Crissa's Mate

Chapter Three

Crissa looked over at Mary who gave her a sisterly smile and a wink.

"And east of those farmlands, are some primitive villages. They back right up to the vast forestlands of Poland where these wolves once called home. The reason for this sudden migration, involving these species, will be one of the thrusts of our study . . . among other more specific inquires."

Crissa saw Mary and Josh look at one another quietly.

"We'll be staying for the most part in the small village of Erlichtof," the professor pronounced in authentic German, more formally. There we'll stow our equipment, make records of our findings, and from that village journey out on a few specific treks into the forests for our observations and sample collections."

To Crissa, this was all sounding more exciting, but at the same time surprisingly exposed and risky. For as she knew from living in Canada, encounters with Gray Wolves, if these variety were anything like them, could turn out immensely frightening—if not deadly. She knew they must be treated with extreme caution and respected for their hunting and pack-killing behavior. She was certain Josh and Mary, indeed the professor himself, knew there had been historic accounts of wolves killing people, and even devouring them when they had found their own natural food supply depleted. For it was this voracious and lethal reputation the Gray Wolf had which had kept both creature and man apart for many millennia.

In addition to the insecurities Crissa had about her age and maturity on this trip, she now also harbored the fear she might be pushed out of her comfort zone. And this by the sheer brashness of the professor, and the other members of the team, to get up-close-and personal with these creatures. Until now, Crissa had studied wolves only while in a library or on the Internet. She honestly did not know how the experience would be, as in her recent frightening dream, to be stared down by such a dangerous animal exceeding her own size and weight. And with the sobering distinction of running down its prey and ripping out its throat to neutralize it.

When they got to the hotel, Crissa was impressed by the luxuriousness of it. The professor had made it clear in route from the airport that the small team would utilize, besides his own, three rooms. These would be occupied by Mary and Josh in one, the two male students from Alaska in another, and the last room was to be occupied by herself and the girl, a sophomore from the University of Alaska. These other three students were met in the lobby of the Berliner Hof Hotel when they arrived.

The two males were named Bradly Abbot and David Romero—both looking to be football players. Brad had reddish blond hair and kind eyes, while David was Hispanic with long dark hair, and a more brooding look. Both of them took Crissa's hand upon meeting, but it was David's striking green eyes which caught her attention, though neither older student seemed more than casually interested in Crissa's rather juvenal looks.

The other female, soon to be Crissa's roommate, was named Julie Chu, an energetic Asian undergrad, with straight black hair, cropprd just below her ears, and a cute, expressive mouth. Her face could easily have been that of a model, though she seemed to have boyish manners and was overly talkative, compared to the other two Alaskan students.

Once the team of six had been formally introduced to each other by Professor Dekker in the loby, the plan was to get their rooms established and rest a while. Then, later, a dinner was scheduled in the hotel dining room for the group at 10:00 PM. As Crissa took her suitcase, and Julie helped her with her carry-on bag, they paired off and took the elevator to the fourth floor, where they would be rooming together for the next two nights.

"So, how old are you?" Julie bluntly asked Crissa, as they entered the room.

"I'm eighteen. I know . . . too young for all this."