Hello all,

My W entry is very predictable. I live in a country where wolves are running rampant all over the place. That's why I like to write about them often in my stories. They were a scary reality for the Macedonians, too. I intend this tale as a prequel for another Illyrian Winter tale. You must beware, my friends. Old Zacynthos is still prowling somewhere out there........

All the best wishes, Read and enjoy,

// NorthernLight

W Is For Wolves

Old Zacynthos was a very old wolf. He had passed his twelfth winter some time ago. That was a venerable age for a creature out in the wilderness. He was still feeling young and strong, but with the wisdom and experience that came from old age, innumerable hunts and chases. He had been the Alpha male for his own fierce wolf pack for many a year now. Many cubs had been sired by him and they had grown into fine and strong wolves.

Old Zacynthos had lived in several places. When he was a young cub he had been living in a big forest near a stone wall with many people and houses behind them. There was much game to be had and his pack was successful - until the day when the Golden Maned and Auburn Maned man boys came into their forest. They were small and innocent then, and seemed like two most tasty and juicy morsels. They were very reckless, going all by themselves into the forest, even staying after sunset. They brought their small puppies and kittens as an extra bonus, too.

When the wolf pack started to chase them they found that they were not such an easy pray as they though. They took themselves and their small pets out of harms way, climbing a big tree. The wolves waited for them, knowing that they would at long last fall asleep and fall down into their eager and hungry maws.

The wolf pack was so eager and reckless when they waited for their easy pray to fall down from the tree that they did not notice the hunting party until it was far too late. Many men with spears and fierce hunting dogs came at them, killing all but two on the spot. Zacynthos was one of the survivors, Lykia the She Wolf the other. They escaped the mayhem, swearing revenge on the golden and auburn pair.

They almost got it some years later on. Then they were living in another wood, far away from the dangerous city with its fierce hunting parties. Once more the Golden Maned and Auburn Maned ones ventured into their territory. Now Zacynthos and Lykia were the Alpha male and female of their own proud and very dangerous wolf pack. The Golden Maned one had suffered a serious injury. He was still and unmoving, and easy prey - but he was fiercely defended by his Auburn Maned friend and their dogs. Now they were no mere puppies, no, they had grown into dangerous, very big hunting dogs. There were also two big and bad mannered four legged brutes, one black as a thunder cloud and the other shining brown like a chestnut tree. They had long manes and big, sharp hooves. Men called those animals "horses". Zacynthos thought that he had the Golden one in his hungry maws. Then he found that "horses" were no ordinary forest animals with sane and normal fear of ravenous wolves. The black one actually attacked him, violently kicking and neighing. He was so surprised by this audacity that he was badly injured. His right forepaw was sprained, almost broken. He had to withdraw together with his pack, nursing his bad leg for many a day.

The years went by. Zacynthos and Lykia moved on to another, even more remote forest. This one was so far away that they never met any humans at all. There was just a fair haired, green eyed woman living on her own in a woodland cave. She loved all animals, even wolves and vipers and she and her dogs were no danger to Zacynthos and his pack.

Now Zacynthos was a very old wolf. Eventually he would pass into oblivion - but he still wanted his revenge on the Golden Maned and Auburn Maned Ones. His hopes to achieve it seemed scant, though.

One day he spotted a party riding through the autumn forest when he surveyed his woodland realm from a cragged mountain peak. Their horses were thunder black and shining chestnut. The sun shone and glimmered in Golden and Auburn hair. Two fierce dogs ran around the horses' hooves.

It was THEM! His long time adversaries, the only ones that had ever managed to defeat him and his pack!

// "Well, here they come, right into my realm. They will not leave it alive, " Old Zacynthos mused to himself as he climbed down the cragged boulder. "Soon I and my pack will have our revenge!" //

Old Zacynthos howled to call for his pack. Now there was a new and most dangerous pray in their forest. They would have to use all their skill and cunning to hunt for it.

The End