Wolf's Heart

I rubbed my face against the back of Ulric’s neck, holding tight as he jumped over a log. We had been traveling for about an hour and a half, Ulric allowing me to ride on his back for the last half hour. I have a feeling that if Ulric was traveling alone he’d have already reached his family, his long strides when he runs eating up the miles. Being on his back helped, he could walk faster and take trails that I couldn’t, but he still wouldn’t run, no matter how many times I told him I’d hold on.

My fingers tightened as Ulric walked up a steep incline, large boulders forcing him to climb up the side. His arms stretched high, his muscles bulging as he lifted us both over the boulder. Once on top my eyes widened, amazed to see a mountain barricading our way. The rock was huge, towering over us for at least twenty feet.

“Are you sure you’re going the right way?”

Ulric turned his head and grumbled as he looked at me, not even hesitating as he walked to the mountain.

I gasped as he launched himself at the rock, his nails cutting into the stone. I held on as tight as I could, wrapping my legs around his chest as he crawled up the mountain. It only took him a few minutes to reach the peak, his long arms and legs benefitting the climb, but what astounded me the most were his nails. They had to be incredibly sharp and strong to pierce the mountain, making me realize just how gentle and careful he is when his nails are close to me.

When he reached the peak he used his back legs to push us over, landing with an almost cat-like grace at the top. The sight that greeted us startled me. On top of this mountain lived an entire colony of Creatures, all in different forms. The surface of the mountain seemed like it was just another level of the forest, stretching on as far as I could see. The colony was situated in a large clearing, surrounded by the sheer drop Ulric and I had just climbed on three sides, another forest completing the fourth.

In the clearing Creatures in wolf form and human form were lounging around, some sleeping and others talking together. In a corner a couple of old Creatures in human form were whittling, carving something out of a chunk of tree with sharp knives. There looked to be about twenty Creatures here, way more than I thought ever existed. Of course, I didn’t think Creatures were real before Ulric saved me.

Ulric shifted, crouching close to the ground so that I could slide safely from his back. Once down I stayed close to Ulric’s side, intimidated with so many Creatures here. At Ulric’s movement, the Creatures closest to us turned and stared, their fixed gazes catching all the other's attention. Soon we had the entire colony staring at us.

Ulric grumbled, this one sounding unhappy, as the gray Creature pushed his way through the crowd, leading a petite woman. The woman was pretty, her straight blonde hair pulled away from her face so that her bright blue eyes were what people noticed first. She was dressed in a long brown skirt, the bodice a dusty white. When she saw Ulric her smiled widened into pleasure.

“My son! Oh, it’s so good to see you.”

She dashed over to Ulric, latching onto one of his arms for a hug. Ulric leaned down and rubbed his face against hers, his free arm clasping her back. They stayed in that position for a while, Ulric making soft grumbles as she whispered to him. When she pulled away she patted his arm and turned to me. Once again I was shocked to see how young she looked. It seems Creatures age slower than humans do.

“Hello, you must be Clarence’s friend.”

Ulric growled as I frowned, “Clarence?”

“Oh,” the woman laughed, “I forgot that Kyros had told me you renamed him Ulric. He’s been Clarence to me for so many years that it just slipped my mind.”

I blinked, then looked at the still growling Ulric, “Clarence?”

He snarled.

The woman laughed again, “He’s always hated his name, made it hard to get him to do anything when he was younger.”

My frown turned from Ulric to the woman, “You’re his mother?”

“Oh, yes, silly me. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Emera, and yes, I’m Clar- Ulric’s mother.”

I took the hand she held out, “Roana.”

At my name Ulric tilted his head; the movement making me realize I hadn’t told him my name. Like Emera, I hadn’t formally introduced myself either.

“That’s a pretty name, how did you-”

“Emera, leave the girl alone. Let her get settled in before you interrogate her.”

I turned to see Ulric’s father walking behind Emera, his hands in the pockets of his pants. He walked up and stopped by Emera’s side, laying his arm over her shoulders, “Hello again. I’m sure your trip went well?”

I nodded and stepped closer to Ulric, “It wasn’t too bad.”

He smiled, “Well, I’m sure you worked up an appetite. Come on, we’re just about to start eating.”

Kyros and Emera turned and walked away, not even looking back to see if Ulric and I were following. I felt Ulric’s body sigh as he leaned his head down and nuzzled my arm, pushing me in the direction that his parents left.

“Alright, I’m going, no need to push.”

I walked in front of Ulric, following behind his parents, but I couldn’t resist turning to glance at him over my shoulder, “Clarence?”

This time Ulric roared, stretching his neck and shoving me with his nose.