"Sit down, Susan. I'll tell you a story."
"Grampa, I don't want to hear a story. I'm not tired. "
"Come on, sweetie. It's a story about a wolf."
"I like wolves....."
"Shh, let me tuck you in. Now, imagine a snowy mountaintop......"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It's a brilliant white. All around her, white snowflakes swirl in the wind. Usually the land is somewhat green and lush, but it is Reena's first winter and the blizzards have begun. Her mother pushes her back into the cave, but she's feeling adventurous and fights her way past the paws. She's the most curious three month old in the pack.

"Reena....Come back here!" She hears her mother yell. Reena refuses, and keeps running. It's a game to her, keep running until her mother catches her. She's gonig to win, Reena can feel it in her heart, the finish is just ahead! Then she'll turn around and her mother will pick her up by the scruff of her neck and take her home. But as she looks behind her to gloat to her strong, beautiful mother, Reena realizes she's alone.

"MAMA!" She calls out, but there's no answer. Then something warm surrounds her fragile body. Reena sniffs; the smell is almost familiar, but the sight isn't. A wolf on two legs, taller than her mama and papa together, is holding her. There's no fur on the long paws holding her, or the face of the short snouted wolf.

"Hush, 'lil girl. I got ya."

The tall wolf (She's begun to call him No-Fur to herself)drags her into his large wooden en a few minutes later. He had stored her inside his coat, where it was warm like her mama's belly, but she longed to smell her pack. This tall wolf smelled of ashes and skunk, and it scared her.

"Hush, hush. So, what's your name?" The tall wolf asks.

"Reena." The little pup whimpers. No-Fur is a strange wolf.

"Reena's a pretty name, little one." The tall wolf pats her on the head, gives her some chewy dried meat, and sets her gently next to a large ball of dull orange fur. No-Fur walks away smiling, and Reena sticks her paw out, to pat the fur. To her surprise, it moves, and under two large tufts of fur, yellowish eyes blink. Reena falls back in surprise, as the orange fur shakes what seems to be it's head. It's at least twice her size and smells like No-Fur.

".....Who are you?" Somewhere under the ball of fur, a mouth moves. The voice is gruff and distinctly male, like her father's, but it's young. Reena knows the creature can't be too much older than her.

"....R....Reena....."

"I'm Dakota. The old man shown you he can speak yet?"

".....What's a 'man'?"

Dakota blinks, but Reena can only tell becasue the bright yellow dissapears for a moment."....A man? Oh, let me guess. You think he's a hairless dog. No, you think he's a hairless wolf, don't you? He speaks dog. Or wolf, in your case. He's a....well, human culture is lost on you. You'll learn as we go. You're lucky I'm patient." Dakota raises himself off the floor, revealing he's not quite as furry as he let on. Most of the fluff drops toward his feet and belly, and Reena can tell he's not a wolf, but looks like one.

"C'mon, pup. Time to learn."

It's late afternoon when Dakota finsihes his stories. Reena discovers that No-Fur is actually a Inuit Indian, and learned wolf when he was lost in a cave his tribe had used. His people were what the people elsewhere called savages, and while they were not friendly or seen often, they were actually rather civilized. No-Fur was taken in by a human family soon after he'd learned wolf (He was only a year and four months when he was dscovered) and had been named John Anderson.

......Reena likes No-Fur better......

Dakota also explains that he is a mutt-dog, and he was part chow and part husky, and shows his black tongue as 'proof'. She doesn't exactly know what that means, but she also finds out he's six months old and was No-Fur's old dog's only surviving puppy. And then they eat dinner.

The food is incredible, and Reena gobbles it down. She knows it's red and wet and tastes like the rabbit her mother had caught the previous week. It's chewy and the size of her head, but she eats it much faster than Dakota. DAkota gives her a strange look and Reena bows her head, thinking she's done something shameful. No-Fur simply pats her on the head, though.

"Good wolf. Eating fast'll keep you alive."

Reena is confused. But she simply waits for the next peice of food.....There's always more food. She cocks her head and whines, but No-Fur laughs and walks away.

"You gotta work if you want more than that." He calls.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Grampa, are you gonna finish?"
"I thought you didn't want to hear a story."
"You can't leave it there! What happens next?"
"Oh, fine. Now, one year has passsed."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Life is good for her.The last year has held celebrations and food and even sadness, but she still has her friends. Dakota has grown to be a strong 'mutt', and No-Fur has joked about selling them both to miners. Reena knows that he is joking; No-Fur doesn't beleive in forcing wolves or dogs to do work that demeans them. He feeds her well, he feeds Dakota well, and as long as everyone obeys No-Fur, everyone is happy.

Reena is a trained hunter. She and Dakota have been helping catch food for No-Fur since Dakota had turned a summer old. Dakota explains to Reena that No-Fur is many summers old, but Reena forgets the fact. Age has no relevance to her anymore, just working for the food.

"This way, Dakota! There's a rabbit over here!" She yells, laughing and skidding in the snow. Dakota has made it obvious he really doesn't approve of her noise making, but she's still better than him at hunting. She's still tracking the scent when she realizes there's an undertone of blood to it. Then the blood is all she smells. And then Reena looks up into the face of the most horrible, nasty thing she could ever dream up. There in front of her is a huge bear, larger than even No-Fur. It smells of blood and bones and awful, terrible other things. A scent like what she imagines death and darkness smells like fills the air, and Reena staggers back.

"No. Get away, get away...." She screams, and staggers back, but can't find her feet. Where is No-Fur? Where is Dakota? The bear looms over her.

Its huge maw opens to reveal a disgusting, huge set of teeth. They open slowly, and speak two carefully enunciated words.

"Run. Away."

(NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP SOON.)