Hey guys. It's been some time, but I think I've got another good story idea going. You might remember my previous story, Yuki's Next Chapter, and within, there was a side story alluding to the origin of how wolf people within the story came to be. As one person pointed out in their review, it sounded as though it was a shout out to Spice and Wolf, and he was right on the money with that one, actually. I had recently finished the Spice and Wolf animated series around the time I reached that chapter, and that is what gave me the idea, along with some tandem writing along side a friend. There were those who wondered, and even those who wanted to see a sequel of Yuki's Next Chapter to see what had become of Itonami, so I suppose it's about time I make good on that.
It's been 6 years since Ito left. I still remember that day. He's kept in touch plenty over the years through letters and phone calls, and he's been doing quite well for himself. He told me that he's started founding a number of charity organizations, trying to help those who are less fortunate. He has yet to reveal his wolf form to anyone outside Shizuoka, other than Lexi, his long time childhood friend. It seems he's gaining many trusted friends, in addition to those who are just in it to help others out. Perhaps someday he'll have the confidence to show someone else his ears, as my mom always used to say. It was his choice if and when he chose to make that call. Looking back, it was tough raising a wolf child, even if I grew up as one myself. Time seems to have flown by. 44 years I have to my name. Shizuoka has proven a wonderful home all this time. I have come to love the people here as if they were family to me. In a stroke of fortune, when Martha passed on, she willed the daycare to me. It wasn't long after Ito left. I recounted many stories with her over those years, and from what she told me, she lived a long and happy life, and it was made even better to see the Honshu wolf alive again. There was however one story that always stuck out to me. That night when Souhei was away in America and Martha told us about the legends passed down regarding the origin of wolf people always resonated with me. I wanted to believe it was true, as farfetched as it sounded. It had become a dream of mine, sometimes literally. I would imagine meeting such a creature in my dreams. Sometimes, they seemed so real, while other times, they couldn't feel further away. Still, I remember one early morning I awoke as it was still dark outside. Souhei slept soundly beside me as it appeared some sort of apparition was in the room. I was about to scream, but I found myself without any voice or words to say. Slowly the figure approached me. "The oldest remaining wolf child, and one of so few. It is truly a shame to see that my lineage has all but died out." I felt my body refusing to respond as the light drew close, still bearing no form. "You know of me, Yuki. Or at least you have heard of me in stories. Long you have wondered about your origins. How wolf children such as yourself came to be. The story you have heard is mostly true, but if you would like to hear the full story, come to the spring in the Wante mountains tomorrow night as the full moon rises. Bring your lover. I am sure he will appreciate the story as well." As the light faded, I sat up with a gasp, panting. It was a dream, but it was the most real one I had ever felt.
"Huh? Are you all right, Yuki?" Souhei sat up, rubbing his eyes. It was still dark with only the light from the nearly full moon streaming in through the window.
"Yeah. I'm...I'm okay, Souhei. It was just a bad dream." He put his arms around me, pulling me close as he kissed my forehead.
"I'm always here for you, Yuki, even if it's just a bad dream." He chuckled a little bit, and I felt his hand rubbing over my wolf ears as we lay back down. It kept going through my mind. Was that just a dream, or was there actually someone, or something trying to reach me? I didn't think too much on it, before I was asleep again.
When morning came and we were sitting at the table eating breakfast, I looked over to Souhei. "More and more lately, Souhei, I've been having these dreams. Sometimes, I imagine I'm looking on that wolf deity Martha mentioned in her story about how wolf children came to be. Other times, I think I'm actually talking with her. Last night though...it was so vivid."
He looked at me, giving me a gentle nod. If it were anyone else, they may have thought I was crazy, but Souhei had learned that with me, things had the tendency to be a little crazy. I gave him the story as I remembered it from the dream. "Well, it's your call to make. If it really was a message from this supposed deity from which wolf children are descended, you're the only one who has the right to make that decision. If we go and there's nothing there, it's not a big problem. We at least will have a nice trip from it. If we go and we find something, your questions will finally be answered."
I gave him a nod, stirring my breakfast a bit, lost in thought as I ate. He had a good point. What did we have to lose? It was possibly the only chance I had, even if it made me look like a fool to literally be chasing a dream. As we finished eating, I smiled a bit, taking Souhei's hand. "I want to go, Souhei. I have the chance to know more about my people, something that only my father could have answered for me."
He gave a nod, squeezing my hand firmly. "You know I support you, Yuki. We get some food and water for the hike and we can leave as soon as you're ready."
The Wante mountains were not too big of a hike, but enough that we would need to stop for a break. It didn't take too long to gather the supplies we needed and set out. The base of the mountains was about a 45 minute drive from Shizuoka. As we arrived, I gazed up at the mountains, feeling my heart quicken a little and my resolve strengthen. I had the chance at last to know, and my excitement was pulling my wolf half out. It had been a while since I'd had a good climb on 4 legs. The real challenge was keeping myself from running too far ahead of Souhei. The weather was wonderful, the paths well-traveled and easy to traverse. Hours passed as we went. We had to stop a few times for Souhei to catch his breath. It meant a lot that he was there for this, and I was doing my best to help him along, just as he had always helped me. When we reached the top, there were still a few hours of daylight to go. "Perhaps we should have waited until later," I said, stretching out by the spring.
"It doesn't bother me," Souhei said, sitting beside me and rubbing my side. "It's a nice view from up here. You can see for miles over all the forests, the lake, the mountains in the distance. I don't mind waiting here if we have to." It had been too long since I'd been in my full wolf form. Although a little embarrassing to admit, even at that age, as he rubbed my side, I still found myself rolling over like a domestic dog to receive a belly rub. Today was no different as I felt his hand trailing over my furred belly and along my sides. We just spent that time together there like that, enjoying the view and enjoying each others' company until the sun started to sink down and the full moon started to rise.
At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. The time passed as the moon rose higher, but it seemed like it was a wasted trip. At least, until the moonlight shone down onto the spring. It began to shimmer in the light, having a surreal presence about it. The water began to ripple as a mist rolled off the top, slowly taking shape. It grew larger and larger, until it seemed as though it was becoming a solid mass. "So you have come," a voice said, the same voice from my dream. I gasped as I looked up, the misty form starting to gain fur and take the shape of a wolf, albeit a very large one. Souhei stumbled backwards, nearly falling down the hill had I not stopped him. Soon though, we were both gazing up at a wolf that stood at least twice the size of a horse. Its eyes looked over at Souhei, sending a shiver up his spine. Strangely, I felt drawn to this wolf, as if it were family. "Yuki, my wolf child. I am glad you have come. I am the answer to your question. You have long wondered where wolf children like yourself came from, have you not?" At a loss for words, I nodded, looking up to this large wolf. "Come now. Surely you are not so stunned at seeing me that you no longer have a voice. Well, if you cannot speak as a human would, then let me hear your wolf voice. Come Yuki. Let me hear your howl!" My heart began pounding out of my chest as I heard that. The wolf, clearly a female both from figure and voice tilted her head back, raising a howl that echoed across the mountains for miles. I found myself drawn to do the same, our howls harmonizing under the full moon. Amazingly as we howled together, I felt all my fear and apprehension melt away. It was as if I had known her my entire life. Souhei, however, did not have that fortune. "I suppose I should not find it a surprise that your mate is still nervous. He does not share your wolf blood." The same mist surrounded her again, making it impossible to see her. I worried she had left, but as it began to let up, a young woman now stood atop the water. She wore no clothes, but the swirling mist kept her decent, Even so, it was still plain to see the caramel fur-covered wolf ears on her head and her tail, with the small splash of white at its end. It was just as the story had described her.
"Are you...the wolf goddess from the legend?" I asked, my voice finally returning to me.
"I am, though I long detested the title. I viewed myself as nothing more than a wise wolf with an abnormally long life and a talent for making crops grow. I began to recognize more and more the downsides to such a long life. Most of my friends were equally long-lived, the wolf ones at least. I suppose you have long wanted to know the true story." She took a deep breath. "Perhaps first I should start with my name. I am Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitzu, a town that was destroy many hundreds of years ago. Long before that, however, I lived in a small village rich in wheat harvests for the longest time. A human there, one of the first ever to see me in my wolf form and not fear me, begged me to make the harvest rich. I do not know how many years I was there, before I met another human, the second ever to see my wolf form willingly. When he first saw it, he fell right out of his cart. He was a traveling merchant, and such a foolish one at that, but he was fun to tease. At first, I only wanted him to take me back to Yoitzu, and he was all too happy to. He never asked anything in return, but as we journeyed, I could sense he was starting to develop feelings for me, and it was put to the test countless times. Even as I tried to part ways with him, to let him fulfill his dream of owning his own shop, even when he had the deed in hand, he gave it up just so he could have me again. He knew I would outlive him many time over, but that did not stop him. Even knowing that he would die in what was the blink of an eye for me, he asserted he loved me. He even courted me." At this she let out a bit of a laugh. "That man...he was the first who ever made me think so fondly of humans. To this day, he is the only one I ever loved. We had 7 children together over the course of his mortal life. Those children had the same ability as I do, to change between wolf and human forms, yet unlike me they did not require an offering to do so. The trade off for their ease of transformation was that their wolf forms were much smaller. These, Yuki, were the first wolf children. These were your ancestors. You are a child of mine."
Through it all, her whole story, it somehow felt like I had instinctively known. Even so, it felt good to actually hear it and see the true mother of wolf children before me. I stepped closer, nuzzling her side gently as I stood before her as a wolf. "It means so much to finally know my history."
I shivered as I felt her put her arms around me. I had no idea I had divine origins. "Yuki, my sweet. Thank you for all your work to make sure our bloodline does not die out." She turned her gaze over towards Souhei. "And to you, too. One of the few throughout history able to accept those with wolf blood in their veins."
"What about you, Holo?" I asked, looking up at her. "What will you do now? Do you think you will ever love again?"
"I do not believe I will ever seek out another mate, but if there is one thing I have learned from my time with him, it is that life is uncertain. I never planned to take a human mate to begin with, yet I do not regret that decision." The thick mist began to surround her again, as she began to vanish. "You have lived a wonderful life so far, Yuki. Continue to live it happily."
I looked up at Souhei, pulling him into a hug with my paws. He seemed petrified from the entire ordeal. A quick lick to the face seemed to snap him out of it as he put his arms around me. "This was what I needed, Souhei. And I'm glad you came with me."
"I am, too. But I wish she would have offered to give us a ride back to the bottom. It's a long trek back down, and I can't feel my legs at all."
"I think I can still carry you," I said, hoisting him up onto my back as I started down the trail.