The big, mottled gray and brown wolf crouched low to the ground, slinking along a heather covered ridge. Twilight was falling around him, and the settling fog promised that the next day would be frosty. It was a cold early Spring night already, and his fur bristled with the chill. Even so, all of his attention was focused toward the small group of wolves who had been hunting around the area in recent weeks. The wolf considered this his territory, but wasn't so much feeling threatened by the newcomers as curious. He was a lifelong lone wolf, and could move any time he wished, but after following this group for a while he was beginning to think he could be of help to them.
From what he had seen thus far they were terrible hunters except for one, and they didn't understand how to use the lay of the land to their advantage. He, conversely, had been living up on the moors for all of his life, and felt he could share some of his knowledge with them lest they fail to inhabit the moors and die like some others he had come across too late. He glanced down at the group again to see a gray female— the hunter— trying to explain to the others some simple maneuvers that they were failing to execute. The wolf figured this would be as good a time as any to make himself known to them, and he stood up slowly from the gnarled shrubbery and made the approach that would end in him joining the Redfeather pack.
-
He shook his head and sighed, exasperated as he dropped a sprig of bright yellow flowers into a dip in the stone floor of his new den. This was not what he had had in mind when he had joined up with Fenn and her crew of green hunters on the moor. He was supposed to be out there hunting with Domhara and the others who had come after him. Instead that Celwynn he had brought home one day was leading the hunt while he was grinding herbs and sitting in a cozy den with the sick in the area to his right, and the nesting mothers in the area to his left.
As was his nature, though, as soon as he had the acidic thought toward his grumpy replacement he rescinded those feelings and hoped she was out there having fun. The pack had needed her, after all. She was quite powerful, and not bad to spend time with if one could get past her spines, and he was a patient— if not stubborn— wolf. Besides, he liked plants quite a bit, actually. He had had to heal his own hurts when he was alone, and knew a lot about herbs.
My name is Abutilon, after all, he thought to himself with a little grin. I suppose I can be quite proud of this, too, and he picked up the yellow poultice he had made and brought it over to a patient who greeted him with a smile.
-
Abutilon was curled up, still fast asleep in his nest in
his private, sectioned off area at the back of his den. He was dreaming of a good run over the moor with the wind at his back when he was awoken by a good hard swipe over his ears. He
immediately awoke with a start.
"Oh! Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake now, what do you want?"
The large, dark form of the most interesting wolf he had ever met was standing over him, her face contorted into a snarl. He thought she was beautiful, but, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the back of a paw he wondered foggily why she had awoken him like that this time.
"I
want to be where we said we would be an hour ago! Have you forgotten?
Or did you decide you didn't want to spend the rest of your days with
this miserable old she-wolf?"
"I— oh no. Oh dear. Is it today?!" He felt the pit of his stomach give way and all its contents drain out right there. Such an important day and he was sleeping in! She would surely kill him.
"Yes, of course it's today! That's what I told you yesterday! Up with you now, let's go before she changes her mind!"
After a good bit of verbal thrashing from Celwynn, Abutilon was up and
ready to go. They made their way hurriedly toward the Alpha, who was
still waiting for them, enjoying her breakfast and chatting with another
female. As the two disgruntled Wise wolves appeared before her the red
and golden leader excused herself and padded over to meet them.
"I was a bit worried you weren't going to catch me before I left camp," she confessed to the pair with a lopsided grin.
"Well, we almost didn't with this one sleeping all morning without a care in the world!"
Abutilon winced, but he thought he heard nervous excitement instead of annoyance in Celwynn's voice now, as she stood with him in front of their leader, and he stood a bit taller. He dared to lean his head into
hers, all too aware of the annoyance it might cause, but not caring too
much on this happy occasion. To his relief and quiet delight, she did
not object, but stood there taking it while Fenn asked them several
questions. Their Alpha asked them about when they had decided to become
mates, what their plans were, and the obligatory questions about fealty
and the like. When all was laid out and discussed, Fenn happily gave her
blessing and wished them well.
A few others had gathered
when they realized that the ceremony was still happening after all, among them Celwynn's two adult pups who nodded at Abutilon with recognition. There were several congratulations and a long howl to commemorate the
event. At the end of it all, the pair still had their heads together,
and even Celwynn was enjoying herself immeasurably.
