It's been three days since I woke up in this unfamiliar body of a pup.
The morning after I reincarnated, I managed to get a good look at one of my parents. He was massive, with dark brown fur and sharp, thoughtful amber eyes. His broad shoulders nearly brushed the wooden door frame as he walked in. His white muzzle tapered to black-tipped ears that twitched at every sound. Not a dog, but a wolf.
It's tough to judge how big things really are as a toddler, especially when the first person I meet here isn't even human. But if doors are the same size as in my old world, and I'm related to this man, I might end up pretty tall myself when I grow up.
I haven't met my mother yet. Maybe she's out working and got caught in the bad weather, or maybe she's gone, lost to childbirth like so many women in places without modern medicine. Sometimes, my wolf-father's amber eyes drift to the empty chair in the corner, lingering there with a heaviness that makes me think she isn't coming back.
He cared for me attentively but spoke very little, so I haven't picked up any new words just yet. I haven't glimpsed the outdoors either, thanks to the relentless weather. Rain keeps pouring day and night, churning the ground to muck. My sense of smell is far sharper now, so I could discern it without even taking a step outside. I hope this weather is merely seasonal, not a permanent state of this world.
At least the house was solid, built from hand-hewn square logs that fit together so well any carpenter would be impressed. I tried woodworking in my past life, so I could tell. The house stayed warm and well-insulated. There was one window in my room, but it was closed with wooden shutters for now. Rustic furniture made from split logs filled the corners, covered with blankets in patterns of crimson, amber, and midnight blue. Carved ram's horns hung on the walls, polished until they gleamed, and next to them was a shallow drum stretched with some kind of animal hide.
Since I couldn't go explore or decipher the local language yet, I devoted myself to mastering this unfamiliar vessel I now inhabited. I started with my stubby russet-furred fingers, each sporting dark pads tipped with black claws, willing each digit to flex independently until they obeyed my commands. Then I worked on my elbows and shoulders, stretching my limbs even though they felt both too light and too heavy. Maybe I shouldn't be stretching like this as a baby, but it didn't hurt, so it was probably ok. If Olympic athletes these days start training as early as at 4 years old, I figured I should start developing a routine of my own early too and slowly increase the difficulty of my exercises as I get older.
By the second day, I could roll my chubby body across the woven reed mat underneath me with ease. That's when I noticed my tail, a soft, fluffy thing about as long as my whole arm, tied close to my haunches with a thin leather belt. Maybe this was a wolfkin custom to protect their young. Perhaps an unrestrained tail was prone to injury in these early, clumsy days of development… or more likely it was fixed in this position so baby's wagging tail don't spread fecal matter everywhere.
Although a fascinating topic to ponder about, I decided to drop it and instead spent that day thinking about my priorities and goals. There's so much I want to do, but one life is certainly not enough so I need to focus on something specific. Now that I know about reincarnation, I don't have to preemptively regret paths I can't take in this life and can just leave them for my next one. With that said, it is important to recognize that some paths are not even realistic options for me to begin with. If most countries here are monarchies, as is typical for medieval-level civilization, then politics probably aren't meant for a commoner-born wolf-child like me.
In my past life, I did work in the civil service for a bit. I was inspired by my grandfather. Even though he was a doctor, he was always interested in politics. He once joked that if he was a terrible doctor (he wasn't by the way) in his long career he could've killed maybe a few hundred people, at worst a thousand people. A terrible politician on the other hand could easily kill millions with their bad policy decisions. To me it seemed like something challenging and worthwhile to do, at least in the beginning.
Politics have consequences and I certainly must learn about the political environment of this world but I don't want to revolve this life around accumulating power or wealth either. Those things should always be means to an end, not the final destination. If I became an influential merchant or maybe even a mayor of a large city, using my knowledge from Earth, I could potentially gather a dragon's hoard of gold and jewels, use those resources to improve lives of people in this world. However, after spending one lifetime in the ultra-capitalist society of modern-day Earth, I really want a break from chasing material things, regardless of how well-intended my reasoning to do so is.
Besides, it would be arrogant to think people in this world necessarily need saving. Medieval societies in my old world were full of war, poverty and disease, but this world has magic, so it is quite possible people here live more comfortably and safely without relying on modern technology. Case in point: when my wolf-father carried me around the house, I noticed that it had plenty of familiar conveniences. Functioning bathroom with a small tub and a real flushing toilet, something that Japan didn't have until mid-20th century. Kitchen also had running water, an actual freezer and a decent stove. No microwave, but I didn't use one even in my past life (yes, I was one of those freaks who unapologetically believed microwaves give us cancer). All of these seemingly modern amenities operated just fine thanks to embedded magic stones and engraved runes I couldn't even begin to understand just yet. The food I've had so far has also been surprisingly good, mainly consisting of porridge cooked in meat broth with herbs and salt, a lot like Arabic haresa dish, which I quite liked in my old life. As far as baby food goes, it is both delicious and nutrient-rich.
Before I make any decisions, I certainly need to learn about this world's history, customs and magic, so maybe I should focus on academic pursuits first. It's possible there are some sort of educational institutions I can get access to. University of Oxford was established in the 11th century after all and it wasn't even that ancient compare to schools that existed in the Imperial China or Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. There is no reason to think this world doesn't have a formal place of learning that hopefully is not restricted just to nobles... and I don't mind joining the clergy either if that is a required prerequisite. Many first universities were one way or another connected to organized religion after all.
I once thought about becoming a priest, but I gave up on the idea because it felt hypocritical for an atheist to preach divine messages. Now things are different though. After experiencing the divine first hand I am definitely not an atheist anymore. I have seen the light! And with my research skills and knowledge of human psychology and ethics I think I could become one hell of a clergyman slash scholar. If I study healing magic or alchemy it would also help me to pay the bills for food and roof over my head while I travel.
Ah, but traveling is probably dangerous in this world so I definitely need to learn how to fight and defend myself. I did practice various martial arts in my youth, but I was still mostly a pacifist in my past life so it was just a fun hobby. With that said, I know that pacifism doesn't always work, no matter what world you find yourself in. My time volunteering on a humanitarian mission in an actual war zone taught me that some people only respond to an overwhelming display of force. This will probably be especially true in a world with no central government or professional law enforcement agencies.
Still, I don't want to be a soldier who kills without thinking or a knight who kills chasing fame and prestige. I want to be someone who can use force when necessary, but also has the skills and wisdom to help people from all walks of life. That can be my foundation, on which I will build other things as more opportunities come up. So, to summarize, if this was an RPG game and I would want to build a class that combined knowledge based skills, close combat proficiency and a little healing magic what would I get?
Paladins, clerics, shamans, druids, monks…
On the third day, I continued pondering those things till about midday. Then the serenity of our humble abode was gone as an unexpected guest had arrived.
——
The door burst open with such force that the iron hinges shrieked in protest, sending a spray of rainwater across the threshold. Inside stepped a familiar figure. As we exchanged looks, she offered a curt nod. She then peeled off her sodden cloak, the deep burgundy now blackened with moisture, and flung it directly at my face. I sighed but didn't protest, padding across the worn floorboards to hang the dripping garment near the crackling fireplace. Steam began to rise from it immediately. Then I retrieved two linen towels from the cedar chest: one for myself and another for my insufferable guest.
Estrah meanwhile lunged in another room toward the kid, her silver bracelets jingling as she cooed, "There's my little fuzzy one! Oh, baby Zar!" Her voice pitched higher with each word until it reached a squeal. She pinched his cheek, scooped him up, and set him down on the carpet in front of the fireplace so quickly I worried he'd get dizzy. "Say hi to Auntie Estrah! Say hi!" She got down on all fours. "How about 'woof woof'?"
"He is not a dog!" I barked, realizing the irony of my statement a second later.
"Any baby canine, whether it's a dog, a wolf, or even a hyena, is a puppy! And puppies say WOOF WOOF! Isn't that right, baby Zar?" The kid, as if he understood, gave her the coldest look I'd ever seen him make. Her smile faded. Tears started to form in her bright green eyes, and her bottom lip trembled as she put a hand to her chest. "Two weeks and he's looking at me like I'm a tax collector."
She sniffed, stood up straighter, and declared, "I'm moving my things in tomorrow!"
I crossed my arms, claws digging into my biceps. "Absolutely not. First, there's no space. This cottage barely fits me and the pup. Second, you have your research at the Academy!"
"Research, shmesearch." Estrah waved her hand dismissively, magi-rings glinting in the firelight. "I have another 300 years in me, at minimum. I can catalog mushrooms later! Right now, I need to concentrate on my responsibilities as a godmother! If I leave it to you, he'll develop a speech impediment! You probably didn't speak to him at all for the whole two weeks I was gone, did you? Just stared at him, grunting like a cave-wolf that you are!"
The worst part was that I couldn't argue with her, I am a quite one and the kid probably needs constant verbal communication to keep developing. "Technically, they never made you his godmother..." My voice trailed off into a growl. "Uuurgh, but I can't deny they would have if they had the time. Fine. Once it dries outside, I'll start chopping some wood for an extension to add another room for you. You will have to help me dry it with magic though, otherwise it will take months to build anything decent in this weather."
"I can handle that. During the Ashen War, I dried enough timber to build three fortresses along the coast." she tapped her magi-rings together, producing a soft oscillating sound. It fascinated Zar quite a bit as he was now looking curiously at her hands. "Wood won't dare to crack or warp under my watch."
I gestured toward the window, where rain pelted the glass and beyond it, my half-drowned garden plot lay visible. Carrots and potato foliage barely peeked above the mud. "Garden duty too. Thankfully I used some infused fertilizer so this harvest will not be ruined by the rain, but otherwise I would've been screwed. Herbs and vegetables I grow are essential for living in this forest. Foraging gets a little too competitive these days, a lot of new tribes moved in the valley recently."
"They are probably not local, displaced people from the continent I imagine."
"You imagine correctly, they are decent folk but have no farming skills whatsoever. Steppe people, hunters and gatherers, animal handlers and whatnot." I glanced at Zar, then back to Estrah. "Now that you're here to watch him... perhaps I should visit their camps and teach them gardening essentials. If they don't figure out their food situation before winter comes they might grow desperate enough to resort to banditry and nobody wants that."
Estrah's lips curled into a smirk as she produced one of those fancy flavored pacifiers and unceremoniously shoved it into Zar's mouth. Surprised first, he seemed to quickly grasp the delicious flavor and chewed at the thing. "My, my. The hermit who growls at travelers suddenly cares about refugee welfare." She leaned forward, her voice dropping. "Almost reminds me of someone standing before a war table, moving little figurines around a map."
I bared my teeth, just enough for the firelight to catch on the points. "Don't even start again. You know why I am here. Blood oath is a very serious business for my kin."
"Speaking of that..." Estrah's eyes flicked to the ceiling, her fingers counting invisible tallies in the air. "I saved Zar's parents before they saved you, so by the transitive property of life-debts..." she grinned widely. "Do you owe me a blood oath?"
"No. It doesn't work that way. Blood oaths are personal, they also are not unilateral and have to be accepted by both parties first. Also you have to spill your own blood when you save another and from what I recall you didn't really put yourself in any danger when you saved them, right? Shouldn't you know this? You have been around long enough…"
"Florent, my friend… wait, are we friends? My dearest acquaintance! Elves might be a long lived species but we are not omniscient. Some experiences eluded even me, especially when it comes to beastkin."
I sighed, running a claw-tipped finger along the grain of the wooden table. "Point taken, well anyway it doesn't work that way. However, I do appreciate the help. It might not be an act worthy of a blood oath, but I certainly consider what you are doing a big favor…" I hesitated, the word feeling unfamiliar on my tongue, but not entirely wrong "...friend."
As we kept chatting into the evening, Zar's tiny eyelids grew heavy until they finally closed, his chest rising and falling with the gentle rhythm of sleep. I scooped him up, feeling his warmth against my rough palms, and padded across the creaking floorboards to tuck him beneath the quilt in his bed.
Standing in the doorway, watching his peaceful form, I savored this moment of quiet. Tonight I could breathe easy, but tomorrow's first light would bring axe-work, timber-hauling, and the beginning of a new room. Quite a lot of work to look forward to.