A Wolf's Spirit

Mutual Greetings

          The boy nodded. "I mean, I don't get visitors very often, since I scare them off!" He grinned and exposed his strong, sharp teeth. Kai paused as he pieced two and two together.

          "Wait, wait, wait... so... you're a—"

          "A... Wolfwalker!" he finished. "Who cares if I am? It's the best." He leaned his head back in euphoric thrill as though he was living in an unnatural, fantastical world. A world only he could cherish. "And besides. You should thank me," he added.

          Kai scrunched his face. "'Thank you?' Uh, why?"

          "I saved you, didn't I?" the raven questioned.

          "Ha! Saved me? You nearly tore my arm off!" he scowled, deepening his frown.

          "Yeah? Well, have you ever considered that you kept hurting my friend back there? They were painful attacks!" He stared Kai down and drew back his lips in the beginnings of a snarl. "If there's one thing you're gonna know about me, it's that I always stand against anyone who hurt those I care about."

          Raising his brows, Kai scanned the cavern. "Who? The blue wolf over there?" he asked. "I had every reason to! It was attacking me... I think?"

          The stranger let out a loud sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wow, okay. First off, 'it' is a she. Second, she was trying to get you out of that trap!" Kai was about to speak up, but he was quickly interrupted once again. "She also happens to be one reason I allowed you to come here, too! And anyway, you came into my forest!"

          "Your forest?" Kai snapped. "It belongs to us!" He noticed the boy stiffen with rage, but he didn't bother pausing. "Your wolves are attacking the woodcutters and the sheep!"

          "Well, they should be staying closer to the town!" he retorted. "And so should you... townie." He sent him a haughty smirk, standing tall with pride. Kai slouched and glowered at him, muttering inaudibly.

          He was suddenly pulled aside when the boy latched onto his shoulder, pulling him forward to take a long sniff of his odor.

          "Let me just take one last sniff—"

          "ARGH! STOP THAT, WILL YOU?!" Kai roared, the reverberations echoing off the cave walls. Some wolves winced and flattened their ears while others perked up in excitement at the loud noise.

          "Just relax! It's how wolves greet each other," he responded, tugging his cloak for close inspection.

          "I'm clearly not a wolf, though!" Kai shot back. "I'm a human, like you—"

          "Wolfwalker," he corrected. Kai rolled his eyes.

          "Whatever! Just get off of me—OW!" The boy yanked his hair and chewed on it, snapping a few twigs in the process.

          "That's enough! BACK OFF!" he snarled, rage threatening to spiral out of control. His flaring temper gradually ceased when the stranger backed away, raising his arms in defense.

          "Alright, alright! I'm done, see? You just smell like you've fallen in yak dung and rolled around a heap of leaves, as if you were hoping to rid yourself of the scent," he answered matter-of-factly. "Definitely the smell of a townie."

           "Would you stop calling me by that dumb name?" he demanded angrily. "I've got my own, you know—"

          "Don't really care," he said, brushing him off without sparing a thought. Kai, who was clearly offended, nearly began a second argument, but he wasn't given a chance to open his mouth before he was ushered the opposite way.