Garius had awakened with the dawn streaming into his eyes through the cracks in the shed; he could feel Nibelski still asleep under him. He decided to not move so she could get more rest even though his hind legs were sore from staying in one position too long. He would see how long he could wait her out as he tried his best to relax those legs. He was thirsty and could do with a drink and as he thought about it his stomach started making noise. Now she was shifting under him as her head popped out he smiled and said "Good morning,"
She reacted to the sun being up before her, "Oh, I slept too long, sorry. Can I get you anything?"
"Do not worry about it, my friend, you need your rest too. We have both been through a lot." He stretched his legs out with a sigh of relief as he did his best to position his body to drink some water.
Nibelski noticed the full bowl and asked "Were the humans here already?"
"Yes, before the sun they filled the dishes. It woke me, but I fell back to sleep quickly"
"How did I not notice?" she sounded frustrated.
"Do not worry, we all need times of rest, it is how we recover" he noticed the strength of her body as she moved out from under him. Even her heart and blood were so strong. She reminded him of the smaller wolves in his pack. She lapped up some water, retrieved some meat and brought it to Garius. "Thank you, did you notice they took their device away…the one they attached to me"
Nibelski looked all over, it was gone. "What does it mean?"
"It means I am getting better, thanks to them, and to you"
"No, not because of me, you were almost killed because of me. My father died saving me, no one is safe around me," She tried her best to leap and run away, but Garius was faster and already had a hold of her bushy tail. "Let me go!" she pleaded.
"I will not" he mumbled, pulling her back into the bed with him. She was amazed how strong he was. "No more running away", he placed his large paw over her. "When I first saw you, you were running and from the stories you tell me you have spent a lot of time running. You will never grow until you stop and put down roots. Why do you think the trees are so large? They have mastered the skill of staying and I want you too as well."
She felt the fear of wanting to run still, yet there was something about Garius that made her want to stay. She felt grounded with him, but was afraid she would hurt him again. "I just can't stand to see you get hurt again".
He smiled "We live lives in a world that does not care for us. Tomorrow may see one of us dead, but today we have each other and that is worth the fight everyday to keep. You are worth the fight and that decision is mine, not yours. I would worry if you were gone and that would not be good for me either. If we don't find your family then I want you to join my pack. Stay with us, stay with me, even as a good friend."
She liked this and it made sense as she felt her fears melt away. She licked the wound on his face and he licked her face back. She smiled and blushed as much as she could, staying would be the right decision. "I like trees," she told him.
His response was interrupted by a familiar voice, "Caw, caw. I am gone for one day and this is what happens?"
He was quick to defend himself "It is not that way, we are friends, just having a talk."
"A caw, talk with licks?"
"He has wounds, and it is my duty to clean them," Nibelski replied.
"Do you have wounds?" Augustus inquired.
"Uhh, it was, just" she was without words.
Garius quickly took the conversation over, "Where have you been anyway?"
"Answers, caw, Answers. I found the owl who was there when the earth ran away"
"Really??! Come tell us what you know" Garius and Nibelski were both excited to hear what was discovered.
Augustus landed close by the bed and began his story, "Caw, the earth did not run away, well it did, but not on its own. You do not have to worry about it running from us unless we camp by the mountains. It is a rare event and we have closely passed it before. Somehow the mountain side fell off. I do not know if it lost its strength or the rocks just get too heavy over time, but the whole side of the mountain is gone and there is a valley of death below it. Only jagged boulders, no signs of life, no trees, no water….only jagged death. The side of the mountain looks flat and clean."
"That is terrifying" Garius observed, "but how does the earth run away?"
"Well when it caw, comes down it sweeps everything with it. Earth, trees, creatures, everything is caught in what looks like a flood of death. Like it is running away. It is loud and there is no escape." He turned to Nibelski, "the wolf who saved you, I do not know if he was your father, but you were special to him. He was a hero jumping across the sliding rocks and trees to grab you and save your life. A tree caught his leg and pulled him away so he threw you to safety with his last words being your name he called out."
Nibelski was in tears as Garius stroked her head. "So much death and destruction"
"Caw, these things happen, what we do after is what matters. You are here, it is good that you are."
"Any other word on my family?"
"No, the owl knew nothing and had never seen them before. He thinks maybe your family was migrating when this happened. The owls looked after you at that time. They hid themselves from you, but made sure you were protected, that you had food and water…they wanted me to say hi…they are glad you live."
"I am glad you live too" Garius whispered in her ear.
She felt confused and hurt a little from this new information. Who was she? So much to think about, she looked up Garius and asked "Is it ok if I go for a short walk outside in the sun?"
"Of course, just don't run away from us, ok?"
"Ok, I promise" she hopped off the bed and squeezed out the front door, the light of the sun temporarily blinding her. She decided to stay close to the buildings and stretch her legs.
Augustus jumped up on the bed so he could be close to Garius ear, "Caw" he whispered "you keep secrets from me"
"I have no secrets I have kept, I am always honest with you. If there are secrets then they are secrets for your benefit."
"A wolf of blue and grey..." Augustus paused as Garius looked away. "Ah hah, secrets, caw, secrets…from the fires we are saved."
"Just a fable, something from my childhood. I remembered it when I saw her, but I could not remember that second part at all"
"It is Cawfecy, it is the future predicted!!"
"You mean prophecy?" Garius corrected him.
"To crows it is Cawfecy, it is the same. Do you believe she is the one?"
"Anything is possible, I decided not to test fate, but embrace it. To protect her if she was the one."
"Yet she is a fox, not a wolf, and I think your feelings go deeper than just protecting a chosen one. The owl has told me the full verse:
A wolf of blue and grey
From the fires we are saved
A bringer of life from the flood
To unite the land with new blood
"Do you think it is her?" Garius sincerely wanted to know what Augustus thought.
"I am unsure, I don't like superstition, yet there are questions to be answered still"
"Like what?"
"Could she be wolf? Could she be part wolf?" He leaned into Garius' ear so none could hear. "She heard her name wrong, the wolf said something else. It is a phrase I will find the answer to, but she only heard one word of it incorrectly."
"Is the wolf who saved her life her father?"
"I am unsure, maybe he was a silly wolf like you and gave his life for those stripes on her back. Augustus will continue to investigate, but the owls have issued an invitation and would love to have her visit. I told them maybe after winter."
"Winter!" Garius was visibly upset, "I can not get back to the pack before then. I will be stuck here until I fully mend."
Augustus interrupted, "Augustus knows, Augustus flies fast. I will reach the pack and work with them, I will tell them you have sent me, been delayed."
"You are a true friend, Augustus. I need you to speak only to Werson, he can be trusted. There are others that would do you harm without me present. They weak ones are the biggest threat to the pack"
"Caw, Werson only. I know him, you place trust with him"
Their planning was interrupted by the return of Nibelski squeezing through the door who saw Augustus very close to Garius' ear. "What are you two planning?"
"Augustus has volunteered to return to the pack and help them through winter and I am giving him advice."
"Oh" she wandered over to the meat bowl "do you need some more food?"
"Yes, thank you"
She grabbed a few pieces and jumped up on the bed forcing Augustus to fly off. He decided to pick a few meat pieces for his troubles. She fed one to Garius and ate one for herself. "It is a heavy feeling I carry inside, all this despair"
Garius placed a paw over her "Let me carry it with you, as a pack we always carry our loads together and help each other through hard times."
She rested in his chest and listened to his heart. She thought how nice a home this could be, the pack would be her family now. She always wanted family and here it was more alive than ever.
"Augustus return to the pack to speak with Werson, tell him that I will be delayed until spring, that I will be mending until then. Tell them to winter at the lake cave"
"Caw, a good choice, much food there, water, large and warm"
"Yes," Garius continued, "I will strengthen myself and when it warms I will return to them with Nibelski who is now a member of the pack. She will strengthen us in ways we have missed. Remind them how the frozen meats soften in the cave for eating. It is a good spot. When it warms we will follow the stream to the mountain and visit the owls as a pack. What of the crows?"
"It is too caw, cold for us. We have our places we go to, we will be fine. We too shall return as the cold flees. I will be gone with them, will miss you, caw"
"We shall miss you too, my friend" Garius looked at Nibelski. "You have helped us greatly and I look forward to our reunion after the times of cold. Fly well and free Augustus."
"And you be strong, caw, my friends"
"Thank you for everything" Nibelski told him as he flew up to the top of the shed and looked around outside scouting his route.
"Farewell", and he was gone.
"So what are our plans, Garius?" Nibelski asked.
"Well we have much work ahead of us. I need to recover my strength and improve it, no more losses to bears…and I need to teach you the ways of the wolf. Our traditions, how to chase and attack, and how we work as a united force. The signs to watch for, understand what our little behaviours mean, and how authority is handled." He thought of the pack and hoped they would be alright. He could trust Werson, but there were others that he did not. "We shall make you stronger too through this cold spell. I have much to teach you."
Nibelski climbed out and at up at attention in front of him "Yes, sir"
"I see the first thing we will need to deal with is that attitude"