Chapters of a Life: There's no place like home

16

For days I travel into this weird and wildland, I have seen animals with straight horns growing from their head, mammoth beasts with long legs and horns so large they could be used to paddle a canoe, small animals that look like large tailless squirrels, seen fish that appear to have armor and catfish larger than I am. Finally, I have arrived at the place that called to me. This past week I have dreamt of this spot, this ledge overlooking the wide valley that my pack and I call home. Sitting down I stare into the bright moon.

"Boudica, Boudica wake up, we need to talk."

I stretch long than wide before sitting up, looking around I notice all the wildflowers in the meadow. Alpha Finnegan stands before me, he is clean and smells nice, not like the way I remember him all dirty with long gritty hair and smelling like a Bar.

"Boudica, yer pa and ma are coming so I don't have much time. Yer a runt and not good enough to be an Alpha, ya need to give it up. Yer going to get them all killed." His smirk is the same, I notice. Even cleaned up his soul still shows how dark hs is.

"Ya sucked as an Alpha, yer pack failed to prosper and were nearly wiped out. I saved them. Guess it takes a Runt to be an Alpha." I say standing up.

His jaw drops, "Yer nothing but a..."

"A Runt? A Female? A Pup? A, A, A what? Tell me, Sean, what am I that made you fear me so badly that you tried to kill a Runt?" I brush myself off as he spits and sputters but his words fail to find purchase.

"Goodbye Sean, tell yer Pa thanks for me," I tell him walking away.

"Whatcha speakin' 'bout", he bellows after me.

"If he hadn't of gambled away the pack land and forced the move to the New World. I wouldn't have been born." With that, I wave over my head and walk toward Ma and Pa's cottage.

"Anyone home", I holler from the gate.

"Anlon are we expecting company", I hear from the inside of the cottage?

"Why don't you go see instead of yelling at me?" I can hear the laughter in his voice. I think Pa has been keeping secrets from Ma.

"Boudica is that you, come here pup", Ma cries as she rushes out to grab me into a hug. Pa follows slower giving Ma time with me alone. "You're a warrior, look at you. So strong and what's wrong?" Her abrupt shift startles Pa and he rushes forward.

"I think you better come inside", he puts his arm around Ma and me guiding us to the chairs around the table. "Tea", he asks?

I have to smile, he looks silly standing there with a tiny teapot in his huge hand. "Yea."

"Manners Boducia, they matter." She tells me with a frown. How was I supposed to learn all that when I was raised in the woods by male wolves? Male wolves, male wolf... tears gather in my eyes.

"Oh my pup, what has happened?" Pa is beside me on his knees as Ma slides her chair close to mine.

"They're dead and I couldn't stop it. Why, why did I have to see those females abused? Why", the hiccups and sobs and snot bubbles were beginning to interfere with my speaking. "Why did I have to see those females collared and chained? Why did?"

"Boducia what happened?" They both have their arms around me rocking me as I sob uselessly.

"Alpha Laim Connolly He Who Fights as Wolf is dead and I couldn't stop it," I tell them burying my face into Ma's neck.

"OH, my poor pup. It was his time, he had a long good life. You mustn't make yerself sick over this. Trust." Ma has pulled me away to look into my eyes.