Dark One.

42. Free.

After the sun came out again, and he was playing with Nefaris in the glade, Wurring noticed that the pups movements were more vigorous, and that indeed he must be strengthening.

The time to try to move had come. After one more day he led Mika whilst he carried his nephew through his tea-tree tunnel. There was a sandy beach now, at the edge of the water, an encouraging place from which to step off, and resting close to the water was a small, hollowed out log - a boat of sorts in which to carry the pup.

Wurring, after placing the babe atop the dry grasses that lined the hollow log, shifted to his wolf skin and went in first. Mika watched trembling, but when she saw the back wolf tug the boat into the water which carried her child, she raced into its cold embrace.

He watched her anxiously. Wurring saw her swimming, then he struck out into the current, feeling the log bump against his side as it tried to push him downstream.

Mika caught up, and with the two wolves trying to protect the precious cargo between them from the force of the current, they sailed downriver to the shelving bank where Wurring had landed, and their they climbed and dragged themselves ashore safely. The two wolves found sand for rolling, and afterwards Wurring raced about while Mika shifted to hold her pup against her chest with relief.

In the warm sunshine they wandered all the way up to the mouth the next great stream. There, on the long tongue of land where they had spent much of the heavy winter, they slept the night - the same night on which Merikh moved round and round Castle Rock Flat, the night which Amitz spent not very far away from them, inland on the other side of the North river: the night Cascade, the peacocks, and Kulali too, all hid in different patches of trees and scrub around Castle Rock Flat.

The pup seemed none the worse from his journey across the freezing waters, and the next morning Wurring led them up the creek. He was uncertain how Mika would fare, carrying the babe around all those cliffs, so when the gorge began to narrow, he led them up on to the hillside behind the cliffs. It meant a longer journey - right around the whole gorge, into the gentler valley behind, then over the ridge and down into the Canyon - but he was sure of Mika being willing to follow by that route.

When they had climbed up, high above the trees, on to a clear, rocky area, Wurring stood on the furthest jutting-out rock - one which was just touched by the earliest sunlight - and howled a joyous cry to the world.

Suddenly there was an answer, faint and clear, far from below. Wurring's whole body shook with joy and he flung out his call to Amitz:

"All is well!" and back came the echoing answer.

Knowing that his father must have been searching for him and for Mika, and that he would now know that he need search no longer, Wurring went on very happily, his tail waving in the air and a grin on his wolfish face.

They rested often, up on that steep mountain, so it took more than half the day to climb it. When they reached the next valley, Mika was very tired, and though Wurring longed to go on, right to the Canyon to see the others, he knew they should rest for the night where they were, where the grass was filled with the homes of the humble field mouse, and where Nefaris could sleep at his mothers side.

Mika, thinking how Wurring had looked in the flash of lightning - a splendid warrior - had thought several times since, that a warrior such as he should have quite a pack at his command. She had found out that he had been far to worried about finding her, and about how Fenris would crumble should she remain lost, to take time to collect even the lean, slave she-wolf who was owned by the red haired fae. There would be a time, now, she thought, and he would be able to take his kinsfolk with him, all over the mountains, for Wurring would be unbeatable.

Dreaming happily, she slept with her pup in her arms and her brother at her side, there beside the creek that lead to their home, till the stars started to pale,and it was time to go up the ridge and then down the great, steep side of the Canyon.

Wurring woke Mika and made her nurse the pup before they moved on their way to the Canyon. She had sat placidly while her child suckled at her breast. Though she was looking forward to getting back, looking forward to showing their pup to Fenris, she felt a contentedness within her that made her believe that nothing else really seemed to matter, except the well-being of her child and being by her mates side once more.

The black hair youth, knowing that Fenris had felt for sure that his mate must be drowned - though not knowing the rumour that he, himself, was dead - was more anxious to get Mika safely home, but he, too, was so happy with the sister-like figure being back in his world, that he did not mind how long she fussed over the child. Though he did hope the babe would get so full it would sleep the whole last leg of the journey.

( I am so, so, so sorry for my long absence. At first I just had writers block, then I got put in crutches and then my best friend decided we shouldn't be friends anymore. . . Anyway I am back and hope you are still enjoying Dark One.  Keep reading and keep being amazing :) )