• Chapter 3.

    A wolf with white fur and yellow eyes was sitting there. His eyes meet mine.

    “You’re late.” He growls.

    “Shut up Shrou. Where is Perio?” I ask.

    “He went hunting with another wolf we found.” Shrou barks. I nod. I flip, and land a wolf. I howl, letting the other two wolves know that I am back and yes, alive. Out of no where, Perio pounces on my side. He has brown is tan fur and green eyes. There was a wolf behind him with pure brown fur and black eyes. That wolf was carrying a rabbit.

    “Isn’t it wonderful? We now have one more wolf in our pack!” Perio barked.

    “Yea, yea. Get off me.” I bark.

    “Sorry.” Perio whimpers, getting off. I sit up, and shake the snow out of my fur. I stare at the brown wolf. He stares back at me.

    “What is your name?” I finally bark. My voice scares the wolf, and he jumps. He blinks.

    “Fuji. I am Kunji’s brother. Kunji is alive, I hope you know. He has no pack, just like you did years ago. I will try to help you as much as I can.” The wolf barks. I almost lunge at him, but I hold back. Kunji and I go way back, about 200 years ago, I fought him. I won, fare and square, but Kunji could not accept the fact that he would not be leader, so he banned me from the pack. I had to abandon my two pups, and their mother. My sister and her cubs, and every one of my friends. Now he was alive and I hate that. …

    I stare at Fuji. He stares back. I guess he can stay, as long as Kunji knows his place as an outsider, I don’t care.

    “Alright you can stay. If I catch you going to see Kunji even once, just to give him a little table scraps, your out.” I growl. Fuji wags his tail and pounces on me. I accidentally shift into a human and he licks my face.

    “Down boy!” I say. I can’t help but laugh. I feel a hand on my arm, and I look at the goddess. Her eyes are sad. I look concernedly at her, and she blinks.

    “These wolves can’t hide themselves as humans, can they?” she asks me, her voice cracking.

    “No. They can’t.” I say.

    “May the gods let these wolves hide in a natural form; the form of humans. Let these wolves hide in an undetectable way; let them shift into humans with no ears or tails.” The goddess says. My friends look at me. They all shift into humans. They stare at me. Shrou has brown hair and grey eyes. Perio has dirty blond hair and green eyes. Fuji has brown hair and black eyes, just like his wolf form. I almost wish that Kunji was here. Almost. I still care about Kunji, even though he was a total jerk. I owe him. I owe him because he was the one who took me from the old place to the next, when I had that dream about my mother. He was the one who carried me from place to place, after my mother died.

    “Yuku, I must tell you something…” Fuji says, “The reason why Kunji was like that, protective and all, is because he was…no is your father. He wanted to stay leader because he never wanted his son to be better, or higher up, than he was. That is why he banned you. It hurt him to do that more than it hurt you. Now he is insane, and he killed our pack. I was the only survivor. You should not let him into our small pack, even if he is your father. I just wanted to tell you so when he does, when you two fight for the last time, it wont stun you so much that he kills you. I saw the future, which is how I know.” I nod. I stay silent for a long time. Not just a long time, a loooooooooooooooooong time.

    “Thanks. Did he wear a mask?” I ask, “Like, in his human form?”

    “He does.” Fuji says.

    “Then I have fought him before. And I have met him.” I say darkly. They all stare at me. I stay silent. The goddess puts her hand on my soldier, and I look at her.

    “This man is tougher in his wolf form. Never underestimate your opponent.” She tells me, and then pecks me in the cheek. She climbs up a tree and settles down to sleep. I do the same. I curl up, a wolf again, with my new pack. I’m gunna get used to the leader job. No matter what.