Born Wild

Much needed mentor

They nervously sat in the house, waiting for the woman of the forest to show. They didn't know what to expect, though she seemed like a good werewolf. They were so ready to finally talk to someone like them. They wanted to understand more about werewolves. Koda looked at the time, they still had several hours until the full moon but the woman could not come fast enough. Finally, it was an hour later. They waited at the table until they finally heard footsteps up the stairs to the door and a light knock.

Koda squeezed Tala's hand and walked to the door, creaking it open and seeing the woman bundled up in a coat and a scarf. Koda invited her inside.

"It feels so nice and warm in here." she chirped.

Koda asked her for her coat and scarf to hang. Tala invited her to come sit at the table and asked if she wanted a warm drink. She poured the woman a coffee and they all sat down. She gratefully drank her steaming mug of coffee. Her skin was so pale in color and completely smooth. Her short black hair was so silky and straight.

She set her coffee down on the table, her hands still wrapped around it for warmth. 

"Now that we're somewhere safe we can talk about everything and anything you want. First of all, you should know that my name is Shadow." Tala and Koda said their names.

"So you're a werewolf?"

She nodded. "Yes. I am... I would have spoken to you in the forest a few days ago, but I was not completely sure if you werewolves as well. During the full moon a werewolf gives off a scent and I was sure today that you were both werewolves. The people with me earlier were werewolves as well. We are part of a pack that includes even more people than you saw...It is not essential that wolves travel in a pack but it makes life a lot better and provides more safety. If you are both interested in joining the pack I'll need to speak with the group and set up a meeting. What all do you both know?"

"To be honest we don't know anything. I've transformed once and Koda will for the first time tonight. All I know is what I experienced during my first transformation..." Tala replied. 

"You have a lot to learn then..." Shadow assured. She then pondered for another moment. "Oh! I also need to know something else. Were you scratched or bitten by a werewolf or were you born into it?"

"I don't remember getting scratched or bitten. I don't know if either of my parents were werewolves. My mother died when I was younger and my father didn't seem to be." Tala said and looked at Koda.

 "I don't even know who my parents are, but I know Tala scratched me on accident after she was showing symptoms."

Shadow pondered and drank a few more sips of her coffee. She put the mug down and twiddled her fingers on the handle. "You two seem the right age to be werewolf born. If a person is born into it, they transform typically at 19 or 20 years old. If a person is bitten or scratched they will transform afterward. It doesn't matter what age they are. Anyways, we need to move on to learning since tonight is the full moon."

Shadow finished her coffee and stood up to go to the window. She stood for a moment in thought, looking out at the forest. "The most important thing you need to know is that there is a hunter...There may be more than one out there, but we've only encountered one. He looks completely normal and unsuspecting but he is dangerous." She was quiet for a moment and continued to watch the trees outside.

Then she brought her serious glance back toward them both. "No one can know what you are except those in your pack. Even if someone smells like or appears to be a werewolf, do NOT ask them about it, because you can never be completely sure. I risked my safety talking to you both. Even if you aren't transforming I would recommend staying out of the forest at night to avoid him seeing you and gaining suspicion. He won't go around hurting random people but once he gains suspicions of you he will pursue you. If you join the pack you have a higher risk of being discovered but you gain information, friends, and protection. We hide magnificently. We hide so well that he only knows the face of two of our pack members. The hunter only knows the face of our leader and one of our members that was saved from the hunter. As a pack, we have each other's backs but we are not always traveling together as one. Sometimes we decide to split up into smaller groups like the one you saw today."

She went to her dark gray backpack on the seat next to her, unzipping it and releasing the strong smell of herbs into the air. She pulled out a few bundles of leaves and small glass bottles, clinking them against the table as she set them down. 

"Herbs are essential to werewolves. We use them all of the time for many different reasons." She picked up a bundle of small leaves to the left of the table. "Chew on a Sage leaf or rub Sage oil on your wrists or temples and it stops transformation pain. It can help ease some pain from wounds. I recommend using some now." Shadow picked up the small dark bottle and handed it to them, the fresh herby scent of sage filling the room and calming them as they rubbed it onto their wrists.

Shadow then picked up a dried bundle of stems with soft needle-like leaves wrapped in string. "Burning rosemary bundles or using oil promotes consciousness, calmness, and complete emotional control. It is especially great for using when either angered or transforming... If highly angered we are susceptible to transforming on accident and that can cause injury to others. Werewolves are meant to be guardians. Our pack does not stand for aggressiveness. We want members of our pack to be calm, collected, and protective. We burn Rosemary at meetings as our pack tradition."

She grabbed the third herb on the table with purple buds and soft narrow leaves with a fresh floral scent. "Lavender is calming and helps with sleeping up until the full moon. " She set the lavender down, a few buds breaking off onto the table, and picked up a closed clear bag with dark oddly shaped purple flowers.

"Wolfsbane....It is poisonous to humans. To werewolves, it can either save you or destroy you. When used wisely and in small amounts it helps werewolves to get in touch with their inner wolf to transform at will, and it increases senses and strength. However, when we come into contact with too much wolfsbane it overloads our bodies, making us weak and lethargic. It can even decrease your heart rate so much you appear dead by pulse. It stops the ability for us to defend ourselves and others. We usually use half of a petal with a whole kettle of hot water or milk as a tea and it benefits us. The hunter, however, carries around a highly concentrated oil. He usually goes for wolves not in a pack because they are an easier target, but he has been tracking our pack for the last few months and we've been talking about how to stop him for good."

She asked them to step outside the house into the forest to prepare their minds for later that night. The sun was a few hours from setting, and it would only continue to grow colder that night. They hoped that their fur coat would keep them warm.