The Wolf, The Doe and The Mage

Father

As my paws trudged through the snow, a wave of familiar sounds and smells washed over me. I was up in the mountains once more, heading north, where a thin layer of snow always coated the ground. Everything seemed so natural to me; the sound of my paw steps on the stone, the harsh bite of the wind on my pelt, the smell of pine needles and prey and wolf. It was exhilarating - and yet I was terrified. What would I say? How could I convince them I'm telling the truth? And can I escape an entire pack of wolves if they decide to attack? I felt sick, as I passed a bush and saw a large boulder, one that I used to hide behind as a pup. I padded past it, my head low, and stopped. Before me was a clearing, framed by a tall cliff face. The icy ground was dirty, packed tight by the many heavy paws that crossed it each day. A large cave gaped directly across from me, leading deep into the cliff. I gazed at it, at the scratch marks made by wolves sharpening their claws, at the jagged edge from years and years of pups tumbling into the sides, and of angry adolescents banging their paws into its walls. I was once one of those angry adolescents. I glanced up at the sky; dusk was breaking. The pack would be getting ready for the night time hunt, sharing gossip and organizing where they would hunt. If I pricked my ears, I could just about hear the murmur of familiar voices echoing around the cave. The sound made my stomach flip over. I hesitated, wondering if what I was doing was worth it, before thanking a deep breath, and making my way across the clearing.

Of course, they smelt me before that saw me.
"What's that?" Someone hissed.
There was a pause. I quickened my pace.
"It's an intruder!" Someone else barked.
"No, wait..." I heard a familiar voice - my mother, "It's another wolf..."
I stopped at the entrance to the cave, and gazed in. The entire pack was gathered in the cave, all with their eyes locked on me.
"Koiress?" My mother stepped forward, her voice a mixture of confusion and dismay.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My heart was pounding. Their expecting eyes bored onto me.
"Koiress." A different voice spoke from somewhere above me. I glanced up to see Urvorro, her brow furrowed in anger, "Why are you here? To beg for forgiveness? To try and come back to the pack?"
I gulped, and breathed in deeply.
"No." I said, firmly, "I'm here to ask a favour."
"A favour?" Urvorro sounded outraged, "You can't be serious. You insult us, scare away our food, leave for two seasons, and now you want a favour? What is wrong with you?!"
I was about to shout at her, when a different voice cut me off.
"Urvorro, please." A she-wolf stepped forward. I was shocked to see it was Arvanta. She had grown so much since I had last seen her; her fur was silky smooth, and her bright eyes now gleamed with mature beauty, "Please, let him speak."
Urvorro growled, but reluctantly kept her mouth shut. I knew she had a soft spot for Arvanta. She nodded at me to continue.
I paused, preparing myself, "While I have been away, I have befriended a human."
Murmurs of disbelief echoed around the cave as wolves exchanged shocked glances.
I went on, "By some means of magic, we can understand each other. As in, I can talk to her in my own language, and she'll know what I'm saying." I ignored the outraged barks and growls, "She is obsessed with trying to bring back her parents, though thematic she uses is very dangerous. She intends to try again tonight. She will be casting the spell in the Icicle Glade. I am unable to be there to protect her if the spell goes wrong, but I humbly ask for some of you to help protect her."
There was silence now. Not a single whisper or growl was heard. All I could hear was the loud thumping of my heart as I awaited a reaction.
Then, almost simultaneously, the pack started laughing, great barks and yaps of hysteria surrounding me.
"Does he seriously think we're gonna believe him?" Someone howled.
"He's probably trying to lead us into a human trap or something!" Someone else replied.
I bowed my head in anger and looked away.
"Come on, stop it everyone!" Arvanta barked.
After a while, the pack quieted down.
Urvorro's voice cut through the noise, "You insult us with your lies, rouge. Run back to your human, and never return to the Frostfang Pack again!"
I closed my eyes and was about to turn away.
"Wait!" Arvanta shrieked.
I glanced up in surprise.
"He must have travelled a long way, and it's nearly night." She stammered, her voice echoing around the cave as she gazed up at Urvorro, "Can he not stay here to sleep?"
"Absolutely not!" Urvorro snapped.
Aravnta blinked twice, "Please, Urvorro. For me!"
Urvorro was silent for a second, before she snarled, "Fine. But he will sleep in your den, and you must not take your eyes off him, lest he try to attack us. Furthermore, I will place a guard outside the entrance for safety."
Arvanta grinned, "Thank you, Urvorro!"
My mouth was ajar. How did she manage to convince her?
I didn't have much time to think about it before Arvanta brushed against my side and beckoned me with her tail tip as she padded out of the cave, followed by one my cousins as a guard. Head down, I followed.

"How did you manage to do that?" I whispered to Arvanta once we were out of earshot of the rest of the pack. "I guess I'm just persuasive, and Urvorro is more kind-hearted than you think." She was avoiding my gaze.
I looked at the floor shamefully, "You hate me, don't you. I'm sorry, I just-"
She cut me off, "I don't hate you, Koiress." She glanced at me, and our eyes met. There was a pause; I was expecting her to go on.
She sighed, "I'll explain everything when we get to the den. And I hope you'll tell me what you've been up to too."
I nodded.
We walked the rest of the way in silence. Arvanta led me to a little den near the outskirts of the hollow, made out of wood and brambles and moss. It seemed to be fairly new, as I didn't remember it being there before I was kicked out.
"Did you build this?" I asked, shocked.
"Yeah, with the help of Usath." She ducked through the entrance.
Usath. The name was very familiar to me. My sister.
I ducked in after Arvanta.
"Please, sit down. You must be very tired." She smiled.
"Thank you, Arvanta." I lay down, wrapping my tail around me body.
There was a moment of silence, as we avoided each other's gaze. It had been so long since we'd seen each other, we'd almost forgotten how to act around one another.
"So," Arvanta broke the silence, "Where did you go? After you were exiled?"
"Eh, it's a long story..." I shrugged.
She gave me a look, "We have all night."
"Alright, if you want it. So, I ran off into the forest, to the far south..."
I quickly recalled everything that had happened over the past two seasons, and Arvanta just sat there and listened with no expression on her face. I told her about Rune, about the village and the skeletons, and how she took care of me when I was injured, and how we become friends.
Then I got to the bit where I met Ranaa.
"I know it sounds crazy," I gazed off into the distance, thinking about the silky doe, "But it's almost like we were meant for each other. Even though we're two separate species, predator and prey... she just... gets me."
There was a pause, as I closed my eyes, lost in my thoughts. I was brought back to reality by a soft whimper. I opened my eyes and looked at Arvanta with surprise. She was crying, though attempting to hide it.
"Arvanta?" I was shocked, I touched her tail with my paw, before backing away, "I've upset you... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"No, no..." Arvanta cut me off tearfully, "It's not you."
I paused, "You don't believe me, do you?"
"I do. I promise. It's just..." she took a deep breath, "I love you, Koiress."
I was taken aback by her sudden confession.
She avoided my gaze, "I have since we were pups; you were my only friend, since Urvorro took me in."
I remembered the day. Urvorro, who wasn't the Alpha at the time, brought in Arvanta during a blizzard. I was only a pup, a month or two old. Arvanta was even younger. Urvorro said that she had found her, abandoned, out in the snow. She was beside to her sister, who had already died from the cold.
"You were the only pup of my age other than Usath, and you know how she is." Arvanta gave a little chuckle, "You... you were always so nice to me. Everyone else seems to hate you, especially since you were outcast. But... I still love you, Koiress. Despite it all."
"I... I'm sorry, Arvanta." I said, "I wish I could feel the same way about you."
She nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. It's just, the way you talk about this deer... it's not the way a normal wolf should act and feel. You can talk to her, and the human. You have visions, and odd feelings. I... think there's something different about you, Koiress. And I know your human friend can help you figure it out."
I perked my ears up in surprise and looked up at her.
She was gazing at me, emotion in her eyes.
"I'll be there, in the Glade tonight. You can count on it."