a wolf. It was Aki's mother that yanked me out of the river by the back of my shirt. She who jumped on my chest until I spit the putrid water out.' He paused studying my face.

'They told me I was a wolfwalker and I could never go back. But one night I did. I crept up to the door of my fathers and mothers place. I heard them crying inside so I howled to them. Dad must have heard me and thought I killed his son because he came out with a pitch fork. I folded back my ears and wined, wagging my tail, but all he saw was a beast.'

'He hit me with it.' he glanced back at his scar, he didn't need to say what the pitch fork did.

'Blasted humans. I wish I never was one.'