Chapter 1

Amiss

The warm rays of the morning sun shined gently on Mei's belly. The small goat yawned lazily as he turned over on the grassy hillside. He considered whether he should open his eyes or fall back asleep. He decided on the latter, and stretched contentedly letting himself relax some more. After all, he deserved the rest after the events that happened yesterday.

As he lay back, memories of the past winter filled his mind. Nearly starving to death in the mountains, being separated from Gabu in the avalanche, and worst of all, finding the Emerald Forest only discover that the wolf wasn't by his side. He really did think he had lost him forever. All these days he had lived without his dear friend, growing ever weaker and more hopeless with each day. But as soon as he had all but given up, he was reunited with Gabu. Of course, that nearly resulted in him getting eaten, but now the real Gabu was back, and the fact that he was lying next to him on the hilltop where they had watched the full moon proved it. They could truly be together now, for the rest of their lives, living in their hidden valley where no one could harm them. No matter what had happened in the past, the future would hold nothing but joy.

It was almost too good to be true.

He might have decided to doze off for a few more hours if he hadn't felt a gnawing pit in his stomach. Of course! He was nearly starving. In all the commotion of yesterday, he had completely neglected to eat. He opened his eyes to find himself lying alone on the hilltop.

Gabu must have gone off to find himself some breakfast, Mei thought. I think I'll find myself some of my own food while he's gone.

Mei spent the next few minutes grazing in the rolling green fields, consuming generous portions of grass to fill the pit in his stomach. If he found a particularly delicious-looking clover, he would put it aside to eat later when Gabu was back. It would be just like the first time they met to eat together. How terrified he had felt when he first laid his eyes on Gabu! But he had never been happier than in those first days of meeting with him. They had no idea back than what repercussions their friendship would result in. Those memories felt so distant now, like pleasant, long forgotten dreams.

Mei waited atop the hill with the clovers he had collected, keeping a lookout for any sign of Gabu in the distance. Mei still wasn't fond of seeing small creatures being eaten, but he accepted the fact that his friend needed meat to survive. At least he no longer had to offer himself up as a meal!

Strange, I would expect him to be back by now, he mused as he started to munch on his breakfast. He was beginning to feel a bit concerned. Where could Gabu have gone off to? Back to the cave under the hill, perhaps? Had he missed him?

While waiting, Mei ended up eating all of his clovers until he felt quite full. However, the pit in his stomach persisted no matter how much food he ate. He was beginning to feel that it hunger wasn't the cause of it. No, the pit felt much deeper then that. In fact, he had only felt a pain like this once before in his life, when he was just a kid.

Several years ago, he was good friends with another goat, and played with her every day. That is, until one day when Mei had stayed back because he was sick. But she never returned that night. Everyone had searched for her, but nobody could find any sign of her. But no one had any doubt what had caused her disappearance. Mei remembered the look of despair on her mother's face after a few days of her absence.

He wondered if his grandma was feeling the same way right now.

That was what the pit was: despair. He had a horrible feeling that something bad had happened to Gabu. He needed to find him imediately.

Check the cave, he thought.

He hurried down the hill to the cave entrance. Completely empty. Just yesterday, this place had been his prison, yet now he wished deeply that Gabu were back inside, holding him.

"Gabu! Oh Gabu, where are you?" he cried. Why would Gabu just leave without telling him? What if something bad had happened to him? He had to be somewhere. He had to search the meadow and the forest.

His tiny hooves could hardly carry him fast enough as he ran through the fields looking for any sign of the wolf. He searched every hill and scanned every valley in the meadow. He looked behind every tree in the forest.

"Gabu! Gabu!" Mei shouted at the top of his lungs, startling a flock of birds in a nearby tree. That was it! Some of the creatures here were sure to have seen Gabu. The whole forest had been in uproar yesterday over the sight of a wolf after all. He would just have to ask one.

He spied a squirrel on a nearby stump.

"Hey, you didn't happen to see a wolf around here lately?" Mei asked.

"Wolf?" said the squirrel. "No, of course not. A wolf in the Emerald Forest, that's ridiculous!"

"B-but didn't you hear all the commotion about a wolf yesterday?"

"Can't say I have. Now, if you'll excuse me." And with that the squirrel scampered off.

This didn't make any sense! The squirrel had acted like Gabu didn't exist. He would just have to try again with someone else.

A deer, a couple of monkeys, a family of mice, none of them had seen or even heard of a wolf in this area. Mei was weak with dread now. His blue eyes were soaked with tears. His fur was matted with sweat. The constant calling of Gabu's name had made his voice hoarse. Yet, he found the strength to continue his search until nightfall, though in his heart he knew it was futile.

"Gaaaabuuuu!" he wailed into the the darkening forest. "You promised we would always be together!"

After spending hours searching desperately, Mei used the last of his strength to carry himself back to the cave and collapse on the cold rock. He felt completely alone now. Just last night Mei had said that he was having the best night of his life. It looked like tonight definitely qualified as the worst.

"Gabu…" he whimpered as he drifted out of consciousness. "Why did you leave me?"