Chapter 4

I do not own Spice and Wolf or Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu

After cleaning up and making sure the big cast iron stove was off, they settled in for the evening. Elizabeth read while her grandparents watched a bit of TV until he started dozing off on the couch, then he straightened up and lumbered off to bed and a well earned night's sleep.

The two women continued reading quietly until her grandmother stifled a huge yawn and she too, went off to bed.

Elizabeth climbed the stairs and went to her room where she nearly got the biggest shock of her young life.

Sitting on her bed as if she owned the place, was a young girl, a very beautiful, very naked young girl, one with reddish brown hair, a great pair of wolf's ears and a luxurious reddish brown tail with a white tip that she was grooming.

Elizabeth gawked and was about to scream when the young girl spoke; she asked, "Are you the one who planted my wheat? Out in the woods?"

Quickly recovering her scattered wits, Elizabeth asked in a low voice, "Are you Holo? Are you the wolf in the wheat? Are you my ancient ancestor?"

The wolf girl smiled and hopped off the bed, she stood facing Elizabeth, utterly confident and utterly unconcerned about her nudity and replied, "And what if I am all of these things you think I am?"

Elizabeth stammered, "W...Well..It would be very cool!"

The girl stood looking around before replying, Elizabeth got a good look at her, she stood about her own height and was about her own physical development in size and looked like she could use a bath or was it that her skin was tanned?

The girl looked at her and grinned, Elizabeth caught a glimpse of sharp fangs as she replied, "Yes, I am all of those things. Have you any wine? For I am thirsty!"

Elizabeth spluttered and exclaimed in a strangled voice, "Wine? I don't have any wine, I'm only 14, I wouldn't have any wine up here in my room!"

Holo frowned slightly and asked again, "Is there no wine in this house?"

"Of course there is, my grandmother likes a little glass now and again. I can't just go get some, not at this hour, my grandparents have gone to bed. It will have to wait until morning!" Replied Elizabeth firmly.

Holo sat down in a huff and crossed her arms over her small bosom for a few moments, then she began grooming her luxurious tail.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Elizabeth handed her a good hair brush and said quietly, "Here, this ought to be better, it always get my tangles out."

Wordlessly, Holo took the brush and began working on her tail with determination.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth said quietly, "Look, assuming you really are Holo, how did you get up here in my room?"

The girl paused in her brushing her tail and looked at Eliabeth with her red tinged, amber eyes.

Her beautiful mouth curved into a smile and she replied, "You invited me when you planted some of my wheat, the wheat I wore around my neck so long ago. That wheat was put in that little bag by the man I fell in love with, in spite of my better judgment!"

Elizabeth frowned and muttered half to herself, "How'm I gonna explain this? Grandpa will be so pissed off that I touched that bag. What'm I gonna do?" she was worried now, explaining Holo was going to be a real test of her abilities.

Elizabeth was not one to make up stories on the fly which was why she had fretted so when her grandpa had noticed the big ladder she had left propped up against the pillar in the old barn.

A soft chuckling brought her back to the present, and she realized that Holo was enjoying her discomfiture immensely.

"This isn't funny!" griped Elizabeth, "My grandparents are gonna see you sooner or later and I have no idea what I'm going to say to explain you!"

Holo, having finished with her tail, was now brushing out her silky soft hair. Elizabeth briefly paused in her musings to marvel at how Holo's wolf ears would move according to her wishes and watching them move to and fro while she brushed her hair was slightly amazing.

Holo interrupted her labors for a moment and replied. "You fret too much, O' fruit of my loins. 'Twill all work out. Whilst I have slept all these long centuries. I have been aware of the changes in my family's fortunes. I know that we live in a new land. One where the church lacks the power it once had, one where those who acknowledge the old ways can live in peace."

Holo smiled at her distant descendant and said pleasantly, "'Tis a safe haven for me and my kin, your grandfather, has always respected the old ways and has farmed with my guidance. His father before him used to sing to me while my wheat grew tall in the fields and I would reward him with good harvests. I have watched you growing up with soil under your nails and sweat on your brow from tending your garden patch. You will be a good steward of the soil!"

Stepping over to her dresser, Elizabeth began pulling out the drawers and rummaging through them in search of something.

"What is it you are seeking?" asked Holo, "Clothing, starting with a bra and panties for you." Muttered Elizabeth.

"Bra and panties? What are those?"

Pulling out a bit of knit fabric and picking up another, more elaborate bit of fabric, Elizabeth turned around and held out the dainty underthings she had been seeking, "These, are what I am seeking!" Holo looked a bit like a cornered animal as her distant descendant advanced on her with said dainty underthings in her hands and a gleam in her eye, an uncomfortable gleam.

Even though Holo bared her sizable teeth and growled menacingly, Elizabeth wrestled the aforementioned delicate underthings onto Holo's squirming body, then stepped back to survey her handiwork.

Holo was now sitting up in the bed glaring at her, her eyes glinting red in her indignation at being handled in so familiar a manner.

"Only my husband was ever allowed to lay such familiar hands on me!" growled Holo, "And I can't have you walking around here all naked!" snapped Elizabeth, "You stay with me, you will wear clothing!"

Holo began tugging and pulling at the bra forced onto her, "'Tis an abomination! I cannot abide this thing, it binds me!" She cried.

"Women wear these things nowadays, get used to it!" Cried Elizabeth.

The door to her bedroom suddenly flew open and the doorway was filled with her grandfather's massive frame, his craggy face wearing a look of concern, "What is going on in here Lizzy?" he cried, then he froze when he saw Holo's slight form wearing nothing more than a bra and panties. His eyes fixed on her wolf ears and luxurious, white tipped tail.

Time stopped, no one moved or said a word.

He blinked a couple of times, then looked at Elizabeth and quietly asked her, "You found Holo's bag of wheat didn't you?"

He sighed heavily, seemingly shrinking slightly and said softly, "That little box hasn't been touched in almost two hundred and fifty years, it hasn't been opened in several hundred more years. We always knew it was up there in the old barn, hidden away for safe keeping. Now I know why that ladder was there and why you were so nervous."