Eritopia

To Catch a Wolf

There were twelve in the hyena group now, crouching in the shadows of the Forest. It was the second morning after the Occasion. The three hyenas had returned to the forest fringe after their scouting. Fleg had then sent Tang to fetch the rest of the pack.

'Where are they now?' A grey-whiskered hyena was speaking.

'Well, Colonel, we picked up their scent in the Circle, and followed them out into the Forest. They twisted and moved left to right—'

'They were trying to avoid detection,' Tang interrupted.

'—but we kept up,' Fleg continued. 'Then they went underground.'

'Underground?'

'Yes, sir!' said Grap.

'And they didn't scent you?'

'I don't think so, sir. There were two of them as I said, the little man creature and the other one, the wolf.'

'He is the one we're after,' a gruff voice said.

It was a big hyena who spoke, a black-furred individual with a streak of grey across his head. He stood at least six inches at shoulder height above the biggest of the others.

'Thank you for that, Melos,' the Colonel said. Then, 'You've done well, Captain Fleg.'

'Thank you, Colonel.'

Fleg was suspicious of Melos. He wasn't an officer and had only arrived a week before. No-one knew exactly where he was from. He had authority but no rank, which was strange. Some say he had come from the Outside, that he was travelling through. Which wasn't unheard of—hyenas often travelled alone across large areas. But Melos had a particular interest in this wolf. Why?

'A wolf on the Inside.' The Colonel pawed at the ground in front of him. 'It is as predicted.'

'Who predicted?' asked Fleg.

'And what's a wolf doing on the Inside?' asked Asmel, Tang's mate and the other captain in the group.

'Never mind.' The Colonel looked at Melos, who stared back.

'There is danger ahead, if we are going to confront a wolf,' Melos growled. 'Are these few up to it?'

'We are up to it,' said Asmel.

Fleg wondered what was going on. Melos was giving orders, while the Colonel talked in riddles. Thought of confronting the wolf was making him nervous.

'I thought we were just going to follow them,' he said.

'And then what?' snarled Melos.

'I don't know, 'Fleg replied. 'Colonel?'

Eighteen pairs of eyes turned to the Colonel.

'We go to catch a wolf,' he said.

***

Not-Bear woke to the sound of the fire crackling and spitting. There were fresh logs on it, but he was alone in the room. The bowls from the meal were cleared away, and the light from the fire lit the walls around him. He raised himself and stretched, first forward and then backwards. Slowly extended his back legs. Then he yawned, opening his jaws wider and wider in sleepy exercise.

'I'm thankful you aren't my enemy,' Jod said, coming back in.

'Why?'

'With teeth like that.

'Not-Bear licked his lips and felt round his teeth with his tongue. Jod busied himself with the fire. The wagon was in the corner of the room and the remaining logs stacked by the fire.

'Haven't you got teeth then?' he asked.

'Of course, but they're different. Not as fearsome as yours.' He grinned, to show a small row of blunt incisors.

'What is fearsome?' Not-Bear asked, noting the difference.

'Frightening,' said Jod. 'Or imposing is a better word. Have you never noticed it yourself?

'Not-Bear remembered that the badger and his cronies had seemed scared of him. He recalled other instances on the Inside when creatures had been strangely respectful. Then he remembered others when they had not.

'A marsh beaver once challenged me to cut down a tree with my teeth. I tried for ages to make an impression in the trunk but my teeth kept getting stuck.

'Was she teasing you?'

'She laughed when I gave up. Then she chopped through half the trunk in no time at all.'

'It can't have been easy for you on the Inside.'

'I remember some things that were hurtful,' Not-Bear told him.

'It's difficult enough, growing up,' Jod said. 'Worse if it's somewhere you don't belong.' 

'Jod?'

'Yes?'

'What are the Outsiders like?'

'Outsiders?' Jod scratched his chin. 'There are all sorts out there. Tall men, prairie dogs, rabbits. Other creatures that steal all your possessions if you don't keep an eye on them.'

'Why would they do that?' asked Not-Bear.

'Wolf, you are naïve,' Jod replied.

'What's naïve?' asked Not-Bear, who still couldn't think of himself as this creature, Wolf. He was happy to have a name, but not so keen to use it.

'It means innocent. Not worldly-wise.'

'Then it's a good thing to be,' said Not-Bear, 'if being worldly-wise means taking other people's things.'

'Outsiders aren't wiser; they're more experienced. Worldly-wise is being able to avoid them.'

'Are there any nice things on the Outside?' Not-Bear asked.

'I'm sure there are,' Jod replied. 'Just not that many of them.'