Pack Life
After each wolf greeted Adren, their alpha, William, led the hunters and Adren out of the den for Adren's first hunt. Memories of the prehistory hunts came to Adren as he followed William as he and the more experienced hunters tracked down a scent or sign of prey.
He remembered Kel putting his nose to the ground trying to smell out caribou as the pack were doing. He recalled the thrill the hunts always gave him, the same thrill he got when the pack spotted a rabbit.
Adren began chasing the hare through the woods followed discretely by the pack. He ran through brambles and leapt over holes until his prey darted into its hollow. He began digging and sticking his snout inside the hole in an attempt to retrieve his lost prey.
Leave it, William told him. It was too fast.
Disappointment flooded Adren and stayed with him until the pack and him left the woods and snuck toward some cowboys and their herd of cattle.
Stay close to me, Adren William told him as the pack howled letting any other pack know this was their prey. These humans will try to kill you with their lead bullets and though they cannot kill you, they will see our healing abilities and become suspicious.
Remember rule number one that Constance taught you.
Never reveal the Night World to humans, Adren replied solemnly.
Good now let's hunt! William exclaimed and ran past the boy.
With an excited yip, Adren joined the hunt.
The pack easily stirred the herd into a stampede amidst curses from the cowboys. As the humans shot at the pack, they isolated the weakest heifer and steered it toward the woods. Then the pack followed their stolen prey, leaving the cowboys to calm the herd and rationalize the wolves' strange technique.
The pack allowed Adren to make all the strikes to the cow's sides and rump while they tired the beast out. Finally when blood loss and fatigue took it toils, the bovine collapsed.
Together, the wolves dragged the cow back to their den and everyone ate heartily of the flesh. Since today was Adren's day, William allowed a breach of etiquette and relinquished the heart to him. The night passed with the howls of celebration filling the sky but all too soon it had to end. Before long, the pack scattered to back to their human homes, some staying to ensure the den stayed their own. Constance, William, Mary and Adren loped back to their cabin and readied for bed.
"Did ye have fun tonight?" Constance asked Adren as she spread of a pallet near the stove for him to sleep on.
He nodded, "The first parts where I was changing and was scared that William was going to kill me wasn't too fun." Adren shrugged as he continued, "But once we hunted I couldn't believe I wasn't born in the form of a wolf."
"Nor could I." Constance said with a smile as she finished the pallet and Adren lay down. I'm glad you don't resent the gift Constance has given you. William told him as Constance crawled into her bed with her daughter and husband.
"It's a good gift." Adren replied faintly, recalling the words his past self. He shook himself as Constance blew out the lamp, sending the cabin into darkness.
William, why don't you ever talk aloud? Adren asked a moment later.
Because I cannot talk. William replied. Pack law decrees if one wants to become leader of their pack they must challenge and kill the alpha. During my battle for leadership, my foe destroyed what would be my voice box in human form. Thus is life among our kind.
How can the beauty I saw tonight be a part of the picture of bloodthirstiness you describe to me? Adren inquired.
William chuckled, You are truly Fianna, Adren. Not only in appearances but in heart as well.
What is a Fianna?
Fianna's are described as a pure souled wolf. It cannot see evil, it does not understand hate. All it knows is purity and light. William explained.
I don't think I'm a Fianna then, Adren told him quietly. I understand hate all too well.
William was silent for a moment before replying.
Go to sleep, Adren. It's late.
In the morning, Adren and Mary carried baskets into the woods to collect berries near the den. Along the way, the two met other younger members of the pack's families as they went about their tasks. Some were in their human forms dressed like any child of the day, others were wolves seen helping pulling plows, herding sheep or other live stock on nearby farms skirting the woods.
"Is this normal?" Adren asked Mary as they passed a woman attempting to bathe a struggling pup in a water trough. "This looks like a small werewolf town."
"Of course it looks like a werewolf town, it is one!" Mary said with a giggle. "Luna Grove is an town a bunch Night People formed years ago with some human Indians."
"I haven't seen any."
Mary smiled brightly as she spotted a bush full of plump berries and raced ahead, forcing Adren to follow.
"The Indians aren't here right now," Mary explained. "They followed a herd of buffalo and won't be back until next year."
Adren began filling a basket watching the young girl stuff purple-black mulberries into her mouth. Once one basket was full of mulberries, they later discovered a pecan tree where Adren knocked down the brown nuts so Mary could collected them in the basket with little trouble.
Their next stop was to gather some wild radishes that grew along a creek bed near a farm. Two pups that were supposed to be herding goats warmly greeted the two as they pulled the vegetables from the earth. Mary and Adren left shortly before the pups' mother discovered her prized roses being gobbled up by the wayward livestock.
By lunchtime, Constance had two baskets of berries, another full basket of pecans, radishes and a jar of goat's milk. After a meal of biscuits and gravy, William assigned Adren the task of gathering and cutting firewood.
Alone in the woods, Adren shucked off his clothes, changing into a wolf and carried his pants in his mouth as he began stuffing them with kindling. Once his pants were full, he changed back into his human form and tied his shirt around him to fill with heavier wood. When his shirt was laden with wood, Adren changed back, snatched up his pants and dragged the wood back to the cabin.
William laughed at the scene Adren presented dragging his clothes loaded with firewood toward the man. He never expected his newest pack member and adopted son to be so inventive as use his clothes to retrieve firewood.
If I knew you were going to do that, I would have hooked you up to wagon. William told him scratching the wolf behind the ears and began stacking the wood into a pile.
Could you do that? Adren inquired. I don't like the possibility of sleeping in clothes full of splinters.
I'll have Constance hem up a pair of my pants and give you one of my shirts to sleep in. William said with a chuckle. But first I'll hitch you up to that wagon.
Five minutes later, Adren was back in the woods, this time with William, dragging a small pine wagon that steadily filled with heavy timber. To Adren, the load seemed to weigh no more than a bag of flour but in reality weighed several hundred pounds.
The sun was beginning to set by the time William and Adren dragged the wagon back to the cabin and decided to leave the stacking for tomorrow. Constance gave the boy his new clothes as William and him washed up for supper.
"We need tae go tomorrow into the town proper tae get more flour." Constance announced at the dinner table later.
Adren looked up from his plate of boiled radishes, biscuits and venison.
I hear a bunch of vampires are there, William told his wife. Do we really need to go into town?
Constance nodded, "Adren needs ta be havin' clothes of his own and Mary needs some new shoes."
William gave his wife a curt nod. All right then, I'll take Adren and the pup into town in the morning after the boy and I stack wood.