by K. T. Tomb
Her yellow eyes glowed in the shadows as she crept along, shadowing the young male dog at a distance. Cass had noticed that Shadow sometimes liked to go off by himself. She had grown curious about the nature of these solo adventures. She watched as Shadow trotted along, carefully raising each paw higher than usual as he approached the thicker underbrush.
Cass watched the forest as they traveled, knowing by instinct and experience where they were. The trees stretched high overhead, but she knew that up above, they became shorter due to the time difference in overgrowth. She didn’t remember a time when humans had walked this land, but she had heard the stories at the feet of the old ones before they had moved on.
As a young cub, she recalled the history being told to the pack, the thinly veiled warnings to avoid the place of the wall, as it had been called. This was a place of danger, she remembered. The story involved a dwelling with a presence of humans. Always dangerous, they said. The Old Ones had given them chills at night by recounting the story of Elder, who had ventured too close to the habitation and had received a wound by the human with a stick that made a loud cracking sound. Elder had made it as far as the edge of the grove before collapsing and dying, which was witnessed by the horrified eyes of the pack, as it had existed back then.
Since that time, the wolves had known never to set foot there again. But the humans had moved on, leaving the abandoned shell behind. With the last one gone, nature began to overtake the place. Roofs fell, walls collapsed. Time passed and the remains returned to the earth. All that remained now were some of the implements and the small rock wall, giving the area its name.
Surely, Cass thought to herself, Alpha and Mother Wolf had told their litter of this place. Warned them. Surely, Shadow knew not to go there. But as surely as they continued to move through the forest, his direction continued onward—right toward the place of danger.
Cass followed as closely as was comfortable and then stopped, letting her keen wolf vision watch as he moved toward the rock outcropping. She watched as he sniffed around, walking boldly toward the makeshift clearing. His happiness invaded the edges of her mind as he still had a presence with the mind lock, much to her chagrin. She knew that she remained hidden from him, as she had many years of practice ahead of him and her natural wolf abilities, as well. She wondered if she should alert Storm to come and join her, but she wanted to wait and see what else she could learn before sharing this with anyone.
Shadow strutted around, finding a stick and tossing it far enough to chase it down with a pounce. He repeated this play two or three times, before raising his nose to the air, as if he sensed her, but could not quite convince himself that she was there.
Cass crouched and made herself small in the shadows. She knew he wouldn’t detect her presence by scent, as she had positioned herself downwind. Silly little mutt, she thought, he will never survive in the pack, especially if he does not know enough to stay away from this place of danger.
She scanned the area as she watched, her eyes landing on the strange blade that jutted out from the ground. She didn’t know enough about humans and their practices to make any kind of guess as to what kind of tool it may have once been. But a plan began to form in her mind. Slowly, she stood, turning carefully so as not to disturb the leaves around her, and she returned to the usual territory of the pack.
Shadow played a bit in his secret place. He had come to love his time alone, away from the pack. He, of course, loved being with his family, but he sensed the differences between himself and the others. His moments of solitude allowed him to be himself in a way that he couldn’t while in the presence of the others.
Shadow had known that someone followed him. He couldn’t determine who, exactly, for they kept their presence hidden, even from his mind. But he moved forward as if unwatched. He had thought briefly about changing his route to the edge of the nearby creek, but he also knew that was where Chase liked to roam. Besides, he decided he didn’t want to miss going to his secret place, simply to appease someone else. So, he went on.
The scent of the space seemed different today. Something had moved through the space since his last visit. He couldn’t determine what, but the area was punctuated by a synthetic scent, quite unfamiliar to his senses. Shadow played, tossing around a stick for the amusement of anyone watching him. He sprang around, putting on the show of nothing more than a playful puppy.
Soon, though, he noticed that whoever had followed him had left. He pulled himself to full height, lifting his nose into the air to make certain he was alone. If so, he would go to the little place he’d found and have a nap. He didn’t know that he was still being watched.
A man had come and carried with him a bundle of papers. On his head was a yellow plastic helmet that caused the synthetic scent that Shadow had noticed. The man wondered how the small dog had wandered out this far, noticing that he didn’t wear a collar. The small canine looked like it had some kind of poodle in his breeding, though, clearly, it was a mutt. He watched as the dog wandered about, apparently as happy as could be, roaming around the area. After romping for a few minutes, the small dog curled up in what looked like the remnants of a small fireplace, not much more than a pile of rocks now. That was what had sent him here in the first place. He was to do some reconnaissance on the space, mainly to see what needed to be removed before they pulled the trees and plowed the land. They knew they had to remove some of the remaining evidence of the old farm before clearing the land.
For a while, the small strip of land had been protected by a mostly unknown bylaw, allowing anything bearing historical remnants to remain untouched. The company that he worked for had been watching the clock for the time to run out. They had made a successful bid and it only needed to be accepted by the state for them to have full clearance to expand.
He had found evidence of rusted tools in addition to the old rock wall and fireplace. The foundation would have to be completely removed, erasing all evidence of the old farm. No matter, he thought. Everything had its season. He had no qualms about being part of the company that would take down part of the forest. It took up a huge swath of land and they would only be infringing on a small sliver of the parcel. He wondered what he should do about the little dog. He didn’t know if he should try to get the dog to come to him, but decided against it, for now. Perhaps next time he came out, he would bring some treats, and try to befriend the little fellow.
The man turned and left the area. Next time, he would bring a wheelbarrow and some tools. They could go ahead and remove the metal and rocks, but they wouldn’t be able to break ground until they received clearance that the bid had been accepted.
Shadow, oblivious to the man’s presence, dozed in the sun.
***
Cass bounded back to the familiar part of the forest, finding the scent of Storm and tracking him. She came on him sitting quietly on the edge of the meadow, staying in the shadows He greeted her with a perfunctory nuzzle when she walked up next to him.
“Where have you been?” he asked casually.
“I’ve been watching over Little Mutt,” she answered. The wolves often watched over one or more of the younger ones.
“Don’t call him that,” Storm chastised. “He was chosen by the Mother and accepted by the Alpha. We must accept him as well. He is a pack member.”
“It is true, but he is not a wolf.”
“Perhaps not, but he is a pack mate and we should treat him with respect.”
Cass stood silently as they both looked out over the meadow. “I understand that we must treat him like one of our own, but I am not entirely sure why.”
“What do you mean?” Storm said.
“Well, someday, another wolf will take the place of the Alpha,” Cass explained. “And each of us is being groomed to that event in one way or another, as is the way of a pack. Wouldn’t you agree with that?”
“Perhaps,” Storm said, watching her with a cautious eye. “What do you mean?”
“What place can a smal
lish dog hold in the pack, Storm?” she said.
“He can’t be the Least Wolf. Mother Wolf would never stand for it. He is to be treated as one of her very own, not the lowest in the pack.”
“I know that.” She softened her tone and pressed her shoulder closer to Storm in a show of affinity. “Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean any disrespect toward little Shadow or anyone else. But I know I speak some truth. Shadow will never be equal to one of us. He will be tolerated, rather than respected.”
Storm cast his eyes back to the meadow, eying a small woodchuck at the far edge of the clearing. “It will be many seasons yet before the Alpha will be replaced, if that’s the intent of this conversation.”
“Do you think so?” she said. “His muzzle is going white.”
“You underestimate the Alpha.”
“And you underestimate me.” And then, she was silent.
The two continued to sit in silence, looking at the happenings of the meadow. Later, they would hunt. Cass felt satisfied with the first part of her plan. She knew that Storm shared her fondness. She trusted that in the right circumstances, she might be able to convince him that Shadow would never truly be one of the pack because he would never be able to measure up. This would take time and patience, Cass knew.
A flock of starlings flew from a low tree in the distance of the forest.
***
The next day, Steven Meadows returned to the job site to begin excavating some of the foreign objects that would hinder breaking ground on the location.
He had not thought much more about the little dog that he had seen the day before, outside of a passing thought that he might see the little fellow again. In the meantime, he would focus on the task at hand. He pulled the wheelbarrow out of the back of his pickup and started on the somewhat difficult task of pushing through the tangled forest to the job site. One day soon, he would have to bring a crew out to cut down a path. That would probably take a few days. A little less than ten yards in, he realized the error of his ways. He would have to leave the wheelbarrow for another day. He returned to the truck and almost without thought, he grabbed the small bag of dog treats and headed back toward the site.
When he got there, there was no sight of the little dog, so he put the matter out of his mind and began to collect together some of the metal scraps. He had not heard yet if the bid would be accepted, but he figured there would be no harm in getting a start on clearing the area. The hike in was pretty lengthy on foot.
Once they had a path cleared, they would be able to drive in a cart until they had the land cleared enough for paving. In the meantime, he enjoyed the view. The sun still peered through the canopy of leaves above him, creating a dappled green glow as if light were shining through the stained glass of a cathedral. He could see that the trees had begun to thin, giving Steven the cue that he had arrived at the place where the old farm once stood.
He surveyed the area, the old rock wall, the pile of antique farm tools. He wondered briefly if the old tools would be worth anything. Surely, they must be worth something through some venue, but he didn’t know enough about that sort of thing. He walked over to pick up a rusty piece of metal that looked like it had once been a blade to something. He tried to lift it but found it wedged into the ground enough that he would have to dig out around it.
A small noise caught his attention and he turned, thinking it may have been a squirrel or groundhog.
The little dog that he had seen the day before sat a little way off, just under a small tree.
“Oh, hey there, little fella,” Steven said, crouching down.
The dog lowered his body, keeping a cautious pose, his eyes never wavering from the man.
Steven slowly reached into his pocket and withdrew a small treat, extending his hand out to the canine. The dog eyed him, keeping his eyes fixed on the human without looking once at the food in his hand. He had never seen a dog act that way before, and wondered again how the little guy had gotten so lost and ended up this deep in the woods. He tossed the treat and it landed nearly exactly between where he stood and where the dog crouched. Still, the dog didn’t make a motion for it.
Steven took a step back, giving extra space to the dog, thinking that maybe he was shy. The dog just looked at him with the same unwavering gaze.
“Where’d you come from?” Steven asked.
Maybe the dog had been lost. If he could find some way to identify him and turn him to the county animal control, then he could perhaps reunite him with his family. Surely, he belonged to someone. Steven took another step backward. His boot heel caught on a tangle of roots jutting out of the ground and he tumbled backward, landing hard on his backside. He sat up, rubbing his head and elbows.
“Ow!” he muttered. When he turned to look back at the tree, the little dog had vanished.
***
His tail between his legs, Shadow raced as fast as he could back toward the den.
He didn’t know what to make of what had just happened. Of course, that had been a human. He could tell by the scent, but everything he had ever heard about them was that they were dangerous. This one didn’t seem so. In fact, he had some kind of food.
Shadow also didn’t know if he should tell anyone. If he did, they might decide to move the central den, which would mean travel and he would lose his beloved getaway. But if he didn’t tell anyone and the human somehow posed a danger to the pack, Shadow could never forgive himself.
He ran on, bounding over the roots and skirting under the low branches of the shrubbery. He ran for as long as he could before his legs began to burn with exhaustion. He slowed to a trot, glancing over his shoulder to make sure he had gotten clear. He saw no sign of the man, nor did he smell any scent of him in the light breeze. He must have left the forest.
“What did you find, little one?” Cass’s voice startled Shadow and he turned on his heels, coming to a full stop to face her. She had stepped out of the trees close to him and had approached unseen.
“What do you mean?” he said, his mind racing to think.
“You seem agitated,” Cass said, referring to her ability to sense his emotions through pack empathy. “I simply ask why.”
“I’m not agitated,” Shadow said, pointing his head up and away from her. “I was just running.”
“Running from what?” Cass asked again. “What are you afraid of, little one?”
Shadow turned toward her, irritated. “I’m not afraid of anything!” he insisted. Shadow had sensed Cass’s cool demeanor for a while and sometimes wondered what he might have done to invoke her ire. Cass, however, smiled at his outburst.
“It’s all right, Shadow,” she said. “I meant no disrespect. Let us go back to the grove together. The others are gathering for a hunt soon, and I am certain that you are hungry.”
Shadow walked in silence alongside the female wolf. Cass, being his elder, demanded that he treat her with a certain element of respect, but Shadow’s place as part of the Alpha’s offspring also allowed him certain privilege within the placement of the pack, which Cass had no choice but to respect. They walked along in the quiet of the forest.
Shadow looked forward to the hunt, for Cass had been right. He did feel quite hungry. The thought made him wonder if she had seen what had happened with the human. He had offered Shadow food, that much was certain. Shadow wondered if any of the others had experienced anything like that from a human before. He glanced at Cass, who trotted just ahead. She had caught the scent of some of the other pack mates, as had Shadow. She tossed back her head, emitting a short howl to alert them of her presence.
The return response sounded like a chorus of music, each voice unique in its own way. Thunder’s voice range was low and pure, while Storm had a higher sound, a knife-like pitch cutting through the stillness of the forest. Of course, Alpha and Mother both joined in the refrain with their confident vocalizations, drawing everyone near to the grove.
They gathered without a spoken word between any of them. The you
nger ones had heard the howls and soon bounded into the grove to join the others. When preparing for the hunt, each of them allowed their minds to open to benefit from the shared alertness and keen senses of the others. During this time, more than any other, Shadow truly felt as if he were part of something greater than himself. They were all present, the pack fully accounted for.
Alpha stood strong and silent, looking over his charges. Shadow saw Snow dancing on her front paws in anticipation as the energy built. Mother had raised her nose into the air, waiting to catch the scent of something. As if on an unseen cue, they all bolted at the same time, leaping as one into the dense woods. Shadow felt himself cut through the foliage, surrounded by the sleekness and blood desire, along with the others. Snow ran to his left and Chase to his right. Just behind him, he sensed Blue keeping pace.
As of yet, the older members of the pack stayed to the outside of the formation as a means of protecting the young ones in the middle. During some of the more recent hunting excursions, Shadow had noticed that this protective formation had become looser. Perhaps, he thought, he and his littermates were becoming skilled enough that they needed less protection.
He ran, awaiting the sound of the howl that communicated to the others that they had caught the scent. Shadow stretched out his mind to see what the others could see. Nothing, yet. Squirrels, birds, yes, but so far, no deer or elk to fill the stomachs of the entire hungry brood. His mind quickened as he sensed Thunder had scented an elk in the distance. The scent of the creature pierced through the pack inciting them with new excitement and fervor.