Tears well in his eyes as he rememberes all the other times, he can't let them catch him. Not again, not again. He runs
as fast as he can, but it is never fast enough. He has to run where they will not run.
He has to run to the forbidden places. He can hear their
howls, they have split up, he knows their tactics, they will tire him out first. They will make him run till he can run no
more. Why? He didn't do anything to them, not ever.
He keeps on running, he can hear three behind him, running easily on their four legs. There will be two more up ahead, hiding waiting for him so they can force him to run where they want him to go. No, not today, not again.
He sees a fern copse to his right, he runs to it and stops. He
kneels, letting the fronds of the ferns hide him, cover him in
their greeness. They will track him by his scent, they will see
the heat of his trail, they will find him soon. He takes deep
ragged breaths as they run following his tracks. His hands scramble and find a dead branch.
He sees them now, their greys making them almost invisible in the shadows of the forest. The three young wolves change direction without stopping, they head towards him with no hessitation. He crouches down, his legs like coiled springs ready, his hands holding the piece of wood.
His small frame springs from the green like lightning, the three
wolves running to fast too change direction, he runs straight to
them and swings the piece of wood catching the nearest wolf in the head, making him spin.
The young wolf yelps, both in pain and surprise as it stumbles into the ferns, rolling uncontrolled from its run. He doesn't stop to check his work, he just keeps on running, the other two
wolves check on their fallen comrade before giving chase again. Howls of anger ring in his ears as he runs as fast as his tired legs will carry him.
The forbidden land is close, he knows it, soon he will be safe from their torments. He runs faster as he sees the edge of the forest end, the harsh sunlight on the red soil. They are closer now, the wolves have given up on tactics and games, now they will just chase him down.
He sees the edge of the forbidden land and suddenly he is upon it, he runs into the sunlight. The red soil feels hard under his
booted feet, he runs anyway. He hears the howls at the edge of
the forest. They are calling him back, he knows exactly what they are saying, but he doesn't stop, he just keeps on running.
He drops next to a rock, tired, thirsty, his young eyes blinded by the strong sun. He is used to the cool forest, where water is plentiful and shade of the trees protect him. He fights to get his breath back, coughing hard as his lungs burn with exhaustion.
"What have we here? Oohh, belong here you don't, little wolf." A little female singson voice says close to his ear. He stares at her, he knows her kind.
Her little leather wings keeping her aloft close to his face. A small faery, young and pretty, with shimmering hair and rose coloured dress. She hovers close to him, her hands on her hips looking at him.
"Leave me alone." He shouts and swats at her with the back of his hand.
"Oohh, hit me you try. No,no,no,no, hit me you can't, too fast am I, chase dragonflies I." She says in her singsong voice.
"Go away." He says again as she hovers just out of reach.
"Ooh, go away, says he. Go away to me. No,no,no,no. Young wolf, oh young little wolf, so tired are you, why not change into fur and paws like your brothers?" The faery asks.
"Leave me alone."
"Oooh, alone, change you cannot. Chase you they do, all the time. Seen them before, catch you and laugh, come little wolf. Come tell me why."
"They are bullies, they hate me, they call me names."
"Ohh, Names they call you? Change you cannot, little wolf, change you cannot."
"Who are you?"
"Ohh, No fur, no paws, on two legs you must run. Princess am I. Princess you call me. Who you are I know, little wolf."
"Why are you here?"
"Ohh, questions, always. Leave me alone, says he, questions he has. Came to help little wolf, sorry felt I, chased you they did. Chase, chase, chase, all the time, sorry felt I."
"They never leave me alone, I just want them to leave me alone. They're always taunting me because I can't change."
"Special you are, a wolf with no fur, a wolf with no paws, special you are. Your sire, know you his name?"
"I don't have a sire, he died a long time ago, my uncle the chief looks after me and my mom."
"Ohh, yes, strong he is, know him everyone does. Special he treats you, special you are. Cubs they don't like it, not special like you. Jealous they are, jealous of little wolf with no paws."
"What do you know?"
"Ohh, questions, questions, answers have I. The stranger, sired you he. Powerful him, the wolves saved he and the elves and the faeries."
"I don't believe you, tell me his name."
"Ohh, name him, no,no,no,no, name him will not. Dangerous that, never his name, no,no,no,no. They listen, name him not for they listen, dark ones wait for his name to be said."
"You are lying you're trying to trick me, I know it. You faeries are all tricksters."
"Ohh, truth tell I, on my wings truth tell I. Princess not lie. Show you will I, follow, follow, follow. Far not, follow and see the strangers mark." The faery says and hovers away further into the forbidden lands a little hand waving him forth.
He looks at the edge of the forest, they are waiting for him to come out, the other cubs, nervous, pacing back and forth along the treeline. He doesn't care any more, he is tired of their games, he will show them. He stands up and follows the faery as she flies slowly away.
He sees her flying lazily further into the forbidden
lands, so far from the forest that he can't see the trees any longer. This land is alien to him, just red dust everywhere.
In the distance he sees what once were walls, strewn over the ground.
"Oh, little wolf, see it do you? Done by your sire this was, died by his hand this village, a mighty spell cast he and all destroyed."
"Was he a wizard?" He asks as he walks into the graveyard of walls, buried now by the red dust.
"No,no,no,no, no mere wizard he, than that more, much more than wizard. Do you not feel it little wolf, there is something missing. Concentrate, feel it."
"There is no magic, there is no life."
"Nothing left little wolf, nothing at all, not a worm, not an insect, all dead. Days and nights I gathered magic so this far I could come. Little wolf, a task have I for you."
"What? What is it you want?"
"Right your sire's wrong, you must, healing this land needs, start it you must."
"I don't have any magic, I can't undo this."
"His seed you came from little wolf, new seed must you plant. Take it." The faery says holding out a seed in her hand, he places his hand under hers and she drops it.
"What is it?" He says holding it close so he can see it.
"Fig seed, little wolf, fig tree grow from fig seed, simple nature. Trick is, must be planted by you. Stranger's son, fix strangers wrong. Plant seed little wolf."
"Where? There is nothing but red dust, there is no water, the seed won't grow here."
"Plant the seed little wolf, the mother will care, the mother will feed, plant the seed is all you do."
He kneels and makes a small hole in the ground, he places the seed inside and covers it.
"Is that it?"
"Oh, little wolf, never easy, never that easy. To the forest must we return, much we have done, much left to do. Home little wolf, run along home." The faery says and flies away to the forest, he runs behind her, as the dust settles four female figures appear.
"Will it be enough?"
"It will have to do."
"He reminds me of his father."
"Yes, the luck follows him, the magic bends to him."
"He is so very young."
"Go, make sure my little wolf brother makes it home safely." She says as her hand touches the soil, green leaves slowly pry the soil appart as they rise towards the setting sun.
In the distance a young wolf, with no fur and no paws, locked as a human child, runs after a fleeting faery, watched over by three spirits.