Becoming Wolf

Strange images of running wolves and humans filled my head in my unconscious state. When I finally woke up, my mind felt numb, while my body ached as though I had been hit by a car. Rolling from my side to my stomach, I slowly stretched then sat on my haunches. I was in a small cave. From the opening, I could see wolves walking around in what looked like a small clearing.

"Ah, I see you've awakened. How are you feeling?" The voice came from behind me. Startled, I gave a small yip and turned to look the speaker. It was a large brown wolf with a darker brown, almost black face. There were no marking upon his body except for different shades of brown. The wolf gave a small chuckle, as only wolves can.

"I'm sorry my dear, I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Kevorck, I am the alpha of the Pack."

I gave him a quizzical look, and then remembered that I hadn't introduced myself. "I'm Luna and last I knew I was human."

"Yes. We are all human at one point or another," Kevorck said, looking out at the other wolves. "Come, walk with me and I shall tell you our story."

"Centuries ago, Bendis, the Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, cast us down to earth. We were known as the First Wolves of the Moon, and she blessed us with many gifts, one of them was that of humanity. We were able to shift back and forth between our forms, spreading the word of our great Goddess to all of the world's creatures. She had taught us that there was a balance to all living things. There cannot be life without death and so on. We did not kill what couldn't reproduce and we did not kill without a purpose. We came to be respected amongst the other creatures and a small group of particular First wolves became known as the Guardians, for we were the soldiers of the forest and all of its inhabitants."

"Once we were done in the forest, we turned our attentions outwards, towards the humans. When we came to them, told of them of the Goddess and showed them her power, they thought us to be cursed and attacked us." Kevorck told me as we walked through the clearing and throughout the territory. Other wolves glanced at us as we walked by, dipping their heads, exposing their necks to Kevorck as they caught his eye, showing submission. Kevorck continued. “Then the Great Battle ensued. Many of the First Wolves did not survive. Some of the Guardians became angry and went out to punish the humans. They knew no mercy and killed many innocent people. They called themselves the Pure Ones for they were going to 'purify' those who did not accept the Goddess. When we tried to stop them, they retaliated, killing all who opposed them. The Goddess became angry at their betrayal to her and stripped away their ability to shift. Powerless and angry at the Goddess, the Pure Ones melted into the darkness of the forests and their hearts.” Kevorck stopped at a stream and took a drink from the cool, clear water. I went to do the same and caught my reflection in the slowly moving water. I was mostly dark, with a lighter underbelly and face, not unusual colors for a wolf. The strange thing was my eyes. They were a glowing, moon silver. I sat down and glanced at Kevorck.

“Why," I started to ask him, but he cut me off.

"It is unknown as to why you are here young one. There have been no new Shifters created since after the Great Battle. The only Shifters alive are either those who survived the battle, or the offspring from them,” Kevorck said. “Your eyes are the color of Her moon, which is not a coincidence. I believe that she has special plans for you.” He paused. “I believe that you will be the one to restore the balance again." I looked into his eyes, searching for truth behind his words. They glowed with the wisdom and understanding that came with being alive for a very long time.

"You were one of the original Guardians, weren't you?" I asked him. He nodded. Silenced followed and a breeze picked up, carrying with it the scent of cinnamon and autumn leaves. The scent seemed strangely familiar to me, but I couldn't place where it came from.

"Join us, Cedar, your presence is needed," Kevorck said to the wind. A large, rust colored wolf with a white underbelly stepped out of the thicket. He had darker face markings and was mostly dark across the top line of his back from shoulder to tail. His pale amber eyes bore into mine, seemingly right through me. I shivered.

"Luna, this is Cedar, my beta. He will teach you our ways and guide you through your transition from human to wolf. When he thinks you are ready you will become a member of the Guardians," Kevorck explained to me. "But until then we must get you acquainted with the others. There will be a ceremony tonight, welcoming you into the Pack." I must have looked confused. "The Guardians and the Pack are two separate things. A wolf can be a member of the Pack and not be chosen as a Guardian, but either way, he or she is still a child of Bendis" He paused then said, "your ceremony is tonight, when the moon is at its highest." With that, he turned and left me alone with Cedar.

"What now?" I asked him. Cedar shot me a glare.

"Clean up and then head back to the clearing," he said gruffly. "If you can find it." I heard him mutter under his breath as he left. I looked to the river. The water here was deep and still moving fast, but I noticed that it was slower and shallower up stream.

Cleaning up in the crisp water rejuvenated my tired muscles and woke me up even more. Once I felt I was clean and presentable, I walked over to a nice sunny spot that was bedded by long grasses and surrounded by sweet smelling, wild lilacs. Drying off gave me time to think about how my life had changed. Hell, just a couple of days ago I was a girl who was beaten on a regular basis. Now, I'm a wolf! Everything I knew about them seemed so insignificant. Sure, I read books on pack life and could name all nearly all of the body sings, but that was twenty times different then actually being communicate them. I knew life was going to be rough the next couple of days, but from what I came from, I should be able to handle it. Lying in the sun, I became so relaxed that I soon fell asleep.

Hours passed and when I awoke, I was dry. Getting up, I shook my self to free my coat of any stray grass. Dusk had fallen and the ceremony would start in a few hours, now all I had to do was find my way back.

It was hard at first, because I hadn't been paying any attention to where I was when Kevorck was talking, but I remembered his scent and although it was hours old, it still worked fine for me. Strange smells would cross over his trail, but it was easy to pick out his, for Kevorck smelt of fresh cut pine. When I arrived at the clearing, Cedar was waiting for me.

"About time you showed up," he muttered. I shot him a look but kept my mouth shut. He led me to a out crop of rocks on the edge of the clearing that stood roughly 50 feet high. We stopped on a large rock that jutted out a little ways from the main formation higher on the outcrop, on the very top, was an even larger rock that came out further then the one we were standing on and over looked the entire clearing. In a semi-circle around the base of the outcrop, sat the pack wolves. Kevorck appeared from nowhere and stood at the top. Every wolf stood at his appearance.

"Wolves of the Great Goddess Bendis. I call you here tonight, in view of the Goddess's Moon, to welcome a new child. Luna has been held prisoner most of her life by her abusive father. With the Goddess's help, she has found her true form," Kevorck said. His voice was powerful, yet easy to listen to, my heart seemed to hang on every word. "May her journey continue here among us as she learns the way of the Goddess." With that, Kevorck lifted his muzzle to the moon and howled. The wolves down below joined him, as did Cedar. When he finished, he looked directly into my eyes. Cedar nudged me towards him. With slow steps, I walked to the top of the outcrop. Once I reached him, Kevorck smiled at me and said, "Welcome, Luna." With that, he touched his nose to my throat. The wolves down below howled in celebration. Kevorck looked at me, and joined them. Lifting my muzzle to the sky, I sang with my new family. My Pack.