One Who Is Wolf

Autumn

Aleu opened her eyes, yawned, and rose to her feet and padded quietly to the edge of the field. She turned to look back at the pack of wolves scattered across the bare ground, and smiled. It seemed she was the first one up. Now maybe she could get some time to herself before assuming her new role.

She trekked almost silently through the new land, and came to a stop on a small hill to look at the sky. The sun had risen, and the sky shone with peach and gold that came down to stain her brown-gray fur. Aleu loosened a smooth black stone from the ground with her paw, and looked out on the new land stretching before her. Sparse patches of grass dotted the rough brown landscape, but further inland trees began to appear and the grass grew lush and fresh. Salt tinged the air, and the rolling rumble of the ocean calmed her senses and made her ready for the day.

She thought back to Nava, his old, wise face swimming into her head. He had bestowed upon her a great honor, and she hoped she could be as great a leader as he.

A rustle in the dry grass startled her, and Aleu turned to see a black blur racing away and disappearing into the trees. She glanced around uneasily, hoping there weren’t any more surprises, and decided to head back. As she swiftly padded along, she put it into the back of her mind to make peace with the packs that probably had territory around here. She would have to take a piece of land as hers and pronounce it her territory, and make sure it met the other packs’ approval. She sighed, then smiled a little as she teased herself inside her head. ‘This is your first day on new land and as a real pack leader. You don’t have to pile on the workload just yet!’ Her small smile bent into a small frown, though, when she saw some of the pack members huddled together in the middle of the field, whispering. What were they doing? She padded briskly up to them. “Morning! What are you all whispering about?”

“Aleu!” a red female wolf exclaimed, as the rest of the pack members backed away to leave her and Aleu standing alone in the center. She glared around at them all, while Aleu waited for a reply. “We…we were just wondering where you were.”

‘Sure,’ Aleu thought, but instead said, “Well, I’m here now. Is everyone awake?” Some of the late risers were straggling up to the edges of the crowd, but for the most part Aleu knew she had everyone’s attention.

“Shouldn’t we be getting ready to hunt?” a black and white wolf called out, “I’m so starved, I think my stomach’s starting to digest itself!”

“Not yet,” Aleu said, wondering how in the world a pack was supposed to prepare for a hunt, “Um, first we have a few things to discuss. Everybody…gather around me.” Nobody moved. Aleu could almost see question marks popping up over the heads of the wolves. “I’ll tell you why you’re doing this in a minute. Just do it.” Grudgingly, the wolves circled around her and waited for instructions.

Aleu assumed her position in the middle and gazed around at all twenty pairs of eyes looking at her. Her heart jittered once, but she took a quiet deep breath and began. “Before we start claiming territory and hunting, I’d first like to know you all. It wouldn’t be right for a pack leader not to know her own pack.” She jabbed a paw at the red female wolf. “What’s your name?”

“Reda.”

“Any pups?” Aleu persisted.

Reda smirked. “No. Nava never allowed it.”

Aleu turned to another wolf, a misty gray male veined with light brown. “You?”

“My name’s Quicksilver,” he said, “I was Nava’s beta wolf.”

Aleu stared at him blankly for a couple seconds before guessing that the beta wolf was a second-in-command to an alpha. She smiled pleasantly at him. “Oh. Maybe you can help me out a little sometimes, seeing you know more about leading a pack than I do?” She thought she heard smothered laughter, but when she looked around all she saw were solemn faces. Quicksilver bowed his head to her, and Aleu turned her head to face a light brown female with an imposing demeanor. “You?”

“I am Senna,” the wolf said in a rich, commanding tone, “And I am the alpha female, the one who should be leading this pack, not a mangy half-blood like you.”

“Senna!” a high female voice gasped, and the murmuring amongst the rest of the wolves began. Aleu was almost too shocked to say anything. She watched as Senna came out to the center of the circle, and the pack closed in around them like a noose being drawn tighter and tighter. Senna glared into Aleu’s eyes, but Aleu stood her ground.

“What I’ve seen so far is a disgrace. Why, you don’t have a clue what you’re doing, do you? Even the way you left us, unannounced, this morning showed your ignorance. It’s stated quite clearly in the Code of the Wolf that the pack leader must always let his or her pack know their position, lest they cause confusion or the hint of abandonment or betrayal.”

“I’ve never heard of this Code,” Aleu stated evenly, “Is it the laws of wolf nature or something?”

Senna smirked. “So you have never heard of the Code of the Wolf? As I figured. I would even go as far as suspect you have never heard of ANY laws such as these…but then, dogs do not have a code, for they follow the laws of humans.”

Aleu shot Senna an annoyed look and held her head high. “Look, I know you think I’ve stolen your power from you or something, but-”

“I am the rightful leader of this pack!” Senna screeched, “All you are is a scruffy intruder with no idea of what is honorable and what is shameful in the wolf world! You will bring this pack down!”

“I am the one who is wolf but does not know,” Aleu replied tightly, “Nava, your mate and leader, saw me in a vision. I’m meant to lead this pack!”

“Visions,” Senna laughed, “Only a sign of a wandering mind from old age. Nava has made this pack strong, but you will destroy this strength. While I- I know the Code, I have pure wolf blood running through my body. And there is not enough room here for two female leaders.”

“You know, you’re right,” Aleu said, “There isn’t enough room for both of us. But until you find a law in the Code that tells how to choose between two leaders, I’m the alpha. Now back down.”

Senna growled, but slowly backed away to slip in among the other wolves. The pack turned to Aleu. Aleu felt about ready to scream, but she knew they were depending on her. She had managed to stop the argument; now she needed to get away from it.

“Quicksilver, lead the hunt around the land,” she ordered, “If anyone threatens or questions you, have them come straight to me and demand their questions of me. You can only kill three caribou; we’ll get more when our territory is mapped out. Everyone who’s not part of the hunting party, come with me. We’ll meet with nearby packs to discuss boundaries.”

“Yes, Aleu,” Quicksilver responded a bit tentatively, and then he stopped as if waiting for Aleu to do something. She fidgeted as the silence weighed down on her, but out of the corner of her blue eye she saw Senna begin to lift her head. Of course! Before Senna could beat her to it, Aleu howled, setting the tone and bringing the pack together. The clear, high sound rose from her heart, and she closed her eyes to feel the notes vibrate in her chest as the others hesitantly joined in. The ringing howls announced to the inhabitants of this new land that the Ravens Wing pack was here to stay.

Aleu opened her eyes to see Quicksilver thundering off with ten or so of mixed male and female wolves. She felt an angry sting when she saw Senna was not among them. She hated dealing with the stubborn former alpha female.

The tiny crack of a twig sent Aleu spinning around to see a gray male wolf followed by three other, smaller wolves step noiselessly out of the dry grass.

“Peace,” the gray wolf said before Aleu could do anything, “I mean no harm. I am Gray Spirit, leader of the Dark Forest pack. Who should I be addressing as the leader of this clan?”

Aleu heard a firm, rich voice behind her. “I am-”

“I am Aleu, leader of the Ravens Wing pack,” Aleu blurted out, jarring Senna quiet, “We have come across the water to find more food…I did’t mean to trespass on your land. We just don’t have any territory of our own right now, and…” He wasn’t even listening. Gray Spirit had stopped in his tracks and stared at her before she had scarce said five words.

“You?” he said, looking her up and down, “Are you even all wolf?” He sniffed. “You don’t smell like it.”

“My breeding is not your concern,” Aleu said, mad now, “For your information, I’m half wolf and half husky. Now that that’s understood, I would like to know what you think about boundaries.”

“I wish to do this peacefully,” he said, a little surprised at Aleu’s abruptness and honesty, “The Dark Forest’s boundary ends there.” He pointed at a large boulder not three feet from them in the direction of the woods. “The ground we are standing on has never been claimed, so it is yours now. We will move our boundary