The Wolf, The Doe and The Mage

Life

I slid past the bush on light paws, my ears perked up and my tail low. I peered through the undergrowth and saw a plump brown hare, nibbling on the mid-spring foliage. I'd been tracking it for hours now, following it east, taking long routes to make sure I stayed upwind of it. It was all coming to this moment.
Carefully, I took another few steps, creeping around the bushes, stalking among the shadows.
Easy, now...
Just a but closer...
Snap
I stepped on a twig. The hare's huge ears swiveled around and it faced me. We locked eyes for a second, and its pupils shrank with terror.
It sprang away, but at the same moment I leaped forwards, my paws outstretched. One of my shining claws caught its bobbing tail, and I dragged it toward me. It let out one final squeal as I sank my teeth into its soft fur. It went limp, and I clung on for a moment before letting it drop to the floor. I gazed at the hare for a second, half expecting it to jump up and dart away. But it stayed where it was on the forest floor, its chest completely still.
I lifted my head to the sky and gave a huge, long, victory howl. This was the first meal I had caught since my exile; Rune had been feeding me up until that point. I grasped the hare in my jaws and padded off, with an extra bounce in my stride, to find her.

"Rune!" I exclaimed as I saw her through the foliage, my voice slightly muffled because of the prey in my mouth.
"Oh!" She jumped, startled, "Koiress, it's you. How did you know where I was?"
"You're the only human in the entire forest, I can pick up your scent from miles away." I said, ducking and diving past branches to get to her.
"What's that in your mouth?" She asked.
I sat down and dropped the hare at her feet, my tail wagging aggressively, "I caught a hare!"
"Oh, wow!" She bent down and gazed at it, "And it's a nice plump one, too! That'll make a fine dinner, well done, Koiress."
I raised my head with pride, feeling happier than I had in a long long time.
"I managed to find a herd of deer, but I know you dont like eating deer, so I managed to find some marmots down in the brook." She presented two large rodents.
"Wow, they look good!" I said, slightly less proud of my little hare when compared to the two big marmots.
"Let's get these back home, and then is it okay if you go out collecting herbs?" We started to walk as she continued, "I just need some more pine bark and sage leaves to restock my stores of pain-relieving potions; you pretty much ran it dry with your bad leg."
"Got it." I barked, as we started to head home.

I snuffled about in the undergrowth for the scent of sage, with the handle of the basket clenched in my jaws. Rune had given it to me to put the herbs into, so that the delicate leaves wouldn't be tainted or damaged by my saliva. She had stayed at home to cook our dinner while I went out searching for the bark and leaves. I was still getting used to a lot of these human customs, like baskets and cushions and fire. It had been five days since I had woken up in Rune's house, and since then we had gotten on, as she had put it, 'like a house on fire'. I still didn't really understand what she meant; surely a house on fire is a bad thing? When I pointed this out, she just laughed and humorously agreed. Humans are so strange. Rune spent most of her time researching about animal communication, trying to find an explanation as to how and why we were able to understand each other. She still couldn't find an answer, but she won't give up. Back in the Pack, the elder wolves had told stories about human curiosity and perseverance, but I had never imagined it at this level. I told her many times to let it go, and to just enjoy this incredible skill, but she was adamant about finding the truth. Even still, we spent each night telling stories about ourselves and our past, getting to know each other very well. She told me about her parents, and what she had learnt magic from her mother. I told her about the Pack, about my old friends and family. She told me about her father, yet the stories always seemed so oddly predictable to me. Eventually, I told her about the deer, and my reason for exile. It felt good to get it off my chest, and she showed sympathy towards me. I was so glad, for I was terrified she might judge and mock me, as the Pack did. She was grateful for my company, and I was grateful for hers. We hunted together, she tended to my wounds, which were nearly healed by now, and I payed her back through hunting food and gathering herbs.
I tenderly picked the stalks of the sage bush, trying not to damage the precious leaves. I placed them into the basket, before glancing at the sun. It was fairly low in the sky, yet still warming my fur with its dappled light. Time to head home, I thought. I picked up the basket, and was about to head away, when I heard something. My ears swiveled around as I froze mid-step. Something was coming through the undergrowth - it was fairly big, but it made no attempt to move quietly. Could it be a badger, a fox, maybe? It was downwind of me, so I couldn't detect its scent. I turned to face the noise as I saw the undergrowth shifting. It parted, and a figure emerged. My breath caught.
Standing before me, was a doe. But not just any doe. The doe. I would know her anywhere, her pelt pattern, eye colour, snout shape - I had seen it in my dreams time after time. It was what I daydreamed about in my spare time. It was the silhouette I saw when I closed my eyes.
"It's you!" I said out loud, more to myself than to her.
To my utter surprise, she opened her mouth, and a soft voice spoke back, "Its you...!"
We stood there for a few seconds, staring into each other's eyes, taking in the moment. It was only then that I noticed her shaking legs, her battered fur, and her sickly wounds.
Before I could say anything, she collapsed to the floor. I was by her side in an instant. Her breathing was shallow, her eyelids drooping. Even in this battered state, she had the soothing scent of pine needles and orchids. I didn't know what to say.
"I... found you..." she breathed. Her voice was soft, silky, and oh-so familiar.
She let out a long sigh, and her eyes closed. Her sides were barely rising and falling, and I could smell rot coming from her wounds.
In that moment, I didn't care what species she was, whether she was prey or not, or who would judge me.
This doe needed help.