Her eyes and ears caught every movement and sound. Her paws and nose caught every vibration in the ground and every scent in the air.  Cautiously the wolf moved toward the sheep hold.  Using her skills as a hunter, the wolf leaped over the fence and landed with out a sound.  Not a leaf stirred.  Neither did the sheep.  Using the advantage of the tree’s shade, she crept toward the nearest sheep in its blind spot.  Suddenly the wind changed and the wolf’s scent was carried toward the sheep.  Scenting the wolf, the sheep turned its head in the wolf’s direction.  The she-wolf was upon the animal instantly, trying to reach its jugular.  The sheep, panicking, kicked out with its hooves. The wolf gasped as the air was knocked from its lungs. As she let go of the sheep, the wolf swiped at its head, claws out.  The blow opened a gash in the sheep’s head and sent the animal reeling to its left where it fell in a heap.  Licking a bruise on her belly, the wolf growled irately. As the sheep tried to get up the gray wolf hit it with a head butt into the stomach that sent it flying. The sheep landed on a flat rock not far from where it originally stood.  Stunned, it watched helplessly as the wolf stalked forward, teeth blared. Faster then an eye could follow, the wolf ripped opened the sheep’s throat.  The stunned sheep gave a gurgling sound and died, its blood staining the rock, dirt and grass.  The wolf shook the body a couple a times before letting it drop.  Raising her bloody muzzle to the sky, she howled a hunter’s victory to the wilderness.  Then she began to feed.  She ripped through the soft under belly where the delicacies were.  Warm blood covered her once pure white muzzle, but it wasn’t her own.  The wrath came upon her as she ripped and tugged at the flesh.  After a half an hour, the she left the carcass to the crows. Cawing with delight, crows and ravens landed on either side of the lamb’s body and began to feed.  The wolf snorted and walked toward the wood.  She didn’t look back.  With a graceful leap, she jumped the fence and went into the woods. She went in the North direction until she found a trail she had made herself.  Weaving through the dense grass, she came to a tree with a hole at its roots.  Slowly she descended into the hole.  When she hit the bottom of the den, she sensed something that didn’t belong in it. She couldn’t see it or smell it. Soon she gave up and was about to lie down to sleep when pain hit her in her right leg.  The wolf howled with pain as steel jaws of a crippler trap closed in on her leg. Tears fell from his eyes as she bit, pawed and snarled at the trap.  Her once beautiful pure white fur on her right leg was now a bloody horror. Weakness began to pour over the wolf. The trap’s jaws didn’t close farther because a stone, by luck, got caught in its gears.  The wolf, now very weak, lay down on the leafy bedding in her den. Her eyes kept on closing, but fear of never being able to open them again kept her at bay.  As blood spilled from her body, so did her energy.  Her only two senses active senses: hearing and scent, told her who was coming towards her den.  Man!  Humans! Panic and fear of being attacked or cornered in her own den caused her to come to her senses.  She tried to let out a snarl, but she didn’t have the energy to do so.  The human got closer.  From her view point of the field, she could see him.  She tried two more attempts, but failed.  Gathering all her strength, she tried again.  This time a loud snarl erupted from her throats, so loud and angry that the human hesitated, wondering if it was safe to go into a den with an angry wolf that is in pain.  Then the human began to walk forwards again, he paused at the entrance and scanned the scene.  The she-wolf tried to lunge at the human, but the trap restrained her, drawing more blood, and inflicting more pain on the wolf.  The next thing she felt and heard confused her even more.  The human raised a rifle and fired.  The sounded like a dart leaving a tube at high speed.  The white wolf felt an object hit her in her neck fur.  With most of her strength gone, the wolf couldn’t resist. Her legs crumpled beneath her inflicting more damage on her already damaged leg. Darkness began to fill her vision.  The last thing she saw was the human sliding into her den.  She tried to growl, but everything went black.

            When the wolf awoke, she couldn’t feel her paw or her neck.  Both were numb.  The wolf looked around her surroundings.  A small plastic den with blankets inside looked cramped but comfortable. A dish that held fresh meat and water lay beside her.  Other then that most of her surroundings were made of cold steel.  She tried to get up but pain struck her like lighting bolts. She looked at her paw, and was surprised at what she saw.  Two long sticks were tightly bandaged around her broken paw.  White bandages, unlike the color of her fur, covered the horrifying wound on her leg.  Quite suddenly, her throat went dry.  She turned to her water dish and painfully dragged herself towards it.  She drank deeply when she reached it.  Then her sharp ears heard locks being unlatched. The hairs on the wolf’s head bristled. A human!  A middle aged man in a red vest approached the snarling wolf. Though she didn’t see it, the man’s eyes shown with pity and concern.  Another human joined him.  “Where did you find her, Scott?” he asked.  Scott, for it was his name answered. “In a den under a tree that she must’ve made by herself. She was in a terrible state.  Blood covered all of her right leg.  A little bone could be seen.  Why do people harass there beautiful creatures when God put them on Earth to enjoy?” “Well, they do kill farmers’ cattle. They’re worth money you know, the cattle that is.” answered the second man.  “James, I’m disappointed in you.” said Scott. “Yes, sheep cost a lot, but how much is life to you? Do you think hundred wolves should die for one sheep? Wolves kill to live!”  “And we sell the same animals that are being killed by the same animal you’re protecting!” interrupted James, pointing to the wolf.  “Sell to live too you know.”  “Of course I know, but tell me: is life important to you?” asked Scott, looking at James in the eye.  They held contact until James looked away. “Yes.” he answered coldly.  “And life is just as important to as to the wolf.  You might not like what I do, but I do it because I know its right.  I love animals, and you know that. I love to see them running free in the wild. Seeing one in pain pains me also. So do your job and I’ll do mine.” James glared at Scott but said nothing. He turned and walked out of the animal holding station.  Scott watched him go until he turned a corner and sighed.  Then he walked over to the cage that held the white wolf.  The wolf growled a warning and retreated slowly. Scott gripped the bars of the cage and looked into the wolf’s eyes.  That’s weird. He thought. Most wolves have yellow eyes.  But it seems that this one is different.  Her eyes are blue. Natural after birth, but they uasly turn a different color at teen age.   Then Scott noticed the wolf moving towards him. “Young wolf, lie down and don’t move that paw until it’s completely healed.” he said calmly. The wolf did lie down, but she didn’t stop growling.  “You, my beautiful wolf, after a few more weeks, will be free.” Scott promised.  He got up and walked away.  Many weeks passed, and the wolf’s leg slowly healed.  The wolf’s fur soon became pure white again.  The blood was now gone from her fur and nothing remained on her leg save two scars.

            One day Scott entered the animal hold with a group of men.  Unused to this number of visitors, the she-wolf retreated into the plastic den, snarling.  “Is this the one we’re releasing?” asked one of the men. “Yes.” said Scott.  The man who spoke raised a rifle and shot a dart at the wolf.  Again the wolf’s vision vanished into complete darkness.

When the wolf came to, she was in a cage covered with a shade.  The snarls coming from within the cage told the men that the wolf was awake.  “How far is it to the wolf’s den?” ask a man to Scott.  “This is close enough.” He answered. The men took off the cover, avoiding the snaps of the wolf’s jaws and opened the cage.  The wolf didn’t hesitate.  She ran out and into the grass with the grace of a wolf.  Scott watched her go, her white coat reflecting the light of the sun.  A hand landed on his shoulder. It was James. “I’d like to say I’m sorry for what I said a few weeks ago.”  Scott put a hand on James’s shoulder.  “My friend, friends are made to love and forgive one another.  Not to fight each other.  I forgave you long ago.”  James looked into the distance, watching the white wolf disappear from view.  “There goes a wolf that was once iron-pawed now runs free again.”  Scott smiled. “She is free. Free to leave and free to return.”

            Her eyes and ears caught