Little Wolf

Chapter Four

About three weeks had passed since Jack had met Fire-Flower. He still called her Little Wolf though, as she was still yet to be able to tell him her name in French. Jack had been teaching her the basics of French as well, so she could now answer questions such as 'How are you?' and 'What are you doing?' Fire-Flower had also told him a bit about her life living amongst wolves. She told him about training and how she had made a cloak out of a mountain cat pelt and daggers out of mountain cat fangs for when she was older.

Jack bounded through the city, making sure not to bump into anyone. People here and there called out a greeting, which he replied to quickly and as politely as he could. He doubted he sounded very polite though, as he was rushing to get out of the city. Jack found himself quite excited everyday he got to go to the forest alone. Little Wolf seemed to understand that he could not visit every day and she also seemed to understand not to speak to him unless he was alone. Occasionally his father went with him to the forest.

The surrounding houses began to loose their rich and fancy look, giving away to the poorer side of the kingdom. Jack did his best to get through the poor side of the kingdom as quickly as possible, not wanting to be guilt tripped into anything. He did not mean to sound selfish, but he just wanted to get to the forest, not give away all his money.

The cobble stone ground soon gave way to the lush green grass on the edge of the forest. Jack looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly descending in the sky. It would be about six or seven hours till night fall, so he could stay in the forest for about four, maybe five hours. Jack's father wanted him home before night fall, so Jack left himself an hour or two to get home. It did not take that long to get home, only about twenty minutes, but he wanted to give himself time incase of a detour or distraction on his way home.

Jack looked behind him, checking to see no one was behind him. He would not want to get in trouble, incase his father disapproved of being friends with Little Wolf, which his father probably would disapprove of.

Slowly he stepped into the woods, his eyes darting around for any signs of danger. He continued to walk deeper and deeper into the forest, listening to the chirping of birds and the faint out of the rushing river. The young dark haired boy continued through the woods, the trees casting shadows and the voices of people from the kingdom soon fading. Soon he stopped in a small clearing covered in shadows from the surrounding trees.

"Little Wolf! Little Wolf! Are you there?" Jack called out into the shadowy woods, alert for any signs of danger, his eyes watching for any movement. A few moments passed, then he heard the creaked of branches. Looking up, he discovered Little Wolf sitting on a branch high up in an oak tree. A grin sat on her face and Jack soon found himself smiling happily at his new friend. "How is training?" He asked. She slid off the branch and quickly made her way down the tree. She landed on the ground and sat down on the shadow covered grass. Jack sat down across from her.

"It is go--od." There was a pause between syllable, but Jack found it was normal for her to pause. He did not mind that fact that she paused between syllables in words to much, but honestly be did find it a bit annoying when trying to teach her. It did not seem to be going away anytime soon though, so Jack decided to leave it be, unless it was a really bad pause.

A mischievous look appeared on her face and she quickly stood. Jack looked a her curiously. Fire-Flower then turned and ran off, running using all four limbs much like a wolf. Jack set out a laugh and quickly stood to chase after her. He doubted he could catch her, but it was still fun to try. She raced through the forest, tearing up a few clumps of grass and occasionally leaping into the trees. Jack ran after her, laughing as he tried to find her. "Little Wolf Little Wolf! Where did you go?" He had slowed his pace now, looking around at the trees. She sat in a tangle of branches, unseen by Jack. She struggled to calm her labored breathing, hoping he would not hear her.

"Found you!" Fire-Flower let out a yelp of surprise at the loudness of his voice. She tumbled out of the tree and onto the ground below. Jack laughed, watching her as she looked up at him in shock.

"You sca--red mee!" She glared playfully at him as he continued to laugh.

"O-okay, sorry." Jack said, still laughing. A grin formed on Fire-Flower's face. Jack held out his hand to help her up, which she gladly took.

"I'll help you up--" Fire-Flower yanked him down, causing him to fall face first into the ground. Jack could hear her laughing at him.

"Yeah yeah, very funny." Jack muttered, lifting himself up and wiping dirt off his face. He jack up and looked at Little Wolf, who was cleaning herself much similar to how a cat cleaned itself.

"You clean yourself like a cat?" Little Wolf looked at him, pausing her washing. "Some--timesss. Clean in riv--er mostlyyy." Jack laughed faintly at the sounds she drew out in words. After a bit Fire-Flower looked up at the surrounding trees, her eyes flickering back and forth.

"Squirrels. Re-d squirrels." Her nose wrinkled a bit as she took in the scents of the forests around her. "Can you smell scents like animals?" She nodded.

"I am wolf. Scent like wolf." Jack nodded.

"That's cool! What can you smell? Do I smell like anything?" His eyes were bright with curiosity. Little Wolf was so different from anyone in the kingdom, but he liked that she was different. Her nose scrunched up as she tasted the air around her.

"I not gooood at it. You do smell d-d-di-diff-er-ent." Jack tried to smell the scents she said she could smell. He could only smell the faint scents of the sun or shadow stained grass. He shook his head.

"I cannot smell anything." Little Wolf giggled faintly at his confused look.

"Not wolf. You not wolf. You different from me."

"But--you are not a wolf either! Why can you smell like them and I cannot?" Jack wanted to be able to smell the scents of the forests.

"Am wolf at he-art. What at he-art what are." Fire-Flower reached out to a branch of a near by tree and wrapped her hand around it. She quickly pulled herself up onto the branch. Jack did not entirely get what she had said, but decided to just go with it. Maybe he would understand when he was older. Jack noticed that she had climbed up into a tree. She was quickly climbing higher and higher.

"Wolves do not climb trees though!" He called, a grin reappeared on his face.

"I is diff--err--ent wolf." Jack laughed. "You're a weird wolf!" She looked down at him, smiling.

"Special wolf. Lionheart sayy I be grreat wolf!"

"Who's Lionheart? A wolf from your pack?" She nodded. "Al-ph-a."

The two continued to play and talk for another two or so hours. The sun continued its descend in the sky, bathing the land in an orange-gold color. Jack looked up at the sky, figuring it was around two hours till nightfall.

"I have to go home now!" He called up to Little Wolf, who had climbed up into another tree. She soon returned to his view, a sad look on her face.

"Ok-ay, see tomorrow?" She made her way down from the tree.

"Maybe, depends what father has planned for tomorrow. I'll see you soon Little Wolf." Jack turned and began his walk home, looking back at Little Wolf one more time before disappearing into the trees and fading from Fire-Flower's view.