Twelve, Six and One Day
"He's so small, Kala."
Kala looked worried as the girl was eating properly but the boy was not. Keza paced back and forth.
Avera took a deep breath, "Ok runt. I guess I will have to make up some warm milk and bottle feed you."
"Will that work?" Keza asked. He had learned to mind speak the language of people much better than any other dire wolf.
"I'll go see what Orlen knows. He has had calves that would not eat and got them to."
Kala sent her images and feelings of thanks as the hobbit bent down to leave the den. Keza followed her closely.
She leaned on the dire wolf and disappeared in his fur. They had met when she was six and stayed the best of friends. He even tried to learn how to verbally say some words in the person language feeling it was only fair as Avera had learned dire wolf. It was too hard and he had stopped trying at only a few words to his verbal vocabulary.
He spent a lot of time with Avera … even when her teachers were teaching her. He was seldom much further away then the nearest shadow.
They stayed close to dark spots so no one would see him in town. The elders accepted the dire wolves because Daeghun told them too but Avera did not want to push their patience.
It took little time to get to Orlen's farm. The farmer was easily found at his barn, moving the cattle into it.
"I see ol' Garth is being difficult." She watched as a nasty looking bull snorted menacingly at her.
"Avera! Good to see you, lass. Yes, the old coot won't come in some times. I wish I could scare him into it."
"Could I be of help?"
Orlen chuckled, "I'm betting a certain friend is around."
Keza moved out from the shadows and rubbed the farmer with his face. He sent the man an image of him herding the rest of the animals for him. Unlike other dire wolves, he could speak to most humans with visions. He had learned this to speak and send images to Avera as he was not bonded to her.
"That would be nice, Keza. It has been a long day. Did you know that none of the farmers have lost an animal to predation since your mother came to stay?"
Keza huffed an almost human like laugh and nodded in response. His "laugh" was something between panting and a chuckle. He then went to work moving the cattle.
"So Avera?"
"The boy is small and isn't nursing. Do you have anything to help?"
"The runt must be close to expiring! Of course I do. It should help get him going," He walked into his barn with the small teen following, "But get him back to mother's milk as fast as possible. It will probably take a week or two of bottle feeding until he's ready to go back to mother."
Avera nodded as he handed her a large bottle of a mucky liquid and a baby cow bottle to feed him with, "It worked very well. But for a dire wolf you may need both goat and cow milk. I will set some aside for you."
"How much do I owe you?"
"Can you lend me Keza for a couple of nights? That would do for payment. I'm afraid my son won't be back to help for a bit and your friend is right good with the cattle. Word has it that he found a litter of sheep herding dogs for sale."
She smiled as a wave of helpfulness and thanks rolled through her, "That is good news for you and Keza would be pleased to help."
"Good stuff."
They sat for a while to talk as Keza moved the animals into the barn. He was like a huge sheep dog.
Avera spent the night in the den, taking care of Karnwyr beside his mother but had to leave first thing for her training. She put the puppy in a basket and Keza carried him to the working field.
She worked out and trained while Keza watched the pup. Her teachers were used to the dire wolves being around. The gnome couple enjoyed having such a large protector there for the hobbit. They worked her hard but gave her extra breaks to bottle feed the cub.
After training in music, dance and fighting she had to take care of the fields. Keza followed patiently with the basket o cub. They visited Kala and Dalayn then they went to the house because she needed to warm the milk. She slept in the livingroom, near the fireplace with her head on Keza's shoulder and Karnwyr's basket beside them so she could get up at night to make the warm milk and feed the pup.
It took over a week of this but her help panned out. The cub finally became ravenous for his mother's milk.
Twelve and Six Months
She grabbed his nose but he kept shaking her by the arm. She screamed so he pulled harder. Dalayn yelled all the time for Mom too. She was just being a wimp. A dire wolf can't be a wimp.
Avera grabbed his nose with her loose hand and squeezed again but he wouldn't let go.
Then he felt jaws around his neck and he did let go. He was picked up by the scruff and shaken. Why? Why was he being punished?
"Mom we play."
"You let go when she grabs nose."
"But just playing." He whined.
"You hurt Avera!"
"She's sister. Just being a wimp. Her fur …"
"What fur? Not like us. Hobbit. Smaller than humans. Careful with her. She not furry. We can hurt her."
"But she's sister. Older little sister."
"She is smaller than you. You are 6 months old and twelve year old hobbit is smaller than you."
"But …"
"Smell."
"What?"
"Smell. Taste."
"Blood?" He had been so caught up in play then shocked by being punished that he hadn't even smelled or tasted the blood on his mouth.
"You bled Avera. You hurt her. She told to stop with nose grab. You did not. You know better! Now. Look at arm!"
He looked over at Avera. The hobbit girl sat with her arm cradled on her leg. Her teeth were clenched from the pain but she sat there to show him. To help mother teach him. The arm was torn open. He could see the bone. It bled.
And he did that.
"Oh Vera! Didn't think. I hurt you."
"Z'ok, Runt."
"No not ok. Karnwyr hurt Avera."
She sang a song and her arm healed up. The dire wolf cub watched closely. Once it was healed, he sidled up to her. He sat beside her and they cuddled together.
"Karnwyr be careful. Sorry."
"K Runt. Play?"
"Play!" He accepted but still felt bad that he hurt his sibling.
Thirteen, Seven and One
"What is bonding? Keza said bonds can be made." Dalayn asked as Karnwyr hopped over their mother's rump.
"Yes." Their mother licked them, "Bonding is to take companion. A person … ranger likely. You help each other. You follow your bonded. Bondeds need help."
"So we work together?"
"Yes. But be careful. You can break the bond if bonded goes bad. But don't have to bond ever. Just a choice."
"You and Vera are bonded, right?" Karnwyr turned to watch Keza with their hobbit sister. The large dire wolf had one paw on her head making it hard to see any of her little cranium and he gently nibble tickled her arm making her squeal with laughter and kick.
"Yes."
"Why not …"
"Vera needed adult. Daeghun out lots. She needs us." Kala glanced sadly over at her eldest, "Keza was too young."
"Keza's seven now."
"Yes." The mother wolf put her head on her paws, "He leaves. Must make own family. Can't stay always to help. No more pups for me so he will make own way. Get own pack."
"Why he stayed?" Karnwyr hopped around his mother and pounced onto Dalayn.
"Help with cubs."
"Avera!" They all looked up to see Avera's father at the door of their house. Keza let her up and they grappled just before she ran in for supper.
"Go now." Keza whined as he watched the hobbit dissappear through the doorway.
"Stay night. Say bye to Vera."
Keza turned to his mother, "Too hard. Hurt too much. Say sorry?"
His mother nodded and they rubbed faces. Keza turned to his younger siblings and rubbed faces with them too. Then he turned and with one last look at the house, he left.
Fourteen and Two
"Killer?"
Avera nodded while watching some other children. Karnwyr noticed that some of them glared at his sister or laughed as they saw her. He had seen results of her being bullied but no one would let him get to the ones who had done it to her. They said they would be killed or made to leave if he did. It enraged him that she was being hurt. He wanted the ones who hurt her to pay. It did not happen often because people were scared of the dire wolves but it did happen.
"Hunter?"
"Not a hunter. He rapes and kills children for sport. He got three younglings and a man who was trying to find him. Da is out trapping. No one can find him."
"Not food? Not survival?"
"No."
Karnwyr glanced into the forest, "Mother and Dalayn won't be back."
"Not for a few days."
He nodded once, "We get him."
"I guess someone should."
"Lots of human children don't like you." Karnwyr watched as Bevil and Amie walked past and waved at her. Avera waved back as the dire wolf peeked out from the bushes, "Those two like you."
"I guess. Bevil and Amie are good friends." She stood and slid into the bushes. It hardly made a stir as her father and Kala had taught her well. The two did not rush things. They strolled to the area where the children had been found.
"Why care? They don't like you. They want to hurt you."
"Not all of them do. Innocents get hurt and that is bad."
"Only kill for food. Want mating get real mate."
Avera laughed as she leaned over and started to pick mushrooms into a basket she had brought with her. Karnwyr hid in a bush, "Right."
"Vera want mate? Maybe get two or three. Have pack!"
She laughed hard, "I can't even get one mate and you want me to have a male harem?"
"Possible."
"I only want one man to love. Don't want just mate. Maybe I will find love. Some day."
The dire wolf whimpered at that, "Erayne hurt you. Made others laugh. All you wanted was mate." He whined.
"At least a boyfriend."
"Thought he was friend."
"I guess he just didn't care for me as much as I thought he did."
Karnwyr looked into the leaves, "Only asked for love. Erayne not interested should have gone home."
"I don't know why he told everyone either. Maybe he thought it would be fun to have others laugh at me too."
"Erayne hurt Avera. He meant to." She didn't notice the narrowing of her friend's eyes as she was busy with the mushroom picking. He had seen his friend crying and comforted her for days. He knew it was bad to hurt hearts. They did not bleed the same as flesh but they did in another way.
"Yes he meant to hurt me."
She didn't notice the small growl either, "Where he go?"
"He is some kind of militia man. I forget where. Should I pick the chicken mushrooms? They are ripe!"
"Yes! Chicken mushrooms! Will have for supper with other mushrooms!"
"What is this with you and mushrooms?"
"Like mushrooms like you like strawberries."
"Point taken."
"Cook with sauce?"
"Certainly. Only veggies at home."
"Ick." He threw her a picture of himself with a "yuck" look on his face and she giggled, "Pick more mushrooms. I get meat after."
"Will you? Great! But wash your mouth after this, please."
"Not forget."
They stayed in the small field for a long while until a man finally showed up. He was a middle aged person who was scruffy and smelly from being in the woods so long. He was also going mad. He grabbed Avera by the scruff of her collar thinking that he had a very young child to work with.
Avera made a movement in her boot then slammed her heel backwards just above his kneecap. He screamed and dropped her, "Why do they always stab me in the leg?"
"Because it's the easiest place for a little one to hit!" She backed off as he swung at her.
"You're not a child. You are a hobbit teen!" He hobbled after her as she went in a circle.
"Why would a child come out this far into the woods? You took children from the edge of town!" Avera jumped over a root, "You are a sick, deranged idiot."
He snorted, "At least I will be alive. You won't be for long."
"That's funny." She ran around a log and jumped back and forth to confuse him, "I thought it would be the other way around."
The man laughed with menace, "A hobbit child? Telling me that she will kill me? Are you out of your mind?"
She stopped and allowed him to get closer. As he stepped forward, she made a clicking sound in her boot and kicked a boot knife into his other leg. Down he went but he was getting up. Avera walked over to his head and put the knife across his throat. He went still trying to think of what to do.
"You are going to pay for that! You will die slow."
A snort rang from her throat as a growl sounded from her side, "No you bastard. You will."
Karnwyr stalked over to the man's side and ripped into his abdomen. He screamed and writhed in pain. Avera didn't care. She backed off and sat back on the log to take off her boot as her friend tortured the man. She listened while clicking the two blades that her father had fitted for the front and back of her boots back into their spots and set the hinges again.
"Take off dick?"
She glanced at her friend, "I saw what he did to Jeenia and Kendra and I hear he did just as bad to Pallo and his father. He tortured them. Go ahead if you like but you might want to do it slow. I'm sure we can return the favor."
"You remember yours? You were young cub."
"Yes, I remember every single thing that was done to me." Karnwyr looked at her sadly, "Have fun playing."
The dire wolf grinned and took his time torturing the man. She watched blindly wishing this would kill her painful memories but she knew they would stay with her for a long time.
Fifteen and Three
Karnwyr and Dalayn watched the sun coming up but Karnwyr wasn't as happy as his sister. Today they would leave. At three years of age it was time to go out and make a life of their own.
Their oldest brother had stayed to help with cubs but with their mother not wanting to be a mother to more cubs and staying to be with Avera, there was no reason for the two of them to stick around.
Dalayn walked back and forth as her brother sighed.
"Time to go!" She showed an image of woods with fields just beyond and mountains too.
"Going far away?" Avera walked over to them and hugged each in turn. She looked towards the wood of the mere.
"Yes far. I want to see mountains!" Dalayn was happy with the idea.
Avera smiled at the young female dire wolf and gave her a strong rubbing of her face, "You will do well there."
Dalayn licked her face, "You do well here!"
"I'll try."
Karnwyr hung his head, "I don't want to go."
"You have to." His mother stated evenly.
The hobbit cuddled into his fur and petted him, "We'll see each other again. Don't worry. I will have to leave some day too."
"Promise?"
She laughed, "I will do my best, Runt."
Dalayn moved forward for a last ear rub and Avera happily obliged and rubbed cheeks with her. Karnwyr looked sad but put his head down for rubs too. She held onto Karnwyr a bit longer than the female cub but she finally let go and rubbed faces with him, "Bye puppies. You be careful, Runt."
Dalayn ran off ahead of her brother but Karnwyr followed at a slower pace. When they got into the woods he looked back and showed Dalayn a picture of his worries about Avera.
"She's with Mom! She's fine." She rubbed faces with her brother as she was traveling in a different direction, "You be fine too."
He watched his sister leave then turned back to watch his mother and Avera walking towards the house. He hoped Dalayn was right but something felt wrong. With one last look, he turned with a whine and ran as fast as he could so he wouldn't have to fight with himself about turning back.