Wolves Are Dogs, Too

 
Prologue

 
The orange sky was littered with purple clouds, which drifted lazily across the horizon as the sun continued to sink ever lower. The Alaskan forest was bathed in a dim, orange glow. The ‘smell’ of rain was thick in the air, like smoke at a campfire. Birds sung cheerfully, for the moonlight rains were the first sign of the return of Spring. Before long, darkness enclosed the forest, replacing the warm, sunset hues and loud, cheerful birds with a disturbingly silent darkness.

The moon was full, but if its light managed to escape through the mass of clouds, it was lost in the tangle of pine needles and branches. The rain however, was a different story. Although the trees delayed its arrival, it was only by seconds. It was dark, gloomy and cold, but come morning, it would be completely different.

 
By a thick Spruce lay a cluster of boulders, and by the boulders lay a hole that gradually widened to a den, where a She-Wolf and her pups lay, huddled together for warmth. Normally the pups were curious, bold and adventurous, but the flashes and crashes of lightning and thunder kept them as far back in the den as possible.

 
“Don’t worry yourselves too much. The rain will be over soon, before you know it.” said the She-Wolf.

“But Ma,” started one of the pups. “We knows the rains is gonna stop, we’ve seen them before. What about the lights and the noises?” asked the smallest pup.

“The lights AND the noises will stop when the rain does, if not before. Hush now Nina, and go to sleep.” The mother said, and rested her own head in the dirt.

“Okay, ma. G’night Toji, g’night Opchi.” Nina said, and buried her face into her mother’s fur.

“Good night, Nina.” said Toji and Opchi in perfect sync.

 
That morning, Nina was the first to wake. As usual, she bounded right out of the den but this time gasped in amazement at what she saw. “Ma! Ma, Toji, Opchi! Come look outside! MA!” Nina called, and her brother Toji was the first to join her.

He too, was in awe. “This is awesome! Opchi, you gotta see this!” he exclaimed. Another pup trudged outside, yawned, and looked upwards and her eyes filled with delight. “It’s so... pretty... Ma, come look at this!”

 
Everything smelled fresh and crisp. The sounds of birds chirping had returned. Anywhere that used to have thick snow now had big, slushy puddles. Nina rolled in one of the puddles, feeling the fresh, refreshing coolness. She shook herself, sending the melty ice all over her brother. “Nina!” he complained.

Finally the She-Wolf crawled out of the den, stretched, yawned and made her way over to a puddle. She took deep gulps of the water and within seconds what had once been like a tiny lake was now just a speck of water swirling around in the mud.

“Hey, ma, ain’t it cool?!” Nina asked, her big, yellow eyes looking up at her mother.

Her mother smiled. “Yes, it is lovely. As scary as a night of rain is, it’s always worth it in the morning.”

Nina stared into the treetops as a small bird fluttered between branches, chirping merrily. It flew down and washed in a puddle, then hopped back to the branch and begun to sing.

 
“Ma, Toji wet me! He shook himself all over me!” Opchi complained.

“So? Nina wet me and you didn’t see me come crying to Ma!” Toji protested.

“Yeah, well you’re a dumb boy! Boys don’t care about being filthy and gross!”

“So shake yourself on Nina, what’s the big deal?!”

Opchi stuck her nose in the air and marched toward Nina and gave a quick shake.

“See? What was so hard about tha-” Toji was cut off as a blob of snow whirled into his face, one that was fired by Opchi.

Nina fell to the ground and burst out laughing.

“Alright, enough from you three. We have to go on a journey.” the She-Wolf said, and swished her tail at them all, a sign that it was serious business now.

“Ma, what’s a journey? Is it like an adventure?” asked Nina.

“You could say that.”

“Oh, boy! I love adventures! Let’s go!” she said enthusiastically, and took off through the forest.

“Nina, honey, it’s this way.” Her mother said, and Opchi laughed.

Nina took off equally as fast in the opposite direction.

About an hour later, the complaining started.

“Ma, my feet are sore, can we stop now?” asked Opchi.

“No, darling. It’s important we get there before nightfall.”

“Ma, this is boring. I thought you said it was an adventure. Adventures are fun. This is boring.” said Toji.

“Well we still have to do it, and complaining isn’t helping anybody. Why don’t you play with your sister. She seems to be having fun.” She was talking about Nina.

 
“Nina, the alpha wolf, hot on the trail of a massive caribou. Which way is it? You can’t tell. Only Nina, the best hunter in the pack – no, in Alaska, can track it, with her awesome nose. And then it happens, so fast that you didn’t even see it. RAWR!” Yes, she was talking to herself. Or rather, commentating about herself. Either way, in her mind she may have been hunting a great big caribou, but in reality it was a dead leaf that was blowing across the ground.

 
“Yeah, obviously you didn’t see the last time I tried playing pack hunt with Nina.” He rolled his eyes. “Are we nearly there?”

“There is only one way to check.” replied the She-Wolf.

She raised her muzzled, closed her eyes, and howled. To a human, that was all it was. But to wolves, and some dogs it was a message, a message and a question.

When the reply came,  the She-Wolf was puzzled. It was not an answer, but a warning. Why were they warning her? She-Wolves always brought pups to the pack at this time of year.

Then her worst fears came alive. A sound came, one that was feared over any other. A gunshot.

“Opchi, Toji, Nina, please leave. Head for the undergrowth, and do not look back, or stop running, until you cannot see!” the She-Wolf cried.

After hearing this, Toji sprinted into the bushes without a second glance. His mother always knew best. Nina however, was too confused to think sense.

Nina paused in shock. ‘What?’

Opchi was puzzled too, but quickly came to her senses. She made for the bushes but stopped, because her little sister was standing there, doing nothing of what her mother had told her. With all her strength, Opchi slammed her body weight into Nina, sending her into the shrubbery. Opchi sprinted into the bushes herself, but a metal trap clamped around her leg, and she fell to the ground in pain. There was a gunshot. Nina dared to look back, but she couldn’t see past the bushes. 

‘Do not look back, or stop running, until you cannot see!’

Another gunshot. Nina couldn’t see, so she decided it was safe for her to stop. But her brother! “TOJI!” she tried to yell, but her voice failed. All that came out was a mouse-like squeal.

 
She heard another gunshot, and knew that was the end. Not for her, but for everyone she every loved or cared about. Her mother? Yes. Her sister? Yes. Her brother? Yes. She had been warned of what terrible things such a noise can mean, and she had no doubt that that was the horror then.

And what was worse? They died for her.

(Opchi, Togo and Nina all (c) to VividLegacy 2008)