Nikomel sat in his den, thinking. In the few times he had seen Marenvia, (or Calli, or Hermione) he had
noticed a big change. She was much more cheerful, and the haunted look in her eyes had started to fade.
No longer did she speak with a hidden dread in her voice. She had so much more life, you would have
thought she was a different wolf! Err...person.
In the two years she had lived with his pack, never a day had gone by without her trudging up the hill
by the lake and staring down at the village. Calli, as she had insisted on him calling her now, had
loved everyone in the pack, but he knew she was lonely. A human cannot survive with only animals for
company. Tamed animals are said to be a human's best friend, but even when tamed, a human needs another
human to love and watch over her.
He was glad Calli had found that person. She deserved to be happy. All the same, he missed her. For
quite a few days after she left, he had gotten up and gone straight to the main hall, forgetting that a
new cub-watcher had not been assigned.
The rest of the pack, most likely, didn't miss Calli. A few had been suprised, and the pups would
whined for her in the evenings, but now they had all moved on. Nikomel thought it rather unfair.
He sat up on Calli's hill, as he had come to call it, and watched the moon rise. Tonight, Calli would
call him to a little hut in the middle of the woods. There, he would meet with the man who led the
fight against the evil being. Dumbldore, Calli had called him.
A sudden voice at his shoulder startled him out of his dream-like state.
"Nikomel, the pups are back in the den. Who shall I send down to watch them?"
The voice belonged to Carina, the packs temporary pup-watcher. A sleek, silver wolf, she moved like the
wind, making her a very skilled hunter. Her gentle temperment made it easy to befriend her.
"I will. I am done here."
Carina gazed at him quietly out of her small, green eyes.
"Are you sure? I could go instead."
"No. You must stay, for you will lead the hunt tonight."
Fliking her ears back in a suprised fashion, she regarded him curiously.
"I am not an Alpha. I have no right to lead the hunt. Why should you not instead?"
Nikomel turned to look at her abruptly.
"I grant you permission. It is not your concern where I will be tonight. I am going out."
Carina dipped her head, silently accepting the mild rebuke.
"Please forgive me. I will gather the trackers now, if you have nothing to speak to me of."
She sat stil for a few seconds, then turned and plodded silently back down the hill the the watching
rock, where the three tracker wolves sat, ready for the hunt to begin.
Nikomel sat on the hill for a while longer, then he himself turned and went down to the den.
~~~
Upon entering the nursery, Nikomels attitude changed abruptly. He let down his guard, and his eyes
sparkled as he gazed around at the year's litter of pups.
He had only just sat down, when a small, furry, something leaped up onto his back and howled cheerfully.
Nikomel shook himself playfully a few times. The furry thing on his back squealed and toppled off.
After a quick survey of the black and white puffball at his feet, Nikomel regonized it as Panesh, the
chosen pup. If all went well, Panesh would become to next Alpha. Nikomel himself had chosen him.
Panesh was a wild, playful pup. It seemed as though he never stopped moving. He had passed his Alpha
Test with flyig colors, scoring high in everything, except self-control.
Nikomel reached out his paw and turned Panesh over onto his belly. Panesh was still for a moment,
before scrambling to get his legs under him and standing up. He looked at Nikomel excitedly.
"Guess what? Guess what?" he squealed, turning in little circles.
"You caught a bear?"
Panesh shook his head solemnly.
"Hmm...You grew an extra tail?"
Panesh peered at his backside before replying.
"Nope!"
"Did you find a secret tunnel?"
Panesh shook his head disapointedly, before bouncing back to his cheerfull, jumpy self.
"What is it then?"
Panesh puffed himself up importantly.
"I won today's race," he boasted. "I was the fasted pup in the whole den!"
Nikomel chuckled.
"That's very good, Panesh. But maybe you should try and help some of the other pups run faster. I'm
sure you would be a wonderful teacher, and you might make a few new friends."
Panesh looked at Nikomel thoughtfully.
"I guess I could," he said slowly. "But what if someone gets faster then me?"
"I'm sure they won't," Nikomel assured him. "Your to fast for them."
Panesh puffed himself up again.
"I am, aren't I? Nobody can beat me!"
After pronouncing this, he scrambled off.
Nikomel smiled, but he didn't have much time to reflect on little Panesh. His keen ears has picked up a
wolf howling. The message was, quite simply,
~~~
Come to the cabin
~~~
Nikomel jumped up and rushed to the main room. He quickly gave Gwela pup-watching duty for the rest of
the evening. Then he rushed out of the cave and down the well-worn train to the abandoned cabin.
noticed a big change. She was much more cheerful, and the haunted look in her eyes had started to fade.
No longer did she speak with a hidden dread in her voice. She had so much more life, you would have
thought she was a different wolf! Err...person.
In the two years she had lived with his pack, never a day had gone by without her trudging up the hill
by the lake and staring down at the village. Calli, as she had insisted on him calling her now, had
loved everyone in the pack, but he knew she was lonely. A human cannot survive with only animals for
company. Tamed animals are said to be a human's best friend, but even when tamed, a human needs another
human to love and watch over her.
He was glad Calli had found that person. She deserved to be happy. All the same, he missed her. For
quite a few days after she left, he had gotten up and gone straight to the main hall, forgetting that a
new cub-watcher had not been assigned.
The rest of the pack, most likely, didn't miss Calli. A few had been suprised, and the pups would
whined for her in the evenings, but now they had all moved on. Nikomel thought it rather unfair.
He sat up on Calli's hill, as he had come to call it, and watched the moon rise. Tonight, Calli would
call him to a little hut in the middle of the woods. There, he would meet with the man who led the
fight against the evil being. Dumbldore, Calli had called him.
A sudden voice at his shoulder startled him out of his dream-like state.
"Nikomel, the pups are back in the den. Who shall I send down to watch them?"
The voice belonged to Carina, the packs temporary pup-watcher. A sleek, silver wolf, she moved like the
wind, making her a very skilled hunter. Her gentle temperment made it easy to befriend her.
"I will. I am done here."
Carina gazed at him quietly out of her small, green eyes.
"Are you sure? I could go instead."
"No. You must stay, for you will lead the hunt tonight."
Fliking her ears back in a suprised fashion, she regarded him curiously.
"I am not an Alpha. I have no right to lead the hunt. Why should you not instead?"
Nikomel turned to look at her abruptly.
"I grant you permission. It is not your concern where I will be tonight. I am going out."
Carina dipped her head, silently accepting the mild rebuke.
"Please forgive me. I will gather the trackers now, if you have nothing to speak to me of."
She sat stil for a few seconds, then turned and plodded silently back down the hill the the watching
rock, where the three tracker wolves sat, ready for the hunt to begin.
Nikomel sat on the hill for a while longer, then he himself turned and went down to the den.
~~~
Upon entering the nursery, Nikomels attitude changed abruptly. He let down his guard, and his eyes
sparkled as he gazed around at the year's litter of pups.
He had only just sat down, when a small, furry, something leaped up onto his back and howled cheerfully.
Nikomel shook himself playfully a few times. The furry thing on his back squealed and toppled off.
After a quick survey of the black and white puffball at his feet, Nikomel regonized it as Panesh, the
chosen pup. If all went well, Panesh would become to next Alpha. Nikomel himself had chosen him.
Panesh was a wild, playful pup. It seemed as though he never stopped moving. He had passed his Alpha
Test with flyig colors, scoring high in everything, except self-control.
Nikomel reached out his paw and turned Panesh over onto his belly. Panesh was still for a moment,
before scrambling to get his legs under him and standing up. He looked at Nikomel excitedly.
"Guess what? Guess what?" he squealed, turning in little circles.
"You caught a bear?"
Panesh shook his head solemnly.
"Hmm...You grew an extra tail?"
Panesh peered at his backside before replying.
"Nope!"
"Did you find a secret tunnel?"
Panesh shook his head disapointedly, before bouncing back to his cheerfull, jumpy self.
"What is it then?"
Panesh puffed himself up importantly.
"I won today's race," he boasted. "I was the fasted pup in the whole den!"
Nikomel chuckled.
"That's very good, Panesh. But maybe you should try and help some of the other pups run faster. I'm
sure you would be a wonderful teacher, and you might make a few new friends."
Panesh looked at Nikomel thoughtfully.
"I guess I could," he said slowly. "But what if someone gets faster then me?"
"I'm sure they won't," Nikomel assured him. "Your to fast for them."
Panesh puffed himself up again.
"I am, aren't I? Nobody can beat me!"
After pronouncing this, he scrambled off.
Nikomel smiled, but he didn't have much time to reflect on little Panesh. His keen ears has picked up a
wolf howling. The message was, quite simply,
~~~
Come to the cabin
~~~
Nikomel jumped up and rushed to the main room. He quickly gave Gwela pup-watching duty for the rest of
the evening. Then he rushed out of the cave and down the well-worn train to the abandoned cabin.
