Little Wolf

Chapter Nine

Jack quietly opened the door to his room, walking out into the hallway. All the other doors of the hallway were closed, as normal. Quickly he made his way down the empty hall, nodding to the occasional guard that passed by. Jack slowed his pace as he neared his father's study. He knocked on the door and moments later heard a reply. "Come in." His father said.

Jack pushed open the door. His father was looking at papers on his desk. He wore his reading glasses as well. Nothing but a candle lit the room, the curtains pulled over the window.

"What is it, Jack?" Raolin asked, not looking up from the paperwork. His father looked slightly annoyed at the fact that he had been disturbed.

"I was just wondering if you had anything for me to do today? Reading class? Go buy something you need?" Raolin sighed, holding his head in one of his hands.

"Go play or whatever it is you do. I'm busy, so do not disturb me today. Go to your mother's for dinner tonight." Jack nodded and silently left the study. Once the door was closed, a smile appeared on his face. He would not have to leave early today, as his mother lived close to the forest.

"Little Wolf, Little Wolf!" Jack called, walking through the forest. His gaze flickered around in search of the redheaded wolf girl.

"J-ack!" He looked up to see her perched on a tree branch.

"Little Wolf! I won't have to go early because my father told me to stay with my mother tonight!" Her eyes lit up with joy and excitement.

"So, what do you want to do? How is your hunting training going?"

"Go-od! I have le-ar-ned how an-i-mals react to danger and how to hunt diff-er-ent types of an-I-mals." She jumped down from the branch, landing on two feet and standing on two feet.

"Sounds like you have learned a lot. I'm sure you will be a great hunter." Her smile grew as his words.

They continued to talk for a few hours. She told him more about her hunter training and he told her about things in the kingdom.

Fire-Flower stood from where she was sitting, looking around the forest. Jack watched her, confusion in his eyes.

"We sh-ould go ex-pl-ore!" She said, her eyes gleaming. Jack grinned, nodding in agreement. He stood from the tree stump he always sat on.

"Where to then?" Little Wolf looked around, her eyes studying the trees around them, deciding where to go. "This way." She said, beginning to walk in a random direction. Jack followed her.

"Have you heard of the roi des loups Coeur de Lion?" Jack could not help but to ask her as they walked. He was still curious about it. The reward for killing it only seemed to be increasing with each person who failed to slay it.

"The what?" Confusion laced her voice. Her head turned to look her him, her head tilted slightly.

"The roi des loups Coeur de Lion. It is a beast said to roam the woods near here. The king wants it dead. There is a pretty large reward for whoever kills it." Little Wolf thought for a moment. Did she know of something like that? A beast who roams the forest? Had Lionheart or Starlight ever mentioned a roi des loups Coeur de Lion? She did not think so.

"I do not know what--roi des loups Coeur de Lion, is. No one had spo-ken of it in the pack." Jack nodded, accepting the answer. He had not entirely expected her to know what the roi des loups Coeur de Lion was, but he decided to ask anyways.

"What is it?" She asked, looking back at him.

"A dangerous beast who roams the woods. They say it has killed and eaten both our flocks and people. Many are scared to enter the forest because of it."