Chapter Six

A few hours after finding the wolf, Goldpaw awoke.

"What happened?" he asked rubbing the lump on his head.

"Nothing much." The ferret glanced at the wolf.

"Is it dead?"

"No, I don't have the heart to kill right now."

"I see. So, when do you think he'll wake up?"

"She."

"'Scuse me?"

"She. The wolf is a she. It's Jio Blackpaw."

"How do you know?"

"Everybeast knows me." Jio had awoken. Goldpaw backed away. "Don't worry, I don't bite," she said, smiling.

"I don't trust this one, mouse." The ferret whispered to his companion.

"What's your name, mousy?"

"Why should I tell you, wolf?"

"'Cause you know mine, so I should know yours. And what about your friend the little scaredy ferret?"

"Hey! I ain't no scaredy ferret!"

"OK, then, ferret, then wot's yer friend's name?"

"She don't got no name, so buzz off!"

"Well, this was originally my camp, so you should buzz off." She smiled slyly.

"Actually, wolf, this ain't your camp. I moved you. We are approximately." She sat thinking for a few seconds. ".One day from there."

"But it's only been about four hours! How'd you do that?! One mile walk with a full-grown wolf and ferret." She pondered that for a while.

"I never said one days march, it was one days run." She smiled and winked at Goldpaw, who was also looking bewildered. He relaxed once he knew she was playing with the wolf.

"Yeah, old mousy girl here can run seven times as fast as mouse," he said calculating the time quickly. Jio looked amazed that a mousemaid, as the one sitting in front of her, could be that strong. Suddenly, she caught onto the joke.

"Yer lyin'!"

"Maybe," the mouse said, trying to stifle giggles at the same time.

"Ha! You had me goin' for a while, there, mouse!" They all had a good, hardy laugh.

Later, they had a whole conversation and introduction.

"You hungry, Jio?"

Jio stopped what she was doing. "Oh, um, no, I had a nice meal of mole before I left."

"Mole? You ate a mole?"

"I was, um, hungry?" she said questionally.

"What do we do now, mouse? We are in the presence of a beast that could eat us."

"Don't worry, ferret, we'll be all right. She won't eat us." That way how thy always talked, 'Hey, mouse', or 'What's goin' on, ferret'. As if neither of them had a name. "So, wolf, I'm guessing you're not hungry?" They were both really nervous being in the presence of a killer.