"You have potential, and I'm bored. Come visit me again. I'll teach you."

These were the parting words that the scaled woman said to Storge. The queen returned to her swarm, her thoughts still in disarray. 'She told me to call her Iphrita, but somehow that didn't sound like her real name. And what did she mean by "teaching"?' Her family noticed right away the queen's confusion. She reassured them that everything was fine, and the scaled creature posed no threat to them. It was time to move on to more pressing matters.

First, they needed to investigate the territory, not only to gain an understanding of the resources around them, but also to ensure they wouldn't cross the borders of any other swarm. The hive was located to their east. Iphrita's house was south of the grove, which meant it would be best to check the north and west. While a few wolves would take care of the hibernating aphis cows, others would search for the suitable place for a nest. They would report their findings, and she would need to check out the most promising option before choosing the best one. This was certainly not an easy decision, but with her family's help, Storge was sure that the most suitable place would be found in no time.

'What about the south?' noticed Rainstorm.

'I don't like the idea of this creature's house in the center of our territory,' replied Hailstone, instead of his sister.

Searching in three directions would divide the swarm even further. But Storge was reluctant to abandon the idea completely. Rainstorm's curiosity was contagious.

'Fine, Dad and Spot will head north. Rainstorm and Dawn go south,' she turned to Hailstone. 'You and I will head west. Then let's split up to cover more ground.'

Storge looked at the sky. The sun was already rising. It might be a good idea to rest first, but the wolves around her radiated with enthusiasm.

'It's cloudy,' noticed Rainstorm. 'The sun won't be bright, we can manage.'

He was right - the thick grey clouds covered the sky. It seemed wasteful to postpone while they were full of strength.

'Alright, let's start now. While we are gone, others can rest there under the shade of the trees,' Storge looked at the edge of the grove. Leaving workers right under Iphrita's house was a little too intrusive.

Divided into pairs, the wolf ants began investigating the surroundings. Straight to the west, the grassland continued. Storge and Hailstone walked there for a while, following the edge of the grove, then dived under the trees. It felt like a piece of their homeland, with honey squirrels in the upside-down trees and rocky trees. The familiar smells among the unknown ones made the siblings relaxed. Hailstone sniffed a bush covered with bright purple flowers. This was the first time they had seen this kind.

'I don't think it's edible,' Hailstone concluded. Storge's gaze kept longer on his bulging cheek. He still carried the walnut around with him.

'Isn't this inconvenient?' Storge voiced her opinion, 'You should have left it with Creek and others.'

Her brother shook his head. 'What if they eat it?'

His stubbornness was too much for her to argue with. 'No one will eat it. They know how much it means to you.' Storge sighed and returned to examining the surroundings.

'I'm sure she would have liked it here too... I'll return to the grasslands and continue the search there.' As soon as Hailstone informed her of his intentions, he ran back to the edge of the grove. They will not build a nest on the flat land, but she did not stop her brother. Gaining as much information as possible will help them adjust sooner. After parting ways with Hailstone, the queen returned to her examination to examining the grove.

The direction of the wind made it difficult to rely on smell, so Storge walked slowly and carefully looked around. Her happiness was boundless when she reached a small river. She tasted the water - it was cool and clean. 'It would be perfect to build a nest somewhere near,' thought Storge, and walked beside the stream. She watched it with interest. Fish were unfamiliar, but the frogs were very similar to the horned ones that lived in the creek she knew. When she reached a place where the river became narrow, Storge crossed it by jumping on the rocks. The last stone was covered in algae and she nearly slipped on it but managed to keep her balance. Once she reached the opposite bank, the queen looked at the stream. Despite how happy she felt, she was not eager to fall into the cool water.

And as if her thoughts had been read, the grey sky began to cry. One of the first raindrops hit her nose. Storge shook her head. She didn't want to return right after she had crossed the river. The queen would like to reunite with her family and bring them wonderful news, but without exploring the area on this bank, it would be incomplete. She looked around. The bank here was too steep to climb, so she decided to walk along the stream to the north until she found a gentle slope.

The plan was simple and perfect. And even though the rain was annoying, it was light, and for now there was no need to hide from the weather. And maybe because everything had gone so well so far, Storge subconsciously tried to ignore the faint metallic smell of blood. But after she had moved through the shrubs at the narrowing riverbank, she couldn't ignore the sight in front of her. Right ahead, a human was lying face down on the ground.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Storge practically groaned in despair. 'Why? Why are there humans even here?!' The anger and resentment that had accumulated since the day she was torn away from her mother broke out. In a few leaps she reached the human, her mandibles ready to strike. But he did not even flinch; his eyes remained closed. The she-wolf moved her muzzle closer to the enemy. Without any reaction from the human, she had time to look carefully.

It was a young guy, closer in age to the first human she saw with her brothers than to Diego. With fair skin and auburn hair, he differed from the tanned hunters. The sleeves of his clothes were worn out, and the bag on his shoulder was wide open. A knife and some other items, unknown to Storge, were scattered around. However, she recognized the smell of honey coming from his bag. As well as the smell of blood, his forehead was hurt.

She looked up - the tall upside-down tree towered above the slope with a hollow in its trunk. 'He must have climbed up it to get honey and fell down. What a clumsy.'

It would be best to leave while the person was unconscious. 'Or should I kill him?' Storge looked down at the guy. The rain became heavier, making her fur wet. She hid her mandibles and looked around. There was a small hollow between the roots of the tree. Not the coziest place to wait out the rain, but better than staying outside in the open. Storge stepped over the lying person. 'Maybe he will die on his own.'

She widened the pit a bit before hiding from the rain. The peals of thunder rolled around the grove. Storge flinched, then looked at the unmoving human. 'No, stop it,' she berated herself, scowling. A pang of conscience felt like betrayal. 'Why should I care?' But despite her efforts, the feeling didn't go away.

Storge left her hideout and walked towards the guy. The rain drops falling on her eyes made her frown. She took the human by the hand and dragged him to the hole under the roots. This made the scarce space shrink even more, but at least her conscience was finally free of pangs. 'If he does anything funny, I'll kill him right away,' thought Store, glaring at the unconscious guy. She lay down beside him, hoping the weather would soon clear.

But what she thought was a drizzle turned out to be lingering rain. Thinking about her family, Storge closed her eyes and started dozing. A rustling sound made her ear flinch. She listened intently. The guy beside her regained consciousness.

He groaned and moved his hand towards the wound on his forehead. The smell of blood grew stronger as the blood crust was disturbed, and fresh blood seeped out again. It did not take long for him to notice a black furry beast, and he recoiled, bumping his head against the low ceiling. He almost screamed, but at the last moment covered his mouth with his hand. For a few minutes, Storge listened to his loud heartbeats and convulsive breaths. His fear was understandable and even brought her gloat. It was revenge for all the misery his kind put her family through.

'How long should I pretend to sleep, then? Should I hiss and scare him away?' The rain had already quieted down. It was time to return to her swarm and share all news, good and bad alike. However, the human started moving first. Cautiously, trying not to touch the wolf ant, he crawled out the shelter. When Storge opened her eyes, he was already picking up the scattered things from the ground. A look of disappointment and sadness crossed his face as he picked up a flat, white object. It was soaked wet. The young man shook it a bit, but it didn't help much. He sighed and placed it in the bag. Then, when he bent down to pick up a knife, he noticed he noticed Storge's intense stare.

For a second, the guy froze. His hand gripped the knife handle. Storge raised her head without averting her gaze. 'The moment he tries to attack me, I'll strike him first,' she had no doubt she would be faster. She calmly looked at the human, confident of future success. He looked back with deep blue eyes, wide open. The color reminded her of the evening sky. 'I don't think anyone else I've met has this kind of eye color,' pondered the queen, letting down her guard for a moment.

The guy moved. She stood up, but didn't leave the shelter. He only put the knife into its sheath and then into a bag. When his hand touched something in the bag, he paused, thinking about something. It didn't take long. The guy took out a broken jar covered with cloth. A sweet aroma of honey filled Storge's nose. She tilted her head. 'Is it some kind of trap? Or a distraction?' She remained still, watching as the human placed the jar on the ground. He took a few steps backward, observing the she-wolf. Then, he uttered, "Thank you."

While Storge watched in bewilderment, the young man turned around and walked away. The human's gait was unsteady, and he kept holding his forehead with his hand, but he didn't try to run or attack. Confused, the queen slowly approached the broken jar and sniffed it. There was nothing wrong with it.

'Wait. Why did he talk to me? Did he suspect that I can understand him?' Storge moved her gaze from the left object to the receding human. The sweet honey smell was tempting, while the guy's behavior was absolutely incomprehensible.