The Wizard's Herbarium: The Wolf Child

Part 23

Spirit's help to guide and protect the natural world. Unlike wizard's, who have made a conscious decision to help the natural world thrive, spirit's just are. They exist in the same way a river or forest does: by the hand of nature. But, they too are susceptible to the dangers of human activity. While a spirit does not naturally live forever, their lifespans should have the ability to extend beyond all human civilizations, should they be able to survive this dark time of wondrous technological advancement. 

An excerpt from Atticus' Observational Notes

"This is Ivailo," Atticus said, indicating the resting wolf behind him. "She is the wolf spirit of this forest, a fighter tasked by nature herself with protecting this area around us. Even still, she cannot halt the progress of human beings. Each season, when the weather becomes warm, more and more people overrun this place with their engine boats that float on the water, disturbing fish and other things that live in the lakes. Their loud vehicles also tear apart the forest floor while humans consume drinks that make them stupid. The noise and pollutants the humans bring takes a toll on every living thing here. Ivailo has taken on the burden for them.

"Each winter, I have watched Ivailo recover when the human's retreat to warmer places. Then, the winter's become shorter and the human's multiply in the summer months. Where there was one human tearing around the forest on a wheeled machine, the next year there is two and then four or even five. Ivailo can no longer make a full recovery during the winter."

Colt didn't say anything, what was there to say? How could he apologize for the actions of his entire species? Similar to how Ivailo took on the burdens of the forest, Colt took on Atticus' words, but was it really the same? He wouldn't die from absorbing a few phrases and feeling a little guilty.

"Is there anything I can do?" Colt asked.

He realized that each time he'd seen Atticus, his expression had always been strange. His eyes were calm, but not blank. Colt could see a barely-restrained anger that directed itself at him. When Atticus had been tending to Ivailo, his expression was tender, more gentle than when he looked at Colt.

"Even if all the humans on the planet died today, Ivailo will still lose her life," Atticus said.

There was a moment of silence, as everyone thought about the gravity of the situation. In the quiet, there was a noise. It was so soft that it barely registered to Colt's ears, but Ivailo perked up, suddenly alert and ears swiveling. She moved, looking as though she were going to get up, but there was a low, insistent growl and Marrok ran out of the bushes and into the den below them. A moment later, the wolf emerged with a child on his back. The child rubbed at his eyes, yawning as Marrok went to stand by his mother.

My other son, Kova, Ivailo supplied, sniffing at the boy's hair. The child seemed unbothered by this, rubbing at his eyes and ignoring Ivailo like a child would ignore his parent's fussing.

Colt had to pinch himself to ensure that he wasn't dreaming, his fingers bit into his arm, but remained standing where he was. Atticus seemed to catch what Colt had done, which earned him a strange look.

The boy seemed well taken care of, if a little wild-looking. As Colt stared, he was certain that this was the boy he'd seen at the bed and breakfast. The vibrant blue of his eyes flashed as the child rubbed at them.

No one else seemed to notice Colt's silence that was born out of shock more than anything. There was no social protocol for this - no one had ever sat Colt down and told him that he'd be sucked into some kind of forest-warp where he'd meet magical creatures. So he wasn't sure what to make of everything, or what to do about it. There was no way he could see to call social services on this one.

Ivailo put her head down with a deep sigh as though she were exhausted. That seemed to be some kind of cue for Atticus who rose to his feet.

"I'll help you back home," Atticus said, bending to help Colt up.

As Colt tried to stand, his ankle twinged painfully, reminding him that he'd rolled down it when he tumbled down the rabbit hole. Atticus helped him up with a patience that was barely restrained, holding Colt's arm over his shoulders like he was a petulant child the other was forced to take care of.

As they moved away, Atticus turned his head to look behind them. He saw Marrok, the huge wolf, lying down beside his mother. Whimpers left his throat as he sniffed and licked at her muzzle.

"What's going to happen when she dies?" Colt asked when they were out of earshot.

"The forest will sustain life for a while," Atticus explained. "But the lakes and rivers, which are so clear you can see the bottom, will become murky and grey. The animals will be seen less as they find new homes. I wonder if such changes will be noticed."

Colt felt a great sadness at that: I wonder if such changes will be noticed. He knew the answer too, and that was not likely. Not until the rivers and lakes run so black that people wouldn't be able to swim in them. Not until all the animals had disappeared from the great forest, and the barren land could support plant life no more. Only after it posed a threat to the humans who lived there, and even then, Colt knew that they'd sooner erect a warning sign than admit any wrongdoing.

"So, just who are you?" Colt asked. "You told me your name before, but why were you... here?" By 'here' Colt meant 'how did Atticus end up treating a magical wolf?'

"I'm just a concerned citizen." Was the reply.

Colt didn't believe that in the slightest, but there wasn't much he could do about it either.