69 Short Stories

2nd story: The tale of a talking wolf 1357 words

"There's a wolf! Catch it!" The voice of the old hunter came bursting through the woods. What? Run!

I heard a howl and hurried my mates. As pups, I can't deny that we're quite weak compared to our parents. 

"Hurry up! That's a warning!" I nudged them to move. Those hunters are sure to kill us if we don't get out of their sight soon. 

As three of my mates struggled to stand up, the little one, our youngest sister, refused by sticking to the snowy cold ground.

"Get up!" I growled. But she wouldn't budge. 

"Fine!" I picked her up and threw her over my back. "Go!"

The five of us trekked awkwardly through the woods, only to find the footsteps of the annoying hunters getting louder. 

"Stay silent! Don't move a fur!" I hissed my last order as I pushed them into a nearby bush and flung the youngest pup onto one of them. 

"Do not move. Until mum comes." With that, I darted out of the hiding and ran in the opposite direction.

Between the sound of the wind, I can figure the exclamation of the hunters. Great, what am I doing?

I shut my eyes as a pair of small boots appeared in my way. What now? All I wish is that they won't rip my skin off when I'm still alive!

"Oh, poor little thing." The warm hands picked me up. I growled and tried snarling with my tiny fangs. 

"So cute." The girl didn't look scared at all. She held me close to her chest as I heard the approach of the huntsmen. 

"Liry! What are you doing here! Get back home!" The leading man yelled. I don't know why, but it seems like as if can understand their words. "Leave that pup!"

I moved in closer to the girl, seeing that she's not the one who's pointing a gun at me.

"No, father, can I keep the pup?" She requested, her clear, blue eyes wide open. Her father frowned deeply, snowflakes gathering on his thick, dark eyebrows.

 "Take it home! I'll deal with it later!" He answered as he hurried his men down the track. "Now we gotta find the big wolf! That's the one that worth gold coins!"

I lay silently in the girl's arms. What should I do now? Surely they won't find my mates, right?

"Hey." the girl placed me down on the snow. "Don't run, okay? I'll make sure Father doesn't kill you!"

"How?" The words just popped out of my mouth. The girl stared at me with her mouth open. Her pink lips were soft and I could see their tenderness compared to the frosty white background. 

"You know how to speak! I knew you were special, pup!" She held me up and spun around in the snow until we both fell to the ground, leaving a flower-shaped sequence of footsteps. 

"My name's Liry, do you have a name?" I shook my head and the snow fell off.

"Well, can I give you a name?" Her eyes were full of joy. I bobbed my head as more snow piled up. 

"Yay! How does Lora sound?"She laid me back on the snow. lying on the ground so we could face each other. 

"Cool." I sniffed. The snow's getting worse. Instinctively, I sensed a storm. 

"You cold? Let's go home. I'll show you my fireplace. You can sleep in my bed tonight. It's going to be very warm." She held me in her arms as we trekked out of the woods, in a direction I  have never attempted before. The stranger path leading towards a hut. 

"Liry." I tried talking once more as she placed me on the carpet near the fire. "There's going to be a big big storm."

"No there won't." Liry smiled, her teeth revealing. She looked so cute and adorable with her curly red hair down. "We're gonna be safe in here. Small snowflakes won't do anything!"

"Liry..." I tried to warn her once more, but she already dozed off in the fluffy chair. As I laid near her feet, the sleepiness overwhelmed me and my exhausted body.

When I woke up again, it was already late night. I could tell that we've slept for a long time because the fire was out, and the moon was hanging high in the sky. 

"Hey, Lora." Liry broke the silence. "Mum's still not back yet, where do you think she is?"

I looked down at my paws and then at the door. I got close and looked through the gap. I couldn't see anything. The door was blocked by the heavy snow. 

Liry looked alerted, the warm atmosphere suddenly disappeared, replaced by the chilly unknown. She tried to open the window, but it wouldn't work either. The windows were stuck on the windowsill, sealed by ice and snow, leaving only a small gap, not even enough fit Liry's head. 

"I'm scared, Lora." Liry cried. "I've never seen such thing like this. Mum's out in town getting food, and with this snow, she won't be back until a few days later, and so wouldn't Father. We'll starve to death!"

I jumped onto one of the desks and pointed at the pen. Liry looked at me, confused. I picked up the pen with my mouth and went back to the window. Liry smiled. 

"You're a genius, Lora! I'll write a letter so you can bring it to Father, and then he can return early!"

I nodded. Not knowing why I was committing 'suicide' once more. 

I carefully nudged through the gap and landed on a rock covered in snow. I gave the girl with red hair a last glance and took off into the woods. 

"Catch that pup! It's another pup! Catch it! Catch it!" I heard the voice of one of the old huntsmen. 

Wait. 'another' pup?!

Now I've got their attention, I turned to face them and dropped the letter. Before they attempted to rip off my fur off alive, I jumped into a nearby bush for cover and found a good hiding spot before stopping and watching them closely. One of them picked up the paper and read it aloud.

The leading hunter looked around afterwards and told the team to pack up for their return trip. As they turned, I breathed out. Mission complete. 

But then my heart tightens again. One of the hunters was holding their prey over their shoulder, in a loose net, and in there, lies my mother, in a pool of blood. 

Oh no! I howled as they left. Where's Father? Where are my other mates? Don't tell me.......!

I ran past the fallen sticks and heavy snow like I was mad. When I reached the place where I gave my last order to the pups, I was nervous to find out if they were still there. 

After a deep breath, I pushed the leaves out of the way and slowly peeked. 

There sat my father, and beside him, my mates. 

I jumped over the bush and cuddled in with them, falling into sleep once more.

Quite a long time after that happened, one summer, when I was hunting through the woods looking for some easy prey such as an injured bird, a pair of snow boots landed in front of me. 

I looked up. Staring into the familiar clear eyes.  "Liry?"

"Lora!" The girl hugged me tightly once more. Her curly red hair against my now longer fur. 

We dropped our duties and played throughout the afternoon. When the sun was about to set, I hurried her to get back home. 

"Are you coming with me? Lora?" Liry asked. "Father doesn't hunt anymore. You'll be safe."

I shook my head and stood still. I can't leave my family behind. "Sorry."

"It's okay, I'll see you around. Say greetings to your family from me." She waved and went down the track free of snow. 

I watched until she was out of sight. Then I stood upon the wildflowers we gathered and sounded a long and sad howl. 

I looked up at the rising moon,

Have a good trip, my friend.