“Where are the others? Has something happened?” Yates came out to meet Jade when she entered the camp it was almost morning but Jade had refused to stop and make camp until she was safely back.
“I came ahead of them.” Jade took the time while she unsaddled Chance and brushed her down to tell Yates everything that had happened. When the mare was taken care of Jade made her way to her tent. “I’m honestly not sure when they will be here. They’ll probably search through the supplies to see if there is anything worth keeping and it wouldn’t be past Reed to send a rider to town to get a message to Marcus.” Jade stopped outside of her tent and looked at Yates. “I did the right thing…”
Yates shrugged. “I wasn’t there Jade. I’ll admit the thought of a Dire wolf roaming these mountains does…unnerve me. If it really was a Dire Wolf, but even so, you made your decision. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
Jade nodded. “Good night Yates.”
“Good night.”
Jade slept poorly, she tossed and turned until the early afternoon. Her dreams were filled with the Dire Wolf’s blue eyes and the haunting smell of her home burning to the ground. When she finally emerged from her tent she found the camp to be empty, so she fetched water from the river and took care of the mules and Chance. When they were content Jade warmed up some cold soup that Yates had made.
When Yates finally came down from his post earlier that evening he informed Jade that he caught a glimpse of the men returning. “They’ll probably be here in a few hours,” he said. When they finally arrive in the darkness everyone looked tired and wore out. Everyone dismounted and started loosening the girths on their saddles, everyone but Reed. He walked straight over to Jade and grabbed her by the collar of her tunic. Jade stared him down and made no move to remove his hand, though she easily could have. He looked ready to hit Jade, something she would have accepted. She had gone against years of training to obey her instincts. Disobedience towards a higher ranking officer was death in battle.
“The next time you disobey me you’ll find yourself starving in the alley where I found you. I saved your ass, and you owe me for that. Next time don’t forget that.” He pushed Jade back and let go. He walked away to his tent, fist clenched. Jade watched him go then went and tended to his horse. The others looked at Jade but didn’t say a word, and she had nothing to say to them. When the horses were fed and taken care of everyone sat around the large fire and ate leftover stew. There was barely a word spoken between them. When Reed emerged a little later carrying a sealed envelope, he walked straight to Jade and handed it to her. “I want you to deliver this message into town immediately. Marcus will want to be informed of the situation.”
Jade stood up and took the envelope. “Get us a good bottle of wine too, I need a drink,” Garth called after her and the other men chuckled. Jade packed quickly and left the camp silently, leading Chance behind her, the reigns were loose in her hand. The night was dark and cold, but Jade felt almost nothing as they slowly made their way down the mountain, the surroundings matched the thoughts within her mind; cold, dark, and silent. Jade walked Chance down the mountain, and when they finally reached the valley Jade mounted. But when she did Chance danced underneath her nervously and pawed at the ground. Jade placed a hand on the mares’ neck to settle her and looked around the forest.
What’s out there?
Jade thought she caught a glimpse of something moving among the trees, but when she looked, there was nothing. After a few minutes Chance was quiet and Jade decided to move on, whatever it was it was gone. For a moment Jade thought of the dire wolf, but dismissed it. The wolf would probably avoid any human contact for a long time, it was in a wolfs nature to avoid something it knew could harm it. The trip was slow and lonely, when they emerged from the valley and into the open air large snowflakes were falling from the sky.
Jade titled her head back and stared at the snow that fell from the sky. Everything was silent and peaceful. Jade watched the snowfall for a long time; it collected on her shoulders and melted on her face. Chance shifted her weight underneath her, but Jade didn’t move. There was odd peace to be had, watching the snowfall, and when Jade finally urged Chance onward, she felt a little better.
The morning light came lazily, and when Jade made it into town, it seemed the town was late to waking up as well. Despite having little sleep Jade found that she was functioning surprisingly normal. She delivered the message as Reed asked, and she stopped at the tavern to get Garth his bottle of wine. She threw Chances reigns around one of the posts and walked inside.
The room was warm and smelled of fresh sawdust. Jade tapped her hand on the counter a couple of times and turned her back on the bar to look at the room. There were a few men passed out at tables and next to the fire. A man appeared from the back room, he was in the process of tying a dirty apron around his waist.
“Good morning sir,” Jade greeted him and pulled the letter from Marcus out of her pocket.
“Good morning ma’am.”
“I’d like four bottles of your best wine, and glass of dark ale.” Jade handed the man the letter and waited as he read it. He handed it back to Jade and poured her a glass of ale and then disappeared to fetch the bottles of wine. While Jade sipped at the dark foamy drink the rest of the room slowly began to stir out of their stupor. A few of them made their way upstairs where they had rooms and some of the others made their way out of the door and back to their homes. All but one stayed behind.
Jade sipped her drink and watched the man with silent eyes. He knocked his empty mug off his table when he stirred and rubbed his head with both his hands. When he finally managed to stand up he stumbled at first and made his way towards the bar, picking up his empty and dirty glass from the floor on his way. Jade stepped to the side just as the man tripped forward and caught himself on the bar where Jade had just been standing. Jade took in the detail of the man and was shocked to see the royal colors on his tunic. The man was a soldier…or used to be.
“Another round!”
“He isn’t here to take your order at the moment,” Jade told him. He turned and took a moment to focus his eyes on her. “Besides, I think you’ve had enough.”
He spat at the ground. “I’ve had enough when I said I’ve had enough. And I haven’t had enough!” He shouted and Jade tilted her head to avoid her ears from ringing.
The bartender came back with Jade’s bottles of wine and looked at the man with worry. Jade decided to take the matter into her own hands. “You’ve had enough.”
The man threw a slow punch towards Jade, and she easily stepped aside while he crashed to the floor and struggled to get to his feet. Jade looked at the owner, “I’ll take care of this, would you mind holding onto those bottles for a few minutes?” The man shook his head looking grateful and Jade stepped forward and picked the man off the floor by the back of his shirt and pushed him out the front door.
He fell face first into the snow and started yelling obscenities as he rolled around and got to his feet. Jade met him just as he gained his footing and pulled one of his arms behind his back and pushed him towards the watering trough. It was frozen over but Jade kicked a hole in the thin ice with her free foot.
“I swear if you-” The man never finished his sentence. Jade shoved his head into the ice water for a few seconds then let him up for air. She kept her grip on the man’s wrist so he wouldn’t resist her too heavily and then dunked his head under again. She did this three more times, and then she finally released him and took a few quick steps back before he could get a chance to strike.
But after Jade released him the man seemed deflated and his temper from before had disappeared. He lowered himself into the snow and sat down, his wet hair was dripping onto his clothes, but he didn’t seem to notice. He looked more alert, but his eyes were still red and puffy.
Jade approached cautiously. “Now sir, if you’d let me, I’d like to buy you a cup of tea and a hot breakfast.”
He looked up at Jade, taking in her appearance, clothes, and weapons. To Jade’s surprise he nodded his head and accepted the offer. She took another step closer and gave the man her hand and got him to his feet. When they returned to the tavern the bottles of wine were still sitting on top of the counter and the bar keeper was cleaning up from the night before. When he saw Jade entering with the drunk man his face looked a little concerned.
“We’ll take two orders of breakfast please sir.” Jade grabbed the table closest to the fire so the man would dry and warm up. Over the course of the morning, with a good meal and a hot fire, the man sobered and told Jade what had brought him to this moment. He was a long standing soldier who had served in the royal army his entire life. His unit had been placed in an outpost located not far away. He had been second in command for a long time and when the old commander finally retired, he had expected to be promoted. But instead they had sent a younger man to take over; he had been enraged and stormed off, which is when Jade found him the drunk that next morning.
“You’re a fool,” Jade said to the man when he finished his story. His face flushed and he opened his mouth but Jade spoke before he managed to get a word out. “The way I see it, you’re in a more useful position as second in command. The men of your unit know you and trust you, but they don’t know this new guy coming to command them. You have a great opportunity to support the new commander by showing the men that you support him. You will have a greater leader on your hands if you show him your support and the men will have a greater respect for you as well. I’m sorry you didn’t get promoted, but the pay isn’t much different between the rank you have now and a promotion. You have the easier job and are getting paid almost as much. And if you simply abandoned your unit not only will the unit have problems, you’ll be persecuted.”
The man quieted down and looked at Jade. “What’s your name girl?”
She smiled and offered her hand. “My name is Jade.”
“Charlie.”
“Nice to meet you Charlie.” They shook hands and he smiled at her.
“You’re a smart girl for someone so young. Where does such wisdom come from?”
Jades smile faltered for a moment. “Life.”
“And your training?” He motioned to the sword, “You threw me down and push me around like I was a rag doll. Where did someone like you learn all that?”
“My uncle taught me.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was still true.
“He a soldier?”
“Something like that,” she nodded. “So what are you going to do Charlie?”
He looked Jade in the eye. “I reckon I’m going to be the leader I’ve always been.”
“I think that’s a good decision.”
They talked for another hour. Mostly Charlie told stories from his past experiences being a soldier and Jade listened and laughed happily forgetting her own life and troubles, even if just for a moment. When the time came Charlie shook Jades’ hand once more outside of the tavern. “I hope I meet you again someday Jade. You were a godsend.”
“Same to you Charlie, thank you for the company.” Jade pulled herself onto Chance and Charlie mounted his own shaggy brown horse. They waved a parted company, both headed in opposite directions. Jade made her way back, being careful to make sure she wasn’t followed. It felt oddly comforting making her way back into the mountains towards the camp. Somehow, even after such a short time, the place had become home.
When she finally made it back to camp she was tired and sore. She had barely slept since the fight and it seemed that so much had happened since then. The men came out and greeted her when she entered the camp. When she dismounted her knees nearly gave out beneath her, it seemed her exhaustion came all at once. “Whoa there, are you alright?” Garth was the first to reach her and he grabbed hold of her arm as she found her footing.
“I’m fine, just tired.” She opened her saddle bag and handed him the two bottles of wine she had bought.
“Ah, you’re a good lass.” He smiled at her.
“Was the message delivered?” Reed came over to her; there was still an attitude in his voice.
“No, I burnt the letter and had a drink instead.” Garth laughed and even James who was standing behind Reed snorted and started coughing to cover it up. Reed nodded his head and said nothing then walked away. They watched Reed walk away then James went up and grabbed Chances reigns.
“Why don’t you go wash up, I’ll take care of Chance.” Jade looked at James who was smiling kindly at her.
“Don’t get the idea that this means I owe you any favors,” she warned.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He winked and took Chance away. Garth went over to the fire with the wine and sat down. Jade decided she would bathe and then get some sleep before Reed decided she was needed for something other errand. She took clean clothes with her in a small cloth sack and told the men she was off to the river. They acknowledged the fact that what she was really threatening them if they tried to come watch her. She took a hunting knife with her just in case and left her other weapons behind in her tent.
The steam rolled off the hot spring when Jade arrived and she stripped off her dirty clothes and jumped in. The air was frigid but the water was deliciously hot. Jade washed her old clothes in the hot water and laid them on the rocky shore to dry and took her time swimming and bathing. It soothed her muscles and body to be in the hot water and do nothing but listen to her surroundings and soak. She looked at her hands. I’ve taken lives, my whole life I trained to spill men’s blood and I’ve finally done it. Jade made her way to the bank and stepped out of the water. She pulled the long cotton tunic over her head, it fell just past her hips and when she reached for her pants something happened that she was not expecting.
She collapsed and pain shot through her body. No, not this, please not this. She coughed and gagged as blood splattered the rocks underneath her hunched body. She convulsed and she cried out from the sudden pain that attacked her body. Breathe. It had been so long, she had almost forgotten what sickness her body hid inside. Her intestines twisted and daggers drove themselves into her stomach and she vomited and more blood pushed its way up her throat. Breathe Jade, just breathe. She didn’t remember having an attack this bad; they normally passed quickly without a trace. Jade curled in on herself as her body ripped itself apart from the inside. Breathe. She lay shuddering on the rocks as the fit slowly died.
It was then Jades senses alerted her to the fact that she was no longer alone. She pushed herself to her knees and froze. Blue eyes pierced her soul a little way down the bank. The Dire wolfs large dark paws gently and slowly made their way across the smooth rocks towards Jade. She grabbed the hunting knife that was among her things and held it out in front of her she half crawled and half stepped to the side, putting the water to her back so she couldn’t be attacked from behind. Jade’s hands visibly shook; she was in no condition to fight. She was exhausted and weak, and exposed.
The dark wolf kept its head low to the ground as it kept its eyes on Jade. She dared not look away or break the gaze. The wolf approached Jades belongings and when it reached the pool of blood and vomit it sniffed the ground and looked at Jade again, as if it understood that it had come from her. It smells my weakness, my sickness. It knows it can kill me. Wolves always knew how to hunt the weakest of a deer pack; they always knew which the easier target was. Jade had spent her life around Great Wolves, but she had never dreamed she would be face to face with a Dire Wolf. They were born out of legend and myth, and now she was going to die by one.
No, you will not die. The moment you believe you can’t win in the moment you lose. Jade took a step back into the water and the wolf growled. She stopped and the wolf slowly took a step forward at her. It stopped only feet away from Jade. Something inside of Jade moved, as if her heart was being tugged. She dropped to both of her knees and lowered the knife. The Dire Wolf took another small hesitant step towards Jade. Neither of them broke eye contact, and Jade barely breathed. The wolf kept his ears forward and its tail lay normal, not bushed or threatened, but calm and unsure. The wolf was not threatening Jade. She let go of the knife entirely and slowly lifted her hand into the air, where it remained suspended in front of the wolf. The wolf stretched out its neck and dropped its ears slightly and sniffed Jades fingertips. Then it ignored her hand and took another step forward entirely, until its face was directly in front of Jades. Its breath brushed Jades face from its nose at it sniffed the drying blood on her lips and chin.
It was in that moment that something impossible happened. It licked the blood from Jade’s face and it backed up a step and whined. Jade shook out of cold and fear and adrenaline. For something within her heart was trying to wrench itself from her chest. She let whatever it was go and flow through her body and she reached out and touched the wolf behind its ear and stroked down its neck. When she touched the animal, made connection with it, emotions flooded her mind. She pulled her arm back and the creature whined from deep in its throat. Hunger, fear, hope. She felt them when she touched the beast.
“Jade!” Someone shouted from the river’s edge and she jerked to see Yates and James bursting out of the trees. Yates had a short spear in his hand and held it up to attack the wolf. The wolf dropped its ears and body to the ground and let off a vicious growl and back away with fear, its wild blue eyes suddenly alert and reckless.
“No! Stop!” She scrambled to her feet and stood between the wolf and the men. James and Yates stopped in their tracks, James held his sword and Yates still held the spear up, ready to throw. The wolfs fur was bristled and he showed his teeth, but he didn’t run, and Jade realized in that moment that the wolf would never run again so long as Jade was here. The impossible happened, Jade realized, she had bonded with a wolf. Jade had bonded with a wolf. She smiled at James and Yates, feeling as though she was ready to cry.
“It’s fine,” she said, realizing it was true. “It’s fine.” A couple of tears flowed down her cheeks. “It’s fine.”
Yates slowly lowered the spear and James stared a Jade with confusion. Yates took a step forward and the Dire Wolf let out another warning growl, snapping its teeth at the air. “So I my suspicions were actually right.” Yates looked at Jade. “I suspected you were a Felkorian in the beginning, but it seemed so nearly impossible that I dismissed it. But it seems my instincts were correct after all.”
James eyes widened and he looked to Yates then back to Jade. “It is true?” He asked.
Jade dropped to her knees and placed a hand of the wolf. “Quiet now,” she said to him. “They will not hurt you.” The wolf relaxed and leaned into Jade and she looked at James. “It’s true. I am from Felkor, but I am not one of them anymore. I left, and in doing so I gave up every right and honor to be associated to them. I am simply Jade now.”
“You’re a Protector, and he is your Guardian.” Yates pointed to the wolf, “That animal right there proves it.”
Jade shook her head, “I am a girl with a wolf.”
“Shit.” James shook his head, “This can’t be real. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Why didn’t you say something?”
Jade stood up and faced James and Yates with anger. “Hear what I am saying because I do not wish to repeat it a thousand times. I have been exiled by my people and my past. I am no longer a Felkorian. I am not a Protector.”
“A fucking Dire Wolf is standing by your side Jade!” James shouted at her.
“It doesn’t make a difference!” The wolf growled and she placed a hand on his fur again to settle him. Everything was happening so quickly.
She shouted back and Yates placed a hand on James shoulder. “Calm down James.”
“You’re telling me to calm down?” He looked incredulously at Yates. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing? A Dire Wolf is standing next to Jade as if it were a trained dog and Jade is standing there as if it’s a normal occurrence and you’re telling me to calm down?”
Yates smacked him in the face and grabbed him by the collar. “We’re going back to camp Jade. Come when you’re ready.” James cussed as Yates dragged him into the woods and eventually his voiced faded away. Jade dropped to her knees and cried. She shook and sobbed and the wolf laid down next to her calmly.
Father, she whispered in her mind. Father. Mother. Nemroy. Someone…anyone, I wish you were here to help me. What do I do now? Jade had given up everything, she had given up hope and here now that everything was lost and accepted as lost, a wolf had come to her. A Dire Wolf, had come to her.
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything. You aren’t a Great Wolf, why are you here?” The wolf knew she was talking to him and he lifted his head and looked Jade in the eyes, its ears perked forward. “Why are you here?” She repeated. Desperation washed over her like a splash of water. “I’m not trained for this. What am I supposed to do?” Jade stood up, panicking. “I’m not trained for this. I’m not trained for this!”
She looked at the wolf and the wolf stared back calmly despite her panic. “I don’t know what to do.” She told him. “I was never trained for this. This was never supposed to happen!” She yelled at the wolf, “I left because this life was never meant to be mine.” The wolf tilted its ears back and stood up, sensing the sudden desperation that was overtaking Jade.
Her training had capped when she never bonded to a wolf. Becoming a Protector meant so much more than being a great swordsmen or marksmen, it meant years of training with a wolf at your back. It meant years of learning how to work as a team, and teaching your wolf commands and obedience. Felkorian’s were revered because a man and wolf worked differently as a team then two humans; they were capable of so much more. Jade was trained for years with sword and bow and on her horsemanship, but she never had a wolf. She didn’t even know the first step in training with a wolf. For the first time in her life she was unprepared, and there was no one to help her. She couldn’t return to Felkor to train, not even with a wolf.
“You’re not even a Great Wolf. This doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense.”
The wolf approached Jade and pushed his nose against her hand tentatively. She retracted out of instinct and then lowered her hand again slowly to stroke his fur. The wolf sniffed the air lightly and whined. Jade slowly dropped to her knees and the wolf sat down before her. She kept a hand on his neck and took a slow breath. She looked into the blue eyes of the beast that had come to her. They were bright and beautiful, and far different than the other wolves she had ever seen. “Why me?” She asked as if he would respond. “Why did you come to me?” She looked at the pool of blood and vomit. “You saw my weakness…yet you still came to me?” Jade shivered violently and looked down and remembered that she wore nothing but a long cotton tunic over her bare skin. She looked into the woods and knew the men would all be waiting for her. She wished she could run, run and disappear and never return. How would she explain this? They knew where she came from now, she couldn’t hide that anymore. Anyone who saw her with her wolf would assume she was a Protector, but she wasn’t. She had no right to that name or title.
Jade pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes. One thing at a time. She got dressed and cupped water into her hands and washed the blood and vomit away as best as she could. She stuffed her wet clothes into the sack and looked at the wolf who was still sitting by the water, patiently waiting. “Well if you’re going to come you best keep up,” she said motioning her hand. The wolf stood and loped forward to walk along side Jade. The walk back to the camp was an odd one. While Jade had spent her entire life living with wolves and was accustomed to their presence, she had never had one by her side. She was more used to the Great Wolves staring unnervingly into her eyes and then promptly ignoring her. She remembered back, deep into her memories when her father’s wolf had been close to her as a child. She remembered vaguely what it felt like to have a Guardian, to have something that would give its life to save your own. Jade looked down at the dark beast silently walking beside her, this isn’t what she remembered.
As a child her father’s Guardian had slept by her side. She remembered feeling warmth and safety and companionship. Now with a wolf at her own side, she felt nothing short of confused. Jade realized that she was no responsible for so much far than her own life. She had to think of the wolf too, no longer was she as free as she hoped. “I’ve waited my whole life for you, and now that you’re here you’ve made everything worse.” The wolf looked at her but Jade said nothing more and when they finally approached the camp the wolf stopped and sniffed the air hesitantly. Jade stood and watched him test the air. “If you plan on coming with me you’re going to have to get used to it,” she told the wolf. “Otherwise you might want to reconsider.”
But after a moment the wolf caught up with Jade, though he kept his head lower to the ground and his tail was close to his body. Wolves were like humans in a way, they each had their own personalities and quirks. Jade knew nothing about this wolf or how he would react to other humans. The wolf was older than a Great Wolf would for a pairing and completely untrained. When a Guardian bonded with a human Jade knew they spent time alone in the woods to simply grow accustomed to each other’s company. Jade didn’t have that luxury here.
The men were all standing around the fire talking anxiously, waiting for Jade to arrive. When they finally caught sight of her everyone fell silent and stared at the wolf and at Jade. The wolf stepped back and remained behind Jade, as though she would be the protective barrier from the other humans. Jades mouth was dry, and she hardly felt the cold around her. The fire popped and the horses nickered but no one moved or said a word for a long time.
I don’t know what to say to them. How do I explain what I don’t myself understand?
Yates was the first to step forward, Reed opened his mouth as if it say something, but closed it almost immediately and watched him go. “May I approach?” he asked.
“You can try. I…I honestly don’t know how he’ll react,” she looked at the wolf hiding behind her like a frightened puppy. He’s still young. She had to remind herself, he’s only known humans to be cruel. Yates dropped to one knee a few feet away and pulled off one of his gloves. He left his exposed hand outstretched in the cold air but the wolf didn’t move. His ears were pressed against his head and his head was dropped low to the ground. He watched Yates cautiously, but made no move to approach. Then Jade noticed Garth approach, he dropped to one knee next to Yates and also held out his exposed hand. The wolf flicked one ear forward, but didn’t move. Then James surprised Jade and also came forward and dropped down next to Garth, then Reed followed until each of the men were kneeling with hands outstretched and exposed.
Jade kneeled before the men and placed a hand on the back of the wolf’s neck. The wolf looked at Jade, both ears pricked forward attentively. “These men are showing you respect you know,” she spoke to him, not expecting him to understand, but hoping he would catch her calming and reassuring voice. “It would be rude not to return the favor.” She stroked her hand down the length of his back and pointed her hand to the men before them. The wolf looked at Yates, Garth, James, and Reed then dropped one of his ears against his head and took a small step forward. His neck was outstretched as far as it would go and he took as few steps forward as possible. He lightly sniffed Yates fingertips then Garths, James, and then Reeds. When he caught all of their scents he backed up and hid behind Jade again.
The men all breathed a breath of air and stood up, visibly relaxing now that they were sure the wolf wasn’t about to rip their throats out upon first contact. Jade stood and the wolf pressed his body against the back of Jade’s legs. He stood past her knees, and looking at him from this angle Jade noticed how small and scrawny the he looked, she wondered if he had been able to feed himself since she had set him free.
“Why don’t you come by the fire and eat something Jade. You have a lot of explaining to do.” Reed motioned to the blazing fire in the middle of the campsite. But Jade looked down at the wolf again and shook her head.
“No,” Jade said firmly and before Reed could protest she explained herself. “I will tell you all that I can, but not now. I’ve hardly slept and I’m exhausted and confused. I know all of you want answers, I know you’re baffled and confused. But for a moment, please imagine if you were in my shoes. I need a good night’s rest. I need time to organize my thoughts. Please, I just need some time.”
Yates placed a hand on Reeds shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. Reed nodded his head and looked back at Jade. “We understand, take your time. We’ll be ready when you are.”
Jade felt a flood of relief. “Thank you.” Jade never felt more at home when she stepped into the tent with the wolf. She was lucky to have her own space, for while the wolf was still young he took up a good amount of space. She lit the candles and the tent filled with a warm glow. Jade hung her wet clothes on a small rope that hung across the ceiling and took off her boots. She sat and watched the wolf smell every single item, curiously observing everything. I few minutes’ later Yates voice spoke from outside the tent.
“Jade, there is food here outside on the ground for you and the wolf. It might help you get a better night’s sleep.”
“Thank you Yates.”
“You’re welcome.” Jade listened as his boots crunched away on the snow and she went out and took the food from where is sat outside in the snow. The bowl of stew was hot so she placed it on the table and there was a hunk of raw meat and a bone for the wolf. It looked like whatever was left of the rabbit. She tossed the meat on the ground and the wolf ate it within seconds then went and gnawed on the bone vigorously will Jade sipped at the hot soup. She watched the wolf, stared at him until the stew was gone.
This was her creature and she was his. Whether she had known it or not she had saved his life for a reason and now he had come back to her, to always be there to save her life in return. “I’m not sure how much you know about being a wolf.” She spoke to him quietly; he didn’t look at her as he attacked the bone. “And I’m not sure how to teach you, to train you, but we’ll have to figure it out. Because you need to learn to hunt for yourself, and I need to learn to work with a partner.” Jade rubbed her eyes; she had never fought with another person before. She was always better at single combat. Years of being without a wolf, Jade had learned to fend for herself and only herself.
She chuckled, “We’re going to be the oddest pair aren’t we?” She had a war horse that should be retired, a wolf that was not a great wolf, and she herself was too old for the pairing. She laughed out loud until her sides hurt and the wolf stared at her for a long time. When she finally caught her breath exhaustion rolled over Jade again and she decided it was time to sleep. She blew out the candles and crawled under the furs to sleep. When she got comfortable, the wolf surprised her by coming and lying down next to her. He tucked himself up against the length of her body and let out a deep breath as if to relax. Jade waited a moment, then entangled her fingers into his fur and quickly fell asleep.