Play of Shadows

01.0 The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

The decision to run was not a conscious choice.

One moment, Ann was nice and warm and about to get her face chewed off. The next, she was sprinting through rough brush and tangled roots at a speed only the truly afraid could manage. A dense canopy of branches blotted the sky overhead. The ground shook, the quiet night pierced by shrill, curling cries.

Ann wanted to cry herself. In her panic, she had overlooked quite a few things – including the furry paws that sprang out as she ran.

"What the hell!" she wailed.

The sentiment came out of her mouth as a mournful whine quickly answered by a series of barks. Ann glanced behind her and was met with the nightmare-inducing sight of six large wolves bounding through the trees in her wake. She almost tripped over her own feet in fright.

Ann had a guess in her heart about the nature of this world. She didn't dare stop running, but she slowed down a bit, keeping an eye on her entourage. Sure enough, the wolves matched her pace. They were not chasing her but – what? Accompanying her for a midnight run?

They broke through into a clearing. Moonlight poured from the unobstructed sky, making Ann squint. It stripped the shadows from the chasing wolves and washed their fur silver.

A thin stream cut through the land. Ann stopped at its banks and hung her head, observing her own appearance with the calm of the shellshocked. Wiggling ears, long muzzle, snazzy fur coat. Yup, she was part of the wolf gang.

Wolves didn't eat other wolves, right?

Another pointed face popped into view in the water. The wolf had reddish fur and large, sharp teeth. Ann startled, paws slipping over the wet stone. She would have pitched right into the stream if not for the sudden pull at her neck. It happened so quickly she only realized it afterward, when she looked up at the great gray wolf standing over her.

It had carried her away by the scruff of her neck.

It. Had. Carried. Her. Away. By. The. Scruff. Of. Her. Neck.

The gray wolf snorted once, looking as displeased as a wolf could. Ann shriveled a little under its expressionless stare.

The smaller red wolf that had almost frightened Ann into taking an impromptu bath let out a chuffing laugh, breaking the quiet. Ann's eyes widened in affront. The foul beast went as far as to roll on its back, its tongue lolling out from its open maw as it huffed in amusement!

The gray wolf walked up to the wiggling red wolf and – da, da – slapped its head with a large paw a few times. The mischievous wolf settled with a whine. It lay still, its eyes gleaming wet as it looked at Ann. The pitiful play would have been more convincing if its tail wasn't thumping at the ground like a puppy at play.

Ann ignored the attention. Her legs were still shaky, so she remained where the gray wolf had dopped her as she surveyed the rest of the pack. There were five wolves altogether, six if – Ann winced – she counted herself. The red wolf and Ann were of similar stature. The other four wolves were much larger, with the gray one the most powerful among them. It was obviously their leader. A few barks had the others spreading out to check the clearing, sniffing here and there as they secured the parameter with the dedication of trained troops.

"Hey, hey, what's your VR profile?"

Ann's back foot snapped out. The red wolf bounced back, avoiding the swipe by a nick. It regarded Ann with accusing eyes. Ann would be embarrassed, but this was the second time the stupid thing had snuck up on her and – wait. Had the wolf just spoken?

"You're a player?" Ann asked.

It was strange, speaking through a wolf's throat. The yips and grunts that came out of her mouth had nothing to do with a human tongue.