The Wolf, The Doe and The Mage

The Doe

I pushed my head from out of the shrubbery, my delicate hooves making little circles in the snow. I pushed my way past the frosted ferns and found myself on the bank of the Small Pool. It was frozen at the edges but the centre was still a clear sheet of sky that reflected the trees around it. I trotted toward the frosted edge and prodded the thin ice with my hoof. It crumbled and broke before sinking back down into the water. I gazed over the Pool at the other bank; I imagined seeing him there, a slender yet strong wolf with fur as grey as clouds. He had saved me, that I knew for sure, and he had done it on purpose. Why?
I imagine seeing him pad through the undergrowth, his paws barely making a crunch in the snow. I imagined that he saw me, that our eyes met without fear and ferality - we were not hunter and prey, I thought. We were friends. Did I know him, or was it just my imagination?
I turned to leave, the vision fading in my head.

"Mommy?" I squeaked as I approached a hazel-and-dark brown deer.
"Oh, Ranaa, there you are, I've been looking for you!" She bleated softly, nuzzling my ear with her wet black nose.
"I was just by the Pool, Mommy." I told her, wincing as her muzzle dampened my beige fur.
"Come on, the sun has nearly set!" She gazed through the branches at the weak light, "The herd will be worried."
We began trotting home, and at times I had to gallop to keep up with her long strides.
"Mommy, tell me a story." I asked, breaking the silence.
She snorted in amusement, "Which one? You must have heard them all."
"The one about the human!" I grunted. It was my favourite; I never tired of hearing it.
"Well," she began, "Once, on a cold night, much like this one, I wandered from the herd on my own. I must have been just a bit older than you now,  but I still wasn't allowed away from the herd for long without my mother. But I was defiant, so I went on a stroll. I twisted through the trees, until I came to the base of a giant rock with a strange square tree on top. Then I saw her. A human, looking about the undergrowth. I was curious, so I approached her. I dont know what exactly she did to me, but she sang softly, and put something on my forehead. And that was that."
"Mommy, where do the wolves live?" I asked again, gazing up at her.
She laughed, "You're getting faster, aren't you?" She sighed, "Up the mountain, dear. We were there just this morning, remember?"
I nodded, avoiding her gaze.
"Why?" She grunted looking at me, "Did you run into any?"
"No, Mommy," I replied quickly, "Just curious."
"If you do, you come straight back and find the herd, alright?" She bent her neck to look at me, her dark eyes gleaming with worry.
"Of course, Mommy." I said slightly somberly, my head bowing.
She nodded in satisfaction and we continued on to the herd.
"Amra, you're home!" I heard my father grunt, his voice clear and deep.
He trotted out of the shrubbery, his elegant grey-brown coat gleaming in the weak sun and his giant horns forming like majestic trees. He approached my mother and she licked his snout in affection.
"How's the herd?" She asked as I trotted up to my father.
"Same as you left it, my love." He turned to me, "Ranaa! How are you, my sweet?" He touched my forehead with his damp nose.
"I'm good, Papa." I dipped my head politely.
"She was over by the Pool, Elion." My mother grunted sternly.
"Uh, I'm quite tired." I put in quickly; I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.
My mother's ears perked in surprise, "Alright, my dear. The herd is over that way, so you can find a nice patch of sunlight to sleep in."
In this season? I thought, trotting away, Yeah, right.
I found a spot of ferns to curly up in, the sun setting low over the sky. Only this morning I met the wolf - yet it seemed like an age ago. I longed to see him again, to see the sleek fur and elegant muzzle. I slept, and my dreams were filled with the strange figure of a human who seemed oddly familiar to me.

A smiling man stood over me, his face filled with joy and love. He was a human, but it did not bother me. He made overwhelming happiness spread across my body, spilling through my heart into my mouth so that a giant grin filled me. All of a sudden there was a child before me. She gave me such joy to look at, I decided that nothing could come between us. She was playing with some herbs. Then a realization came to me... not just some herbs. My herbs. The child - no, my child - then looked up at me with joy in her eyes. I was about to smile back, before a dark shadow overcame her. She screamed, and so did I. A giant bear gazed out of the darkness, its glaring red eyes making me freeze with horror. Claws, pain, darkness, and then-

I woke with a start, my while body shivering. The moon shone between the leaves and a chill took over my whole body. I shook my ears and peered between the leaves. The herd was curled up I the hollow, some with patches of fallen snow over their fur. I closed my eyes and tried once again to sleep. But again, dreams of figures and shadows filled my slumber, and each time I woke up trembling. I couldn't bring myself to get up, as I was worried the dreams would follow me. The night seemed to be everlasting, and each time I woke up, I wondered whether each rest had only really been a few beartbeats. Finally, when the cold dawn came, I stumbled to my feet before anyone else, hoping the light would chase my nightmares away.