Wrath of the Wolfgirl
By Cassi
PROLOGUE
Most humans know of stories of the place called Neverland. They talk of other humans such as the boy called Peter Pan, and the faries, and of Captain Hook. But, you see, there is much more to this place that is untold. I live in Neverland, far from the pirates, the Indians and even the Lost Boys. I live in a secluded place called the Neverwoods. A place where no other people in Neverland venture. They are afraid of us, you see. Afraid because they do not understand us. . . as most humans do not understand us.
My name is Harley, and I am a Neverwolf. This is my story, and it takes place long before there ever was a human called Peter Pan. Long before the battles against the legendary Captain Hook. Though there were Lost Boys, and there were Pirates and Indians, we did not pay them much attention. They avoided us, and we left them be.
Though I am older and wiser now, I was foolish as a pup. I was the first born son of Nightmare and Moonbeam, the Alpha pair. I was destined to be the next Alpha-male of the pack, yet, at the time I was six months old, I did not want such a responsibility. I had never been out of the Woods before and I wanted to see the world. So one day, when my father and mother were busy patroling the Woods, I snuck away. I had no idea where I was going to go. All I knew was that I wanted to see everything.
So, being a curious pup, and not considering what would come of it, I snuck on board a Pirate ship. The ship sailed away with me on it. For a while, I know not how long,--as time to a young pup means nothing--I became bored with being below decks. This was not what I had wanted. I had wanted to see things. So, I snuck out to see what I could see. . . and then . . . then I was caught. I was put in a cage.
The Pirates would not go near me. They were too afraid of me. They vowed to get me off the ship any way they could. It was in that moment that I was caught, that I realized I could not feel the others in my mind. Always, I had shared a mind link with the Pack. Now, I could not find them. Suddenly, for the first time in my short life, I was afraid. And this was the beginning of my adventure. . .
Chapter One
Diary of the Wolfgirl--April 1822 (Neverwoods)
I hear him call to me even now. Nightmare and Moonbeam
urge me to go after him. His confusion and fear reach out
to me across the miles of ocean the separate us. The Pirates
have discovered his presence. They will remove him from
the ship at the closest stop.
I am afraid of what will happen to him in a foreign land.
The sight of a Neverwolf to mortal eyes is often shocking.
The reactions of a mortal to a confused wolf can be deadly.
I must go at once before any person comes near him.
Spanish California, just outside of the Los Angeles Pueblo 1822
The pirate Captain glanced at the First Mate with a wicked smile. "I told you it would be easy." He remarked. "Fools like that are extemely greedy and very gullible."
The First Mate watched the soldiers take away the caged animal. "A bunch of suckers." He answered. "I can't believe they paid us so they could take it."
"They will realize their mistake in time." The Captain replied, knowingly. "I would have gladly paid them to take that beast away. Even now, the Creature comes for it."
--
In the shadows, a masked man listened to the conversations of the Pirates. He had followed the soldiers to the pier, wondering what they were up to. He had seen the animal bought by Luis Ramone. The very sight of it had caused Tornado to shy in fear. It had taken all his strength to hold the frightened stallion at bay.
What had the pitares meant by, "The Creature comes?" The pirates were obviously afraid of the Wolf-like Creature, with good reason.
"You should leave while you can." A voice spoke up behind him.
Zorro turned quickly and stared at the small pirate that stood by Tornado.
"Your horse is a smart animal." The small pirate went on. "They can sense evil, you know."
"What evil?" Zorro asked, suspiciously.
The pirate smiled. "When you first saw that creature, what was your first reaction?"
"What is it?" The masked man asked with an edge to his voice.
"What does it look like?" The pirate remarked, seemingly avoiding the question.
Zorro frowned, not liking the game this small man was playing. "In its appearence, it seems to be a wolf. . ." He paused. "But by the way it acts, one would think it was a mountain lion of some sort."
The pirate nodded, knowingly. "That is a young one." He replied. "Not nearly full grown. A full grown Neverwolf could easily take down several horses like yours at one time. They are very dangerous. I would not be those men for all the money in the world."
"What did you call it?"
"Who are you?" The pirate asked, eyeing him. "And why is it you wish to know?"
"I am called 'Zorro'." The masked man answered. "It is my task to protect the people of Los Angeles. If that animal is dangerous, I want to know."
The pirate shook his head. "No Senor, not the animal itself. The Pack is the danger, especially the Creature that commands it."
"The Creature?" Zorro questioned, remembering the words of the Pirate Captain.
"Aye." The small pirate answered. "The Pack is connected by minds. They know one another's thoughts. The Creature knows it is here. It will come. We would have released that thing to the wild, just to be rid of it, had your soldier men not come first."
"Then why not kill it, or throw it off the ship, if you fear it so?" Zorro asked.
The Pirate's eyes turned serious. "Know this." He warned. "No one has ever killed a Neverwolf and survived. The Pack and the Creature would hunt them down. They would not rest until the killers were all dead. Believe me, Senor, you cannot kill it."
Zorro gave the pirate a funny look. "They would hunt you down in the middle of the ocean?" He asked, doubtfully.
The Pirate chuckled. "This Creature is not a normal animal. It is not from this world." He explained. "They can be anywhere the Creature calls them. They travel with the speed of thought, under a full moon."
"A full moon?" Zorro asked. "Well, that doesn't come until next month."
The Pirate shook his head. "The Pack can only travel by full moon. The Creature itself, travels when it wishes." He told the masked man. "Once out of the Woods, it can only summon the Pack under a full moon. You can hear the voice for miles around. It speaks in a language that is unknown to man."
"And how does this Creature summon the Pack?" Zorro asked, pointedly.
"It sings." The Pirate answered. "You will know if it has summoned the Pack. The animals will all know, just as your horse knew. When the Pack comes, you will not be able to hold him down."
Zorro stared at the Pirate's face. The story itself was unbelievable...but then, so was the Wolf-Creature, itself. Never before, had he seen an wolf such as this one. It was all black, with bright red eyes, with the pupils of a cat. It had appeared to have very sharp claws on its front feet. It was also hard to believe this animal was not yet full grown. It was already bigger than any wolf he'd ever seen.
"You are deciding whether to belive me or not." The Pirate spoke up.
Zorro nodded. "It is rather unbelieveable." He replied.
The Pirate nodded, and pulled from his shirt a piece of green cloth. "The Pirate that found this was found mauled to death outside the Woods." He informed the masked man.
Zorro took the cloth and examined it. It appeared to be a cross-bone flag of some sort. Yet, instead of a skull, it had a wolf face resembling the "Neverwolf", and two black feathers hung from the cross-bones. Dripping from the bottoms of the feathers was red, that he could only assume was supposed to be blood. A look at the cloth flag sent a shiver down his spine.
The pirate walked off, toward the ship, but turned around to give one last word of warning. "Beware the Creature that sings by the light of a full moon, for it will be the death of your entire town. . ."
Diary of the Wolfgirl-April 1822 (California)
I have found him, but he is in distress. Very confused.
One has been warned of my presence. I must disguise
who I am if I am to get to Harley. Most of the humans
appear to be gullible. They are no match for my tele-
pathy. The one human who was warned will be seeking
the Voice that calls the wolves.
He will not find me. I will establish myself well. No one
will know me until it is too late. I will make them see
what I want them to see.
He is afraid. I can feel this. I must go to him, and
return to him the link that was lost. He cannot hear my
calling now, but he will soon. Confusion clouds his mind.
Do not worry, my sweet. They will not harm you.
The masked man keeps watch. He is the one warned of
me. He fears the one called 'Keeper of the Wolves.' I
smell this so well. What would this 'Fox' say if he knew
the one called 'Creature' was closer than he had
thought?
My dear sweet young Harley, I will protect you. And
if they are needed the Pack will follow when the moon
is full.
Woe to the men who hold you captive...
LOS ANGELES PUEBLO
In the Pueblo of Los Angeles, life was going on as it always had. . . except for one new thing. There was a new attraction. Alcalde Luis Ramone was smiling, as he stood outside the make-shift tent, to take the money from the residents who came from miles around to see the Werebeast.
The animal in the cage was behaving in a confused savage way. It paced the cage it was in, snapping its teeth and claws at anyone who came near it.
Sgt. Jaime Mendoza watched it nervously. He had not been part of the group that had gone after it. For once, he was glad to be left out. Although he couldn't figure out why, the wild look in the animal's red eyes made him nervous. He felt as if, somehow, the Creature in the cage knew what he was thinking.
"I don't know how to say this, but I think the Alcalde has completely lost his mind, bringing that creature here." A voice spoke up behind him.
Mendoza jumped and turned to look at Don Alejandro.
"That animal has every horse in the Pueblo spooked." The elderly man continued.
"It is a scary animal. That is for sure." Mendoza agreed. "But it can't get out of the cage, I assure you, Don Alejandro."
"You'd better hope not." Alejandro replied. "That thing looks as if it could cause a lot of trouble."
"And who could blame it?" A female voice put in.
"Now Senorita..." Mendoza began.
"Look at the way it is treated!" Victoria demanded. "That poor animal is so terrified it's ridiculous! Do you even feed it?!"
"Of course they feed it!" Mendoza spat out. "It just doesn't eat anything we give it!"
"And why do you suppose that is?!" Victoria went on. "That thing is not in your control! That animal is dangerous, and the Alcalde treats it like dirt!"
"Is it even a real animal, or is it another trick of the Alcalde, making it out to be what it isn't?" Alejandro asked, pointedly.
"Oh si Senor, that is exactly what it is." Mandoza assured him. "The Alcalde could not get near it to change it in any way."
As the conversation went on, a hooded figure watched, reading the lips and minds of the humans talking.
Cassie, Wolfgirl of Neverland, blinked in amazement. The humans had tried to feed a Neverwolf?! What a bizarre concept. Adult Neverwolves did not need to eat. They gained strength from singing to the full moon and the mind support of the Pack. Harley was six months old, and no longer required food. In offering him food, they had unintentionally insulted him.
She shrugged inwardly. The humans would learn in time. Now was the time to be consentrating on re establishing the mind link between herself and Harley. The wolf would not calm down. Neverwolves were often aggrivated by large crowds of humans, and Harley had been subjected to them since he had arrived here. She would have to have visual, maybe even physical, contact. This meant she would have to enter the tent where the humans were. A task she did not look forward to. Cassie, herself, was almost as uneasy around humans as the Neverwolves were.
As Cassie watched the humans, and concentrated on her wolf, she did not realize that she was being watched. A servant boy, dressed in white, watched her intently. He had never seen a girl that looked this way. Then, almost as if she sensed his presence, she turned to look at him. What he saw shocked him. He had never seen a girl that looked this way. She was covered in dust and dirt, her clothes were torn, yet her face was so pale, it almost seemed to be transparent.
As Felipe stared at the girl's eyes, a thought entered his mind. This was nothing he had not seen before. There were poor people all over the area. This was obviously one of them. Satisfied, he turned back to the horses.
Cassie watched him as he walked away, with a small smile. If this was how the humans were to her telepathy, this would not be very hard. That one had been easy.
Diego De la Vega frowned as he studied the cloth flag that had come from the Pirate. The cloth seemed to be normal, but the picture was painted with a substance he had never before seen. It seemed very odd that a piece of material found on a mauled man would not have any blood on it. . . unless the flag was deliberately placed on the body. . . and if so, what did it mean? Was it a warning of some sort? And if it were indeed a warning, who had placed it on the body? The Creature? Being found outside the Woods where the animals came from, it could be a warning to stay away, but what Diego couldn't figure out, was the Creature itself. What was it that would sing in an unknown language? Was it human. . . a wolf, perhaps. . . or something else altogether?
Sighing, Diego set the flag inside one of his books. After studying for over an hour about anything realated, he had found nothing that would offer any help. Even the legends of werewolves didn't seem to fit. Unfortunately, that was all he'd found that even related to wolf-creatures and the full moon.
He massaged his temples and put the book in a drawer. Until the matter was solved, it was best to keep his studies to himself, to avoid looking like a complete fool.
After standing and stretching out his stiff joints, he decided to go to town to investigate the animal itself. Besides, his father was expecting to see him in town. It was probably a good idea to at least make an appearence.
Cassie watched the human men argue some more. Two other human men had joined the dispute. One of them was the evil human that was holding Harley captive. This meant that no one was watching the cage, except the stupid humans. She smiled. This was good.
With her cloth-bound feet, she made no sound as she snuck into the tent. Convincing the minds of the stupid humans that they did not see her was simple. She walked right past them. At the first sense of her presence, Harley turned toward her. Staring him directly in the eyes, Cassie knew it would only take physical contact to re-establish the mindlink. She had to touch him. He could not hear the mindspeech. His mind was too confused.
Harley laid down, his nose in his paws. He knew who she was, and was giving a silent apology for leaving the Woods. Cassie nodded, assurring him he was in no trouble for venturing away. She understood why he had done it. Slowly she approached the cage. Harley sat up in anticipation of her touch and the return of the comforting mindlink he had been secure with since his birth.
Cassie reached her hand into the cage.
--
"What on earth is that child doing?!" Alejandro burst out in shock.
"Madre de Dios!" Mendoza exclaimed, as the wolf jumped in anger of the broken link.
Cassie, jerked her hand out of the cage quickly. She had not been paying attention to the other humans. They had come back! Harley was furious with them, for interrupting, and might have unintentionally bitten her. Fortunately, she knew she still appeared as a human girl, and they had not caught her with her usual pointed ears and cat eyes.
--
Diego stared at the forlorn creature standing by the cage. She was a small creature, who looked greatly afraid she was in trouble, and appeared to be no older than Felipe. What on earth did she think she was doing? It had almost looked like she wanted to pet the creature in the cage.
The Alcalde dragged her from the tent, much to the surprise of the soldiers, who had not even noticed her until she was caught.
As she was dragged into the light, Deigo heard Victoria gasp in disbelief. The girl was very pale, and covered with dirt, and dust. On her feet, where shoes should have been, there was only rags. Her eyes were a shade of forest green, Diego had never seen before. Her dress, beneath her black hooded cloak was torn and stained.
"How dare you enter this tent without paying!" Ramone shouted at her. "I should have you arrested for that!"
The girl looked at the ground, before looking back up at the Alcalde's face. She said nothing, which only seemed to anger him more.
"Who does this...this vagrant belong to!?" He demanded.
No one said a word. The girl dropped to her knees, as if she was faint.
Victoria stood behind the De la Vegas, staring in shock. "Don't just stand there!" She whispered. "We must help her! She will be arrested!"
Alejandro stepped forward. "Take your hands off her!" He shouted. "Can't you see you're scaring the poor thing half to death?"
Ramone glared down at the girl in disgust. "And I suppose you know who she is, Don Alejandro?" He spat out. "She's a vagrant, nothing more."
Victoria stepped forward. "She is working for me!" She proclaimed. "She is no vagrant!" She walked over to the girl and helped her up. "Come along, now. I'll take you back to the tavern."
The girl looked surprised, but allowed herself to be lead away from the Alcalde.
"Hold it!" Ramone cut in. As Victoria turned, he glared at them both. "If this girl works for you, then you owe me the 10 pesos it cost for her to see the creature!"
Diego shook his head in disgust, and handed the Alcalde the money. "Here." He spat out, following Victoria and the girl.
Alejandro sighed, before following the group toward the tavern.
Once inside the tavern, Victoria lead the girl to the back room, with the two Caballeros following.
The girl looked around, curiously, as if she had never before seen a place like this. She had not said a word at all, only allowed herself to be lead without protest.
Victoria sighed, as soon as she was sure they were far enough away from the Alcalde. She looked at the girl's dirty face. "Are you alright?" She asked.
The girl stared at her a moment before slowly nodding her head.
"So do you have a name?" Alejandro asked, quietly.
The girl then looked at him, studying him, and again, nodded her head.
Diego frowned, suddenly understanding. "Do you speak?" He asked.
The girl turned toward him, with a small smile. She shook her head, but pulled out a small book. Opening it to a blank page, she pulled out a small black stick. Much to the surprise of them all, she wrote in the book, one word; "Cassandra".
Alejandro stared in shock. There was no way this girl was a vagrant. Most vagrants were illiterate.
"Cassandra?" Diego asked, surprised. "You write very well."
Cassandra smiled shyly and nodded.
Victoria smiled at her. "Perhaps we should get you cleaned up." She replied, softly. "Do you have anything else to wear?"
Cassandra shook her head.
Victoria nodded. "Well, than come with me." She ordered, with a grin. "I'm sure we can find something that will fit you. Diego, will you tell Maria to watch the customers?"
Diego nodded, watching Victoria lead Cassandra up the back stairs. "Most unusual, isn't she?" He asked.
Alejandro nodded, with a frown. "I wonder where she came from." He spoke up.
"I don't know." Diego answered. "But I have a feeling we should keep an eye on her. The Alcalde is not about to let her get away that easily."
"She looks like she was abandoned." Alejandro replied, softly. "Did she look a little pale to you?"
Diego nodded. "Very. Almost looked Albino." He suggested. "I wonder if she has a place to stay."
"Depends on whether or not Victoria is planning on keeping her here." Alejandro answered. "Although it might be a better idea for her to stay out of town, with the Alcalde upset at her."
Diego nodded. "I'll mention it to Victoria." He said, quickly.
Upstairs, in the back room, Cassie watched the human, Victoria, as she brought in water for Cassie to wash up with. This was a new concept to Cassie. Why did humans use such small containers to bathe in? Obviously they could not get into such a small container. In the Neverwoods, Cassie had bathed in the lake, by a waterfall. She had loved it. This just was not the same. One could not get fully cleaned up with a rag and a container of water.
Victoria caught her glance and gave a small laugh. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
Cassie, who had shed her cloak, pointed at the container and held up her long hair, with a questioning look. This was definitely not enough water for her hair.
Victoria smiled. "Good point." She replied, softly. "I think we may need a tub for that. For now, let's just clean up the rest of you. We can pin your hair up until later and wash it then. Okay?"
Cassie made a face. She had never pinned her hair up in her life. She liked it down. However, Victoria-human had said she would help her with it later. For the moment, this would have to do. She nodded, slowly.
"Good, I'll get you something to wear." Victoria decided, and walked out, leaving Cassie to clean up.
An hour later, Diego and Alejandro watched as Cassandra and Victoria descended the stairs. Now cleaned up, Deigo realized she was, indeed very pale. Were it not for her dark green eyes, and blonde hair, she could actually have passed for an Albino.
A while before, they had discussed with Victoria, about Cassandra's staying with them. Victoria had disagreed at first, but later admitted it was probably safer for Cassandra to stay outside of town, at least for a while. So, she had provided a couple of changes of clothing.
Cassandra, on the other hand, was not easily convinced. She did not seem to want to leave the town. She shook her head when she saw the men at the bottom of the stairs.
Victoria sighed. "Cassandra, the Alcalde is not the best person to have upset at you." She explained...again. "At least for the moment, you shouldn't stay in town."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow as if to consider it. Then she looked pointedly at Victoria and pointed to her hair.
Victoria smiled and gave a small laugh. "Is that the only thing you're worried about?" She exclaimed.
Cassandra shook her head...than reconsidered, and nodded.
"What?" Alejandro asked, curiously.
"I promised I would help her wash her hair." Victoria retorted.
"We do have someone who can do that." Alejandro remarked, with a small smile.
Cassandra frowned and shook her head. She did not want anyone but Victoria to help her. She did not trust anyone else.
Victoria smiled. "I can come over and help you." She concluded. "Now go with Diego and Don Alejandro. They can bring you back tomorrow and you can help me out here. Okay?"
Cassandra thought about it, then, with a sigh, she nodded, and allowed the men to lead her out.
The first person they ran into was the human boy in white, Cassie had seen earlier. She already knew his name was Felipe, as she had read his thoughts before. She knew he could hear, but did not speak. He was like her.
"Ah, Felipe." Diego-human spoke up. "This is Cassandra. She's working for Victoria. She'll be staying with us for a while."
Felipe-human smiled and shook her hand. He did not remember seeing her earlier.
"Felipe is deaf, so he doesn't speak either." Alejandro-human replied.
Cassie frowned. This was not true. She knew from the boy's mind he could hear very well. Why did the other humans think he was deaf?
Felipe-human was staring at her, so she quickly smiled at him, and nodded.
"Cassandra doesn't speak, Felipe." Diego-human informed the boy, with a smile. "So the two of you shouldn't have any trouble communicating."
Felipe-human grinned and signed that it was nice to meet her.
Cassie signed the same to him, and allowed herself to be helped aboard the wagon. As the wagon left the pueblo behind, she cast one last glace back toward the tent containing Harley, and vowed she would return to it.
Diary of the Wolfgirl--April 1822 (De la Vega residence, California)
As I sit in this room, I wonder about the humans who
have taken me in. They have the most wonderful things.
Today, after they gave me my own room, I found another
room. It was full of books! It was a wonderful sight!
These must be very rich humans, that even their books
have a room of their own. I think perhaps I will look at
the book room later. I must not forget the real reason I
came to this place.
Harley is in utter distress. I worry for him, and part of
me thinks I should not have left him alone in the town.
However, I will be able to go back, when I work for the
human woman Victoria. She seems to be the Alpha-
female of this town. I have a feeling the man-human,
Diego is in love with her, but he does not seem the type
worthy of an Alpha. She is in love with the masked
human. This "Fox". He must be the Alpha-male. She has
spoken about his deeds. If he is what she says, perhaps
he will help with Harley. I will try to find him...
It was nightfall and Diego was once again sitting in the library, studying the books, and the flag. At this point, he was ready to beat his head into the desk. Sighing, frustrated, he glanced out the window at the half-moon. In a few weeks, it would be full again, and he was no closer to solving this riddle than he had been the day he'd been given the flag.
When was this Creature supposed to show itself, if at all? The only newcomer had been Cassandra. . . Cassandra. He frowned. She had been close to the wolf when they'd first seen her. Then again, it had also tried to bite her. And how could something as small and forlorn as she was be this Creature that was so badly feared? It didn't make sense. Not to mention the Creature had to have a voice, and Cassandra, by all rights, appeared to be mute.
However, he mused, he himself, was not what he appeared to be either. But why would the Pirates be so afraid of a young girl? That made even less sense. No, Cassandra couldn't possibly be the Creature. It just wasn't possible.
Suddenly, he felt a presence in the room. Turning, he found Cassandra, her hair now washed and combed,--thanks to Victoria--, flipping through one of his books. She seemed entranced with it. He hadn't heard her come in, he realized, because she still wore the rags on her feet. The cloth on the floor had made no noise at all.
As she finished leafing through the book, she looked up at him, eyes full of wonder. Then she motioned around the room at all the books, and pointed at him, with a questioning look.
Diego smiled for the first time in over two hours. "No, they're not all mine, but if you wish to read some of them, you certainly may." Then he thought a moment. "You can read, can't you?"
Cassandra nodded with an obvious look on her face. Then she pointed to the shelf and held up five fingers.
"Five of them?" Diego asked, awed. Who was this girl? "Which ones did you have in mind?"
Cassandra scanned the shelf, and sellected five books, and held them up, one at a time.
Diego nodded. "All right." He replied. "That should keep you busy a while, I suppose."
Cassandra shook her head, and motioned that she could read fast. Then she walked out of the room, with the books, and a happy smile on her face.
Diego was still staring after her when Don Alejandro walked into the room. "What was that all about?" His father asked.
"I guess she wanted to read." Deigo answered.
"Apparently." Alejandro retorted, eyeing the gaps in the shelf. "Is she going to read them all in one night?"
Diego shrugged. "I'm not sure." He answered, slowly. "She says she reads very fast."
Alejandro shook his head. "Well, just see that she returns them." He started to walk out of the room, but turned back. "Diego?"
"Yes Father?" He asked.
"Get some sleep, son." Alejandro ordered.
"Yes, Father." Diego answered with a smile, before blowing out the lamp in the library.
As he walked toward his room, Diego stopped to peek in at Cassandra. She was laying on the bed, on her stomach with a book opened before her. She was turning the pages. He frowned. She looked as if she was reading, but how on earth could she be reading that fast?
Strange, he thought to himself, as he retreated to his own room.
Cassie smiled as she closed the last book. As she was nocturnal normally, she slept very little at night. The little sleep she required, she could get before she had to go back to town. When she had entered the book room, hours before, she had hoped no one would be in it. Much to her surprise, the Diego-human didn't seem to mind her reading at all. Diego-human posessed a kind heart, and that was rarely seen in a race of humans. There were so very few. . . at least very few Cassie had met.
As she laid down and blew out the lamp, she frowned. She would have to control her addiction to reading. It was not a good idea to get occupied with the books, when she had a wolf pup to save. She had gotten involved with books before, and it had nearly given her away. Best thing to do was focus at the task at hand. She had to speak to Victoria human about the Fox-man. She must know where to find him. Although . . . for now, it was best that she got a little sleep before dawn.
Back in the Pueblo, an hour or so later, Victoria was getting up for the day. She looked out the window to see that the rest of the pueblo was just starting to stir. Her eyes caught sight of the tent in the middle of town. She'd heard the wolf-creature howling during the night, as if it was calling out to something. She shivered to think what it could be calling. It scared her more than she cared to admit.
Then her heart nearly skipped a beat when she saw the black figure sneak out of the tent. She smiled. He must have been keeping an eye on it during the night. Then, as if he felt her watching, he looked up toward her window. He gave her a salute before disappearing around the Alcalde's office.
