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She should have been more careful.
She should have stuck to the path.
Tracy sat at the bottom of a tall ditch, far too in shock to try and get up again. Her basket sat askew by her side, the contents barely peeking out from their container. She lifted her arm, inspecting the throbbing located at her elbow. She found it scraped, covered in a faint mixture of dirt and blood. A warm sensation flowed down her head. She reached up with her fingertips, discovering that her forehead had also been scraped in the skirmish.
Tracy lowered her head, wrapping her arms around herself in defense. She wiped her eyes as they began to water. She was supposed to be home by now. If only she didn’t jump at every small sound. If only she didn’t run from the darkness surrounding her. She sniffled, burying her face in her knees. Now she was far too terrified to move. She couldn’t dare bring herself to continue walking. At least, not for now. She scooped up her basket and set it beside her, then pulled her hood over her head and continued to softly sob.
Unbeknownst to her, the faintest sound of her cries caught the attention of a forest resident.
The wolf pup had been tracking down a foreign scent, his curiosity peaked. When he heard the noise, he decided to investigate. As he got closer to the source, that same scent grew more potent. He poked his head out from the top of the ditch, looking down over the hooded figure. He tipped his head, then trotted silently around it to get down to the stranger. When he got close enough, he shifted and stretched into his human form. The boy stood in front of her for a moment, tipping his head to the side. His tail drooped when the strange-smelling girl didn’t notice him. He moved closer, then squatted down beside her. He blinked, his ears lowering. Slowly, he reached forward and poked her, quickly jerking his hand back.
Tracy jumped in surprise, shuffling away from the offending digit. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. There was a boy out here? What was he doing in the middle of the forest? She held her arm up defensively. The scrape on her arm caught his attention. Unsure of what to say, he pointed to it.
“How did that happen?”
Tracy paused, now far too confused to continue wallowing in her failure. She looked over the strange boy’s outfit. He wore a simple loincloth and bandages on his arms and legs. However, the most prominent article of clothing was the wolf pelt he wore like a cloak. She could have sworn she saw the ears move. After the long moment of silence, she furrowed her brows sadly.
“I fell… I was running away from this strange noise.” She clung to her knees, hiding shyly behind them. The boy moved down to her level, squatting in front of her.
“A strange noise?” He hummed in thought, his tail thumping once on the ground. He shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t hear anything. Not for miles…”
Tracy pursed her lips, looking at him. She averted her eyes when she found him staring right at her.
“Miles? That’s ridiculous,” she said. “You can’t hear for miles!”
“I can!” He huffed, offended by her statement. “I can also smell for miles!” He sniffed the air. “Currently, the most prominent smell here is you.” He leaned forward, sniffing her. She put her hand on his cheek, pushing his face away from her.
“Why are you sniffing me?” She asked, fighting back a small smile and pulling her hood down further over her face. His tail wagged behind him as he backed up.
“You smell nice! Whatever is in that thing smells nice too.” He got down on all fours, moving to sniff the basket. Tracy didn’t move, letting him inspect the basket.
“You’re weird.”
He perked his head up at the comment. Tracy could see his tail now, her eyes widening again. Perhaps this boy wasn’t as human as she thought he was.
“You’re the weird one to me,” he replied, sitting down cross-legged in front of her. “Where is your pelt? You don’t have a tail or ears. You don’t even have sharp teeth!” He flashed his teeth, showing off a set of sharp canines. Tracy looked at them closely with confusion. Her tongue trailed subconsciously over her own teeth. They weren’t anywhere near as sharp as his looked.
“I have ears!” She pulled her hood off, turning her head and brushing her hair aside to show him. He looked at them, seemingly unamused.
“Not those ears! These ones!” He reached up to his pelt, feeling the two wolf ears at the top. Tracy reached up hesitantly as well, poking one of them. She watched it flick in response, letting out a faint gasp.
“Is your pelt… Connected to you?” She tipped her head, looking over him. “What are you?”
He rolled his shoulders back, puffing out his chest again with a hint of pride. “I am Naib! I am an alpha wolf!” He grinned, his tail wagging. After a moment, his ears lowered. “Well… I’m going to be… Maybe…”
’A wolf?’ She thought. He didn’t look like a wolf. She supposed he only somewhat did. He looked her over, squinting at her.
“What kind of wolf are you?” He asked. “No ears and no tail. You didn’t have your pelt stolen, did you?” He looked worried. She snapped out of her thoughts, turning to look at him.
“Oh! No! I don’t have a pelt.” Tracy shook her head. “I never did. I’m a human.”
The boy, Naib, froze in place after she spoke. Tracy noticed his sudden shift, tilting her head.
“What’s wrong?” She murmured. “Have you never seen a human before? You kind of look like one. At least most humans I’ve seen.”
“Humans are awful,” Naib replied coldly. He growled. Tracy heard it, now somewhat scared. What was he going to do? He continued. “They’re evil and cruel creatures that kill wolves for their pelts and cut down our forests! They’re terrible and scary! I’m going to destroy them all one day when I’m the alpha of my pack.”
Tracy remained still, trying to think fast. Was he going to hurt her? It didn’t seem like it. At least, right now it didn’t. She pulled her cloak around herself, shielding her body with it.
“Well… Well!—” She frowned. “... The same could be said about wolves! I’ve been told they attack humans that stray too far from the paths and kill them for meat. They’re powerful and terrifying and scary!”
Naib returned her frown, his ears drooping with frustration. She snapped her head away from him with a harrumph, closing her eyes bitterly. He was quiet for a little bit, each of them equally upset with each other. Slowly, he reached forward and poked her. She scooted away from him.
“... You’re not that scary…” Naib muttered. “You look more weak and squishy than anything else.”
Tracy heard his comment. She lifted her head and poked his chest harshly. “I am not weak! I am simply…” She tried to search for an excuse, her confidence dwindling for a moment. Naib laughed, causing her to blush with embarrassment. “I am me!”
“You are you,” Naib replied with a mischievous grin. “And you are weak!”
Tracy puffed her cheeks out, her face now red. She gave him a harsh shove, causing the wolf boy to lose his balance and tumble over. He barked in surprise, catching them both off-guard. Now it was his turn to blush, having been bested by her. He growled, glaring at the girl.
“I’m going to make you regret doing that!” He pounced on her, causing her to yelp as she hit the ground. He held her down, staring at her angrily. Tracy’s heart sped up as she found herself pinned. She visibly paled, staring up at the boy in fear. After receiving that look, Naib immediately stopped. He blinked, thoughts racing as he tried to determine why he had done so. She was a human! He could easily eat her. He could get rid of her at this very moment. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to. He couldn’t bear to see her staring at him like that. Guilt pooled in his stomach as he quickly got off of her, now bringing his knees to his chest and hiding behind them. Tracy found herself too dazed to move, laying there in shock.
“...I’m sorry…” He whimpered, curling his tail around himself. “I didn’t mean it… I’m not going to hurt you…” He looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would sit up.
Much to his relief, she finally did so. She gathered her basket, placing it in her lap once more. She didn’t look at him nor respond to him, sitting in an uncomfortable silence. He crawled closer to her, sitting beside her. She didn’t move. He rested his head on her shoulder. She brushed it off and looked away. He frowned, then nuzzled her hood. She pushed his face away.
“I don’t believe you,” she sniffed, hunching over. Naib remained where he was, now wallowing in his own guilt. He stood, his tail tucked between his legs. He started to walk off, leaving the girl alone.
Tracy couldn’t stop herself, starting to quietly cry again. She missed her dad. She missed her mom. She wished to be home. She didn’t want to be hurt out here. She wanted to be warm and cozy in her own house. She didn’t want to wander out into the wilderness until she died. Her voice quaked as she fought back a faint sob, wiping her eyes with her hood and dropping her basket. She could hear birds around her and see the sunset slipping through the trees. Night would come soon. She doubted she would survive the night out here by herself. She would be eaten up for certain.
The young girl had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she hadn’t realized the wolf boy had returned to her. He saw the sorry state she was in, a look of concern crossing his face. He bent down to her level once more, poking her leg. She pulled her head up from her knees, only to see a small flower. Naib held it out in front of her, his shy gaze occasionally flicking up to her face from the ground below. He didn’t say a word, simply gesturing for her to take it.
Carefully, she did. She held it close to herself, looking at Naib.
“Thank you…” She whispered, cradling it in her arms. His face flushed and he rubbed his wrist.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” He whimpered. She wiped her eyes.
“I miss my dad…” Her voice shook. “I miss my mom… I want to go home…” She sniffed, wiping her nose with her arm.
Naib moved to sit beside her, looking up at the sky. It was getting late, wasn’t it? He curled his tail around her, sitting on his knees. His ears dropped, then rose, then dropped again. His tail thumped once, then he turned to face her.
“I’ll help you get home,” he said, nodding to her sincerely.
Tracy looked at him, furrowing her brows with worry. “You will? How will you know where my home is?”
“I’ll track your scent,” Naib smiled. “That’s what I was doing to find you.” He shook out his pelt, then moved in front of her. “But you’re not going home like that.” He gestured to her arm. She hesitated, but let him take her hand. Without a second thought, Naib leaned down and gave her scrape a big slobbery lick. Tracy grimaced in disgust, yanking her arm away from him.
“Ew! What was that for?”
Naib grabbed her wrist again. “I’m cleaning your wounds!” She fought his hold for a moment. “My mom does this to help clean mine when I get into fights. It helps them heal faster!”
Tracy let her arm go slack. She didn’t have the strength to fight him. Naib noted her initial reaction, deciding to take a different approach. He licked his palm instead, rubbing the saliva onto her wound to wash off the blood. She continued to grimace through the process. He pressed his wet palm to her forehead, making her flinch.
“This is much easier when I’m a wolf,” he huffed.
Tracy blinked. “When you’re a wolf? I thought you were a wolf already.”
“I am!” He replied. “I’m just not in my wolf form!”
“Wolf form?” She eyed him curiously. He smiled confidently and nodded.
“I am much more intimidating in my wolf form.” His tail wagged as he boasted, finally letting Tracy go. She wiped his saliva off of her forehead, crossing her arms.
“Well? Are you going to show me?”
Naib bit his cheek. “Are you sure? You might get scared again…” He saw her eyes turn pleading, letting out a faint sigh. “Fine. But not for long, okay? We have to get you home, remember?” He stood up, starting to shake out his pelt. His skin began to blend with the pelt as his bones shifted and moved into their proper place. Within seconds, the large wolf pup stood in front of Tracy on all fours. He barked, bending down in a playful pose. His tail wagged.
The girl gasped, instantly brightening up. She reached forward to pet him, surprising the wolf. She scratched behind his ears, making him lean into the touch. He let out a series of grumbles and growls, clearly annoyed by the action. However, the way his tail wagging picked up in intensity only hindered his bothered display. Tracy squished his face, brushing her hands along his fur.
“You are so cute!” She sang. He didn’t move his snout out of her hold, giving her a single bark. She nuzzled his nose, then pulled away with a giggle. He froze, eyes blown wide. The pup stayed in place for a while, then slowly shifted back into his human form. Tracy found herself holding his cheeks, which had grown hot. She released him, smiling wide. He continued to stare into space for a moment, then shook his head to snap out of it. He quickly stood, facing away from her. He extended his hand rather forcefully, offering to help her up. His free hand reached down to grab his excited tail. Tracy could tell he was embarrassed, taking his invitation and squeezing his hand. She plucked the flower he gave her off of the ground, placing it delicately in her basket. Naib watched her until she looked at him, looking away purposefully.
“Let’s go,” he grumbled. He rubbed his face with his arm, trying to hide his blush as he started to walk. Tracy trailed behind him, keeping up with his pace.
The sky had turned a light lavender color as Naib sniffed the air, guiding Tracy through the woods. He helped her over tall rocks and along streams, occasionally lifting his head to track the scent of her home. All along the way, he showed her some of his familiar landmarks.
“This place I like to call Frog Pond.”
“Why is it called Frog Fond?”
“Cause there’s frogs in it, dummy!”
“That’s lame.”
“You’re lame!”
Tracy pointed out the path once it was in sight, but Naib insisted on taking a shortcut.
“That path is terrible!” He huffed. “It winds everywhere! No wonder you got lost!”
“That’s the path to town,” she said quietly. “I had to go to the bank there. My father is a clocksmith. He sent me to try and get a loan for a shop in town. We want to move there so my mother is closer to the doctor.”
Naib raised a brow. Doctor? “What’s a doctor?”
Tracy grasped her basket with both hands, holding it out in front of her like a dowsing rod. “It’s someone that helps heal your wounds or helps you when you’re sick.”
Naib rolled his eyes. “You don’t need a doctor! My spit works just fine!”
Tracy cringed at him, shaking her head. “No it doesn’t!” She laughed. Naib pouted, his ears dropping.
“...’s fine to me…”
By the time they finally reached the clearing to her father’s cabin, stars had already begun to speckle the sky. Naib stopped at the edge of the woods, finally letting go of Tracy’s hand. She turned to him, balancing on her heels.
“You’re home now…” He muttered, scuffing his foot on the floor. Tracy noticed the way he seemed to deflate. Thinking fast, she stuck her hand into her basket and fished out a muffin. She held it out to Naib, watching him sniff it. “What’s this?”
“It’s a muffin. You eat it! Here, for helping me.”
Naib hesitantly took it, taking a small bite of the muffin. Instantly, he perked up, starting to wolf it down. Tracy giggled at his reaction, then leaned forward to give him a gentle peck on the cheek. His face turned a deep blue and his tail started wagging significantly.
“Thank you, Naib.” She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a small squeeze. Naib returned it, squeezing her back and burying his face in her neck. Tracy smiled, feeling his legs move from the sheer force of his tail. She pulled away from him and giggled as Naib threw his head back and howled.
Tracy started off toward her house, only for the boy to reach forward and take her wrist. She turned back to him, raising a brow. Naib found himself sputtering over words.
“N-Name… What’s your name?” He moved to hold her hand.
Tracy blushed, realizing she had never told him. She brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling warmly at him.
“Tracy,” she said quietly.
“Tracy…” Naib repeated. “Will you visit me? I swear I will protect you.”
She nodded. “Mhm! Of course! Maybe we can go swimming in the frog pond sometime.”
“Promise?”
She turned his palm up in her hand, pressing a kiss to it. She gave his head a happy scratch, beaming at him.
“I promise. Goodbye for now, Naib.”
She let go of his hand, waving to him as she headed back toward her home. Naib watched her leave, standing at the forest edge. Once she had gotten to the door of her house and closed it behind her, he shifted into his wolf form. He let out a loud howl, turning and prancing happily back into the woods.
’Until next time, Tracy.’