Young Writers Society

Re’ana, unknowingly, dozed off. When she awoke the rain had stopped and she could hear a few birds whistling in the forest. The wolf hadn’t moved and still had his tail pulled close to him. He sat completely still, almost like a statue, in his vigil. Re’ana’s stomach gave out a grumbling complaint, causing her to try to cover the sound with her arms. The wolf turned toward her, signaling that her attempts to hide the source of the noise had failed. She tried to pretend that the sound hadn’t come from her, as it was unladylike. But the wolf’s knowing gaze bore into her and she dropped her head in defeat. “I’m hungry,” she muttered.

The wolf moved to his feet, stretching his back as he did so, and looked to her expectantly. He gave out a noise somewhere between a bark and a growl that instantly had Re’ana on her feet. He began walking out of the cave and then stopped, looking back at her. Catching on to the wordless command, Re’ana began following the wolf into the forest, the soft earth conforming to her foot as she took each step. The wolf would pause periodically and sniff the air before continuing on. He finally stopped at a large bush nestled between two strong oaks. The thin limbs dotted with blue and green berries.

Re’ana rushed over to the fruit bearing plant, her mouth already salivating at the thought of food. She plucked several of the green berries. They reminded her of the grapes she would eat at the castle, and just as she was about to put a grape-like berry into her mouth the wolf swat the back of her hand with his massive paw. Re’ana turned to the wolf with fury in her eyes. “Are you wanting me to starve?! What’s your problem?!” she cried.

The wolf calmly took a branch from the bush in his teeth and pulled it aside. Hidden within the leaves was a small field mouse lying on the ground. Its mouth and tail, once a cute shade of pink, were a dark purple color and a half-eaten green berry still clutched in its lifeless paws.

Re’ana quickly understood that the wolf was saving her life. She looked at the handful of poisonous berries in her hand and flung them from her like she had been holding a snake. She swallowed reflexively and looked to the wolf. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “What about the blue ones? Are they poisonous too?” Her voice was almost pleading in her question. The wolf plucked a blue berry off of the bush and chewed it up to answer her. Re’ana smiled grabbed a handful of the edible berries. They looked a lot like raspberries tinted blue to her. But when she bit into it, somewhat hesitantly, it was as sweet as honey. She grabbed a quick handful and shoved them into her mouth to satisfy her nagging hunger. Grabbing her skirt halfway to the hem, she lifted it to create a make-shift basket and began filling it with the blue fruit. Her muddy feet and calves revealed in a manner that Re’ana would never do if she were in civilization.

The wolf remained beside her, snatching berries off of the branches and scarfing them down. She felt that urge to run her fingers through his black fur again and slowly reached out to him again. He turned to her, making her freeze once more, and stepped out of her reach. Re’ana concentrated on collecting berries and when her skirt-basket was full, she waited for the wolf to lead her back to the cave. The wolf noted her waiting for him and started the trek back without stopping. She sat by the fire, putting a few logs on the fire to keep it from dying. The wolf stayed away from her, ensuring that she couldn’t try to pet him again.

She jumped and let out a shriek as the sky lit up and thunder rolled over the forest, signaling another torrent of rain. She huddled close to the fire trying to ignore the rumbles and crashed outside. “I hate thunder storms,” she said softly, trying to break the quiet between thunder claps. “My dad gave me this blanket when I was really little. It was so soft and big that I could wrap myself up in it and feel so safe.” She winced when another flash of lightning illuminated the cave. “The blanket is small now, but I would pull it out when I was afraid. The soft feeling always made me feel better. I wish that I had it now.” Tears began welling up in her eyes as she had never felt so alone and helpless.

Re’ana was startled when the wolf suddenly lay down next to her. Its eyes were still locked outside the cave, but one ear was now swiveled back to hear her. Re’ana wasn’t sure what to do. The wolf had spent most of the day avoiding her and now it was practically lying against her. Her hand hesitantly moved closer to the wolf. She paused just as her fingertips brushed the longest strands of fur. She looked to the wolf’s eyes again, making sure that he wasn’t glaring at her in warning again.

The instant her hand sank into his thick pelt she felt the overwhelming sense of peace wash over her. She tangled her fingers into the locks of his fur. It was just as soft as she had imagined it would be. It reminded her of the blanket that she had spent so many night tucked into to hide from the nightmares and thunder. She looked at the wolf’s eyes; unsure if she should follow the compulsion she was feeling, but unable to stop herself. The wolf’s body tensed from surprise as he felt Re’ana nuzzle into his side. The soft fur on her cheek was like a piece of luxury she had been denied the past few days. The wolf’s coat smelled of fresh pine and cool mountain streams. Despite trying to fight it, Re’ana fell asleep, exhausted from her restless nights.

The wolf looked over his shoulder to Re’ana’s sleeping face as she reflexively gripped at his black fur, afraid it would be snatched away. With a quiet huff, almost like a chuckle, the wolf lowered his head to his paws and closed his eyes to rest, while he could.