Alone in a Busy World

Chapter Two - I'm Not Alone

I don't remember hearing anything when I went to sleep, but when my eye-lids flutter open there's a wolf staring down at me. I'm surprised it's up so high but I'm not afraid. She doesn't pose any threat to me; she's just checking me out. Her beady eyes are like chests trapping millions of gems inside. I slowly slip my arm over her thick, furry neck. We've still got our eyes locked, but there's understanding there. I see compassion overwhelming her and she gently nuzzles my shoulder. I've found a friend.

As she makes herself comfortable on my lap I admire her. Her fur is so gorgeous, fur that holds a thousand different shades of black, white and brown. Her teeth glint like gems on a chandelier. There's another of those words, I must have seen one at some point but my memory remains misty and my books can only describe so much.

I'm telling her about my life, what I remember anyway. All the books I've read, fictional and not. My hopes and my aching pit of loneliness that seems so full with her presence, and yet I know it has only shrunken slightly. I'm telling her of the Roman and Greek gods when I think of a name for her. I'm just telling her of Lupa the mother-wolf that was said to have guided and trained all roman heroes and I decide that the name fits like a glove.

I let her know of the name I've thought of for her and she seems to like it. I tell her my name and that I often think of myself as a cross between Nico di Angelo and Leo Valdez. I'll have to think of a name that covers both of those characters. Seeing as my first name happens to be Leonardo I think I'll give myself the surname of 'di Angelo'. I like the ring of it. Leonardo di Angelo, Leo for short.

I follow Lupa through a small hollow in the back of the cave. The dry and dusty tunnel winds on for an eternity and I'm soon left without a single shaft of light to see by except my flaming hand. Lupa makes a soft growl and I extinguish the flame, we may be friends but I have to follow her command when I'm on her home territory.

Without my light I can't see but my other senses sharpen even more so I can sense any objects in the way. I sense the tunnel winding ever onwards but Lupa soon leads me into a bigger cave than the one we came from. I have the idea of making a small fire but I'm not sure that Lupa would like that.

I follow blindly in the dark until I find a wall. I can feel Lupa's eyes on me so I sit down and wait. I've almost dozed off again when I feel her nuzzling my arm. I hear a voice in my head and I almost jump until I realise that it's Lupa.

Leo, I know you can hear me. You can make a small fire now, but you have to do it slowly and it can't be big. Before you ask, you can talk back but it might take some practice.

I make a dim fire on the tip of my finger and find a small twig that I light. I'll use up some energy keeping it from burning up, but I can't have my hands burning near Lupa. I can't hurt her. My eyes adjust to the new light, after about two hours in pitch black, the light hurts my eyes. A small gasp of joy rolls through my lips. There's a small wolf cub sitting in front of me. He looks so much like Lupa, but he has a little mane. His eyes are just as beautiful as Lupa's but I can see a fire in them.

This is Storm; he's a born leader, my child. I will introduce you to the pack in a while. You need a better name than Leo for the pack to like you, the name's too human.

That's the problem, I'm not human, but I won't fit in anywhere else. Lupa? Did you hear that? I guess my telepathy needs more practice than I thought it would, until I hear a soft growl, then I realise she's laughing at me.

Not bad for a first attempt cub. I'll just let the pack decide what your name should be. They'll ask me to probe your mind to see what I can find; you'll need to let your defences down. I'm the only one who can probe your mind, though if you let them they can talk with you telepathically too.

Great. First I have to let someone probe my fuzzy mind, and then I have to put up with a bunch of wolves that might not be as understanding as Lupa and Storm.