Wolves of Aialik Lake: The Last Seeing Wolf

Prologue

Seeing Wolf sat back with a deep sigh that rattled his old bones. The pool of water inside his stone cave sparkled with the fading sunlight outside and he remembered the vibrant pinks and oranges of a sunset. His limbs felt heavy like he was being held down by wet fur, but he was dry and crackly with age. Seeing Wolf's eyes didn't work well anymore and had a foggy appearance to them. Hunting was impossible and had been for many moon cycles and he finally felt it was time to die. He had lived a long life, longer than any wolf would care to live. For many moon cycles he had watched leaders rise and packs fall and he had remained confined to his prison cave unable to go far, afraid his legs wouldn't carry him home. Once large a powerful paws had taken him far and wide across the mountains and around the Big Water, but now they felt like stones that drug him down.

He gave his once great crest a shake and knew he knew that once he left his cave, he would never be able to return. The darkness of the night lay to rest over the world and the first stars called him to come join them. Moving slowly, he made his way out of the place that had protected him for so many moon cycles and had been his home since he was a pup. Taking one last look behind him he realized all he was leaving behind was a bed, some bones from his last meal, and the pool of water. As he reached the edge of his cave he stepped out into the darkness and welcomed the cool air against his face. His paws found the edge of the ledge and he looked down and remembered the view. Even if he couldn't see it, he knew the drop was long and the rocks sharp. He could hear the lapping of the water against the edge of the drop below and longed to feel the cool waves pull him down into the silence of the deep. Born by the water it was only fitting he would die the same way.

His ears perked and he looked out and imaged the cliffs to the left and the beach down to the right. He could hear the collective sad howls from the three wolf packs he had guided for so many moon cycles. They sang out to him and he listened and enjoyed their voices one last time. There were a few newer howls from younger wolves that were not as harmonious as the older ones, but he didn't mind their yips and barks. As the song died down he knew they waited for him to howl back to them and name the next Seeing Wolf so that they could take their place in the cave and guide and protect the packs for the next many moon cycles. No wolf wanted to be Seeing Wolf and be packless. It is not in a wolfs nature to be alone without a mate or a family to protect and feed. So even though Seeing Wolf had seen the image of his replacement and heard their name whispered in the ripples of water across the pool in his cave, he did not call it out  into the night. Instead he gave a big wolf grin and laughed at his one act of defiance and his one disobedience and stepped off the ledge.

The air wrapped him in a warm hug as he fell down the side of the cliff and all he could hear was the sound of his own heart beating with excitement. Death was instant as his crippled old body collided with the rocks below and he felt no pain. Everything went silent. Everything went dark. He was finally free.

It was the Taiga Pack that watched Seeing Wolf's decent from his cave with large yellow and amber eyes. There was a shutter that went through the pack as they felt panic and fear well in their bellies.

"I did not hear Seeing Wolf call out a name," whispered Kavik to his leader Arrluk, who stood still as a stone wall watching the spot where the body had disappeared in-between the rocks that broke through the surface of the water like snarling teeth. 

The leader shook his head slowly, "Neither did I."

"Who will be the next Seeing Wolf? There must be another one." muttered Arrluk's mate Tikaani from just next to him. He hadn't heard her approach but he was happy to feel her strong shoulder push against his. The pack grew quiet as they looked to their leaders for directions or an explanation of what they had seen. Arrluk spent a few more precious seconds looking far below before he knew he had to do something. Slowly he turned and met the worried gazes of  his pack who had accompanied him on the evenings run. 

"I do not know what this means." Arrluk admitted. His words were soft and gentle as if he was soothing frightened pups during their first thunder storm. "There has never been a time without a Seeing Wolf so there are no memories to guide us."

"Arrluk," a sturdy female took a step forward. "What about if we go speak to Kanut? She is an old wolf and maybe she has a memory of a time without a Seeing Wolf."

"Let us return to the hollow for the rest of the night." Arrluk concluded after thinking over the idea. "I will find Kanut tomorrow."