Blood for Wolves

chapter 4

I woke with a start. Panic wrenched in my chest from my strange surroundings, and for a moment I was six again, lost in the woods. Then the previous day’s events came rushing back. I relaxed slightly. Old memories lingered in my mind. I pushed them away. My watch read six o’clock, though I didn’t know how accurate that was for this place. The sun’s rays shone through the trees and early morning mist. My body was stiff but thankfully not too cold even though the fire must have died sometime during the night. Wolf laid a few feet away, half curled up and whimpering softly in his sleep. I was surprised I was awake before him. Probably due to his little late-night wolf powwow, whatever that was about. I thought he had no pack. I’d have to ask him about that. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to undo some of the tangles I’d developed during the night. My stomach gurgled, and I pulled my pack over to get out a power bar for breakfast. I assumed slave traders slept at night like everyone else here and if they were weighed down by a lot of people, we could have a good chance at catching them today.

I stood as quietly as I could, stretching my arms, legs, and back. I still wasn’t sure what to make of Wolf. I didn’t know if I could really trust him or not. He’d apologized and explained, and I wasn’t going to lie to myself—he looked good and smelled good too. But he’d been after Marianne for a reason. For her, whoever she was, and no matter what he promised, that thought lingered in my mind. He growled at some phantom dream image.

I snuck off to go to the bathroom, far out of his potential sight in case he woke up, and then came back, debating. I could leave him here and set out on my own. But he’d tracked me to the giants’ lair, so there was a good chance he’d just be able to find me again without a problem. I figured slavers probably needed a decent road to travel on at some point, but unless I got lucky and bumped into it, I needed Wolf to find them too. And what if I did find them? I had no idea what slave traders were like here, or how I would get Marianne away from them. Whatever the situation, I needed Wolf to survive. He’d seemed serious enough last night with his pledge. All he asked for was a chance. Fine. I’d give him one. Then we’d see how long it would take him to forget. I knelt beside him.

“Time to get up,” I said quietly, touching his arm. I didn’t want to be too rough in case he woke up snapping or something.

He rubbed his face into the leaves and grunted in protest. I frowned. It was still hard to believe he was half wolf, but after dealing with giants and everything else I didn’t have room to doubt him. Asleep he looked like just a man. A handsome one too—and I really wasn’t supposed to be thinking things like that.

“Hey,” I said a little louder this time. “Let’s get going now.”

Wolf snatched my hand and pulled hard. I shouted in surprise as he rolled me over, coming to rest on top of me. His smiling face looked down at me. He took in a deep breath.

“You smell lovely.”

“I need a shower.”

“And spoil all that natural goodness with water?” He pouted.

“Can you get off me please? We need to go look for Marianne. And yes, by the way, I would rather spoil whatever smell I have with water rather than be gross.”

He stood and hauled me to my feet. I was glad he’d had enough sense to sleep apart from me last night, but now I almost wished he hadn’t. The man was downright toasty.

“By the by Caroline, how’s your head?”

I touched the spot where the injury was and discovered that the leaf had fallen off during our brief tussle. A tiny scar was in place of the cut, and my head felt just fine.

“Wow. That stuff really worked.”

“Lavawort and gum leaf—a wolf’s cure-all. Mind you though, you may crave really red meat for a few days.”

I gave him a stiff nod. “Right.”

“Come.” He started through the trees. “Let’s go.”

“Why am I calling you Wolf, anyway?” I asked. “Don’t you have a name?”

We’d walked for most of the morning. My stomach was grumbling even though I’d fed it a candy bar barely an hour ago to add to my early morning breakfast of power bar. For once I was glad I over-packed snacks when I went to wolf-watch. I hadn’t known how long it would take for Isabeau to emerge with the pups or if she would show them to the pack that day, so I’d planned for an entire day’s worth of snacky food. Except now all I had left was a bag of goldfish and one more candy bar. I resolved to give the goldfish to Marianne when we found her.

“That is my name,” he said.

I ducked under a tree branch. “You can’t just be called Wolf. That’s what every wolf is called.”

“Exactly.”

I grinned and shook my head. “So you’re telling me that every half-wolf is called Wolf?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Doesn’t it get confusing?”

“Not when you don’t have anyone to confuse it.”

“Right.” I bobbed my head in understanding. “No pack, no humans.” I paused, unsure whether or not it was safe to bring up last night. “Then…what was with the pack last night?”

“They were passing by and thought it strange you were with me, so I told them about you.”

“I see.” That meant he could communicate with real wolves. That was actually pretty amazing. I nudged an acorn off the path with my foot. “Do you have any family?”

A sad look flashed over his face. “Gone.”

I wondered what happened to them, but it didn’t feel right to ask. Instead I touched him on the shoulder and said, “I’m sorry.”

He surprised me by kissing my fingers. “Thank you.”

We continued on, hopping over the occasional gully stream, skirting thick growths of thistle bushes. The forest seemed endless. After seeing Wolf’s map, I understood why Marianne claimed that the forest went on forever. Aside from the few farms and villages, the Kingdom of Red was nothing but forest. How long did she wander around in it? How long did she wander through the forest in Wyoming? I shook my head. The poor thing. Alone and scared in a dark forest. I’d been in that position before. And now she was stuck with slave traders. What where they like? I hoped they weren’t mean. I really didn’t want to go through three near-death experiences in two days. Or maybe just two. Wolf’s was still up for debate.

“What do we do when we find them?” I walked down a set of thick tree roots like stairs. “How do we get Marianne away from them?”

“Simple. We buy her.”

I scoffed. “With what? They gave those giants six cows for her.”

“How many of those fire sticks do you have?”

“You mean matches? Assuming you didn’t get overzealous and use a bunch, I’d say at least twenty.”

“Then give them six matches. Six nights of easy fire making is well worth a slave.”

“Really?” It didn’t seem like much to me, but then again, I’d never thought much about making fires either. “What are slaves used for around here anyway? Shouldn’t that sort of thing be outlawed?”

“Oh it is. But they still do it and try not to be seen. Slaves usually sell to witches who need young girls and boys to do their bidding.”

I stopped walking for a second. “You have witches here?”

“Of course.”

“They’re not all bad, are they?”

“No. Many of them keep to themselves.”

Suddenly the ground vibrated. I grabbed Wolf’s arm to stay upright. He used the moment to slip an arm around my waist. The tremor died away.

“What the hell was that?”

“Giant, probably,” he said, smiling down at my hand on his arm.

I stepped away from him, trying to figure out why my heart was beating so fast. “Giant?”

“Falling down. They do that from time to time. They’re quite clumsy.”

The sun arose slowly, its rays cut into wedges by the trees. I’d been so preoccupied before, I hadn’t noticed that it was springtime here, not fall. Little flowers with white teacup blossoms emerged from the carpet of dead leaves here and there. Occasionally a few birds flitted by, chirping to one another. I didn’t see any small animals like I usually did though. No chipmunks bouncing along branches lying on the forest floor. No squirrels rustling in the underbrush on the hunt for fallen nuts. No rabbits munching on the green shoots sprouting up. I suspected it had something to do with Wolf being nearby.

Wolf looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Last night you said you protect wolves. How?”

I shrugged. “I just tell people about them. I explain how without wolves, the deer and other animals would overpopulate and cause problems. That wolves aren’t the kind of threat everyone thinks they are and how they’re really quite afraid of people. I talk to a lot of kids too. I go to schools and tell them about wolves and how they should be protected. A lot of farmers get angry when a wolf kills a cow. They think the entire pack is going to eat their herd. Bunch of idiots.” I kicked a rock.

He stared at me, awestruck. “Does that work?”

“It’s taken time, but yes. Wolves were almost completely wiped out at one time where I come from. Killed by farmers and hunters and ranchers. People who thought wolves were dangerous and would kill all their livestock and attack people. But a few people realized the opposite was actually true and campaigned to have wolves protected and given the chance to come back. Our,” I paused, unsure if he would know the word government, “rulers made it illegal to kill wolves for a very long time. It worked. Now I just look after them and keep people aware of their importance.”

I shrugged again, like it wasn’t a big deal. But it was. At least to me. I loved wolves. I thought they were intelligent, powerful, beautiful creatures. Another reason it was so disconcerting to be in a world where wolves were so…different.

I realized Wolf was staring at me, an avid expression on his face.

“You are a champion for wolves.”

I laughed. “Yeah, well, I don’t know if I would say that. It certainly doesn’t pay very much.” Not like I cared what it paid.

“You would be revered among wolves here. Hated by humans, yes,” he added as an afterthought, “but still revered.”

I cleared my throat. I wasn’t used to this sort of praise. I changed the subject. “So how did you become a half-wolf?”

He looked at me as if to say, “Isn’t it obvious?” That very same look also said in a very devilish manner, “Would you like to find out?”

“Hah. Okay.” I tightened the straps on my pack. “But one of your parents. I mean, they couldn’t have been a full wolf, right? Or can full wolves take, um, human form?” I stumbled over the question, unable to believe that I’d even asked it.

“Oh yes. If he or she chooses, a full wolf can become human. Or at least, they look human. But both my parents were half-wolves.”

I did the science in my head. Made sense. “Could you have been born full human?”

“Oh that’s rare, very rare indeed. Just as rare would be full wolf.”

“I see.” At least basic biology still worked here.

We’d only gone a few more steps when Wolf froze. He held out a hand.

“Shh.” He cocked his head from one side to another, sniffing. “We’re close.”

“Close to what? The slave traders?”

“Yes. They’re in a town. Probably pretending to be something other than slavers, though I doubt anyone would care. Well, maybe someone might, but I doubt it.”

We hurried through the trees, hoping to get to the town in time to buy Marianne back. I wondered where her village was and if she’d be able to take us back to it. Maybe Wolf could pick up the scent, using Marianne as a start and then following the smell back to where she lived. I hoped she didn’t freak out when she saw Wolf. The thought gave me pause.

“Wolf, wait!”

He skidded to a stop. “What?”

“Am I okay? Will anyone think I’m strange dressed like this?” I gestured to my green t-shirt and khaki shorts.

“No. They’ll think you’re visiting from a neighboring kingdom. Everyone dresses different no matter where you go.”

I eyed him. “And where do you think I’m from?”

A sly grin appeared on his face. “Oh, I know you’re not from anywhere I know of. You smell too different. I like it.”

I shivered. He had that hungry look on his face again, and it wasn’t for food. I switched subjects. “Is it safe for you to go into a town? You know, with people?”

He scratched at his neck, confused. “Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because you’re, well…” I shrugged as if to say, “A wolf that everyone hates, remember?”

“Oh. Yes, well.” He took a deep breath and smoothed back his hair, standing up straighter. “I haven’t been to one in a while, but if I conduct myself with serenity and decorum, there won’t be any need to worry, will there?”

“And can you?”

“Of course I can,” he said, insulted.

“People can’t tell you’re a wolf?”

“Not unless I show them.”

“Show them?”

“Like the giants wanted you to prove you were a she-wolf.”

I wasn’t sure what all that meant. Wolf sensed my confusion and came up close to me, staring straight into my eyes. Suddenly his flashed from hazel to a glowing gold-red.

“Oh my God!” I yelped, putting my hands to my mouth. I hadn’t been seeing things. His eyes really did change color. The red disturbed me the most though. Wolves did not have red eyes. Ever. There was something very, very wrong about that.

“You all right, my sweet Caroline?” he asked innocently. He trailed a few fingers over my jaw line as if to make sure.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Yes.” I nibbled on my thumbnail. “I’ve just…never seen that before. Ever.”

He shrugged. “Perfectly normal for a wolf.”

Not where I’m from it’s not. I controlled myself. You’re not at home, things are different here, just go with it.

“So that’s it?” I asked.

“No, there are more things. That’s just one of the easiest.”

The teeth, I thought. I’d noticed his abnormally sharp canines pretty early on. I guessed if he didn’t go around grinning at anyone or they were too stupid to tell the difference…

“Marianne knew you were a wolf,” I said, taking a few steps away from him and then continuing forward toward the town Wolf claimed was ahead of us. “So I was just worried others might be able pick you out too.”

Wolf frowned. “She knew? I never showed her.”

I just shrugged again. “You must have done something, babe, because she knew.”

He didn’t look at all pleased with that information, falling deep into thought as we traveled.

Soon I was able to hear the sounds of a village. The hustle and bustle of a marketplace, people calling out the goodness and benefits of their wares, haggling prices, shouting at the occasional person that they’d touched it, now they had to buy it. Animals brayed, trinkets jingled, and in a few more minutes we emerged from the forest edge to a long line of buildings made of wood with thatched roofs. Many of the buildings had people in front of them with carts piled high with goods. Vendors shouted at passersby in the street, holding out necklaces, live birds with vibrant plumage, or foreign fruit or squash. Far down the street there were more houses, but I suspected those were living quarters, and down here was the business district.

Wolf nestled his chin on my shoulder and inhaled. I started, but didn’t shift away. Act normal, I told myself, though I wasn’t entirely sure what normal was.

“Markets always smell so good,” he said. “All the fresh meats just cut or still clucking or crying, so juicy and tender.”

“Get a hold of yourself before you start drooling on me.” I patted his cheek and he took that as a sign to slip his hands around my waist. My mind skipped back to our kiss in the cave and I had to stamp down the tiny thrill that tried to flutter around. Now was not the time for that sort of thing. And why was I even thinking that anyway?

“So where are the slave traders at?” I gazed around the market. No one seemed to be selling people—at least not outright anyway. If they didn’t want to be seen, they’d have to do it undercover. Was there some kind of code? “Come buy a fresh, young kid!” when kid actually meant a person and not a baby goat?

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Wolf whispered, his breath tickling my ear. Excitement gleamed in his eyes. He flipped open his jacket and plucked out a small leather bag. It jingled when he shook it. “I have plenty of money here to get you something nice.”

“I want to find Marianne,” I told him, my voice stern.

He rolled his head around and half-growled, but put the moneybag away. We slowly walked down the street, merchants calling out to us, waving around their wares. More than once I had to smack Wolf on the shoulder to get him to focus. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he looked rather pleased that I was touching him. We finally stopped at a large tent, striped in worn orange and yellow. A cart driven by a pair of oxen sat behind it. I spotted a single chain running along the planks in the cart. One man, tall and burly, stood at the entrance to the tent. He looked like he could be the genie inside the magic lamp with his elaborately decorated vest, piercings along his mouth, eyes, and ears, baggy pants with a bit of shine to them, and his arms folded over his chest. He was like a bouncer and a genie all rolled up into one. I turned to Wolf and pretended to adjust his coat.

“Is that them?” I asked quietly.

“It is indeed.”

“So how do we get in there?”

“Easy. We ask.”