Little Red

Curiouser and Curiouser

Clari knelt in the wolf's den, watching the grey creature with uncertainty. Was he going to keep her here until he was hungry enough to eat her? Why hadn't he kill her yet? Where was she? questions like these swum in her mind, making her nervous.

She for one, was starving.

So she decided to try and escape, even though she had come willingly-she didn't want to be in such dangerous company over night.

So she moved toward the entrance, but the wolf stepped in front of her, looking worried. "I can't leave?" She asked, sitting on the balls of her feet. The wolf blinked his pale yellow eyes sitting down in her intended path. He continued to stare, "Could you not stare at me? It is very unnerving." Clari said, not sure if he could even understand her.

To her surprise he looked down instead of at her, which made her feel better. "You can understand me?" the wolf nodded, not raising his eyes from his paws.

"Can you speak?" Clari asked, knowing it was quite impossible for a wolf to do something like that. He shook his head, The wind tousled his fur and then crept on to play with her hair for a moment before it moved on.

"Curious." Was all she said for an hour. By that time Clari had curled up in a corner of the den, pulling her red cloak tight around her body trying to keep warm. Once the wolf was sure she was asleep he silently curled around her like a mother wolf do for her pups, his body heat kept the girl warm and he fell asleep huffing quietly.

She woke a bit later to see this. Clari smiled and laid her head down again, sleeping soundly.

---

The next morning she was alone, but she pretended to sleep. Though she didn't feel as secure without the wolf there with her. She eventually fell asleep again, loving the soft grasses she was laying on, it made for a nice bed.

The wolf soon returned, carrying a rabbit in his maw. The little white creature dangled limply from his jaws as he walked into the den and set it down.  He scampered off again returning with sticks.  Then he stood over Clari, gently nudging her cheek with his cold wet nose. As if asking her to get up.

Clari attempted to wave him away, her hand grazing his whiskers made her remember where she was. So she sat up and rubbed her eyes, looking around with a yawn. "Good morning." She said, sleepily scratching him behind the ear. Which he appeared to like. She wasn't afraid of him anymore, he was in her opinion a very kind wolf.

After she had eaten the wolf-guided her outside, and led her across the snow. "Do you know the way to my Grammy' s house?" She asked, wondering if he could possibly take her there. It was a long shot.

He paused and looked up at her with those yellow eyes, and he shook his grey head seemingly trying hard not to stare again.

"I get the feeling you weren't raised by wolves." She joked, scratching him behind the ears, his tongue lolled out of his mouth and his tail wagged. He definitely liked it.