Wolf-blood

Mothers and Hunters and Bears

Present

"Hey there, little one, don't worry, I won't hurt you," I whispered to the frightened creature in front of me. God, what have I done? 

Flashback

It was two weeks after we had set out for Montana. We had just arrived, and let me tell you, it was beautiful. At least to a wolf-blood. There were woods EVERYWHERE. All plants were in bloom, the branches on the trees swaying with the April breeze. I inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. Vox had long since stopped arguing with Vir and I and had taken to ignoring us all together. We had tried everything to get her to speak to us, but she refused unless we went back. Sometimes, I could hear her muttering to herself about how idiotic we were being. Says the one who wants me to turn myself over to my enemies, I thought.

We walked into the deepest part of the woods and set up camp. We had divided up the responsibilities. Orvar and I were in charge of setting up camp, because we were the youngest and newest, while Lenus set up a fire and Deu went hunting. She didn't like to shift out in the open, so she ran out into the woods. While setting up Deu's and my tents, I saw Lenus was struggling with the fire. Blod was the best fire-starter but obviously she wasn't here, so when I finished setting up the tents, I went to help him. Hey, I may be a rich girl but that doesn't mean my father never sent me to those, "Survive in the wild," instructional seminars. 

"Need some help?" I asked.

He sighed and looked up. "Please," he scoffed, but his eyes said, 'Yesthankyouyesyesthanksyes.'

I laughed and sat down. He was trying to start the fire by clinking two rocks. Now, sometimes that works, but other times, not so much. I took the stones from him and took off my jacket. "Here's the secret to making a spark: use metal." I grabbed the zipper from my jacket and quickly rubbed it across the stone, flint. Sparks flew off and into the fire wood which he had surrounded with pine cones and pine needles to catch faster.

Lenus started slowly clapping as the fire started. I stood up and gave a curtsy. He just laughed and we were soon joined by Orvar. "So you got the fire going, huh?" he asked me.

"Yup, no thanks to Lenus over here."

"Hey!" he protested, which made us break out laughing.

Then Blod came back with four rabbits, and said, "Lunch time. Then, I thought we could go for a run, you know, to get familiar with these woods." She was forever the planner, always making these activities for us to do. One time, we went squirrel hunting. Yes, I repeat, SQUIRREL hunting. Now that would be all fine and dandy, if squirrels were easy to catch. Spoilers: they aren't. We ended up catching three squirrels, and they didn't even taste that good. So, that plan was a fail, big time. But a run didn't sound too bad, I mean what could happen? We'd leave and come back right away.

"Alright," I said, voicing my opinion. "That sounds fine to me." I looked to Orvar, who was roasting his rabbit, skinned and gutted, over the fire.

I gave him a Pleeeeeeease? look and he sighed. He grabbed my rabbit and started skinning and gutting it. Lenus looked just about ready to burst out laughing, so Orvar turned to him and pointed his knife, saying, "Not. A. Word." He then turned back to my rabbit and said to Blod, "But yeah, that sounds great."

I didn't think Lenus trusted himself to speak without laughing, so he just nodded. Blod smiled, a rare sight in it of itself. She tended to keep to herself, never showing emotion more than a grin. I never asked her why, though. She can have her secrets, and I'll have mine. Useful things, secrets. 

Orvar handed me my now skinned and gutted rabbit. I gave him a grateful look and put it on a stick to roast. "You know, someday you'll have to learn to do that yourself," Orvar noted. "I won't be here to do it for you forever."