Wolf
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_Chapter 4: A new friend
After Shila's death, Wolf began to explore more of the surrounding woods. On the first day he decided this, he tripped on a pile of twigs and fell, breaking his wrist. There he sat, sobbing, though not about the pain of the wrist, but for mourning. Many nights and days he sat by a tree and sobbed and did not stop for serveral hours. He would scream at the top of his lungs, for some unknown reason. There were responses to his screaming. Howls', gwowls, chirps, and loud squeacks were heard in return.
Those response cries only gave Wolf one comfort, which was that he wasnt alone. grumble… his stomach. He was hungry and needed to find something to eat. Wolf forgot his troubles and thought only of his stomach. He ran around the forest and eventually found a green berry bush. Taking several into his mouth, Wolf chewed furiously on them. Only, hours later, he threw them all back up. "Not eat those, " he thought.
crrak
He looked over suddenly in the direction of the crack sound. He stalked over and hid behind a large tree and peeked around.
"Manchu, bygah!"
"Choom, choom!"
The goblins uttered in their language. Wolf watched them curiously, then left his spot and approached them.
"Hi," he said.
The goblins slowly turned toward Wolf and began screaming at him.
"MIGAHGACHU! GRET!" one pointed at Wolf as he screamed. The other goblin seemed to be yelling in the woods. Eventually, two other goblins came from the trees.
Wolf put up his hands, noticing the goblins had spears. "No, want trouble."
The goblins screamed again and then started to chase him. Wolf, wide eyed, turned and ran from the little beasts. He ran as fast as he could.
One of the goblins rose one of his spears and threw it at Wolf, hitting the back of his leg. Wolf fell to the ground, wincing in pain. The goblins surrounded him and began to laugh, poking at Wolf with their small spears. He began to cry because he knew he was helpless....
"Crahm!" A goblin yelled in a fearful voice.
Wolf covered his eyes and waited.
There was growling and soon, the tearing of flesh and the sounds of pain from the goblins. Eventully, it grew quiet, and Wolf could feel something licking his spear wound. He looked up to see a wolf, which a very young one. They stared into each others eyes and then the young wolf licked Wolf's face. He smiled and patted the wolf on the head and scritched its ears
Togther they hunted and wandered the woods together for many years. Perhaps the young wolf thought he had found a pack and just continued to follow the human Wolf. With them working together, it was easier to hunt and find food. This continues for nine years, where Wolf is now a young man and the young wolf might be middleaged....
....Together they wandered until they came to the lands known as Narfell._
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_Chapter 3: Alone
Wolf was now 8 years old. Learning better common and basic reading that Shila had taught him. He didnt live the life of a normal child. There were no other children to play with and no friends to be made, accept Shila. Though, Wolf seemed happy, to be out in the woods. He loved to explore them and sometimes spent the night out in the woods, coming home to a very worried Shila. "Damn boy! Dont go sneaking out like that! Do you want your ma to die of worry?"
"Sorry ma"
"Dont be sorry! Just dont do it!"
"Alright ma."
"Your lying to me boy. As soon as night comes, your going to go sneak out again. Well if you do, I will bolt the door so you cant come back in!"
"Then how will you get out ma?"
"Ill… use the window!"
Days and nights like this continued. Wolf would sneak out and wander the woods, always seeming to find the way back home easily in the morning. He would find new places to get food and water, and told Shila of them. "Well...I guess you aint so useless after all," she would say.
Life seemed good for Wolf. Nothing to worry about accept Shila yelling at him for being a boy. He could do what he wanted basically and learned much from Shila.
Two years went by... Wolf was now ten years old and Shila, was not getting younger. One day would change Wolf's life. "Boy! Go chop some wood while I get the other fire supplies ready! Tonight's going to be a cold one. I can feel it," Shila felt her chest, there was a pain there, "Yes, I can feel it.."
Wolf ran off to chop some wood, which he loved to do. Simple chores such as this helped him stay healthy and it was fun to him. But, this time, he had forgotten the hatchet. He ran back to the cottage. "Ma! Where's the hatchet?" He yelled as he ran into the cottage. There was Shila, lying in the bed, barely breathing. "Ma? Are you fine?"
"No, boy. I aint fine."
"Whats wrong?"
"Wolf..." She said his name instead of 'boy.'
"Yes?"
"You are going to be alone for a while. Im leavin."
"Leavin? I want to come!"
"You cant"
"Why?"
"You cant follow where Im going. No, you wont follow for a long while."
Wolf tilted his head, confused. Shila continued, "There's some-.." she coughed a raspy cough and clutched her chest, "There's some things I want to tell you."
"Ma?"
"Im not your ma, Wolf. I found you in the bushes out in the woods."
"No, your my ma."
"Listen! Your parents abandoned you out there. They didnt love you, but I did."
Wolf stared at her, his eyes watering, "Not true!"
"You can believe what you want my dear. I knew you were to young to be told this. Im sorry my dear." She coughed some more, this time much worse. She closed her eyes and let out one last breath, "Survive." She then stopped breathing. Her age had taken her. Wolf stared at her, his expression blank, though tears ran down his cheeks.
He was now alone once again.
(To be continued)_
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_Chapter 2: Wolf
"Hm, hm doo," a humming in the distance in the woods. The twigs cracked loudly and the leaves rustled as the humming creature in the distance walked. It was coming in the direction of William and it came closer. William began to cry…
"Eh?" The bushes were set aside and an old woman's face popped into view, "What in the hells is this? A little...thing out here?" The old woman stared at William while he cried. "Dont you shutup?" She sighed, "Guess you have a reason. Being left out here in some bush! Now that isnt a place for a little thing like you. Come here. Oh, quit your crying, I know Im not your mama." She picked him up and carried him off in the direction she came.
The old woman had long grey hair and so many wrinkles, that you would think she was 200 years old. She wore brown rags and a necklace that had a single sharp tooth on it. She wore no shoes, yet she didnt mind stepping on the twigs and rocks. Though, she walked with a limp and sometimes had a hard time navigating though the thick bushes. She lived in a small cottage out in the middle of the woods, which was crudely made, though it looked as old as she did. Apparently she lived alone.
"Right right, here you are," She layed him on the cot where she slept, "Now, I dont know your name, if you have one. And I aint given you one, cause I cant name anything worth shite, let alone a..thing. Im going to let the gods tell me what to call you, yes, Im sure they can name you better than I. So, you better be a good thing and earn a name quickly!" William looked up at her confusedly, then giggled. "Dont you laugh at me! I aint the one livin in a bush!" She waved a finger at him.
The days went on and the old woman took care of William, though, she didnt seem to thrilled to do so. But, a certain bond was taking place as the days continued to come and go. She would tell him stories of the woods and scare him half to death by going "boo!" out of nowhere. She would laugh everytime she did this. Though, William would throw the soup she had given him right into her lap, as revenge for scaring him. She would laugh when he did this also and he would giggle and clap his chubby hands. "Now, you dont like to take any sort of shite from anyone eh? Thats good, cause if you do, youll just be something people can step all over," she would say to him.
William was now 3 years old and spoke some common, which the old woman had taught him. He seemed a fast learner and even had the courage to ask the old woman's name. "Ma, what you name?"
She stared at him blankly, "Now you are interested in my name eh? Well, once you get your name, Ill tell you mine."
William sucked his thumb, then responded, "When I get name?"
"When the gods give it to you."
"Why?"
"Because thats how your are gettin your name!"
"Why?"
"..." She slapped her forhead, "Boy, you just love to talk dont you? Well...shutup."
William just continued to suck his thumb, then noticing the cottage door was open, he crawled to it and pointed outside. "Doggy," He said.
"Doggy?"
"Yep! Five!" He held up seven fingers.
The old woman looked out the door and saw six wolves slowly making thier way toward the cottage. They were growling and bearing their teeth. Her eyes widened and she ran into the house and got her broom. "Git! You aint havin us for lunch!" She shoved the broom at one wolf and it just snapped it in half with its teeth. She put up her hands and just waited...
Meanwhile, William began to crawl towards them, without the old woman noticing before it was to late. "Boy!" She yelled in a whisper, but she dared not move forward to grab him, in fear it might startle the wolves and cause them to attack. William giggled and reached up his chubby hand and touched the snout of one of the wolves. The wolf tilted his head and sniffed William. Then it whimpered or made some such sound and the other wolves gathered and started to sniff him. "Nice Doggy!" William giggled some more and pet the wolf's snout. He stared into the wolf's eyes for a moment, silent... The wolf barked, then they all ran off into the woods. The old woman, stared, wide eyed, then shook her head.
"No idea what happened, accept I know your name now little thing." She walked over and picked him into her arms. "The gods have willed it, your name is Wolf. I know, I know, I dont like it either, but that is about as good sign as any. You looked like you were one of them for a second there."
"Woof!"
"Er...yes, Wolf."
"Wooof!"
"Boy, you are as stupid as a Wolf. It aint 'Woof' its 'Wolf.'''
"Woof!"
She sighed, "Youll get it someday..."
"My name Woof. What yours?"
She blinked, "Ah shite, I did promise I would tell you once you found your name. Fine, if you have to know...its Shila."
"Shiiiila!"
"Yeah yeah, go screamin my name too..." She carried him back into the cottage and shut the door...
William, his true name, was forgotten and never to be spoken again. The name given to him by his true parents. He would never know, his true name._
