Bared

VI

    Then, after a few moments, I realized it was. It was a call for help, coming from the woods. I shot to my feet, and hurtled out the back door before Whitney or Kit could question me. I followed the howl in my mind, tracing its path towards its source. I almost got whacked by a few branches in my way, I was concentrating so hard.

    When I came to a clearing, the howl was as loud as a waterfall between my ears. Then, it cut off abruptly, as if something had startled it. I glanced around the clearing-a huge one with a lake in the middle-and saw the source of the howl.

    A huge black wolf, almost to my waist at the shoulder, stood at the end of a dock that hung over the lake. In the lake, I saw two other wolves, but their colors were distorted due to the rippling waves. But, somehow, I knew that these wolves were Quincey and Jon, and Ben had called me to help rescue them.

    I quickly summoned my rage, and I was in my wolf form before I could blink. I bounded towards the dock, and met Ben at the end of it. Then, I got dizzy. A sense of deja’ vu washed over me, but I fought it, trying to keep my mind on the task before me.

    Ben’s ears were laid against his skull, and his paws couldn’t stop twitching. His blue eyes were round, and as fearful as a rabbit caught by a fox. He was making whining noises, which I understood as pleas for help. I nodded, and looked out into the water, at the long, dark shapes that were my friends. My pack.

    Without thought or hesitation, I jumped from the dock. A good ten to fifteen feet. I landed with a splash in the water, and cold droplets licked my muzzle. I snorted, and the droplets flew off. My long legs pumped in a rhythmic motion, and I was tempted to pant, to breathe through my mouth, but some instinct inside me told not to.  

    In a couple of minutes, I reached the two dark shapes in the middle of the blue lake. Now that I was up close, I could see that one was gray with gray eyes, and the other was brown with brown eyes. With a bark to get their attention, I paddled behind them, and angled my body to try to herd them toward shore. As I gazed into the brown’s large eyes, I saw fear and panic take hold of him. The brown started thrashing in the water, almost taking the gray down with it under the waves.

    With a growl of frustration, I leaned in towards the brown, and sharply nipped his ear. The brown howled, and turned towards me. With some power, or force of will, or something, I somehow spoke into the brown’s mind.

    Listen! Swim towards shore. Ben will be there to get you out. I’m a friend. Now, swim!

    The brown, eager to listen to my booming voice, turned towards the south shore, where Ben was already waiting. I turned towards the gray, but he was already swimming frantically towards en route to the light peach sand. I, too, turned to go to the shore where my friends were, but something caught my eye. At the edge of the clearing, a woman stood inside the shade of the oaks, watching us. Even from this distance, I could see her red and black hair flowing down her back like a river. The woman nodded, then disappeared into the woods.

Shaking her image out of my mind, along with the feeling that I knew her, I swam towards shore. Two rumpled heaps of fur, one brown and one gray, lay upon the wet sand, panting heavily. Ben was laying beside the brown, licking behind his ears to warm the shivering wolf. I layed down next to the gray, pressing my side against his thick pelt.

As I began to lick the gray’s mane of big beads of water, the gray turned to look at me. His gray eyes were like pools, with the darker shades of gray near the edge and the light tones near the round pupil. His eyes were rimmed by a light gray, with the color darkening as it went down his muzzle and chest. The gray flicked his long tail onto my back; a gesture in the language of wolves meaning “thank-you”. I nodded, then began licking his mane again.