Wolf Princess Chapter 2

Not too far away there was a centaur moving through the forest. It was a young one. He had white-blonde hair, a palomino body, and astonishing blue eyes that were like pale sapphires. His name was Firenze.

Firenze wasn't along another centaur was with him. This one was older than Firenze was. He was known as Ronan and his red hair and beard, but below was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail.

Firenze was the one to first hear Aurora's cries. He stopped walking and instead listened carefully to the wind.

Ronan noticed his fellow centaur wasn't followed and stopped a few feet away. "What is it, Firenze," asked Rona, speaking in a deep-sorrowful voice.

"Don't you hear it," asked Firenze.

"Hear what," said Ronan.

"There's the sound of crying flowing through the air," answered Firenze.

"What crying," asked Ronan, turning and walking back over to Firenze, "I don't hear a thing."

Holding up a hand for silence, Firenze whispered "Listen."

Firenze and Ronan stood there in silence listening to the wind.

"I still don't hear anything," said Ronan, "just the rustling of the leaves by the wind."

"Wait for it," said Firenze, patiently.

There is was a sharp cry. The sound was faint, but it was still there.

"It sounds like an infant," said Ronan, surprised. "What would a baby be doing out here?"

"I don't know," said Firenze, "but I'm going to find out." With that Firenze cantered off in the direction of where the cries were coming from. Ronan was right behind him.

As Ronan and Firenze moved through the forest the cries just kept getting louder and louder. The two of them followed the trail until they reached a large tree. Firenze and Ronan shared a look, knowing the source of the crying was just around this tree. Quietly, they stepped around the side of the tree and when they reached the other end they spotted what they were looking for.

There it was, a little newborn babe. It was lying in between the roots of the tree, wrapped up in a blanket with its face streaked with tears.

"It is a child," said Ronan, astonished, eyes wide.

Firenze moved forward toward the little girl. Reaching the infant Firenze bent down on his front legs. Firenze carefully took the infant into his arms and gently lifted her up from the ground. Firenze adjusted the little one and he was now cradling the little girl, leaving her in a more comfortable position.

"What sort of person would leave such a small human out here on its own," said Ronan, moving forward to get a better look at the little one.

"One without a heart," said Firenze, looking down at the infants face. "Who would do this to you?"

The little one had no answer for him. When Firenze had picked her up she had ceased her crying. The heat of his body warming her up and his thick arm shielding her from the cold wind had calmed her. Only now her attention was elsewhere. The chill in the air had distracted her from hunger, but no more. She began squirming in Firenze's arms and making a fuss. She turned in Firenze's arms and nuzzled his chest.

Firenze chuckled and re-adjusted the infant. "There now," he said, softly, "I have nothing for you little one, but let's see if we can find you something to eat."

"She can't be taken to the herd," said Ronan, immediately. "She would never be accepted by them. Besides, we wouldn't be able to take care of her. We have none of the sustenance she requires."

Firenze's brow furrowed in deep thought while trying to think of a solution. Then it came to him and an idea came into his mind. "But I know who does," he said.

Ronan gazed into his face, curious. "What are you thinking," he asked.

"Return to the herd, Ronan," said Firenze. "I'll take things from here." He began to move away from his fellow centaur.

"Where are you taking the child," called Ronan.

"To someone who can take care of her," answered Firenze. Firenze then cantered away from his companion, holding the infant tightly in his arms.

Shaking his head, Ronan headed off in the opposite direction, going back to the herding grounds.

Firenze was going deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The trees kept getting larger and larger the deeper he took them. The one he was looking for was very secretive. She liked her privacy.

This was the wolf goddess Moro a huge white wolf. Not many people outside of the forest would see her because she would always stay in the forest unless it was necessary for her to leave it.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever, Firenze finally reached their destination. Firenze ducked under a bunch of low branches and was faced with Moro's den.

The place was a huge opening in the forest, somewhat of a large clearing. It was surrounded by large, dense trees. There were some inside the clearing with their branches were covering the sky with only some light breaking through. During the day there would probably be a ton of sunlight breaking through and hitting the forest floor, but right now only some light from the moon was getting in. This wasn't too surprising since it was slightly cloudy that night.

There were small pools of water all over the place even a small lake in the middle. Gere there was no way Moro or anyone else would run out of water. There were some small islands of solid ground with the water around them on the other side of the clearing. On the other end was an entrance, surrounded by three blocks of stone with one on each side and another on the top.

Firenze looked around, not seeing Moro anywhere in sight. So Moro either had to be out hunting or inside the stone structure.

Firenze began to move across the clearing and over to Moro's den. The pools were easy to cross over, Firenze just had to simply jump over them. The little lake caused a small problem. Firenze couldn't jump over it like he could do with the others. He could've walked around it, but instead of doing so he decided to wade through it. Even with his size the water was deep. I came up to his waist, covering his entire horse half.

Firenze had to hold the infant against his shoulder to make sure she wouldn't be able to get wet. The child was fussing even more now. She was squirming and letting out a small whimper. Firenze began to rub her back in a comforting manner, trying to calm her.

"Hush, little one," said Firenze, softly, "we're nearly there." His comforting words weren't going to satisfy the infant for much longer. Her hunger was really beginning to win out here.

Finally, Firenze reached solid land again. Coming out of the water he shook out his entire lower half, drying himself off. He moved forward and stopped about then feet away from the den entrance.

"Moro," called Firenze, speaking into the den, "Moro, are you there?"

At first there was silence, but then a growl could be heard coming from inside of it. "Who is there," growled a voice.

"It is I, Firenze," said Firenze, calmly, "from the centaur herds."

Movement could be heard coming from inside of the den. A few seconds later a pair of eyes could be seen glowing from inside the darkness, staring right back at him.

"Why have you come," growled the figure.

"To ask a favor of you," said Firenze. He took the squirming infant from his shoulder and held her out.

The eyes inside of the den turned to look at the infant. Moro then chose to come out of her den stepping into the moonlight. Moro was huge, bigger than all humans and most of the creatures inside of the Forbidden Forest. She had a lovely white coat that glowed in the moonlight, shining brown eyes, and two long white tails.

"Why have you brought this to me," growled Moro, softly.

"She is the favor I am asking of you," said Firenze. "I found this little one abandoned in the forest. I wanted to ask you to take her. She needs milk and my herd can't give her what she needs…but I know you can."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," said Moro.

"I know you do," persisted Firenze. "Moro…I know you've recently lost a litter of pups."

Sadness came into Moro's eyes.

Firenze continued, saying "…and I know their loss is still causing you plenty of grief, but this child will die if she doesn't get any care soon. Please, Moro."

Moro didn't say anything for a little while. She seemed to be thinking hard about what to do. Finally she turned around and began to head back into her den.

A dejected look came onto Firenze's face when he saw her go back in. "Moro," he called, you can't just…" Before Firenze could go on any further he was interrupted.

Moro stopped halfway inside. "Bring her inside," she said, flicking her tails. She then moved the rest of the way inside.

Grinning Firenze followed Moro inside of her den.

The back of the den was more open than the front. It was big enough to hold about five wolves of her size. There was moss covering the ground making it nice and soft. A spot in the corner had extra moss grouped together. It must've been her sleeping spot.

Moro proved this true by going over there and lying down while facing Firenze. "Bring her here," said Moro, gesturing to her side.

Firenze moved forward and placed the infant on the moss next to Moro. The infant let out a whimper smelling Moro's milk. She tried to squirm toward it, but wasn't close to being strong enough yet. Seeing the child was having difficulties getting there Moro used one of her back legs to gently push the babe toward it.

Once the infant felt Moro's fur she immediately latched onto a nipple. Her whimpering immediately ceased and she started suckling. This was her first meal since her birth and she was going to take in as much as her small tummy would allow.

"I take it you'll be looking after her," said Firenze, smiling. He already knew the answer to this, but he just had to ask.

"Yes," said Moro, softly. She moved her body a little to make the child more comfortable.

"Is it all right if I come by once in a while," asked Firenze. "You know to bring her some things she may need."

Moro nodded, still gazing at the infant.

"What will be her name," said Firenze, turning his gaze over to the suckling infant.

Moro had to think for a moment before the right one came to mind. "Numa," said Moro, placing her tails over the little one, providing her with extra warmth from the chill hanging in the air, "her name will be Numa."

"A fine name for the child," said Firenze, concurring with Moro's choice. "I'll take my leave." Firenze gave a bow in Moro's direction and with a final glance at the child he exited the den, leaving the two of them alone.

Moro couldn't turn her gaze from the child. Since her pups had died she had been grieving over the loss of losing them so suddenly. Now this infant had been given to her a gift to fill the voice which had been taking over her during the past days.

The infant had finished suckling and was now ready for a nice long sleep. The problem was she wasn't able to get comfortable and began to cry again.

Moro leaned down and nuzzled the little one with her nose moving her into the right position. Moro curled her body around the infant with tails stills placed over her. The child yawned, stretching her arms and settled herself in Moro's soft fur while falling into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Moro placed her large head close to the child's body and she too fell into sleep.

And that's how Aurora's, newly named Numa, life began.

When Firenze returned to his herd he had originally intended on keeping my presence in the forest quiet to the other centaurs, but, unfortunately, that wasn't to be.

Ronan had gotten to the herd first and told them of what they had discovered. At first there were a handful of centaurs that wanted me to leave the forest, wanting to get rid of me. They told Firenze that he should have just not interfered although there were others who were curious about me the new inhabitant in the forest.

A small group of centaurs went to Moro's den to get a good look at this little one. Firenze was among the group going down there. Since he was there recently he was the one leading them there. When the group of centaurs reached Moro's they stayed at the edge of the trees taking a look at the sight before them.

Outside of her den Moro was lying down on her stomach, her paws crossed. I was lying in the sun in front of her. I was playing and trying to edge my way around. I wasn't strong enough to move that far yet so I wasn't making much progress.

Moro had a soft look in her eyes as she was watching my antics.

Ronan took a few steps forward, but before Ronan could move into the light Firenze put a stop to his advance.

"Wait," said Firenze.

Ronan stopped, but it was too late. When Ronan placed his hoof back onto the ground he stepped on a twig. The very sound of it snapping alerted Moro of their presence there.

Moro's head snapped up and turned in their direction. Her ears were pricked up and she was on the alert. She was staring right at the spot where they were hiding. "I know you're there," she said, slightly growling. "Show yourselves!"

Knowing there was no longer a point in hiding, Firenze stepped into the light. "It is I, Moro," said Firenze.

"Back so soon, Firenze," said Moro, a curious look on her face.

"I wouldn't have returned so soon," explained Firenze, "but there are ones who wish to meet the little ones." He gestured behind him at the other three centaurs came out of the shadows of the trees. All of them went over to Moro.

The three centaurs each gave Moro a bow. "A pleasure, Moro," said Ronan.

"The honor is mine," said Moro. Her tone was polite, but there was a bit of a warning growl there. It was heeded by all of the centaurs there.

Firenze gestures to the other three centaurs, saying "This is Ronan, Bane, and Magorian."

"Why have you come," demanded Moro, getting right to the point. She wasn't wasting time here.

The one called Bane stepped forward. "We were told you had taken on a human infant, Moro," said Bane, turning his gaze on me. "Now we can see those words were true." The look in his eyes was certainly not a friendly one as he was gazing onto my tiny body.

Noticing this Moro placed a protective paw over my body. "What's it to you," asked Moro, eyes hard although she probably already knew the answer.

Magorian seemed a bit embarrassed at this moment. There was an awkward look on his face and he seemed to be doing his best in avoiding Moro's penetrating eyes. He was looking anywhere, but at her. "Well, you see…," began Magorian, but was quickly interrupted.

"We want her out of this forest," stated Bane.

Firenze slapped a hand onto his face. Honestly, Bane wasn't really one for strategy.

Moro certainly wasn't going to take Bane's rudeness like that. "I don't see how me keeping this child is any kind of business of the centaurs," said Magorian, eyes narrowed.

"We're just concerned, Moro," said Magorian, calmly. "Humans might come into the forest looking for her. We don't want any of them wandering the inside of our lands."

"She is no danger to any of us," said Moro. "I'm sure Firenze must've told you the child was abandoned."

"That we did," said Magorian, nodding, "but we can't take that chance, we don't want to risk it."

"You might not be willing to, but I am," exclaimed Moro.

"You can't…," began Bane.

"This little one is under my care and protection," said Moro, eyes hard, "and there she shall remain." She was staring right at Bane as she said this. He returned her gaze.

"Is there no way we can change your mind," asked Magorian, eyes sad.

"This is my final decision," said Moro, firmly. "This child is mine."

In response Bane reared up onto his back legs in clear anger. "You will regret this," he bellowed.

The loudness and fury in his voice startled me. I began crying out in fear. This drew everyone's attention back over to me.

Immediately, Moro tried her best to soothe me. She gently nudged me with her nose. "Hush now, little one," she said, softly, "it's all right."

Moro then turned an angry gaze onto Bane. "Now look what you're done. You've upset her," she snarled.

Bane growled, glaring at Moro. She returned the look and both of them tensed up. Before a fight could break out between the two the other centaurs stepped in before it could occur.

Ronan stepped in front of Bane, his arms spread out wide to keep him from moving forward. "Don't do anything foolish," he warned.

Firenze was doing the same thing with Moro. "Don't do this, Moro. Don't give into your anger, not in front of the babe. You're just making her even more upset," said Firenze, gesturing toward where I was on the ground.

I was bawling my eyes out letting out heart-wrenching cries.

By Firenze's words something changed in Moro's demeanor. Her body relaxed and the tenseness left her muscles. The look on her face changed from anger to becoming soft and tender. Moro turned away from the centaurs and back over to me. Once reaching me, Moro picked me up by my blanket and placed me down in the cradle of her paws.

"There, there," she said, nuzzling me. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

While Moro was working on calming me down Magorian was dealing with Bane. "Calm yourself, Bane," said Magorian.

"But Magorian," said Bane, "We can't just let this…"

"Enough," said Magorian, "I will have no more of this. Speak further and there will be consequences." There was a no nonsense tone in his voice as these words left his mouth. Magorian meant business and would certainly act on what he said if his words weren't heeded now.

Bane seemed to sense this coming from his leader. Bane closed his mouth and bowed his head. The obeyed the command, reluctant as he was to do so.

With Bane dealt with Magorian now turned his attention back to Moro. Moro had managed to calm me some. I had completely ceased my crying and the air surrounding all of us was quiet again.

"We'll be taking our leave now," said Magorian. "Please forgive us for causing a disturbance. I hope that next time we meet it will be on better terms."

"Let's hope it will be," said Moro.

"And that maybe by then you'll have changed your mind," said Magorian. He couldn't help, but to speak these words.

"Don't dwell on the thought," said Moro, not even looking at Magorian, "it'll never happen."

There was a sad look in Magorians eyes as he gave her one last bow. He then turned and left the clearing with Ronan following him as did Bane. The latter sending the two of us one last glare he moved back into the shadows of the forest.

Firenze was the last of the centaurs to leave. He hadn't even moved from his spot. "If you will allow it," he said, "can I return and visit the child?"

While Firenze had been speaking Moro had begun unwrapping my blanket with her teeth. She wanted to give me a bath. She paused in what she was doing. Moro thought carefully about what Firenze was asking of her. As long as she had known this centaur she knew Firenze to be an extremely gentle soul. He wouldn't cause any harm to me. Moro nodded her consent and returned to her work on unraveling the blanket.

Firenze smiled at her acceptance. "Thank you," he said, bowing, "I shall return soon." With that he turned and galloped back into the forest, moving to catch up to his companions.

Moro began to lick me clean. Giggles escaped my body as her tongue touched my skin. The texture of her tongue was tickling me.

Chuckling, Moro placed a paw on me to keep me still. From that day forth Moro was my protector, my guardian, my mother and I was her daughter.

After their confrontation with Moro the centaurs knew better than to try and hurt me. They didn't try to convince Moro to get rid of me after that.

As the seasons passed by Firenze was a regular visitor to the den. When Firenze had next come to see us he brought along a small tunic along with a pair of tiny little boots made out of deer hide. It was a miracle of how he had learned to make them. All of the centaurs in the herd were male and none of them had any sort of need for clothes.

Later on I would learn that there once had been a female centaur in the herd, but she had died many years ago. This was long before I had even come into the forest. He had learned the skill of sewing from her before she had suddenly passed on into the net life. Since her death Firenze had absolutely no need to even use such a skill, but because of my arrival he now had the chance to use the knowledge of what he has learned from his teacher.

Firenze wasn't bad at it either. Somehow the tunic and boots he had made for me managed to fit on the first go. Since that day Firenze would keep making new things for me whenever I outgrew what I already had.

Overtime, as the seasons went by, I became old enough to understand what the art of sewing was. I learned the skill from him as he did from his teacher. When the time came I was making pieces of clothing of my own. Firenze had no need to make them for me anymore.

Sewing was a good skill, but it wasn't the only one I was able obtain from him. When I was strong enough, Firenze taught he how to use a bow and arrow. This one was a hard one to do and it took such a long time to actually master. The end result was worth it.

By learning how to use a bow and arrow I was able to give myself protection. I was able to leave the den more and more by myself without my mother. Mother no longer had to hunt on her own because now I was able to go with her.

As I grew up the creatures of the forest seemed to lose their hatred of me more and more with each passing season. The centaur herds were the hardest ones to break through. Most of them grew to accept me, but a handful of them like Bane remained looking at me with disdain.

With my mother's protection none dared to try to hurt me when I was in the forest. All of them knew if they tried there would be serious consequences.

While I was growing up I never went outside of the forest or anywhere close to their borders. My curiosity of what was outside kept on growing with each passing season. Each time I asked why I wasn't aloud outside my mother would say the exact same thing.

"The outside world is a dangerous place," she would say, "full of horrible and selfish creatures. You must stay here in the forest where you're safe. Do you understand, Numa?"

"Yes, Mama," I always answered.

The first time I had asked my mother this I had only just reached my sixth summer. After that my curiosity of the outside world continued to grow. Despite all of this I still obeyed my mother's wishes I never went outside of the forest or even went near its borders. I was content with my life there and didn't have any intentions to change this at all.

Unfortunately, once I reached my nineteenth winter the tranquil life I had made for myself would disappear and everything would forever change.

Please Review