WOW. Writing this story has been such an experience. I want to thank all of you who've finished it, and say that your reviews have driven me to actually write the final chapter. I've been dreading this moment from the start, when I would actually have to end the story. But I can't really say goodbye to Kar or Fell. I should apologize that the past few chapters were rather sub-par, but it's so dang hard to devote time and effort to write something that I'm not required to do for class!

Maybe I will write some more about our favorite wolves, but for now I'm planning on leaving this as-is, so no planned sequel on my end.

Wolf kisses to Dana, who inspired me to start writing this in the first place, way back during homeroom with Mr. Turner, and to wolfgirlnowandforever for allowing me to bounce ideas off of her and introducing me to Wolf's Rain.

Anyhow, on with the story!

The Kerl~

Chapter 14

"I know you've denied yourself the experience because you think it must inevitably end in pain and loneliness.

It's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness. You deserve to love someone,

and be loved in return."

– 'Grace', Stargate SG:1

Fell

"I still don't think we should leave him like this."

"Kipcha will watch out for him, don't worry. This is where he wants to be. He hates nothing more than feeling useless." I turned and gave the snowy mount one last glance before racing to catch up with Cadea. I would be happy to never return to this place.

"Rar says that his presence will attract attention."

I snorted at the thought of an old, mourning dragga drawing attention to Harja. "If anything, he will help deter the rumors. The Varg will see an old wolf who has lost his family, driven to the place where they were last together. Honestly, Rar's presence would attract more attention than Huttser's, and we both know that Huttser felt guilty about Rar being in that position in the first place."

"But I told him that Rar wanted to be there. He knew that Rar saw it as his duty to protect the secrets of Harja." She shook her head, clearly still frustrated with Huttser. "It isn't as though Rar was there alone, either."

"No, but you have to understand Huttser. He has lived his entire life with the belief that a wolf doing anything outside of hunting and mating is unnatural and should avoided at all costs. That was why he was so furious when we discovered that Larka had the Sight. He told me that Rar should live a normal life, and that did not include protecting what he still considers his pack. Huttser is stubborn—there's no changing that."

She stopped abruptly, forcing me to leap to the side to avoid trampling her. Her eyes twinkled and left me with that uneasy feeling in my gut that seemed to flare up whenever she was near me. "You are a lot like him, you know?"

"Like Huttser? I'm nothing like him."

"Of course you are. And before you say anything, Palla agreed with me."

"She did? When?" Palla had died several moons ago, just before Larka had given birth to her own cubs. Her death had been hard on all of us, but Huttser had not recovered. He hadn't wanted to remain with my younger siblings through the winter, choosing instead to do what he could to protect all of his family. They were sad to see him go, but at the same time their blood had been boiling and they were more than eager to begin their lives as adults.

"In the meadow after the Balkar left. She was so proud of you, and she said how much you reminded her of Huttser. She also told me that she could see why I was so drawn to you," she said as she turned away and sat.

I wasn't sure what to do. The way she says things—does things—that make me feel so uncomfortable come to her so naturally. Even if it was out of season, I could still tell what she wanted. Her tail flicked across the powdered ground, revealing the dead leaves beneath the snow. Her head moved a fraction, just enough so that she could gauge my reaction.

She is beyond infuriating.

I felt my blood racing through my veins. I was breathing faster. I had no idea what was happening to me and that angered me further. All I could be sure of was the fact that she enjoyed provoking me like this.

There was nothing for it now, so I leapt at her. My mouth curled in a smile as she predictably dropped and rolled beneath me, causing me to land splayed overtop of her. She nipped at my underbelly. I darted forward and turned, meeting her mischievous eyes. Cadea coiled to return my attack, her rear end sticking up in the air behind her. I noticed her tail flicking back and forth like it did when we hunted.

So I took off running.

We darted and rolled and dodged along the snowy forest floor, unaware of any chill or the damp cold seeping into my paws. She leapt clear over me, landing to my left. I turned right and dropped to the ground as she once more sailed by through the air. Rather than getting up I remained on the ground, surrounded by snow. Heavy panting somewhere behind me (or in front of me…I don't know, I was on my back) alerted me to her location. I closed my eyes and played dead.

That's right. I played. Played like I hadn't done since Larka and I were cubs. I felt like I was going to explode with emotion. Everything that had been keeping me apart from myself and my family, even the forest in which I walked suddenly vanished like smoke. I could feel again. No pain, no anger, just feeling.

"Fell? Are you alright?" She peered down at me with a raised brow.

I smiled back. "Yes. I'm fine."

Larka

"At first Morgra wanted to protect the three cubs. 'If you come with me,' she told them, 'then I will do all I can to protect you from my father's wrath. I can teach you his ways so that you can please him.' The cubs knew of Wolfbane and feared him, but they were even more fearful of what Fenris would say if they went with Morgra. They sent her away, telling her not to come back to tempt them.

"Morgra came again when the cubs were nearly fully grown, but she was not in a compassionate mood. Wolfbane had punished her for failing to bring him the three cubs. He made her barren. Morgra was desperate to keep the young wolves for herself, even though she knew her father would punish her for sparing their lives. Again, she begged them, 'If you come with me, I will do all I can to protect you from my father's wrath. I can teach you his ways so that you can win back his favor.' The cubs were older now and had grown into the powers of the young Putnar. They tried to chase her away, but Morgra was very powerful.

"'Fools!' cried Morgra. 'No one can protect you now. You three are cursed amongst the Lera, for none of the Varg, not even the silly Herla will help defend you from the wrath of Wolfbane! Another moon's time and you shall find yourselves in my father's company.' And as she cried those words a bolt of lightning struck the tree at her back. She disappeared into the night.

"The three wolves were frightened now. The black wolf was sure that they could fight Wolfbane and his servants before the curse took its toll on the friends. The grey wolf was confused – he did not believe in curses, but he was sure that Wolfbane would not stop hunting them. The white wolf felt guilty, for you see, she had a magnificent secret. She knew that the three friends had been blessed by Tor with the Sight, but she was unsure of the power given to them and kept the knowledge to herself. Still, the friends were determined that nothing could separate them. They made a pact with each other, swearing on the ancient human dwelling that they would always continue to fight for one another.

"That winter, Wolfbane sent a terrible snowstorm to disorient the wolves, making game difficult to find. Morgra led the black wolf away from the others, trapping him in a frozen river. She poisoned his mind and convinced him to turn against his friends. The grey and white wolves were then distanced by a fire. Without his friends, the grey wolf began to forget who he was. The white wolf, too, was alone, and thought her two friends to be dead. She grew bitter and blamed Tor for killing her pack.

"Tor took pity on the white wolf, however, and sent her a wolf to guide her. The old wolf travelled with a great eagle, for he too was blessed with the same power as the three friends. The old one instructed the white wolf in the ways of the Sight. He taught her to look into the water and see into the past and future. He showed her how to control her powers. And finally, he showed her how to see through the eyes of his eagle friend."

The story continued on late into the night, drawing to a close as the harsh winter weather settled down to rest. "…And the white wolf nearly fell from the bridge, but she leapt close enough to the edge of the chasm that her friends were able to pull her up. Wolfbane's daughter was defeated. Over time, the wolves powers dwindled so that even speaking to the Lera became difficult for them. The pact they made as cubs, though, kept them true to each other and to themselves. Now it's time to sleep."

"Father! You must tell us what happened to the white wolf!"

"That's enough, Palla," I growled. "Your father said it's time to sleep."

Palla was fuming, her ears flattened against her creamy head. Tsarr would not accept defeat as easily as his sister. "But we must know how the story ends, Mother. Did the white wolf kill the black wolf?"

"Of course she didn't!" It took a moment for me to notice all of the raised brows in the den. Kar was biting back a smile. "I mean, why would she want to when the black wolf was her friend?"

"Tsarr, don't be so stupid," shouted Tsinga.

"Tsinga!"

"But he wasn't paying attention—the three wolves made a pact, so they would never kill each other, right?"

"Larka, I don't think they're ready for the end of the story just yet. Maybe in a year or two…" He winked at me as the cubs leapt to their feet, his words having a rather undesireable affect. "What did I just tell you? Sleep! Now!"

Silenced by the growls of their father, the cubs raced to the back of the den and curled up together. Kar eyed the group warily as he made his way to my side, nestling a little closer than necessary. The den was smaller than the one I'd been born in, but there were less of us to accommodate. We lie facing the cubs with the cold night at our backs to keep the wind and weather from the children. One of the cubs squeaked, causing the other two to erupt in similar expressions of amusement. Kar spoke into my ear loud enough for them to hear. "Why is it that whenever I try to make them behave, they end up laughing at me? I'm their father—they should respect me," he pouted.

"They do respect you…but you are not quite as imposing as you think you are," I whispered loudly.

"Oh really?" I leaned forward and plucked the clump of moss from his throat, raising a brow in question. More laughter from the cubs was silenced with a glare from Kar. "Fine, but see if I tell them how the story ends…" he grumbled into my neck.

Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind, but I couldn't speak with Kar until the cubs fell asleep. Instead, I allowed my mind to wander back over my previous winters, each so vastly different. I recalled Fell and I curling up as cubs, listening with rapt attention to Brassa's tales of Wolfbane and the gods. How naïve our dreams had been back then, hoping to grow old with our pack around us. That was when Morgra had first visited our family.

A breeze picked up, sending a shiver up my spine. Kar pressed closer to me, licking my muzzle. How warm it was in our den. Two winters ago I'd slept in a den of ice. And then last winter… Well, this winter was certainly my favorite by far. And it will be ending, soon. It was for the best, of course, because the cubs were growing bigger and more restless by the day. Still, I did enjoy sharing Kar's warmth through the snowy nights.

Kar shifted, his muzzle pressed against my ear. "I think they're finally asleep."

"I told you the story should have waited until tomorrow."

"I know, but we have to hunt tomorrow. And…I feel like we've been lying to them by not telling them everything that happened. They have a right to know."

"Perhaps you're right, but for now it is our duty to protect them. Long after we fade away the story will live on—that will have to be enough. They will find out some day, but not until they are old enough to understand what really happened." I took a deep breath, clouding my head with his scent. "Sometimes I wonder if I really understand it all myself."

His body shook with contained laughter. "All I know is that I am lucky to have you here, safe and warm against me in our den to look after our family. Fenris knows I couldn't manage the three of them on my own."

"Yes, but I'm also certain that Fenris knows that you would not have any cubs to look after at all if it weren't for me." He curled up around me, blocking the cooler outside air with his body. "Don't go getting any ideas, now."

"Me? Never," he whispered directly into my ear. His breath tickled the sensitive fur there, sending a different kind of shiver up my spine.

"I'm glad to know that you enjoy being a father so much." Tsarr kicked out in his sleep, catching Palla across the muzzle. She whimpered but did not wake up.

"Well, you make it so easy to enjoy…"

"Shhh…I don't want them to wake up."

"Neither do I." We lie in silence for a while, listening to the slow, gentle breathing of the cubs. "Sometimes I stay awake at night because I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, I'll wake up and think this was all a dream. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up outside of Huttser's den and go back to thinking you were dead." There was nothing I could say to him—I had the same fear of waking up to a smarting tail and the knowledge that my brother and my best friend were both gone. Instead, I burrowed my face into his chest, nudging him until his head rested atop mine. I took another breath, allowing his autumnal scent to mix with the dried bracken and the crushed leaves that littered the den. Who needed fresh air when this smell was available to me all of the time?

There was something familiar about our current position. Kar noticed it as well. "Promise me that when you wake up in the morning you won't forget who you are and pick a fight with me?"

"I'll do my best," I whispered as the rhythmic pounding of his heart lulled me to sleep.

~N=K^*

"He heard of the wolf's love of his cubs and how the little ones would gambol and tumble in the snow,

until their paws were tired with playing and they would run back home and bury their tiny silver muzzles in

their mother's fur."

- Fire Bringer, David Clement-Davies

THE END

If you haven't done so, go ahead and check out my other Sight fic, After the Fall. It's a one-shot that got me writing this story and could be called a pre-quel, I suppose.