Yellowhair: An Elf Hollow Prequel

TWENTY | Quoraluna

CHAPTER TWENTY

Quoraluna

"This one's a special soul." Thadiac stood—overflowing in the doorframe of Aldes' bedroom, smiling at Qello. "Brought from high up in the mountains."

He was admiring the top speed whirlwind he'd allowed down onto the floor.

"A wolf pup born white is a fine, rare occurrence and nothing too good for the girl who's changed the luck of all Wandoor, I gather." Thad winked, his eyes fully taking her in for the first time since he'd said goodbye to her in Krendal Offshaw's camp.

"Hadn't I told you?" Kreelah beamed. "You don't look so worried now. See?" The child's face had relaxed at the sight of Thadiac and then completely lit up with a focus she hadn't shown before, the moment the pale little patient had noticed the puppy in Thadiac's arms.

The pup's boisterous joy had whisked the girl back from her sadness, like magic. It was so good to see she could smile. It changed the child's whole face and, hopefully, her outcome.

Kreelah mentioned "Master Thadiac says that folks called you Yellowhair where you were from." —moving the chair towards Thad. "Is that right? Is that what you'd want us to call you?"

The white speed-bundle was slowing down now to smell all things in the room a little more thoroughly and then, with a new sniff here and there, he would suddenly dart to a different spot, or bounce to the edge of the bed to try to greet Qello and then, just as fast, race off and explore something else he thought he had missed in his previous investigations. It was never long before he'd again be back bouncing beside her.

Qello briefly managed a look over to Kreelah and then Aldes to nod, then back to being hypnotized by the pup. She leaned over and her hand reached down. The wolf youngster nibbled her fingers. "Argaak!" She pulled them back with a rough squawk of a laugh, and put her hand down again.

She didn't know where to focus the most—at Thadiac's face for reassurance or at the pup, now pulling on Kreelah's boot top and determined to initiate a tug of war, growling for ferocious effect.

"He's for you." Thadiac smiled, watching her face. She stared at Thad, amazement only partly sinking in, as the pup bounced back and nibbled her fingers again.

Kreelah chimed in with an, "I told you, you were famous!" Kreelah was laughing.

"Owah." Qello quietly giggled and grunted. The pup's fur looked as soft as the clouds she had watched far up in the sky.

Then, Qello noticed everyone was smiling too much at her. She tried to look away. She felt as if in a dream. She heard Aldes quietly speak to the others, "Would you look at that!" Aldes was amazed to see such a lost child suddenly truly engaged, now happy and feeling more safe.

"Perhaps we'll leave you three alone." The women left and pulled the door mostly closed behind them.

Thadiac took the opposite seat by the window and brought it up close to the bed, where they could both watch the pup's antics together. He'd first thought to try to control the wolf on his lap, so the girl could examine the little guy, closely, but then had to put him down, again, for fear he might jump onto the bed and all over the patient he now knew as Yellowhair.

Thadiac took in her condition for a moment. "I'm glad to see you're all right! You've been fitting in here, quite nicely. You'll soon know everyone in the village and they already all know about you."

They watched the pup sniffing the edges of the room for a while, and then Thadiac explained, "My dear, I just have to say—You took a mighty big fall, but somehow you came out—" He didn't finish the thought.