Chapter One: Lupine

"Bet you can't catch me!" teased Grayfur as he ran off from Lupine Smurf in a game of tag. "Oh yes I can, you slowpoke!" retorted Lupine, racing faster and tagging Grayfur on the leg. "Aww, you always get me every time!" whined Grayfur, running after Lupine with a vengeance. Lupine just giggled and ducked behind Icefeather, and Grayfur accidentally tagged her instead. "Oh Grayfur!" sighed Icefeather, watching the snorting wolf dash off. She chased Sunpelt instead but was soon over her disappointment and squealing in delight as she cornered a shrieking Sunpelt.

"That was awesome, little brother! How did you learn to run so fast?" asked Grayfur, giving Lupine a high five after the game was done. "I dunno, it just comes naturally to me I guess," shrugged Lupine, wagging his furry stub of a tail, which really looked more like a wolf's than a Smurf's. In fact, Lupine was wolfish all over! He had a ruff of sky-blue fur around his neck, and he had sharp fangs instead of teeth. His hands and feet had claws on them, and his ears were pointed, unlike a Smurf's rather humanoid ears. His nose was even a dog's instead of a Smurf's!

It was no surprise that Lupine looked more like a wolf than like his kin. For to this day, he had lived with the pack for a century, ever since they had found him alone in the snow as a baby and had first begun to teach him the ways of the wolf. Today was his one hundredth birthday, making him an official adult Smurf; at least in his village, it would've. To him, it just meant another year marking the date of his adoption into the pack.

One awful part about living longer than most wolves was that he outlived many of them; and this always made him very sad. One time, he had asked his adopted mother, Windtalon, "Why can't I live as long as a normal wolf? I keep outliving everybody and it makes me really unhappy." Windtalon had told him, "You're lucky that you live longer than everyone else, Lupine. Most wolves would actually be happy to live as long as you do. Besides, at some point in life, everything has to die. Regardless of whether you lived the lifespan of a wolf or not, everyone would still die. You just have to accept who you are and that there's nothing you can do about death." Lupine had nodded, but in his heart he still wished that his life wasn't longer than everyone else's. Sometimes it just didn't seem fair.

Aside from that, he loved living with the pack. They were always very kind to him and he felt like one of their own. It was always a joyful thing for him to run with them, join in their howling wolf songs, and feel the excitement drumming in his heart as he chased elk with the pack's hunters. But the part he liked best was when he was alone with his siblings, enjoying each other's company and watching the silver moonlight lap up the nightscape like a sea devouring the sand on a shore.

But this was not going to be a normal day. Little did Lupine know that on this day, he would discover who he really was and find the family that he had been separated from so long ago.

…

"LUPINE! TO THE LEFT!" barked Elk-catcher as the pack's hunters chased down the frightened herd of elk. "GOT IT!" called Lupine as he raced to the left, jumping upon an injured elk's back and biting it on the back of the neck. The elk squealed and its legs buckled from beneath it, collapsing to the ground. The elk's body was soon swarming with wolves, and before you could blink an eye, the great animal was dead. The wolves and Lupine raised their muzzles to the sky and howled a mourning song for the life they had taken before they tucked into their kill. The pups and the injured ate first, then the females, then finally the males.

The elk was so large that they couldn't finish it all in one day, so when they were done they buried it under a thick blanket of snow. Then Elk-catcher guided the hunters, now with full bellies, back to the pack-home to rest and care for the pups.

As Lupine was trotting back with his packmates, he had the odd feeling that somebody was watching him. He turned around just in time to see a flash of white fur dart through the bushes. He thought that maybe it was a rabbit and inched closer to it. He was able to get another glimpse of the creature and saw something blue scuttling away.

They say curiosity kills the cat, but Lupine was a Smurf after all, and what he'd seen looked so small that he knew it couldn't possibly hurt him. Besides, he'd tackled elk many times larger than himself before and hadn't gotten hurt. He raised his nose to the air and tried to find the scent of the creature mixed in with the everyday smells of the forest.

He soon found its odor, but it had a rather odd scent: it smelled of potions and magic and sarsaparilla and something else that he remembered from his past but couldn't put a name to. Intrigued, he put his muzzle on the ground and sniffed like fury, tracking down the mysterious animal that he had seen. Before long, he could make out its shape among the trees and crouched low to the ground behind a bush, eager to see more of the stranger.

He could hear the figure mumbling to itself, but he couldn't make out what it was saying. However, he did get a far better view of it than he had before: it had a beard like a billowing cloud, and a mustache that drooped over his lips like dog tails. The creature was dressed in red and had a small tail that looked quite similar to Lupine's.

Suddenly, an image flashed in his head of this being leaning over him, smiling and wrapping him in something soft and white before carrying him away. Then there was the sensation of flying through the air. After that, there were screams and he was falling, falling, falling…and then he hit the earth and the white stuff had parted to reveal a frosty world and the creature flying away on a stork's back, calling out something that was lost to the winds.

Haunted by this image, Lupine almost didn't see the figure walk away and quietly followed him. The figure hardly noticed, but this was probably because Lupine had been trained by the wolves to be a silent stalker so that his prey wouldn't hear him coming. The stranger seemed to know that he was being followed, however, because at one point he stopped and looked around himself. Then he shook his head and kept walking, the last remaining leaves on the snowy ground crunching beneath his feet as he went.

Lupine kept following the creature, and before long the figure approached an invisible curtain and stepped through it, leaving the jellylike barrier rippling like silk and showing no trace of what lay behind it. Cautiously, Lupine approached the wall and touched it, ripples spreading out from it like a pond. He closed his eyes and backed up, then ran with all his might through the barrier.

When he opened his eyes again, he was on the other side and saw a sight that took his breath away.

There was a colorful mushroom village spread out before him, the streets bustling with tiny creatures that looked like younger versions of the figure that he'd seen before in the forest. Cheerful laughter rang throughout the village, and the little blue creatures sang happy songs as they worked.

Lupine was amazed, but he had an odd feeling of belonging here and had the sudden urge to explore the village and find the figure that had unknowingly led him here. He padded off along the roads eagerly, sniffing the air and catching exciting scents that stirred up memories from his past.

It wasn't long before somebody spotted him. "Hey, what are you doing?! And why are you walking on all fours?" called a figure wearing round glasses. Lupine stopped and said, "I'm-I'm just exploring a little really. Is there a problem with that?" "No," said the creature with the glasses, his eyes widening when he got a good view of Lupine. "Oh my Smurf! You look half wolf! Did Gargamel catch you, or are you one of Papa's experiments?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about," sniffed Lupine, thinking that this being was a little rude. "And who's Papa?" Papa…the name made something stir inside him, and the mysterious figure he had been tracking only a few moments ago popped into his mind.

"He's our leader! He just came back to the village only a minute ago. He was looking for some herbs I think, and then you came…anyway, since he spends half of his time in his lab and he's always so mysterious about it, I thought maybe he was trying to make a Smurf-wolf or something." "Well, I don't know what you mean, but I'm not an experiment. I belong to the wolf pack Aluraris. In fact, I really ought to be getting back to them now…they're probably sending out a rescue party already."

"You live with the wolves?!" asked the guy with the glasses, his eyes widening. "Why would you live with them?! This is your home! Clearly, you're a Smurf!" "What's a Smurf? Never heard of them!" replied Lupine, raising his furry eyebrows in suspicion. But the word did sound faintly familiar…he'd always thought he was a wolf, but in truth, was he actually one of these odd little beings in the mushroom houses?! He did sort of feel that he belonged here…maybe he should see this Papa person this being was talking about.

"Errrmmm...do you know where I can find this Papa guy you're talking about? Maybe he can help me," said Lupine. "Sure! I can take you to him right now," replied the stranger. "But if he's in his lab, we probably shouldn't disturb him. He might get angry or something…and he's not a lot of fun to be around when he's angry. But then again, neither is Grouchy…but he's always in a bad mood anyway. Follow me!" And with that, the strange little figure walked off, and Lupine trotted along behind him, bursting with curiosity.

Soon, they reached a small mushroom with a red roof. "Papa, we've got a visitor!" called Lupine's guide, knocking on the door. Within a few moments, the figure Lupine had seen in the forest popped his face out a window, looking a bit flustered. "Brainy, what is it? I'm in the middle of a very important experiment! Your excuse this time had better be good," he said, raising his white eyebrows suspiciously. "Trust me, it's a very good excuse! I found this guy walking around in the village. I thought maybe he was one of your experiments, but he said he's from some wolf pack and that he was exploring," said Brainy. "Is it OK to come in?"

"Sure, but hang on a moment…" said Papa, rushing off and disappearing into the house. Before long, he was back at the window. "You can come in now!" he said, looking a little flushed. Brainy pushed open the door and Lupine found himself in a charming, quaint little cottage of a house. He found himself rather liking it. He sat down on the floor and looked curiously at Papa, cocking his head to one side.

As soon as their eyes locked, Lupine felt something between the two of them, as if a chain had suddenly sprung up between them and connected them. Memories tumbled into his mind, clearer than ever before: Being dangled in a stork's talons as he was carried on his way to meet the village for the first time. Heat blasting nearby, and the screams as he felt the sensation of falling for the first time.

The white material he was wrapped in unraveled, and he saw Papa unconscious on the stork's back. He felt a fearful lump in his stomach, but just then Papa opened his eyes and saw that Lupine was alone in the snow. He called for the stork to take him back, but it was too late.

Then he'd waited for what seemed an eternity to be rescued, but nothing had happened. Then one morning, a wolf had licked his cheek and warmed him with its breath. He'd looked into his eyes, and the wolf had put him on his back to take home to his pack. He'd fallen asleep, and remembered waking up in a circle of wolves looking down at him. They seemed friendly, though, and felt just like his family. Then they'd sang a joyful song of togetherness and love.

Lupine blinked hard as he snapped out of his reverie, a little startled by the truth that had just been revealed to him. Had he really been born to these Smurfs? He was nothing like them, and they were so different that it seemed almost impossible that they could be related. But he knew in his heart that what he'd just seen was the truth, and he looked at the Smurfs in an entirely new way.

By the look on Papa's face, Lupine knew that he had just had the same jumble of visions that he'd seen. "Is…is that…you?" Papa said uncertainly, his eyes wide as the moon. "You're…the one…I lost on that snowy night…so long ago…" "Papa…" replied Lupine, a strange sort of love singing in his heart. "You…you're…that stranger…I saw in the forest...just now? We're family? I'm a Smurf?" "Yes," Papa said quietly, trying to blink back tears. "It can't be! It can't be!" gasped Lupine, but it was too late. He knew, at last, who he really was. "Papa..." "Lupine…" The two Smurfs embraced, tears falling down their faces as they fully absorbed the truth of what had been revealed: The lost Smurf was finally home.

"Stop being so mushy, otherwise my glasses will smear with all of your tears…" grumbled Brainy, trying to hide his own emotion. "I can't believe it! I thought you died! Oh, I'm so glad you're finally home!" Papa exclaimed, laughing joyfully. "We've got to tell everyone! We should throw a festival! Oh, it's so amazing!" "Same to you," smiled Lupine, his heart feeling as though it was split in two now. "Can I invite the wolves to the festival?" "Sure," said Papa, racing outside to share the incredible news with everyone.

Lupine followed him, feeling like he was floating above the ground and experiencing the odd sensation that time had stopped. He stopped and let out a howl of triumph. "HEY! STOP THAT!" shouted Lazy before he fell asleep again. "It's going to be a very long year here…" moaned Lupine, wondering how long it would take to adapt and live like a real Smurf would.

But for now it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was home, and he'd met his family at last. He howled again, with more feeling. "Urrggh…" groaned Lazy, pulling his hat over his ears. "Me, I hate wolves that disturb your sleep!" complained Grouchy. "You don't know the worst of it," muttered Lazy before rolling over and snoring.