The Wolf, The Doe and The Mage

Youth

The first thing I noticed was the heat. The soft, flickering warmth on my pelt, like the sun shining through the leaves above, making me feel soft inside. The next thing I noticed was the sound - the gentle crackling, like Autumn leaves beneath a bird's feet. Then, the smell. The smell of home. But an unfamiliar home, it seemed. I didn't have the energy to be confused, though. I just drifted, in the sweet scent of brewing herbs and wood smoke...
"Hey." A voice sounded in my ear.
"... Father?" I whispered, leaning forwards toward the voice.
"Hey!" The voice said, more urgently now.
"Dolus? Is that you?" I tried to open my eyes, my mouth parting in a huge yawn.
"Hey, wake up!"
My eyelids cracked open slowly and painfully. Before me, I saw a pair of golden eyes, sparkling in the dark environment.
"...Wolf?" I breathed, lifing my head up suddenly.
All of a sudden, a wave of pain and fatigue overcame me, and I flopped back to the ground.
"Be careful!" The voice said again, and I realized that it was the wolf talking.
It was then that I remembered everything that had happened - me running away, the attack from the wolves, running east, and then...
"I found you!" I exclaimed wearily, trying to fight past the pain.
The wolf lifted his head and seemed to shout to someone, though I can't remember what he said; his deep voice sounded as if it were through water.
I looked around and tired to gather my thoughts. I was in an enclosed space, with lots of unfamiliar things around the place. Though as I looked at them closer, their names seemed to pop into my head.
Couch, table, fireplace.
And then, leaning over me, was him. His pelt was a medium grey, with a white belly and a little white diamond mark on his forehead. His fur was soft and thick, and his paws small and delicate. His tail was low, and his bright golden eyes were looking urgently off into the distance, as if waiting for something. And sure enough, another figure came into the room, one who stood on two, long legs, with arms and hands and fingers. A human? What was going on, I thought.
"Hello!" The human said to me, her words not matching the formation of her lips. It seemed odd; wolves and humans don't usually speak words I could understand. They must not like to talk to deer.
I realized the girl was still talking, "Are you in pain?"
I nodded, each movement sending great waves of tiredness through me.
She pushed a bowl towards me, full of purple liquid that smelt of pine and sage.
"Drink it," the girl said, "It'll make you feel better, I promise."
I hesitated, before stopping to lap up the strange drink. Almost immediately, I felt my wounds start to ease, and the pain clear up, and with it the strange foggyness in my brain.
"Where... where am I?" I breathed, shaking my head to clear the last of the fogginess.
"You're in my house." The young human spoke again, "My name is Rune, and this is Koiress. Welcome home, little doe."

I was in shock, as I made out more details of the girl; the medium-length brown hair, the stunning green eyes, the large blue diamond embroidered onto the front of her short-sleeved tunic. The only thing I could think to say was, "I didn't know wolves could talk..."
"Normally we can't understand each other," the wolf - Koiress - said, "Its by some kind of strange magic that we can. Rune is still trying to figure it out - but we had no idea that you were part of it too!"
I gazed at the wolf, distracted from what he was saying, "I know you, don't I? You saved me."
His eyes lit up, and his tail started wagging, "Yes, I remember! The pack was about to kill you... but I just couldn't let them..."
"That's why I left the herd..." I was still drowsy, so my words came out in short bursts. My mind was racing; I found the wolf... and he can talk to me! It really is meant to be!
"You mean, this is the doe you told me about?" The Mage asked him, "The one you keep having the dreams of?"
"Yes, it's definatly her. I knew she was important!" He yipped excitedly.
There was a pause; not an awkward silence, though - it was comfortable, like I was finally complete.
"Let me go and get you some dinner, you must be starving!" Rune stood up and headed out if the room, leaving me alone with Koiress.
I looked back at him, his soft fur and golden eyes. He was just as tender and elegant as I had always imagined.
"So, what's your name?" He asked.
"Ranaa." I smiled.
"That's such a pretty name!" He wagged his tail.
I looked away bashfully, "Thank you!"
"You come from the western fallow herd, right?" I nodded, "So how come you're all the way out here?" He asked.
"I actually came looking for you..." I felt a little embarrassed to say it.
"Really?" I heard him say, and I glanced back up at him.
Our eyes locked.
I felt something stirring inside me, like a half-forgotten dream. It was an excited, certain feeling, like the feeling you get when you want a moment to last forever. It seemed very out of the blue, and I wasnt completely sure what had triggered it. But as I gazed at the great grey wolf, I saw something in his eyes, and I felt something odd... I could tell from his expression that he felt it too.
"There's... something about you..." Koiress breathed, "Something..."
"Familiar..." We both said it at the same time.
All of a sudden, a bright white light flashed in my eyes, and my vision faded before even I had the chance to react.

I fought past the bright light, and I felt my conscience slipping away. The feeling was much like dreaming; the soft tiredness, the blurred thoughts. I could hear someone talking in the distance, perhaps even the cry of a baby. Suddenly, the light faded, and before me stood a man. He was turned away from me, so I could only see one side of his face. From what I could remember, he had medium-length, light brown hair, and blue eyes. His face was square, and his jaw fairly chiseled, though his eyes were round and soft. He wore a fleece jacket, with a soft hare-hide hood. After a few seconds, he turned to me, and I could fully appreciate his features. He had a soft look, despite his rough attributes, and I could see affection in his eyes. As I gazed at the man, a feeling of deep happiness and love erupted within me. I had never felt this strongly about anything in my life - but that didn't matter. In that moment, I almost forgot about the fact that I was a deer, and about my herd, and the human mage, and the wolf. All I saw was the man I loved, who meant everything to me.
He laughed a bit, as if I had said a joke. It was the best sound I had ever heard. I don't know how long we sat there, gazing into each other's eyes - it could have been minutes, hours, or years. However it was, it wasn't long enough, I'm sure. I saw him fading, a layer of haze across my vision. I wanted to stay, desperation overcoming me. He was still smiling, oblivious to the situation; he slowly faded away, into the bright white abyss.
It was not until much, much later that I fully understood who the man was, and how and why I saw him that morning.