The next day started pretty much like the last. The chill of the night quickly surrendered to the morning sun. Hardly a cloud in the sky. Mei awoke refreshed, leaving Granny to sleep as she ventured out into the herd. On this day however, very few white goats dotted the hills. Most were still close by, going either to or fro this group of gossiping goats. Mei had to find out what the fuss was about.

"...then we just left him there!" Nogu laughed.

"It's true! I mean, anything could have happened. We were lucky," his brother added.

"Lucky? No, smart. We played him. He coulda done so much damage," the elder brother countered.

"I was so scared! I will never forget that smell, and those teeth!" Naga shivered. She was not too proud to tell her part of the tale.

Mei listened, as did about a dozen other goats. As goats left the group, new ones arrived to replace them. Mei listened in awe to the details of the story, told again to the fresh batch of curious newcomers. Then it struck her hard. What wolf would choose to free a trapped goat?

"So where is this wolf now?" Mei asked.

"Hopefully, still pinned under that log!" Nogu laughed. "Better steer clear of Fooka Fooka for awhile!"

The High Ender nodded. "Yes, I think we should all avoid that forest for the time being. The wolf likely called others to his aid. For now, leave the blackberries to the wolves."

"But what if they don't hear him?" Mei continued her questioning. There were fewer goats than before. Most who had heard the tale went off to eat and discuss the event amongst themselves.

There was silence. Naga spoke up, at least quietly, sounding not very confident. "I... I don't know. We couldn't wait. That was the plan. I didn't think he would help us..."

"But he did." Mei looked down at the ground, moving a pebble with her hoof as she thought. "I have to see if this wolf got free." Mei's eyebrows suddenly revealed her determination.

"What?" Nogu laughed. "You know what's gonna happen? CHOMP!"

"But he's there because of you!" Mei began, then nodded towards Naga. "And she's here... because of him."

"Mei? Do not get any wild ideas. It is not safe," the High Elder warned.

"I'm sorry, I have to go!" Mei broke away from the group in a sprint.

"Mei!" the High Elder called out. The little crowd gasped. He took a few steps forward. The group split in two to allow him to pass had he gave chase. "Mei!" His head shook and he turned to Nogu. "Come with me! She can't go alone!"

"What? I didn't tell her to go!" Nogu looked to his brother, who just pointed his hoof at him.

Naga nudged her mate with her nose. "Just go."

Nogu looked into her eyes, then back at the High Elder and scowled. "Fine." He and the Elder left the group together. Mei was a surprising distance ahead already.

"Mei!" the Elder called out with a wheeze. He could not catch the young goat. Mei stopped in the meadow and allowed the pair to get close. She was saving her strength for another sprint, which might become necessary if they tried to force her to go back. Nogu matched the slow pace of the Elder, catching up together.

Mei turned to face Fooka Fooka Forest. This was almost exactly where she and Gabu parted ways the day before. "I'm sorry, I have to see," she said, turning her head to the new arrivals.

"Yes, Mei. Yes. Let me catch my breath." The High Elder had not run so far in such short a time, in a long time.

Nogu looked at the Elder cautiously for signs of distress. He still cared, despite his gruff demeanor. The Elder appeared puffed, that was all. Nogu decided to take charge to prevent more running. "Okay, Mei. We will go. But let me go first. This could be dangerous. Maybe the wolf is gone, maybe his buddies are there..." He sighed and stared at the ground in disgust. "Why are we doing this? What if he's still there?"

"I don't know. I need to see." Mei said quietly. She could never tell them the truth.

"I feel a bit better now. We can continue." The High Elder looked to Nogu. "Quietly." His gaze shifted to Mei, who a gave an understanding nod.

And so three white goats, a strong adult male, a young female, and an elderly male followed each other single file, with a considerable distance between them, into the shaded woods of Fooka Fooka Forest.

The forest floor looked alive. Twigs, leaves, seeds, so much dirt. Gabu was bored. So bored, he watched a ladybug crawl across the landscape in front of his outstretched front legs. His head lay still, moving only his eyes to track the insect. Clawing had proved fruitless. Too far away for howling. The night was a bit scary, but at least it didn't rain. Gabu puffed at a leaf just to watch it flutter.

He was so used to the quiet of the forest, he heard the approaching steps of someone who thought they could not be heard. A familiar face appeared at the ridge above.

Gabu bared his teeth and growled, "You..."

"He's here," the goat spoke back over his shoulder. "It's just him." Nogu took a couple of steps to the side atop the ridge.

Another, smaller goat appeared on the ridge above. Gabu's eyebrows shot up as he blurted, "M..!" before clapping his paws over his mouth. The two quickly shared a knowing glance. Mei moved to the side opposite Nogu atop the ridge to make room for a third approaching figure.

Another goat appeared. This one Gabu had never seen before. He was a gamey old goat, something the pack would take down because it was easy to, not for the meat. His long beard and bushy eyebrows reminded him of Ghiro. Of course the two looked nothing alike, but there was something about this goat. He had an air of importance about him.

The High Elder looked to Nogu, then Mei, and slowly descended the ridge with his cohorts angled behind him. He stopped a respectable distance away, lowering his head slightly to look down at the wolf.

Likewise, Gabu raised his own. Who would speak first?

"Um... Hi?" Gabu blew it with that first impression.

The Elder was not expecting that. He smiled and could only say, "Hello." After gathering his thoughts, he continued in his usual shaky voice. "First, I must ask. Are you hurt, Mr Wolf?"

Gabu looked ashamed. "Hurt? No. Stuck? Yes. Very yes. Have you come to get me out?"

"Perhaps." The Elder took a couple paces to keep his blood flowing. "I hear you helped to free Nogu's mate yesterday."

Gabu looked briefly at Nogu and back to the Elder. "Yeah. That was me." He lowered his head onto the dirt.

"Thank you for that. We are happy to have her back with us. Consider me doubly surprised. First, I learn that wolves can make rock art, and now I find they can be compassionate as well!"

Gabu looked stunned. "You saw those? I didn't think anyone..." He appeared to ponder as he pulled his front legs inward to something more closely resembling comfort.

The High Elder raised his eyebrows and relaxed them as he nodded. "Yes. Our compassionate wolf and our artist would have to be one and the same. Stands to reason."

Mei could only watch. Her mind raced to consider the possible outcomes. Had she not come, none of this would be happening. But had she not come... She didn't even want to imagine it.

"I have a question for you, Mr Wolf. Can you tell me what some of your designs mean?"

Gabu looked flattered. Mei looked horrified.

"Oh, sure! It's like, fighting and biting..." he clawed the air in front of him and bared his teeth. "Rawr rawr rawr... you know... wolf stuff." He resumed his peaceful smile and nodded twice.

"Of course. A wolf would make art about things a wolf knows. Perhaps then, may we focus on one particular design? There is one I am most curious about." He turned to face the wolf.

"Sure! Which one is that?" Gabu felt strangely relaxed.

Mei could not believe this conversation was even happening. Nogu knew nothing of this "art" but considered himself lucky that this was the one wolf that found them yesterday. He has to be insane.

"It looks like two rainbows, side by side." The High Elder slowly moved his hoof in a sweeping arc in front of him.

"Oh!" Gabu giggled with guilt. "Those are rainbows."

"I see these rainbows often, sometimes when there's not a cloud in the sky." The Elder was almost enjoying himself. He could not believe he was actually talking to a wolf! Having it trapped as this one was removed much of the associated fear.

"I just like rainbows. Don't tell my pack that." Gabu averted his eyes.

The Elder laughed, "Oh, I don't think we will be talking with them anytime soon."

Nogu looked at the Elder and back at Gabu, clearly frustrated. He was surprised this banter was continuing. His patience was starting to run out.

The Elder resumed his normal way of speaking. "I ask about rainbows because they have meaning to me, too. Not as a rainbow, but something other. The arc..." the Elder again made the sweeping motion with his hoof, "represents the path of the sun in the sky. There are always two arcs, side by side. One represents the sun today. The second arc is touching it. That represents the sun tomorrow. So you see, that design means 'tomorrow' to me."

Gabu tilted his head. The Elder had nailed it! "Yeah, come to think of it, that kinda makes sense." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mei's dumbfounded look.

Nogu's patience ran out. "Okay, we came and saw 'Mr Wolf' here. Can we go now?" The others turned to face him.

Gabu looked worried. "Go?" he butted in for his own sake. He was still stuck!

The Elder held up a hoof for quiet. "Let me think for a moment. Should we free this wolf or not?"

"Or not?" Mei protested, "What do you mean 'or not'?" She bounded up beside the Elder. It was obvious what she wanted.

It was also obvious what Nogu wanted. "Mei, we came. There he is, dangerous as ever. He's not hurt, just stuck. Let his own kind bother with him."

"They're not here," Gabu gulped.

"This isn't about you!" Nogu shouted at the wolf.

The Elder looked to Gabu. "Of course it is. While I must say our conversation was... enlightening... I don't know if it is worth risking our lives for."

"High Elder, we have to try. Can we not try?" Mei pleaded.

"Try, Mei? Two strong males in their prime could barely lift that log. I am old. I don't even know if I can."

"I can't believe we are still here. Watch me end this debate with one quick stomp." Nogu began to approach Gabu, who placed one paw on his head and another over his snout in defense.

The Elder stepped forward, placing himself between Gabu and the advancing Nogu. "Stop! This is not how we make decisions! If we leave, we are not going to kill this wolf before we do!" he shouted, stamping the ground with his hoof. Nogu stood quietly.

The Elder took a deep breath, turned to Mei, and said calmly, "I'm sorry, Mei. I cannot risk our lives for that of a wolf. Understand me."

"But... If we leave, we're still killing him. It just takes longer." She began to cry.

"But Mei... How can we know it will be safe?" the Elder asked. Hope began to shine in Mei's eyes.

Mei sniffled and walked in front of Gabu. "I just know." A tear ran down her cheek.

"How do you know?" the Elder said quietly.

The forest seemed silent as she stared into her friend's blue eyes. He stared back. "Look at the eyes. It's how you know."

The High Elder turned beside Mei and looked to Gabu, who shifted his gaze to meet his. Mei could only wait. If the Elder decided to leave him, she was going to stay.

The old goat continued to stare in silence. He blinked and let his head droop as he nodded. "Mr Wolf, we are going to get you out of there." It was the best thing Gabu and Mei heard in a long time.

"You're not doing it without me," Nogu threatened. "I'm just gonna go home."

The Elder snorted forcefully, "No, you're not! Take a look."

Although this was not the wisest decision of the day, Nogu was more curious than angry at this point. The Elder stepped aside to give Nogu a chance to look deeply into a wolf's eyes.

"Ok, Wolf. Whaddya got?" he snickered. Gabu simply smiled and looked back at him. He hoped whatever magic that convinced the Elder was still working.

A few seconds later, Nogu gave in. "You're nuts. Let's do it." He shook his head in disbelief.

The Elder felt relieved. He knew he could not force Nogu to do anything he chose not to do. "Then it's agreed. We will get you out, and Mr Wolf goes straight home."

"Promise." Gabu held up a claw.

Nogu crouched to inspect under the log as he spoke. "Okay, like yesterday. We'll try to get the log up, you squirm outta there when you can. That's if we can raise the log at all. Got it?"

"Got it!"

The three goats walked beyond the boulders to the base of the log, out of sight. Nogu whispered to them both, "Mei, I hope you're right. But if he tries anything, you run. Don't look back."

Mei nodded.

Nogu instructed the Elder in his usual voice, "All right. What we do is get our horns under here. When I say lift, you lift! Not fast, but slow and powerful."

"I can do that." The Elder's shaky voice said otherwise.

"Okay, Wolf! Get ready!" Nogu called out.

"Ready!" came the excited reply.

"Now!" The males strained. This was harder than it was the day before. Surprisingly, Nogu tried even harder than before. He felt a certain pride now, something that urged him on. The Elder simply did his best. But was it enough?

It wouldn't be much of a story if it wasn't.

Gabu felt the log rise and cool air on his back for the first time in nearly a day. He pulled his rear legs closer just to check if they still worked, before making a frantic scramble out of the trench he dug the day before. Still on his belly, but clear of the log. That was enough. "Did it!" he called out. Mei hopped on the spot and cheered, watching from beside the boulders. She almost called him by name.

The males lowered the log back onto its cradle and Nogu led the way back to the wolf. He was the first line of defense. The High Elder and Mei were not afraid, however, and took up positions on either side of him.

Gabu arched his back. The fact he even could was a delight. He sat and stretched some more. Mei noticed his belly was stained with mud and urine. It was a rough night.

"There. You're free. Time to go home." Nogu made the terms clear.

"Okay, I'll go." As he rose, Nogu braced his legs defensively. Gabu looked at him briefly, then the Elder, and finally Mei. He could not wait to see her another time. He turned and began slowly walking away.

"Hey, Wolf."

Gabu turned his head.

"Thanks."

It was only late afternoon but Gabu was ready for sleep. Real sleep, in a position of his choosing. He paused at the stream at the bottom of Baku Baku and drank his fill before climbing the pathway above. Wolves were going about their business. No one paid any attention to him, despite looking absolutely ragged. He didn't bother to clean himself off. His claws had dried blood around them.

Only one wolf noticed him on his way to his sleeping area. Bari walked up with wide eyes and asked, "And what happened to you?"

Gabu squinted again, looking guilty. "I caught my mouse."

Bari stopped himself from questioning further. "I don't want to know," and walked away.