The Calling Forest

Chapter 4- Siblings by choice

Three years passed as Zuccia learned the language of Ah-hont, which he now knows means "Love's forest". Ah-hont sounds better though, at least to him.

Zuccia looked at the box that was for him. Inside was his clothes and some small possessions like the one he used for protection, a dagger with an obsidian spearhead that was given to him by the forest. 

There was also a toy that Tum-Mah had made for him that he enjoyed playing with when it was too cold for him and Tul-Luh to leave the cave. 

For example, it was the Do-suv, or month of the spirit. 

There was a thick blanket of railen, or snow, as the outsiders called it, over the ground of the forest. Most of the trees had lost their leaves. 

Zuccia looked at Tul-Luh, who was asleep on his lap, then looking out the entrance of the cave, and he smiled.

While other kids might be preparing for the holidays during this time, he was happily out here with Tum-Mah and Tul-Luh. He wouldn't want it any other way. 

Zuccia heard a strange sound from outside, maybe a wolf pup?

Zuccia gently set Tul-Luh down on her cot. He stood in front of the two cots that he and Tul-Luh would sleep on at night, looking out into the cold air of the Do-suv as he breathed deeply, and heard a whimper again, this time it was along with a gentle crunch of the railen. 

Zuccia stepped out, the cold wind hitting his bare chest as he felt the railen in between his toes and on his legs under the brown skirt that Tum-Mah made for him from a deer skin.

The railen must have been 2 or 3 inches thick at this point as he followed the whimpering.

It wasn't long until he was hit by a wolf pup. Cradling it in his arms, the pup looked at him and howled softly in pain. 

Zuccia scrunched his eyebrows together as he looked at it. The pup had soft umber eyes that had a young shine to it. That showed Zuccia it's name "Sli-Tam?" he asked, having named the wolf last year when he helped the mother give birth to the pups. "what happened?" he asked, hugging the pup to his chest.

The pup whimpered as Zuccia's finger went over its right flank. He moved the pup and looked where his finger had been.

There, he found a wound in it's side, bleeding heavily as Zuccia could see the source now. His finger having a red liquid on it "oh no-" he mumbled, focusing on the source. 

It was the size of his thumb with the red blood dripping out, circular in shape. Zuccia guessed it was a bullet wound. Zuccia pouted, just imagining the pain the little guy must be in, whimpering and howling. 

"A bullet always hurts, that's why we don't use them unless necessary" His grandpa used to tell him.

A loud, gruff voice shouted from within the forest "where is that stupid mutt!?" Zuccia froze, unsure what to do. He looked around, his eyes meeting with those of a young fox.

"Tum-Mah. Thimil-tak." He whisper-yelled at the fox pup as it ran off. Zuccia carried the wolf pup back to the cave. 

Thimil-tak, or the cave of whispers was where he knew the pup would be safe. He placed the pup on its side on the cot with the bullet wound on the up side for Tum-Mah to take care of. 

Zuccia grabbed his obsidian dagger that the forest gave him as he climbed into a tree. Zuccia looked around and spotted the guy who had hurt the pup.

Before he spoke, he recognized the guy, he was from Fresdom. 

Zuccia thought about where he recognized the guy as it clicked. The fiery red hair that was in a buzz cut with the broad shoulders and deep, mean voice. Zuccia had to mentally groan. That was his first grade teacher.