Panesh sat in the cabin for a long time before he heard footsteps, a very welcome noise. The man came
in again, carrying the wolf who had saved him. Her foot had blood on it, and she had several bites and
scratches. She was conversing softly to Nikomel, who walked next to the man. Panesh hung his head in
shame as Nikomel looked down at him.
"Panesh," he said sharply. "Why are you here?"
Panesh hesitated.
"I was...," he began. "I mean, I..."
Nikomel growled inpatiantly.
"You were what? Do you know how much trouble you caused? What gave you the right to follow me?"
As soon as he had come in, the man had taken the other wolf over next to the fire. He set her down in
the big armchair, and pulled out a long stick. He tapped the wolf with the stick and muttered
something. The wolf, ingoring the man, turned her head and looked at Nikomel sharply. He fell silent.
Then the wolf turned to Panesh, staring at him kindly.
"Panesh."
Panesh whimepered.
"Don't be afraid Panesh. It been awhile since I've seen you. You probably don't remember me, do you?"
Panesh shook his head, his eyes downcast.
"I was your watcher. You were just a little thing then. Hardly more then a ball of fur. You've grown."
Panesh did not reply.
"How did you get here, Panesh? Then den is a long way away."
"I...I followed Nikomel," Panesh said shyly.
The wolf smiled.
"That's what I thought. Were you scared?"
Panesh looked down at his front paws.
"A little..."
"You did well, to do as I said back in the woods. A big part of being brave is knowing what you can and
can't handle. I think you will be a great Alpha someday, Panesh. Did the bear hurt you?"
At this, Nikomel lost his sharp look and glanced at Panesh, concerned.
"Not really. But I got a scratch."
The wolf looked at the man again and pawed at the sleeve of his robes. Once she had gotten his
attention, she reached over and nosed Panesh, whimpering. The man looked over and chuckled.
"All right, all right. I'll do him first. But no getting up and injuring yourself even more."
The man moved to the other side of the room and reached for Panesh. Panesh ducked and ran over next to
the other wolf. She lowered her head next to his.
"Don't be afraid. He's just make sure your OK. I'm Calli, by the way."
At that mement, there was a slight disruption, in the form of another human running into the room at
top speed and narrowly missing the first man. Calli barked cheerfully, and he hurred towards her.
"Goodness, you can't go anywhere without getting into trouble, can you?"
Nikomel sat down beside Panesh. For a moment Panesh was afraid Nikomel was going to scold him, but when
he spoke, his voice was gentle. He wasn't looking at Panesh, but at the man who had just come in.
"Seeing as your here, Panesh, I might as well fill you in. Calli is a human."
Panesh gasped, and would have rammed into Calli and barked at her furiously, had Nikomel not held him
back, putting his paw in front of Panesh, and blocking his route.
"She is not a bad human, Panesh. She helps us, and in turn, we help her. But not all human are good, as
you already know. A bad human wanted to harm her. She had the power to turn into a wolf, like us, so we
helped her hide from the bad human. That is her mate, the young boy. They have been seperated, because
of her need to hide. It had to be kept secret, and everyone she knew thought that she had died. You can
imagine what a shock it mist have been to see her again, alive and well.
"She would have stayed hidden, you see, but her mate missed her. He tryed to kill himself. But they
saved him, and she was allowed to turn back into a human, so he wouldn't try to do it again. It was for
her own good, too, Panesh. She missed him more then was good for her. But nobody else except the pack,
her mate, and her family, know she is still alive. And now you know, little Panesh. You must keep it a
secret. You can tell nobody, nobody at all. Calli's life depends on your secrecy."
Panesh hesitated, looking at the wolf who saved him from a bear, who watched him when he was just a
baby pup. She didn't look as if she had been put though all Nikomel said, but Nikoeml never lied.
"I can keep a secret."
Nikomel nodded.
"Good. You will make a fine Alpha one day, as Calli said."
Panesh swelled with pride.
After all, he could do anything.
in again, carrying the wolf who had saved him. Her foot had blood on it, and she had several bites and
scratches. She was conversing softly to Nikomel, who walked next to the man. Panesh hung his head in
shame as Nikomel looked down at him.
"Panesh," he said sharply. "Why are you here?"
Panesh hesitated.
"I was...," he began. "I mean, I..."
Nikomel growled inpatiantly.
"You were what? Do you know how much trouble you caused? What gave you the right to follow me?"
As soon as he had come in, the man had taken the other wolf over next to the fire. He set her down in
the big armchair, and pulled out a long stick. He tapped the wolf with the stick and muttered
something. The wolf, ingoring the man, turned her head and looked at Nikomel sharply. He fell silent.
Then the wolf turned to Panesh, staring at him kindly.
"Panesh."
Panesh whimepered.
"Don't be afraid Panesh. It been awhile since I've seen you. You probably don't remember me, do you?"
Panesh shook his head, his eyes downcast.
"I was your watcher. You were just a little thing then. Hardly more then a ball of fur. You've grown."
Panesh did not reply.
"How did you get here, Panesh? Then den is a long way away."
"I...I followed Nikomel," Panesh said shyly.
The wolf smiled.
"That's what I thought. Were you scared?"
Panesh looked down at his front paws.
"A little..."
"You did well, to do as I said back in the woods. A big part of being brave is knowing what you can and
can't handle. I think you will be a great Alpha someday, Panesh. Did the bear hurt you?"
At this, Nikomel lost his sharp look and glanced at Panesh, concerned.
"Not really. But I got a scratch."
The wolf looked at the man again and pawed at the sleeve of his robes. Once she had gotten his
attention, she reached over and nosed Panesh, whimpering. The man looked over and chuckled.
"All right, all right. I'll do him first. But no getting up and injuring yourself even more."
The man moved to the other side of the room and reached for Panesh. Panesh ducked and ran over next to
the other wolf. She lowered her head next to his.
"Don't be afraid. He's just make sure your OK. I'm Calli, by the way."
At that mement, there was a slight disruption, in the form of another human running into the room at
top speed and narrowly missing the first man. Calli barked cheerfully, and he hurred towards her.
"Goodness, you can't go anywhere without getting into trouble, can you?"
Nikomel sat down beside Panesh. For a moment Panesh was afraid Nikomel was going to scold him, but when
he spoke, his voice was gentle. He wasn't looking at Panesh, but at the man who had just come in.
"Seeing as your here, Panesh, I might as well fill you in. Calli is a human."
Panesh gasped, and would have rammed into Calli and barked at her furiously, had Nikomel not held him
back, putting his paw in front of Panesh, and blocking his route.
"She is not a bad human, Panesh. She helps us, and in turn, we help her. But not all human are good, as
you already know. A bad human wanted to harm her. She had the power to turn into a wolf, like us, so we
helped her hide from the bad human. That is her mate, the young boy. They have been seperated, because
of her need to hide. It had to be kept secret, and everyone she knew thought that she had died. You can
imagine what a shock it mist have been to see her again, alive and well.
"She would have stayed hidden, you see, but her mate missed her. He tryed to kill himself. But they
saved him, and she was allowed to turn back into a human, so he wouldn't try to do it again. It was for
her own good, too, Panesh. She missed him more then was good for her. But nobody else except the pack,
her mate, and her family, know she is still alive. And now you know, little Panesh. You must keep it a
secret. You can tell nobody, nobody at all. Calli's life depends on your secrecy."
Panesh hesitated, looking at the wolf who saved him from a bear, who watched him when he was just a
baby pup. She didn't look as if she had been put though all Nikomel said, but Nikoeml never lied.
"I can keep a secret."
Nikomel nodded.
"Good. You will make a fine Alpha one day, as Calli said."
Panesh swelled with pride.
After all, he could do anything.
