📖 𝕿𝖆𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖚𝖓𝖆𝖗 𝕿𝖔𝖒𝖊 📖 [𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦]

~ Reserved ~

Magnificence expressed itself in the mountains. From the way the clouds gathered about the distant higher peaks like some celestial council took place, to the very brooks of mountain springs burbling happily downwards to feed fresh water to the many rivers branching out from the range. The trees stood taller, broader, and the valleys cradled between the clusters of gigantic rock formations slept in protected peace, their green fields and rollicking hills untouched save for the gentle hand of nature itself.

The range’s brilliance didn’t stop there, though. Its animals were sure-footed and hardy, able to withstand the harsh winds, rains, and snows of living in a varying climate. From the elk to the birds, predators and prey, bears, varying cats, bold eagles and clever hawks—all carried on in the cycle long-since established. People, too, though fewer and further between than in the lowlands and especially the cities, took residence in this wild place and adapted to the wilderness with their own cleverness and resources, becoming one with the land and even cultivating the portions they settled as their own. Keeping clean streams and aiding in the culling of excessive populations. Always thoughtful in giving back when they took, because where would they be if they took all from the land and left nothing for their future generations?

Of course, not all people were as they seemed, either. Sometimes a wolf seen in the woods was just a wolf. But sometimes that lanky animal peering back was a man too…

Fade padded through the evergreens with a rhythm born of familiarity, a cadence of four legs that he fell into just as easily as he did upon two. He wove around trunks and hiked quick hops over large protruding roots and occasional fallen foliage. Unusual eyes the color of burning coals observed the landscape as his furred head canted slowly back and forth, examining what was familiar to him, but also what had changed. Like the broken branches that a couple days ago they were attached, now lying on the forest floor because of the strong winds last night. Things like that always made these patrolling excursions a little more interesting.

Not to mention the new smells of new animals, rarely a person, probably camping, or the rare but not impossible scent of a true wolf pack. Those, however, tended to avoid crossing much territory with the confusing smells of wolf/humans. Even Fade as he was presently, fully animal in appearance, wouldn’t fool an actual animal. And a frightened, confused true wolf could not be reasoned with, so it was best to avoid that sort of confrontation when at all possible.

Fade’s wandering nature, however, inevitably led to encounters, both with animals and with people.

Some months ago he’d stumbled upon a hunt, the shape-changing party consisting of five individuals hounding after a deer in their wolven form, for which he could hardly begrudge them. Sometimes their kind simply found satisfaction in sinking their own teeth into the flesh of prey. Some found ritualistic pleasure in the killing of their meals. It wasn’t his place to assume or lay judgment on what their family branch chose to do.

But it had been the first time he saw her, if from a distance, and he’d made himself scarce quickly after.

When he went that same way again, Fade saw her a second in a wide bend of the southern brook, resting in the sun and decidedly not alone. A couple of her fellows were resting with her. Evidently they used this territory often to gather food and exercise their animalistic natures.

The third time, he saw her alone. Same bend in the brook, now overflowing its banks as springtime thaw melted the mountain snow further north, and the valley had poured already for two days with a steady, soaking shower. Something must have gone wrong, since she lay in the damp grass, unmoving, and when Fade dared approach he caught a hint of copper from the trickling of water flowing downhill through the grass.

He was no healer, and couldn’t be trusted to differentiate the right plants from the wrong ones—he brought everything home when he was out, sometimes to his own detriment—but he carried with him a number of salves and various remedies prepared by North’s creative hands just for this sort of purpose. At least the rain helped clean the wound out, but he didn’t stop the bleeding she wouldn’t make it through the night.

When he had his hands, Fade worked quickly, rubbing the wound salve into her fur with a delicacy that betrayed his broad stature and hefty-looking fingers. But prodding a wound was still prodding a wound—never a welcome thing to suddenly wake up to.

With a horrid growl, she whipped up like a fish and snapped her jaws with a thunderous snap but Fade lurched backwards, splashing into the muddy grass with hands raised and gaze lowered, calmly accepting her angry, frightened reaction.

“Vatra,” he muttered, tone warm and soft, wholly non-aggressive while his peripheral easily caught the gleam of her pearly fangs bared at him, this stranger to her. Dark brown hair hung down into his eyes, but he made no move to swipe it back, lest she take it as a threat. But her threatening snarls did stop. “It’s alright. Sorry I startled you, but I couldn’t leave you here.”

Her eerily luminous gaze took a long moment to soften, and eventually her silent snarling jaw shut, save for a single tooth that continued to roll back against her lip. Gave her a sullen yet amusing expression that Fade absolutely ignored for the time being.

“Hunt went sideways?” he asked, casual as he lowered his hands, slowly, to dangle between his akimbo legs—clad in dark gray pants but that was all—and lifted his gaze to meet hers.

She turned her gaze away, grumbling from her throat, and flopped back into the grass with a splash.

“Yeah. I can understand that.”

Silence. Not uncomfortable, mind, but still full in the strange way silence is filled between strangers.

“I know a small alcove where you’d rest easier. If you want me to take you there.” Fade shrugged when she lifted her head, eyes narrowed. “Just a suggestion.” With water beating down on his head, running over his features, Fade still smiled and shrugged.

In the end, they both just sat there, or laid there, out in the rain. The season wasn’t cold enough, even at night, for them to pass it in chilled discomfort, but Fade also took wet branches and forced a fire to burn, rekindling it over and over with an absent wave of his hand until the wood finally dried and caught itself, flickering and crackling between them. He stayed up while she slept.

By morning, Fade felt heavy with lack of sleep, warmed now by the rising sun peeking through thick clouds, promising a damp but thankfully rainless day.

He’d have done more for her, too, despite the need to return home, but under the morning light a chorus of howls rose into the air from a distance, and Fade glanced up from where he washed his muddy hands in the overflowing edges of the brook. He glanced back, saw his companion sitting up with eager anticipation, ears erect and pivoted towards the clearly familiar sound.

Fade stood, flicking his hands, and closing his fist, he snuffed the lingering embers of their fire. He said nothing. Offered no thanks for her company, and expected no thanks from her, either. With her fellows now on the way, he would only cause more strife by lingering too long.

He did look back, though, catching sight of her deeply red coat as she lay among the grass and mud, but she had rolled over onto her side again, peering back at him with her head lying on the ground. Those brilliant white eyes just as shimmering in the light as they had been in the dark. Fade lifted a hand, and she rolled further over until a broad paw hung suspended in the air above her.

Chuckling to himself, Fade sank to the ground, his form melding into his wolf before he darted for the distant tree line, headed for home.

He’ll have to come back this way again sometime.