A collection of short stories

The Awakening

A layer of mist was hovering before the hedges, surrounding a cobblestone clearing, a silhouette could be seen wandering toward a wrought iron arch that led down a craggy path lined with ancient trees. A thick silence was settling through the trees as news spread of the new arrival.

The forest was whispering as the newcomer moved down the path. The trees shuffled as a non-existent wind rustled through them. The path soon came to another arch this one of rose wood and the newcomer looked over its shoulder back through to the wrought iron arch it came through. You could barely make out the outline of the wrought iron arch as another layer of fog rolled in front of it. The newcomer turned back to look at the rose wood arch once more, it tilted it's head as though in indecision on if it should go through, it made up its mind and stepped through the rose wood arch. Through the rose wood arch was a clearing lined with birch trees. The newcomer looked back at the rose wood arch it just came through, and was startled as the rose wood arch and pathway melt into the mist. It looked back and saw a clearing, in the center of the clearing was a tall granite pedestal, the newcomer walked forward to the pedestal going up on its hind legs to see what was on it. Nestled in a bowl on the top of the pedestal was a sparkling deep blue crystal. The newcomer leaned forward to touch the crystal, as its limb brushed the surface of the gem there was an explosion of light surrounding the pedestal and the newcomer. It was lifted into the air above the pedestal as a transformation started to take place. The light cocooned itself around the newcomer as its form began to change.

As its form began to change the clearing was flooded with a bright light, as the sun shone a spot-light on the pedestal. As the sun shone down the cocoon of light around the transformation, the newcomer was lowered back to the ground and the cocoon faded away to leave a majestic white she-wolf standing regally on the pedestal. She looked around with sharp ice blue eyes, scanning the clearing for something, then she threw her head back and let loose in a beautiful howl, it was the joyful sound of finally being free. As the wondering spectacle came to an end she put her head back down and waited, after a time, there was a returning howl and another white wolf charged into the clearing. This one was a bit smaller than the she-wolf, the new wolf galloped up to the pedestal where the regal she-wolf was still sitting. He bowed his head to the she-wolf and she touched her snout to his brow, as though knighting him for her court.

A few moments later she removed her head and stood up on the pedestal. She let loose another long howl, a calling for followers. Then there was a crash not far from the clearing, and a whole pack of white wolves burst through the clearing and surrounded the She-Wolf and her consort. The pack of new wolves knelt in a circle around the pedestal. As the pack stood an ear splitting whistle broke the silence, all the wolves stood with their eyes trained on the She-Wolf. The She-Wolf looked up at the sky and floating down from the clouds was a white feather. As the feather floated lower it settled on the ground in front of the She-Wolf. She gazed at it for a few seconds then she reached down and touched her snout to the feather, gently brushing it with her nose. There was a blinding flash of light and everything went white in the clearing all you could see was the She-Wolf on the pedestal, and the male wolf standing next to her, the pack had vanished. Slowly the light began to fade away, and standing in the wolf packs places were a flock of snowy owls. The owls seemed dazed as they turned their heads towards each other, trying to see what had happened. Then the She-Wolf threw back her head again and let loose another howl this one was like an order, telling them what to do. Then like one being all the owls took flight heading into the sky and to freedom.

The She-Wolf watched the fly away, a contentedness radiated from her being as she watched them go. Then she stood from the pedestal and in a graceful bound leapt from the pedestal to the ground the trees shivered as her paws touched the forest floor, and all around her paws life blossomed onto the forest floor, grass and flowers springing up from the earth. Then with the male wolf by her side they went back to the Rose Wood arch, back down the craggy path, through the Wrought Iron arch and back to the misty cobblestone clearing, and side by side they trotted into the mist, vanishing from this earth until the next Awakening.