Misty II

[53] Wait-III

The valley looks mesmerizing today.

After two months of hot summer, I finally felt the cold winds soothing my skin. The houses built of black bricks look radiant surrounded by the lush green sceneries of mountains.

The evening has just started. My sisters have returned from the temple. The full moon was just five days ago.

Mother always take their stays as an opportunity to bring us to the lush sceneries of northern grounds. She would ask the Aunts and their pups to join us.

Pups would play with the sisters. The grown ones like me would lay a little away to make the most of the break from fields work.

We worked hard this past year. Father taught us to understand the different tasks we must complete and take care of to keep the pack going. From keeping a check on farming to making clothes and furnitures. From cutting woods to planting more trees around the territory. From doing labour for the males who were building houses for their future mates.

The only tasks he wouldn't involve us with were patrolling around the borders and towards the high mountains.

Uncles are working around, marking the plots to assign them for the families around the pack. They also train us to fight and practice some tricks until we would shift and practice them ourselves.

I am lagging behind at it. Oskar does better and Anton loves fighting. I am practicing hard in the morning but I still need to do more. I want to understand the tricks and fights, be so good at them, enough to make my brothers look at me the way they look at each other. With respect.

For now, they pat my head like I am still a little pup. I am grateful, Lysar is the youngest now. He distracts them from treating me like an infant.

"Thinking of a mate!" Oskar punches my shoulder while lying beside me on the ground.

I sigh. "I don't want one."

He chuckles. "I doubt it. It looks as if you can't wait to find one." He hums. "I know. I know. This age is difficult. We are told to do all the uninteresting labour work. We are building our strengths, morals, getting taught at every step. Whoever looks at us, gives that smile that says, Ah! You feel it. We felt it too. It's that age. Of learning. Growing. I hate it."

I blink.

"I am not tired of working. I am not tired of getting orders. This is how it is going to be," I say. He hums in agreement. "Younger brothers are meant to follow the orders. Not even the same routine hurts me. It's the dullness that depresses. Whenever I get happy, I feel as if it is for some time. Soon, I would be sad again."

Oskar glances at me. "Your sisters are laughing. Your mother is seeing her family growing. She has her grand pups. There is no reason to be sad about, Karam. Salome says, if we keep going, Goddess will reward us. And I believe him. I never saw him complaining about anything. He never disrespected anyone. Never eyed any female."

A cloud is shaped like a female. I can make out the side look. The hair. The nose.

"It didn't impress Natasha's brothers." I mock him.

Oskar smiles. "They are thankful it is him. They are just bitter about the life they are given by the Goddess."

The female in the sky is getting away with the Eastern winds.

"Salome says, Natasha is more than what he expected. He never stops praising her," he says quietly. "Maybe, there is a difference between the wolves of our land and the wolves behind the border."