Thoughts/Telepathic Communication between characters
Animals/Animal Spirits Speaking Human Tongue
Normal Text
A long time ago deep in the heart of an ancient forest lived strange and wonderful creatures of magic. These creatures for some time lived in the forest with humankind, till man grew too fast for the forest, and began taking the land for their own. He cut down trees to build homes for their families, and to make room for farms. Many of the magical creatures that could not adapt fast enough with man died out or traveled deeper into the forest to find a new home never to be heard from again. Others were able to adapt and live with humans, in their gardens, houses, or near the outskirts of the villages. Often give their human neighbors good fortunes if they were good neighbors to them. Some would even choose to become guardians of humans they had become fond of. This story follows such a pair, a shape-shifting wolf named Lou Lou, and her human companion, Belle.
On a Spring Day when all the trees and flowers were in full bloom around the village of Villeneuve, a small village with small ideals but a pleasant one to say the least, along the French countryside just on the edge of the ancient border of the forest. This village was home to a little girl with bright eyes full of wonder and curiosity of the world around her. Her name was Belle for her great beauty. Close to where young Belle lived with her father Maurice, at the edge of the village, behind their modest cottage was a white she-wolf and her pup. Living in a den hidden under a large tree where the wolf could easily protect her young pup as her family hunted for them. But these were not just any wolves, no, these wolves were shapeshifters. Children of the old forest blessed by the gods with great gifts. Pelts that allowed them to step in man world but also keep a foot in the wild and untamed. There are others just like them, but they left the area around Villeneuve in search of a better home for themselves.
Most settled in England or crossed the seas to live with their kin on the other side of the great oceans. But this pack had stayed to keep the village in line and because of a promise they had given to a powerful ally long ago.
So, the She-wolf made her den under the tree. Just as her mother had used when she had birthed her own pups till, they were big enough to join the rest of the pack. The pack would often visit the new mother and pup after successful hunts, but throughout the earlier days of the pup's life late winter storms had delayed many of the game herds from returning to the area, and smaller game to stay hidden in their burrows, making hunting harder on the pack.
With less successful hunts the She-wolf would often have to change into her human form to go into the village to get food any way she could. Sometimes even going as far as to steal chickens in her wolf form at night so she could feed her pup, and her pack could keep up their strength till more favorable weather brought game back to their territory. But stealing from humans is a tricky game to gamble on. One's luck will eventually run out. Sadly, for this mother that day was this day.
The She-wolf rested outside her den after a filling meal of chicken as her pup played around their den. She-wolf happily watched her pup chase the falling blossoms from the surrounding trees, trying to catch the petals as they fell, showing her future potential as a great hunter. But this quiet and peaceful morning was due to end, as a group of hunters moved closer to the wolf's den.
"The bitch has a pup."
"See any others? These things always have more than one."
The She-Wolf's ears twitched hearing the men's whispers several meters from her den, and by their scent they were just barely staying upwind of the den. Her pup had no clue of the hunters, switching from chasing the petals to chewing on a stick between her paws.
"No, just one."
"Good less for us to worry about, now let's get this over with." The hunters readied their weapons, taking aim at the She-Wolf, "Take out the mother first. Pup will not be much of a threat."
Before they could fire at the small family the She-Wolf grabbed her pup by the scruff, taking off as fast as she could run with her pup.
"Mama what's happening," the young pup whimpered as her mother ran through the woods. The men chased after her, firing their guns at her only to miss the wolf, hitting the ground beside her.
It will be all right my pup.
One man managed to get a shot off at the She-Wolf that struck her back leg. She held back a cry of pain, continuing to run from the hunters. With some skilled maneuvering, she managed to hide under several large boulders, losing her tail of hunters.
"Where'd she go?!"
"She couldn't have gotten far!"
"This way!"
The hunters took off away from the boulders, giving the mother and pup some time to breath
"Mama," the pup looked up to her mother.
Ssh, my little one. We must stay hidden.
Okay Mama
She nuzzled her pup as the voices of the men began to fade as they went farther from their hiding spot. She-Wolf felt relieved as the hunters left but this would be a short victory if she did not act. They would eventually double back to find her, and her pack was deeper in the forest on a hunt. Not forgetting the wound on her hind leg would make it harder to run.
Her pup softly licked the blood from her mother's fur, cleaning the wound. She-Wolf kissed her pup as she tended to her mother. But she could not rest long, sure that the hunters were gone, she led her pup away from the forest, going as fast as her wounded leg would allow her.
It took some time for them to find a safe hideaway just outside the forest. A small cottage with a modest farm beside it housing several chickens, two goats, and a large cart horse grazing around the front yard of the small barn. Seeing it was safe, the She-Wolf guided her pup to the cottage's barn and into a pile of hay beside it. She quickly made a small den burrow in the pile before tucking herself and her pup in the small hide away.
"What now Mama," the pup whispered to her mother.
"Now we just have to wait," she sighed, grooming her pup.
More time passed as the two hid in the hay pile. The pup soon fell asleep next to her mother as she kept an ear out for the hunters and other humans. Though it was not long before they were found by a horse coming for his lunch as he got a mouth full of hay, he could see the small pocket the two were hiding in
"Oh, what are you doing in my lunch," the horse said, "You can't be in there, I'm eating."
The She-Wolf gave a soft growl covering her pup, "Just pretend we are not here till sundown then we will be gone. Just stay quiet."
"Who are you talking to Philippe," came a clucky voice.
"Nothing just by myself," the horse, named Phillipe, replied, looking back at the She-Wolf, "Alright just stay in there okay."
While Phillipe secretly spoke to the She-Wolf a white chicken stuck her head into the pile, her beak touching the tip of the pup's nose. She jumped back with a surprised shock before poking her head back in, "Goodness, hello little pup what are you doing in here?"
"Flora," Philippe scolded her as the She-Wolf gave a soft growl at the bird.
"What are you two doing," the other chicken said, walking up to the pile, also sticking her head into the pile next to Flora.
"Hello," the little pup said, smiling at the chickens and horse. The new chicken then started squawking, wasting time flapping her wings wildly, "Wolves! Wolves in the barn!"
"Clucky calm down," the white chicken said, rushing to the other chicken trying to calm her down, "It's only a puppy."
"They are wolves, they eat chickens, it's going to eat us," Clucky said, still flapping her wings wildly.
"Relax, we've already eaten," the She-Wolf grumbled. Her pup chuckled at the loud and noisy chicken as she wiggled out of the pile.
"What's all the noise about," an old brown haired hunting dog came around the corner, "I'm trying to sleep back here."
"Cerberus thank goodness you're here," Clucky said running to the old hunting dog and hiding behind his leg, "You have to protect us!"
"Hello Cerberus," Philippe said, "Sorry about the noise and waking you up."
She-Wolf hid further into the pile hiding from the old hound, but her pup was still in the open as she pawed at Flora trying to get her to play with her.
Cerberus muttered something to himself before he saw the little white wolf pup, "Who's the pup?"
The little pup in a panic hid behind Philippe's leg as Cerberus sniffed her head. She looked to the pile for her mother for what to do. She wiggled a little under the pile drawing Cerberus's attention. He moved closer to the hay pile seeing the She-Wolf in her hiding place.
"What do you think you're doing here," Cerberus asked in a gruff voice. The pup, thinking Cerberus was going to hurt her mother, steeled her courage and ran up to the old dog stepping between him and her mother with a tiny growl of a pup, "Leave my mama alone."
The old hound was taken aback by the small pup's bravery to growl at him ready to fight him. After the surprise wore off from him, he started laughing, "I like this kid."
"Good," Philippe said, stopping closer to them, "Can you take care of them.?"
"At least give me a day to rest," The She-wolf pleaded, "I won't touch any of the live-stock I swear."
"Eh I won't be kicking you out She-Wolf," Cerberus said laying down on his stomach, "I can smell the blood, so I know you are injured. I may be a grouchy old hound dog, but I am not cruel enough to ignore an injured mother with her pup.
"Thank you," She-Wolf nodded to him, while her pup began to play with Cerberus, jumping onto his back, pulling on his ears, and running around yipping.
She-Wolf relaxed as Cerberus let her pup play around him, being patient with the young pup. Before she grew bored with Cerberus and went to play with Phillipe, bouncing around him as she tried to bite at his tail hair.
"How long do you think you'll need to stay here," Phillipe asked as he kept moving his tail away from the pup as she tried to nip at it.
"I'm not sure," She-Wolf responded, "Maybe a few days to lose those hunters, and at least a day for my wound to heal enough."
"You don't have to rush anything," Cerberus said, wiggling a little closer to her, "Please stay as long as you need."
"We'll be happy to help you," Flora said, as she began picking at her shedding fur, "Our owner will hardly notice the two of you."
"I can keep you safe as well," Cerberus said proudly, buffing out his chest.
"I still do not want to get any of you in trouble for helping us, "She-Wolf replied, "Even if it is a low chance. I would feel awful to punish your kindness to us."
As they spoke the owner of the cottage came around the barn, hearing a small pup playful bark.
"Did you find something Cerberus," he called out as he opened the barn door. The animals had a small scramble as they recovered, She-Wolf and her pup, though the poor pup panicked and ran into a bucket, managing to get herself stuck as she tried to wiggle out as the barn's owner, a craftsman named Maurice, stepped inside. Flora attempted to hide her by sitting in front of her and the bucket.
"What are you sitting on Flora," Maurice chuckled as he saw the small amount of fur sticking out from the chickens' feathers. He moved the chicken aside causing the stuck pup to whimper and try to wiggle out of the bucket.
"Well, what's this," Maurice chuckled, helping the pup out of the bucket, "What are you doing in a bucket little lady?"
She yapped at him trying to wiggle from his hold and dive back into the pile of hay with her mother to hide. Maurice chuckled at the pup as she wiggled into the pile. Cerberus moved to stand in front of the pile.
"Cerberus is that one of yours," Maurice raised an eyebrow at the old hound dog. Cerberus laid down by the pile. Maurice kneeled by the pile removing the hay to see the She-Wolf and her pup hiding away. The man shook his head at his dog, "That explains why you vanished for a week. Been playing around the forest too much."
He then noticed the blood in the hay, "Are you hurt?"
She whimpered, licking at the wound on her leg. Maurice moved more of the hay to get a better look at the injury. As he did, she licked his hand. He smiled at her as her pup went back to playing with Cerberus, well trying to get him to play with her as she nipped at his legs and jumped up against him. Cerberus pawed at the pup to keep her entertained while Maurice helped her mother. He left for a few moments to get some tools and clean bandages for her.
After he returned with a tool bag using his pliers to pull the bullet out of the she-wolf's leg, "There we go. Should make it a lot easier for your leg to heal."
Louata went over to her mother as Maurice bandage the wound, "Now just some rest and you'll be right as rain."
Cerberus came over to her, grooming the She-Wolf's head as Maurice put the tools away, "Lucky for you Madame Lupe I still have a nice cushion you and your pup can sleep on by our fireplace inside so you can heal up properly."
Now what mama?
I will have to rest till I can heal my leg baby. I think this will be a safe place for us. Don't you think?
Louata's tail wagged happily at that as the She-Wolf licked Maurice's hand in thanks before shakily wiggling out of the hay pile.
Maurice smiled at her, "I'll take that as a yes my dear."
He then carefully picked her up and carried her into the cottage. Louata pounded excitedly after Maurice, yipping as she went.
Back inside the cottage Maurice's young daughter Belle was reading a small children's fairytale book to two of her stuffed animals when her father came inside carrying her, She-Wolf. Belle looked up from her book as he came inside.
"Puppies," Belle excitedly cheered till she saw the wound on the She-Wolf's leg, "Oh no what happened, Papa?"
"I'm not sure dear," he said as he laid her down by the fire, "My best guess is she ran into some hunters or scared some chickens. I found them in the barn with her pup. Cerberus seemed a little found of them."
"Maybe it's his puppy," Belle smiled as Louata came to examine the human girl. Belle kneeled down, holding out her hand to the pup to smell, "Hi, I'm Belle."
Louata sniffed the girl's hand before giving her an affection lick on her palm. Belle giggled at the lick before giving her a head pat.
"It's nice to meet you too," Belle smiled as she stroked Louata's fur, her tail wagging happily. All the while Maurice was making sure the She-Wolf was comfortable in front of the fire.
"Is she going to be okay, Papa," Belle asked her father.
"She'll be alright sweetheart," Maurice assured his daughter as Louata went over to her mother, kissing her cheek, "We'll get some bones and scrapes from the butcher for them when we go into the market."
Belle nodded to her father before she went to grab her small, weaved basket with a small book fighting perfectly inside. Maurice grabbed a list from the table, adding the food for their new house guests. Right before they left Belle gave Louata and the She-Wolf pets, "We will be back soon with treats for you. Be good and let your mama rest okay."
Louata wagged her tail at her as her mother fell asleep beside her. Maurice and Belle then left the cottage heading to the villages market.