Two ravens, in close pursuit, stopped short as the pups tumbled into Rissa and hid behind her. With mocking cries, the birds flew to join the rest of their friends.
“Listen, pups,” Rissa said, giving gentle bites to get our attention. “There are creatures that are not wolf and are not prey or rival.” We must have looked confused, for she thought a moment and began again. “In the world, there is wolf, and there is not-wolf. Most important among wolf, there is pack. The good of the pack outweighs the good of any one wolf. Pack is more important than life, more important than the hunt.” She let that sink in, and then went on. “After pack, there are wolves that are not pack, some of which are our enemies, some our friends. Among not-wolf, there is prey, which we kill. Any prey may be killed as long as you follow the rules of the hunt.”
“How do you know if something is prey?” Ázzuen asked. I’d noticed that he was always the one to ask a question, and to figure things out more quickly than the rest of us.
“You’ll know,” said Yllin, who had returned, panting, to join us. “If it runs, you chase it!”
“It is somewhat more complicated than that,” Rissa said, opening her jaws in a smile. “You will learn more when you are old enough to join the hunt. Listen!” she said, swatting Unnan lightly as he crouched to pounce on Marra’s tail. “In addition to prey, there are rivals, some of which are more dangerous than others. Foxes, dholes, and many of the hunter birds must be dealt with, and kept from stealing prey, but are not much of a threat to a grown wolf. Dholes hunt like we do in a pack, but are smaller than we are, and rarely challenge us. Bears, long-fangs, rock lions, and even hyenas can kill a grown wolf and are true danger. And then there are the other creatures, all of whom are part of the Balance, but who play no great part in the life of a wolf.”
I thought of all the creatures I’d already seen, and how many more there were that I had not yet met, the insects and small animals of the woods, the owls I had so feared. It seemed like too much for my mind to hold. I did my best to understand it all, and to remember what Rissa was telling us.
“Then,” she said, watching two ravens sneak up on Ruuqo, “there are creatures that are almost-wolf. They are the creatures closest to us in the Balance and are granted many of the privileges of wolf. Ravens are such creatures. They help us find food and improve the hunt.” She shook herself again, dislodging Rainsong, who had landed on her back, and was swaying in time with her words.
It was a lot to think about. I noticed Unnan and Borlla squirming impatiently, as Ázzuen sat still, trying to puzzle it all out.
“It’s not that difficult, pups,” Yllin said, poking Ázzuen in the ribs with her nose. “We join them in games, and they lead us to good hunting.”
“Take my word for it, pups,” Rissa said with a laugh. “Raven play is good practice for hunting. And it is never too early to prepare for the hunt.” She trotted to the center of the clearing where Minn, Ruuqo, and Trevegg were waging war with several ravens. Unnan, Borlla, Marra, and Reel ran after her, but Ázzuen looked after them skeptically.
“This is playing?” he said, too softly for anyone but me to hear. He sighed. “Come on, Kaala. We’d better go play.”
He sounded so like a little oldwolf that I had to laugh as he trudged to join the rest of the pack.
Tentatively, I snuck up behind a smallish raven who stood apart from the others. I felt the thrill of the hunt pounding in my chest and I narrowed my field of vision to focus on his feathery back and tail. I was sure he couldn’t see me as I crept up behind him. I would have him for sure. I bunched up my legs behind me, ignoring the pain in my sore leg, and leapt. The little raven spun around and flew above me, flapping his wings in my face.
Clumsy wolf can’t jump.
Tlitoo is too fast for
“Listen, pups,” Rissa said, giving gentle bites to get our attention. “There are creatures that are not wolf and are not prey or rival.” We must have looked confused, for she thought a moment and began again. “In the world, there is wolf, and there is not-wolf. Most important among wolf, there is pack. The good of the pack outweighs the good of any one wolf. Pack is more important than life, more important than the hunt.” She let that sink in, and then went on. “After pack, there are wolves that are not pack, some of which are our enemies, some our friends. Among not-wolf, there is prey, which we kill. Any prey may be killed as long as you follow the rules of the hunt.”
“How do you know if something is prey?” Ázzuen asked. I’d noticed that he was always the one to ask a question, and to figure things out more quickly than the rest of us.
“You’ll know,” said Yllin, who had returned, panting, to join us. “If it runs, you chase it!”
“It is somewhat more complicated than that,” Rissa said, opening her jaws in a smile. “You will learn more when you are old enough to join the hunt. Listen!” she said, swatting Unnan lightly as he crouched to pounce on Marra’s tail. “In addition to prey, there are rivals, some of which are more dangerous than others. Foxes, dholes, and many of the hunter birds must be dealt with, and kept from stealing prey, but are not much of a threat to a grown wolf. Dholes hunt like we do in a pack, but are smaller than we are, and rarely challenge us. Bears, long-fangs, rock lions, and even hyenas can kill a grown wolf and are true danger. And then there are the other creatures, all of whom are part of the Balance, but who play no great part in the life of a wolf.”
I thought of all the creatures I’d already seen, and how many more there were that I had not yet met, the insects and small animals of the woods, the owls I had so feared. It seemed like too much for my mind to hold. I did my best to understand it all, and to remember what Rissa was telling us.
“Then,” she said, watching two ravens sneak up on Ruuqo, “there are creatures that are almost-wolf. They are the creatures closest to us in the Balance and are granted many of the privileges of wolf. Ravens are such creatures. They help us find food and improve the hunt.” She shook herself again, dislodging Rainsong, who had landed on her back, and was swaying in time with her words.
It was a lot to think about. I noticed Unnan and Borlla squirming impatiently, as Ázzuen sat still, trying to puzzle it all out.
“It’s not that difficult, pups,” Yllin said, poking Ázzuen in the ribs with her nose. “We join them in games, and they lead us to good hunting.”
“Take my word for it, pups,” Rissa said with a laugh. “Raven play is good practice for hunting. And it is never too early to prepare for the hunt.” She trotted to the center of the clearing where Minn, Ruuqo, and Trevegg were waging war with several ravens. Unnan, Borlla, Marra, and Reel ran after her, but Ázzuen looked after them skeptically.
“This is playing?” he said, too softly for anyone but me to hear. He sighed. “Come on, Kaala. We’d better go play.”
He sounded so like a little oldwolf that I had to laugh as he trudged to join the rest of the pack.
Tentatively, I snuck up behind a smallish raven who stood apart from the others. I felt the thrill of the hunt pounding in my chest and I narrowed my field of vision to focus on his feathery back and tail. I was sure he couldn’t see me as I crept up behind him. I would have him for sure. I bunched up my legs behind me, ignoring the pain in my sore leg, and leapt. The little raven spun around and flew above me, flapping his wings in my face.
Clumsy wolf can’t jump.
Tlitoo is too fast for
Similar Books
