Shadows

As told by Graybeard at Deadmen Tales.

I had walked this same path for many years, sometimes to hunt, but sometimes for the sheer pleasure of walking. I knew this forest as I knew my own hands and I never tired of exploring it.

Fall was already giving a sharp warning that winter was around the corner. The leaves of the maples had turned from the brilliant green of spring and summer to the subtle hues of reds, yellows and orange that splashed across the mountainside that I was traversing around.

I had my favorite walking stick and was beginning a slow assent up to the top of the un-named mountain. The fallen leaves from the night before still had a touch of frost on them and crunched under my feet.

The October air had a distinctive bite to it now with an almost sweet taste.

Somewhere in the distance, a Raven called with that odd mewling cry that almost sounded like a human baby. Already the Trickster was out there stirring up trouble.

I kept walking, the path beginning to rise gently. I shifted my pack a little and leaned as I stepped around a couple of large boulders. Just ahead was a small clear stream I would use to refill my canteen and quench my thirst.

As I reached it, I looked around slowly and gazed down at the valley just below me. The sounds of farm equipment and hungry livestock in the village as the townsfolk began to awaken.

A v-shaped flock of honking geese flew overhead, on their annual migration to warmer climes.

A rabbit popped out in front of me and scurried past me, disappearing into the brush behind me. I must have startled the thing. Kicked myself for not bringing the rifle today, rabbit stew would have been a good dinner.

Smiling and shaking my head, I knelt beside the stream, cupping water into my mouth and slaking my thirst. I had just lifted my hand to my mouth when it occurred to me I wasn't alone.

I froze, and tried my best to look around without giving away that I was alert to whoever was watching me. Slowly and nonchalantly, I took out my canteen and tipped the opening into the crystal clear water of the little stream.

I shifted my eyes carefully around but couldn't see anything. Whoever it was had a well hidden position. I finished refilling my canteen and sat down on a large flat rock, twisting the top back on it.

That bastard was still out there I could feel it. I looked around for weapons and took stock of my situation. I could run or fight.

I chose to fight. I began kicking up small rocks and hefted my staff as I shrugged out of my pack. I picked up a rock and threw it out into the high brush to no avail. I called out loudly, "I know you are there come out!"

Nothing, just the sense that there was indeed someone out there, watching me. I shoved a couple of rocks in my pack and stood up, quietly walking up the path again. Whoever it was would have jumped me by now so I decided to simply continue my morning hike.

As I took a few steps, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. A small movement. Something that wasn't right with the natural surrounds of the forest. I whirled around and as hard as I could threw my rock at the shadow.

The rock hit a tree with a loud thunk, and the shadow leapt out into the light straight at me.

I gasped. A wolf! I hadn't heard of wolves around here for as long as I could remember. As she bounded up towards me I could see she had no ill intentions, just wanted to find the quickest path to freedom which was right in front of me.

So, I lowered my staff and stood very still. Her thick coat of white fur shimmered in the wind, and as she flew past me she stared hard at me with emerald green eyes. I was stunned at how beautiful this creature was.

The she-wolf crashed into the thick woods beyond me and was gone as quickly and silently as the fog burning off with the rising sun. I stood there for a long time and stared where she had disappeared.

The one thing I had noticed was that she was rather thin. Probably not enough game around here to support her I thought. I wondered where her mate was or her pack? Such a mystery.

I cut my hike off short and headed back home and gathered up some dried meat and fish. The next day I traveled back to where I had met the wolf and placed some of the dried meats under a tree.

By the time I had sumitted the mountain and returned to the spot, the meat was gone. I had hoped the she-wolf had found it.

Every day for the next several weeks, I placed a little something near the stream for my new friend but the only thing I saw was the missing food I had placed, not even a track.

The winter was beginning to set in now. Every day the snow stayed longer, and the trees had long ago shed their leaves, leaving the forest bare and naked.

The stream was beginning to freeze over so I would walk up early and kick a big hole open in the ice so the wolf could drink.

One crisp clear morning I decided to sit down and have my breakfast at the stream, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

The magnificent creature didnt disappoint me. She had been there the whole time. As I sat down on my rock, she stood up from where she had been hiding near a snow drift, her white fur blending in perfectly.

Her head was lowered and her ears were flat against her head. Her long white teeth were bared in a silent snarl to show me she wasnt going to let me hurt her.

The hackles on her neck were straight up and her sparkling green eyes were locked with mine as she began to advance towards me. I knew that if I shifted my gaze away from hers I would be dead in moments, so I kept my eyes locked with hers and pushed all of my fear down deep in my belly.

I forced my breathing into a natural rhythm and with my open hand offered her a bit of my breakfast.

The wolf paused and sniffed the air.

One ear swiveled towards me and then laid back flat.

Shifting her gaze from my eyes to my hand.

I remained motionless. She crouched and began to stalk closer.

I thought suddenly that this might have been a very poor decision on my part. This animal could rip my throat out in the blink of an eye.

I willed myself to freeze in position. The smallest twitch could be mistaken for a threat.

I must have...patience.

The wolf was a mere foot from me now. I could feel her piercing stare that somehow ran straight through my soul.

I could see how thin she was, her ribs showing. Her teeth were still bared and now she was making a low rumbling sound deep in her chest. Telling me to be very careful.

My hand was beginning to shake from holding it up so long. The wolf crept forward, inches at a time. I could feel her hot breath on me now, and the sound of her heart pounding.

No, that was MY heart pounding.

Not taking her eyes off of me, she suddenly lunged and snapped the meat out of my hand with blinding speed before leaping over me and disappearing again into the forest.

I stayed there not moving for what seemed like hours, and then began to shake uncontrollably as my adrenaline began to wear off.

I looked down at my hand, which was still moist from her hot breath and smiled in disbelief.

Staggering back down to my small hut, I poured a very large glass of rum and slugged it back. The warmth of the amber liquid was just what I needed. As the sun set on the small village and the night closed in, I pondered.

I would of course go back in the morning, I had to now.