Wolf and the Cat

Chapter 4

As the three followed a slight path to the pond Aera and Raymond started their race at Aera rushed forward and stopped right at the water then turned around to look at Raymond.

"I win Raymond, again." she said with a slight chuckle.

"Hey! That's not fair, we are trying to keep this forest safe remember." he barked back.

"Don't be a sore loser now come on. You said to the hunting grounds and back and I got back first." she said.

Raymond growled softly but gave a slight laugh afterwards.

"Alright Raymond, I'll see you around." Aera said to the fox as he turned away.

"Yeah see you around Aera. Hopefully sooner this time." he said back to her as he walked off into the brush.

"Tigress, the pack I live with will be very welcoming to a new animal in the forest. I just worry about them not letting you live with me." Aera said to the cat as they came closer to the part of the woods where a mountain lay quiet and housed the wolf pack.

As the two drew closer to a cave with hanging moss that gently swayed in the wind a wolf walked out to confront the two.

"Aera, who is this feline newcomer you have brought to our forest?" the wolf asked.

"This is Tigress, she left the Blood Forest in seek of better refuge." Aera told the wolf. "She greeted me with a calm and warm embrace. She's not harmful nor aggressive."

"Aggressive or not, she may not be a friendly soul to welcome to our forest." the wolf replied. "Where does she wish to shelter Aera?"

"She wished for shelter near the water but I'm insisted she stay with me in my den." she said.

"If she is to stay that becomes one mouth plus to feed. Go ahead and show her your den." the wolf told Aera.

The two walked passed the moss to reveal a large cave with stones that lit the cavern from top to bottom. There was a pile of hunted prey in an average sized pile.

"Who was that, he didn't seem to like you bringing me to your pack." Tigress said.

"That was Skjorn, one of our elder hunters. He monitors those who leave and what they bring back. Not always one of the nicest but we all have learned to love him." Aera told her.

They trotted up a small incline and down a hall-like tunnel to a small opening for a den.

"This is my den, I'm the denmother here, tending to the pups and I train partially to be the next healer." Aera said to Tigress.

"A healer? Why are you going to be a healer as to live up to expectations given to you by them?" Tigress said stopping at the entrance.

"As one of the few wolves that naturally heal others, I have to be the next healer or my kind would die. Caring for others is one of my best talents." Aera said.

"Skjorn said that I'm another mouth to feed, but I can catch my own prey." Tigress said defending herself after walking into the den.

"I have no doubt you can, but as wolves if one of us takes someone in, we provide for them. Hospitality is very important to us." Aera said. "For now just make yourself comfortable while I go have a talk with one of the elders."

As Aera left the den Tigress laid down on a patch of grass the den held and began to sleep. She dreamed a dream of her awful past jolting her back to an awoken state.

"Just a dream Tigress, it's all just a dream. You left them behind. Your safer without them anyways." she said calming herself. She kept repeating herself over and over meanwhile Aera spoke to the alpha.

"Beowulf they clearly needed my help, if I don't go back in five days they might burn down the village." she told the alpha.

"I understand your compassion goes beyond the pack more than the others, so this one time I'll let you leave the den for a few days." the alpha Beowulf said.

As Aera heard the alpha her face lit up, "Thank you alpha, I'm sorry for the trouble recently."

"No trouble at all, just remember that Tigress is your mouth to feed. She will accompany you to the village and back. Take care of her." Beowulf said calmly to Aera.

Aera nodded and walked out of the alpha's den and back to hers only to be stopped halfway by some of the younger pups.

"Hi Miss Aera, we were wondering if maybe we could learn how to heal animals like you." one of the smaller ones said, he was a dark brown with bright blue eyes.

"Well little ones, I have to go to the village but when I return I'll tell you all about healing and you might be the packs next healer after me." she said to the pups.

They all spoke in unison, "Yes ma'am Miss Aera." and them they all went back to wrestling with each other. Aera went to her den and woke Tigress from her sleep.

"Tigress, we have to get prepared to leave tomorrow. There's a problem in the village I need to fix." she said to the now half awake cat.

"What do we need to prepare, we're just going to the village. It isn't more than a three hour time walk." the cat asked the wolf who standing over her.

"Because we are staying with Raymond tomorrow. The second day is when we go to the village." she answered trying to nudge the cat up to her feet.

"Just go find Skjorn and ask him for a traveler pack for me." and with that she pushed Tigress out the den.

Tigress looked back at the she wolf then walked down into the cavern to try and find Skjorn.
As she approached a few wolves sitting around a totem one of them stood up and greeted her.

"Hello there, you must be Tigress. I'm glad Aera brought an outsider to the den.

"She just was showing kindness to me and I'm thankful you all allowed me to stay here. Right now I'm looking for Skjorn, Aera asked me to get a travelers pack from him." Tigress said to the wolf.

"Skjorn huh? I think he is guarding the alpha's den, if not he's at the front entrance monitoring hunters." the wolf replied.

"Thank you so much for helping me." Tigress said as she walked off to the alpha's den. When she got to the entrance, sure enough Skjorn was sitting there guarding it.

"Hi Skjorn, Aera sent me for a traveler pack." she said to the black wolf.

"I have two prepared for you two, alpha told me to get them ready. I can help you get yours on or let Aera do it." he said back.

"I'll let you put it on so Aera isn't got more stuff to deal with." she told the wolf letting him slip the strap around her and tighten it gently.

"There you go, and tell Aera bring some prey back for the pups." he said as Tigress walked back towards Aera's den.

She met Aera halfway to her den and gave her the bag and the two headed out of the cave.

"Skjorn asked me to tell you to bring prey back for the pups to eat." Tigress said as they entered the woods.

"I'll make sure to do that then, as well as get you some food if you don't want to catch your own." Aera replied. "Also, Raymond I know you're out here and I want to tell you we are going to stay with you for a few days."

"Sounds good with me Aera, we can get another race in perhaps." the fox said with a chuckle as he emerged from the bushes surrounding the area.

The three all went to the part of the woods where the fox lived, deep in the thicket of the dead wood. Raymond and Tigress passed through with ease while occasionally Aera had some trouble. After an hour long venture through the dead wood the three came to a burrow in the ground that all three could fit inside with plentiful room and some food that Raymond caught the day before.

"Get some sleep and in the morning we will get some food." he said.

Aera and Tigress nodded and both fell asleep easily.