The Girl

Her blue eyes sparkled, and her tiny hands fluttered with anticipation as her mother wove two golden yellow braids down the back of her small head. Plump rosy cheeks lifted in an angelic smile, as she was given a basket filled with dainty morsels her mother had spent the previous night preparing. Buried within the sandwiches, cakes and small fruits was a small bottle of medicine.

"Now take care that the medicine doesn't spill," her mother cautioned. "It's extremely valuable, I risked my life to get it. And take care you don't talk to any strangers you remember what happened the last time."

"Yes, mother, I promise," the girl nodded solemnly. "I'll do exactly as I'm told."

The woman drew a bright red hooded cape around the little girl's shoulders, a cape the color of a sunny ripe tomato. Or blood.

"I'm still worried about you going into the woods alone," Mother frowned. "Please promise you'll keep on the path this time. Your Grandmother needs this medicine..."

"I know, Mother, the girl tried to assure her. "I won't talk to strangers, not like before..."

"Yes, well, we all know the results of your past mistakes. It was lucky your Grandmother was healthy then, what with all the trouble you caused..."

"I know, Mother..."

..."And then of all things, to make up a story about a wolf..."

"Mother!" The girl's face reddened, and tears welled up in her big blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Mother."

The older woman paused. "Alright, I know. I didn't mean to upset you. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that even though the wolf and most of his family have been killed, there's still a few of them left out there, and they can't be too happy about being wiped out by us, especially for no good reason."

The girl pouted. "But it wasn't really us that did the killing, right, Mother? It was mostly the men of the village and the older boys, and they were so nice to want to help us like that. Even if what I had said about being attacked wasn't really true."

"Yes, I know, dear, but there are foolish, silly people in the world who don't see it that way. They think you purposely lied to get rid of all the wolves. But even if you did, so what? Wolves are dangerous, and they could have eaten you. The less of them we have to worry about, the better."

The little girl's face brightened. "So it was alright for me to lie about being attacked by a wolf, after all?"

"Well," hesitated her mother, "it's wrong to lie, but sometimes you have to bad things in order to do good. It's like the medicine you're taking to Grandma I didn't want to tell you but perhaps it's better that you know. It's a magic elixir that I stole from an evil witch who lives in the woods. She had created a potion for her own use, because she, too, was suffering from a strange illness. I heard about it from the good doctor. He told me if I could purchase it from her, it would surely cure our dear grandmother. But I knew I could never afford whatever price she asked she would probably demand something far too precious for me to give. So I stole it."

The little girl's eyes were as wide as two saucers. "Stole her medicine!"

"Don't be alarmed, child, she can't come after us. She's on her deathbed, don't you see? She can't get her elixir, because we stole it and we're giving it to Grandma instead. So the evil witch will die, and our dear Granny will live!"

She smiled brightly and adjusted her daughter's cape. "So you see, my dear, sometimes good people have to do bad things in order for good things to happen. And not having any wolves or witches around is definitely a good thing. Now run along Granny is expecting you before sundown."

2.The Wolf

The she-wolf paced the rock and lifted her nose to the cold morning air, trying to pick up a scent in the wind. She was tense, had been for weeks. Her great opportunity would finally come, if she could just be patient a little longer...

"Graytail, get some rest already, you've been at this for days." A voice behind her pulled her from her thoughts. Another wolf, a smaller male, loped out of the mist to stand by her side.

"But Redeye, you don't understand...she told me she was coming... she had a vision..."

"Who?"

"The Black Woman! She had a vision that the little girl would make her way once more through the forest. As if she hasn't done enough to us already!"

"But why would she be coming back?"

"How should I know! But the Black Woman said she would be carrying the very elixir that her horrible mother stole the one that she so desperately needs to get well again!"

"Graytail, are you sure your friend's prediction was correct? If she's that ill she could just be delirious."

"The Black Woman's never been wrong."

"But why would the girl come back? Aren't the humans generally afraid of the woods?"

"Not anymore, after what they did to us! And I shall have my revenge for that! That little girl made up a horrid lie about my beloved mate, who did her no harm, and now lies in a cold grave with the rest of our family! Well, I'll show her what it means to lie! I'll tear her throat out and rip that cape of hers to shreds, and the basket as well!"

"And what, exactly, will that accomplish? Except to incite the humans further against us?"

He had a point.

"Well, would you prefer me to send a welcoming committee to escort her to her destination?" Graytail wasn't in the mood to be reasonable.

Her brother sighed. "You just don't get it. We can't beat them, they're capable of anything. How do you even know she's coming alone?"

"But the Black Woman…"

"Never mind the Black Woman," Redeye replied. "Look at you, Gray. You're so consumed with hate that you're not even thinking. You want to take stupid risks and put all our lives in danger."

"I'm not asking you to join me!" She said angrily. "I can do this myself!"

"But you're in charge of the pack now, and you should know better. Killing that girl would only bring more wrath upon what's left of our family. We don't need any more violence."

He changed his tone. "Graytail, I've said this before, why don't we just move away from here? Far away. Find us a place where we won't be hunted to extinction, we won't have to hide or watch our backs all the time. It'll take some searching, but…."

"No," said Graytail, asserting her authority. "Running away is not an option. If we start now, we'll never stop. We will have to make our final stand here, and if that means we all die, then at least we die with honor. And as the leader of the pack that is my final say!"

The discussion was over, and Redeye knew it was hopeless. His sister was too stubborn, and her grief had hardened her soul and embittered her beyond all logical reasoning. She would continue to make rash and unfavorable decisions, and it was only a matter of time before the whole pack paid the ultimate price for her folly.