Wolf Princess Chapter 6
As soon as I pointed the human out to Mother tension immediately filled the air around all of us. I was watching Mother with a worried anticipated look on my face. My brothers were watching in excitement waiting for what she was going to do next with this bit of news. My Mother was staring very intently at the human. I could see him shift a bit uncomfortably where he was standing. He seemed to feel more and more uneasy the longer he was under Moro's gaze.
"Numa," said Mother, breaking the silence, "is this the one who…?"
"Yes, Mother," I said, knowing what she was talking about.
A thoughtful expression came onto Moro's face. She moved forward closer in proximity to the human. He stiffened at her approach, but he managed to remain calm. She tightly circled him where he began turning with her to follow her movements.
"Still," ordered Moro.
The human stopped moving and stayed perfectly still.
"Remus Lupin," answered the human.
As Moro continued with her inspection she began to sniff him absorbing his scent. She recognized the smell of one of her sons on him, but there was something else. Her eyes widened in recognition as she came ot recognize the smell.
Stopping in her tracks, Moro snarled "Why do I smell werewolf on you?"
Eyes snapping up in surprise I looked to see what my brother's reactions were. I noticed they wore watching in pure excitement at what was happening. Looking at their faces it was easy to figure out they'd caught the scent of the werewolf long before I could. I figured I must've been way too occupied with my own thoughts to actually notice it at the time. Eyes narrowed I glared at my brothers, but didn't comment about their behavior. Instead I sniffed carefully at the air. My Mother was correct on her assumption as there was a powerful scent of werewolf coating the air originating from the human Remus.
Remus hesitated looking like he wasn't going to elaborate to Moro. He seemed to change his mind at the intense look Mother was giving him. "You smell werewolf on me," he said, eyes lower, "because I am one."
This brought silence to the air.
"How is this possible," demanded White-fang.
"I wasn't born this way," explained Remus. "I was bitten by another werewolf as a child and I've been like this ever since. Changing every night on the full moon."
A certain tone was caught in his voice as he said this to us. Listening to him I could tell he wasn't really that content about being a werewolf.
"That can't be," stated Brokefang, turning to Moro, "Mother can it be possible?"
Moro nodded, saying "Yes it is. As impossible as it may be humans have been known to become werewolves once bitten. They aren't the same as the ones occupying the forest with us."
Brokefang and White-fang brought their heads together beginning to whisper excitedly. I on the other hand was not. I'd never heard of such a thing during my life in the forest. Just another thing that Mother had kept from me.
"Why have you come here," asked Moro.
"I came looking for her," said Remus, gesturing to where I was standing.
"And why exactly would you do that," growled Moro.
"I was searching for her…so I could take her back with me," said Remus, tentative.
His words brought about an immediate reaction. I stared at him in complete shock gaping at him. I didn't know what to say. For the rest of the family it was a completely different story. Brokefang and White-fang immediately stopped whispering to each other when they heard Remus's explanation of why he had entered the forest. They growled their body language toward Remus radiating hostility. Mother was far worst. Her body tensed fur standing on end with her eyes became full of menace. Moro crouched low in a pouncing position ready to strike.
"How dare you," she snarled. "You have no right to come here requesting such a thing. My daughter will not be leaving this forest!"
An enormous wave came from Mother causing Remus to take a few steps back intimidated, but he stood his ground. He was scared, but wasn't going to let his fear have any sort of effect on him. That just couldn't happen to him right now. It had come to him that showing fear, at this point, would seriously be a horrible idea. So he wouldn't show any.
"Shouldn't Numa be the one to decide whether she stays or goes," said Remus, firmly. "It is her life, after all, and the choice should be hers to make." His words were reasonable and made sense.
Moro was having none of this and neither were her pups. The brothers surrounded Remus as Moro showed her teeth.
"Enough of this," snarled Moro. "Leave our den return to your human dwellings. You are not welcome here."
That broke me out of the trance I was in. I'd been silently listening to what was being spoken of. At hearing what my family was trying to I went forward to put an end to it.
"You can't force him out, Mother," I insisted.
"What do you mean, Numa," demanded Moro, angrily.
"Night is upon us," I answered. "We all know once the sun has set the forest is even more dangerous than it is when the sun is in the sky. Right now there are too many dangers out in the forest at this time of day. Especially to someone who doesn't the forest as well as we do. Besides his home is too far away he'd never make it there before a predator came upon him."
I was observing Moro quite closely as I was talking to her. I caught onto the hostility had started to leave her face, but most of it remained.
"Please, Mother," I coed, soothingly, "allow him to stay here for the night. I'm sure he'll be happy to take his leave in the morning after he's eaten and had a good rest."
I looked toward Remus as I said this to Moro sending him a silent message with my eyes. Remus caught the message and knew he had no choice, but to concede to the request.
"Of course I will," he said. "I do not wish to intrude on your home longer than necessary."
"You see," I said, "he'll be leaving once the sun rises again. There's not need to be hostile."
All eyes were on Moro to see what she was going to decide next. She stood there staring at me, but after a few seconds she deflated her face softening. Moro sighed "Very well, he may stay, but only for the night."
"Thank you, Mother," I said, smiling.
Moro nodded, visibly a lot calmer, saying "I believe it's time we have our dinner."
Moro then turned away going over to the Acromantula and deer carcasses. The pups followed after giving Remus one last glare. At first I went to follow them, but stopped turning to the human and meeting his eyes.
"Aren't you going to join us," I asked.
Shaking his head, Remus said "No thanks I have my own food."
Shrugging, I said "Suit yourself." I left joining my family around the Acromantula carcass.
As my family and I began our meal Remus dug into his pack for something to eat. He withdrew an apple taking a bite out of it. My Mother and brothers were digging into the Acromantula with vigor gulping down the meat in huge chunks. When I was younger I used to sit beside Mother biting meat from a carcass with my teeth. That was no longer the case it was now. Since these days I just cut off pieces with a knife eating them like that. I'd sliced off a good sized piece as soon as I got to it. I was about to take a bite when I noticed Remus off to the side out of the way. His meal was relatively small. The only thing I noticed he was devouring was an apple that was already half gone. Looking at the piece of meat in my hand I went over to where Remus was sitting. He noticed me coming and stopped eating his apple.
"Can I help you," asked Remus, brow raised.
Stopping in front of Remus I pointed at the apple, asking "Is that all you're having?"
Shrugging, Remus said "It's all I have left with me. I ate the rest of it earlier today."
Looking at the apple I compared it to the meat I had in my hand. A moment later I held it out, saying "Here."
Caught off guard looking on in disbelief Remus looked at the meat in my hand then back at me, asking "What is it?"
"A piece of Acromantula," I answered.
"No," said Remus, flustered, "I mean, why you are giving this to me?"
"Oh," I said, "well you just look hungry and I don't think that apple would fill you up."
"There's no need to-," began Remus, but was interrupted.
"It's all right," I assured. "We have plenty of meat to share. Please take it."
After a moment of hesitation Remus reluctantly took the meat from my hand. "Thanks," he said.
Smiling at him I gestured at the meat encouraging him to take a bite to taste it. Remus wasn't really sure what to do next. He'd never had Acromantula meat before. He wanted to eat, but he didn't want to eat it raw. The only time he ever does so is on the full moon when he's hunting in the forest. Remus didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings by refusing her generous offering. So he brought the meat to his mouth chewing the edge. Remus tried very hard to keep the disgust and temptation to barf at bay from his face as he chewed swallowing it.
Looking at her with a forced smile on his face, Remus said "Delicious."
Smiling back not knowing the one he was giving me was fake. I then left returning to where my own family was feeding. As soon as I'd left Remus went back to eating his own food. Not wishing to eat the meat raw Remus took out his wand using a quick spell to cook it. Once it was heated enough Remus stopped the spell. He took another bite with this one being far more appetizing. As Remus was eating he kept looking out of the corner of his eye to where Numa was eating. It was quite the challenge to properly disguise the revulsion on his face. Moro, Broke-fang, and Whitefang were really digging in, but what really disgusted him was Numa doing the exact same thing. Numa was cutting off large chunks with her knife eating them that way, but there were a few times where she ripped pieces right off the carcass with her teeth. Remus had to keep reminding himself that this was the life she'd grown familiar with and was very much used to it. If Numa eventually decided to leave the forest and return to Hogwarts with him he wouldn't try to force her at all it wasn't his way. He would need to wait and see what the next day was going to bring.
With all of us on the Acromantula we managed to have our fill in no time at all. There was still plenty left over to save for another time along with the deer carcass. As the rest of the family was burying the remnants of the meat I went over to the water to get a drink and clean myself off. While I was refreshing myself I noticed someone else's reflection next to my own. Remus had come to stand beside me. The moment he knelt he began to wash his hands and the area around his mouth.
"How was your meal," I inquired.
"It was…interesting," answered Remus. "To be honest I'd never had any Acromantula meat before now. It tasted somewhat strange."
"I know what you mean," I agreed. "The first time I had an Acromantula was when I was a toddler. I may have been little at the time, but the taste has stuck with it since then. I thought it wasn't going to taste too well, but it turned out great."
Remus gave me a look shivering as though eating Acromantula meat was completely disgusting. He kept his thoughts to himself not commenting about it. My Mother and brothers finished grooming themselves nearly the same time Remus and I were finished. All three of them joined us for a drink. Mother looked at the sky when she was done. The moon was nearly where it was supposed to be in the sky showing it had gotten pretty late while we were all occupied with the evening meal.
"All right," she said, "it's time for us to retire."
Without any objections Brokefang and White-fang left the spring going inside our shared den. Those two always liked to get in ahead of me in order to get the best sleeping arrangements so I wouldn't take their spots. This wasn't really necessary of them since I always slept in the same spot every night. I was about to join the brothers inside when I saw him doing something. He took out a blanket from his pack moving to a nearby tree. He attempted to make a bed for himself in between its roots.
"There's no need for you to do that," I said.
"What," said Remus.
Smiling, I said "there's no need for you to sleep out here. There's plenty of room for you inside the den."
"Will the others allow it," he asked, doubtful.
"They don't really have much of a say in the matter," assured Numa, smirking.
"Well then," said Remus, "who am I to refuse your offer?"
Remus gathered his stuff together. On our way over to the den Moro leapt onto settling herself at the top. She laid down hanging her front paws over the edge. Moro watched us as we came closer to her.
"Sweet dreams, my daughter," she said, tenderly, eyes soft.
Returning her look, I said "Thank you, Mother."
I then ducked through the entrance and went inside. By doing this I missed the well-aimed glare Moro sent to Remus and the way he avoided making any sort of eye contact with her. My brothers had already settled themselves in their beds. I immediately went over to mine beginning arrangements of the moss in order to make it more comfortable. As I was preparing the bed I noticed Remus stop when he saw the interior of our home. Remus seemed surprised of how large the interior of the den actually was. It must've seemed a lot smaller outside than it was inside. When he was done observing Remus tried to find a spot unoccupied to settle down. At one point Remus got too close to my brothers and they didn't appreciate him getting into their personal space. They both growled in unison at him causing him to quickly retreat.
Laughing I motioned him over to where I was, saying "Just ignore them there's plenty of room over there."
Remus came over to put his stuff down. I began to make him a comfortable bed out of moss and he joined me. Within a few minutes his bed was properly situated.
"There," I said, satisfied, "that should do it. You'll be sleeping well tonight." I then lay down on my bed of moss, took off my knife, and placed my bow and arrows off to the side. I then tugged on my cloak to keep warm from the chill.
Remus covered himself with his blanket, saying "Good night."
"Good night," I repeated, shifting myself. Once I got into the right position I settled myself down closing my eyes. Within moments I was fast asleep enjoying the freedom of my own dreams.
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