Aleu’s Return

By: Wolf Cuz Luna

Ch: 1

“Aleu… Aleu… it is time to lead your pack again,” said a wolf’s voice. Aleu looked around but saw nobody. All she saw was the heard of caribou crossing a bridge. But she couldn’t make out what it was heading for. Suddenly, she looked down and saw that she was standing on a frozen lake. CRACK! She saw that her weight pushing down on the ice was making it break. CRACK! CRACK! SCREEETCH! The ice began spider webbing out into smaller cracks. Aleu turned and started running, but everywhere she put her paw, started another crack and another and they started spider webbing out. She started to panic.

Aleu awoke suddenly from the dream. Merlin awoke next to her, hearing her panting, he asked “What is it Aleu? Dang! Your shaking and panting like heck! What scared you so much?” “It was a dream. I was standing on ice, and it started to crack under me and… I panicked and woke up, sorry if I woke you,” she said. Merlin just shook his head and looked down at the pups between them. He nudged Crescent back into place so that she can be warmer. They lay back down to sleep, but Aleu couldn’t sleep, so she got up to go and get a drink, and gaze at the stars.

She always had a sense of calm, when she gazed at the stars. She started thinking until… “Mom?” Lightning awoke and trotted out to her. “What are you doing up?” she asked and looked at him. He was still tired but conscious. “I felt a draft next to me, were you usually slept and found you gone, so I came to look for you,” he replied. “Oh. Well I had a dream and it scared me to awake, so I came out here to gaze at the stars,” she told him. He nodded and looked at the sky. “I heard you panting and felt you shaking,” he said. “Sorry.”

Ch: 2

Aleu couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night so; she and Lightning watched the sun rise. “A new day,” he said. She smiled and nodded. “A new day with new beginnings,” she said. “Would you start teaching my sisters and I how to hunt?” It had been nearly 3 months since her pups were born and started roaming the territory, so she thought it wouldn’t hurt if she could teach them. She smiled at him and nodded, “We’ll start at noon, have your sisters ready.” Lightning nearly yelped with joy but caught himself before he could. The others were still sleeping.

Later that morning, Merlin awoke to find his family already awake, and decided to go and find Aleu. He found her near the creek watching the pups play. She felt a gentle kiss on the cheek and turned to find Merlin sitting there with a grin on his face. “Get back to sleep ok?” he asked. She shook her head. “ Couldn’t, so I watched the sunrise.” Merlin nodded and watched the pups with her. “Lightning asked me if we could start teaching them how to hunt. It would be easier if we could split up and find food for our selves,” she said. Merlin nodded and thought it over. “I agree, I think they’re old enough.

When it was noon, Aleu took the pups out into the forest with Merlin to start their hunting lessons. The pups kept quiet when their parents were listening for rabbits, moles, or some sort of ground bird. Suddenly Aleu stopped short, her ears pricked forward and listened. Their father did the same. “You hear that?” He nodded. The pups listened intently too and heard something. “Footsteps,” said Crimson. “They sound like big ones too,” said Sunset. Aleu listened closer, suddenly she recognized the sound. She looked around for water. She saw a pool of water and said, “It’s a bear, and head for the pool of water, once we go through it the bear will loose our scent. Then we will go on and find a rabbit.” They nodded and followed her into the water and waded across it and ran from the spot.

They later came to a spot where fresh rabbit tracks were found. Lightning, Crescent, and Sunset found them together. “Very good! I’m impressed! Lets see if you can track it to its hiding place,” said Merlin. With that the pups followed the tracks to a clearing and found the rabbit there. But it was with two other rabbits. “Perfect!” said Merlin. “Three rabbits for three pups. Now remember what we told you and you should be fine.” The pups crouched low, and waited for the rabbits to think it was safe. Once that happened, the three pups pounced and each went after a rabbit. Lightning caught his. Crimson chased hers and caught it after going in three circles, and Sunset already had hers cornered between two boulders and caught hers. They all returned to their parents with their successful hunt.

The day was beginning to close and the family walked for home. When they reached the cave, everyone was starting to turn in for the night, so Aleu, Merlin, and the tree pups did as well.

Ch: 3

“Aleu… Aleu… It is time to lead your pack again, my child.” It was the same voice from last night. Again Aleu dreamed that she was on the ice and had to leave or she would fall into the ice and drown. “Where am I to go?!” “Follow the caribou. The fox, a cunning trickster… the wolverine, your fears… the bear, inner sight… ARRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Aleu awoke again. It was the same dream that lead her to the pack. The caribou must be heading back to their original lands. We must follow them, she thought. She went outside and gazed at the early morning stars. She thought she saw Aniu looking down at her through the clouds, but the clouds were pushed away quickly by the wind. Aniu, guide me to where I am to go, she prayed. “Same dream?” came a voice from behind her. It was Crescent. “How did you know?” “I over heard you and dad talking the other night. Want to talk about it?” Aleu shook her head. “I think we will be moving, but to where? I don’t know. I just hope Aniu guides me to where we will be going. Don’t go spreading anything to the others you hear me?” “Yes mother.”

Aleu lay down to take a nap later that day and had a dream.

A white wolf stood before her, with golden amber eyes, with snow-white fur. “Aniu?” The wolf nodded. “Follow the caribou,” she said. And with a howl, the mists carried away her spirit.

Aleu awoke knowing what having to do.

She gathered the pack together. “I have had a dream sent from Ainu. We are to leave our new home and follow the caribou. I don’t know where, but we are to follow them again,” she informed the pack. “What was your dream?” asked Mirage. Aleu explained the last dreams that she had from Aniu. Part of the pack was puzzled over why Aniu wanted them to leave their new home; another part was ready whenever they would depart.

After the wolf meeting was dismissed, Aleu went to the top of a boulder and howled to Gemini, a wolf that knew the land and was full of wisdom. He said that he would meet her at the east border.

An hour later Aleu met with Gemini at the east border. “Greetings Gemini. I have news. I had dreams sent from Aniu, we are going to leave and follow the caribou,” she told Gemini. “Aniu has sent me dreams as well, we are to follow you to the new land. Your following the caribou, and we are going with you. As one big pack I suppose.” “Well, if I am going back to my native land, than I will show you around.” Gemini nodded. “Aniu has also showed me a sign of when we are to depart. It will be a full moon, but it will slowly ebb away and disappear for a few hours. During that time, we’ll have to follow the caribou.” Aleu nodded. “When is the next full moon?” “Tonight.”

Ch: 4

That night, Aleu got the pack together and had them prepare for the long trip. She gathered her pups and her mate. “Family, we have a long journey ahead of us. Are you up to it?” “Yes!” they all said.

The Gray Mountain and Red Forest packs met together and started their long journey to the lake. They walked a long way until they heard caribou hooves running toward them. The packs quickly split into two parts and waited until the caribou passed through the passage, then the two packs joined together again and ran behind them. When they came to the ice lake, Aleu stopped short. Afraid of what would come next.

“Boohoo. Poor little wolf, afraid of a little ice. That’s so sad.” A voice said. Aleu turned and saw two wolverines walking around her. “I am not afraid!” “Oh? Then why did you stop short?” “I had a dream of the ice cracking around me.” “Oh, so you had a dream, dreams are for cubs!” “Dreams aren’t always what you think they are,” snapped Aleu. “Sure… well if dreams aren’t for pups, than cross the ice, or if you are so afraid, just admit that you were wrong.” Aleu turned to the ice again, and noticed that it looked strong. She boldly stepped out onto it. Aniu protect me! she prayed when nothing happened, she stepped again onto the ice, and turned to the wolverines again but they vanished, as if they were never there.

When Aleu turned again, Gemini was in front of her looking at her strangely. “What?!” “Nothing, you just looked like you were in a trance. Just thought I would come and see if you were ok.” “In my dream, Aniu told me about three animals. The fox, the bear, and the wolverines.” “I know. I had the same one.”

Aleu stepped out timidly and placed her full weight on her paw, nothing happened. She did it again, nothing