Wolf of the Wild

Pack

Are you sure this is a good idea? Wolf kept asking while Huckleberry swiftly moved through the woods, towards his certain death. Maybe- maybe I should just go home?

Somehow. Whispered a tiny part of Wolf's mind. No. Wolf shot that thought down, I bet my owner's looking for me, she's probably really frantic. Aw, I'm so sorry, I never should have chased that squirrel!

"What squirrel?" Huckleberry asked, breaking the silence while breaking Wolf's train of thought. He stared awkwardly at the wolf as he mumbled what happened.

"I chased a squirrel." Wolf started simply. "And I broke through the old fence that led to the woods. I feel guilty, but I couldn't find my way home... then I met you-" He hesitated for a while, thinking of what to say that wouldn't sound embarrassing. "You know what happened after that."

She nodded. "I'm receiving this: You chased a squirrel, you broke a fence-" I didn't mean to! Wolf thought infuriated, "but you did. Then you got lost and now I'm taking you to my pack."

"I... guess?" More like you're leading me into certain death! Wolf thought about the terrible things he knew about wolves.

"Hey! They're not like that." Huckleberry said disapprovingly. Well, at least I don't think they're like that. Wolf could hear the doubts in her mind.

***

They had finally reached the camp and met the Alpha. His name was Oaklog. He towered over Wolf and stared down his snout at Wolf as he grumbled something to Huckleberry in something that was introduced to him as the 'old language'. After a while of awkwardness and waiting that felt like forever, Huckleberry led him away from the den that the Alpha wolf slept. Her face was full of joy when she looked him in the eyes and said, "he wants you to join the pack."

That was all Wolf needed to hear, his whole heart was swirling with thoughts from his safety to life in the wild. His mind quickly shifted to his owner. If his owner found him, would he go back with her? That was a question for another day. Now he belonged somewhere other than a house, he belonged in a pack.

***

Wolf bowed to Oaklog as he received his new name.

Oaklog stood from a rock perched in the center of a clearing. Wolf was in front of everyone. All eyes on him, waiting for his name.

"I declare his new name-" There was a slight pause, excitement and anxiety was rising in Wolf through every second that passed, "to be Pinewood."

Wolf bowed even deeper.

He was no longer Wolf. He was Pinewood.